The Mk III Snider Long Rifle and the Ballard Carbine: Firepower Compared

Big Bad

Big Bad

CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
Location
In the year of Our Ford Year, 8 and loving it.
Got some family history connected to this one: after the Fenian Brotherhood, supposedly composed of US Civil War veterans, had come up from the USA in 1866 and briefly invaded my home area, looting and vandalizing farmhouses and relieving citizens of their watches and other personal valuables before returning to the USA with a Union Jack they used to raise money in places like Boston and New York City, a group of local gentleman, including one of my ancestors, were convinced the Fenians would return and formed a local militia to fight against them, calling themselves 'the Red Sashes' and importing a large number of Ballard rifles from the USA which they used to drill and target practice with on their own time, using barns in the winter. When the Fenians did show up a second time, in 1870, they were met by the assembled Red Sashes, attempted a charge up a place called Eccles Hill, got their asses shot off and vanished back south in about 20 minutes, abandoning their artillery field piece just over the border in Vermont, where it was captured and hauled into Canada, then used in July 1 parades for years afterwards. It now stands on a monument marking the battlefield. Anyway, this video talks about the carbine version personally purchased Ballard rifles those men defended their homes and all of Canada with. And no, I don't have one but I do have the medal that was issued to all the Red Sashes.



Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Eccles_Hill
 
Last edited:
To bad they did not use a proper Ballard rifle in the video as used by the Red Sashes, instead of that strange looking carbine.
 
Last edited:
Wasn’t there a very detailed story here on CGN about this event written by one of our members. He had a lot of very interesting details about the firearms used.
 
JP said:
To bad they did not use a proper Ballard rifle in the video as used by the Red Sashes, instead of that strange looking carbine.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately the carbine is the only one I had enough ammo for so we had to make do with what was on hand. There will be a proper long barrel Ballard in an upcoming video.
 
Incurable Collectoer said:
Unfortunately the carbine is the only one I had enough ammo for so we had to make do with what was on hand. There will be a proper long barrel Ballard in an upcoming video.
Click to expand...

BTW. some of us exiles have bets up about how long the founder of the Townships Roots FB page will keep the OP video up before deleting it and banning the poster. If you don't know what I'm talking about, no worries, just some more soppy liberal fascist social action
 
Big Bad,

Nominally the same caliber but the round that fits in the carbine does not fit in the rifle so I had to cut down the case a bit and swage down the bullet a bit for the rifle. As to my clothing I figured I better look the part as well.

As to the Townships business no, I don't know what is going on.
 
Incurable Collectoer said:
Big Bad,

Nominally the same caliber but the round that fits in the carbine does not fit in the rifle so I had to cut down the case a bit and swage down the bullet a bit for the rifle. As to my clothing I figured I better look the part as well.

As to the Townships business no, I don't know what is going on.
Click to expand...

A regional page where someone posted the OP video. Didn't notice you're in BC.
 
Big Bad said:
BTW. some of us exiles have bets up about how long the founder of the Townships Roots FB page will keep the OP video up before deleting it and banning the poster. If you don't know what I'm talking about, no worries, just some more soppy liberal fascist social action
Click to expand...

Ha ha! I'll jump on that and brag up the history side! Lorne Waid from Ayers Cliff is a good man to fight for the story too.
 
Incurable Collectoer said:
The B.C. forests have to double as the Eastern Townships background for the video. One day I will have to get out that way and visit the Eccles Hill battle ground.
Click to expand...

It's complicated by the border running right through it. When I was kid, there was still a north-south dirt road into Vermont but like a lot of the old unguarded ones it's since been disappeared for security reasons, really changed things.


All the online photos seem to omit the artillery piece, the sight of which is too much for folks to handle I guess.

Edit: found one.

Photo165518.jpg
 
Last edited:
Some photos about the Fenian raid

After the Battle of Eccles Hill (near Huntingdon, Quebec) on May 25, 1870 - posing with a dead Fenian


The Red Sashes. Note the Merrimack Ballards



One of the Red Sashes holding a Merrimack Ballard poses by a dead Fenian.




The captured field piece mentioned in Post #1. Note the Merrimack Ballards.



Regards
Powderman
 
powderman said:
Some photos about the Fenian raid

After the Battle of Eccles Hill (near Huntingdon, Quebec) on May 25, 1870 - posing with a dead Fenian


The Red Sashes. Note the Merrimack Ballards



One of the Red Sashes holding a Merrimack Ballard poses by a dead Fenian.




The captured field piece mentioned in Post #1. Note the Merrimack Ballards.



Regards
Powderman
Click to expand...

Looks like the good Fenian is posed with a Snider. IMHO the Fenian's Needham rifle would have been liberated very quickly.
 
maple_leaf_eh said:
Ha ha! I'll jump on that and brag up the history side! Lorne Waid from Ayers Cliff is a good man to fight for the story too.
Click to expand...

Hi Terry. As Incurable Collector stated my finger prints are on this project, although in a small way. The next video(s) will feature a very special Ballard Rifle with deep connections to the action at Eccles Hill.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom