F 1059 y\ foi/l coK5P»i^cy JoKu D arui kxj Po- {) I Uli e V 5 Roc Leifer M^ , JOHN D ANIHY, 173 Central Avenue, Directly opposite the Entrance of N. Y. C. Depot. FINE IMPORTED AND DOMESTIC Fruits, Cigars n Tobacco. -A. FIlSrE LIISTE OF Prices as Reasonable as any other Hcuse in Rochester. Assorted Fruits put up in Fancy Baskets, suit- able for Travelers. rn HE INVASION C^]V"A-I3^, A FOUL CONSPIRACY, BJIOUUHT TO laW.UT BY AN OLD ARTILLERYMAN John Danihy, Publisher, Rochester, N. Y. [COPYBIUHTED.J \2"-'\\ ^■^' - H^i (jl^riyh^ii ^ v=' ,« ^MP96-00735l THE INVASION OF CANADA. A FOUL CONSPIRACY BROUCHT TO LIGHT. The dynamite outrages that have caused such wide spread consternation in the city of London of late years ; the incipient revohitionary disturbances that have oc- curred from time to time throughout Europe and Amer- ica, the recent attempted assassination of Captain Phelan in New York, are the outcome of the half strangled hydra, Fenianism, which manifested itself here in 1866. If the British government imagined then that it had beaten the life out of the monster that threatened to wrest one of the brightest jewels from the English Crown, it has reason to think differently now — it has, indeed, more cause than ever, at this moment, to tremble for the perpetuation of its colonial system, Fenianism is to-day a thousand fold more vigorous than it ever was, and embraces in its ranks, not only the highest tyi^es of the Celtic race, but has drawn within its influences masses of the Anglo-Saxon, attract- ed thither from sheer force of sympathy and a repugnance to monarchial tyranny, that receives fresh impetus from new lights which are constantly flashing upon the minds of men, by means of the common school and un- restricted press ; and never before has this old world 4 Tlie Invasion of Canac/a. had at its helm sucli powerful intellect, nor been swayed by siKdi massive genius. Education among what has been called the ral)ble, but which is in reality the bone and sinew of the race, appeal's for the hrst time in the history of our globe. The giants of intellect and reason are appearing upon the earth, whose watchword, culled from the bloody traditions of the past, resounds from the four corners of the world, and finds expression in that thrilling sentence "LIBERTY OR DEATH!" This is an age of conspiracy, and the time is ripe toi' unveiling the hidden secrets of the past. Reader — did you ever hear the particulars concerning the fall of Port Hope and Cobourg in 186() '^ or did you never hear that those Canadian towns surre adored to the Fenian leaders one quiet summer morning, in the year when Irish patriots carried the green flag across the border? If you did not, then this bit of history may be refreshing as well as instructive, and at the same time be prophetic in its tendency and fall across your path like the shadow of coming events. One quiet summer eveuing, three gentlemen sat upon the verandah of Craig's Hotel at Charlotte, N. Y. They were smoking their cigars and enjoying the cool evening breeze that came across the lake. Two steamers lay at the dock in close proximity to the hotel. They were the opposition boats then making The Invcmon of Canada. daily fci'ips to Port Hope and Coliourg, and were named rosj)e<-tively the " Lion " and the "Tiger." Two of the gentlemen alcove mentioned were officers Oi (lie •* Ijion," one being Captain Crystal, the com- mander, and tlie other, Charlie Craig, the agent. The third gentleman was an ex-Colonel of the U. S. volnn- teers, who had seen hard service during the rebellion, and wa,s at the time resting on his laurels, and a resident of Rochester. The steamer "Tiger" was owncl by Mr. Beaver iVlaple, of Cobourg, and was commanded by his son. Captain Pompy Maple, a young man whose bump of self esteem was very prominent, and who seemed to imagine that uake Ontario had been especially designed and creat'^^Ml hy Providence for the sole and exclusive navi- gation of his father's steamer. Consequently he had the greatest dislike, or rather hatred, of the steamer "Lion" and all connected with her, and truth to tell, the senti- ment was fully reciprocated by his gallant rivals, who had made every effort, both fair and foul, to drive the young captain and his father's boat off the route. There had been the usual war of rates between the two steamers, which threatened at one time to prove disastrous to both of them. The invasion of Canada, in which these steamers took an active imrt, must be our excuse for drawing the read- er's attention to them at this point of our nnirative. The Invasion of Canada. The Conspirators. A FOUL CONSPIRACY. As the blue smoke curled upwards from the cigars of Captain. Crystal and the agent, the ex-Colouel, (Dobbs by nam9) was recouafciiig his exploits of the war, and com- pifitig the