Queen's Own Rifles Regimental Order Books 1-2

Abstract

Queen’s Own Rifles Regimental Order Books 1-2. Books 1 and 2 are bound together in one volume. Book 1 contains entries from the Regiment’s founding on April 26, 1860 to December 4, 1865. The book contains administrative details of the Regiment including appointments, promotions, and orders. Some of the entries are signed by Walker Powell, P.L. MacDougall, and W.D. Otter. William Dillon Otter became an accomplished militia and army officer who fought with the Queen’s Own Rifles against the Fenians at the Battle of Ridgeway in 1866. Book 2 contains entries dated from January 1, 1866 to December 23, 1867. The entries are signed by W.D. Otter, Robert Denison, W.S. Durie, J.S. MacDougall, C.H. Cormon, and M. Campbell. The entries dated from May 31, 1866 to June 4, 1866 provide some brief information on the activities and leadership of the QOR while they were stationed in Port Colborne and Fort Erie during the Fenian Raid. The entry dated at Port Colborne on June 1, 1866 contains instructions for a guard, noting that “the orders of the Sentries will be the usual ones & in addition those of the one on the Pier will be to pay particular attention and give instant warning in the event of the entry into the Harbour of any vessel carrying armed men in connection with which there may be any suspicious circumstances”. The same entry states that a picquet will be mounted each evening “to patrol the Canal Side from the end of the pier to the east part of the village and upon the main road leading into the later from Fort Erie. The orders of the said picquet will be to report at once to the Commanding Officer the approach of any body of men advancing on the place or any other suspicious circumstances and to arrest and hand over to the Serg. of the guard as prisoners all Volunteers out of their Billets without pass from the Commanding Officer after the sounding of the last post which will be 10 p.m.”