OliveTreeGenealogy.com logo for Olive Tree Genealogy and its free free genealogical resources Your link to the past since February 1996! Search for your ancestors in free Ships' Passenger lists, Naturalization Records, Palatine Genealogy, Canadian Genealogy, American Genealogy, Native American Genealogy, Huguenots, Mennonites, Almshouse Records, Orphan Records, church records, military muster rolls, census records, land records and more. Olive Tree Genealogy Free Genealogy Database marks FREE genealogy records.

Follow Olive Tree Genealogy         

Olive Tree Genealogy was chosen by Family Tree Magazine as one of the 101 Best Genealogy Websites 2017!

Check out the Genealogy Books written by Olive Tree Genealogy!

Death Finds a Way: A Janie Riley Mystery by Lorine McGinnis Schulze

Janie Riley is an avid genealogist with a habit of stumbling on to dead bodies. She and her husband head to Salt Lake City Utah to research Janie's elusive 4th great-grandmother. But her search into the past leads her to a dark secret. Can she solve the mysteries of the past and the present before disaster strikes? Available now on Amazon.com and and Amazon.ca
                 Organize Your Genealogy in Evernote in 10 Easy Steps is a must have!
 


Search immigration records.

Search now

Try an Ancestry.com Free Trial and Ancestry.ca Free Trial

Genealogy Mystery Book!


Death Finds a Way: A Janie Riley Mystery
by Lorine McGinnis Schulze

Janie Riley is an avid genealogist with a habit of stumbling on to dead bodies. She and her husband head to Salt Lake City Utah to research Janie's elusive 4th great-grandmother. But her search into the past leads her to a dark secret. Can she solve the mysteries of the past and the present before disaster strikes? Available now on Amazon.com and Amazon.ca

AncestryDNA

Genealogy Newsletter

JOIN the FREE Olive Tree Genealogy Newsletter. Be the first to know of genealogy events and freebies. Find out when new genealogy databases are put online. Get tips for finding your elusive brick-wall ancestor.

Share With Others

Share with other genealogists! Tweet this page!

Search OliveTreeGenealogy

Search Fold3

Search Military Records - Fold3

Fenian Raids

Choose from the following U.S.A. Military Genealogy
King Philip's War 1675
King William's War 1689
Queen Anne's War 1702
Father Rasle's War 1724-1726
French-Indian Wars 1754-1763
American Revolution 1777-1783
War of 1812
Seminole Wars 1817-18
Black Hawk War 1831-1832
Seminole Wars 1835-42
U.S.-Mexican War 1846-48
Seminole Wars 1855-58
Civil War 1861-1865
Fenian Raids 1857
Spanish American War 1898
Boxer Rebellion 1900-1901
WW 1 1917-1918
WW 2

Dictionary & Definitions American Military Mailing Lists American Military Links Olive Tree Library American Military Resources & Books Find your Military Ancestor

Choose from the following Canadian Military Genealogy
French-Indian Wars 1754-1763
American Revolution 1777-1783
War of 1812
Rebellion of 1837
Fenian Raids 1857
Red River Rebellion 1870-1877
Nile Expedition 1884-1885
NorthWest Rebellion 1884-1885
South African (Boer) War 1899-1902
WW 1 1914-1918

Dictionary & Definitions Canadian Wars Mailing Lists Canadian Military Links Olive Tree Library Canadian Military Resources & Books Find Your Military Ancestor

Committe of Safety June 1, 1866

The following minutes were found by Barbara Wilson Smith, a descendant of Isaac P. Willson (Secretary of the meeting). Barbara contacted me in March 2000 about these unpublished and previously unknown documents (6 numbered legal size pages plus 3 unnumbered letter size!) which had sat in an attic for over 130 years. They turned out to be the minutes of a 17 hour meeting (beginning at 5 p.m. June 1st, ending at 10 a.m. June 2) in the Welland area of Ontario in the 24 hours preceeding the Battle of Ridgeway! These are extremely important historical documents and Barbara is to be commended for her dedication to seeing that they are preserved.

