IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 1^1^ 112.5 !>' IIIM "'' m m IIIIIM 2.0 1.8 1.25 1.4 ||||<> < 6" — ► V2 'W '/ Photographic Sciences Corporation « •^ S: :0^ >\ \\ against their ancient enemies, the Iro(}Uois, who occupied the territory l^...,UfM of the piesent State of New York, from New England to the foot of r.Vti Lake Erie. BetM'een the Huron country and that of the Iro(|Uois lay the Niagara River and the territory of the Neutral Nation, so called be- cfiuse in the inces&rtxit wars of the Iroquois and Hurons the Neutrals took no part, but allowed the two povrerful enemies to traverse their lauds at will in attacking or retreating before each other. '-i^ -j^'ij These Neutrals, sometimes called La Nation du Petun — the Tobacco I'H. M-r. :.i ^- . m /■.-,' ^.0 Six^^A^ ^M"^^ 8 Annals of Niaoaha. Nation — by the early French traders, were a niunerouH an V^v vV A— A,'^»^'• i^,-v- / .^-•IM, f 4--^* j^'^T^ r-. 10 Annals of Niagara. jj K^ alue whatever. The branch of the Neutrals called the Tohacco Nation b}' the French, were so called from their trading with ()ther nati(Mis in the article of tobacco — not the })roduct now known by that name all over the world, but the wild plant M'hich was called kiimikinick or Indianjbobacco. It was the conmum lobelia j_rijfuf a, whose blue spikes of flowers adorn our fields and n)ad sides, and whose pungent, acrid leaves and roots have an intoxicating (juality well-known to those who use it. The Indians mixed its leaves with the bark of the red willow, and inhaled the smoke of it through pipes and putted it out with great satisfaction from mouths, ears and nostrils. Jt may be rcalled, by the wa}', that a very })opular system of , medicine was in vogue in the earl}' 3'ears of the settlement in Upper Canada, the basis of which was the jieculiar potency of this lobelia or •^ \ Indian tobacco. It was called the Thomps M lassevera- '^'f^.^.>^^H- v^-3-^^i^ /v^t Hm.^.^ AXXALS OF NlA(JAUA. 11 sion of Lake Erie. The Iroiiuois found the name, and in their dialeet called it Oienkwara, which means tobacco smoke, which word in nearly identical with Niai^^ara. There are slippery places in Indian philology, and we may well call to mind the famous sculptured stone i>f the Kaim of Kilprunes and the interpretation of its letters by that zealous antitjUiiry, the Laird of .Monk Barns — with their ri<;ht meaning («-iven by the old blue- (,fown, Ivlie Ochiltree, to the sad discomtiture of the over-K'arned anti<|Uary. NN'ithin a life time the accentuation of the name Xiaiiara has been chanjfed. We now place the accent on the antepenult syllable. The Indians, as the Enirch bark canoes, subsisting more by fishing than by huntinu". i)"^\i. oijU c/. uA- '•''-.. ,../,i, ixU^^-^^^ .:!t:.A.. w-> ■Jf a, JU^ i' t h^Xl w It iifl "7- 12 AxxALs OF Niagara. The Attikanieng, or great herring as the whitefish was called, abounded in Lake Ontario: also the salmon and salmon ti'out, glorious fishes, fit for a king's table. The pike, pickerel and maskinonge, the herring, sturgeon and other valuable fisli, made a water paradise for the Mississauguas. Their women cultivated the open plains of Niagara for Indian corn, pumpkins, beans and probably the Indian tobacco, which, with peltry, held the place of money in the Indian countries. The successive occupation of this territory by so many different tribes has left scarcely a mark behind them to inform posterity of their existence. A few burial places, some stone weapons and tools, pipes and rude pottery, are occasionally found, but no one can dis- tinguish their respective owners. Nothing is to be learned from these remains except proof of the universal barliarism of the people using them. The ruined stone-built fort of Keniuto, on' the edge of the mountain overlooking the plains near Lowiston, was the work of the Five Nations of Irotjuois to serve as a place of defence ajul offence in the long wars carried througii the midst of the Neutral Nation against the Hurons. Their warpath was from tlie lower Niagara, by way of Onghiara, and thence in canoes around the head of the lake to Toronto) and thence by way of Lake Simcoe to the country of the Hurons — a wild route and the scene of .savage war and adventure in those barbarous times. The only description of the Neutrals found recorded in history is in the letters of the Jesuit missionaries, who visited their country in 1040. It is a very interesting and full account of those vanished people ; ami as the only record of them, and containing all we know of them, deserves transcription here in tlie very heart and capital of the Neutral country. In the annual repoi t to their Superior of the Order of Jesuits in Paris for the year 1041 is found the annexed account of the Attikada- rons or Neutral Nation, written probably by Father Brebfieuf, who was the njissionary who went to them from the Huron Nation north of them. He was accompanied by Father Jo.seph Marie Chanmout, who had come from France the previous year. The accounFTs^written in (juaint old French, which translated reads as follows : K i.@Uw>^ KU ■n ^ju _ \ J ,^ k 19 ,v . C- \ V 1 t Annals of Niagara. 13 CHAPTER III Relation of New Fuance, in the Yeah 1G41. Chapter VI. — Of the mission of Angels to tlie Attikachxrons or people of the Neutral Nation. ***♦♦*** This nation is very populous ; in it are to be counted about forty towns or villages. On leaving the Hurons wt; travel four or five days before we reach the first and nearest of them — that is to say about forty leagues, always going straight to the southward. So that we may say that if, according to the latest and most exact observations we have made, our new house of St. Mary, which is in the middle of the country of the Hurons, is placed in the forty-fourth degree and five and twenty miiuites of latitude, the boinidaiy of the Neutral Nation on the side of the Hurons will be about forty-two and-a-half degrees of elevation. A more exact observation cannot, at the present time, be made, for the very sight of an astronomical instrument would drive wild those people who have not endured the sight of one, as we shall see by and by. From the first village of the Neutral Nation, which we come to on arriving from here, and continuing our journey to the south or southwest, is about four days' journey from there to the mouth of the river so famous of that nation, in Ontario or Lake St. Louis. On this side of the river (and not on the farther side, as is marked on some maps,) are situated the most of the towns of the Neutral Nation. There are three or four on the farther side, ranging from east to west towards the nation of the Cat or Erie Chronons. By this river are discharged the waters of our great lake of the Hurons, or mer douce — quiet sea — which first runs into Lake Erie, or -' .j;r!:; i^ * i,t i JA-'-'i-gj 14 Annals of Niagara. U 'I XI' i^ of the Cat Nation, and thence enters the country of the Neutrals and takes the name of Onguiaahra until it discharges into Ontario, or Lake St. Louis, whence arises the river which pa.sses by Quebec called the St. Lawrence, so that if we were once master of the shori- nearest the settlements of the Iroquois there would be no danger in ascending the St. Lawrence up to the Neutral Nation, and beyond, with notable saving of time and trouble. The Rev. Fathers who have been there estimate that the popu- lation is at least twelve thousand souls in the whole extent of their country, which would enable them to furnish four thousand warriors, notwithstanding the wars, famine and the sickness which has prevailed among them for three or four years past. After all, I am of opinion that those who have allowe^J> 18 Annals of Niagara. I lifii! CHAPTER IV. 1640. Ikjy ANY of the Frenchmen who have been here formerly made * ' * journeys in the country of the Neutrals for sake of the j^i-ofits and advantages of the fur trade, and other small gains to be hoped for there. But we know of none who went there with the intention to preach the gospel except the Reverend Pere Joseph de la Roche Daillon, a RecoUet, who in 1020 passed the winter there. But the Frenchmen who were here at that time, having heard of the ill treat- ment which he had received, and feai'ing that matters would turn worse, sought him and brought him back the following spring. The zeal which led this father to make that voyage as soon as ever he had set foot among the Hurons, did not allow him to study the hinguage, so tluit he found himself for the most part of the time without an interpreter, and was compelled to teach as well as he could by signs rather than with living voice, as he himself relates in a printed letter of his. This, added to the bad tricks which the Hurons played ujwn him, who feared the loss of their trade, like those others of wiiom we will speak by and by, did not allow him in the short space of time to do what he had wished to do for the service of God. Fourteen years afterwards the two Fathers of our company, who have charge of this ndssion, set out from this House of St. Mary on the second day of November last year, 1040. When arrived at St. Joseph, or Teanaustajae, the last village of I the Hurons, where they were to procure their provisions for the route and find guides for the way — those who had promised them having failed to keep their word — all they could do was to address them-j selves to Heaven. After making a vow, Peie de Brebceuf met a young man who I had no intention of making this voyage. I do not know by what Annals of Xiagaka. in vly made ;he profits hoped for tention to la Roche But the le ill treat- v'ould turn [•ing. ! as soon as m to study )f the time well as he f relates in which the trade, like low him in do for the upany, who It. Mary on village of br the route | lem havintrl llress them- man who kv by what movement he addressed him, for he only spoke to him these two words : Quia (irkosse — " Up I let us go !" This younj; man followed him innnediately and was a faithfid companion. There accompanied them two of our French servants, as nnich for aid in the voyage as to make a pretence of trading and pa.ssing for merchants through the country in case that without this latter consideration they found the doors of the wigwams closed to them — as, in effect, it happened. They slept four nights in the woods, and on the fifth day reached the first village of the Neutral Nation, called Kandoucho, to wliicli they gave the name of All Saints. As they were not ignorant of the bad disposition of mind in those people, drenched by the evil talk which had been used regard- ing us in our missions during the past years and which was all they had learned of us, it was judged advisal)le to explain our intentions U) a meeting of elders and chiefs. It was necessary to address ourselves to the chief who manages their public affairs, named Tsohahissen. His villag)est to 11(1 then a I, but the DO suffer a t. )r the first Y years ; I , the same, )y sickness iance with the most iiio- distant sation east- kat he had \\\ and iron onntry. cautions in Frenchman sit -. it was not carry - bt excellent country of konontouch- ither imme- Lness which Ithe Fathers us to take that a week Ihaving been the Huron^ haifrontetuni ol' presents or acknowkMl^jincnt of tluit kiinl; that it HUtHcod us if they held us us hrotliors. They persisted in their refusal, and not hein^ aide to offer a pretext whieli was not iininediately set aside, the cliief of tlie council said: Ht; I what! don't you know what Aout'nhokiaii said, and wliy he has come hither ! and finally the dan^'er in which you are, and in which you place the coinitry ! We tried to reply to that as to the rest, but they turned a deaf ear to us and cttniju'lled us to rt'tire. The niissionaiMes, however, rovidence of God that tl\e Fathers were detained in this place, for in the twenty-tive daj's that they stayed in this wigwam they were enabled to compare the dictionary and grannnar of the Huron language with that of their people, and com- pleted a work which would have deserved a visit of several 3'ears in the country. Our Indians are much better pleased with those who speak their language than with those who only approach them, and whom they regard, so far, as mere strangers. (Jn our part, we receiving but rarely news from them, the Hurons who were intrusted with our letters lost them on the road or I threw them away through fear or hatred. We were very anxious to know what was going on. We resolved at last to send persons with jthem on their return. Our converts of the Conce])tion offei'ed them- Iselves willingly to go on this errand, notwithstanding all the reports Kvhich went round as to what was occurring. Two of them, accom- Ipaniefl by two of our servants, undertook the joui-ney. God was [pleased to grant their return to us, after eight days tra\el and fatigue jin the woods, on tlie day of 8t. Joseph, Patron of the country, and they came in time to say mass, which they had not heard said since their departure. Amidst all these turmoils and storms the Fathers did not cea.se fco provide for the safety of the little children, old men and sick )ersons, whom they met and found capable of help. In all the Eighteen villages which they visited there was found but one, namely rrriiiiitaig-inmii 28 Annals of Niagara. I I! !,: ! if Khioetoa, surnaiued St. Michael, which gave them a hearing such as their embassy deserved. In this village a certain foreign nation from beyond the Eries, or Nation of the Cat, had found a refuge from their enemies. They were called Awenrehronon. They seem to have come to this region only to enjoy the happiness of this visit and to have been led by the Providence of the Good Shepherd to listen here to his voice. They were sufficiently instructed, but the Fathers did not think proper to baptize them. The Holy Ghost will ripen the seed whicli has been sown in their hearts, and in his time will be gathered the harvest which has been watered by so much sweat of the brows. It was an)ong this nation that the Fathers made their first baptism of adults, in the person of a good old woman who had become deaf. In this baptism the affection of a good woman, who served as interpreter to the Fathers, was I'emarkable by declaring to her the mysteries of our faith more clearly and efficaciously than the Fathers had before explained to herself. The poor woman had no reply to make except that being already old she would find the road to heaven too hard for her, moreover, she possessed nothing for a present to the Fathers, and that she should have waited for the return of her children from hunting in order to get from them clothes fit to wear. It was easy to satisfy her on this matter, and she was at length happily baptised. Two or three other adults participated in the happiness of this visit, and a number of little children who have gone in advance to heaven. A little Huron two years old, which lived in the Neutral Nation, was sick. He recovered for this time, but some months aftei-wards, when he had rctiu-ned to his country, he was killed by the enemy in the arms of his mother. The Fathers have related in their 'inetnoires that one of the| special providences of God in this place was the fact that one of the servants sent to bring them back had been stricken and marked by smallpox. When the savages of this region saw him they disabused themselves of the belief, which had been instilled into their minds,! that we were innnortal demons and the masters of sicknesses, which | we ruled at our pleasure. Since so trifling a matter has begun to unseal their eyes, they I m Annals of Niagara. 29 may in time be able to disabuse themselves entirely, and thus be able to receive instruction and the visits of heaven. Meantime we see clearly that it is God alone who has protected us among this strange people, since ^ven among the Hurons, who are our allies, our lives have often been attempted. Here is what happened a short time ago: The people of the Neutral Nation are always at war with the Nation of Fire, who live far distant from us. 'I'hey went last sum- mer in number two thousand and attacked a village that was well fortified by a palisade, and which was stoutly defended liy nine hundred warriors, who sustained their assault. They forced the palisade after a siege of ten da^^s, killed a large number on the spot and took eight hundred prisoners — men, women and children. After having burnt seventy of the principal warriors, they put out the eyes and cut oft" the lips of the old men, round their mouths, so that they might drag out a miserable existence after their departure. This is the calamity which unpeoples all the.se lands. Their warfare is nothing but mutual extermination. This Nation of Fire is more numerous than all the Neutrals Hurons and Iro(juois put together. It contains a great number of villages, which speak the AlgoiKpiin language, which is connnon still faither on. The Nation of Fire bears tliis name erroneously. They are [])roperly called Maskoutench, which signifies "a country stripped of trees," such as that is which the.se people inhabit, but by reason of a jslight change of letters in the name the word comes to signify fire. jHence it happens that they have been called the Nation of Fire. jTheir country was in the ])resent Illinois. So far, the Relation of the Jesuits touching the Neutrals. The total destruction of the Huron Nation by the Iroijuois took ^)lace about 1645. It was followed by the utter extermination of the auitrals and Cats, about 1()50. The cause of the war made upon the Neutrals is not known. There are hints hei'e and there in the relations that they had favored the Hurons, ami this brought upon [hem the implacable fury of the Iroquois. Nothing is on record as MMi 30 Annals of Niagara. ' nil n ■M:^ to the course of this war of extermination but the proof that tlio land had become a howling wilderness without a human inhabitant and open to the occupation of the first invader. The missioiipries Brebffuf and Lallemant wei'e put to death with cruel tortures at the Huron settlement at Matchedash on the Georgian Bay. A few of the Hurons escaped to Quebec, where their descendants still remain, and a few to the shores of Lake Erie. With these exceptions, the nation disappeared. The movements of vast tribes of Indians from one part of tlif continent to another, l)y reason of continual wars, is a history which can never be written now. No one was there at the time to record the changes. The Jesuits have left us an intelligible account of the destruction of the Hurons, and that is all. The history of tlu^ Neutral land from the e.xtirpation of its people by the Iroquois \intil the arrival of LaSalle at Niagara in 1()78, is a blank. How, when or wliy, tln! Chippaways came into what is now Western and Central Ontario, is unknown. We may be certain, however, that it was only by permisssion of the Five Nations of Iroquois — a proud, contpiering people, then iiij the heighth of their ascendancy — that the Chippawa tribes came int(j the vacant territories of the Hurons and the Neutrals. They may have assisted the Iroquois in their war. But, however it was done, no I record remains of the entry of the Chippaways, th.e remains of whom i are to be found to-day in various parts of (Jntario. The fate of the Nation du Petun, that branch of the Neutrals] called the Tobacco Nation, is recorded in the Relations as, being mon distant from the River Niagara, most of them escaped the fury ot'l the Iro(|Uois and fled to Lakes Huron and Superior. They first foun the Niagai'a to Lake Krie, and followed the south shore of the \a\n\ to the fort and entrepot of Deti'oit. Another line led to the head waters of the Ohio, and another by way of Lake Michigan, led to the Illinois coimtry and the great riv(!r Mississippi. The names i-eniain- ing of French posts along all these I'outes attest the l)ol(hiess and ent«M-prise of the traders and explorers of the French nation of that day. The rule of France came nearly being fixed and consoliiaut oak stood until a few \'e;u's atro on tln^ farm of Mr. Peter Servos, Jr., Lake Road, seven feet across the trunk. .Viiother stood on the sunnnit of the old burN-inji- iilace of liutlei's l{auM(,;rs, near Xia<;ara- town, a <;Tand imposing;' relic of oui" priiiic\al woods. This tree was ruthlessly cut down a few years aeo lor riirwoouilt the oaHt»fni hlocklious*^ iinnenango, DeBcinifs, V^incennes and ever}'^ other part where Frenchmen were, to come down in force and relieve the garrison of Fort Niagara, the early siege of which had been foreseen. Colonels D'Aubry anack to their own country. These cunning tactics succeeded. The French troops of D'Aubry were suddenly abandoned by their dusky allies, who foresook tlieni to a man, almost, and left the white troops to face alone the attack of a strong force of Johnson's army. This attack U{)on the relieving force was on tiie 24th of July in the woods south of La Belle Famille. The French were attacked with vigor and sjieedily overpowei-ed. Both of the connnanders, D'Aubry and Ligneris, were wounded, and with their whole force surrendered to the English. Pouchot heard tlie firing and saw the smoke of l)attle from his ramparts. He made a sortie to help the advancing French, but was fiercely encountered and driven back into the works, losing many men. An Indian found his way into the fort with the news that D'Aubry had been defeated and had surrendered. An Enulish ofiicei- with a flag of truce presently came up with the same infor- mation and sununoned Pouchot to give up the fort. Pouchot asked permission to send a confidential ofiicei' to the place of the battle, which Sir William Johnson at once granted. Ti)e French officer went and saw that the repor*^ was true. He found D'Aubr}' angin)ents and the principal depot of troops and stoi'es for the more western posts that had been established at Detroit, Presque Isle, Venango, Vincennes and in other parts of the Ohio and western country. It was a busy center of Indian trade, and Heets of batteaux and canoes were continuall3^ in the season of navigation, passing between Niagara, Frontenac and Monti'eal, as well as the upper posts. There was no permanent peace, however, in the west. The C'on(iuest of Canada was followed bj* the conspiracy of Pontiac, wlio united most of the Indian tribes in a war which almost destroyed the power of England in the interior. The siege of Detroit in 1703, by the Indian tribes under Pontiac, lasted almost a year. The massacres jof Michilimacinac and Venango spread alarm at Niagara and every- i where on the frontiers. The eventual destruction of Pontiac and his force did not bring peace to this frontier. The Seneca Nation had l:)een deeply involved in the conspiracy of Pontiac. Theij* treacherous attack on the 18th 46 AWALS OF NiAUAHA. il Sept., 17(>3, upon a party of English Holdiors and toanisters at the Devil's Hole is iiieniorable on account of its atrocious nature and the natural horrors of the deep, rocky cliff' where the deed was perpetrated. The Devil's Hole is a deep, precipitous chasm in the rocky l»ank of the river, three miles below tlie falls. The Senecas formed an ambuscade at this spot to attack an English party who were ivturn- injLj to Fort Niamem- hfied to you and Messrs. Welles and Wade, who I hope are doing well and fiijoy their health. Major (Jladwyn, who goes to explore the lakes, is getting over the carry- ing place here, 10 days past. He will be leady to proceed to Detroit in about two or three days more. I hope everything is settled with regaid to yovu- l)iirchase, as J left money and directions with Ferrall Wade to answer your (Inift for that purpose. It will give me pleasure to hear of your welfare and genteel econoujy, as I wish you well and am Your sincere friend and humble servant, Wm. Johnson. Major (JladwyM, nifiitioiiod in the aljove l(!tti!r. was the otticer in Cdinujuiid at Detroit during' its lonj^' sio*jo by I'oiitiac. It i.s alHO evidence of the fact that the Hrst iii,stii;'atovs of tlie war of Pontiae were some of the Seneeas of the (ieiieHse(!, iiifiueneed liy the former French Mon. Jonic(eur. Sir WiUiam was well informed on the snhject of Indian intrii;'tie. This general, whose skill and courage saved the colonies from the French, was most powerful in controlling the Indians of North America. He died in 177o, to the infinite loss of the loyal people of the colonies. After the revolution his son. Sir John, took U}) his al)ode in Montreal. As an evi(.lence of the great respect (intertained for the family of Sir William Johnson in Montreal, I will relate the following occiir- nnce which took place in the conrt house, Montreal, in the year 