George T. Denison

“ Booker to proceed by rail to Erie with the greater part of his force, to arrive at Fort Erie at 8 a.m. Lieut.-Col. Dennis and myself to go round the coast in a steam tug, taking a company of volunteer artillery, to reconnoitre the shore between Fort Erie and Black Creek, and to return to Fort Erie in time to meet Lieut.-Col. Booker at eight. Should Colonel Peacocke approve of this, he would march by the river road from Chippawa, and make a combined attack with Lieut.-Col. Booker at some point between Fort Erie and Black Creek, cutting off the enemy's retreat by the river. ”

“ Robb as to future proceedings, we then determined on account of being encumbered with so many prisoners on board (fifty-seven in number) and so very few men left to guard them, to run to Port Colborne and send the prisoners to a place of safety. In passing Fort Erie up the river we, for a distance of a mile's run, were under a heavy fire of musketry from the Canada shore; we passed without any casualties worth mentioning and arrived safely at Port Colborne, at half-past six, p.m. of same day, and delivered the prisoners over to Lieut. ”

“ I have the honor to report that in accordance with instructions received from Colonel Peacocke through Captain Akers, I proceeded by train at 5 a.m., today to Ridgeway station, on the B. and L. H. R. R. with the Queen's Own of Toronto, Major Gilmor, say 480 men of all ranks, the York Rifles, Captain Davis, the Caledonia Rifles, Captain Jackson, and the 13th Battalion of Hamilton, together about 360 men total of all ranks, say 840 men, in order to form a junction with Col. Peacocke at Stevensville at 9 to 9:30 a. ”

“ Col. Peacocke, then at Clifton, having at about 5 p.m. telegraphed me that he had ordered the International Railway Steamer up to Port Colborne for me to put upon her a gun or detachment, in order to patrol the River from Fort Erie to Chippawa, she not having arrived at 10.30 p.m., I ordered the "Robb," a powerful Tug Boat, owned by Captain McCallum, down from Dunnville for that purpose, intending to place upon her the Welland Battery without guns, (the men armed with Enfield Rifles) , and received a reply that she would be down at 3 a.m. ”

“ The force at present encamped here is a little over 2000 men, and considering the nature of the emergency and of the place itself, the troops are pretty well supplied.
I telegraphed to Lieutenant-Colonel Denison (with 450 men) to halt at the Suspension Bridge. One Company of volunteers is at Chippawa, and more than 250 men are at Port Colborne under Major Skinner. ”

“ In compliance with telegraphic orders, I despatched to Kingston at 7 p. m., the troops as per margin [1] , sending 22 Fenians prisoners by the same train under escort of the 47th Regiment.
Further telegraphic order's directed me to send forward to London, without delay, the detachment of the 60th Royal Rifles, the London Companies of the 1-16 Regt. and the London Volunteers.
In consequence of the difficulty of procuring the necessary railway transport, that order could not be carried out till 10 30 to-day, when about 800 men were forwarded by G. W. Railway, via Clifton, to Hamilton. ”

“ With this object in view, I selected Stevensville as the point of junction and having explained to Captain Akers, Royal Engineers, who accompanied the force from Toronto, what my object was, and that this point was chosen because, judging from the information received we could not be anticipated at it by the evening. I despatched that Officer at 12 'o'clock to communicate with the Officer Commdg. at Port Colborne, to make him conversant with my views, and to order him to meet me at Stevensville between 10 and 11 o'clock next morning, informing him that I should start at 6 o'clock. ”

“ This having been determined on Captain Akers and myself were engaged all day in patrolling the shore, and scouring the woods along the river as far down as Black Creek, arresting in all, including 6 prisoners made about 9 o'clock in the morning, at Fort Erie, some 23 men; during the course of the afternoon we learned through some of the prisoners that an engagement had taken place at some point in the interior, in which the Fenians had been utterly dispersed. ”

“ Peacocke, presumed then under previously concocted arrangement, to be near there moving up, and we returned with the Tug in accordance with that arrangement to meet Col. Booker and the Port Colborne Force at the Upper R.R. Depot, at Fort Erie.
On our arrival there we could see or hear nothing of them. This was accounted for subsequently, by the fact that Lt.-Col. Booker had received after we left an order from Col. Peacocke directing him to turn off the R.R. at Ridgeway, some 8 miles above Fort Erie and cross the country in order to meet and attack in concert. ”

“ A panic here seized our men, and I could not bring them again to the front. I regret to say we have lost several valuable officers and men. I estimate the strength of the enemy as greater than ours, and from the rapid firing they were evidently armed with repeating rifles. ”

“ The same night about midnight, I was directed by Lt.-Colonel Peacocke to proceed to Port Colborne to arrange with Lt.-Colonel Dennis for making a combined attack on the enemy supposed to be intrenched on Black Creek, about three miles down the river Erie, seven miles from Chippawa and two from Stevensville. ”

“ Their numbers variously estimated at from 450 to 1,200 men. This testimony was corroborated by the statement of the mounted scouts from Buck's Tavern and Stevensville, who returned in the evening and went to show that with the exception of parties out stealing horses there had been no Fenians seen in that direction and was rendered certain by the arrival about 10 p.m. of Mr. Graham, the Officer of Customs at Fort Erie, who had been in their camp at six o'clock that evening. ”

“ Cameron's report that the road was passable, I proceeded to a point about three miles north of Fort Erie, called Frenchman's Creek, said to be the nearest point to where the Fenians were reported skirmishing and fast escaping across the river.
Here, unloading the force from the Railway Cars, I advanced with some Volunteer Companies, the detachment 1-16th Regiment and 60th R.R. towards the Niagara River, throwing out an advanced guard and a few skirmishers in the woods on either flank. As soon as 3 Field Guns could be got out they were pressed to the front, but on opening the river, Col. ”

“ They had obtained from a Custom House officer arrived from Erie, exact information, as to the position of the Fenian Camp. This was on Frenchman's creek about half way between Black Creek and Fort Erie. The officer who had been in the camp at 6 o'clock considered there were not more than 700 men, that they had been drinking hard during the day, and might fall an easy prey to a sudden attack. Lieut.-Col. Dennis was anxious to move off at once to the attack, and Lieut.-Col. ”

“ Catherines no answer from Port Colborne, and that difficulty and delay would be occasioned in getting the train from the G.W.R. to the line of the Welland R.R., I determined to proceed to Clifton, and thence to the support of Col. Peacock en route to Fort Erie. ”