The Battle of Eccles Hill May 25 1870 against American Fenian invaders.

[drm3m]

This battle took place in the Eastern townships of Quebec on May 25th 1870.

My great great grandfather took part in that battle...his name -James G. Pell.

He was one of two members of the Red Sashes that went to the U.S. (Mass.) to purchase 40 Ballard rifles for the militia.

Somehow over the years his Ballard rifle has disappeared from our family.

The rest of the story is described below.

This publication appeared in 1993.

In the photos my great great grandfather is dressed in white ---wearing a white hat.

Our family has a rifle that was thought to be James Pell's rifle that was used by him at Eccles Hill back in 1870....but unfortunately...it is not a Ballard.

It has disappeared over the years...someone has it.

The story of the Fenian raids into Canada is an interesting part of Canadian history for they that are interested.

David

 

[NorthCoastBigBore]

Thanks for posting, I love when the pieces come together like that.

Great story, great history.

 

[drm3m]

Thanks NorthCoastBigBore,

The family always thought that the rifle shown below was the one used by James Pell at the Battle of Eccles Hill against the Fenians.
Someone scratched the name Eccles Hill May 25 1970 Jas. Pell on the stock of the rifle.

It is not a Ballard rifle that he went to the U.S. to purchase for the Home Guard.

A collector friend sent me this email after looking at the photos of this underhammer rifle.

I think I have good news for you. Your underhammer is almost identical to the underhamer I owned, that was made by H. HALL
H HALL lived and made underhammer guns at the farm directly across the road from James Pell’s farm.

It may not be a Ballard, but it was surely an accurate target rifle that may well have influenced your Great Great Grandfather in choosing the Ballard.

I think it is safe to say your gun was involved with the defence of Eccles Hill against the Fenians ,one way or another.

Ross
---------------------------------------------

A comment from Joe Bilby who I was corresponding with on some other stuff.
Joe is the author of many books on the U.S. Civil War.

Having written a book on the Irish Brigade, and being of Irish American heritage myself, I am very familiar with the Fenians, as well as the perpetual bungling that characterized their efforts.

The 1866 invasion was actually tactically successful, if I recall, but the victorious Fenians suffered the usual leadership lapse after the Battle of Ridgeway. At that point most Fenian troops were CW vets.

By 1870, the vets had better things to do, and the Fenian force that crossed into Canada with weird looking conversions of CW muskets (designed by a Brit and made in a factory in Trenton NJ by a firm that had a Fenian leader as secret partner) were a lot of unemployed kids swept up off the streets of NYC -- of course the Canadians had no way of knowing that. Am familiar with the Ballard story -- they chose wisely -- very accurate long range guns, and the long range fire from the Ballards, if I recall, made the Fenians decide they had business elsewhere.

I like the personal relationship to the Ballard story.

Joe

------------------------------------------------------

The Red Sashes after the Battle of Eccles Hill May 25th 1870. (Showing their Ballards.)
My great great grandfather James G. Pell is dressed in white wearing a white hat.

On June 20, 1868, Asa Westover and Andrew Ten Eyck of Dunham, Quebec, organized a small band of local men into the Missisquoi Home Guard.
They were known as the “Red Sashes” because of the distinctive red band they wore across their chests. Although they used their own arms and ammunition initially, Westover and James Pell visited several factories in Massachusetts to determine a more suitable weapon for the home guard. They selected the breech-loading Ballard Sporting Rifle, which was known for its accuracy. The rumours of another invasion kept the home guard alert and, along with regular drill and sharp-shooting practices, they also selected strategic positions in which to place their men around Eccles Hill should the Fenians return.

Photo of the Red Sashes with the captured Fenian cannon 1870.
Front row L- R Asa Westover, Andrew Ten Eyck ,Arthur Gilmour, Charles Galer, and James G. Pell.
Back row- James Westover, Allen Hogaboon.

David

P.S.

An example of a Ballard rifle.

 

[cigar_man]

Great story!

Thank you Sir, for posting.

I live close to the Battle of Ridgeway here in Ontario.
I have and still do many adventures following the footsteps from Frenchman's Creek all the way to Ridgeway and back to the Ft. Erie docks.

