After the collapse of the Chester scheme, McCafferty and Flood made
their way to Ireland to be ready for the Rising, but were arrested in
Dublin, charged with being concerned in the raid on Chester. They were
both in due course put upon their trials, and sent into penal servitude.

I find, from a graphic sketch written for my "Irish Library" by William
James Ryan, that in the convict ship that took John Flood into penal
servitude was another distinguished Irishman, John Boyle O'Reilly, whose
offence against British rule was his successful recruiting for the
I.R.B. among the soldiery. Another lieutenant of John Devoy, who had
charge of the organisation of the British army, was an old schoolfellow
of mine with the Liverpool Christian Brothers, Peter Maughan, of whom I
have already spoken as a fellow-workman at the Curragh.

Before joining the I.R.B. Peter had been a member of the "Brotherhood of
St. Patrick," an organisation which furnished many members to the "Irish
Revolutionary Brotherhood."

Most of the Fenian prisoners were amnestied before the completion of
their full terms. I have a letter in my possession from John McCafferty
to our mutual friend, William Hogan, written from Millbank Prison, 6th
June, 1871. In this he regrets that the terms of his release will not
allow of his paying Hogan a visit. He says:--

I know there are many who would like to shake my hand and bid me a
kind farewell. God bless you before my departure. My route will
afford me no opportunity of seeing the iron-bound coast of the home
of my forefathers. Still God may allow me to see that isle
again--Yes, and then perhaps I may meet somebody on the hills.