183f), ihning the trial of Captain Jalbert for the murder of Lieutenant W iei', during the rebellion of 1837. The court was overflowing with an eager and impassioned audience, of which I was one. In the midst of the business a gentleman sitting near me suddenly rose up and addressed the court in a loud voice. All eyes were turned upon Itim. The judge made a sign to suspend the proceedings, the tipstaves I stood silent, and the gentleman, a noble looking man, addressed the court, first in Mohawk, then in French and lastly in English. His 60 Annals of Niaoaka. HptM'ch waH quit*' incoludnit and iKjt rclatiJi^ to the trial at all. I iiKiuircd who lu; was, and was infoiiiKMl that he was Sir Adam (Jordon JohiiHon, son of Sir .lohn and }j;randson of Sir William. His nund was (|uit(! ludiinj^'fd. He was alltiwnd to Hnish his sjK'iich, which lasted ti\(' minutos. Tlu^ spectat<^i's and har and ottictials all kept silence until he .sat down again, and then the business of the trial proceeded. Tlio fall of Pontiac was followiMl Ijy the Indian war in the Ohio country, which was only put an end to l>y the decisive battle of Hushy Run in l7()Ji, when the Indian tribes were crushed and dispersed by the ri^uhir troops of Britain, under the command of that pUlant officer, Colonel Hou(iuet, a victory which i)ut an end to all French influence and intrigue which had been kept active after the fall of Canada. The ccst of this Indian wai-, inunen.se in moni'V and in lo.ss of life, had to Ik; borne almost wholly by England. Tlu! colonies of Pennsylvania and Virginia, which were mo.stly attacked by the Indians, shirkisd contributions either of men oi' money in the meanest and most shameless manner. They would give nothing that they could shuffle out of. The Provincial a.s.semblies were rent by per.sonal feuds, and their leading men were only intent on making money by conti'acts and jobs for supplying the army at the expen.se of the British treasury, (Jreat disccmtent aro.se in England at the selfish course of the colonies in leaving their defence almost wholly to the regular army and the c().st of the war to the mother countrv^ It was out of these considerations and in order to induce tlu' coloni.sts to contribute a portion of the co.st of their own defence that I the ill-advised measure of the Stamp Act w'as passed by the British parliament, which brought a constitutional (piestion to the f'oregi"t)un(l But, as the Indians had been suppressed and peace made for the I colonies, the excuse for non-payment of any of the recently formed war debt was at once turned into a claim of right not to pay, without the con.sent of their own as.semblie.s — and that consent they knew would not be given — so they might escape .scot free of all war con- tributions, .so long as England footed the bills. This state of things could not last. The conquest of Canadal AWALS Oh" NiAdAM.V. 51 was liailod witli joy ami prile to philo' ;ists. 58 Annals of Niagara. I will, for sake of preserving it, insert the original, with a translation. It will interest some of the readers of these annals : Goranh Shots itsyownnne Rakdsi : Wagyena onghivatsi Mis Mari degonwadonti yoghyato Niakam. Waton Eghtsrori ne KoraghonenyongwaghrongeaOraghgwatiron Dontara. Waton dewakadonghwen Toniakaronge Dsinigawweanonne Raotyoghgwa Dsinigonne ronnese Kannyadarageghgoa wati Sanonghweraton ni se nok honi nagoyena ne geatho. Nok waton Goragh Asharekowa agwagh yathinonweron niyawea Dsi nitthoyerea geatho gayen Raoweaua oghnyakara agwagh yonwesen Dsinihawennoden ise Kati Rakdsi Eghtsrori anyogh agwagh Rotinigonghri- yoghs ne rotinonghsyonni nok wadon onenyongwarhara Enyagwaronge Dsinen hotiyadawea Rotinonghsag'gwekon Karightongegh yehone noii tokat o(M) tehonnyawe Kaunagoro Ronaghtentyon 28th Oct. ronnen 8 nen- wata Kngarighweadane Karightonge. Sakayengwaraghdon Ragowanenhatye. Etho ('ol. ("laus, Montril. li, John Odeserontyon Wakyadon. La C^hine Dec. S, 1778. TRANSLATION OF ABOVE LETTER. Oovernor~-My Elder Brother : I received just now Miss Mary Brant's letter from Niagara. She says tell the Governor (the Superintendent of Indian affairs) that we have heard that Oraghgwatirhon is coming buck again. She says I want to hear what happened to his band who were with him on the lake. She thanks you and she says : Governor Asarekowa, I thank him very much for what he did. His word is here at Niagara. His words are very pleasant. You, therefore, brother, tell him that the people of the Long House (the Five Nations) ai-e pleased. She also says : We are now expecting to hear of what will happen to the people of the whole House. About 50() left here Oct. 28th foi- Karightongegh (/. e. Gherry Valley). They said in eight days Karigtonge shall be destroyed. Sakayeng- waraghdon is their leader. To Col. Claus, Montreal. L .Tohn Deserontyon, have written this. La Chine, Dec. 3, 1778. Molly Brant was one of the most interesting personages of the period of the revolutim. She resided chiefly at Niagara during the war. Her influence over the Six Nations was equal to, or greater than, that of her brother Jo.seph. The Iroquov?. always reverencin>( the counsel and advice of the women of their tribe, pai»i the greatest deference to Miss Molly, as she was familiarly called. A letter of Annals of Niagara. 59 Colonel Daniel Clfius, who wan her Htep-Hon, is worth pre.serviiij^ hei-e, iw j^jiviiig an intere.sting account of her. The letter was addressed to (Jovernor Haldiniand : Montreal, ;{()th Aug., 177U. Ti) His Hvcrllencij, (hnCl 1 1 aid 'una ml, Quebec: I arrived here Saturday morning. Soon after my arrival two of the few Mohawks that remained at home came and told me that they had received another message from the Five Nations, acquainting them with their critical situation with regard to an invasion from the Rebels, desiring tiieni, the Mohawks, as the head of the confederacy, to come to their assist- ance without any further delay, which summons they told me they could not disobey, according to the engagement of their ancestors. The message likewise imported to inform the Seven Nations of Canada, who mostly were their descendents, of their danger, and demanded their iiid. which they did ; but whether t'^ey will join or no it was none of their business, that they nuist obey the call. I replied that 1 apprehended the Five Nations were more alarmed than they had occasion to be, but that I should acquaint Your Kxcellency with wliat they said. As soon as Molly heard of my arrival she paid me a visit and gave me a full detail of her adventures and misfortunes since the rebellion, but in particular in fall of 1777 after our retreat from Fort Stanwix, when she was robbed of everything by the Rebels and their Indians for giving intelligence of their motions, by which they were surprised and defeated, when she was obliged to leave her habitation and flee for her and her children's safety to the Five Nations, wherein she was assisted by her brother .Iose{)h, and pro- ceeded to take asylum among the Five Nations, everyone of which pressed her to stay among them, but she fixed upon Cayuga as the center and having distant relations there, by whom she was kindly received. After (General Burgoyne's alfair she found them in general very tickle and wavering, in particular the head man of the Senecas, called Cayeng- waraghton, with whom she had a long conversation in council, reminding him of the great friendship which subsisted between him and the late Sir William, whose memory she never mentioned without tears, which strikes Indians j^reatly, and to whom she said she often heard him declare and engage to live and die a firm friend to the King of England and his friends, with other striking arguments, which had such an effect upon that chief and the rest of the Five Nation Sachems, that they promised her faithfully to keep to the engagements to her late friend, for she is in reality considered and esteemed by them as his lelict, and one word from her goes further with them than a thousand from any white man, without exception, ais(, in gen- ral, who must purchase their interest and influence at a high rate* Her departure from Niagara now was greatly regretted by all the Indians that heard of it, and would be more so when the campaign was over, and they all acquainted her with it. After Major Butler's return from Montreal in fall, 1777, hearing she 60 ANN'ALS of NlACJAHA. was at ('ayuga, he sent her repeated and very pressing and encouraging messages to reside at Niagara, which she at first did not know how to comply with, being so well taken care of by her friends, till at last she brought it about so as they could not take amiss her leaving them and parted in friendship. As she is their only confident to whom they communicate everything of importance, and desiring her advice and the preventing many mischiefs- and much more so than in her bi-othei' .Joseph, whose present zeal and activity occasions rather envy and Jealousy with many, for his last excursion was greatly dampened on that account, having had near ',M) men ready to join him, which on his setting oft" was brought about to l)e stopped and counter, manded and he obliged to set out with a small numbei-. Molly seems to me not to be well contented with her present situation having left htn- old mother and other relations and ac(iuaintancey among the Five Nations, whom she else regrets, and they will miss her on account of her friendly conveisation and advice. I). ("LAtJS. After liis sister, Molly Brant, the chief Joseph Brant was the leading spirit in the Five Nations. Chief Bi'ant was a man of great natural ability, and had received a good English education mider Sir William Johns(;n, to whom lie wavS devotedly attached. He vva.s in England when the A.niericans declared their independence^ but at once hurried home to take the lead of the Indians in defence of the Crown. His tact, eloi|uence and bravery (piite won over the Five Nations. His own tribe, the Mohawks, to a man, followed his lead. Brant de.served the confidence placed in him by the Indians, for he was evei' foremost to lead them in wai-, and the wisest to counsel them at all time.s. An unpublished letter of his, written to Colonel McKee t)f Andierstburg, 1798, will give a better idea of his character than any mere description. I will insert it here for preservation : Miami Rapids, 4th August, 1793. Sir,— Having for some time past observed that the confederate Indiaii.s do not act with that unanimity so necessary to their interest, induces me to offer my sentiments to you on the occasion. Agreeable to two letters I received from you last spring and winter, recjuesting my attendance and assistance at the private council-fire at this place, I took the earliest opportunity to come with that part of the Six Nations inhabiting the Grand River. It is now three months since I left home, and 1 do not see that the great business we were invited here to assist in is at all forwarded. I am in some measure at a loss to account for the delay. I do not mind my time, provided I could be of service. It has for these many years past been solely devoted to the good of that confederacy, which I have labored to support, and my exertions in this business are not Annals of Neaoaka. ()1 wholly unknown to you. We well know that without being united we are nothing. How then conies it to pasa that the only material husiness is con- ducted by one part. We look upon ourselves as equally concerned in the welfare of this country, and we are part of the confederacy, but we have lu'i'ii kept in the dark— private consultations have been held without we liaving any knowledge of them. It cannot be supposed that we will implicitly agree to what is daily doing by a few people. It is contrary to what we understood to be the intention of this meeting. I had before wrote you that people who were hostile to the confederacy ()uj;ht not to be consulted. Those only who would support a war foi' the interest of the Indians should be admitted to the councils. I now repeat that we come here not only to assist with our advice but otherways if just. We come heie with arms in our hands, but the unmerited slight otl'ered us is too apparent to be passed over in silence. I sh(»uld be glad to be told with candor in what instance we have acted wrong, l)ut we aie not told aiiy thing. Our opinion and that of three respectable tribes has not been attended to — I mean the Ottawas, Pottewataniis artd ('hippaways- but perhaps there may lie some substantial reasons for this with which I am unac anived about land uiatttM's, whicli iua(h> uh ('(iMiftoa resohitioM to phiiit a few things here, whicii is all I have to tell you at pi'esent. With hearty salutations to you and Ano^hsisshon. Aciiiiaint Sir .lohn with contents of this. D.vvii) llii-i,." Tlii.s i^fr.'iiit liy the .Mississmi^iwis to tlie Six X/itions was uccoin- |iaiiii'(l \)\' n <^n».iit from the Crown of tlic laiuls coin|)ri,siiin- a .strip ol" six^ miles wide on encli side of the (Irainl River. I'lom its month in Lake l*j'ie to its .source ill the Northern territory, then niie.\|ilore(l, ill the Proviijee of (^iiehec, for the \ ast reeion (now Ontario) was still a portion >f (^Jiieliec, an pure, so noble and so hopeful been created by Providence as uhe people of tiic Dominion of Canada." The country was organized at first, by a pi-oclaiiiation of the Governor-General, into four large districts, namod respectively : Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Hesse and Nassau. The Niagara settle- ments were in Nassau, and its chief place of local government and trarle was the town of Niagara, which had at first received the name of Butlersburg, and then the name of West Niagara, which last it retained until 1792, when it received the nanie of Newark, which it, rettjned until 1812. The new town was carefully laid out in broad streets crossing at right angles, running northeast and southwest, with open spaces leCt for markets, barracks, churches, court house and other public buildings expected in time to be needed. The tii'st streets settled on were King, Queen and Prideaux street — the last named for General Prideaiix, killed at Niagara, 1759— and Johnson street, called after Col. John- son, who also fell at the siege of Fort Niagara. The houses were at fii'st principally of scjuare timber and round logs. The landing; from Fort Niagara was at the foot of King street. Na\y Hall, an old winter (piarter for government sailors on the lake, was at the end of Front street, under the -bank where Fort George was subsequently built. Two or three well-frequenteil taverns invited wayfarers and ruiwcomers to rest and refresh liient. Merchants and traders, who had long been established at Fort Niagara, moved over into the new town. The Taylors, the Lymburners — Auldjo and Maitland, — the Streets, Clarks, Dicksoiis, Crooks and others opened stores and carrie country above. The swine raised by the settlers proved the destruc- tion of tlie whole race of serpents in tliis di.strict. The hogs fought iiiid killed all snakes at siglit. The bays and noxious t(j the free English spirit of the eoumion law, and as soon as the new comers had time to consider their position they objected to the Fn-nch laws, and petitioned for their abrogation in this part of the Province, and kept on petitioning until they carried their point, and .secured from the imperial parlia- ment the pas.sage of the Act of 17!)1, which established the Province of Upper Canada and made it separate and independent of the Province of Quebec. The lake road from Niagara to the head of the lake was opened and bridged ; the river road to Queenston and the Falls was improved and early settled on ; a road through the swamp called the old Mdrais Norttuind ran to St. Davids — first .settled by Major David Secord of Butler's Hangers, who built a mill about 178() near the head of the Four Mile Creek ; a road from Queenston to the head of tlio lake gave access to the rich, spacious territory of the interior of tlie District of Nassau and the western country. As settlements spread in all directions, the people were .soon able to dispense with the military rations issued from Fort Niagai'a, and began to be .self-supporting, when the calamity of " The Hungry Year' overtook them in 1787 and 178(S. Years of terrible drought and huining heat dried up the springs and wells throughout the land, all crops withered in the ground, and a veritable famine prevailed in tiie new settlements. Bread there was almost none ; cattle of all kinds died, and water at a distance from lake and river was unattain- able. The leaves of trees and inner bark of the slippery elm were 74 Annals of Niagara. U'^.':, used for food, wild onions and other roots were King's stores at Niagara were again opened, and rations of food freely distributed to the suffering settlers. The supplies were hard to keep up, but with economy and good management the livc^ of all were preserved, except in a few instances where very renioti' settlers could not avail themselves of the King's bounty. Those severe trials were patiently and uncomplainingly borne. Each one helped his neighbour without grudging, and joined in Christian hope and prayer that the hungry year might soon pass away and plenty be given to the land ; and it did pass away, and t\\r chosen home of the exiles in a year or two abounded with plenty. Rain and sunshine and every seasonable blessing were restoreil, ami deepfelt thankfulness to Almighty God reigned in the hearts of the people for the advent of prosperity'. The inuuigration of Loyalists from the old colonies continual without ceasing. After the men of the war — soldiers of ( 'olonial corps, Indians and rtifugees, who first came — there followed for several years a stream of people — Quakers, Meinionites, and civilians of all kinds, chiefly farmers and artizans — who could not stand the factions ami disorders of the new-fangled government of ccnigress, and preferred the fjuiet and security of life and property under their old native flag of England. The Loyalists, as to origin and language, were a mixed peopl<'. The majority of them were English speaking, but half of those who came to Niagara used the high or low Gerinan and Dutch, as spoken b}' the people of the interior of New York and Penn.sylvania. All were Protestants, either of the Church of England or German Lutherans or Dutch Calvinists. But religious differences had no force to divide them. The welding heat of political harmony anAKA, 2oth June, 1785, AildresH of the chiefs (did ivan'iora of the Si.r Nafiuna, oHseniblcd in Council, to Lieut.-Col. DePcyster, commanding the Upper Pouts, Lakes, dkc. : The chiefs and warriors of the Six Nations being informed that Colonel DtiVy.ster, with the King's Regiment, is prei)aiiiig to depart from this post, wish to assure him in paitieulai', and the gentlemen ot the regiment in general, that they will ever preserve the inost gratef\il remembrance of his past conduct to them, not only since his arrival at this post, but on many- former occasions, whilst he commjinded at Detroit. The uninterrupted friendly intercourse which has constantly subsisted between them and the gentlemen of the King's Regiment, and the many acts of kindness they received from them here, made the deepest impression on them, and they ioolv forward to the moment of their departure with unfeigned regret. They therefore beg leave to express to the Colonel and gentlemen their T-r 78 Annals of Niauaka. Hincero wiuheH that they may have a Hafe and pUtaHant passage to FOngland, where, they make no donht, they will meet with a graciouH reception, which their long services and exemplary conduet in the country ho justly entitles them to. [Signed,] JoHKiMi Hrant (Thayendanegea). David Him, (Haronghyontyc). Ihaac Hii.i- (Anonghsoktea). Signed for themselves and the chiefs and warriors of the Six Nations. Tlu! reply of Colonel DoPeyster was as follows : — Four Niauaba, 2(Jth June, 1785. Colonel DePeyster, for hiniself and the officers of the King's Ilegiment, is very much pleased with the address from the chiefs and warriors of the Six Nations, and in return for their kindness unite themselves heartily in wish- ing rhem a lasting peace, attended with every other blessing. The Ooloiici further assures them he leaves the upper district with the Loyalist Rangers, (now a reduced military corps,) whom he has settled at the head of the lalie and on the Chippawa, together with his Indian children and brothers, witii the greatest regret ; that he will never forget their attachment, and begs of his good friend Thayendanegea to send in his name belts of white wampum to his friends the chiefs of the Shawanese towns of ("hillicothekie and Waakamakie, and to the Hurons of Sandusky, to assure the Ilalf-Kiii^ Orotondie, the Snake, and Mis-qu-a-ka-ni-gaw, that they will not forget their promise to continue firm as the oak and as deep as the waters in the cause of the King of Great Britain, and that they will bring up their youtii in the same sentiments, stopping their ears to the croaking of bad birds, lest they become an easy prey to their enemies. Health, &c. The addresH of the people of Niagara on this occasion has not been pi'es(a'ved. The pillant King's Reuissant protecteur. II (itoit inon appui, il lilt inon bient'aileur, I'rudant dans ses ronseils juste dans ses desseins II etendoit siu* tout ses bioiifaisantes mains. Au milieu des tiavaux eonyacr''s ,'i san roi Par bont(', d'un iliacun il assifijnoit I'cmploi. Impartial, integre dans tons ses jugements; Jamais son ('(luiti- ne fit des lureontens. Nous ne serous pas plus heureux, Monsieur, dans ]"( loge <]ue meritent les exeelhiutes qualiti'< de .Madame, (jue nous ne le son\mcs daut. cette brave exposition de celle (pie vous faites eelater tons les joins, puis-que comnit' vous, elle porte le.s vertus de son sexe. .Ius(praii degr ■ le plus cmincni. ce(pii-nous fait dii'e avee veriti-, ipiil semble ((ue le ciel vous ait fornn' tou: deux pour etre T.-idmiration de tout le monde. I'euetros de ces sentimen> nous prenons la liix'iti de dire : 4 I'our louer VOS vertus, . Madame. Nous avouons, ingcpumeiil Que les (pialiti's de voire ame, Surpassent notre jugement, Vot re douceur, vot I e I'outo, Vosgi'aces, votre rhai'itc, Sont au dessus de nos espi its, Nous ne pouvons pas expi inter Nous 1U1US contentons d'admiri'i'. Des ((Ualitt'H d'un si haul pi'ix. Nous ne craignous pas. Monsieur, ct .Madiune, d'etre accuses de (l.it- terie on d'exageration de ces foibles i)eintnres dc vos xeitus les plas coiii- numes. Au -ontraire. nous avons tout lien d'apprcbcnder )|u'on ne nous rejjroche d'avoir liazardc un insipide eloge srr iles qualitcs qui ne peuvcat etre (lu'udmiri'es ; nous prions cependant (ju'eu consideration des motifs qui nous ont pousses dans cette enlerpiize bardie, on nous pardonera cell" temerito. Nous attendons de vous la meiiie indulgence, et pour nous li concilier plus siuement, nous \ous prote tons ([ue ce sont les eft'et s dc l;i pl\is vivf rcconnoissance. ("est ellememe (jui nous engage encore a voiis prier d'acceiiter Monsieui', le present (pie nous vous o(V."ojis connne un gage de la siiu-ej-it" (K- kos coeurs. [\ vous sei'a pi'i'-senti' dan- le lieu (|ui voMS est destini'. i^uehnu's mots fr'appt'-s dessus raj)peleront u voire memoin' le souvenir de ceux pend the reply of Colonel DePeyster to the abo\e avldress, wliich was in Enijli.sh : Tit {In' (lentleineri, fniders, dm/ h> the Pityf uf Mic/iiiinuicinar iiml its fh'pi')i assurances of the Indians, that trade will take a uiore t'avorabie turn soon. Tiiey are determined to clear the Illinois at one stroke, or at least to make the situation of tlie Kitchiuiokouians (the Kehels) there so dis.agrecable that they must nei^essarily abandon fiuther thouglits of any (expedition either against Detroit or this post. In the txt-cutioii of which they have |Miimiseil to act witii humanity ; to strike non(> l)!it such as ap}>ear in arnjs, and. to use their own expression, spoil tlieir iatids. 