ROMANCE OF THE FENIAN RAID

A Farmer’s Daughter Runs Away With a Fenian

[The Welland Tribune and Telegraph, 11 June 1925]

             Every war has its stories of love and romance, and the Fenian invasion of the Niagara Frontier in 1866 was no exception to the rule. This story as published below, was discovered while rummaging through some old files of the Welland Tribune, and is dated May 2^nd, 1867. There is no signature to the story, with the exception of the word, “Post,” as if copied from another newspaper.

             A singular case of elopement occurred in the Township of Bertie about a week ago, which affords another instance of the proverbial blindness of love and hasty ill-advised actions which those influenced by the tender passions of love will, at times, be persuaded to adopt. In order to fully understand the affair, we shall be obliged to refer to the events of the Fenian Raid of last June, in which the hero of the present narrative took a conspicuous part.

             Patrick J. O’Reilly of Buffalo, was a Fenian. He was a discharged American soldier; a saddler by trade, and an active and not bad looking young fellow, of twenty-four years, or thereabouts. Either from mistaken patriotism, love of plunder, recklessness, or as Artemius Ward has it, “pure cussedness,” P.J. joined the Fenian invaders, and on account of his military experience, obtained a lieutenancy, He participated in the Battle of Ridgeway, and at the close of the fight received part of his deserts in the shape of a ball in the side.

             Abandoned by his pusillanimous comrades, he followed the retreating Fenians for some distance, but at last, faint from loss of blood, had just sufficient strength remaining to crawl to the door of a farm house, about four miles from the Niagara  River and begged to be cared for and concealed from the red coats. The men of the family were away from home at the time looking after some horses which had been stolen by the Fenians- in fact one of the daughters was the only person left about the place. Taking pity upon the condition of the wounded man, and knowing that if her father and brothers found him in the house he would at once be handed over to the military authorities, she concealed him in an old disused barn at some distance from the house, assisted him to dress his wounds and supplied him with food for about a week and until he was able to travel.

             By her guidance, O’Reilly then succeeded, after much difficulty, in outwitting the vigilance of the sentries and escaping across the river, probably considerably benefited by his Canadian experience. While the foolish girl had thus, from a mistaken idea of sympathy, been conniving at the escape of a criminal worthy of severe punishment, and unluckily for her, her compassion changed to love- probably sincere, though sadly misplaced.

             After the departure of O’Reilly, she settled into a deep melancholy and her friends predicted an early death from consumption. Nothing was heard from the escaped Fenian until some time later, when an individual of much the same description, apparently a peddler calling at the farm house in the evening and asked for a night’s lodging. His request was readily granted and he accordingly made arrangements for passing the night there, retiring early.

             When the morning dawned, however, the peddler was gone and the young lady also. The latter had been observed to be much affected and unable to conceal her agitation on seeing the stranger the previous evening. A couple answering their description were seen driving rapidly towards the Suspension Bridge on the morning they eloped, and a Buffalo paper, a day or two afterwards, contained the announcement of their marriage in one of the Catholic churches in that city.

             The parents and friends of the girl are, of course, much grieved at the course she has pursued, and the unfortunate alliance she has formed. For this reason we suppress all names but that of the bridgegroom.

             We only hope the silly girl will never have cause bitterly to repent the match she has made.  -Post.