Queen's Own Rifles of Toronto and The Fenian Raids

[Old Henry]

Queen's Own Rifles of Toronto 1866 with Spencer Rifles





The Fenian Raids

[Two Flints]

Old Henry,

Links to your photo posting, PLEASE!

Many thanks for them . . .

Two Flints

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

The lower picture is of the Missiquoi Home Guard, the Red Sashes, after the battle of Eccles Hil on the Quebec Vermont border in May 1870. The cannon was brought across the border by the Fenian force and captured by a detachment of the 60th Victoria Rifles.

http://townshipsheritage.com/exhibit/sake-ireland-fenian-raids-missisquoi-county-1866-1870-part-1

The Red Sashes had equiped themselves with rifles from a group buy from Ballard;

https://www.google.ca/search?q=fenian+raids+red+sashes&client=firefox-b&tbm=isch&imgil=3mLfHNB-Z8G3wM%253A%253Be-bM74Y8DKE8lM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Ftownshipsheritage.com%25252Fexhibit%25252Fsake-ireland-fenian-raids-missisquoi-county-1866-1870-part-1&source=iu&pf=m&fir=3mLfHNB-Z8G3wM%253A%252Ce-bM74Y8DKE8lM%252C_&usg=__8N8oJf2wNChs2BNyZ2p86746yOo%3D&biw=972&bih=558&ved=0ahUKEwi00KXu3cXSAhWHgFQKHQzvDzoQyjcIMA&ei=Olu_WLTLHoeB0gKM3r_QAw#imgrc=65xEyzThMlqo7M:

[Two Flints]

Sir Charles,

Many thanks for the links

Two Flints

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Gues which one of our Pards shows up, if you scroll down my second link (from previous post);

https://www.google.ca/search?q=fenian+raids+red+sashes&client=firefox-b&tbm=isch&imgil=3mLfHNB-Z8G3wM%253A%253Be-bM74Y8DKE8lM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Ftownshipsheritage.com%25252Fexhibit%25252Fsake-ireland-fenian-raids-missisquoi-county-1866-1870-part-1&source=iu&pf=m&fir=3mLfHNB-Z8G3wM%253A%252Ce-bM74Y8DKE8lM%252C_&usg=__8N8oJf2wNChs2BNyZ2p86746yOo%3D&biw=972&bih=558&ved=0ahUKEwi00KXu3cXSAhWHgFQKHQzvDzoQyjcIMA&ei=Olu_WLTLHoeB0gKM3r_QAw#imgrc=oMsNc1A7OF3E3M:

Scroll down to near the bottom. Two images of Black Watch officers, I think. The Black Watch was called the 5th Battalion in fenian war days, The request to wear kilts was refused as Irish Canadians wanted their own identifiable units which alarmed the politicians.

[Buffalo Creek Law Dog]

Couldn't find him, Sir Charles.  Need a hint.

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

This is from the Queen's Own Rifles museun flikr collection. 83 pages of photos and this is the first one I've found in the gallery that covers 173 years of regimental life and two world wars and several small ones;

https://www.flickr.com/photos/qormuseum/27008334326/in/photostream/

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Couldn't find him, Sir Charles.  Need a hint.

Can you see it now? NO< it's down near the bottom of the link. Here is the Victorian Wars Forum and our Pard Rattlesnake Jack about half way down; Sorry about my poor confuser skills.

http://www.victorianwars.com/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=1340

https://www.google.ca/search?q=fenian+raids+red+sashes&client=firefox-b&tbm=isch&imgil=3mLfHNB-Z8G3wM%253A%253Be-bM74Y8DKE8lM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Ftownshipsheritage.com%25252Fexhibit%25252Fsake-ireland-fenian-raids-missisquoi-county-1866-1870-part-1&source=iu&pf=m&fir=3mLfHNB-Z8G3wM%253A%252Ce-bM74Y8DKE8lM%252C_&usg=__8N8oJf2wNChs2BNyZ2p86746yOo%3D&biw=972&bih=558&ved=0ahUKEwi00KXu3cXSAhWHgFQKHQzvDzoQyjcIMA&ei=Olu_WLTLHoeB0gKM3r_QAw#imgrc=oMsNc1A7OF3E3M:

[Buffalo Creek Law Dog]

Thanks Sir Charles.  I figured it would be Rattlesnake Jack as I knew he is into period military costumes, just couldn't find him.

[treebeard]

Makes me think maybe there is a bunch of Spencer's to be had in Canada.

[RattlesnakeJack]

Howdy Pards ...  Yes, there are a few Spencers to be had in Canada, although I opted for a .56-.50reproduction rifle (i.e. not carbine) from Cimarron just had a friend over last night with his recently received original Spencer carbine. He had already installed the center-fire breechblock he had ordered in, but is still awaiting brass and a bullet mould, so I spotted him some cases and bullets so he can try it out ASAP ...

[RattlesnakeJack]

.... Scroll down to near the bottom. Two images of Black Watch officers, I think. The Black Watch was called the 5th Battalion in fenian war days, The request to wear kilts was refused as Irish Canadians wanted their own identifiable units which alarmed the politicians.

Sir Charles, just a bit of clarification:  the images of 5th Royal Scots of Canada officers (artist's rendering and my own impression) are circa 1886-90, actually ... 20 years after the Fenian Raids period.  In fact, the Battalion did not become a "Highland" unit significantly later.  When established in 1862, the 5th Battalion was designated as "Rifles", but re-designated before the end of the same year as the "Royal Light Infantry of Montreal", then as "Fusiliers" in 1875, "Royal Fusiliers" in 1876, and "Royal Scots Fusiliers" (i.e. non-kilted) in 1880 ... after which they lobbied to become a Highland Unit, which was finally achieved when re-designated as the "Royal Scots of Canada" in 1884. During the Fenian Raids (1866-70) most Canadian Militia units were uniformed as Line Infantry (which is how the 5th Battalion would have been kitted out at that time, or as "Rifles" ....

"It just so happens"  ... ... that I have impressions of both such types of unit from the Fenian Raids period ... Uniforms for the two types of unit were standardized in 1863 (when the Militia Department first took on the responsibility of supplying  uniforms for the Active Militia) and thus would be essentially identical to these, with the exception of badging.  That said, the specific units I portray in these uniforms are the 43rd (Carleton) Battalion of Infantry (in which direct ancestors served at that time) and the 2nd Battalion, Queen's Own Rifles of Toronto (... it did not become the QOR "of Canada" until some years later) -

[RattlesnakeJack]

To bring this back to Spencers, this is my Cimarron/ArmiSport Spencer rifle, which of course is "historically correct" for a Fenian Raids depiction of a member of No. 5 Company of the Queen's Own Rifles at the time of the Battle of Ridgeway on June 2nd 1866 or, indeed, any member of the QOR from later that year and for at least a year thereafter, when the entire Battalion were armed with Spencer Rifles ....