1 cannot take my leave without expressing the highest sen.se of gratitude t'lr your attention to Mrs. PePeyster. Slie is sensibli; of yiiur politcnt'ss, and desires nu; to acknowledge it in her behalf. I have the honour to t)e, Willi great esteem, iVr., (ientlemen, yotn" most humble and much obliged servant. .Mi( im.i»rAcn\\c, 20th Sept., 1770. \. S. I)l."ky(sti;b. 82 Annals of Niagara. Colonel DePey.ster, in his notes, describes the journey of his wife, in 1774, from Quebec to Michilimacniac. I copy the part of it (lesci'iptive of Niagara: — " From Asweegatchie (now Ogdensbiirg) she proceeded in a ship of war, the Ontario, passing through the archipelago to Cateroque, and from thence across the Lake Ontario to Niagara. From Fort Niagara proceeded to th(^ landing, which is nine miles up the river, whence the ship was laid alongsidt^ a wharf and the baggage and provisions put upon cradles, so contrived that by the force of a capstan the whole was drawn up a steep hill, and there put into large wagons drawn by six oxen and two horses each, for fourteen miles through the woods to Stedman's Landing or carrying place, from whence the lady returned to view the Falls of Niagara, where, lying on hoi' breast, she drank of the water as it fell over the precipice. " From Steadman's proceeded in batteaus 17 miles up the river (from which the Falls are supplied) to Fort Erie, at the entrance of the lake of that name, where she embarked in a sloop of war named the Dunmore and proceeded to Fort Detroit, a most beautiful settlement; from thence ovci Lakes Sinclair and Huron to the destined post of Michilimacinac, whei-e slu remained six years ; thence returned to Detroit, where her husband com- manded the garrison also, and afterwards, in 1785, went to Niagara, wherv he commanded the whole Upper District of Canada." Annals of Niagara. 8a CHAPTER XIII. 1787. rjROM the depressioii of " Tiie Hiini^TV Year " the couiitrv gr.ulu- ally recovered its tone of hopel"uliieK.s. The siiaHous came again, of early and latter rains, sunshine and harvests, increase of cattle, and in the homes were found most of the necessaries and (•oinfiuts of lite. The men worked diligently in the fields and forests. Tlie women made ilie house bright and happy with good housewifery, ami ever a clean table cloth, and a triglit tire in winter. The i.-H-.w of new settlers was kept up many years after I7S4. Many f.,"'^ loyal men had been conipclUMl foi- family, business and other reasons, to defer coming in antil a later date than the bulk of the refugees. But the right spirit was in them all, they came at last, and kept their fealt^' unbroken \)y removing to Canada. As Lelloy Hooker has sung : " For these, their sturdy hands Hy hated treason undefiled, Mif^ht win I'roin the Canadian wild A home on British lands." The Loyalists, in relief from their industricms labours, had much to interest them. The daily arrivals of friends and people from tie former colonies to join their scttleuiejits or form new ones were a cotistant subject of conversation and social {)leasure — to wel- come them on their arrival and assist them on their way to new homes was the greatest of pleasure.^. Then the news that came in ol wars and rumours of wars in the old world and the new. The Itirible fate of France, which had learned hci- lesson of rel)ellion in America, and up.set the Bourb.)n dynast ; v, Inch had given success to congress, seemed to them like a deserved retribution. The distrat- tion.s of democracy in the revolted colonies — wliere the broken up govt'rnment tended to the rule of the bad ovei- the good, the reck- 84 Annals of Niagara. less over tlie prudent, the lawless over those who wanted peace and order — these topics formed much of the matter of conversation in all casual or formal gatherings of the people, who, by thorough know- ledge and bitter experience, knew so well the kind of men they had left behind them. A very large proportion of the settlers at Niagara were men of education and civil and military experience, who watched keenly the strut^gle of factions in the United States, where the Democrats undei- the lead of Jefferson were ti-ying to force an alliance with the Frencli Revolutionists, and opposed savagely the party of Federalists, which contained witliin its ranks the wealthier classes and any remnants ol' the people who secretly favoured Great Britain in her opposition to France. The country was on the edge of a new war with Britain, and it was no fault of Jefferson and his party that it escaped from it. The men prominent in Niagara at that tinie were Colonel Gordon, the commandant: Colonel Butler, of the Rangers; Colonrl Guy Johnston, superintendent of Indian affairs, a son-in-law, by his first wife, oF Sir William Johnson, and whose second wife was Miss Powell, sister of Colonel \Vm. Powell, a U. E. Loyalist of Fort Eric, whose other sister was the wife of (^a])tain Daniel Servos of tht- Lake Road. A prominent physician and n)agistrate was Dr. John Ker, a .scion of the Scottish 13ukes of Roxburg. He married j\liss Brant, a daughter of the chief Joseph Brant. Dr. Muirhcad was also a physician and magistrate, an able and prominent man in Niagara society, who married Miss Butler, daughter of Colonel John Butlei-. Robert Hamilton of Queenston was another notable man ainl magistrate. Beverley Robinson, Capt. MacLean and MacCauley weic n)en of mark and education, and whose descendants were afterwards eminent judges upon the bench of Upper Canada, and who have nut been sr.rpa.ssed since for legal knowledge and ability in Canada. Among the prominent Loyalists may be mentioned the Clarks, Merritts, Steadmans, Middaughs, Pickards and the Balls — a numerous family who came from the German Palatines on the Mohawk- - Vaneverys and Turneys, who settled in Niagai'a township: Streets, Steadmans, Clarks and Burtehes of Niagara Falls; to Chip|«i\\,i went the Cummings, Macklems and others; the Kerbys, Warren^ Powells, Wintermoots and Maybees settled at Fort Erie ; in C»rimsli\ Annals of Niagara. 85 waH an early settlement of Nelles, Petits, Carpenters and other. It would fill a volume the mere recording of their names. The Clenches were a numerous family of Loyalists, the chief of whom was Ralf Clench, afterwards Judge of the King's Bench. The Whitmores, Clements and Lawrences were prosperous wealthy farmers, riie Lawrences had belonged to Butler's Rangers. John Cleinent, who took up a large tract of land in the township, had been a most conspicuous and active leader of the Northern Confederate Indians, an rinhodied force whose services in scouting and hunting down the rebel bands of i)artizans and Sons of Liberty were a striking feature of the war. Captain John Clement caught and destroyed a large 'oody of partizans under a noted r.'bel leader. Captain Bull. He jic(|uired the name of Ranger John, and as such is referred to in the Canadian Epic poem of the U. E. The old hero is buried in St. Mark's churchyard. During the first few years of the settlement people were too liusy in laying the foundations of the town and opening up the ('(Huitry for places to live in to give time to much thought of socety. The women were refined and clever, as became ladies brought up in the best classes of the old colonial regime. They had saved little or nothing from the wi'eck of their old, plentiful homes, and had to first begin to surround themselves with the neces.saries of household living in their rude log and timber iKjuies, but their ideal was ever before their eyes. The elegancies of life were not forgotten ; year by year they gathered them together, ami family after family lifted up theu '^eads as people who knew what the refinements of civilized Hfe consisted of, and surrounded themselves with them. (3ne followed another in (sxample, and in four or five years Niagara was mentioned with respect and admira- tion. ;i> a community of ladies and gentlemen who gave a tone to the whole of the Province. This becauR- still more the case after the aiiveiit of Governor Simcoe and his noble wife in 171)2, when the t'oiiiiation of the new ginernment of Uppei- Canaattle of life bravely. Their souls were above their sun-oundinii'S- Thev made the best of the situation, with cheerfulness and courage. The high price and scarcity of articles of clothing, which alone could be obtained fi'om Montreal, created an immense home industr^^ As soon as wool was got from the flock, the women's skilful, industrious liands carded, spun, dyed and wove it into plain not unhandsome cloths for their own and Annals of Niaoaua. 87 men's apparel. The hum of the spinning wheel and the clack of the loom were familial' sounds in every farm house. Flax was also cultivated, and the spinning and weaving of linen for home use was a feature of the times, and excellent fabrics, even "seventeen hundred" linen, as white as driven snow, supplied the iiousehold with all it needed. In the house of the writer is preserved linen from flax grown, spun and woven in the Township of Niagara a Cfiitury ago, where not an acre of flax is now to be found. They valued their linen and drapery. The Hon. Joseph Howe of Xova Scotia, sitting down, in 1858, nt her table to dinner, I'emarked out of compliment to my wife : " That a clean, white tablecloth was one of the sure tokens of a true U. E. Loyalist lady." Life was not dull with tliem. The Loyalists were a social, kindly people, visited each other much, and enjoyed in common such simple, hearty amusements as were attainable. Balls and parties of pleasure were connnon, and surprise was always created by the unexpected stoi'es of lace, jewelry and handsome dresses which the women and girls were able to display on gala occasions. But their native beauty and grace were still more the admiration of all beholders. The Indians, of which the town was generally full, had great matches of lacrosse on the common, where also horse racing, militia training and reviews of the regulai's were held on the 4th of June, (the King's birthday,) and at other special times. Christmas and Easter were obser-ved with decorum, but on New Year's morn the young militia men went round in companies and tired feux de joie at tlie houses of their friends before o /,. 7 ///. Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY. 14580 (716) 872-4503 iV (V "% v ^ 92 Annals «^f Niagara. mi Tul party behind them, were the champions of so-called liberty. They met Pitt and Burke, and the men who stood up for the con- stitution, in fierce political battle. The conflict raged with its greatest fury over the clauses of the Canada Act of 1791. In the course of debate in the House of Commons, the quarrel which had broken out between Burke and Fox over the French revolution culminated in the memorable scene in which Burke re- nounced forever the political alliance and personal friendship of Fox ii: these fateful words : — " Hitherto," said he, " Mr. Fox and myself have often ditferod upon slight matters without a loss of friendship on either side, l)ut there is something in this cursed French revolution that envenoms everything." Mr. Fox, upon this, whispered : " There is no loss of friendship between us." Mr. Burke replied : "Yes, there is"! I know the price of my conduct. Our friendship is at an end !" Mr. Fox had proposed some French democratic principles in tho composition of 1' e Legislative Councils of Canada, which Burke opposed and was supported by Pitt in making the councils nomina- tive, as in accordance with English constitutional forms for a secoml chamber. The bill for the division of Canada and the establishment nf constitutional governments in the two provinces was passed and at once received the royal assent. The new Province of Upper Canada was ushered into being to the great joy and pride of the loyal people of the colony, and by none more than by the inhabitants of Niagara, which town was to be the capital and seat of government of Upper Canada. The previous divisions of Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Hesse and Nassau were abolished, and Upper Canada was divided into districts of counties for electoral and judicial purposes. Niagara was alreadj'^ a well built town of much business and commerce. A continual influx of immigrants from the United States spread settlement far into the interior of the province. Colonel John Graves Simcoe, member of the House of Commons fii m Annals of Niagara. 93 for St Mews, Cornwall, had participated in all the proceedings of the House in passing the Canada Act. The Government did both itself and him honour by appointing him to the Governorship of Upper Canada. A more fitting and more acceptable appointment could not have been made. Simcoe was a man of much military experience, a scholar and statesman. He possessed broad, clear opinions and was thoroughly grounded in the principles of the English constitution. His writings Hiul letters, of which many are pi'eserved, are models of English style and composition and of sound reasoning, such as few of that age could equal. He was a man of amiable, but firm, character, of ready uiid pei^suasive speech, and of a liberal education, with natural tact ami readiness in affairs unequalled by most of his contemporaries. He had served with distinction as colonel of the Queen's Rangers, a cavalry corps in the war of the revolution. His skill and success in defending New Jersey against Washington won fame for himself and his troops, but secured the malignant hatred oi Wash- ington, whose cold, vindictive spirit was never moved by a feeling of ^renerosity towards an opponent. Simcoe was upon one occasion Hinprised and taken prisoner by a Rebel force, and for no reason and fc^nti'ary to the laws of war was, by order of Washington, thrown into a foul, close dungeon not fit for a criminal, let alone a soldier and gt'iitlenian. Washington refused either to parole him or give him iiumane treatment, and it was only through the threats of retaliation on tiie part of General Clinton that Simcoe obtained his release. Simcoe 's exploits in the Revolutionary war have been recorded in his life by Mr. David Reed of Toronto in a volunu; that ought to be studied by every Canadian. Simcoe returned to England and entered upon a career of public lifv:" which completely justified the Government in selecting him to the great work of inaugurating constitutional rule in Upper Canada. Simcoe came to Niagara in the spring of 1702, accompanied by liis noble wife, a woman worthy of such a man. She was a most accomplished lady and artist. Some of the earliest views extant of the town of Niagara, Navy Hall, the fort and other scenery, are the productions of her pencil. The new Governor issued a proclamation from Kingston on his 94 Annals of Niagara. ■ ..■■)*■ INI i4 way up, proclaiming the new Province, delimiting the electoral districtH, and after his arrival at Niagara writs were issued for the election of representatives of the Assembly. Sinicoe was received at Niagara with universal welcome and royal honours. His old regiment, the Queen's Rangera, had been mostly settled on lands near Niagara, Butlei's Rangei-s occupied the barracks in the town, and the 26th Canieronian Regiment, under Colonel Gordon, were in garrison at Fort Niagara. The Governoi- disembarked at Niagara amid the firing of salutes from Fort Niagara, and on shore the regiments of regulars, Butler's Rangers and the militia received him with military poujp, while the magistracy and crowds of people from the town and country welcomed him with loyal addresses and cheers and shouts of welcome. The town was hung with flags, and the bands of the regiments made the air resound with martial nnisic and the grand old tune of " God Save the King" as Simcoe and his lady stepped ashore, while the Six Nations and other Indians, headed by Captain Brant in gala costume, greeted the new Governor with yells of hearty joy and welcome. Governor Simcoe was accompanied by a brilliant staff of officers. Major Littlehales, a gallant soldier, was his military secretary, ami Lieut. Thomas Talbot, an officer of the Foot Guards, his aid-de-caui]). This gentleman was afterwards the founder of the Talbot settlement on Lake Erie. Governor Simcoe set about at once on the work of organizing the new government. He issued a proclamation for the division of the Province of Upper Canada into nineteen counties, to be represented in the first Legislative Assembly by sixteen members. The Town of Niagara formed part of the 1st riding of the County of Lincoln. The members of the Legislative Council consisted at first ot eight members, who were called by writ of summons. He formed an executive council for advice in matters oi government. The Hon. Wm. Osgood, afterwards Chief Justice, William Robertson ; James Babv, Alexander Grant and Peter Russell formed the executive council. The qualification of voters for the House of Assembly was, by the Imperial Act, the possession of a freehold on land held in fief of 't'M 11 J !!«|J4U*!IW Annals of Niagara. 95 the yearly value of forty Hhillings sterling, and the qualification for Members of Assembly was the possession of a dwelling house and lot of ground of the yearly value of five pounds sterling; with condi- tions of being British subjects, and not ministers or priests of either Protestant churches or of the Church of Rome. The Governor, having arranged all the legal preliminaries, issued writs directed to the sheriffs of the counties for the election of Mem- bers of Assembly, while the Legislative Council was called by writs of appointment and summons. The new parliament was to meet at Niagara for the despatch of business on the seventeenth of Septem- ber, 1792. This proclamation was received with universal satisfaction by the people of the Px'ovince, who were fortunate in not having any party divisions among them. All were of one mind in the desire and resolution to select the best and most capable men in each county to represent them in the new parliament at Niagara. Messrs. Clench and Swayzie represented the Niagara District. A new residence for the Govei'nor had been ordered to be built before he left England. It was not quite finished on his arrival. It stood on the high sloping bank of the river on a spot afterwards covered by the rampart of Fort George. It overlooked Navy Hall. Some traces of the Governor's fish ponds may still be seen in the channel of a spring that issues out of the liank, but the site of the house is buried under the rampart. A large boulder on top indicates wl\ere the spot was where met the first parliament of Upper Canada. This, being the largest house in the town, was selected for the meeting of parliament, but the weather at the time being extremely hot and sultry, many of the sittings were held in a large marquee set up in front of the house, which marquee was interesting as having been presented to Colonel Simcoe by the celebrated navigator, Captain Cook, who had used it in his voyages of discovery round the world. 96 Annals of Niagara. M CHAPTER XV. 1792. npHE seventeenth of September, 1792, was a joyous and ever * memorable day in Niagara. It was glorious weather. The broad plains were green with grass, and the surrounding woods, then of a thick second -growth of oak, formed a natural screen to the level plain. In front of the woods stood the low, gnarled group of thorns — memorable in those days and since as the French thorns, the only memorial there of the French occupation, The bright little town with its wood and brick houses, each one in a garden of floweis, stood on the verge of the wide common. The broad river ran sweei)- ing by in a majestic curve, and across it at half-a-mile of distance loomed up the high picketed bastions and white stone castle and blockhouses of Fort Niagara. The flag of England flaunted on its tall mast in the central area, and its guns looked out from their embrasures ready to make the welkin I'ing with the royal salute that was to celebrate the inauguration of the new parliament of Upper Canada. The wide plains were early astir that morning. The Indians of the Six Nations had come down from the Grand River and encampcl on the far side of the common, each nation — the Mohawks, Cayugas, Onondagas, Senecas, Oneidas and Tuscaroras — grouped by itself, under their own chiafs, with their women and children, all arrayed in Indian costuuie, and the men armed with rifle, spear and tomahawk. The Six Nations were commanded by the famous chiefs, Captain Joseph Brant and the Martins, Hills and others. The Mohawks of Ine Bay of Quinte were led by Chief John Deseronto, the bravest leader, perhaps, of the tribe in the Revolutionarj^ war. A large band of Mississauguas was also present, and Chippawas from Sault St. Mary, from which place also came one of the most notable men of Annals of Niagara. 97 the time — the great white trader and magistrate, Colonel Johnson, who had married the daughter of the head chief of all the Chippawas and was the most important personage in the northwest. A daugh- ter of his. Charlotte Johnson, married the Rev. Wm. McMurray, Rector of Niagara. She is buried in St. Marks. The officbrs — civil and military — merchants, traders and settlers, had gathered in crowds about the house on the river bank, which was to receive the new parliament. Great numbers of the men had donned their old uniforms of the Rangei*8 and other loyal corps in honour of the occasion — men whose names and deeds are worth recording, but this would fill volumes, which, it is hoped, will one day be written by their descendants. All were in their best holiday attire. The men in the fashion of the times — in long coats and vests and knee breeches, with long stockings, gaiters or boots, with their hair in qu jes, surmounted by three-cornered hats, a fashion suited to brave men. The women in dresses high waisted, with tight sleeves and bunched up behind over elaborate petticoats. Handsome women make any dress handsome. There was Sir John Johnson, the son of Sir William ; Colonel Claus and Guy John.son ; Colonel }»utler, with his Rangers from the barracks ; Major Rogers, the most active of partizan leadei-a in the late war, the same who had gone to take possession of Detroit when surrendered by the French in 1761; Colonel McKee from Detroit; Daniel and Jacob Servos of the Northern Confederate Indians and Butler's Rangers — the two latter in command with Captain Brant, had taken all the forts and dispersed their garrisons on the Schoharie. There was Samuel Street, afterwards the largest land owner and wealthiest man in Upper Canada — a man just and honour- able in all his dealings. He and others filled the place of bankers in tliose days, when no banks had been established. Mr. Street's father had been murdered at Cold Springs, near Buffalo, and he being one of the most loyal of men took up his residence at Niagara Falls. Thomas Clark was a man like Street — rich, honourable and humane. When money was very scarce in Upper Canada Thomas Clark advanced General Drummond enough out of his private means to enable hin» to take the field and win the battle of Lundy's Lane. The father of these two Servoses was a man of influence and 98 Annai^j of Niagara. V'' uncompromising loyalty, on the Charlotte River, near Schoharie, New York. General Washington sent a troop of dragoons to bring him off, dead or alive. He was living quietly in his house when it was surrounded in the night by the dragoons, who rushed in and proceeded to take him prisoner. He resisted arrest, and was shot dead on his iiearth by Ellerson, one of the officers of the dragoons. This was a few months before his sons and Brant stonned the Schoharie forts, where some of the dragoons were stationed. They had their revenge. Nearly the whole popidation of the Niagara District were out on that day, while many from remote parts of the Province had met here to celebrate the national event. A large flag staff had been erected, and the flag of Britain, which was that of the Province, floated in the breezes of Lake Ontario. Guards of honour from the regular regiments, with bands and colours, formed their ranks to receive the Governor and escort him from Navy Hall to the temporary parliament house. He was received with wild, enthusiastic cheers and other demonstrations of joy, and a royal salute from the guns of Fort Niagara. At noon the members of the two houses assembled in the Legis- lative Council Chamber. The proceedings were opened by the chaplain, (in full canonicals,) the Rev. Dr. Addison, with the customary prayers for the optning of parliament. A speaker for the Assembly was chosen — Captain John McDonell of Glengarry. Messrs. Clench and Swayzie represented the Niagara District. Captain John Law, an ex-officer in the Queen's Rangers, was Usher of the Black Rod. Chief Justice Osgood was speaker of the Legislative Council. The Governor, in full uniform, was escorted to the House, and, all preliminaries being arranged, delivered his speech to the parlia- ment. All was done in the old legal style of English procedure, of which he was a deep and consistent admirer. His speech to the assembled legislators was completely in accord with their sentiments and ideas of government. They had been brought up in the forms and practice of English freedom p,s estab- lished by charters and enactments of the Crown. Those old colonial governments, in some respects not perfect, still embodied all the powers necessary for a free government, and which, but for the 't'f-' ■■t.v.fL- . Annals of Niagara. 