and await further instructions.

The first body of troops which left for the front was the Queen's Own
Rifles, of Toronto, with a total strength of 480 of all ranks. The
regiment was assembled at the Drill Shed on Front Street at 4 o'clock on
the morning of June 1st, and received orders to proceed to Port Colborne
without delay. At 6.30 a.m. they embarked on board the steamer "City of
Toronto" for Port Dalhousie, where they entrained on the Welland Railway
for Port Colborne. Lieut.-Col. J. S. Dennis, Brigade Major of the Fifth
Military District, was in command. This officer had received orders
from Gen. Napier to occupy Port Colborne, and if necessary entrench a
position there and await reinforcements and further orders before an
attack was made on the enemy. The Queen's Own arrived at Port Colborne
about noon, and there being no indications of the enemy in the near
vicinity, the men were billetted among the citizens for dinner, as by
somebody's oversight no rations or food supply of any kind had been
forwarded for the sustenance of the troops.

Lieut.-Col. Dennis sent out couriers and mounted scouts to glean
information of the whereabouts of the enemy, who he finally located
at their camp near Fort Erie. During the afternoon the Thirteenth
Battalion, of Hamilton, under command of Lieut.-Col. A. Booker, arrived
at Port Colborne from Dunnville, accompanied by the York and Caledonia
Rifle Companies. These reinforcements made a total force of about 850
troops at Port Colborne, and as Lieut.-Col. Booker was the ranking
officer present, he took command of the column.

Meanwhile other troops were on the move towards the frontier. As before
mentioned. Gen. Napier had decided to also mobilize a force at St.
Catharines, and orders were given to Col. Geo. Peacocke, commanding
Her Majesty's 16th Regiment, to proceed thither with the forces at his
command, and assume charge of the operations for the defence of the
frontier. At 12.40 o'clock (noon) a force consisting of three companies
of Her Majesty's 47th Regiment, under command of Major Lauder, and the
Grey Battery of Royal Artillery, commanded by Lieut.-Col. Hoste, C.B.,
left Toronto via the Great Western Railway for St. Catharines. At
Hamilton this contingent was joined by Col. Peacocke with 200 men of the
16th Regiment, and the whole force proceeded to their destination. On
arrival at St. Catharines Col. Peacocke received telegrams advising
him that a strong body of Fenian