Justice Under Pressure

This book examines the events surrounding the raid by Confederates on Saint Albans, Vermont on October 19, 1864. The goal of this analysis is to determine the validity of the opinion of United States officials that the Canadian government supported the Confederate States of America. Union officials saw the release of the Raiders from custody in December of 1864 as a clear example of support for the Confederacy. The outcome of subsequent legal proceedings did little to dispel this opinion, and have been used as other instances of this policy. Using primary and traditional sources, the author examines the legal proceedings, interactions within Canadian society, and the actions of the Confederate organization in Canada.