99 infection of factioiw disloyalty from New England, would have been found sufljcient for all purposes of rule and peaceful progression, with means of amendment whenever necessary. The able men met at Niagara knew all this, and were proud of the opportunities of showing the world that a colonial constitution, on the model of that of England, was able to surpass in excellence and real usefulness all other political forms newly adopted in North America. Though monarchical in form, the free, flexible freedom of its practice, was far in advance of the rigid, written forms of a republic with a despotism at the heart and center of it in a ruler elected for a term of years, such a constitution as the United States had adopted only four years before. Hi 100 Annals of Niagara. CHAPTER XVI 1792. 'T^HE opening speech of the Governor to the Legislative Council * and Assembly was completely in accord with their loyal, patriotic ideas and sentiments, and was listened to with the greatiHt attention and respect. Said he : •* The wisdom and beneficence of our moat gracious Sovereign and the British Parliament have been eminently proved, not only in impart- ing to us the same forms of government, but in securing the benefit of the many provisions which guard this memorable Act, so that the bless- ings of our invaluable constitution, thus protected and amplified, we hope will be extended to the remotest posterity. The great and momentous trusts and duties which have been committed to the Representatives of tliis Province, in a degree infinitely beyond whatever till this period have distinguished any other colony, have originated from the British nation upon a just consideration of the energy and hazard with which the in- habitants have so conspicuously supported and defended the British constitution." These remarks and other no less patriotic sentences of tin." Governor's speech were received with the utmost satisfaction by the House and country. All present were British to the core, and were .i satisfied and harmonious people, and proud to have obtained in reality what the Governor described in his speech at the close of the session : " The very iniage and transcript of the British constitution." No printing press had yet been set up in the Province. The reporter for the press was yet non-existent. No record of the speeches of the clever men in parliament has come down to us. The minutes of the daily business are preserved. From the character ami ability of the Representatives in general we know that our loss is great, as it is irreparable, in not having had handed down to us a report of the speeches and discussions in Parliament on the important subjects bi-ought under their consideration. By their deeds we know them — by the Acts they passed — which TTi'S"T?^:'« ANNAL8 OP Niagara. 101 were of such practical wisdom and usefulness as nothing could have been better or more timely. The members of the new Parliament showed by their work done and hy the harmony of their proceedings tlint they were the equals of any Ixxly of legislators in the world. The weather in the latter part of September was very hot and sultry. The most of the sittings of Parliament were held on the open common, under the great marquee of Captain Cook, in the presence daily of a concourse of the people, who took the most iiiteii.se interest in the proceedings. It reminded those reavts strongly of opinion that war with the United Stntes was inevitable. The retention of the western posts and the alleged intention of England to keep hold of the western territory were the excuses for war. But England had no such designs. She called again and again on the United States to fulfill the articles of the Treaty of Peace of 1783 with respect to the confiscated property of the expelled Loyalists and the debts due them. These being done, the western posts would be given up. President Washington was in favour of peace antl a settlement of complaints. He was denounced by the Democratic leadei-s and their followers on all sides, but he held on to his policy of peace with England and sent a special deputation of thi'ee commissioners- General Lincoln, Hon. Timothy Pickering and Beverlj'^ Randolph— whom he had appointed to go to the western territory to meet tlie Indians in council at Miami. Two American Commissioners arrived at Niagara in May— W:'i' l',f^!l{l'>WI Annals of Niaoaiia. 103 Ijii'i^e May- (•eneral Lincoln in June — and were received with tliu utnioHt courtesy and hospitjility by Governor Sinicoe. They hud come to ask Ihh inHuence and help in arranginf;^ peace with the IndianH. The two American coinniiNNionerH were at Niagara until the arrival of (ieneral Lincoln, who did not join them until later. DinnerH in their honour and a grand ball were given at Navy Hall. The h)eauty, reKneuient and elegant drewHeH of the ladies were the subject of eulogium by the guests. On the fourth of June, the King's birthday, a grand review of the regular tr during the war and are hypocrites now, for sliould it be asked of them : ' ' /^ith all your pre- tentions to love of peace and humanity, should it be clearly proved that the Indians have been cheated and persecuted, and that the treaties that have been produced are evidently fraudident. If these things are so, what would be your conduct?' I am confident the answer would be: ' Sell your lands or you must be extirpated.' " The American Conunissioner Timothy Pickering re'iuited badly Simcoe's hospitality. The Covernoi', writing to Colonel McKee from Navy Hall, Nov. 1, 1794, remarks: " Colonel Pickering is holding a council at Canandaigua. Mr. Johnson went at the request of the chiefs of the Six Nations, but Pickering insisted upon his leaving the place, and not without threats, and in a long inflam- matory invective against Great Britain of four or five hours, written for the occasion, but which he terms extempore, has done his best to set the minds of the Indians against His Majesty's subjects." During the last two or three years of his administration the attention of Simcoe was greatly taken up with the general Indian war in the western territory of the United States. There was a continual risk of the Province becoming involved in it, but the Governor's watchfulness and tact enabled him to preserve his attitude of [ili'iSU Annals of Niagara. Ill neutrality, although his forbearance was sorely tried by the annoy- ance and threats of General Wayne, who, after he had defeated the Shawnese in 1794, declared his intention to attack Detroit and the other British posts in the west. He was hardly to be restrained by his own government and the more prudent counsels of President Wash- ington, who advised the mad General to keep the peace. Sintcoe was compelled, however, to prepare for any eventualities by fully organizing the militia and strengthening the garrisons on the frontier. The Democratic party, under the lead of Jefferson and Madison, were wholly in sympathy with the French i-evolution. They adopted all the cries and .so-called principles of " Liberty, Fraternity, Eipuility,'' and even the extravagant dre.ss and syndools of the Sans Culottes of Paris. They defended the conduct of the French Minister Genest in fitting out French privateers, manned by Yankee crews, to prey upon British commerce, while Washington and the pai'ty of Federalists were subject to the most scurrilous abuse ever heaped upon statesmen. The people of Upper Canada wei'e at this time excited by the rejiort of a scheme of invasion by the French and Spaniards, who were to join their forces in Louisiana, and, gathering up all the Indians the}'^ could get to follow them, were to proceed by the north- ern route of the Mississippi, cross Michigan and enter the Province in great force on the Georgian Bay. Sinicoe was accurately informed of all the designs of the enemy. It failed, however, to come to a head. President Washington would not allow a French army to pass through American territory. Of course Jefferson and the Democrats were wildly in favour of it. On its defeat they fell foul with all their might of abuse against Washington and the Federalists. Simcoe had the satisfaction of seeing this scheme of invasion frus- trated by the strife of political parties in the United States. 112 Annals of Niagara. m U : CHAPTER XVIII. 1796. 'l^HE attention of Governor Simcoe had been directed, almost from * his arrival in the Province, to the selection of a proper site for the Capital of Upper Canada. The situation of the Town of Newark, lying within range of the guns of Fort Niagara — by treaty of 1783 ceded to the United States — seemed a strong objection against its remaining permanently the seat of government. That such a cession would eventually be made was certain, and seemed inevitable when John Jay concluded a new treaty between Britain and the United States, in which he promised that the claims of the Loyalists to lands a, 1(1 debts owing them should be satisfied, and all other complaints mutually heard and adjudicated upon. It is well known tliat Jay's treaty was evaded, but in the mean- time it induced the British Government to abandon the western posts and to deliver up Fort Niagara to the United States. In 1798 Governor Simcoe went up over land to Detroit, with a view of selecting a site for the future capital. He was gi-eatly impressed with the country on the Thames, and seemed to have serious intentions of selecting the present site of London, for at that time it seemed as if the British occupation of the territory of Michigan would be permanent, in which case London would be a central position. When he returned to Newark he found that in all probability Michigan would be ceded to the Americans, in which case London would lose its advantage. He therefore decided to select a site on the northern shore of Ontario, and fixed on what is now the site of Toronto for the capital city of the Province. The large, sheltered bay and fertile country behind it seemed formed by nature for the site of a large city. The spot was an fit" '-iT.M. Vi ^ Annals of Niagara. 113 unbroken wiMerness. The bay, protected by n long peninsula, swarmed with wild fowls. A few wigwams of Mississaugmis stood on the beach — the oidy sign of human habitation. The low, sandy pciiinsula was covered with trees, and liardly raised itself above the level of the water. Its name in the Mohawk tongue was Karon to or T()ix)nto — "Trees in the Water," — for so its appearance struck the voyagers in canoes who passed up or down the lake shoi-e in warlike ex])editions against the Northern Hurons. This had been a war and tra nal ports and places of entry for the importation of goods. • VT^ f ;.owed a gratifying increase in the trade of the Province, anf Hi'iiry ife. The ''itiy ii,ul thouirlit ;e Aflloiii, ed, (iny t' a poor iter. ise innst ' Canada ' of this i fou^lit ! by the al. servant, fagedy : Imh'an able in Creek, ie, St. Falls, m long corded on one (lay — the cunnnent "of riper years " showing many bcHideH children were ba{)tiHe»l. 1709 — June 24th occurs a well-known name, the baptism of Allan Napier McNabb from York, hh also *'' ' rii the Province, depositing its filth in public afftiirs and publi- ^^-^ ~" several j'^ears. It at last mitigated its violence and lost itt pov. l tvS the people became more enlightened by education and cx'')erience of its evil results. Judge Thorpe vvt ,■: ] to -a in the office of Chief Justice of Upper Canada, and because the bovi.nment would not grant him a dignity .so undeserved, he went into more violent opposition than ever. The disaffected American settlers and others, now banded into a party, supported Thorpe and Wilcox as their special advocates. These settlers were numerous in the country back of York and on Lake Erie — the effect of which was felt until 1837. Governor Gore, after every effort tried in vain to appease their seditious language and acts, dismissed Judge Thorpe from the judiciary and Wilcox from the sheriffship. Thorpe retired to the United States — not transported, but voluntarily — where he found more congenial spirits to practice his theories of government upon. There was evidence in the hands of the Government that Thorpe, Wilcox and others of their party were acting in collusion with Emmet and the fugitive " United Irishmen" in New York and with the French Minister in Washington, to embarrass the Government of Upper Canada and pi'epare the way for the Americans in the war which was already contemplated by the Democratic party leaders. Faction, once born, grew fiercely in men's bosoms. One of the colleagues of Judge Thorpe was a lawyer named Weekes, a member of Assembly for York. He was counsel in a case tried at Newark before Judge Thorpe. The judge had, in his usual manner, harangued Anmals of Niagara. 139 le liaini.s gara. fellow. Jarly at weekjj- ng tliat )elievo(I, >yers ill the gvand and pettit jurors and spectators in the court on the politics of the day, to the deep offence of most of his hearei-s. The minds of all were excited. In the course of the trial Weekes used some seditious expressions, for which he was reproved by William Dickson, meiiibei" of the bar of Niagara, who was the opposing counsel in the case. Weekes, in his arrogance, sent a challenge to Dickson to tight a duel. The challenge was accepted. The ])arties with their .seconds went next day across the river to fight, when Dickson shot his antagonist dead at the fii*st fire, and with the general approbation of the [)eople, who said he had served him right. The death of Weekes opened the constituency of York, and Judge Thorpe became a candidate to fill the vacancy — and, to the disgrace of the riding, he was elected. Such was the heat of his faction, that nothing seemed too violent for such a man as Thorpe to offer to do. Wilcox, Wyatt, Mallory, Jarvis, Thorpe and others, all men in the service and pay of the Government, formed a party of leading agitators which kept the Province in a feverish excitement for years, until the war of 1812 put an end to them, and to much of the macliinations they had been concerned in to revolutionize the Province and annex it to the United States. Francis Gore, a gentleman of education and manners, able and kindly in conduct, was made Lt.-Governor in 1806. He opened the third session of tlie fourth Parliament at Yoi'k, on the 2nd February, and prorogued it on the 10th March, 1807. This session of Parliament was distinguished by the the passing of an Act to establish public grammar schools in every district of the Province. This measure was largely promoted by the influence of the Rev. John Strachan, afterwards bishop of Toronto. By this Act a grammar school was establisherl in Newark. The sum of one hundred pounds was voted to be paid towards the maintenance of each such grammar school. Five trustees, to be nominated by the Oovernor-in-Council, were appointed to manage the affairs of the school and to appoint the teacher. This was the beginning of the public school system in Upper Canada. The grammar school of Niagara had the honour of educat- 140 Annals of Niagara. ing in arts and letters many of the young men who figured con- spicuously in the Province in after years. The violence and reign of terror in France during the revolution had caused a great emigration of the adherents of the Royal (Gov- ernment to take refuge in England, M'here they were protected and in lai'ge measure supported by the British Government. Their num- bers and spirit led them to organize, with the sanction of the Gov- ernment, and join in the military operations of the war. A body of many thousand Royalists hud made a descent in 1795, at Quiberon, in Britanny, and been defeated by the Republican armies and forced to re-embark for England. It became a difficulty to support so large a body of Frenoli emigrants. A plan was adoped iu England, by the cabinet in com- munication with Lt.-Governor Hunter in Upper Canada, to form a settlement of French Rovalists in this Province. A tract of land was appropriated to their settlement in rear of York. A number of the Royalists settled there for a while, and some, with the commander of them, Count Depuisaye, chose to settle at Newark on lands of their own. Count Depuisaye accordingly came to Newark and purchased land on the river road about three miles from Newark, and on it built a stone house in the French style — a house with massive walls, high roof and dormer windows — which still remains, overlooking the road and river. Count Depuisaye was a French nobleman of courtly manners and military training, brought up under the old regime. A perfect gentleman, atfable and agreeable. His principles, so like those of the United Empire Loyalists, gained him immediate entrance into the best society at Newark, and the French Count, as he was popularly called, was a favorite with all classes of the community Sonie other French Royalists were generally at his house — the Count de Chalua, Colonel D'Allegre, Quetton de St. George and others. Their society was greatly prized in Newark. The Count Depuisaye stayed at Newark but a few years. Other views and expectations took him back to England, and the scheme of a French Royalist settlement was broken up. The house of the Count, standing solid as ever. Annals of Niagara. 141 evolution yal (Jov- cted and leir nuni- the Gov- body of >>uiberoi], id forced ■ French in coni- form a of land d son 10, settle at irchaHC'il I on it ing the era and perfect of the to tile )ularly ! other 'halu.s, ociety ed at : him 3rnent ever. remains the sole memorial of its noble and gallant builder and occupant. The lands in the Township of Niagara had been generally taken up in 1784 and succeeding two or three years. An old plan of the Township of about 1805 gives the names of the owners of the respective lands at that date. A number of lots, however, are left blank. The maker of the map probably did not know the names of the owners. Grants on the Military Reserve, where the lots are not numbered : W. Dickson, B. Picard, T. Butler, G. Picard, A. Butler, P. Caughel, J. Muirhead, VVm. McLellan, John Ball, McFarlane, T. Butler, Egilson, John Secord, Fields, John Servos, Peter Ball, Rev. Dr. Addison. I. Crooks, John Whitmore, B. Lawrence, Col. Pilkington, Corns. The above are all on the Military Reserve north of the west line. In the rest of the township are set down the following : On the River Road. Eli Phelps, J. Brown, R. Hamilton, ' G. Fields, Canby, J. Kemp, Vrooman, Woolman, Durban), Johnston, A. Vrooman, Depuisaye, Thos. Clarke, Swayze. In Rest of Township. D. Secord, J. Young, Jno. Clement, Markle, W. Clark, W. Ferris, Jos. Clement, B. Shuter, Strowbridge, J. Collard, 142 Annals of Niagara. J. Crysler, Stuart, C. Stevens, Casselman, A. Stevens, Jas. Clement, Jos, Brown, Cudney, J. Thompson, Crooks, Fry, Jno. Ball, Coxe, Sparback, Lambert, Goring, F. Loring, E. Collard, Lampman, Kirby, Norton, C. Warner, Robinson, Hains, Cain, Bradt, Brice, Law. Annals of Niagara. 143 CHAPTER XXII. 1806. A FTER the first great influx of the U. K LoyalistH, the popuhition ^^ increased less rapidly. In 1800 there were about fifty thousand persons, exclusive of Indians, settled in Upper Canada, and in 1812 about seventy thousand. The principal settlements were in the Niatrara District, the Homo District and Eastern District, with a considerable settlement on the shore of Lake Erie. The town of Newark remained the largest and most important place for trade. Queenston, as an adjunct, had also a number of mer- cantile and forwarding houses connected with the portage round the Fulls of Niagara, which continued to be the great link in the chain of transportation by the lakes to the western country. Teams of from four to five yoke of oxen, or from two to four span of horses, hitched to great strong wagons, laden with barrels bags and boxes of merchandise, went up the mountain and on to Chippawa, where a fleet of batteaux — propelled by sail or oar — took on board the goods and conveyed them to the most remote part of the lakes above. These goods were largely articles for Indian use, wear and consumption — among which spirituous liquors, chiefly in the shape of rum, figured largely and unfortunately. Abstinence as a principle and prime virtue was not practiced generally. While absolute drunkenness was condenuied, it did not imply much disgrace, either among Indians or whites. Improvement has grown slowly in tliis, but it has made itself obvious in our day, when the old drinking usages of society have been largely modified, and in many cases wholly abolished. The Town of Newark had quite changed its appearance by 1806. Substantial and even elegant houses of frame or brick replaced the original log tenements. Excellent clay for bricks was found within pftfti 144 Annals of Niagara. the limits of the town, and skilful brickniakers worked it up into bricks, better than was done afterwards. New streets were built upon as the population increased. Front street, Prideaux street, King and Queen streets, Sinicoe street, that led out to the Lake Road ; Johnson street. Gate street and otlicrs were full of residences, shops and inns. The inns were a promiuLiit feature in the town. Apart from the military troops always stationed here, who were liberal patronizers of the bars and tap-rooms, the concourse of people attending the courts of law, which were for the whole District of Niagara, required much room and accommodation in inns. The troops in headquarters at the barracks, the disti-ict officials connected with the law courts and other offices, the superintendent of Indians and his staff, the commissariat and engineers' (quarters in the town, the ship-yard, and various industries carried on, all made Niagara a busy and prosperous place, even after the removal of the capital to York. The settlers on farms in the township shared fully in the general prosperity as their farms were cleared and brought into cultivation, which, being heavily wooded, required eight to ten yeara of time and labour. The farmers were able to raise splendid crops of wheat, maize, oats, barley and root crops of all kinds suited to the soil and climate. On every farm was an orchard of apple trees, with pears, plums and cherries. Peaches as yet were not introduced, nor vines, which have since become so much cultivated. The garden and field vegetables were abundant and of fine qualities. The town of Newark offered a good and profitable market — so good that farmers at a dis- tance of thirty or forty miles found it to their advantage to bring their produce for sale at Newark. The clay roads of summer and the winter roads of snow for sleighs, with good teams of horses, made trips to Newark market — with the addition in prospect of a day's pleasure in town — pleasant to the farmers, who thought nothing of the distance. With the growth of the town the farms in the township improved likewise. Many of the principal farmers had in the old colonies been men of landed estates and large means, who knew all that was known of the profitable cultivation of land, and who brought , iinn' but to portion T Annals of NiA(iAUA. 145 up into Fivjut •eet, timt tl others fominc'iit ittitioiit'd oms, the for the nodation officials itendent vtci'H in 11 made 1 of the general iivation, of time wheat, soil and 1 pears, r vines, kJ field *fewark a dis- > bring er and horses, ;t of a othing vnship be old ew all 'ought their knowledge and experience to bear in the new country where tlu-y had founded new homes. Niagara Township had l)een surveyed into lots of two hundred acres eacli. Many farmers held sevtsral of these lots, granted to Miselves or niemhers of theii' families. The.se projierties of course tame changed or sub-divided as family convenience made n«!ces.sai'y, but to a considerable; extent the old families retain the whole or portions of their original estates to this day. The first settlei-s of necessity built hou.ses and barns of i-ound loi,'s or H((uare timbers. Their fields were fenced with rails of wood, laid /^igZHg one upon another. Near the door was generally a well with a lofty sweej) ovei'haiiging it to lift the oaken bucket, full of the delicious, sparkling, limestone water that was fouixl everywhere, or if not found easily, some well credited old nuin would volunteer to find a desiral)le spring by going over the ground with a divining rod of witch hazel, the use of which was by nniny believed in at that time, and the virtues of which no one could explain Ity giving a 'usou why. The house was generally built .spacious and roomy. The large kitchen wa« the sitting and work room for the nuiids and .serving men, with a huge open fireplace that would hold on its andirons great logs and piles of cut wood of four feet in length, the blaze of which in winter made quite needless the light of candles, and the warmth fi'om which nmde all sit at a distance from the fire. Round this social hearth gathered the whole family on winter nights, when all felt comfort in the knowledge that the cattle and hor.ses and all other living animals belonging to the farm were safe and snug on straw, in stable or barn or outhouse belonging to them. After a good, plentiful supper and all was cleared, the women and girls sat down with knitting or sewing in their nimble hands, while the men tried, with gay songs, stories or country jests and riddles, to enliven the company. All joined in cracking butternuts, walnuts or hickory nuts, eating apples, and drinking cider made on the farm and preserved for winter use, until bedtime, when all retired in peace to well earned rest, and without a fear of the morrow. The routine of work was methodically carried on. The whole jH Ijk ■ 146 Annals of Niagara. ..UiiS!. year had its distinct duties. The men servants and maids wem hire(i by the year and lived in the house. Ploughing and seeding- \n spring; making hay, shearing and preparing for harvest in srlmimr. The wheat harvest, always the first, came on in July or August. Tlun in autumn the general ingathering of all other crops — maize and oats and barley the chief. In winter the flail of the thresher wasi heard ffist and regularly all day long in the barn, and the woodman s axe resounded in sharp strokes, broken at intervals by the heavy thud of a falling tree, which shook the cold air, as the work of clearing the great woods went on. The women and maids of the house attended to the cows and dairy, cooking, and all the household duties. A loom for weaving occupied a corner of the large room, and the spinning wheel would hum musically at hours devoted to it. The living- was plain and plentiful. Fresh and salted bocf, pork, game, wild fowl, wafttes, corn and buckwheat cakes and poultry, with fish, bread, butter, milk, eggs, vegetables, pastry, and maple sugar, maple syrup and wild honey, foi-med a wholesome diet. Many Dutch and German dishes were couunonly on the table, and are not yet out of use. Cabbage in the form of saur kraut, kohl salad, schmier kase, and othei- Dutch dainties were relished b}' them — and are yet. The Two, Four and Eiglit-Mile creeks ran in full streams of water out of the tree-shaded swamps, and in the spring, as soon as the ice disappeared in the outlets, shoals of fisli : pike, nniscalongc, suckers and others, almost choked the streams as they pressed up them to spawn. Later on, in April and May, the white fish came in endless shoals to the lake shores, and were caught in seines and eaten fresh, or salted and smoked for use. Most excellent eatintr they were — fit for the table of the nicest epicure. Berries of many kinds — the strawberry, raspberry, huckleberry, thimbleberry and cranberry— grew wild and in profusion, aftbrding dainty additions to the table of the tidy, provident housewife. In short, twenty-five years had sufficed to turn the wilderness of woods into a rural para- dise, where all things goodly grew for the use of man. Taxes were almost unknown. The fnv wants of the com- munity were roads, bridges, and the administration of justice, all of which were in the unpaid management of the Quarter Sessions. simp pe. Annals of Niagara. 