Fenian Raid Medals

[Brian Wolfe]

Hello Chaps,

As my first attempt at a post with photos I have selected one of my favourite items from my small Fenian Raid collection. This was a medal that my wife purchased for me as a birthday present. At that time she paid $300.00 CDN for it so that gives you an idea of how long ago that was. I added the minerature medal a couple of years ago and it is a contemporary striking and cost as much as the full sized medal. I also have a Veterans Association medal dated 1866 and a battle field find sword found at Pigeon Hill Que. I will attempt to post those as well after I see if this post is successful.

I hope you like them.

Cheers

Brian

[Ed_Haynes]

Nice. Many thanks!!

More, more, more.

What is the naming? And which clasp?

Edited February 11, 2007 by Ed_Haynes

[Brian Wolfe]

Hello,

Now that I have figured this photo thing out I am posting more of my limited Fenian Raid collection. OK, so my wife figured this out and wrote it down for me.

This is a bronze Veteran's Association medal dated 1866 so I though it fit quite well into this section of my collection. I took several photos and this is the best of the lot. Sorry it is not better. The medal has an image of Queen Victoria on a maple leaf with the wording Veteran's Association 1866 around the Queen's image. The reverse is not marked or named. The ribbon is quite fragile and I think original. The medal itself is very worn and I would expect that the veteran wore it with pride for many years. I feel that it fits in my Fenian Raid collection as what else would the Veteran's Association of 1866 have to talk about? That's a retorical question of course.

If anyone knows more about this item I would like to here back from you.

Cheers

Brian

[Kev in Deva]

Hallo Brian,

Welcome to the Forum, I took the liberty of brightning up your picture, to show some detail

Kevin in Deva

[Brian Wolfe]

Nice. Many thanks!!

More, more, more.

What is the naming? And which clasp?

Oops,

I was so excited about posting images I totally forgot to include the name and bar.

The medal is named to, Pte. J. HODGSON Como R. Co.

The bar is the Fenian Raid 1866.

Pte. Hodgson is listed in the book "Canada General Service Medal Roll 1866 - 70" by John R. Thyen (page 166).

Many thanks to Ed for pointing out my ommission.

Cheers

Brian

[Brian Wolfe]

Hallo Brian,

Welcome to the Forum, I took the liberty of brightning up your picture, to show some detail

Kevin in Deva

Wow! That's great Kevin.

Many thanks

Cheers

Brian

[Riley1965]

Oops,

I was so excited about posting images I totally forgot to include the name and bar.

The medal is named to, Pte. J. HODGSON Como R. Co.

The bar is the Fenian Raid 1866.

Pte. Hodgson is listed in the book "Canada General Service Medal Roll 1866 - 70" by John R. Thyen (page 166).

Many thanks to Ed for pointing out my ommission.

Cheers

Brian

Brian,

First, WELCOME to GMIC!!! thanks for posting these medals!!!

Doc

[Chris Boonzaier]

And what is a Fenian ? ;-)

[Ed_Haynes]

And what is a Fenian ? ;-)

Well, as is usually the case, it depends entirely on who you ask.

They might have been Irish Freedom Fighters, attempting to liberate Canada from the Yoke of English Oppression.

They might have been American Terrorists.

Other possibilities exist.

Edited February 11, 2007 by Ed_Haynes

[JamesM]

Brian,

Would you happen to know of any individuals that might have militia lists/rolls for that era? The reason I ask, and in keeping with the topic, is that my great Great Grandfather was an officer in the Nova Scotia Militia, who, from oral history, had partaken in the response to the Fenian Raids and possibly the North West Rebellion. However, the problem with the medal roll for the Fenian Raids was that they only include the names of the individuals who applied for the medal itself! The medal wasn?t handed out until 1901, by which time some of the participants had died. I?m trying to find out if the oral history is true and track down unit records, if possible. Any help out there??

Cheers,

James

[Brian Wolfe]

Brian,

Would you happen to know of any individuals that might have militia lists/rolls for that era? The reason I ask, and in keeping with the topic, is that my great Great Grandfather was an officer in the Nova Scotia Militia, who, from oral history, had partaken in the response to the Fenian Raids and possibly the North West Rebellion. However, the problem with the medal roll for the Fenian Raids was that they only include the names of the individuals who applied for the medal itself! The medal wasn?t handed out until 1901, by which time some of the participants had died. I?m trying to find out if the oral history is true and track down unit records, if possible. Any help out there??

Cheers,

James

Hello James,

Sorry, I only have the medal roll book. Perhaps a quick email to the National Archives in Ottawa would uncover some answers.

Cheers

Brian

[Brian Wolfe]

Well, as is usually the case, it depends entirely on who you ask.

They might have been Irish Freedom Fighters, attempting to liberate Canada from the Yoke of English Oppression.

They might have been American Terrorists.

Other possibilities exist.

Hello Ed,

In our family we always referred to them as "our Irish cousins". We had family on both sides of the boarder and still do. I like to think of them as Freedom Fighters at least in their own minds. If my cousins were indeed terrorists of their day they are American tourists today.

Cheers and a tip 'o' the hat to you.

Brian

[Ulsterman]

Well, as is usually the case, it depends entirely on who you ask.

They might have been Irish Freedom Fighters, attempting to liberate Canada from the Yoke of English Oppression.

They might have been American Terrorists.

Other possibilities exist.

Fenians were not terrorists-at least at this date, because they did not use a military strategy of targeting random/ average civilians to spread social chaos in order to implement their political aims. They were soldiers- and fought against other soldiers in open battles. The few civilian casualties incurred were not deliberate, but ancillary. The definition is important, as it says much as to the times as well as the men who wore the green.

Kee's The Green Flag is very good on this subject (Fenians that is).

But I digress.....the Fenians themselves (alone) also issued a number of commemorative/campaign medal (s)- the AOH issued a number of these, usually by state lodge sponsorship.

AOH="America's Only Hope" or the Ancient order of the Hibernians.

Edited February 11, 2007 by Ulsterman

[Kev in Deva]

Hello Ed,

In our family we always referred to them as "our Irish cousins".

Cheers and a tip 'o' the hat to you.

Brian

How posh!! Must be edumacated cousins in ameriky. . . . back on the Auld Sod, Erin's Green Isle that is, we would be touching the forelock as the Squire rode by . . .no money for hats only tatties

Kevin in Deva

Edited February 11, 2007 by Kev in Deva

[peter monahan]

How posh!! Must be edumacated cousins in ameriky. . . . back on the Auld Sod, Erin's Green Isle that is, we would be touching the forelock as the Squire rode by . . .no money for hats only tatties

Kevin in Deva

Not the most serious threat ever to Canadian (British) sovereignty. Only one skirmish big enough to call a battle (Ridgeway), a bunch of "raids" and a lot of hanging about just south the border making us Canucks nervous. In one case the battle was called off when an American sheriff arrived and arrested the Fenian general as they were about to cross into Canada. On the other hand, many were Union Army veterans and made the Cdns nervous enough to be one of the reasons why we Confederated in 1867 and formed our own country (sort of ). A fascinating period and some wonderful characters on both sides.

No, the Fenians were'nt terrorists in our sense - no bombs in pubs - just overanxious Irish patriots with a weak grasp of global politics and strategies. "Get out of Ireland or we'll keep Canada." To which the British response would likely have been "Ok. How much to take Newfoundland off out hands too?"

Sadly, the British were as lax with the Fenian Medals as they were with the NorthWest rebellion one: they were only authorized decades later, so most veterans didn't get them at all and at least one only got it in time to decorate his casket lid.