98 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 
The evening coteries were indeed pleasant gatherings to which, 
although only a junior ensign, [ was, by my connection, admitted when 
off duty. Col. the Hon. John Hillyard Cameron, Col. Wolseley and 
many others, contributing their comments on campaigning and world 
wide experiences, while Capt. Hogge of the 47th acted as A.D.C., a 
round faced, mellow complexioned officer, whose “smiles” were frequent 
and acceptable. 
The usual camp duties and interminable drill were not all that fell 
to our share for the regiment, as did all the others, supplied its quotas 
for outlying picquets. 
The Newbigging Farm at Frenchman’s Creek, some 24 miles down 
the river from Fort Erie, towards Chippewa, was a very favourite post, 
for the young ladies of the house were comely and genial so that the 
duties of picket were accompanied by much pleasurable companionship. 
The main body of the Fenians, we learned, had camped at the farm 
on the Ist of June, the day they landed. Their arms and ammunition 
had been distributed to them on the scows when crossing the river. 
After forming up in the town they had marched down along the lake 
shore road arriving at Newbiggings about 8 a.m., some 700 or 800 in 
number, and carrying seven or eight green flags. On these were, as one 
of their men had said, the “Harp of Ould Ireland,” and one of them 
displayed a harp above a crown. Some of the breastworks of fence 
rails, which they had constructed along the banks of the creek facing 
towards the direction of Chippewa, were still to be seen. These were 
made of rails piled four or five feet high with others set on top forming 
a sloping roof screen for the rifle pits. When leaving after midnight, 
and going inland on the early morning of the 2nd they had set fire to 
the bridge across the creek and burned or thrown into the river a large 
quantity of arms of which they appeared to have had a large surplus 
supply. + 
Another favourite outlying post was at the other end of the position 
of the forces at the car ferry of the Buffalo and Lake Huron Railway. 
This was about 14 miles up the river from the town and near the old 
Fort Erie which had played so important a part in the war of 1812. 
Here the cars of the trains were transferred to a large ferry steamer on 
which they were carried across the river to the Buffalo side. The in- 
spection of the passengers by going through the cars, and attending 
the arrivals and departures of the steamer were pleasant interludes in 
the twenty-four hours of duty. 
An event which caused much and excited comment might 
be mentioned. The Fenian dead we had found we had buried in a 
pit dug below the hill. Two days afterwards, by Col. Lowry’s permis- 
sion, one of them was exhumed and taken over to Buffalo for interment. 