147 There were no elected municipal organizations, with salaried officials and jobs, while a light license fee on inriH provided most of the public money needed. The people met once a year and elected assessors, a tax collector, pathmasters, pound keepers and fence- viewers. That was all the connnunity rocjuired at that time — a simple organization, but sufficient. The clothing of the people was mostly of home fabrication, and made up in the house, either by the women or by travelling tailors who M'ent from farm to farm in regular cii'cuit to make up or mend tlie men's apparel, while a travelling shoemaker came when needed to make or mend tlie boots and slioes of the family, the leather of wliich had been made by a small tanner who tanned on shares the liides and skins of cattle killed for use of the farm. Much of the small traffic of the community was carried on by pedlers, either hy carts or in packs borne upon their backs. His walking stick, studded with nails for measuring, was his yardwand. His arrival brought ahvaj^s a cheerful day to tlie solitary farmstead — dress pieces, ribbons, coml)s, necklaces, and not a few books, tracts and song books, had the honest pedler to dispose of, and if a worthy disciple of Autolycus his sales were always good and pi'ofitable to liimself and pleasing to his customers. The pedler held his rounds for a long time against the rivab-y of the town and country store. Old honest John Ball, ever welcome, carried his pack round the tht of search and impressment, all subjects capable of a friendly solution had it been sought in the spirit of peace, but being evoked in a spirit of hostility, as a cloak to cover designs upon Canada, it was not possilile For England to yield without loss and dishonour. The Americiui papers of the period were full of false travellers' tales about public feeling and opinion in Canatia, especially Upper Canada. Books and pamphlets abounded concerning the Province. To give one specimen : In 1810 one Shultz published a book of " Travels in Canada," in which he states, " That on his tour he stopped at Niagara, and at a public house he met eight or ten of the inhabit- ants, who were collected round a billiard table. The attack upon the Chesapeake was the subject of conversation. One gentleman observed : ' If Congress will only send us a flag and a proclamation declaring that whoever is found in arms against the United States shall forfeit his lands, we will fight ourselves tree without any expense to them.'" Unless Wilcox was the gentleman alluded t'd was at ill— she f when a gav(^ of the ;ech of of war Id take cannot in the lasy to ocean. till we we do fiery 588 in luded nt on was broken then, and their capital, Washington, had been taken and its public buildings destroyed in retaliation for the destruction of Newark in Upper Canada, and worse was feared now that England's hands were free. It may also be mentioned here, that in the year 1802, James Clay, son of that same Henry Clay, sought refuge and protection imder the British flag at Niagara. He was an adherent of the Southern Confederacy, and the officials of the United States were seeking to arrest him for rebellion. He was a quiet, intelligent man, who found that it was a happy chance for him that the fiag of Britain, which his father had tried to remove from Canada, was still floating here to afford him tl e protection he so eagerly sought and happily found. Happily for James Clay and hundreds of prominent refugee Confederates Canada had not beenconciuered in the warof 1812. The fourth session of the fourth Parliament. 1808, was opened at York by Lt.-Governor Gore. At this session the militia laws were amended and reduced to one Act: for the raising and training of the militia of Upper Canada. This M'as a comprehensive and most necessary measure in view of the existing and threatening aspect of pul)lic aflf'airs. Lt.-Governor Gore held office until the fourth session of the third session of the fifth Parliament, when, in tlie almost certain prospect of war, it was judged prudent to appoint a military man to the head of the Government. Accordingly Major-General Brock was made administrator of the Government of Upper Canada. General Brock, at that time stationed at Niagara, was in his 43rd year of age, with long experience in Canada and beloved by the people, who had implicit trust in his talents and zeal to serve and save the country in peace or war. He was indefatigable in the dis- charge of every duty, public or private, and a shrewd interpreter of the signs of the times. He foresaw that the national jealousy and hostile temper of the United States must eventually lead to war with or without cause, and that the continued success of Napoleon on the continent of Europe was bringing on the crisis, which might arrive even sooner than he had expected. Brock, in a letter of the time, referring to this topic, says : " The President's address is sufficiently hostile, and if I thought he would 154 Annals of Niagara. be aupported to the extent of his wishes I should consider war as inevitable. We are at this moment in awful suspense. The King's illness, the proximity of the armies under Massena and Wellington, and the measures our Govern- ment may deem proper to adopt to meet the hostile proceedings of the Americans, atford serious matter for contemplation." In the same letter to his brother, Brock makes a touching refer- ence to his own imperfect studies in literature : " Should you find that I am likely to remain here, I wish you to send me some choice authors in history, particularly ancient, with maps, and the best translations of ancient works. I read in my youth Pope's translation of Homer, but till lately never discovered its exquisite beauties. As I grow old I acquire a taste for study. I firmly believe that the same propensity was always inherent in me, but, strange to tell, although many were piiid extravagantly I never had the advantage of a master to guide me. But it is now too late to repine. I rejoice that my nephews are more fortunate." In another letter to his brother Brock remarks on the saiue subject, January, 1811 : " I hardly ever stir out, and unless I have company at home my even- ings are passed sohf^. I read much, but good books are scarce, and I hate borrowing. I like to read a book quickly, and afterwards revert to such passages as have made the deepest impi-essions and which appear to me most important to remember, a practice I cannot conveniently pursue unless the book is mine." A letter of Brock's, written from Quebec, Sept., 1805, illustrates the firmness and decision of his character and the insight lie possessed of the influences which operate upon the human mind in certain contingencies of success and failure: " I look upon the situation of England as critical in the extreme. Bonaparte laughs at the whole world. Who could have conceived that his fleets could traverse the ocean with the impunity which we have lately witnessed ? It is true they have gained no great glory in their career, but their men acquire, by these midnight excuisions, nautical knowledge, which by degrees will prepare them to undertake with greater likelihood of success more important enterprises. They become more formidable every day they are allowed to keep the sea, for by practice they acquire confidence, which is the very soul of success. Let us hope the time is fast approaching when an opportunity will be offered of grappling with them. Then the Lord have mercy on them, for I trust we never will !" The opportunity hoped for by Brock was granted to Nelson, who met and destroyed the French fleet at Trafalgar. Brock and Nelson were men of the same heroic temperament and patriotic feeling. Happily England has never in her hour of need lacked for men like them to defend her, or, if necessary, to die for her. Annals of Niagaha. 155 nevitable. )roxiinity r Govern- gs of the 1^ refer- to send . and the anslation ^s I grow fopensity ''ere puk] But it is ite." ny even- d I liate to such me moHt iless the ustrates ight lie niiid in sxtrenie. that his e lately Ber, but J, which success ay they v^hich is hen an d havn n, wlio S^elsoii eeliiii:. a like CHAPTER XXIV. 1811-1812. 'T'HE fourth session of fifth Parlianiont was opened by the President * Administrator, General Brock, at York, on the 3rd FeK, 1811, and prorogued on tlie Gtli March following. In his addi-ess to the Houses General Brock adverted to the ahnost certain prospect of war bi'ing declared by the United States. He said : " England is not only interdicted the harbours of the United States while they alford shelter to the cruisers of her inveterate enemy, hut she is likewise required to resign those maritime rights which she has so long exercised and enjoyed. I cannot, under every view of the relative situation of the Province, be too urgent in recommending to your early attention the adoption of such measures as will best secure the internal peace of the country and defeat every hostile aggression. Principally con)posed of the sons of a loyal and biave band of veterans, the militia, t am confident, stand in need of nothing but the necessary legislative provisions to direct their ardour in the acquirement of military instruction to form a most efficient force. The glowing prosperity of these Provinces, it is manifest, begins to awaken a spirit of envy and ambition. The acknowledged import- ance of this colony to the parent state will secure the continuance of her powerful protection." The patriotic words of General Brock went straight to the hearts of the people, and in accordance with his recommendations flank companies of the local militia throughout the Province in every regiment were put uiuler regular, frequent training in arms. These Hank companies contributed a most effective strength and example ia discipline to the main body of the militia when the time of need came upon us for action. The people, used to a long peace and hoping even against hope that it would not be broken, did not generally believe that war was close at their doors — not until its actual declaration were they con- vinced that the v^olf had come at last. But they were of a brave, fearless breed. They did not shrink from it; on the contrary, girded r?—""' m 166 Annals of Niagara. IB' up their loins everywhere for the death struggle. They knew the strength and vindietivenesH of their enemy, but with the powci- of Britain to sustain them they were read}' for any and every safviHce — to spend their all ; to live or die — rather than yield up tlitiv beloved country to the threatening invaders. The people knew too well that many bad, disaffected imn, chiefly anjong the American settlers, were to be found in their midst — men who would be sure to give aid and comfort to the enemy if allowed to do so. Still the genei'al spirit of patriotism was so pif- vailing that none feared their machinations, and sup])()rted Brork energetically in the measures he took for the suppression of thcsr internal foes — more hateful, if less to be feared, than the open enemy. The session of Parlianient opened by General Brock on the "iTtli July, 1812, and prorogued on the 5th August, was short and decisive in its proceedings. War had Keen declared by the United States on the ISth June, 1812, and Brock, anxious to proceed to the Niagiiva frontier to execute the imperative duties of his high office, desiivil the Parliament to repeal the Hdhean Corpus Act. This measure wuh for a while opposed by some of the members on the plea that it dis- trusted the loyalty of the people — a foolish piece of false patriotism, because all knew as well as Brock that a number of malignant ami seditious persons were to be found in certain districts of the Prov- ince who would beyond doubt aid the enemy if they dared to do so. The suspension of the Habeas Covjms Act was passed without further difficulty. It was at once put in force by Brock in the Niagara District, whither he came immediately on the ])rorogation of Parliament. The oath of allegiance was tendered to every suspecteil individual, and unless satisfactorily taken and security given for their loyal conduct every man of them was to be promptly arrested, and either imprisoned or given forty-eight hours to leave th(; Province and not to return. The measure caused a quick removal of the disaffected element from Niagara — among them Wilcox the traitor and all his colleagues. His paper was suppressed, and Niagara had a sweep out of its vile calumnies and calumniators. The expulsion of such as refused to take the oath and give security was carried out in a generous spirit. Everyone had time to remove all his effects, and no one was personally Annals of Niagara. «new the power of up tlicir ted iiicii, eir midst enemy if H HO j) re- el Bn.(k of tliew n enemy, the 27tli (lecisixe states oil Niayni'a (lesii'cil Hire was it it (li.s- ti'iotisiii, ifint and e Prov- to do .so. without in the ation of ispecteil ^en fo)' rrested, ve the ilement eagues. its vile ised to I spirit. Bonally 157 Go The injiued. Although the hand was iron, it wore a velvet glove they must, but their banishment was made as easy as possilile. projierty of such as had property was 8e([uestered, but not confiscated. M(^st of it was retui'netl after tiie v.''i,r to those who had jiot joined the enemy, and but a few were foinid In tiie latter categor}'. Me.ssr.s. Thomas, Dickson and Clark, merchants, took upon their own account measures for getting the first news of the declaration of war. They placed a relay of n»en and horses from Albany to Niagara. As soon as the news from Washington reached Albany these messengers rode night and day, relieving each other, until they came to Niagara, where the news was given to (Jeneral Brock before it was known to the American (jarrison in Fort Niat-ai-a. It so happened that the otKcers of the American garri.son in Fort Niagara dined that day at the mess of the 41st Regiment, in Fort Geoi'ge, and while at dinner the exciting news was announced that war had been declared. The British officers insisted that the iliiuier .should not be disturbed, and, in their soldier-like hospitality, at its clcse accompanied the American officers to their boats, and with shaking of hands and many good hyes, which were reciprocated, the hosts and guests parted, to meet no more excejtt in battle as enemies, made such by the reckless politicians of Washington, who cared only foi- their own personal and party ends. Major Evans, left in command at Niagara when Brock went up to fight the enemy at Queenston, writes that he had three hundred political prisoners under gtiard at Niagara. As iisual in such cases, the bad in the country were of varying degrees. Not many were utterly bad, but it was of importance to make sure of all who could not qualify as being loyal to the countr3^ With the declaration of war the Province was fully ai'oused. A few companies of regulars of the 49th and 41st were at Niagara, with the brigade of three regiments of Lincoln Militia, about 1000 men in all. From these, detachments were sent to Qneenston, Chippawa and Fort Erie — a mere handful in comparison with the enemy's force gathering on the Niagara frontier. General Brock had placed Niagara in as good a state of fortifi- cation as the level nature of the ground allowed to be done. He had thrown up a number of strong batteries along the lake front from t, wj,: if!- IB,. ir 158 Annals of Niaoara. Fort (ieorge to tlie One Mile (^reek, fonfrontiiijj tlie guns of Fort Niagara; also a strong battery on the river bank south of I'ort Oeorgo, called the half-moon battery ; but his strongest work was tli})H inside B Nia^'ani •ivor and the lever atelv, his Huit the riying on e enemy. !ifficultit's traitors, tary and y carried 3e of the ral Van- illin ■ .■.• 1. ,1 of tie hands door to lebagocs, B for the le. The Annals of Niacjara. I5f> very name of them w»V8 a terror to the Americans, as wjw shown by the surrender of Hull at Detroit under an abject fear of the Indians, who came with Brock to attack that fort. The first invasion of the Province was by the army of (leneral Hull, who crossed the river from Detroit with a force of 2,500 men. He t'"»k jM)s,session of Samlwich, and bej^jaii at once to rava<;e the country. His most manifest action was the issuing of a proclama- tion to the people of Canada, ainumncinghis arrival as a deliverer. "No white man," said he, "found fighting by the side of an Indian will be ^^aken prisoner — instant death will be his lot. The United States oiT^r you peace, liberty and security. Your choice lies between the.se and war, slavery and destruction." General Hull while jjenning tlu^se aiiogant lines little thought that in a few days he woidd be a prisontu-, with all his army an \' await the reinforceuient t'roni Niagara under General SheafFe, wlio succeeded Brock in the command. The body of General Brock was carried into a small house close by the tree under which he expired. As the enemy advanced rapidly down the hill, the body had to be left in the house for the time, but his uniform was taken off so that the enemy might not recognize it. Brock was not ivcognized, and in th(i return of the British troops in the afternoon the body was taken possession of again. (Jeneral Sheaffe on his arrival .'it once led the troops by a detoui- up the mountain in order to attack the enemy oi¥ bhe. Heights, where he was joined by the detachments of regulars and militia from Chippawa and the Twelve Mile (-reek, and the Indians under John Brant and Wni. Kerr. The Americans were in a bad plight on the arrival of General Sheaffe's forces. The militia and volunteers of YanRensselaer were frightened at the sight and reports of the wounded men brought back in boats from the battle field, and refused to obey all orders of their officers to ci'oss over to Canada. Half the American arm}- remained paralyzed with fear and mutiny at Lewiston, while their fellows wei'e being attacked by General Sheaffe. The battle on the Heights wasshort and soon decided. The enemy's lines were charged by the British and Indians. They instantly broke and being followed by tlie Indians with yells — " As if all hell had broke loose," as one of them described- -many of them were pushed over the river bank, a tremendous precipice four hundred feet high, and were miserably killed or bung in the bushes. Their commanding officers, seeing all was lost, raised the white flag and surrendered the whole arniy, over 900 men, {)risoners of war. They were pi'omptly marciied down to Niagara, where they were placed in vessels, and in a few days shipped to Quebec. Captain (Jarrett of the 49tli, for many years afterwards an inhabitant of Niagara, received the swci.'s of the officer prisoners. The loss of the British at Queenston did not exceed one hundred men — killed, wounded and missing. The American loss in killed, wounded and prisoners was about two thousand. But then General lirock's death was an offset for thousanils. The grief of the country at the death of Brock overpowered the there the G put SI \voul( Annals of Niagara. 165 lio detour where from John lie joy of the victory. All felt it was bouj^ht at too great a price. Still there was the one consoling thought : Brock, by his heroic example, the Governor of the Province, had shown the way to victory, and put such a spirit into all hearts that henceforth Canada could and would be successfully defended. The spot where Brock fell was on the first ten-ace above the turn of the road at the upper end of the village. He was tenderly carried down the hill and laid under a thorn tree, still standing at the place marked bv the small obeli.sk, which shows where he died, not where he was wounded, which was much nearer the enemy. The weather at the time of the battle was cold and the roads deep in mud. On the next morning the dead lying on the ground were covered with snow, whicli had fallen during the night. The wounded on both sides were brought down in boats and wagons to Niagara. St. Mark's church, the Government Hou.se and Indian council house were turned into hospitals. All were kindly and tenderly cared for. The body of General Brock was brought down and lay in state in the Government House, where hundreds of people came to take their last lo(jk on the face of their beloved Governor. The sixteenth of (October was a day of mourning in Niagara. Its streets were crowded as never before with people from all parts — men, women and children — in mourning habiliments, and many in tears, for all felt they had lost their truest friend, who had died in their defence and iriven his life for the victory' which had saved their country. All the troops, regulars and militia, formed with reversed arms (m the street opposite (iovernment House, and all Hags were at half- mast. The mournful strains of the Dead march tilled the air with sadness as the procession moved on towards Fort Cieorge, where salutes of cannon greeted the body, wiiich were answered by salutes from the batteries of Fort Niagara, the enemy thus joining in the honours paid to the dead warrior, whose merits all conceded. Thousands of people, men and women, dressed in the best mourning they had, followed in a long colunui, that reached from the town almost to the gates of Fort George. fHi 166 Annals of Niagara. V:--3! :(*?