Battle delivered the June 2nd 1866, in the peninsula of the the Niagara in Ontario, at the time of the raids carried out by the Fenian S to the Canada.

Fenians

In 1858, hostile Irish patriots with the British domination create the same day, with Dublin and New York, the Irish Republican Brotherhood (Irish republican Fraternity). Its goal is the separation of Ireland of Great Britain and its members are called Fenians. The armed struggle one of the means is planned to achieve the fixed goal, but at the 19th century, it is not in Ireland where in England which it will be employed, but in Canada, then under British sovereignty and by combatants irlando-American, veterans for the majority of the American Civil War.

Raids will be carried out by true armies coming from the the United States, and in spite of the opposition of this country. From the Irish point of view, their results will be very disappointing but they will give place to several pitched battles with the Canadian forces.

The battle

The general John O' Neill crosses the Niagara river, close to the fort Érié, with the head of an army of 800 men and penetrates in Canada. Against Ridgeway, Fenians, which suffers from many desertions and are hardly more than 550, run up against the 850 men of the Canadian militia, hastily joined together by the lieutenant-colonel Alfred Booker. The veterans of O' Neill charge the Canadians, whose majority are students, with the reduced military formation, and put them in rout following a confused combat.

Assessment

In the same day, Fenians gain a new success with the combat of Strong Érié; however of important Anglo-Canadian forces going on their army, they estimate more careful to set out again in the United States, where the American authorities await them firm footing and disarm them.

External bonds

• http://www.uppercanadahistory.ca/tt/tt13.html. account of the battle (in English)
• http://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~dbertuca/g/FenianRaid.html. account of the battle and information uniformologic (in English)