ir evolutions must have
convinced the on-lookers (especially the Fenians) that it was just as
well for them that they were safely out of harm's way.

In the course of the day a steam launch arrived at the Fort Erie dock
with a message from Captain Bryson, commander of the U. S. steamer
"Michigan," to Colonel Lowry, inviting him to go aboard that vessel and
have an interview with himself and Mr. H. W. Hemans (the British Consul
at Buffalo) regarding matters in connection with the Fenians. To this
proposal Col. Lowry immediately assented, and accompanied by Col.
Wolseley, Capt. Crowe, R.A., and Lieut. Turner, R.E., proceeded on board
the American steamer. They were courteously received by Capt. Bryson,
who introduced Mr. M. Dane, the United States District Attorney; General
Barry, the commander of the United States troops on the frontier, and
Mr. H. W. Hemans, the British Consul. An interesting conference was
held, in the course of which the American officials expressed their
reprehension of the infraction of international law by the Fenians,
and assured Col. Lowry that nothing in their power had been or would be
neglected to arrest such infraction, and that they had prevented many
Fenian reinforcements from getting across to Canada during the two
previous nights. In the meantime Col. Lowry was assured that the 600 or
700 prisoners who had been captured by the "Michigan" would be rigidly
guarded until instructions were received from Washington as to their
disposal.

After the conference Col. Lowry and his staff returned to camp, where
orders were waiting to despatch Capt. Crowe's Battery, with four field
guns, and 200 men of the 47th Regiment under command of Major Lauder,
to Kingston without delay, as that point was threatened. This force left
Fort Erie by rail at 7 o'clock that evening, taking with them 22 Fenian
prisoners who had been committed to the Toronto jail.

Shortly afterward another telegram arrived ordering that the detachment
of the 60th Rifles, one company of the 16th Regiment and the 7th
Battalion of London volunteers be forwarded to London as soon as
possible. Owing to lack of railway transport these troops were unable
to leave Fort Brie until 10.30 the following morning, when 800 men were
despatched to London by the Erie & Niagara and Great Western Railways,
via Clifton and Hamilton.

At 1.30 a.m. of June 5th, the Queen's Own and the York and Caledonia
Rifles were quietly aroused and ordered to strik