Montreal, City of Secrets: Confederate Operation in Montreal During the American Civil War by Barry Sheehy (review)

Barry Sheehy's Montreal, City of Secrets: Confederate Operations in Montreal During the American Civil War is clearly a labour of love. Sheehy's passion and enthusiasm for the project spills out on to every page of this book. The careful attention in the selection of photographs, the exhaustive appendices, and the detailed footnotes further underscore the author's commitment to his work. The material is so well organized, and the writing is so clear and accessible, that anyone interested in political history—from high school students to university professors—will find something of interest. From start to finish, the book is a pleasure to read.

Sheehy weaves the story of how Confederate officials and sympathizers used the city of Montreal as a place to gather, strategize and plan out their attacks on the north during the American Civil War. Through painstaking research of the St. Lawrence Hall Hotel registry, he demonstrates how leading members of the Confederate movement—including politicians, secret service and army personnel—came and went in clusters, particularly during the 1864 to 1865 period. As fascinating (and even a bit bewildering), he traced how prominent northern leaders, including politicians and bankers, also stayed at the hotel during these same time frames.

Typically, those interested in Canadian-American history during this period have focused on three events – the Trent Affair (1861), the Chesapeake Affair (1863) and St. Alban's Raid (1864). As the first two involved disputes on the high seas, their focus was really more on British American relations. Only the latter, St. Alban's Raid, analyzed Canadian-American interactions during this period. But Sheehy's work makes us take a step back to look at a bigger picture that had not really been in clear focus prior to the publication of his book. Incidents like St. Alban's Raid were part of a larger strategic plan being orchestrated out of Montreal with Confederate leaders embedded among a largely sympathetic (Canadian) population. The St. Lawrence Hall Hotel effectively became a base camp of the Confederate Secret Service. Sheehy shows us how St. Alban's Raid was carefully planned and executed, and likely by those registered at the hotel. He skillfully demonstrates the links between Canadian banks, particularly the Bank of Ontario, and the Confederate cause. As intriguing, readers learn that John Wilkes Boothe also had an extended stay at the St. Lawrence Hall Hotel registry at this time, leading one to ponder the extent to which the Lincoln assassination had its origins on Canadian soil.

Sheehy's research is impeccable. Drawing on archival material from both sides of the border, he brings together a story of mystery, intrigue, and deception (and of course, delightfully, double-agents abound). Where possible, Sheehy shows us direct links between people and events. At other times, however, it is left to the reader's imagination. Sheehy can't always tell us exactly what went on when a gathering of Confederates took place at the hotel, but it clearly couldn't have been coincidental. They weren't all congregating at the St. Lawrence Hall to shoot a game of pool at Dooley's, although Sheehy tells us about that too.

Included throughout each chapter of the book are photographs of Confederates that travelled to or resided in Montreal and who played a role in the Civil War that was dramatically unfolding south of the city. There also is an extensive collection of photos of the city of Montreal during this period. Alone, the photographs ensure that the book will make an important contribution to any library collection.

Sheehy's writing is clear, focused, and direct. But arguably he knits the Confederation of Canada in 1867 too tightly to events in the United States. At times, he contends that the decision by the colonists of British North America to build a railroad and to unite into...