Turning Back the Fenians: New Brunswick's Last Colonial Campaign (New Brunswick Military Heritage Series)

In the early 1860s, Irish immigrants in the United States were eager to help the Fenian brotherhood overthrow the British in Ireland. The American Fenians' mission: to invade British North America and hold it hostage. New Brunswick, with its large Irish population and undefended frontier, was a perfect target. The book tells how, in the spring of 1866, a thousand Fenians massed along the St. Croix River and spread terror among New Brunswickers. When the lieutenant-governor called in British soldiers and a squadron of warships, the Fenians saw that New Brunswick was no longer an easy target, and they turned their efforts against central Canada. The Fenian "attacks" and the demand for home defence fanned the already red-hot political debate, and a year later, in July 1867, New Brunswick joined Confederation.__Turning Back the Fenians__is volume eight in the New Brunswick Military Heritage Series.

On the night of April 14, 1866, an armed band of men terrorized customs officer James Dixon and his family on Indian Island, an important trading depot on the Maine-New Brunswick border. Brandishing revolvers, the invaders threatened the frightened family, and demanded the British flag which flew over the customs house. The armed intruders were members of a revolutionary movement called the Fenian Brotherhood, which sought to drive the British from Ireland. In the early 1860s, many Irish immigrants in the United States were eager to help the Fenians. Their mission: to invade British North America and hold it hostage. New Brunswick, with its vast, undefended border and large Irish population, was a perfect target. In Turning Back the Fenians: New Brunswick's Last Colonial Campaign, military historian Robert L. Dallison tells the intriguing story of this pivotal moment in Canadian history, when these marauders massed along the St. Croix River, alarming the people of New Brunswick. The quick-thinking lieutenant-governor called in British soldiers, the New Brunswick militia, and a squadron of warships. The crisis was averted and the Fenians turned their attention to Upper Canada. At a time when the issue of border security once again looms large between Canada and its closest neighbour, Dallison elucidates this largely forgotten moment in history.

"In the 1860s, New Brunswick experienced its own brand of international terrorism. The Fenian Brotherhood sought the ouster of the British from their beloved Ireland and found support among Irish-American immigrants. Eager to help the cause, the American Fenian sympathizers planned to invade British North America and hold it hostage. New Brunswick, with its large Irish population and undefended frontier, seemed the perfect target." "In the spring of 1866, a thousand Fenians massed along the southwest border of New Brunswick. But when Lieutenant-Governor Arthur Hamilton Gordon revitalized the New Brunswick militia, calling in British soldiers and a squadron of warships, the force proved too much for the enemy, who retreated and turned their efforts against the more vulnerable central Canada." "The threat of this Fenian attack fanned the flames of an already red-hot political debate, and a year later, in 1867, New Brunswick joined Confederation."--Résumé de l'éditeur "In the 1860s, New Brunswick experienced its own brand of international terrorism. The Fenian Brotherhood sought the ouster of the British from their beloved Ireland and found support among Irish-American immigrants. Eager to help the cause, the American Fenian sympathizers planned to invade British North America and hold it hostage. New Brunswick, with its large Irish population and undefended frontier, seemed the perfect target." "In the spring of 1866, a thousand Fenians massed along the southwest border of New Brunswick. But when Lieutenant-Governor Arthur Hamilton Gordon revitalized the New Brunswick militia, calling in British soldiers and a squadron of warships, the force proved too much for the enemy, who retreated and turned their efforts against the more vulnerable central Canada." "The threat of this Fenian attack fanned the flames of an already red-hot political debate, and a year later, in 1867, New Brunswick joined Confederation."--Jacket

In the early 1860s, Irish immigrants in the United States were eager to help the Fenian brotherhood overthrow the British in Ireland. The American Fenians' mission: to invade British North America and hold it hostage. New Brunswick, with its large Irish population and undefended frontier, was a perfect target. The book tells how, in the spring of 1866, a thousand Fenians massed along the St. Croix River and spread terror among New Brunswickers. When the lieutenant-governor called in British soldiers and a squadron of warships, the Fenians saw that New Brunswick was no longer an easy target, and they turned their efforts against central Canada. The Fenian "attacks" and the demand for home defence fanned the already red-hot political debate, and a year later, in July 1867, New Brunswick joined Confederation.

Turning Back the Fenians is volume 8 in the New Brunswick Military Heritage Series.

In the early 1860s, Irish immigrants in the United States were eager to help the Fenian brotherhood overthrow the British in Ireland. The American Fenians' mission: to invade British North America and hold it hostage. New Brunswick, with its large Irish population and undefended frontier, was a perfect target. The book tells how, in the spring of 1866, a thousand Fenians massed along the St. Croix River and spread terror among New Brunswickers. When the lieutenant-governor called in British soldiers and a squadron of warships, the Fenians saw that New Brunswick was no longer an easy target, and they turned their efforts against central Canada. The Fenian "attacks" and the demand for home defence fanned the already red-hot political debate, and a year later, in July 1867, New Brunswick joined Confederation. Turning Back the Fenians is volume eight in the New Brunswick Military Heritage Series. In the early 1860s, Irish immigrants in the U.S. were eager to help the Fenian brotherhood overthrow the British in Ireland. The American Fenians' mission: to invade British North America and hold it hostage. New Brunswick, with its large Irish population and undefended frontier, was a perfect target. A thousand Fenians massed along the St. Croix River and spread terror among New Brunswickers. However, British soldiers and a squadron of warships were called in and the Fenians turned their efforts against central Canada. The Fenian "attacks" fanned also lead to New Brunswick joining Confederation. Robert L. Dallison served for 35 years with the Canadian Army. He has travelled the world and is a respected historian. New Brunswick History, Canadian Military History, Canadian Author. HIS027160, HIS029000, HIS037060