Too many Canadians.

[Pat Young]

Toronto opened Wonderland, which is, or was, years ahead of Disney in rides and amusements. Plus, Darien Lake opened less than an hour from Buffalo. I loved Crystal Beach. My family had been going there as far back as when it opened in the late 1880's. My uncle has a program that belonged to my Great x2 Grandfather from the mid 1890's. That's where the Seller's part of my family had their summer home.

Wonderland? Never was there. I'll check it out when I renew my passport.

 

[rbasin]

Wonderland? Never was there. I'll check it out when I renew my passport.

Meant to send this to you.

http://dmna.ny.gov/historic/reghist/civil/counties/erie/erie_1_CWN.htm

 

[major bill]

Today while reading some old Michiagn History Magazines I found in a 1946 magazine, a review of an article in the Canadian Historical Review about Canadians joining the Union army during the Civil War.

"How British Soldiers were lured into the United States from Canada for service in the northern armies during the Civil War is described by Marquerite B. Hamer in an article of the June 1946 issue of the Canadian Historical Review. According to a British military dispatch quoted by the author " Any detachment near Detroit will melt away." Michigan regiments befitted from recruiting across the border to the extent of 19,341 recruits"

Depending on the source, Michigan provided 90,000 men during the Civil War. If 19,341 Candi an crossed the border to join Michiagn registrants, then over 21% of the 'Michigan' men were Canadians. Please note I have not read the article in the Canadian Historical Review and can make no comment on Hamer's information.

 

[Pat Young]

Today while reading some old Michiagn History Magazines I found in a 1946 magazine, a review of an article in the Canadian Historical Review about Canadians joining the Union army during the Civil War.

"How British Soldiers were lured into the United States from Canada for service in the northern armies during the Civil War is described by Marquerite B. Hamer in an article of the June 1946 issue of the Canadian Historical Review. According to a British military dispatch quoted by the author " Any detachment near Detroit will melt away." Michigan regiments befitted from recruiting across the border to the extent of 19,341 recruits"

Depending on the source, Michigan provided 90,000 men during the Civil War. If 19,341 Candi an crossed the border to join Michiagn registrants, then over 21% of the 'Michigan' men were Canadians. Please note I have not read the article in the Canadian Historical Review and can make no comment on Hamer's information.

Seems very high, doesn't it. It would be interesting to see how they got that number. Also, when you consider that many more Canadians lived near NY, Vt, NH, and Maine...

 

[rbasin]

Seems very high, doesn't it. It would be interesting to see how they got that number. Also, when you consider that many more Canadians lived near NY, Vt, NH, and Maine...

I was thinking that would be a high percentage of men of Ontario. Suppose its possible, though I would tend to think that perhaps that may be a total of all, lets say non-Michigan people, meaning immigrants, etc

 

[Pat Young]

I was thinking that would be a high percentage of men of Ontario. Suppose its possible, though I would tend to think that perhaps that may be a total of all, lets say non-Michigan people, meaning immigrants, etc

Sounds like we may be getting more research on Canadians in the CW.

 

[major bill]

I wonder how far I would have to drive to see a copy of the. June 1946 issue of the Canadian Historical Review?
This may be available on line in electronic version.
I think the University of Michigan may have micro films, it is a bit of a drive for me.

 

[rbasin]

Sounds like we may be getting more research on Canadians in the CW.

I know that the US-Canadian border was, shall we say, leaky, in this time frame. Briefly reading up, it appears that a number of these Canadians are freed U.S. slaves. Never thought of that.

http://redneck.wikia.com/wiki/Canada_in_the_American_Civil_War

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~canmil/cw/index.html

http://pvtchurch.tripod.com/

Starts to make a little more sense numbers wise. Some of these numbers include Canadians who had immigrated to the U.S. before the War.

 

[Pat Young]

I know that the US-Canadian border was, shall we say, leaky, in this time frame. Briefly reading up, it appears that a number of these Canadians are freed U.S. slaves. Never thought of that.

http://redneck.wikia.com/wiki/Canada_in_the_American_Civil_War

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~canmil/cw/index.html

http://pvtchurch.tripod.com/

Starts to make a little more sense numbers wise. Some of these numbers include Canadians who had immigrated to the U.S. before the War.

The escaped slaves number makes sense.

 

[matthew mckeon]

Before the war a large number of blacks left the US to settle in present day Ontario. Early on many were from New York, but when New York abolished slavery, they moved back. In the 1850s escaped slaves left to avoid the Fugitive Slave Law. During and after the Civil War, the majority returned to the US.

Shortly after the war, several prominent Confederates moved to the Niagara region of Ontario, waiting to see if there was going to be any reprisals from the US government.

I got this info from the local historical societies when I visited the region in 2011.

The British formed an all black infantry company that fought against the American army in the War of 1812. The unit was recalled later as part of the forces against the Canadian "patriot" movement(backed by US filibusters).

 

[matthew mckeon]

As always a Civil War connection. Winfield Scott and John Wool, later elderly generals in the Civil War, were forced to surrender to British forces at Queenston, which included the African-Canadian company mentioned above.

 

[Pat Young]

Before the war a large number of blacks left the US to settle in present day Ontario. Early on many were from New York, but when New York abolished slavery, they moved back. In the 1850s escaped slaves left to avoid the Fugitive Slave Law. During and after the Civil War, the majority returned to the US.

Shortly after the war, several prominent Confederates moved to the Niagara region of Ontario, waiting to see if there was going to be any reprisals from the US government.

I got this info from the local historical societies when I visited the region in 2011.

The British formed an all black infantry company that fought against the American army in the War of 1812. The unit was recalled later as part of the forces against the Canadian "patriot" movement(backed by US filibusters).

Harriet Tubman was one such. Her family lived in the St. Catherines area, if I recall correctly.

 

[Northern Light]

THOSE DANG CANUCKS!!!!

soon we'll be overrun with them......


Very interesting article thanks for sharing.

I notice that there are already a few of us on CWT. Soon we'll be taking over! Bwhahahaha

 

[Northern Light]

I doubt that in 1860 there was a strong sense of being "Canadian." Rather the various ethnicities retained their identities, English, Scot, French, Irish, which would have guided any decisions individuals made during the ACW.

When the Civil War started, there was no Canada. There were 5 colonies and territories that belonged to Britain. The inhabitants of these colonies were British, so there little sense of being "Canadian". "Canadians" joined the armies on both sides for the same reasons that Americans joined the Canadian and British armies in the !st & 2nd World Wars, because they believed in the causes for which ever side they chose were fighting, Some thought slavery wrong, some believed the South was right. Some went just because they wanted adventure, others, because they wanted to be soldiers.

 

[Northern Light]

I lived in Buffalo and kept up with the news from Canada for years since we had become a suburb of TO.

I grew up in Toronto, and remember Irv Weinstein with the Buffalo Evening News,"There's been another house fire in North Tonawanda/Buffalo/Lackawana...." I always wondered why there were so many fires, there until I realized that a lot of the house there were built of wood, while most of ours were built of brick.

 

[Northern Light]

Seems very high, doesn't it. It would be interesting to see how they got that number. Also, when you consider that many more Canadians lived near NY, Vt, NH, and Maine...

British soldiers deserted because they were given bounties and the British fed them terrible food and seldom paid them.

 

[Northern Light]

I know that the US-Canadian border was, shall we say, leaky, in this time frame. Briefly reading up, it appears that a number of these Canadians are freed U.S. slaves. Never thought of that.

http://redneck.wikia.com/wiki/Canada_in_the_American_Civil_War

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~canmil/cw/index.html

http://pvtchurch.tripod.com/

Starts to make a little more sense numbers wise. Some of these numbers include Canadians who had immigrated to the U.S. before the War.

As you say, the border were very fluid and people moved back and forth for work all the time. Many Canadians had family living in the States and may have gone to war with cousins, brothers or uncles. Some went to the States to work so they would be listed as Canadian by birth, so that skews the totals a bit. It can get complicated.

 

[Pat Young]

I grew up in Toronto, and remember Irv Weinstein with the Buffalo Evening News,"There's been another house fire in North Tonawanda/Buffalo/Lackawana...." I always wondered why there were so many fires, there until I realized that a lot of the house there were built of wood, while most of ours were built of brick.

The TV news always led with with house fires. I think that there just wasn't that much else going on.

 

[Northern Light]

The TV news always led with with house fires. I think that there just wasn't that much else going on.

House fires and snow, sometimes together.

 

[Pat Young]

House fires and snow, sometimes together.

I started school there just in time for the Great Blizzard of 1977.