tremendous events of the great rebellion with the^ foable demonstrations that had just taken place at Ridge way, where the Fenians had given battle to the Canadian forces, with such poor success. At the tinle of which we write, Canada was in a state of ferment, and the greatest disquietude prevailed throughout the Dominion on account of the hostile movements of the Fenians. The few Imperial troops at the disposal of the Canadian government were massed at certain points, leaving vast stretches of frontier abso- lutely unguarded. The air was full of rumors concerning the movements of the invaders, and as is usual under such circumstances, were grossly exaggerated, and it is not surprising that the inhabitants along the shores of Lake Ontario, un- protected and isolated, should have been in very poor humor or condition to show fight. In the course of his conversation, Colonel Dobbs re- marked that he thought, notwithstanding adverse cir- cumstances, the Canadians would prove themselves able to cope with the Fenian forces, especially as they (the S The Invasion of Canada. Canadians) had a well disciplined Militia and a goodly number of Imperial troops, to say nothing of the moral power of great Britain at their back. " Look, here !" cried Craig, when the colonel ceased speaking, '' ! will lay you a wager I can capture Fort Hope and Cobourg without firing a gun ! I'll bet a new silk hat that the inhabitants of those towns will haul up a white flag in token of surrender at tha approach of our steamer the next time she makes the trip, providing my instructions are carried out, and you will give me your co-operation in tlip matter." " I'll take that bet !^' cried Captain Crystal. " I will oo-operate with you," said Colonel Dobbs, ''if you prom- ise there shall be no blood shed in the affair, providing also yau do not ask me to violate the laws too much." ''1 gne you my w(H'd of honor that not a drop of blood will be spilt on either side," replied Craig. " That being the case," cried the colonel, " I will lend you all the assistance I can to enable you to win your bet. What do you want me to do?" "You unist olitain the co-operation of some military friend, and botli of you appear in full regimentals, wear- ing as much green about you as possible, (if you can get the uniform of the-Berdan sharp shooters, it would be all the better), and report yourselves here to me at 3 o'clock to-morrow afternoon," said Craig. ./- "I hope you will not object to fall into line, Colonel," cried captain Crystal, laughing. " If there is any one The Invasion of Canada. ■ 9 thing I stand in need of jnst now more than another, it is a new silk hat." "Then," cried Craig, thninping the table with his list, "if yonr only chance for a new hat lies in the winiriiig of this bet, you will never get one.." " ril agree to do my pari,"" s;iid Colonel Dobbs. "' I'll fall into line." '•And if yon win the bet, Craig," cried the captain, " 3^ou can telegrapli me at Toronto and I will pay the charges ; I shall be there when yon bombard Port llopp and Cobourg. I am going to the Queen city' on business that will detain me several days, and you will have full cliarge of the boat until I get back." " Mark my words, captain," exclaimed Craig, with much energy, "you will get the telegram, aiid dort't you forget it." The three then separated. At the appointed time Colonel Dobbs and Major Shif- fleheim, an old comrade in arms, appeared at Craig's hotel. "Good day, gentlemen, you are on time, I see," cried Craig, as the two entered the office of the hotel, " but where are your uniforms f " Here," replied the colonel, holding up a carpet bag, and a long parcel containing a sword. " Good," cried the agent. " Now go and get them on and remain in the bed room until I return." Craig then walked down to the dock where the steam- ers "Lion" and "Tiger" were lying, (iloing on board 10 The Invasion of Canada. he spoke in low tones to the mate, engineer, and ship's crew. They all understood him and seemed to enter heartily into the great and solemn duties that were liefore them. An almost melancholy smile marked the features of the agent, as he gravely and without the least sign of excitement, gave his orders. Silently, one by one, the members of the crew entered the little apartment presided over the steward, from which they emerged wiping their mouths and looking as though they had just been put in possession of an important State secret. When Craig had arranged matters satisfactorily on « board his boat, he left, and immediately a large Irish flag was displayed in the bow of the " Lion," which lay about twenty feet from the stern of the "Tiger." Pretty soon the crew of the latter came up and gazed with the utmost astonishment at the green flag, em- blazoned with a golden harp, that swung proudly from the bow of the rival steamer; they couldn't imagine the meaning of it. Young Captain Maple swaggered a])ont the de'^<- of Canada. 