David;
Did he ever receive the Fenian Raid Medal?

 

[drm3m]

Thanks for your response cigar man, and the photos of the Ridgeway Battlefield monument.

If James Pell was ever awarded the Fenian Raid Medal…I have never seen it.

For all I know it could be with his missing Ballard rifle.

A Fenian victim following the Battle of Eccles Hill.

The captured Fenian cannon.

David

 

[NorthCoastBigBore]

Thanks for the follow-up. I know it takes a lot of time and effort to do all that research, and then putting it all down on paper.

Great work, it's a fascinating and worthwhile read!

 

[mooncoon]

are those Fenians posing with the body? They plus the deceased all seem to be armed with Enfield or perhaps Springfield muzzle loaders. I also notice that the defenders in the photographs are wearing street clothes while the 3 soldiers in the last photo are in uniform

cheers mooncoon

 

[drm3m]

mooncoon,

The Home Guard was formed by Asa Westover, and was made up of his neighbours.
They wore a red sash or scarf to distinguish themselves.
They did not drill in the manner of formal militia regiments, but rather honed their skills as crack-shots.
The 40 Ballard rifles were purchased by the Home Guard (The Red Sashes.)

The photo above shows two Canadian Militia officers and a corporal with a dead Fenian raider, following the "Battle of Eccles Hill.
The Canadians in this photograph are actually armed with .577 Snider-Enfield breechloading conversion rifles, which had just been adopted by Britain in 1866, but were not yet available when the Fenian troubles arose. 30,000 Sniders were acquired by Canada, with the first of them arriving in mid-1867. By 1870, all Canadian troops had been issued Sniders, and the Peabodies and Spencers had been withdrawn.

David

Some more background.

Another raid occurred in 1870 at Eccles Hill (not far from Pigeon Hill), when 400 Fenians under the command of "General" John O'Neill, President of the Fenian Brotherhood, were repulsed by a much smaller group of Canadian home-guard and militiamen who were waiting there to meet them. Two Fenians were killed and nine were injured. No Canadians were hurt or killed. O'Neill's words to his troops were these: "Men of Ireland, I am ashamed of you."

 

[JP]

....

 

[shortandlong]

JP .....you have all the cool stuff lol

 

[drm3m]

Snider-Enfield (c.1870) Used by both the 60th Missisquoi Battalion and Victoria Rifles at the Battle of Eccles Hill in 1870. (Missisquoi Historical Society Collection.)

Canadian militia fire on Fenians at Eccles Hill , P.Q. (May 25, 1870)

NEEDHAM PATENT CONVERSION RIFLE MUSKET. NSN. Cal. 58 CF
Needham Conversion of US Model 1863 Musket.
This model rifle was used by the Irish Fenian groups in their abortive invasion of Canada in 1870.

JP....I would like to know more about the Ballard rifle that you have.

David

 

[JP]

"JP....I would like to know more about the Ballard rifle that you have."

Yes I will try and take photos later this week, frankly is to hot to get to get these items out of storage now.

 

[drm3m]

This is a bit of a digression in a thread that started with Ballard rifles used against the Fenians at Eccles Hill in 1870.

I bought this Smith carbine on May 19th 1993 in Montreal.

C.H. Duba stock marking.

The C.H. Duba stamp appears in four places on the stock…all identical and very neatly done.
I had the name C.H. Duba researched by ‘The Horse Soldier’ in Gettysburg.

It is on record that Smith Carbines were issued to the 12th Illinois cavalry, and the results of the research shows a John Duba was mustered into "E" Co. Il. 12th Cavalry 1/24/1862, and mustered out on 12/31/1865.

Duba, is an unusual name,... but C.H Duba is not John Duba.
(And probably not Irish.)

Years went by and I forgot about it.

As I had been communicating with Joe Bilby on some other stuff I asked him if he had seen these types of markings on other guns of that period.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In your experience, have you seen these types of stamps before on other guns?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
As a matter of fact, yes - the Fenians had a tendency, if two of the conversion muskets are an indication, to mark guns like this. One that a friend of mine owns has "Sgt. Noonan" stamped into the wood.

