Canadian Militia Prepare for the Fenians

Harper’s Weekly April 7th 1866 edition helped keep the Fenian Invasions rumors stirring. To put the upcoming June 1866 Fenian raids into perspective, most newspapers carried stories about the preparations being made on both sides, and it helped sell newspapers. Most of the rumors were unfounded however.

Harper’s Weekly April 7th 1866, The Canadian Volunteers after drill relaxing. See the fellow in the bottom left corner reading Harper’s Weekly from the week before.

Harper’s Weekly front page shows Dublin’s Richmond Bridewell prison where Head Centre James Stephens escaped, making their readers fully aware he was out and perhaps plotting for an attack. Below that is a sketch of Fenian prisoners being escorted into prison in Cork, Ireland, demonstrating to the readers the Fenian Threat was real as well as the British were making arrests.

“The Canadian Volunteers resting after their drill” illustration in this edition shows also Canada’s high alert during the St Patrick’s week, with expectation of a Fenian attack. British North America was spending thousands a dollars a day to keep their militia in the field because if these Fenian threats and it was draining their treasury. .

Of note is the chap on the bottom left with whiskers, monocle and derby. He’s reading the week’s previous week’s Harper’s Weekly which introduced readers to the leaders of both Fenian factions, shows Ireland’s oppression under the British, the Irish immigration as well as the Fenian’s service in the American Civil War. The following photo is the previous week’s sketch the chap is holding. Even the Canadian Volunteers are reading the newspapers from New York keeping informed of the latest Fenian developments.

From Harper’s Weekly March 31st, 1866 edition, see in the hands of the April 7th Canadian Volunteer. This illustration shows the two Fenian Faction leaders, the Irish oppression and coming to America to serve in the Civil War. This is the same edition of the newspaper seen in the hands of one of the Canadian Volunteers. in the April 7, 1866 sketch.

Harper’s Weekly April 7th 1866 article which goes to the the Canadian Volunteer sketch in that week’s edition.