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THE BATTLE AT FORT ERIE
[St. Catharines Constitutional, 7 June 1866]
The brilliant dash made by the Welland Canal battery and Dunnville naval brigade upon the Fenian rear guard at Fort Erie, will be a prominent incident in the history of this iniquitous crusade; and the heroic men who fought so nobly against overwhelming odds, are deserving of more than the thanks and gratitude of the country. Captain King, Capt. McCollum, Lieutenants Scholfield and Nimmo, and others who took part in the fight, will long be remembered for their conspicuous bravery; while gunners Boyle and J. Bradley will be esteemed as two of the bravest and most determined men engaged in the unequal contest. But here also a lack of judgment was displayed by Colonel Dennis in putting 70 men against 600, which almost proved fatal to the former. Col. Dennis was informed that the enemy was approaching in strong force, and could easily have embarked without losing a man; but hot-headed zeal seems to have triumphed over cool discretion, in his mind. The following is a list of the prisoners captured by the Fenians in this affair, all of whom were released when the invaders recrossed the river on Sunday night:-
WELLAND CANAL FIELD BATTERY-Lieut. Scholfield, Lieut. Nimmo, Sergt.-Maj Boyle, Isaac Pew, Robert Off-Spring, Wm. Black, Gideon Griswold, Robert Armstrong, Wm. Brown, Jacob Garner, John Waters, Edward Armstrong, Patrick Roach, J.H. Boyle, Samuel Cook, Jas. Coleman, Thos. Boyle, C. Campbell, Stephen Beattie, Isaac Dickerson, Kilroy McGee, S. Radcliffe, Joseph Reavly, and Jonathan W. Hagar, Morris Weaver.
DUNNVILLE NAVAL BRIGADE-Lieut. McDonald, Samuel McCormick, J. Robertson, Abram Thewlis, George B. McGee, Thos. Arderley, T. Burgess, Harry Niff, William Nugent, Joseph Gamble.
James S. Greenhill, Joseph Simpson, 13th Batt. Hamilton, -Spencer, R.W. Hines, No.8 Co., Wm. Ellis, No. 9 Co., D. Junor, Queen’s Own, Toronto, Colin Forsythe, No. 10 Co., Highland, Toronto, B. Judge, civilian.
The casualties in this affair were Capt. King, leg fractured- amputated at Buffalo and doing well; Robert Thomas, leg wound; F. Scholfield, ditto; John Herbison, ditto; and John Bradley, ditto. The Fenians lost 3 killed, and 6 wounded, all of whom they carried to Buffalo.
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