Joe


The 1866 Fenians were armed with rifle muskets and Smith carbines -- some of the Canadians had Spencers, and the Canadian government bought more Spencers in the wake of the "invasion." Unless they were personal weapons, the Fenians never used Spencers. I mention this in passing in my new book on the Spencer and Henry.

The Fenians of 1870 were armed with the Needham conversion of the Model 1863 rifle musket. The story is mentioned in Flayderman's "Guide" the guns were converted in Trenton by Trenton Arms Company, and a Fenian leader was a silent partner in the company.

Joe

Having written a book on the Irish Brigade, and being of Irish American heritage myself, I am very familiar with the Fenians, as well as the perpetual bungling that characterized their efforts.

The 1866 invasion was actually tactically successful, if I recall, but the victorious Fenians suffered the usual leadership lapse after the Battle of Ridgeway. At that point most Fenian troops were CW vets.

By 1870, the vets had better things to do, and the Fenian force that crossed into Canada with weird looking conversions of CW muskets (designed by a Brit and made in a factory in Trenton NJ by a firm that had a Fenian leader as secret partner)

David

P.S.

I have absolutely no idea if this Smith carbine has a Fenian Raid connection in 1866. However according to Joe Bilby the Fenians were armed with Smith carbines in 1866.

CW inspector's acceptance stock cartouche, with second cartouche over stamped with C.H. Duba.

Left receiver markings.

Some of Joe Bilby's books.

http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&rh=...G. Bilby&field-author=Joseph G. Bilby&page=1#

 

[shortandlong]

how do you pronounce the word eccles?

 

[windage]

how do you pronounce the word eccles?

I was thinking the same thing.

 

[drm3m]

The Ballard rifle on display in the Brome County Historical Museum was Asa Westover’s personal rifle.
Asa Westover and my great great grandfather James Pell went to Mass. to purchase these Ballard rifles.
Asa Westover was responsible for forming the Home Guard from what I understand.

On the top of the barrel and receiver of Westover’s rifle is stamped serial number 20524.
On the left side of the frame is stamped;
Brown Mfg. Co. Newburyport, Mass.
Ballard’s Patent Nov 5 1861.
The top of the barrel is stamped No.44, which refers to the caliber.

Between 1866 and 1870 there were three different companies manufacturing these guns;
Ball & Williams 1861-1867.
Merrimack Arms & Mfg. Co. 1867-1869.
Brown Mfg. Co. 1869-1873.

From what I understand they only purchased 40 Ballard rifles…..were they all from the same manufacturer….I have no idea.

So trying to determine whether a Ballard rifle might have been used by the Home Guard at the Battle of Eccles Hill on May 25th 1870 might be tricky.

David

From what I understand this is a photo of my great great grandfather James G. Pell in 1864, possibly on the occasion of his second marriage to Julia Ann (Jaquays) Pell.
He was born -July 6 1825 and died March 20 1913.

NOTE;
At the date of the Battle of Eccles Hill on May 25 1870 Pell was approx. 45 years old.


P.S.

Eccles pronounced like tickles, pickles...with an 'E'...not too difficult....or Eckiles?

 

[maple_leaf_eh]

how do you pronounce the word eccles?

"EKK-ulls" ryhmes with ankles.

I have been to Eccles Hills three or four times. It is unremarkable today, but 140 years ago, the forests were cut for fields and for lumber. The hill itself is a narrow ridge of granite that knifes towards the border. That is today characterized by a narrow bridge and some traffic barricades. No formal crossing point.

As a modern-day terrain analyst, I think the Canadians were fortunate to be able to defend from the hill. The forward slopes are concave, with a well concealed bowl to the rear. Any defenders could be positioned with care to give good fields of fire, and be able to retire to bedding sites or campfires to the rear. Today, I would put my mortars or hide or beddown there too.

There is some controversay that the cannon on the historic site is wrong. It is a tube with a top opening like a modern breech loading firearm, and a screwed in breech block. It may be from the Spanish American War.

 

[JP]

.....

 

[Juster]

"EKK-ulls" ryhmes with ankles.

[youtube]-tjHlFPTwVk[/youtube]

 

[drm3m]

Juster, Windage, and Shortandlong.

Thanks for your 'invaluable contribition' to this thread.

David