■;■-!■ \i ••''■;*,• The following is the Order of the day, 16th October, for the funeral of General Brock : Fort George, Oct. 16, 1812. The procession for the funerals of the late Major-General Brock and Lt.-Colonel McDonell will be arranged in the following order, and will leave Government House for the place of interment at 1 o'clock this day : Fort Major Campbell. 60 men of the -tlst Regt., with one subaltern. 60 men of the Militia, with one captain. Two six-pounders. Corps and detachments of the garrison. Band, 41st Regt. General's horse, caparisoned, led by his groom. Servants of the General. Surgeon Moon. Dr. Kerr. Staff Surgedii Thorn. Chapiain. Body of Lt.-Col. McDonell. Chief Mourner McDonell, Esq. Capt. A. Cameron. L. Jervis. Lt. Robinson. Lt. Ridout. Josh. Edwards, Es(i. Capt. Crooks. Mr. Dickson. Capt. Cameron. Body of Major-General Brock. Chief Mourners : Major-General Sheaffe. Ens. Coffin, A. D. C. Lt.-Col. Myers. Lieut. Fowler, 4tst Regt. Supporters : Col. Claus, Militia. Col. Butler, Militia. Major Merritt, Drg. Capt. Holcroft, R. A. Captain Dennis, 49th. Capt. Powell Martin. Capt. Vigoreux, R. E, Capt. Glegg. Brigade-Major Evans. Civil Staff. Friends of the deceased. Inhabitants. The officers will wear crape on their left arm and on their sword knots, and all officers throughout the Province will wear crape on their left arm for the space of one month. Capt. Holcroft will be pleased to direct that minute guns will be fired from the period of the body leaving Government House until its arrival at the place of interment, and also after the funeral service shall have been performed three rounds of seven guns from the artillery. ' By order. Signed, Thomas Evans, Brigade-Major. Annals of Niagara. 167 or the 12. ck and 1 leave Such was the programme for the greatest funeral that ever took place in Niagara, when in the Cavalier bastion of Fort George were laid the bodies of General Brock and his gallant aid-de-canip, McDonell. General Sheaffe succeeded to the command, and the order in which he commended the militia for their gallant services deserves preservation here : Militia District Orders. Headquarteks, Fort George, 1st Nov., 1812. Major-General Sheaffe has witnessed with the highest satisfaction the luanly and cheerful spirit with which the militia on this frontier have borne the privations whirh present circumstances have imposed on them. He hopes, however, to be socm enabled by the arrival of the liberal supplies ordered from the Lower Province to furnish them with articles which in con- tributing essentially to their comfort will afford him peculiar gratification, for he cannot but feel that this conduct entitles them to every attention he can bestow on them. It has furnished examples of the best characteristics of the soldier : manly constancy under fatigue and privation, and determined bravery when opposed to the enemy. By a perseverance in the exercise of those noble qualities they may be assured of accomplishing the glorious task in which they are engaged. The arnjistice will shortly be terminated, and an attack is to be expected immediately after its expiration, but Major-General Sheaffe is confident that any attempt to make any impression on a frontier defended by such men cannot succeed, that it will only heap new disgrace and disaster on the enemy and add fresh laurels to those which have already been acquired by the brave militia on the frontier. Major-General Sheaffe directs that officers commanding corps or detach- ments shall make a report of those individuals under their command who particularly distinguish themselves bj' their meritorious conduct. The attention of officers commanding corps and detachments is called to the issue of them. It is to be reported through the proper channels for the Ma jor-General's information. By order, Thomas Evans. Historians have not given adequate credit to the brilliant cam- paign of General Brock, which was really a proof of military genius of the highest order. Such rapid and successful strokes at the enemy have been rarely recorded. In six weeks he attacked with greatly inferior numbers a strong, fortified post, and captured two armies two hundred and fifty miles apart. His death did not stop the career of victory. His example filled the people with such hope and confidence that the safety of the Province was assured. Colonel Proctor, whom he left in command in Michigan, had a 168 Annals of Niagara. hM i'|l'V.''i'l L\>\>^' 'I /I Annals of Niagara. 171 til » fy .1 d^' - det'oHts 1 every nvasioii I war ol' cause ol' and tlio lents uf erior in mign of of that )f 2,000 )our for )y only e. The d were with a '< troops of the British lids of 8th of ng the amage irboui- 'dered, i fleet of Commodore Chauncey, and on the 27th May appeared ufi" the mouth of tlie Niagara River with about 100 vessels — shipH of war and transports. The 27th May was unfortiuiate for Newark. A very dense; ?og covered tlie hike but not the hmd, concealing the enemy but exposing tlic British troops drawn up in line upon the connnon from the Twcj .Mile Creek to Point Mississaugua. A heavy tin; of red hot .shot was opened on the town from F(jrt Niagara, and Hre broke out in many quarters, distracting the attention of the inhabitants, who tried to extinguish the llame.s. The women and children had been .sent into the country for safety. The fleet formed abreast of the connnon, which is a level plain on top of the bank of the lake some forty feet above it, but at the Two Mile Creek not over ten feet above the lake level. The trooi)s in Newark consistei«'d by HoldierH. The Fmt and barraeks did not attbrd quarters for the lialf of the army. 'I'hc rest lived in private houses and in tents. The ston's of the mer- chants were occupied by a horde of sutlers, who supplied the army A mob of camp followei's and thieves w(!re ravenous to prey upon the jjfoods and chattels of the inhabitants. A nund)er of runaway traitors returned, amon^ them Wilcox, who, with Mallory, Markle ami other kindred spii'its. oi'j^ani/ed a troop of cavaliy to plunder the farm houses in the district and act as guides and scouts for the enemy's army. The killed on the British side, miiitianujn larj^ely, were allowed to be taken away by their relatives in the country and buried in tlie family buryinc; })laces on their farms : many we-re buried on the lake bank whei'e they fell, and some in St. Mark's churchyard. It was a sad day for Newark, and wor.se days were to follow during this unfortunate year. The British forces retired from Niagara to Burlington and occupied the isthnnis, which they fortified as well as time admitted. They expected the enemy to follow them, and prepared to encounter them. The American Army, in great force, left Niagara on the 1st of June, and took up their line of march for Burlington, expecting either to annihilate the small British force or at least to drive them from their position. Nothing less than a complete victory was counted on. Their army umnolested reached .St(my Creek. On the sixth June when they encamped for the night they had tln'ee thous- and men, with artillery, under the command of Generals Winder and Chandler. The Briti.sh connnander, General Vincent, with his efficient aids. Colonels Harvey and Murray, held council together, and considering the great force of the enemy, about three to one, resolved to make a night attack on the enemy's camp. Colonel Harvey personally reconnoitered their position, and saw how it might be done. A select force of regulars of the 8th and 49th Reginients was ordered to lead the attack, together with a few Indiana and militia to follow them — about 800 in all. The troops marched in the very dark of iiij,dit and c nhouts it, •• Ai Annals oi' Niaoara. 178 iiii^ht from H\irlinj;toii, and Ix'fore the first tlawii of a wild defence, liiit were route(|, killed oi" taktin prisoners on all sitles. ( Jenerals Windei' and Chandler wei-e hoth taken, and the wlioh; camp gutted mid j^nns capturcMl. Thc^ enemy HcmI in dismay and confusion some down the road the}' had come, some took to the woods, where the Indians and militia encount«.'red them. 'I'iiey were ))anic stricken, ai\d did not stop in their lli^ht until they reached Newark. It was a comuion sayin;^ that it took them four days to march up to Stou}' Creek, and but one day for them to ^et back to Newark after their defeat. 'I'he British now advanced towards N(!wark and occupied tlie whole country to within four miles of the town. The Americans were hennned in, or if any party of them ventured beyond their lines they were attacked by the people, even b}^ women, who took up arms to oppose them, such was the spirit evoked by the rout of Stony Creek. Captain FitzOibbon of the 49th held an advance j)ost at the Beaver Dams, consisting of about forty men, wdiich collected supplies for the British, and at the same time harassed the American outposts and pickets. So troublesome an \ on the l^tli Oct. previous, learned the object of the uig-ht march ;uintly. ( /olonel FitzGibbon was one of the Kniglits of Wind.scjr, iind he died in Windsor Castle full of years and lumuurs. The unfortunate town of Newark I'emained all the suminer and fall in the Hands of the Americans. It was deserted of nearly all its proper inhabitants except women and children, and some old men who returned to theii- homes, which, however, were generally occupied ))y American ti'oops. Tho ti-aitors who had been expelled by General Brock returned in numbers — Majoi* ]\fallory, an ex-men»ber of the Assembly : Wilcox, another. These men organized a troop of cavalry, with themselves as principal oiticers, and filled up the ranks with sucii traitors as they found in Canada find a lot of bummei's and marauders whom they enlisted in Buti'aio, and called their gang " Canadian V^olunteers." Tlieir services generally were plundering the farm houses, nnu'dering the loyol inhabitants in the district, and acting as guides to the enemy, for, knovving the roads, they \\ei"e able to do that service. A troop of Loyal Canadian Volunteers were fortned to [)ut a stop to i;he depredations of those miscreants. Captain Williatn Hamilton Merritt, of St. (/atharines, who for many years after repre- Ill 176 Annals of Niagara. sented the cduiity of Lincoln in Parliament, conunauded this loyal troop. He followed up the rebels wherever they went and took many of thein pi'isonei-s, a nuniV)er of whom were tried, convicted ami haiif^cd. ( 'aptain Merritt and hi.s troop were so active in catchinif them that at last they dared not ^"o out of the American lines. Still they were a curse and ti'ouhle, as traitors always are, until the battle of Lundy's Lane in 1814, when they were annihilated. Mallory fled to the United States, his native country ; Wilcox was shot near F(jrt Erie ; on the 20th Jul}', five days Vjefore the battle of Lundy's Lane, seven of them wtu'e hanged at Ancaster by order of General Druni- mond, anfl ei<,dit more condemned to death were sent to Quebec to receive the penalty of their sall in her leg on the way, but it did not disable her. She ran on, an chapti:r xxvii. I Hill *■ I ^ H li town of Newark was well l)Mi]t at that tiiin'. It fdiitaiiicd * upw!ir trades, carpenters and l)lacksmiths, and a large brewei-y. The go\ernuieiU house and (•ourt lujuse were large, handsome stiuctures. The gaol had been burnt in the bomliardinent of the town some months previous. Butlei's barracks stood where tlicv' ai'e now. 'i'he streits. liroad and at i-ight angles, ari' the same as at this date. King and <^)ueen streets, with I'lideau.N strei't and ^!'''out street e.ird I'^i^ont street, wei'e the princi}ial thoroughfares. The business stj'i-ets were King. <^'necn and Prideau.K streets. ( uite street, what is now \'iet' Imt a timelv withdrawal from the town could save them from thi' British, now within nuisket shot of Fort George. The American Secretaiy of War Armstrong sent pressing orders to General McC'luie to evacuatt- the town and Fort George and retire across the river, with instructions to burn the town so that tlic British would not find (juarters in it during the winter. Secretary Arjnsti'oiig's instructions to McClure were conveyed in the following words : Oct. 4th, 181H. Undeistuntling that the post coiutnitted to your charge may render it proper to destroy the town of Newark, you are hereby directed to apprise its inhabitants of this circimistance, and to invite them to remove their effects to some place of greater safety. I am, John Ahm.stbong. The order was cruel and utniecessary for an}' military object. In fact it seems to have been dictated in a spirit of revenge for defeat rather than anything else. The oi'der, however, was not unacceptable to (ieneral McClurc and tilled with ))leasui'e the traitorous bn^ast of Wilcox, his friend and a(ivi.ser. Some of the American oflicers .saw the sacrifice of hououi- in s\ich an act, and the i-etaliation which it would surely draw after it. Colonel Chapin of the American Army and General McClure liatl a violeiit (piarrel over the order in the sutler's .store of John i\lc('artliy on Queen street, where McLellan's store now stands. Cliapin ()[)pose(l the burning of the town, but McClure was inexor- aV)le. Wilcox, who had his private grudges against the people who scorned his treason and practices, also urged on the bui-ning of the 1 Annals of Niaoaha. INl arniy Th( town. This was on the 12th December. The next day was the 13th — a day of ill omen — for Newark: a heavy snow had fallen, and the weather was very cold. Woid was sent round the town in the morning to order people to get out of their houaes, with their effects, as the town would be bui'nt in the afternoon. The order came like the stroke of doom upon the wretched inhabitants, most of whom were wonu'ii, children ajid old, feeble men. Some would not believe that such an order would )»e executed, and failed to remove their f>n"niture into the street. ^Fany did so, and the streets were piled up with furniture and other effects, while the poor people stood or sat among them in the snow. There were prob- ably four hundred people living in the town at this time. At one o'clock noon the burning party of two or three eom))anies of .soldiers marched from Fort (leoi'ge, with torches and hmterns lit, to set the houses on fire as they proceeded through the town. At the head of the burning party rode McClurci and Wilcox, and directed the men into different streets, where the houses were Hred in rotation, in half an hour the town was a sea of tire. The fui'uitui'e in tlu; streets was most of it bui-nt up — government house, the churches, schools, court house, .shops, ])rivate dwellings — all went up together ill fire and smoke. Colonel Murray's troops saw the conflagration and rushed for- ward to .save the town and cut off" the enemy s escnpe aci'oss the ri\ er. A hot fight took place with the })i(iuets, but Fort (Jeorge and tln' l)arracks had been evacuated and the troops had got across the river before Murray forced his way into the town. He saved Butler's barracks, and that was all. The firing of the town was simultaneous in all ({uarters and so hastil}' was it done that the sutlei-s in the stores, John McCarthy among them, had not tiuie to i-emove their goods. All were burnt up — the American's commissariat and all. Fifteen hundred tents were left standiuLj, which tliev had not time to carry away. The sufferings of the people thus turned out in the snow, with their houses burned and no provisions or clothing, may be imagined- Some were in sick be'itives end)ai'ked to cross over to Foi't Nia^arji. The people of the coinitiy were profoundly touched hy the cruelties inflicted tijjon the itdiahitfints of the t(jwn. They came with sleif^hs and removed all of them to the farm houses in the townshi[is, where they were tenderly cared foi- until the hard time was ovei'. 'I'he sioht of the smokiuij ruins of the l)ea.utiful town and tlu; teri'il)le distress of the inhahitants drew teai's from the eyes of many of the rou(»'h soldiei's of the Bi'itish troops, and vows of revent^e were made, which in a few days were carried out. Butler's barracks and Fort Cieor^e were at once re-occu])ie(l. The enemy had not damaged tlie fort much on leaving it, only spiked and ovei'turned the guns, which were soon set right again. C/olouel Murray resolved to follow up the enemy by an attack on Port Niagara, but liad to defei- it until the Kith, and then until the 10th Decembei', until all his boats were got together for crossing the river. The destruction of the houses and of much private property belong- ing to the inhabitants was great, and to most of them it was all they had in the world. The Honorable William Dickson had a tine resi- dence well furnished, and with a library of books, lately purchased in England, worth from ^4,000 to 85,000. All were committed to the flames. Mrs. Dickson, ill hi bed, was set out in the snow, and looked on wdiile lier home was consumed. Her husband, one of the fore- most gentlemen in Upper Canada, had been seized and with a num- l)er of other loyal Canadians carried as prisoners over the river and placed in the dungeon of Fort Niagara, where thej^ were found and happily released when the fort was stormed, a week after the burning of the town. This act of incendiarism of the town did not evoke any feeling in the United States at first. It was when the terrible retali ation followed it that people in the States began to denounce the adminis- tration at Washington as the cause of it anil loss of political support impressed such fears upon the war party, that some M'^ere found bold enough to denounce their conduct of tlie war. St. Mark's church, full of Hour, pork, whiskej'^ and other AXNALS OK XlAliAltA. \H'A Quooii I) cross )UIl(lIy t(J\Vli. IlOUHCS luil'fi I th(! many for( (!()inniis.sarint Htores, was burnt in the general eonlla;; ration, also St. Andrews cliurch. Tlio Rev. Dr. Addison, rector of St. Mark's, s) long as liis home was within the American lines gave his s|)iritiial services to all alike, friends or enemies, in the town. 'I'he gcjod minister of St. Andrew's, Rev. Dr. Hnrns, escaped their hands, (ho had fon<;ht \aliantlv in defence of the town), hut Kev. Di'. Addison was taken and sent as a prisoner of w;ir to I'Mat Bush, N. Y. He was at last (ait of Ni'ry .shame release(l and allowed to return home. 1'he seizing of loyal civilians and sending them as prisoners to the United State's was a new and disgraceful feature in warfare, nevei- ])racticed hy any nation before. It was a general mode of treating the ])eople of Uppei* Canada who were not in the ai'ui^' but following their occupations at home. The effect of such conduct was not to daunt oi* JM-utrali/e the spirit of the people, but to make them mt)re resolute than ever to oppo.se the enemy which resorted to such unlawful acts in a national war. General Di'ummond came to Niai^ara to jrive his advice and directions to Colonel Murray about the assault on Fort Niagara. 'IMie enemy expected an attack on the lOth or 17th of December, but as it was not made on those days they believed it would iKJt take place, and relaxed their watchfulness on the night of the l*Jth, when it was decided by (/olonel Muriuy to cross over the river. The boats for the transport of the troops were brought down from Burlington to the Four and Twelve Mile Creeks, and there placed on sleighs and hauled over the snow to the ravine, now Long- hui'st's, on the river. Captain John D. Servos directed the convey- ance of the boats, and Captain Kirby of 1^'ort Ei-ie placed them in the ravine so as easily to be jnished into the water. The troops selected for the attack on Fort Niagara wei'e a detachment of the 100th Regiment under Colonel Hamilton, a sturv Niauaua. 186 Tlie troops, with unloaded iiiUHkctH and fixed bayonets, jnarclRMl silt'utly and ((uickly on tlieir deadly errand, without causing any iilann. A larj^e tavern stood by tin; i-oadside, in what is now YoinigH- town. A sentry was on post at tlu^ door, and a stron*; j^uard within, playing cards and unsuspecting any danger. Sergeant Spearman, a powerful man, and one of his (Jrenadiers, crept up and seized the unfortunate sentry, choking him before lu; was able to cry out. They demanded and got the count<'rsign from him, when they instantly bayoneted him. The I'cst of the " P\)rlorn Hope" came up and rushed into the tavern. " Xot a soul must live between the landing plat^e and the fort I" shouted Captain Dawson. All the guard were instantly put to death. The landlord of the liou.se, a large, (•()ri)ul((nt man, ran downstairs to set^ what was the nuitter, and was instantly transtixe(| l)y the relentless bayonets, and was h.'ft dea A V \ ^9) V a^ O^ .V 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY. 14580 (716) 872-4503 :%<" 6^ 186 Annals of Niagara. surrender, when one of the men fired ,nd killed him on the spot. His Grenadiers, who were behind him, enraged at hia death, rushed in, and in a few minutes every man in the block-house was bayoneted. Many of the enemy got out of the fort and escaped in the dark- ness. After a struggle of fifteen nunutes the fort was in complete possession of the British. The drummers of the 100th found their way to the roof of the main building and played "The British Grenadiers," to the delight of the successful stormers. At daybreak the British colours were hoisted on the flag stafl" of the fort and a royal salute was fired, which told the people far and near that the redoubtable Fort Niagara had been taken and was securely in the possession of our army. The loss of the Americans in Fort Niagara was sixty-five killed and a smaller numljer wounded ; twenty-seven pieces of artillery and seven thousand muskets were captured ; of the garrison three hundred and fifty were made prisoners of war. The magazines were full of camp ecjuipage, clothing and provisions for a large army. In the dungeon of the fort were a number of Canadian gentlemeni civilians, who had been carried off as prisoners to be sent into the interior, among them tJ '^ Hon. Wm. Dickson, Samuel Street, John Thompson, John McFarlane, Peter McMicken, and others of Newark and vicinity. With joy they received their liberation by their countrymen. The British loss in this affair was six — one killed and five wounded. The commandant of the fort was Colonel Leonard. McClure had posted ofi^ to Buffalo as soon as he got across the river. Colonel Leonard had a house on the river bank four miles from the fort. He was in his liouse the night of the attack, and only learned that his garrison had been taken when the roj'^al salute resounded on his startled ears at daybreak. He came in and surrendered himself. The commander-in-chief of the British forces. Sir Gordon Druni- mond, who had watched the attack from Fort George, went over at daylight. The troops formed in square, and he thanked them warmly for the discipline and courage they had shown in the storm- ing of the fort. He ordered the fort to be placed in order. The prisoners were sent away, and preparations made for retaliating on was Annals of Niaoaha. 187 the spot. h, rushed mae was the dark- complete md their British daybreak •rt and a that tlie ly in tlio ive killed artillery ion three lies Were fniy. Ill 3ntlenien, into the set, John Newark hy their lied and the American frontier for the barbarous flestruetion of Newark. The storming of Fort Niagara was the most brilliant exploit of the war of 1812. To cross a large bo«| tiv^,:^ 188 Annals of Niagara. CHAPTER XXVIII, "fr 1813. 