John Charles O'Neill (9 March 1834 – 7 January 1878) was an
Irish-born officer in the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
and member of the
Fenian Brotherhood. O'Neill is best known for his activities leading the
Fenian raids on Canada in 1866 and 1871.
Early life
O'Neill was born in Drumgallon, Clontibrit
County Monaghan, where he received some schooling. He emigrated to
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
in 1848 at the height of the
Great Famine. He received an additional year of education there and worked in a number of jobs. In 1857 he enlisted in the 2nd United States Dragoons and served in the
Utah War (May 1857 – July 1858), apparently deserting afterwards to
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
.
Civil war service
In California, he joined the 1st Cavalry, and served as a sergeant in the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
with this regiment until December 1862, at which time he was commissioned as an officer in the 5th Indiana Cavalry. He was credited as being a daring fighting officer, but believed he had not received due promotion, which led to a transfer to the 17th United States Colored Infantry as captain. He left the Union Army prior to the end of the conflict, marrying Mary Crow, with whom he had several children.
Fenian activity
While in
Tennessee
Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
, O'Neill joined the militant Irish-American movement, the
Fenian Brotherhood, which eschewed politics in favor of militant action to expel the British presence in Ireland. He attached himself to the group led by
William Randall Roberts
William Randall Roberts (February 6, 1830 – August 9, 1897) was a Fenian Brotherhood member, United States Representative from New York (1871–1875), and a United States Ambassador to Chile. Roberts, an Irish immigrant who became a we ...
, who wished to attack Canada.
Battle of Ridgeway
O'Neill, ranked as colonel, travelled to the Canada–US border with a group from
Nashville
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...
to participate in the Fenian raids. The assigned commander of the expedition did not appear, so O'Neill took command. On 1 June 1866, he led a group of six hundred men across the
Niagara River
The Niagara River () is a river that flows north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. It forms part of the border between the province of Ontario in Canada (on the west) and the state of New York (state), New York in the United States (on the east) ...
and occupied
Fort Erie
Fort Erie is a town on the Niagara River in the Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada. It is directly across the river from Buffalo, New York, and is the site of Old Fort Erie which played a prominent role in the War of 1812.
Fort Erie is one of Ni ...
.
The following day, north of
Ridgeway, Canada West, O'Neill's group encountered a detached column of Canadian volunteers, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Alfred Booker (mainly formed of the
Queen's Own Rifles of Toronto
("In peace prepared")
, colours = None (Rifle regiments have no colours)
, march =
, mascot =
, battle_honours = See #Battle honours
, website ...
and the
13th Battalion of Hamilton). The inexperienced Canadians were routed by the Civil War veterans. O'Neill withdrew back to Fort Erie and fought a battle against a detachment led by
John Stoughton Dennis Lieutenant-Colonel John Stoughton Dennis (19 October 1820 – 7 July 1885) was a Canadian surveyor, militia officer, and civil servant, born in Kingston, Upper Canada.
In 1866, Dennis led an ill-fated militia attack against the Fenians at ...
. With overwhelming numbers of Canadian forces closing in, O'Neill oversaw a successful evacuation on the night of 2–3 June back to US territory. He was later charged with violating the neutrality laws of the US, but it was dropped.
The Dictionary of Canadian Biography states that
Ridgeway made O'Neill a Fenian hero. He had won the only success the Fenians ever achieved in their numerous enterprises against Canada. He had handled his force well, and it should be added that he had kept his men under strict control and that there was little looting or disorder. The episode shortly led to the Roberts party of the Fenian Brotherhood appointing him "inspector general of the Irish Republican Army." He took Roberts' place as president at the end of 1867.
Pembina Raid
However, the split between two factions of the Fenians remained, and penetration of O'Neill's organization by British and Canadian spies ensured that his next venture into Canada in 1870 (see
Battle of Eccles Hill
The Battle of Eccles Hill () was part of a raid into Canadian territory from the United States led by John O'Neill of the Fenian Brotherhood, intended to pressure Great Britain to grant sovereignty to Ireland. In 1870, the Fenians crossed the C ...
