Wars and Rebellions – 1800’s

Original post date: 4 Jun 2014

Fenian Raids



Military Week – 3

My Protestant Irish ancestor settled in Barriefield, across the Cataraqui Bridge from Kingston. He was from a military family all the way back to the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. His six living sons, and James Hamilton, the future husband of his daughter, joined the active militia, most in the 14th Battalion Rifles of Kingston. The Irish-American Fenian Brotherhood thought it could gain independence for Ireland from Britain by holding Canada hostage, and that Ontario would be easy pickings. But the Canadian’s had heard rumors of the raid and were prepared, just not very well trained. My ancestors were called out both in 1866 and in 1870.  Two of the sons liked the military life and stayed in a few years. One retired a Major of the 43rd Battalion of Kingston, and the other had been to the military school and was a 2nd Lieutenant of the 5th Company of Barriefield of the 47th Battalion of Infantry.

My husband’s ancestor was a brother to Charles Nolin, who was advisor to his cousin Louis Riel. After the Manitoba Act of 1870 things did not go that well for the Metis. By 1884 they were frustrated with events – their lands being disregarded by government surveyors, their people getting small pox from white settlers, and the buffalo herds dwindling. They sent for Louis Riel to come out of exile. The Indian and Métis resistance could not survive against the strength of the Canadian militia. (A Serendipity moment – my Seale ancestor relative was part of the militia sent to Saskatchewan during the North-West Rebellion involving my husband’s Nolin ancestor relative). After the battle of Duck Lake on 26 March Charles Nolin was promptly arrested and jailed by the NWMP. His wife and young children sought refuge with the priests at Batoche. In exchange for his freedom at the end of the hostilities Charles Nolin agreed to become one of the crown’s chief witnesses against Riel. Riel surrendered two days after the Battle of Batoche, and he was tried and convicted of treason. 

There were many wars and rebellions in the 1800’s in Europe, Canada and the United States, and some are listed below. You may find the name of your ancestor on some of the muster rolls. 


  

Relevant Links:

Napoleonic Wars – 1803-1815

UK- The new army list including the Royal Marines,  served at Waterloo

The Australian Rum Rebellion - 1808

War of 1812 – 1812-1815

US War of 1812 Pension claims

Canada War of 1812: Board of Claims for Losses, 1813-1848

War of 1812: Lower Canada Nominal Rolls and Paylists

War of 1812: Upper Canada Nominal Rolls and Paylists

War of 1812: Canada - Miscellaneous Records

Compiled military service records Union soldiers Colored Troops

Records of Widows admitted as Militia Pensioners War 1812 (OliveTree)

Officers of the British forces in Canada during theWar of 1812-15

Papers of the late Hon. Gideon Welles - War of 1812

Texas Revolution – 1835-1836

Texas Muster Rolls 1835-36

Upper and Lower Canada Rebellions – 1837-1838

List of Patriotes in Montreal Prison  1837-1839

List of Officers and Men Killed and Wounded in Rebellion 1837-1838

  

Mexican–American War – 1846-1848

The Mexican war and its warriors

The Crimean War – 1853-1856

Letters from the Black Sea during the Crimean war

American Civil War – 1861-1865

Soldiers, Sailors and Prisoners of the Civil War     

Fenian Raids – 1866-1870

History of the Fenian raids of 1866 and 1870 (lists killed and wounded)

Fenian Raid Canadian Casualty List

Volunteer and Service Militia list of Canada, 1st March, 1867

Merchants list & Canadian Militia Odelltown/Lacolle Fenian's Raids 1866

The Red River Rebellion - 1869-1870

The Northwest Rebellion -1885

Souvenir number of the illustrated war news: being a history of Riel's second Rebellion (with honour roll) 1885

The Duke of Cornwall's Own Rifle (Raids and NW Rebellion - incl some photos of soldiers)

South African War - 1899-1902 – (soldier records can be found on ancestry.uk - $)

Soldiers of the Queen in the Second Anglo-Boer War - Australia

Canada - South African War - Service Files, Medals and Land Applications

 
Prince of Wales Regt / Militia in French Canada / British Canadian Militia:  1897

The Army List – UK -  Officers of the Army, Royal Navy, and colonial Militia

Veteran Cemetery registers, Parke County, Indiana

The origin, progress, and conclusion of the Florida war 1835-1842 (w/maps and names)

The Canada Gazette 1870 – Militia Orders and other news (+0ther years)

British Army List - 1897-1901 and 1941

War of 1812 military bounty land warrants - US 1815-1858

The 2nd Regiment Canadian Mounted Rifles and 10th Canadian Field Hospital, A.M.C. : organized in Canada for service in the field in South Africa : roll of officers, non-commissioned officers and men and nursing sisters. (South African War 1899-1902)

Military record of Louisiana; including biographical and historical papers relating to the military organizations of the state; a soldier's story of the late war, muster rolls, lists of casualties in the various regiments (so far as now known), cemeteries where buried, company journals, personal narratives of prominent actors, etc