The Mk III Snider and the Ballard Rifle: The Battle of Eccles Hill -PART ONE-
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 12 ม.ค. 2023
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I am a child. I have watched this multiple times and still laugh at the term "ball bag" over "expense pouch".
What can I say... That's what it was called.... 😀
This is where TH-cam shines: you could watch a thousand hours of sensationalist light-weight pap on TV and never gain half the insight that this "amateur" production has already provided, and it's only part one! Nothing amateur, here. Editing, scripting, interview skills... and a clear focus on telling the story with clarity and relevance. It''s all here. Well done, Rob.
Very kind.
Hear hear! Can't be said enough in regards to this channel.
Couldn't agree more!
@@britishmuzzleloaders Please enable Farsi subtitles for all your clips
I disagree, I think this is very amateur. Not in a not very good way but in that the word amateur comes from the Latin word for "love" and it is clear that this is all a labour of love for this remarkable chap.
The Government would have kittens if they thought a civilian militia would protect themselves with firearms nowadays .
Indeed!
They do in the US
@@thejustice7305 yes they do! 🇺🇸
Standing armies were seen as being the tools of Absolutist monarchs, like the Johnnies on the Continent. The experience of the wars of tbe 1640s and 1650s drove this hime, but tbe increasing use of firearms made one a necessity.
A superb presentation. I use to use a MK III carbine. .577 Snider a fun cartrdige. I asked a friend who researches buffalo hunting in the 1870's (US) and asked if he'd found any reference of the Snider being used on the buffalo ranges? After 2 days he reported back that: "Once they found out the buffalo could outrun the Snider bullet, they quit using it!"
Great story!
Fabulous film, Rob, about the Fenian forces that foregathered at Franklin on the forested frontier of French Canada and the firearms they favoured!
In all seriousness, thank you for covering this little known episode in Canadian history. Great first instalment and I very much look forward to Part II.
Thank Ewan! It's been fun having all the discussions!
Wow! I grew up on the Niagara Frontier in the 50’s - 60’s (USA) and this is the first I ever heard of the Fenians. Thanks for the history lesson Rob.
Most welcome!
13:09 This is a really beautiful shot, nice cinematography.
Thank you!
Yet another fantastic video, Rob, thank you very much. Every new series you produce is broader and deeper, and I really enjoy them. The Snider is my favorite rifle of the period, so this series is of tremendous interest to me, especially as I am currently working to assemble a Rifleman's kit for the Battle of Eccles Hill (with the assistance of Lorne!). Thank you so much for doing this, it is deeply appreciated.
Nice! Another historical shooter would be great!
@@britishmuzzleloaders this is Hugh Knight, I think you've already seen FB posts about the kit.
@@Schlachtschule Indeed!
Very interesting and as always, superbly edited. The integration of contributors and content/topics is absolutely peak TH-cam. I had only cursory knowledge of the Fenian raids, but now I’m curious for more.
Thanks for making and sharing!
Very kind. Thank you!
Is this in my opinion which one of your best. Not only did you include the usual detail and uniform spec of armaments but the explanation of the history of the fenians. I have never heard it explained so well and intertwined with the history of the changing armaments of the day. I think in this episode you have a winning combination that could be applied to other episodes. Much appreciated
That's very kind of you to say!
Amazing, It's great to see such great care being but into one of the most overlooked parts of Canadian history. I had never even heard of this battle before.
Cheers!
Jean Plamondon operates a nice historic firearms and militaria shop in Sherbrooke at the heart of the Eastern Township. I purchased a couple rifles from him and always had outstanding service.
Indeed! Thankful for his help!
Just checking back in after a long hiatus. I really enjoy your content, and this video is (what I feel) one of your best. They don't really teach this history in school here in the US, but it's an important chapter in Canada's history. They never really taught us much about Canada in school, much of what I have learned is from people like you who have shared its history and culture. Keep up the great content!!
They don't teach this history in Canadian schools either!!
@@minuteman4199 really? Sad.
Very kind. The Fenian Raids aren't really known about here too...
From minute 28: The lack of the expense pouch I can easily see if you're coming from the era of percussion caps or flintlocks. If anything the expense pouch just adds another step for a soldier who may be use to finding everything he needs (or mostly everything i.e with exception to a percusion cap) in one pouch. Being a reenactor of The of 1812 we kind of scoff at the people who insist on "powder horns" because if you have the option for 1-stop-shopping you take it.
