Page:History of the Fenian raid on Fort Erie with an account of the Battle of Ridgeway.djvu/74

Rh in Buffalo with reinforcements that led to Col. Peacock being informed in the night that 2000 or 3000 more Fenians had crossed.

Before closing this chapter I must mention that from all accounts the Fenians, except in so far as they were wrong in invading a peaceful country, in carrying on an unjustifiable war, behaved remarkably well to the inhabitants, I spent three weeks in Fort Erie and conversed with dozens of the people of the place, and was astonished at the universal testimony borne by them to the unvarying good conduct of this rabble while among them. They claimed food and horses, but they can hardly be blamed for that as an act of war, but can only be blamed because the war itself, which alone could give them the right to take these things was unjustifiable and wicked. They have been called plunderers, robbers and marauders, yet, no matter how unwilling we may be to admit it, the positive fact remains, that they stole but few valuables, that they destroyed, comparatively speaking, little or nothing, and that they committed no outrages on the inhabitants, but treated every one with unvarying courtesy.

It seems like a perfect burlesque to see a ragged rabble without a government, country or flag, affecting chivalrous sentiments and doing acts, that put one in mind of the days of knight errantry.

On taking a number of the Welland Battery and the Naval Company prisoners they treated them with the greatest kindness, putting the officers under their parole and returning them their side arms, taking them down to the wharf on their departure and releasing them, bidding them adieu with expressions of good will.

Another incident occurred worth mentioning. A number of them went to a widow lady's house near Fort Erie, and asked her for something to eat. They were about going into the kitchen to sit down, and she told them she would not let them in, they laughingly replied, "very well maam, we'll do here very well, it is a very nice yard," and accordingly they sat