Victoria Pioneer Rifles

VICTORIA PIONEER RIFLES was a corps of soldiers organized in 1860 by 45 BLACK residents. The only white person allowed to join was the bandmaster. Largely self-financed, it continued until 1864; that year, not allowed to merge with an all-white corps and snubbed by the governor, the corps disbanded. Known popularly as the African Rifles, it was the first army unit in BC.

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