It wold have been a question of logistics... The "Expense Pouch" model is greatly superior, for sure.
Regarding the apparent lack of expense pouches in the 60th, I can't help a niggling possibility that it was the custom in that unit to wear them pushed around to the back when not in use. I'm purely basing this on a precedent I know of among the South Australian Volunteers in the 1860s who sometimes incorrectly wore their expense pouches that way. I have both written accounts and a photo showing it happening.
Perhaps Nic... In the pics available, the rear of those shown are without pouches.
Thanks to all who contributed to this; a lot of Irish history gets overlooked here in England, so to hear about the Fenians is a very interesting insight for me. Thank you again.
Most welcome Simon!
Thank you for this wonderful story! We are all looking forward to Part Two. Best Regards!
Thank you!
Awesome video! I've had an interest in the Fenian Raids for some time. This is a great deep dive into the uniforms and arms of the period. The action on the Niagara peninsular in 1866 deserves it's own focus. Very much looking forward to Part 2.
Ridgeway will have it's own video at some point.
i love the amount of effort and enthusiasm in the videos, and learning so much more about history that I probably would have never known about. thank you for this
Cheers!
Greetings from the south Okanagan again, thanks for another wonderful video. We surely do not have many stumps out here the size of the ones you were skirmishing through! The content is great as usual sir and sheds light on a mostly unknown part of our history. Best to you all this year.
Thank you kindly!
Yet more quality Rob (& Co.) ! Excellent!
Definitely helped a great deal by our guests on this one.
Fantastic Rob, one of your best so far, thank you!
Thank you!
Another wonderful video, Rob! Happy new year!
And to you! Cheers!
Bloody lovely Rob! Thank you!
Cheers!
Great work Rob & fellow collaborators. I look forward to part 2.
Cheers!
Great job, Rob! Love the production value!
Cheers!
What a great video,as all of yours are. Thank you,sir. I am looking forward to part 2.
Cheers!
Truly a work of passion. Excellent production Rob.
Keep it Dapper
Will do!
Outstanding video, great attention to detail and research!
Glad you enjoyed it!
As ever a great exposition. Looking forward to the other parts.
Cheers!
Great video Rob as always. Loved your Q&A with Othias as well. Looking forward to more with that teaser as well.
Glad to hear! Cheers!
Great presentation Rob
Thank you!
A new serie. Wonderfull!
Yup!
Very nice discussion in the video.Thank you so much
Cheers!
A brilliant tribute 🍁
Cheers!
An amazing video about an event(s) I have never heard of.
Cheers!
Excellent video and I look forward to part two
Glad you enjoyed it
The beginning of another outstanding series.
Cheers!
A great video as always. I had to wait until I had peace to watch this. Well worth it.
Cheers!
Phenomenal work Rob, I'm very much looking forward to the continuation. A hearty thanks to the gentlemen who provided their expertise, equipment, and knowledge so Rob could make these videos.
Cheers! The gang was indispensable for this one!
What different start to the year. I think bringing in so many others helps tell the history. History is a collection of stories, facts, and perspectives so why not tell it that way? Good job. I'll be waiting for the next chapter.
Cheers!
OUTSTANDING PROGRAM GREAT DETAIL ON THE CAMPAIGN
More to follow!
What a great video and thanks for doing this Rob. This will inspire me to get my Snider MKII off the wall tonight.
Great!
I just recently found your channel and this is almost TV production levels! It's nice to see a British/Canadian military perspective, which was considered the greatest nation at its time.
That is very kind of you to say! Thank you.
Glad this channel was recommended to me! Covering of a lesser known yet important historical event in an interesting yet simple way with demonstrations to help visualize what the narrator is describing. Very good channel.
Glad to have you along! Cheers!
Absolutely superb Sir! Once more you set the standard, ably assisted by your fine contributors.
Thanks Neil!
As someone who lives in the United States your posts provide a Canadian history. Most of us from the US figure you Canadians are really nice and polite people who are sort of like the people who live in Minnesota.
The border is more than a just line on the ground for sure! 😀
You always manage to look very dapper in uniform!
Good stuff as always :)
haha! Thank you!