17 Great was the joy of Cafji dn Mai^le when, at break of day, no signs were visibh • ( . i' the enemies' gunboat, the "Lion," and with a feeiitg of exultation at having escaped from the clutches of the Fenians, he steered his vessel in the direction of toliourg. Upon arriving there he ok used the greatest consterna- tion among the inhabitaists 1 informing them of his narrow escape. "Nothing," said the captain, "but the heroic conduct of myself and crew saved us ; after a hand-to-hand conflict we succeede-' \n beating back the Fenians who came to take possession of the 'Tiger.' I knocked the wind out of the comman !er and half a dozen staff officers of the Fenian army, while the crew reptilsed the vigorous attack of the troojis. Tl.'\\ were glad to get off the boat and run for their lives, wliile we got up steam and escaped. "The 'Lion,'" continued the valliant captain, "is now in ^the hands of the Fenians, and is on its way to bombard Port Hope and this town, having on board a number of heavy cannon and lots of troops." This news spread like wild fire, and in a few minutes the wires flashed it in an exaggerated form to Port Hope. The whole country round about became the theatre of the wildest excitement. Men on horseback scampered hither and thither, scattering highly seasoned reports of the approach of the enemy. The captain was the xion of the hour — a hero worthy of all lienor. 18 The Invasion of Canada. Securing a horse this hero galloped off several miles into the country to his father's residence, to l)reak the news to the old man. "Behold me, father!" cried the captain, upon hin arrival at the paternal homestead, "as one snatched from the jaws of death !" H'e tlien commenced to tell the story of his escape. " Have you saved the l>oat V asked the parent, ignoring all sentiment and coming Iduntly to a sul)ject that touched his pocket. " Yes, I fought for it and saved it from the hands of the Fenians !" replied the son. " Come to my arms, my brave, my noble boy ; you are a chip off the old block, and possess the courage of a true Briton ; tell us all about it." Then the young captain told his parent how, by his own valorous behavior, backed by the loyalty of his crew", he had beaten off the enemy and saved his twenty thousand dollar boat. In the meantime, it soon became apparent io the inhabitants of Port Hope and C'olxun-g, that tlie means at hand were totally inadequate to repulse the enemy. Only one gun did Port Hope possess, which from time immemorial had done duty for saluting purposes, and no man could tell how it would act if loaded with a cannon ball or a heavy stone. Cannon balls they had none, and the only ammunition at hand was the powder sold at the stores for hunting purposes. Of shot guns there were quite a number, and also a few old military The Invasion of Canada. 10 20 The Invasion of Canada. muskets ; but of what avail could these be in opposing an enemy armed with 32-pounders and howitzers, backed by hordes of Fenians carrying modern breech-loaders ? Impromptu meetings were speedily held ]jy the leading citizens at both towns, and it was decided to blockade the entrances to the harbors by stretching across them long chains. This was soon done. The women and children of the two towns were huddled off into the woods in the rear, and men in bunches took to the hills, or vantage grounds, to await the appearance of the steamer " Lion," which it was expected would lay the town in heaps of ruins or secure an unconditional surrender of the inhabitants. What gave additional color to the reports of Captain Maple, was the non-appeara p. p. Kj CD W m CD m CD CD O The Invasion of Canada. 23 This speech was received with loud acclamations by the people, and Alderman Carbuncle arose, and amid continued cheering said : "Fellow Subjects : — As you are all aware, this is a time that calls for all the patriotism we can muster, and as a direct descendant of an United Em]pire loyalist, I for oiae am ready to bleed, and if necessary die, in de- fending those glorious privileges which were handed down to us by our fathers. Need I say, fellow patriots, that one of the first and foremost of these privileges is our dependence upon and adhesion to the British Throne? Let us thank God that we are part and parcel of the greatest Empire the sun has ever shone upon." A V oice from the crowd — " But that ain't a goin' to get us out of our present scra^DC !" Alderman Carbuncle — " Oh, yes it is ! Do you think for a moment that Her Britanic Majesty, by and with the consent of the House of Commons and that august, ancient and most noble body, known throughout the world as the House of Lords, will see Canada insulted, invaded — not to say vanquished— by a horde of Yankee malcontents, who are at war with the fundamental principles of civilized society ? No, gentlemen, there is little danger of it. 1 give you my word that ere yonder sun shall go down behind the distant foliage, our noble town will be relieved by the invincible forces of the Imperial Army and no Fenian dare approach these shores." '24 The Invasion of Canada. Other speeches were made by prominent men of Co- bourg, which had the effect of arousing the people to the highest pitch of patriotism. In the meantime a spec appeared in the distant horizon. Every eye gazed eagerly in that direction and soon the cry went forth: "Here comes the 'Lion!' To arms ! to arms 1" Telescopes and opera glasses were brought into requi- sition. " The decks are crowded with troops !" cried one excitedly from the top of a wood pile. " I see cannon frowning from the port holes !" shouted another. " Boys !" cried Dick Bonniface, with a look that seemed to say — I might as well give my liquor to my friends as to have it all consumed by the enemy — " boys ! all hands come and take a drink ; it may be our last one !" " tluiTah for Bonniface !" cried everybody, and away they went, returning in a few minutes to watch the incoming steamer. Among the crowd were a large number of men, who, since the first reception of the news of the Fenian approach had improved tlie occasion for indulging in conviviality at different bar-rooms. Among these were many who had nothing to lose in case of a bombardment, while others had a secret de- light at the prospect of the country falling into the The Invasion of Canada. 25 hands of the Fenians with whom they syraioathized, though they were careful to conceal their sentiments. These fellows had a good time at the expense of the timid ones who, in order to " keep their spirits up kept pouring spirits down," and setting them up for the boys. As the steamer approached, fresh evidences of her hostile character presented themselves in the excited minds of the spectators, who never ceased peering at her through every species of telescope to be found in the town. The brave and loyal Alderman Carbuncle took upon himself the command of the forces, and exceedingly fierce that gentleman looked with his scarlet face of pimples and imrple nose whose color was intensified by sundry and frequent applications of whisky-hot that the owner applied. Having marshalled his forces to the number of about one hundred men armed with shot-guns, rifles and pistols. Alderman Carbuncle called upon Dick Bonniface to pass around a few bottles of his best old rye, and the men having drank a bumper were ordered to take up positions amid the wood and lumber piles, old shanties, etc., as near the dock as possible. In an incredibly short time every man had vanished to his post, the citizens who were unarmed, the women and children who had not gone into the woods hid themselves in cellars and other places of safety. Not a soul was to be seen anywhere and a profound silence reigned throughout the town. 26 The Invasion of Canada. Nearer and nearer approached the steamer. While a large number of the townsmen had been arming under the direction of Alderman Carbuncle, certain others, averse to war and its consequent horrors, had made up their minds to quite another liueof action. They argued — and not without some show of reason- that any resistance to an armed body of men, possessing cannon and the best of firearms, with which they could speedily lay the town in ruins and kill many of its people, was Mying in the face of Providence. They therefore made up their minds that as soon as the steamer came within cannon shot of the port they would hoist a white flag of surrender from the summit of the town hall. Procuring a bed sheet, they fastened it to the halyards of the flag pole aud at the proper time, let it float upon the breeze. This proper time was when the steamer sailed majes- tically into the harlior at her usual hour. Not a shot was flred at the steamer, which made no othe]' demonstration than to land a few passengers upon the wharf, and was upon the point of continuing Jier journey to Port Hope, when the arjny of Cobourg emerged from its hiding place and ran towards the steamer. Charlie Craig stood upon the upper deck smoking a cigar, and seemed to be in.tlie happiest of humors. "Hello, boys!" cried he, pointing with his finger to the great white flag floating from City Hall, " what's the meaning of that ?" The Invasion of Canada. 