,
Lieut.-Colonel.

GEO. K. CHISHOLM,
Lieut.-Colonel.

Hamilton. 12th July, 1866.

THE FORT ERIE DISASTER.

REPORT OF PROCEEDINGS OF THE COURT OF INQUIRY APPOINTED TO INVESTIGATE
THE CASE OK LIEUT.-COL. J. STOUGHTON DENNIS.

The appointment of a Court of Inquiry to investigate the charges made
against Lieut.-Col. J. Stoughton Dennis was granted on the request of
that officer himself. From the time that Lieut.-Col. Dennis hastily left
his command battling with the Fenians on the streets of Port Erie, the
men of the Welland Canal Field Battery knew him no more, as he never
came back. Therefore their relations were strained. Most of the men of
the Battery and the Dunnville Naval Brigade were pronounced in their
denunciation of his conduct during the fight, and freely expressed their
minds in this respect.

When Capt. King's wounds permitted his return home to Port Robinson from
the hospital at Buffalo, a large number of people assembled to give him
a welcome. In replying to their greetings, Capt. King incidentally made
mention of the experience of his Battery in the battle at Fort Erie, and
during his remarks voiced the sentiments of his men by publicly accusing
Lieut.-Col. Dennis of cowardice. This charge came to the ears of
Lieut.-Col. Dennis and he demanded a Court of Inquiry to investigate
the matter. In the meantime a formula of six separate charges was filed
against Lieut.-Col. Dennis, and His Excellency the Commander-in-Chief
appointed the following officers as a Court of Inquiry, viz.:--Col. Geo.
T. Denison, President; Lieut.-Col. James Shanly, and Lieut.-Col. S. B.
Fairbanks.

The Court assembled in the City Hotel at Fort Erie, on the 8th of
November, 1866, for the purpose of taking testimony. Among those who
were notified to appear as witnesses were a number of men who had been
engaged in the fight as members of the Welland Canal Field Battery and
the Dunnville Naval Brigade, besides several citizens.

For some reason four members of the Welland Canal Field Battery who had
been summoned to testify were not called upon for their evidence, which
they considered a very strange proceeding as they were all present for
that purpose, and had evidence to offer which would tend to substantiate
Capt. King's allegations. Eight or ten witnesses were examined, when
the Court proceeded to sum up the evidence and consider the charges
_seriatim_. The result was that Lieut.-Col. Dennis was exon