Well... what can I say! A part of history I knew nothing about. Again a fantastic episode, can't wait for part 2! One of, if not the best historical channels on TH-cam.
Thank you very much Chris! Your support is gratefully accepted.
This was super interesting. Especially since I was born in St-Jean and attended military college there as well.
I remember how we did not particularly love the red parade uniforms, I appreciate your dedication to history. These things are hot!
32:00, nice Astrakans!
Keep up the great work!
Cheers!
Gotta say, the info, history, lore in these is excellent. But the scenery, is breathtaking.
Cheers!
Great to see the extra people involved! There are some shots where you clearly had a camera operator as well, and those moments added a touch of dynamism and... well, je ne sai quoi, but the camera operator was the improvement I noticed the most. All in all, I think this is your best video to date in terms of production value, whilst retaining your normal standards of knowledge and history, and I hope you're able to keep making videos in this manner!
Glad you enjoyed it! But no camera operator.... just me and some gizmos...
@@britishmuzzleloaders Well, give the robot some extra fine oil then!
I didn't know that Canadians were members of the Arnold J Rimmer school of saluting...
The standard military salute, Empire-wide until 1870. Little known fact.
@@britishmuzzleloaders Don't tell the Americans, it will only make them smug.
Wooooo! Another battle series!
Wooo hoo!
Great video on a conflict largely unknown outside of Canada, thank you
Cheers!
I had never even heard of the fenian raids before. Every day you learn something new. Interesting bit of history.. Great video!
Awesome!
Truly, I would watch these videos with a measure of interest deserving of Rob's efforts - but alas his warm and studious narration always lulls me into a content slumber.
Falling asleep,.... the goal of every video. Cheers!
Rob that was utterly fantastic. Informative without being pedantic, passionate without being overzealous, and simply brilliant. I can't wait for part two and beyond.
Thank you!
Superlative history, and bloody jolly good uniform, swagger and brilliant delivery.
Cheers!
Learned something new, thank you!
Excellent!
Good Evening I'm from the Eastern Townships and I went Visiting The site of the Battle of Eccles Hill very nice monument and thank you for your OUTSTANDING Informative video 😇👌👍 Cheers 🍻🍻
Nice!
Brilliant video.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you!
You're welcome!
Great video!!!!
Cheers!
I have a Synder Enfield. Can't afford to shoot it much, but quite fun. Thanks for the info. Great video, as always.
Cheers!
Good afternoon from Syracuse NY USA brother thank you for sharing this history of Canada
Most welcome!
Outstanding job brother
Extremely interesting!!
Thank you!
Very professional presentation
Thank you!
Excellent
Thanks
My compliments, Brother Rob. You appear to be able to muster some high-horsepower collaborators.
They all have been such a great addition to the project!
Great work, and history, our family are UEL from Kinston and area.
Cheers!
I used to live a few miles from Franklin, VT. The raids were always an interesting topic, I don't remember much mention of them on the US side though. I think there's a monument on the Quebec side of the border.
Indeed!
Great video, interesting! like the new gear!
New-ish.....
@@britishmuzzleloaders Oh dear! New to me anyway, not seen that shako before definitely. Sorry!
@@hardalarboard8876 Indeed, the shako is the newest bit. Everything else has been on the Channel already.... That's all I was referencing. 😀
Great video, looking forward to part 2! In this day and age it's difficult to imagine how it felt wise to wear a bright red tunic into combat! I suppose advent of the breech loader led to the changes in military tactics which would have demonstrated the pitfalls of walking around wearing a massive bullseye however in 1879 give me the rifleman's uniform or even civilian dress!
Really it wasn't an issue... given the tactics and nature of warfare in the era.
Excellent work, that salute though makes my skin crawl
History hurts sometimes.... 😀
@@britishmuzzleloaders classic sapper's salute. An 8 x8 log fits comfortably. 😏
Seriously, how has this account only 84k subscribers?? I can learn more about British firearms and military engagements in an hour of casual viewing AND be more entertained than most TV shows.
Haha! Very kind. It is what it is, I suppose. Talking and sharing is a start I suppose... Cheers!
Thanks for the great presentation on the introduction to this topic, Rob. Can't wait for the next part.
