Wargaming: Fenian Raids of Canada, 1866 & 70

"And we'll go and conquer Canada for we've nothing else to do."

(1/72 Canadian Militia, converted from ACW figures.)

I got interested in this obscure period reading Wargames Illustrated 214 (2005) It has an article The Fenian Raids of 1866 by a Canadian wargamer Dave Hoyt. It provides a small colourful project as the troop numbers are limited, with minimal cavalry and artillery. Most of the figures on the Fenian can be made up of ACW figures in slouch hat and kepi. The Canadian and British side is more challenging with the figures being converted (from kepi to pillbox hat) or poached from other ranges (Maori Wars!) The numbers are low like the Battle of Eccles Hill had 600 men on either side which in 1:10 gives us 60 per side! Ideal for skirmish games like Patriots and Rebels or Sharpe Practise.

Stylised painting of the Battle of Ridgeway, 1866 
(The Sage Sons & Co Lithographer, Library & Archives of Canada, Wiki Commons)

Many Irish had emigrated to America to escape rural poverty in the 19th Century, and many had resentment over harsh British rule. These Irish emigres fought on both sides in the American Civil War particularly in the Union's Irish brigade. After the war this left a lot of experienced soldiers trying to find work. They had anti-British and pro republican sympathy's and formed the Fenian Brotherhood whose aim was Irish Independence. The nearest target was Canada. By conquering territory, disrupting shipping and commerce, this could pressurise the British to give concessions to the Irish republicans back home. 

What actually happened was a series of raids which fizzled out due to a lack of Fenian supplies and reinforcements. The US government was ineffective in policing the border. Although the US made arrests during and  after the invasions, prisoners were released without charge. On the Canadian side the first units on the scene were militia, who also lacked good leadership and professional officer corps. By the time the British regulars had mobilised and entrained, the battles had been fought and the Fenians withdrawn back across the border. The first Fenian raids (1866) unintentionally united the Canadians provinces and alerted the British to improving the militia and defences. So by the time of the second raids the British and Canadians were better prepared.    

Battles

Canada East 1866

Battle of Ridgeway (Fenian victory)

Battle of Fort Erie (Fenian Victory)

Canada West 1866 

Pigeon Hill (Canadian Victory)

Canada West 1870

Battle of Eccles Hill (Canadian Victory)

Battle of Trout River (Canadian Victory)

Canadian uniforms

The Canadian Militia enthusiastically tried to copy the British regular uniforms. 'Rifles' wore a green thigh length tunic coat with red cuff and a green trousers for example the Queens Own Rifles (QOR.)  'Line' infantry wore a thigh length redcoat with facing colours and dark blue or black trousers with a red stripe (e.g. 13th Hamilton.) Artillery (e.g. the Welland Canal Field Battery) wore the same in dark blue with red cuff and a trouser stripe. Headgear for parade or field was a short shako with brass 'police star.' For the field or fatigues a pillbox or kilmarnock cap with pompom. Cap bands were plain for 'rifles' and coloured for the 'line.'

Burial of dead militia, Canada East 1866,
(Illustrated London News, artist Charles Fuller, Wiki Commons)

Officers were distinguished by a crimson sash worn diagonally and carried swords and revolvers. Headgear was a flat kepi, blue or red frockcoat with black piping. Headgear a fur-har or flat kepi in the field and a shako for parade. Higher officers or staff wore a cocked hat with white plume. Trouser were blue or black with a red stripe. Tunics was red or dark blue with gold piping.

The cavalry wore a blue uniform and a pillbox hat with white band. Piping and brainding and trouser stripe was white (for the Royal Guides.) The parade dress was a silver dragoon helmet with a falling white plume - similar to the UK Household Cavalry helmet. 

 Eccles Hill 1870, Canadian Officers & NCO, with a dead Fenian
(Missisquoi Historical Society Collection, Wiki Commons) 

Fenian uniforms

The Fenian wore civilian clothes with a green scarf, looking very much like late war ACW confederates with a green banners. Some turned out in there old blue or grey civil war uniform with green cuffs sewn on. Trousers would be shades of grey or brown, occasionally light blue. Their leader at Ridgeway and Fort Erie - O Neil wore a grey jacket and trousers and slouch hat. 

In present day Canada the re-inactors turn out in their civil war uniforms, with officers in green.

A Fenian jacket captured by the British was a green, short or 'shell jacket' with gold or yellow edging. Headgear was a blue kepi with a green band.

For wargamers, this is great - a flag switch on their Confederates gives them an instant Fenian army. Drybrushing 'dust' onto a federal units blue jacket gives a green 'uniformed' Fenian regiment

Flags

The Fenian flags were green with gold or yellow detail. At Ridgeway there were three green Fenian flags and two USA flags flown. One Fenian banner had an Irish harp with I.R.A written above it. The second a Sunrise in the centre. O' Neil's banner had a green flag with a yellow canton and the outline of a sunrise coming from the staff edge. That's as much detail as I can give if there are further Fenian flags whether they were used and by whom and where we don't know. Back in Ireland the Fenians had two standards captured by the British in County Dublin 1867. There is the 32 Stars which is a green banner with rows of yellow or gold stars. An a flag which is an imitation of the USA flag with the 32 stars in the canton and four horizontal bars each of white and green.  

Trying to find specific Canadian regimental flags is going to be difficult if not impossible as they were militia so possibly a union jack suffices. For inspiration you can find the present day regimental standards on Wikipedia. Finding British regimental flags is going to be easier