'TpHE campaign of retaliation wa.s begun next day by the brave- * and enterprising General Riall, who, with a force of a thousand regulai'8, militia and Indians, crossed the river and attacked Lewiston, where an American detachment, of regulars, artillery and Tuscarora Indians was posted. They were attacked by Riall and put to the rout, leaving their guns and stores and a considerable number of killed and wounded. The village of Lewiston was at once set on tiic and totally consumed. The inhabitants had fled. Riall followed the enemy to Schlosser and then returned and re-crossed the river. All the mills and stores between Lewiston and the lake shore as far as Oak Orchard were burnt. The nonda^,i I have t" you was ith you o years ntentioii le aarno." ^tandiiio I us, and las been om you or not ; ticular. I, under kno\\ if 3'ou 3U tal«' friend- ur faces u — it is ith th.' id takf I. The CIaiJ8) quiet. :embei' ; wei-e >k the their settlement was totally destroyed in December, lHi:{, by the British Indians, who crossed with tleneral Riall to Buffalo. The Indians with the British army rarely counnitted cruelties, being restrained by the officers and rewards Inking offered for prisoners, in orehind us came up and did mischief. Brother, last yeai- at Chicago and St. Joseph's the Big Knives destroyed all our corn. This was fair, but, V)rother, they did not allow the dead to rest. They dug up their gi'aves, and the bones of our ancestors were thrown away and we could never find them to return them to the ground. Brother, I have listened with a good deal of attention to the wish of our father. If the Big Knives, after they kill people of our colour, leave them without hacking them to pieces, we will follow their example. They have themselves to blame. The way they treat our killed, and the remains of those that are in their graves in the west. 198 Annals of Niagara. & i ft makes our people mad when they m>jet the Big Knives. Whenever they get any of our people into their hands they cut them like meat into small pieces. We thought white people were Christians. They ought to show us a better example. We do not disturb their dead. What I say is known to all the people present. I do not tell a lie. Brother, it is the Indian custom when engaged to be very angry, but when we take prisoners to treat them kindly. Brother, we do not know the value of money; all I wish is that our people receive clothing for our prisoners. When at home we work and hunt to earn those things ; here we cannot. Therefore, we ask for clothing. Brother, the officer that we killed you have spoken to us before about. I now tell you again, he fired and wounded one of our colour; another fired at him and killed him. We wished to take him prisoner, but the officer said ' God damn,' and fired, when he was shot. That is all I have to say." The sentiments expressed by Blackljird represent truly the general feeling of the Indians towards the Americans, who, as he says, had themselves to blame for the treatment they received from the Indians in this war. The following general order regarding the Indian service was issued by the Commander of the Forces from headquarters at King- ston on the 6th July, 1813 : '"I'he detachments of Indian warriors being about to return to their homes, His Excellency the Commander of the Forces cannot suffer these brave men to depart without expressing the high sense he entertains of their gallantry and good conduct in the zeal and promptness with which they have repaired on the first summons to the division of the army in actual service, and the skill and intrepid courage displayed in the battle of the Beaver Dams, by which the defeat and surrender of a very superior body of the enemy's regular force was principally achieved. And His Excellency has particularly to applaud their exemplary discipline and forbeaiance, refraining from all further hostility the moment they were informed that the enenjy had surrendered. The officers attached to the Indian warriors have distinguished themselves by their gallantry and good conduct. His Excellency directs that on the return of these warriors they may receive a liberal donation of the usual presents, and that the wounded and families of those who have fallen in action may receive a double proportion. Signed, Edward Baynes, A. G., N. A." was Annals of Niagara. 199 henever ke meat They ir dead. 11 a lie. ?ry, but do not lothinii- II those brother, I now another ler, but at is all ily tile as lie I from On the 12th August, 1813, a meeting of several Indian nations was held at the cross roads, Niagara tow^nship. Present — Wm. Claus, Supt. " Major Givens. " Capt. DeLorimier. " Lt. DeLorimier. Lt. Brant. " Lt. Lyons. Te Karehoga spoke on seven strings of wampum black, and six strings of black and white wampum from the Shawnese : " Brother, on my road to the Grand River I heard of the death of Lt.-Colonel Bishop, and of the conduct of our brothers at Buffalo Creek. They have forgotten their promise and have raised the tomahawk against the King and spilt the blood of his children. Their word to us was : 'If the Americans take from us our property and stop our money, yet we are determined not to raise the tomahawk against the King.' They have done it, and I have informed the western Indians what has been done, and I shall report to you their answer." The Shawnese says : " Our elder brother, we look towards you and see that you feel yourselves in distress. Our people are going to the Maumee, and so soon as that business is over, which we expect w^ill be very soon, then look to see us with you, and we shall cross the River Niagara ana face those people on their own side of the water. It is long since we took the King by the hand, and we do not expect to let it go. You we took by the arm. We love the King, his children and you, equal to our heart's blood, and whoever hurts his people hurts us. You will tell our brother at the head of our affairs that he must not think hard in case any cattle are killed on our way down. I am not alone. I have four or five with nie. Brother, this is the answer I received when my messenger came away. An Indian with one arm had just arrived from Maumee. He left it nine days ago. He says that Kigahoga was taken, and 1,000 barrels. That a strong force of Indians, 4,000, were going to storm Fort Maumee, but they were advised not to attempt it, but to go and cut off a party of 300 men who had charge of stores, consisting of goods, money and provisions, and that 2,000 more went where there were three large stores full of goods, and 1,000 remained until the ■ 4 M. bbh 200 Annals of Niagara. parties returned. This is the report of this man. I do not gfive it to you as truth, but what I have said on the wampum is true." The following general order of Major-General DeRottenburg will show the equitable spirit of the British Government in regard to the Indians : Headquarters, Kingston, 26th July, 1813. The Commander of the Forces has under consideration the report of a Board of Oflftcers, of which Brig. Gen. Vincent was president, assembled by His Excellency's order at the headquarters of the centre division of the army, at St. Davids, the 2bih July, 1813, for the purpose of considering the claims of the Indian warriors to head money for prisoners of war brought in by them, -and to the propriety of some provisions being made for those who may be disabled in service, with a view to soften and restrain the Indian warriors in their conduct towards such Americans as may be made prisoners of war. His Excellency is pleased to approve of the following arrangement subscribed by that board, and directs that the same may be acted upon, viz. : The proceedings of a council with several Indian warriors assembled at the Forty Mile Creek on the 27th ulto., having been presented to the board, it is of opinion that upon the subject of head money upon prisoners of war brought in by Indians, allowance should be made for each prisoner brought in alive of five dollars. The board is of opinion that the following rates of pensions are sufficient : To a chief for loss of limb, eye, or receiving a wound equal to loss of limb, $100 per annum. To a warrior for loss of limb, eye, or receiving a wound equal to loss of limb, $70 per anniim. To the widow of a chief or family of a chief killed in action or dying of his wounds, a present of $200. To the widow of a warrior killed in action or dying of his wounds, a present of $170. The Board are of opinion that Indians ought to be entitled to prize money for the capture of Detroit in the following proportions : Chiefs as subalterns, warriors as privates. The head money for prisoners of war brought in by Indian warriors is to be immediately paid by the commissary upon the certificate of the general officer commanding the division with which they are acting at the time. His Excellency the Commander of the Forces is pleased to make the following appointments in the Indian Depart- ment, viz. : Mr. Ch. Spinard to be interpreter, to receive pay and allowance as such from the 25th June last ; George Rousseau, lieut., to be lieutenant and interpreter vice Chew, killed in action, commission dated 25th June, .313. Signed, Edward Baynes, Adj.-Gen'l. Annals of Niagara. 201 ot iSrive it le." uttenbuiy^ in regard 1813. •eport of a em bled by ion of the lering the r brouj^ht for those Jtrain the be made following e may be assembled ?d to the prisoners I prisoner following to loss of to loss of dying of ounds, a to prize Chiefs as I of war imissary on with r of the Depart- lowance utenant h June, The fidelity of the Indian tribes and their active Herviees con- tributed greatly to the glorious termination of the war. Their perpetual presence round the lines of the enemy's armies crippled their movements and cut them oft' from information, while to the British they brought all the information needed. In battle they took a most active part, and always with such proofs of zeal and courage as gained for them the respect and admiration of the regulars and militia with whom they co-operated. Canada owes much to the Indians of that day for her safety and independence. The country has shown its appreciation of the Indians by raising them, in the older Provinces, to the full privileges of citizenship, and it may justly be said of the Indians in Ontario and Quebec that they are now on a par with the white population in industry, intelli- gence and patriotism. The voting power in parliamentary and muni- cipal aftairs is exercised V)y them with judgment and independence not surpassed by the general run of white electors. A grand monument has been erected in Brantford to the honor of Chief Joseph Brant. It is to be desired that a similar monument shall be erected in London to the memory of Tecumseth, the brave, noble chief, who fought so well for us and died in our defence. M' I'l. 202 Annals of Niagara. CHAPTER XXX. 1814. time ■1 'I E I' 'TpHE President and Congress having seen their armies repulsed for * two years and driven out of Canada by far inferior numbers, and the United States in an uproar of denunciation at such a series of defeats, saw that it was now or never with them, and that in the campaigns of 1814 if they could not overcome the British and Canadians they must give up the h-uggle in disgi'ace, and find their political party defeated all over tiie country. Their strong ally, Napoleon, had been driven out of Russia. The British armies under Wellington had expelled the French from Spain and Portugal. Germany was freeing herself from French oppressions. The British fleets were riding triumphantly on all the Atlantic coasts of North America, and every port was closely blockaded and threatened with attack. It was clear that the American Government must exert itself as never before in its contemplated invasion of Canada this year. That failing, they must, as actually happened, sue for peace on any terms Britain would grant. They had also discovex'ed that their militia and volunteers were worthless in the field, and that only regular troops must compose their armies of 1814 to have any chance of success in encounter with the forces of Great Britain. The winter and spring were most industriously made use of in the organizing and drilling of a great army of regular troops. From eight to ten thousand were collected at Buffalo and the Falls, and placed under the command of Generals Brown, Ripley, Scott, and others of their most experienced and trusty officers. Immense supplies of provisions and clothing were sent to the frontier, while their best artillery were well provided, horsed and manned, and cavalry were also equipped for active service. In short, nothing was lacking, and the Americans felt cock sure this Annals of Niagara. 203 Julsed for numbers, I a series lat in the tisb and 3nd their mg ally, es under 'ortugal. British )f North led with st exert ida this >r peace fs were iotnpose counter fe most I great )llected snerals !d and : were >vided, srvice. •e this time that the red coats would be beaten, and the lost laurels of the i»vo past campaigns regained by decisive victory. They were excus- able in this belief, only that victories over British and Canadian troops were things easier to boast of beforehand than to win in the day of battle. Generals Drummond and Riall, Colonels Murray and Harvey, were not men to undervalue their enemy, or yet to overvalue them- They knew they had some of the best fighting material in the British Army, and that their officers of every grade were skillful and cour- ageous, and daring to a degree that their foes had never equalled. The Niagara frontier in the winter of 1813 and 1814 was put in a posture of the best defence possible. The army already on the lines, consisting of the 8th, 41st, 49th, 89th and 100th, were rein- forced on the opening of navigation by the 103d and 104th. The (ilengarry Regiment, raised among the brave, loyal Highlanders of (jrlengarry ; the Incorporated Militia, an Upper Canadian regular regiment; the Royal Artillery and Cavalry of the 19th Light Di'agoons and Provincial troops ; the Regular Militia, now ecjual to any, was on this frontier. The five Lincoln Regiments, hardy and true to their trust, were also in arms again. The loyal Lidians, numerous and bold, were in support of the British Army everywhere. General Druumiond could not have had better soldiers, and, although not half in number of the enemy, neither he nor they had a doubt of victory. The country had now been weeded out of traitors and disaffected, and acted as one in sentiment and opposition to the enemy. Even the wonien and childi'en were filled with patriotic spirit, refusing information to the enemy or misleading them on every opportunity, while every small vidette or scouting party was fired upon in the woods or wherever a shot could ivach them by the indignant farmers who had been so mercilessly harried the year before. Everyone awaited with deepest interest, but without fear, the opening of the campaign of 1814. General Brown with a strong army of 7,000 men crossed over to Fort Erie on the 3rd of July, and immediately invested the fort, which was held by 127 men of the 8th Regiment under Major Bond. As there was no chance to escape, the small garrison surrendered and i il 204 Annals of Niagara. were made prisoners of war. This small afiair was immediately trumpeted forth through the United States as a great victory, with eulogies of the prowess of the American Army, and proclaiming that the way was now clear to the conquest of Canada. General Brown immediately pushed his army forward and advanced in martial array towards Chippawa, where General Rial! had come up with 2,000 regulars and militia from Niagara, and determined to make a stand on the south side of Chippawa Creek. General Brown attacked him on the 5th July with his whole force. A desperate fight ensued. Riall, in obedience to the plan of campaign laid down beforehand, finding he could not hold the ground in face of such superior numbers, retired in good order across the bridge, which he destroyed after him, and reti'eated towards Niagara. Tlie losses on either side were about equal, being from 400 to 500 killed and wounded of each army. The enemy disgraced humanity after the battle. They buried their own dead on the field, but the bodies of the British soldiers and militiamen who had fallen were piled in heaps with layers of wooou principles of revenge than of conquest ; the last had been found to be impossible to the Americans — the former they were still able to keep up on the unfortunate homes and property which lay in tho route of their armv. V General Drummond reached the hill at Lundy's Lane just in time to seize it before the enemy, who were advancing from Chip- pawa, and at six o'clock in the evening of the 25th July the great battle began by the Americans opening with an attack upon the British line, composed of the 89th — a brave regiment which the year before had won the decisive battle of Ci'ysler's farm — the Royal Scots, the 8th King's and some of the 41st. These troops, with two field guns of the Royal Artiller; , held the crest of the hill, which the enemy assailed repeatedly and were as often driven back, leaving the ground strewn with dead and dying. Genei-al Drummond was every- where, and his clear voice was heard by his men : " Stand fast I Stand fast ! Stick to them lads ! Stick to them !" And they did stand fast bravely until the arrival of General Riall with the 108rd and detachments of the King's and 104th, who had taken a wrong road and had actually marched over twenty miles in a broiling sun before they joined in the battle at Lundy's Lane. The Americans also received reinfoi'cements, and then came on the crisis of the battle. They showed real courage and discipline and charged up the fatal hill again and again only to be driven back by the bayonets and bullets of the British. The night was very dark, the light given for the conflict was from the flashes of cannon and musketry. General Riall, on his arrival, plunged at once into the thick of the tight. The enemy at that moment made their last and supreme effort. They massed their columns under Col. Miller and threw them madly against the lines of the British, but in vain. The leading Generals, Brown, Ripley and Scott were all wounded and carried off" the field. Annals op Niagara. 207 endurance burnt the the Falln Fort Erio. 'e of ruin nore upon n found to iJl able to ay in the 'K' just in oin Chip- the ^rreat "pon the 1 the year >yal Scots, two field I'hich tJie avin^r the 'as every- ^t .' Stand tand fast >3rd and 3n^ road ni before ans also e battle. lie fatal lets and iven for General t. The They madly enerals, e field. General Riall was also wounded and accidentally made piisoner. General Drummond received a severe wound, but would not quit the field until victory was secured. After four hours of hard fighting and the failure of their last effort, the enemy were driven from the field, leaving some of their artillery behind. The darkness favored their retreat. They threw their stores and camp into the rapids of the Niagara and retired in confusion back to Chippawa. Next morning they retreated to Fort Erie, which place they reached on the afternoon of the day following the battle. The loss of the British in the battle of Lundy's Lane was 878 — killed and wounded. That of the Americans is by General Drum- mond stated to have been 1,500, including several hundred prisoners. The field of battle pre.sented a terrible sight next morning. Upon the hill and for a distance round it the ground was strewn with dead and wounded men. The latter of whom were all carefully and tenderly picked up and cared for. The British dead were buried in rows of graves and trenches on the field. The American dead were, in retaliation for the burning of our dead at Chippawa, piled in gi-eat funeral pyres with wood in heaps under them and burnt to ashes, It was a sad and sorrowful sight, but the conduct of the enemy at Chippawa compelled this act of retaliation. Not all were burnt, however, for in the burial ground on Luaady's Lane today may be seen a gi-avestone erected over the reinains of Captain Hull, a son of the General Hull who surrendered Detroit to General Brock. He was not burnt, but honorably buried. The war was now assuming an inhuman character unworthy of the race to which both armies belonged. A handsome monument has been placed by the Parliament of Can- ada on the summit of Drummond Hill, where the hardest of the strug- gle took place. A brief Spartan inscription upon it reads as follows : Erfscted by the Canadian Parliament in honour of the victory gained by the British and Canadian forces on this field on the 25th July, 1811, and in grateful remembrance of the brave men who died on that day fighting for the unity of the Empire. 1885. f I 'ail 208 Annaln of Niagara. ii I The unveiling of the monument took place on the anniversary of the battle, 25th July, 1895, when the followinj^ sonnet was rejul on that occasion : " Stand fast ! Stand fast ! Stand fast ! A mighty cry Rang from the British line at Liindy's Lane. Close up your ranks ! Stand fast ! The foes again Swarm up the hill, where our brave colours fly, And Drummond shouts, 'To conquer or to die.' 'Mid roar of guns that rend the heavens in twain. Our flashing bayonets back upon the plain Hurl down their columns— heaps on heaps they lie— And Canada, like Greece at Marathon, Stands victor on the field of freedom won. This pillar fair of sculptured stone will show Forever in the light of glory, how England and Canada stood fast that night At Lnndy's Lane, and conquered for the right." The victory at Lundy's Lane decided the war, although much blood was yet to be shed at Fort Erie, which General Brown's troops reached next day in a most demoralized condition, followed up by General Drummond, who invested the place, threw up batteries and opened a bombardment on the 13th August. This continued for two days, when General Drummond decided to make an assault on the fort with the main body of his troops. The assault was made in the morning of the 15th, at two o'clock. An escalade was effected, and an entrance forced into the area of the fort. The British fought wholly with the bayonet. The enemy resisted bravely, but were giving way and flying out of the fort when a most terrible explosion of mines took place, which blow a large portion of the attacking force into the air. In all 904 were killed and wounded, as reported in the despatch of General Drummond — equal to the loss at Lundy's Lane. Colonels Drummond and Scott both were among the killed, and such was the loss and confusion caused by this catastrophe that the assailants, those that remained of them, were ordered to retreat from the fort and re-occupy their entrenchments and re-commence the bombardment, while the Americans, on account of their heavy losses, were unable to follow them, so the siege went on afresh, with obsti- nate valour and fighting on both sides. The notorious Wilcox was Annals of Niagara. 209 • ly^iiu iniverauiv was rc'ful ^li imicli I's troops up by ^riea and ] for two It on the Je in the 3ted, and I fought ut were xplosion b tacking reported Lundy's led, and hat the at from ice the ' losses, 1 obsti- ox was shot by a Canadian militiaman — a death too honorable for a traitor, who ought to have been hung with his troopera, whom General Drummond executed at Ancaster. On the I7th September a general sortie was made by all the Americans, reinforced by fresh troops. They attacked the British entrenchments. A terrible tight ensued, with heavy losses on both sides. The British held their ground and the Americans retired back to the fort. The bombardment continued until about the 21st Sep- tember, when General Drummond resolved to fall back to Chippawa, hoping to draw the enemy out into the open field, but, instead of following General Drummond, Gen. Brown took advantage of the opportunity, and as soon as the coast was clear evacuated Fort Erie and transported his whole army back to Buffalo, leaving Upper Canada without one solitary American soldier — not a prisoner of war — upon her soil. Such was the end of the terrible campaign of 1814 on the Niagara frontier. The camjjaign had ended most disastnnisly for Congress. They saw now the futility of trying to conquer Canada. They were not able to keep their own territory unscathed. The Hartford Convention led in opposition to the continuance of the wai- with open threats of the secession of New England if it went on longer. The time had come when peace on any terms was a necessity for the party in power at Washington, and peace was agreed to by Clay and the other American Commissioners at Ghent, and which they made without acquiring one of the points on which the war had been declared. The last incident of the war had been the capture of the frigate President by the British frigate Endymion near New York, in January, 1815. The greatest and best equipped and best disciplined army the United States had been able to assemble had been utterly defeated and driven out of the Province by a far smaller force of British regular troops and militia. Better or braver soldiers never faced an enemy than those heroic regiments of regulars and those gallant militiamen and Indians who served under General Drummond in 1814, and those skilful officers who assisted with their counsels and carried out all the plans of the campaign for the defence of the frontier. / '»lh 'M\ 4 : 210 Annates of Niaoara. When the enemy retired from Fort Erie winter waH at hand, and there wan great vapouring and throateningH on the other side of a fresh invasion, but General Brown had had enough of it, and no attempt was made to molest Canada again, and when the newH reached America of the conchision of the treaty of peace at Ghent, the United States were only too happy to know that things were left in statu quo and that the threatened secession of Federal New England was timely prevented. Canada was not so well pleased at the articles for r<;storing territory to each of the belligerents, for the British held in their possession the one-third part of the State of Maine, Fort Niagara on the Niagara frontier. Fort Michiliniacinac, Isle Joseph, and .some other minor points. The Americans on their side did not hold a foot of British territory, while the Indians of the west, who had kept hopes of the recovery of the Ohio boundary and the lands swindled from them by the so-called treaty of Urenville, were disappointed In the terms of the treaty, but bad to comply with it. 1'he war had been carried to a triumphant conclusion by the bravery and discipline of the British troops and loyal militia and Indians, and led by most skilful and dai'ing officers such as Brock. Vincent, Drummond, Riall, Harvey, Morrison, FitzGibbon, Bishop and others well known to fame. The only failure, and it was a serious one, was in the vacillation and weak policy of the Governor General, Sir George Prevost, who, although brave as a soldier, seemed possessed with the idea of conciliating the enemy instead of fighting him. He paralyzed the plans of General Brock at the outset of the war by the armistice he concluded for some weeks, which prevented Brock seizing Fort Niagara at the first. His conduct at Sackett's Harbor, when it had just been carried, and his ordering a retreat at Platts- burg, which the enemy had pai'tly evacuated, were most lamentable and disastrous acts, that cost the lives of valuable officers and men to no purpose, and which failed to conciliate in the slightest degree an enemy who was irreconcilable to any arguments but those of force. Sir George Prevost was tried by court martial and cashiered for misconduct — but Canada suffered many grave losses through his bad influence on the war. The war of 1812 established forever the position of Canada as ist! Annals ok Niagara. 