I don't know if it's a coincidence or not, but a few days ago I've been going through the confusing list of names of 19th century Canadian Militia units out of curiousity. Then this video came up. Thanks to this, it has let me know the gist of the general state of the militia in 1860s and 1870s and answered some of my questions. Although, speaking of line infantry's kits and uniforms, were the "light infantry" and Scottish units included in this category?
There were most types represented at various times in the Victorian era. Many of the units that still exist today, went through a "conversion" or "renaming" process at some point in their existence. What we know as the Black Watch of Canada (in Montreal) began it's life as a collection of Independent Companies and then the 5th Bn, Volunteer Militia Rifles of Canada... The Fifth went on to be Light Infantry, Fusiliers, "Scots Fusiliers", and Highlanders..... a real mixed bag....
Fantastic video and I hope that you'll do a follow up on this.
Part Two will come eventually!
Beautiful video, and very informative, as usual. Though I must observe that both the Fenians and the Red Sashes would have been better off with Remington rolling blocks, even if they were limited to the .50/70 cartridge. Very impressed with depth of knowledge displayed by you and all your contributors, and very much looking forward to part 2!
Choices, choices... Cheers!
The British just have to be different.
Well, actually the British had a lot of muskets that could easily and cheaply be converted to fire self contained cartridges. The US did it with The top opening Trap Door Springfeild. The British used the side opening Snyder conversion .
The militia had many Ballard rifles.
These were fine and popular sporting rifles in the era of black powder cartridges
The Ballard was chambered in dozens of calibers over almost 50 years. They have not said what caliber the militia preferred.
The US Govt. took a somewhat lax approach to the Fenians due to a number of issues relating to the British government that the US had. Most of these issues came down to blockade runners loaded with P53 rifles and Merchant Raiders such as the CSS Alabama. A single blockade runner with say, 20,000 rifles could put an additional division of rebel forces in the field, Johnston's army (iirc) was saved by a timely blockade runner on at least one occasion. While the Union Navy tried to interdict merchant raiders the Alabama took 65 Union merchants over the course of two years before being sunk by the Kearsarge off the coast of France, while the battles against German cruisers in the first and second world wars are ingrained in the British culture, none of those German ships reached the levels of destruction that the Alabama caused.
Very interesting history there for sure!
Great seeing Branko too. Chimo
Miss you out West, Garry!
I’m really looking forward to the next instalment(s?) in this series!
Working on it!
Interesting.... Learning something
Glad to hear!
I would have thought that the rural militias would have had their own personal basic gear just from living the rural lifestyle.(canteen/water container, back pack of some kind, and other satchels/ pouches) I get that it's not "standard issue", but I figured that if they were called to arms, and had not been given all of the "standard issue" battle rattle, then they would bring their own to supplement what was issued. I also figured their local leadership would be ok with this since they lived in the same "towns" and were in the same boat as far as gear and supplies.
The whole point of living in township is so you don't have to cut about in full battle rattle. Poor labourers were unlikely to own all that equipment. They had boots and the clothes they stood up in mostly. The thing you are forgetting here is that white people did all the shit work in Canada. Not slaves or freed slaves.
@@zoiders I don't see where skin color has anything to do with owning and using a backpack, satchel or canteen for hunting or working in the wilderness... but since you brought it up, if those were the people doing the hard work of hunting and working in the wilderness, then they would have had the equipment(tents, backpacks, canteens, satchels, ect...) to accomplish that work away from their homes in the townships. And just because they owned the gear, doesn't mean that they went around wearing it 24/7 (assuming that's what you mean by "cut about in full battle rattle"). They would only wear/use the gear when needed, such as when working or hunting in the wilderness away from their home in the township. Furthermore, based on what Rob said, many of those same citizens would be members of the local militia, and by extension, would be the one's that were called to arms... thus many of the militiamen likely owned civilian versions of the "standard issued gear" that wasn't issued to them. So maybe they were so ridged on idea of "standard issue gear or none at all" that they didn't allow private gear. Or maybe upon muster, the men were told that the gear would be issued to them (in a few days or weeks or whatever), so they left their personal gear at home when they marched off. Or maybe there was another reason why they didn't supplement their lack of gear with their personal equipment... I'm not sure, but I still don't see any validity at all in your argument other than being a troll.
The apparent evidence of lack of these items would suggest otherwise.
@@britishmuzzleloaders lol I agree Rob! Keep up the good work, we're praying for all you boys up north.
