Ships to Canada – The Reinforcement of British North America in 1861/2

This article is still an early draft.

Introduction

The British merchant marine was the largest in world in virtually all terms. The reinforcement of the territories in British North America was an easily doable task.

The news of the Trent reached London on 30^th November, the decision to dispatch troops was made on the 6^th December and the Melbourne sailed on the 7^th.

In all, 18 ships made runs to BNA, and were stopped not by lack of ships or troops, but by the news of Lincolns backing down, with ships stopped from steaming, and the 36^th disembarked back in England. The run to Halifax from England took 12-13 days for modern steamships, although the Asia took a leisurely 29 days.

16 Artillery Batteries, 11 Infantry Battalions, 4 Engineer Companies, 2 Logistics Regiments, and all the necessary staff, hospitals, commissariats etc. were conveyed to Canada that month, along with training cadres for the Militia and over 50,000 modern rifles for them. The troop’s families accompanied them.

Existing Garrison

Canada and the Maritimes was garrisoned by 4 Battalions and 4 Batteries of artillery.

The 1/17^th was stationed in Montreal/ Quebec along with 3^rd and 4^th Batteries of 7^th Heavy Brigade, RA.

The 62^nd and 63^rd were in the Maritimes with 5^th and 6^th Batteries of 7^th Heavy Brigade, RA.

The frontier was garrisoned by the large Royal Canadian Rifles regiment, which was a double strength battalion.

Pre-crisis Reinforcements

Great Eastern and others

The Great Eastern was the largest ship of her era, and one of the seven wonders of the industrial world. She made a run to Quebec as a trooper, arriving 6^th July 1861. This was a standard reinforcement of Canada.

2,144 troops, 200 horses and their families (463 women and children) carried. Troops carried including 4^th Battalion, 60^th Rifles and the 30^th and 47^th Regiments.

Also conveyed were the 4^th Battery, 4^th Field Brigade, RA and sufficient drafts to raise all the regiments in Canada upto their fighting strength of 1000 men.

Crisis Reinforcements

Melbourne

Woolwich – Halifax, Departed Saturday 7^th December 1861

E Battery, 4^th Heavy Brigade RA (Capt Vasey)

30,000 Rifles for the Canadian militia

2.5 million Minie balls

12 Armstrong guns

1,500 Artillery shells

Cunard Steamer Persia

Departed 14^th – 15^th December 1861

Didn’t make it to port, but disembarked troops upriver, but had to depart with most of its stores. She carried the 1,100 men, mainly the 1/16^th and an artillery battery* (approx 123 men and 6 guns) with a large quantity of ammunition. 5,000 Enfield rifles and ammunition for the militia and 300 tons of stores were also carried. The remainder of the troops and the stores were disembarked at St. Johns.

Cunard Steamer Australasian

Departed 14^th – 15^th December 1861

She carried 1,100 men, 1^st Battalion, The Rifle Brigade (1,000 men) and an engineer company*. She also carried 6 guns with a large quantity of ammunition, 5,000 Enfield rifles and ammunition for the militia and 300 tons of stores.

Victoria

Attempted the journey down the St. Lawrence but turned back after sustaining damage, carrying the 96^th. A 2^nd run was attempted on 28^th December which arrived at Halifax.

Royal Mail Steam packet Panara

Southampton – Halifax, Departed Thursday 26^th December 1861

She carried over 1,000 troops, including 2^nd Battalion, Scots Fusilier Guards (800 men), an artillery battery and 18^th Coy, RE. She ran aground at Halifax, but was successfully unloaded.

Niagara

?

Adriatic

Southampton – Halifax, Departed Thursday 26^th December 1861

1^st Bn, Grenadier Guards (820 men)

1^st Bn, Military Train (460 men)

40 men of the Commissariat

Himalaya

Carried men of the Sappers, Miners and Engineers and their stores.

Peru

Sailed with munitions for the Pacific Squadron

Cunard steamer Hibernia

Liverpool – Halifax, Departed 28^th December 1861?

4^th Coy, RE (125 men)

G Battery, 4^th Heavy Brigade RA (Capt Hosti, 262 men)

6^th Battery, 10^th Field Brigade RA (Capt Robinson, 123 men)

1 Coy of the 1/16^th (151 men, stranded aboard the Persia)

Cunard Steamer Canada

Liverpool – Halifax, Departed Saturday 28^th December 1861

7^th Battery, 10^th Field Brigade RA (Capt Child, 123 men) – bound for Halifax

8^th Battery, 10^th Field Brigade RA (Capt Robinson, 123 men) – bound for Newfoundland

5^th Coy, RE (104 men) – bound for Bermuda

Staff for the Army

103 tons of stores

Calcutta and Adelaide

Cork – Halifax, Departed ?

Carried H Battery, 4^th Heavy Brigade RA and a large quantity of stores and ammunition. (Calcutta appears to have made two runs)

Royal Mail Company steam packet Magdalena

Southampton – Halifax

Carried the 2/16^th (1,000 men)

Cleopatra

Liverpool – Queenstown, Departed Sunday 29^th December 1861

Carried the 2/17^th (1,000 men) and stores.

Cunard steamer Asia

Liverpool – Halifax, Departed Saturday 28^th December 1861

HQ Staff:

Colonel Wetherall, Chief of the Staff

Colonel Shadwell (late superintendent of the International Exhibition of 1862), Assistant Quartermaster-General; Lieutenant-Colonel Ross

Lieutenant-Colonel Crealock

Major Pearson

Major Burnby, R.E.

Captain Ellison

Captain Stokes

Deputy Inspector-General Frazer

Staff Assistant-Surgeon Woodfall

Assistant-surgeons Bryson, Robertson, and Gougan

Staff Surgeon-Major Menzies

Deputy-Purveyor Henderson

Mr. Leight, on special service

3^rd Battalion, Military Train

5^th Battery, 10^th Field Brigade RA (Colonel Dunlop, C.B. (The Arty Commander, 123 men)

180 tons of stores

The HQ staff is the only portion of the Army moved on the Maine Grand Truck Railroad, all others were conveyed by sledge and Canadian railways.

It is still unknown which ship the 1/15^th steamed on. Possibly the Adriatic.

Others

The entire Colchester based Division (1/15^th, 2/17^th, 36^th, 47^th, 62^nd, 63^rd, and 96^th) was alerted, but the reinforcement was stopped before the 36^th was sent. Other elements from the Aldershot based 1^st and 2^nd Divisions were sent.

In addition, the fleet forming at Gibraltar and Lisbon had at least one Battalion of the Royal Marines.

* The artillery and engineers may be reversed.

Sources

Royal Mail Company fleet: http://www.users.on.net/~snicol/fleet/list_chrono.html

List of ships arriving at Quebec in 1861: http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/Arrivals/Canada1861.htm

Various articles in the contemporary Illustrated London News: http://cti.library.emory.edu/iln/

http://www.portcities.org.uk/london/server/show/conMediaFile.469/Troops-for-Canada.html

http://www.redstarline.org.uk/civil_war_in_liverpool.html

http://historynet.com/acw/bltrent/index3.html

http://www.oocities.org/rebel1837/acw.htm

http://web.archive.org/web/20010503105400/http://members.home.net/britreg/trent.htm