valent during
that period of excitement), it may lie stated that the whole affair was
fully investigated by a Military Court of Inquiry, composed of three
competent officers of high and honorable standing, who took the sworn
testimony of a large number of officers and men who were engaged in the
battle. As the whole evidence, and a full report of the proceedings of
the Court, are published as an appendix to this book, it will prove very
interesting to the reader, and serve to give an intelligent idea of
the events narrated, from which you can draw your own conclusions as to
whether Lieut.-Col. Booker was unjustly censured or not.

Another officer who was roundly condemned by the officers and men under
his command, and by the public generally, for his singular conduct
during the engagement at Fort Erie, was Lieut.-Col. J. S. Dennis, who
was in command of the expedition on the steamer "W. T. Robb." Grave
charges were filed against this officer, which resulted in a Court of
Inquiry being appointed to investigate the case. As the charges made
and the finding of the Court will be found in the latter portion of the
appendix of this book, the writer will not discuss them here. Suffice
it to say that the officers and men of the force which he landed on the
dock at Port Erie on the 2nd of June, and placed in great jeopardy and
peril, were not at all satisfied with the opinion of the Court, which
they considered in the nature of a "white-wash" for Lieut.-Col. Dennis
(and a thin coat at that), as the President of the Court dissented from
the finding of his two colleagues on two charges, but was over-ruled by
them.

CHAPTER XVIII.

DANGERS WHICH EXISTED PREVIOUS TO CONFEDERATION OF THE
PROVINCES--PROPOSALS OF ANNEXATION TO THE UNITED STATES--LESSONS LEARNED
BY THE FENIAN RAID.

Forty-four years have elapsed since the perilous events recorded in
the preceding pages occurred. A new generation has come and grown into
middle life, while the second generation is now budding forth into
manhood and womanhood. How many of these are conversant with the history
of their own country? Beyond a very vague knowledge of what has been
taught to them in a superficial manner in our schools and colleges, and
the fragmentary reminiscences that may have been recounted to them by
their sires and grandsires who passed through these troublous times, it
is doubtful whether even one-tenth of our present population have any
idea of just how near C