New subscriber here, from C&Rsenal. The Irish absolutely DID scare Canada into existence.
Welcome!
Good job, Rob and thank you. As I live in a border town in Michigan I have read of the Fenian raids. But this fleshes it out nicely. Were these the early .577 Snider rounds that were made more of a heavy foil, rather than the later drawn brass versions?
Service Snider ammunition was always rolled foil case.
I always knew about the Confederate raid out of Canada on St Albans, but I never knew about the raids back across the border by the Fenians. Thanks for illuminating a relatively unknown piece of history.
The US Canadian border was a lot more contentious than we think of it today.
The two events aren't really related, but are interesting vignettes regardless!
@@britishmuzzleloaders The only relationship between the two events is the fact that the “special relationship” between the US and the UK in the 19th c was the inverse of today. Look up Fort Montgomery (“Fort Blunder”) as an indication of the tension along the border throughout that time.
This is what the history channel should be
Cheers!
@@britishmuzzleloaders love your channel. Your a gift to the remembrance of history.
On another note, I cannot help but wonder if the lack of expense pouches, combined with the Needham rifles' deficiencies, might partly explain why casualties were so light when compared with Laing's Nek, for example.
Not really comparable IMHO, and no, the kit had little to do with either, I'd say...
@@britishmuzzleloaders
I've just realised that I got the names of Schuinschoogte and Laing's Nek mixed up!
Oh well it happens yo the best of us. Looking forward to part II!
Dont you love it when you search something and a channel titled exactly that comes up?
Edit And what a stache! Brilliant
Nice! Welcome!
Always thought this was a massively under-examined subject in 19th century military history. Very tenuous thinking on my part, but I think that it's interesting, despite having many Civil War veterans, the Fenians don't seem to have done any better at Eccles than the British would at Majuba, or the US against the Sioux or Nez Perce. "Regular"-style armies - ones centred around drilled, linear warfare - really seem to have struggled against irregular skirmishers in this period.
Not really comparable I'd say.... Lot's more to discuss in Part Two though!
Hi Rob is that how they saluted in the militia or was that a naval attachment lol 😆. Very interesting piece of work.
That was the standard military salute from about 1814 til 1870. Empire-wide. There's a bit of trivia for you!
спасибо за видео, как всегда великолепно!
Thank you!
One of the many things I admire in your videos is the views, if it's not a secret where are these mountains located besides in Canada? :)
Western Canada. 😀
@@britishmuzzleloaders Let me think... around Ottawa or Quebec? 🤔
😎
from the Fenians to Trudeuo looks like you need to start reforming home guard units up there!!
Strange times.
Would love to see a video on Fort Henry. I wish I could go see it myself.
Not really the preserve of the Channel, but maybe in the future if the topic applies....
I’ve just been reading about William Walker, the American adventurer who took over Nicaragua in the 1850s. He was part of a wider “filibuster” movement that sought to conquer Latin American countries. This had some support in the American public and even in Congress. Overall , the idea was very controversial.
The Fenian project could be thought of as a “northern” filibuster, again with some public support among the American people. It had recent precedent, however outrageous it sounds 150 later.
Much less public support by 1870... different international relations than in Latin America, etc....
Hey Rob! I was wondering where you got your coat and trousers from.
Part 8 of the Kit Series has the details. Cheers!
In the future might there be coverage of the Peabody Model 1866 (Model 1866 not used by the Providence Tool Co., but by most folks dealing with Peabody irons). They were purchased due to the Fenian threat, for the Canadian Provincial Government, 3,000 Peabody rifles were bought. To keep logistics simple they used the Spencer .56.50 rimfire cartridge in their Peabody rifles - seeing as how they also used Spencer carbines. I shoot a Canadian rimfire Peabody rifle and a .50 rimfire Peabody carbine, using Starline .56-50 brass. Remove the rimfire block from the Peabody and replace it with a centerfire Peabody block (from a .43 Spanish Peabody rifle). Also need to off set the hammer with a spacer washer, in order to clear the hammer nose from the centerfire block. This allows these fine old Peabody irons to be taken afield once again...
Much appreciation for your time and involvement with the sharing of your many fine historical videos.
Perhaps. it was certainly a product of the ridiculous model of acquisitions and purchasing used here that continues to this day....
nice！👍
Thank you! Cheers!