awa to patrol the River Road between that point and Fort Erie--one
officer and 13 troopers being stationed at Chippawa; one officer and
13 men at Black Creek, and one officer and 14 men at Fort Erie. This
command maintained a complete system of patrols along the upper Niagara
River. Two companies of the 44th Battalion were also stationed at
Chippawa to guard the bridges and approaches to that place.

The St. Catharines Battery of Garrison Artillery (Capt. Thomas Oswald)
was attached to the 19th Battalion, a portion of the Battery, under
Lieut. J. G. Holmes, doing duty in guarding the locks on the Welland
Canal at Allanburg, and the remainder being placed on board the tug
"Clara Carter" with two field guns, which boat was employed to cruise
Lake Erie and the Niagara River.

The Queenston Mounted Infantry, under command of Capt. Robert Currie,
maintained an efficient patrol of the lower Niagara frontier, with two
officers and 18 men at Niagara, and one officer and 18 men at Queenston.

The 37th Haldimand Battalion was ordered to Port Colborne, and also the
Welland Canal, Field Battery, where they maintained a vigilant, guard
on the entrance to the Welland Canal, which was threatened by an Fenian
attack.

The United States gunboat "Michigan" was at Port Colborne on the 24th,
and left on a cruise along the shores of Lake Erie with positive orders
from the American Government to sink any piratical craft that might
attempt to make a crossing. The Fenians assembled at Buffalo were
anxious to get over into Canada, but could not get any ship owners
willing to take the risk in face of such orders.

With the Niagara frontier thus protected and the remainder of the Active
Militia in Toronto, Hamilton, Brantford and all other points in the
Second Military District under orders to be prepared to move whenever
their services might be required, the danger was averted, and the alarm
of the people of that section soon subsided. The total strength of the
force on active service on the Niagara frontier at that time (under
command of Lieut-Col. Durie, D.A.G.) amounted to 1,159, consisting of 93
officers and 966 men, with 147 horses and four guns.

To guard the St. Clair River frontier, a sufficient force was placed
on active service to keep in check any raiders that might attempt a
crossing from the State of Michigan, while all of the troops in the
First Military District were warned to be ready to move to the front
when summoned. The