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Fenian Brotherhood
The Fenian Brotherhood founded its own government and army in the United States: a new Irish nation on the other side of the Atlantic, recast in the mould of Democracy, watching for an opportunity to strike a blow at the heart of the British Empire..
The first real operation of the Fenian Brotherhood was an assault on Campo Bello Island, situated at the mouth of the St Croix in the entrance to Passamaquoddy Bay, in April 1866. O'Mahony, the leader of the Fenians, hoped that the assault on this island would trigger a clash between the United States and Britain. The opposite happened: the United States and Britain joined forces to fight the Fenians off the island.
In May 1866 the Fenians tried to seized Canadian land along the St. Lawrence River. This land could then be used to prey on British ships and forcing the British government to make concessions on the Ireland issue. Although the approximately 1500 Fenians managed to stand their ground for a while they were outnumbered by the Queens Own Rifles and other British forces. This retreat is the subject of A Fenian Song.
After this military adventure the Fenian Brotherhood concentrated its efforts on fundraising for the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) and on organising operations like the Catalpa Rescue.