Barb asked if I would help her decipher the handwriting then publish them on The Olive Tree Genealogy pages, and if I could suggest a permanent home for them. With her permission I contacted the Ontario Archives and they began discussions with Barb about providing archival space for the papers. Documents in Ontario concerning the Fenian Raids are rare, and Barb's papers are a treasure trove of historical data and names.

Meantime Barb and I worked together to decipher the handwriting, which was fairly neat when the meeting began in the early evening of June 1st (around 5 pm) but became far less legible as the all-night meeting continued. Finally we have deciphered enough of the document to begin presenting it here.

I have placed my notes inside square brackets [ ] and any additional notes from Barb are prefaced with her name. In most cases we agreed on the transcript; in a few we did not. I have also included some of the pages as a graphic which you may consult. And now -- enjoy!

Committee of Safety
June 1st 1866
Present T.W.. Hooker, Esq., John Hellund [?] [Barb's note: I think this is John Hellums], Esq., A.G.. Hill, Esq, E. R Dewhurst, Esq. L. D. Raymond, Esq. I. P. Willson

Unanimously resolved that T. W. Hooker Esq be the Chairman of this Committee and I.P. Willson, Esq. Secy.

Moved by I.P. Willson, seconded by John Hellund [?] that this committee remain in permanent session until the danger appears to have passed. Carried unanimously.


Start of page 2

Mr. Vanderburgh the telegrapher agreed to keep his office open all night - - -

Burgar/Burgur [?] with horse reported - ready for services 7 pm. [he?] will report to Committee at 9 pm

Rice -- do do do 710 pm [note that do is the short form of ditto]

No scouts returned yet - 7:50 pm

Mr. L. Hobson [&?] Sheriff arrived - I stayed at Mr. Grahams [note from Barb: I read this as "R Grahams"] last night - about 4 o'clock this morning Mr. G. awaked me with the report that the Fenians had landed -- the report was brought up to hm by Mr. Murray Officer of the Customs at Fort Erie -- Two canal boats came [- - - - - - - - by a - - -]. He immediately [came off?] to inform Mr. Graham -- and then return. Mr. Vrooman then came and said that they had landed 1000 strong when he came --- and boats had gone back for [- - - -]. Young Johnson then came and said they was 1000 strong and divided into squads -- one squad taking the Gilmore or Anderson road and the other on the Ferry Hilly on the Genison [?] Road -- that they saw him and fired 16 or 17 shots but he esccaped - I then came to Ridgeway and arrived there about 9 am and heard that they had burned the Lowerwin [?] Bridge and saw the smoke - about 8 or 12 to Lowerwin bridge to burn it, got them breakfast of Luckus [?] - took some horses and then went back - I [- - - - ] about 1/2 past 9 - Elliott and Thompson are prisoners I was informed by Adam Graham. He saw [--] lleft the Ferry about 10 amn and that they had possession of all buildings at Fort Erie and a guard over them - A majority were up at the old fort - & the rest scattered along down the [- - -] as far as Millers about 4 miles - [- - - U.S. Gunboat in the [- - - -] to prevent more crossing

D. Rier with hourses reported himself - he is at the City Hotel ready

end of page 2
Continue to page 3

June 1866 Committee of Safety Meeting Minutes
Volunteers on the Patrol Guards


 
 

Don't leave without searching for your ancestors on Olive Tree Genealogy! Free Ships' Passenger lists, orphan records, almshouse records, JJ Cooke Shipping Lists, Irish Famine immigrants, family surnames, church records, military muster rolls, census records, land records and more are free to help you find your brick-wall ancestor. Build your family tree quickly with Olive Tree Genealogy free records

URL: http://olivetreegenealogy.com/           All rights reserved          Copyright © 1996-present
These pages may be freely linked to but not duplicated in any fashion without my written consent.

Home Philosophy Helping FAQ Link to Olive Tree Library Friends Privacy Policy Store About Lorine Awards, Interviews About OliveTreeGenealogy


Contact Lorine at Contact Lorine of Olive Tree Genealogy