) was known in advance, and Canada was accordingly prepared. After the
Battle of Trout River ended in a disorganized rout, O'Neill was arrested by United States Marshal
George P. Foster
George Perkins Foster (October 3, 1835 – March 19, 1879) was a school teacher, Colonel and brevet brigadier general in the Union Army during the American Civil War, and then a United States Marshal.
Early life and career
Foster was born in ...
and charged with violating neutrality laws. That led to O'Neill's imprisonment in July 1870 – he was sentenced to two years – but he and other Fenians were pardoned by President
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...
that October.
Though he renounced the idea of further attacks on Canada, he changed his mind at the urging of an associate of
Louis Riel,
William Bernard O'Donoghue
William Bernard O'Donoghue (1843 – 16 March 1878) was an Irish-American noted as having been the treasurer in the provisional government established by Louis Riel at the Red River Colony during the Red River Rebellion of 1869 – 1870. ...
. With the latter, and without the backing of the bulk of the Fenians, he led an attack on the
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC; french: Compagnie de la Baie d'Hudson) is a Canadian retail business group. A fur trading business for much of its existence, HBC now owns and operates retail stores in Canada. The company's namesake business div ...
's post at
Pembina, Dakota Territory
Pembina () is a city in Pembina County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 512 at the 2020 census. Pembina is located south of the Canada–US border. Interstate 29 passes on the west side of Pembina, leading north to the Canadaâ ...
, on 5 October 1871. He was arrested by American troops.
Later life and death
O'Neill was working for a firm of land speculators in
Holt County,
Nebraska
Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...
, in January 1878, when he died of a paralytic stroke; the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
of Holt County,
O'Neill
The O'Neill dynasty (Irish: ''Ó Néill'') are a lineage of Irish Gaelic origin, that held prominent positions and titles in Ireland and elsewhere. As kings of Cenél nEógain, they were historically the most prominent family of the Northern ...
, being named in his honor.
Fergal O'Hanlon Lecture 2000
The Fergal O'Hanlon Lecture is an annual lecture given in memory of
Fergal O'Hanlon
Fergal O'Hanlon (Irish: Feargal Ó hAnnluain (2 February 1936 – 1 January 1957) was a volunteer in the Pearse Column of the Irish Republican Army.
Background
Born in Ballybay, County Monaghan, Ireland, into a staunchly republican family ...
who died, along with
Seán South
Seán South ( ga, Seán Sabhat; – 1 January 1957)''A New Dictionary of Irish History from 1800'', D.J. Hickey & J.E. Doherty, Gill & Macmillan, Dublin 2003, Pg.452 was a member of an IRA military column led by Seán Garland on a raid agains ...
, when they, along with others, unsuccessfully attacked a
Royal Ulster Constabulary
The Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) was the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2001. It was founded on 1 June 1922 as a successor to the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC)Richard Doherty, ''The Thin Green Line – The History of the Royal ...
(RUC) Barracks in
Brookeborough
Brookeborough (; Irish: ''Achadh Lon'', meaning 'Field of the Blackbirds') is a village in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, at the westerly foot of Slieve Beagh. It lies about eleven miles east of Enniskillen, just off the A4 trunk road, and ...
,
County Fermanagh
County Fermanagh ( ; ) is one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the six counties of Northern Ireland.
The county covers an area of 1,691 km2 (653 sq mi) and has a population of 61,805 a ...
,
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
on New Year's Day, 1957. In 2000, the lecture was delivered by
Derek Warfield of the Irish ballad group, the
Wolfe Tones. The lecture was attended by relatives of Feargal O'Hanlon and by Gerry O'Neill, whose great grandfather was a brother of John O'Neill.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oneill, John
1834 births
1878 deaths
19th-century Irish people
American activists for Irish independence
Irish Brigade (U.S.)
Irish emigrants to the United States (before 1923)
Irish expatriates in the United States
Irish soldiers in the United States Army
Members of the Irish Republican Brotherhood
People from County Monaghan
People of the Fenian raids
Union Army colonels
United States Army soldiers