27 The armed men turned their heads and beheld the token of surrender, while Alderman Carbuncle, after storming and swearing a few moments gave orders for some one to go and pull down " that cowardly rag." "What is the matter with you folks, anyhow? What's tlie trouble, and what are you going to do with those shooting irons ?" shouted Craig, trying hju-d to keep from laughing. ^ "Where are the Fenians ? Tell us that !" cried some one in the crowd. " I haven't seen any Fenians !'' cried Charlie Craig. " '^o Fenians ?" yelled out old Maple, " where's that son of mine ?" and seizing a big stick he went for Captain Maple, of the " Tiger," and swore he would beat him to a jelly. The young captain, however, realizing that he liad been sold, made a break for the woods. The people, seeing old Maple running with a big stick in his hand, commenced running with him also. The drunken citizens, seeing there was no necessity for war, fired off their pieces in the air, making a great noise and "causing a large number of people of the opposite end of the town to imagine the Fenians had landed. In the meantime, old Maple spied out his son and went for him, followed by a whooping and yelling crowd. The crew of the " Tiger," who were half drunk, seeing harm was threatened to their captain, tletermined to 28 The Invasion of Canada. The Invasion of Canada. "* 29 protect him, and pretty soon there was a big free fight. As we Imve said, many of tlie citizens were under the it -pression that the Fenians had actually landed and were fighting their way to take possession of the public buildings and clean out the banks. Old Maple, who, having seen the merry twinkle in Craig's eye as . the latter spoke from the deck of the steamer, had taken in the situation at a glance, and the thought that his son had been the victim of a great practical joke for the purpose of driving him off the steamboat route, made him perfectly wild. Seizing his son by the coat collar the father shook him like a dog does a rat, calling 'him all the hard names he CO aid think of. Then some one, to increase the old man's fury, threw a head of cabbage at him, which, striking him in the mouth, made him still more furious. He ran into the crowd striking right and left, knocking down all who came in his way, which caused the fight to become general. Many were in dead earnest but a great number, for the sport of the thing, jostled themselves together and fired off their fire-arms in the air in order to add to the terrible confusion. In the meantime, horsemen at the other end of the town seeing the conflict, and being quite sure in their own minds that a battle with the Fenians was going on, scampered off to Port Hope with the news. 30 The Invasion of Canada. The Cobourg telegraph operator, without any intention of further ahirraing the Port Hope people, innocently sent a dispatch to that town, saying : '' There is a big fight going on here !" The message, arriving at the time when the citizens of Port Hope were straining their"'eyes at the steamer "Ijion," then in sight, filled them with the greatest con- sternation, for it was evident that the "Lion "had landed part of her troops at Cobourg and would soon land the others at their own town. Men with telescopes declared they saw cannons on lioard of her and that her decks were crowded ^with troops. No one cared to remain near the wharf to be shot at ; and those that had no guns ran to the tops of the hills, among the trees, to witness the bombardment, while those who were armed with rifles hid themselves amid the lumber piles. News had somehow got wind that Charlie Craig had turned Fenian and was in command of thie hostile expe- dition ; and, as he was well-known among the Port Hope people, and moreover was a great favorite, it was deter- mined by a number of the leading citizens at the last moment that a white flag should be hoisted at the end of the pier, at which the steamer usually landed, and that a deputation should wait on Charlie Craig and offer terms ; thinking it better to surrender the town to one they knew than submit to a bombardment. " Let us be prisoners of war rather than dead men," argued the city fathers, " for at most we cannot remain The Invasion of Canada. .7/ long" in the power of the enemy, for the Imperial troops vvil] soon arrive and pi-operly cliastise the audacious Fenians." No one eare«l, however, io stanp 39 Our Torchlight Parade 37 Oh, Lucinda 19 Put away that Straw 25 Pat may be Foolish 12 Sweet Forget-Me-Not 42 Scotch Lassie Jean 8 Sitting 'Neath the Old Oak Tree 24 Sweet Flowers I Brought to You 20 The Quilt My Grandmother Made 7 The Colored Band 13 The Twilight Coterie 14 The Torpedo and the Whale 23 Tell the Children Good-bye 22 The Hole in the Door 26 The Honest Irish Lad 27 The Best Little Wife in the World 28 The Man with the Seal Skin Pants 15 The Dandy Colored Waiters 38 The Old Fashioned Church 84 U. S. Black Mail 21 Wst, Wst, Wst, 6 Why does Papa Sleep so Cold 30 10 CENTS BACH; $4 PER HUNDRED. FOB SALE BY JOHN DANIHY, 173 Central Avenue, Rochester, N. Y. 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