211 hand, and Hide of a t, and no the news at Ghent, were left )ral Now roHtoring in theii- iagara on m\e other a foot of f!pt hopeH led from (d in the I by the ilitia and i.s Bi'ock, 1, Bi.shop a Herious General, possessed ing him. e war by ed Brock Harbor, t Platts- mentable and men it degree those of •ashiered ough his anada as ft memlHjr of the British Kmpire in North America. It taught us a lesson which will never be forgotten : That a loyal, deternnned people cannot be conquered. American history has been falsified and misrepresented ever since to explain away the truth of the facts of that war so glorious t(j ( 'anada. so humiliating t(j the Ignited Stat»'H. The few books that have been written in Knglaiid and Canada on that war have bnen fair and impa)ti»il — neither e.xtenuating nor exaggerating the truth — vrry dift'crent from tluuiniversal tone of dis- torteoat and return forthwith to Niagara, bearing a si'vere reproof from him for their rash act, and telling them that it was wholly due to his great respt;ct for Mr. Whitmore, whose loyalty he knew so well, and for the Rev. Dr. Addison, who had interceded for them, that he gave them the benefit of any doul)t in his mind as to the truth of their story. Tiie two officers thanked him, and made tlieii- exit fiom the British camp w^ithout a minute's delay, and regained their own lines at Niagara. Had was their fate, however. Ten days after' this visit these two young officers were killed and scal})ed l>y the Indians on the hill at Lewiston, after the British crossed over and stormed Fort Niagara, 19th December, ls been L'h was ivcd of es and church 'ays : U2 the which 816 to ite to order ccona- frotn fered the loss of all they possessed— burnt out and plundered of everything, and they have really not yet recovered their misfortunes from the late unhappy events," &c., &c. The Society for the Propagation' of the Gospel sent money to the Bishop of Quebec, which was devoted to the restoration of St. Mark's. Th«^ Provincial Parliament made liberal grants of money ; the Loyal Patriotic Society of England and Canada, and tlu^ Imperial Government, all contributed to indemnify, as far as possible, the josses of those who had suffered in the war. Still the process of lolief was slow. Conunissioners were appointed to investigate and assess the individual claims, the aggregate of which was very large. The Niagara newspaper, the Hpedator, was printed at St. David's, and page after page of its cohunns contain the names of wounded militiamen and of the widows and cliildren of those who had been killed, and the amount of relief in grants and pensions allowed them by the Provincial Government. Still, after all was done, the frontier towns never full}' regained their former prosperity. Th(! people had no capital left after re- building to carry on great business operations, while the construction of the Welland Canal a few 3'ears after — great and good work as it was in itself — was the cause of the ruin of the transj)ort trade round the Falls, which had built up Niagara, Queenstuii, Chippawa and Fort Erie. All these places, thrown t)ut of the line of trade between Ontario and Erie, have never I'ecovered the prosperity they once owned. The building up of St. Catharines on the line of the Welland Canal was also very detrimental to the trade of Niagara, as it cut it off and intercepted in large mensui'e the connection of Niagara with the rest of the county. Still, Niagara held its ground for some years. It was the centre of the wholesale trade for Western Canada. Mei'chants of capital were still in business — Crooks, MacDougals. Dicksons, Clarks, Buchanans, Ross, Young, Lockhart, and other men of ability and wealth kept up the former reputation of Newark as a mart of general trade. The war had circulated much money, and many individuals had grown rich, although the majority had grown poor. i £! 218 Annals of Niagara. On the withdrawal of the army except the garrison, many officers and soldiers were allowed to retire. Niagara received a large mili- tary element, which merged into its population. Some of the officers, like Colonel Melville and others, were men of wealth and of busi- ness aptitudes, which led them into various lines of investment, particularly the Niagara Dock Company, which was formed for the building of vessels, steamers, and the manufacture of machinery, docks and wharves, all of which that company carried on for several years with much success, giving employment to a large number of artizans. The Niagai'a Dock Company was the leading business of that kind carried on in Upper Canada. The Presbyterians were very numerous in the town in consequence of so many Scotch mechanics working at the dock works. It was found necessary to build a new church for their accommodation. St. Andrew's, a large ediiice, was accordingly built, in 1881. It used to be tilled in those days, and some very talented ministers had charge of the congregation. Large foundries and a shipyard were erected at the end of Ricardo street, on a continuation of Front street. The bank on the east of St. Mark's was cut down, and with it the old Indian burying ground. A large warehouse (still standing) was built on the wharf, and was sul»-divided into separate compartments for the freight of each of the steamers which frequented the port. The names of these steamers were painted over the large doors of each comjmrtment, and may still be read there. Some of these steamei's were very large. Their names are worth preservation : Tlie Great Britain, The Canada, The United King- dom, The Cohovrc), lite C'omviodore Barrie, The St. George, The Williaiv IV. Another compartment was for schooners. The great portage round Niagara Falls via Queenston and Chippawa was then in full use, and all the trade of the upper lakes passed this way, until the construction of the Welland and Erie, (N. Y.,) canals made a complete diversion of ^*^. T ib.\() ■■h'> Parliament of Upper Canada passed an Act for br,' ' >'-, (,,1 .liston Heights a monument to the memory of Sir Isaii i.j'*jcl ; c^ his aid-de-camp, Col. McDonell, who fell there in 1812. Tlio UK ri .icnt was a fine doric column with spiral stair inside Annals op Niagara. 219 |iy officers wge mili- he officers, |1 of busi- [vestment, M for the Imchinery, ]or several umber of [isiness of -vere very nechanif.'s J' I a new ilice, was Jays, ami I. e end of on the burying le wharf, 'ei^ht of of these lent, and re worth I King- •ge, The portage in full itil the unplete k^ct for of Sir lere in inside to the top, where a gallery outside gave a view of great nmgniticence. On the 18th Oct., 1824, a public funeral given by the Province took place, and the honored remains of Brock and McDonell were removed frcmi Fort George to a vault under the new momiment. The funeral evoked the deepest interest in all parts of Canada. Thousands and thousands of people and military, regulars and militia, and Indians followed in the procession, miles long, to Queenst(m, with solemn music, firing of guns, and other signs of general mourning for their old chief. Upon the monument was placed the following inscription : "The Legislature of Upper ('anada has dedicated this iiioniiinent to the very eminent civil and military services of the late Sir Isaac Brock, Knight of the Most Honorable Order of the Bath, Provincial Lieutenant-Governor and Major-General commanding the forces in this Province, whose remains are deposited in the vault beneath. " Having expelled the North VVestern army of the United States, achieved its captiu'e, received the suri'ender of Fort Detroit and the teriitory of Michigan, under circumstances which have rendered his name illustrious, he returned to the protection of this frontier, and advancing with his small forces to resist a second invasion of the enemy, then in possession of these Heights, he fell in action on the 13th of October, 1H12, in the forty-third year of his age, honored and beloved by the people whom he governed, and deplored by his Sovereign, to whose service his life had been devoted." The Lieut.-Oovernor, Sir Peregrine Maitland, and all the leading men of the Province attended this funeral, the largest and most memorable that ever took place in Upper Canada. The remains of Col. McDonell were laid at the same time beside the hody of his beloved commander. In 18L5 Francis Gore, the Lieiitenant-Governor just before the war, was again, on the advent f)f peace, re-appointed to the Govern- ment of Upper Canada. This was pioliably an im|)olitic move, as it awakened old party feelings which had existed before the war, but which a common sentiment of patriotism had laid asleep. Gore was not acceptable to the old (Jpjiosition party, although he was a man of ability and desirous to lift the Province out of its depres.sed condi- tion in consequence of the war. Unfortunately the progress of recuperation was necessarily slow. Many had suffered in the loss of everything, and found no virtue in patience, which they did not try. The comnnissioners for assessing I l^ ' ""."St - "X 220 Annals of Niagara. fe. 'i the war losses could not go vei*y fast in their decisions, and many claimants must wait their turn of hearing and judgment. Patience was a virtue hard to bear, but it had inevitably to be exercised. The very magnitude of the losses made this imperative. Still the work went on as fast as prudence and justice allowed. The frontier dis- tricts had suffered the most, and there naturally the people were eager and impatient over their losses. It needed but the torch of a reckless political agitator to start up a great flame of discontent in the old district. The political incendiary soon appeared. In 1817 Robert Gourlay, a Scotchman, who had been active at liome as an agitator and orator in radical meetings and clubs, came to Canada, and in the first month of his lantling proceeded to call meetings and harangue people on the mis-government, as he called it, of the party in power, and their delay in paying the war losses ; their obstructive land regulations and opposition to the immigration of men from the old country, and altogether being the cause of the hard times that still prevailed in the country. Gourlay was an impetuous, half -educated man, fluent of speech and ready in writing ; ambitious to push himself into notoi'iety as a popular leader, with expectation of living on and by the party he had created. His writings and speeches were most abusive and libelous of the best people of the district. His arrogance and self- conceit were unbounded. He found nothing good in the country but his own opinions and plans for its government. He was the model of the sort of men who find nothing sensible in the world but what they lay down as rules to live by : *' Ye're a' wrang ! Ye're a' wrang ! Ye're ane an' a', an' a' wrang. There's no' a' man in a' the Ian' But's athegiter a' wrang." We have had in Canada others like Gourlay, but none with more assurance or less excuse. Gourlay carried on the trade of an agitator for two years, mak- ing considerable uproar in the district, when his career was suddenly cut short by the action of the magistrates, who had power under one of the early statutes of Upper Canada to stop seditious practices and ntl many Patience led. The the Work itier dis- ^le were >rch of a 3ntent in ^oui-lay, d orator fclie first larangue II power, ve land the old 'hat Mtil] speech «ty as a )arty he ive and id self- try but nu)del t what 1 more mak- denly iv one 8 and Annals of Niagara. 221 speeches by the summary banishment of the offenders, a species of ostracism which had lain quiet for some yeai-s in the laws of Upper Canada. Gourlay was arrested in 1819 and tried in Niajjara before the Commissioners, Hon, Wm. Dickson and Hon. Robt. Hamilton. He was, after a noisy trial, convicted of sedition and sentenced to banishment from the Province for a period of twenty years. This sentence was at once carried out. Gourlay was taken from the court house by a bailiff and constables, conducted to the ferry and sent over the river to the United States, as a proper place of transportation for a seditious man of his kind. Gourlay remained in banishment for twenty years fron» 1819. In the sun)mer of 1889 he re-appeared in the Niagara district, and immediately began to call meetings in the old style. In the summer of 1839 the writer saw at St. David's large handbills of his headed " The Banished Briton !" calling on the public to listen to a speech from him. But Gourla}'^ was by this time nigh forgotten. Other political agitators had got possession of the field, and no attention was paid to Gourlay. A year or two later I saw him at the bar of the House of Aa.sembly in Toronto making a long address on his banishment and asking compensation for his losses. No one took seriously what he said, and he was sent empty away. He died a few years after, (juite forgotten. /' After the departure of Gourlay the country had rest from political agitation and business revived, and farmers prospered by a aeries of large crops and good prices, and with the farmers' prosperity that of other classes grew as well. At that time, before the inauguratitm of free trade in Britain, Canada enjoyed a preferential tariff for her lumber and agricultural ^ ,, produce over the imports of foreign countries. The trade relationsji between the Colonies and mother country were on a proper footing \ of reciprocal advantages. British goods were admitted into Canada at~. a reduced tariff from that on foreign imports, while Canadian articles had a preference by being admitted at a reduced rate of duty from foreign goods. The result was to bind the Colonies to Great Britain by ties of interest as well as of national sentiment and affection, as became members of one Empire living under the Imperial Crown. Pity it was that such a patriotic and popular mode of connection V.^ ^ T'X h v^ 4.^ m -^ 5 .. .. sU CU ••^^..yv^-a IT>-v~ ^/l H-tO-tf.^ it. I *4 --6 ^-^•^ W ^^-M> A"^ (kn-; 222 Annals of Niagara. waH ever meddled with, as was afterwards done when Cobdeii, Bright and their party adopted free trade as the policy of the United King- dom, without regard to Colonial interests, an Upper built a )ove St. M-egrine !!• beds, ie it in he spot 3 recess iagara, i polite any to showing an increase of a hundred thousand since the beginning of the war in 1812. In 1828 R. Leonard was higli sheriff of the district, and Ralf Clench, judge of the district court ; Robert Kerr was surrogate, and Ralf Clench, Jr., clerk of the peace ; John I'owell was county registrar, I'honias McCornnck, district treasurer. T. Mc(^\)rniick was also collectoi' of H. M. (Customs. The First Regiuient of Lincoln Militia was commanded by Colonel VVm. Clans. The second regiment was under Col. James Kirby. The thinl regiment was under Colonel John Warren, and the fourth was commanded by Col. R. Nelhjs. The Indian Department with its headcjuarters was under the management of the Hon. Wm. Claus, Deputy Superintendent. Jos. B. Clench was clerk, Robt. Kerr, M. D., surgeon, and Mr. Fairchild interpreter. Captain Alexander liarrett, formerly of the 40th Regiment, was barrack master. Fort George was dismantled after the close of the war and allowed to fall into decay. Fort IVLississaugua was retained as a garrison for some years longei' and then also dismantled. Butler's Barracks are still retained in good order. They are nt)W without a regular garrison, but are used when the camps of volunteers are formed annually for exercise on the plains of Niagara. . The ^ total resent The 000^ ■ -Mi 224 Annals of Niagaha. I CHAPTER XXXII. 1824. WN 1824 a project was broufjjlit, before the Province which, while it * promised very great advantajjeH to the country at large, was dcHtined and foreseen to have a detrimental effect on the town of Niagara, now ret.verln ' slowly From its ashes and total destruction in the war, which had closed only ten years before. This was the application for a charter to a company of gentle- men, mostly of St. Catharines, of whom Mr. Hamilton Merritt was the principal, for the making of a canal from the mouth of the Twelve Mile Creek to Port Robinson, to connect by way of Chippawa Creek with the upper Niagara and Lake Erie, thus joining Lakes Ontario and Erie by a short and practicable channel of comnmnication. Like most bold schemes, this project was .it first coldly j-eceived and generally regarded as the chimera of a speculative brain. But the energy and sound sense of Mr. Merritt were not daunted by indiffer- ence or opjiosition. He went to Parliament and secured his charter, and made it his life's business to build the canal. He got the required stock subscribed, some of it by the Parliament, and in 1829 built the canal to Port Robinson — a small channel that admitted only .schooners and barges of forty or fifty tons bui'den. The canal once opened created justly great expectations in the country, and soon it was resolved to extend it to Port Colborne. Parliament again assisted with a substantial grant, and finally it was made a Provincial work, and underwent repeated enlargements until it has now become one of the finest canals in America. The old trade route by portage round the falls was soon killed by the new rival. Many interests in the towns of Niagara, Queen- ston and Chippawa were ruined. The town of Niagara came to a dead stand. The rapid growth of St. Catharines cut off her trade Ni* raoi out Ni^ pre loci adi me inc of i Annals of Niaoaha. 225 1, while it arge, was (! town of oHtnictioii of gentle- n-ritt WHS th of the hippawa ng Lakes unicatioTi. jived and But the ■ inditfer- I charter, recjuired built the choouers 8 in the ^ol borne. y it was its until 1 killed Queen- iie to a r trade largely with the interior, and at the same time many of the people of Niagara removed to the new town on the canal, and Niagara's lo88 increased largely the prosperity of St. Catharines. The proposal of many to make the tmtlet of the new canal at Niagara A^as opposed both by the (loverninont and by the main pro- moters of the canal. One promitient reason offered was that the outlet of the canal ought not to be commanded by the guns of Fort Niagara. This reason, with others rising from the interests of property holders at and about St. Catharines, decided the point of location adverse to the interests of Niagara, and, as is now conceded adverse to the best interests of the canal as regards future enlarge- ments on a veiy large scale, such as are now called for by the increased size of the vessels now used on the lakes. A great supply of water power from the canal for the establishment of mills and factories, which has also boen obtained, were among the advantages gained by the construction of tin; line where it is. All this, however, was of no profit to the town of Niagara, which had little or nothing to set off' against the industries to be established at St. Catharines, Merritton and Thorold. Niagara had, by the establishment of the Dock Company, retained for many years a thriving business. Her wholesale stores still supplied the country west of Toronto. Hamilton, London and Chatham came to Niagara for their goods \intil those towns outgrew the old capital. The town was still the chief seat of the district courts, and was the headcjuarters of the regular troops — generally a whole regiment of Infantry and a battery or two of Royal Artillery. The Indian Department was also located here, and many retired officers of the army. These with the professional men — lawyers, physicians and clergy — with the families of the merchants, made a numerous and well-bred society in the town, who held up their heads with the best in the Province. A commodious market house was built on the site of the former (Government House, with a great town pump in front of it. The whole government square of land was given to the town, and stores were built upon two sides of it, on Queen and King streets. Niagara was at that period entitled to send a representative to the Assembly of Upper Canada and afterwarils to the Parliament of SI ^m m 226 Annals of Niagara. I •« -^s United Canada. These representatives were jijenerally, not always. Conservative in politics, but competent, clever men were always found and elected. The representatives of Niagara almost always took a forward place in the legislature, and often in the Government of the country. Her members in the persons of Henry L. Boulton, Hon. Jos. Morrison, Hon. Walter Dickson, Hon. Angus Morrison, Hon. John Simpson, Hon. J. B. Plumb, later speaker of the Senate, were evidence of the good sense of the majoi'ity of the electors of the town in sending such able men to Parliament. On the re-arrangement of constituencies in the Dominion Ni.igara, on account of its small size, was merged in the county of Lincoln, but it is not found that the political influence of the county as a whole has equalled that of the old coi stituency of Niagara. However, time is long and generations of men succeed forever. It is to be hoped that the county of Lincoln will never lack for men as wise, true and able as were the members of old Niagara. In 1820 a furious contention ai'ose in the United States, and principally in the State of New York, between the Free Masons and anti-Masons on the subject of Masonic influences brought into politics and business to favor mendoers of the society in their dealings with others who were ncit Masons. The strife came to be desperate, when one Morgan, a mend)er of the lodge in Lockport, N. Y., published a book divsclosiny; the secrets of Masonrv, which had an immense sale. The pul)lication of this book raised the greatest excitement. The truth of it was aflirmed and denied, as party spirit suggested. Old political parties were obliterated for a time, and New York was divided into Masons and anti-Masons, who contended with a bitterness exceeding that of politics. In the midst of this strife Morgan suddenly disappeared. It was charged by their oi)ponents that the Masons had carried him off" a piisoner and shut him up in the dungeon of Fort Niagara, with the connivance of Col. King, the commandant, who was a leading Mason. Morgan was sought for, but was never found. It was alleged that he was taken from his dungeon by certain Masons of Youngstown, placed in a boat and rowed out into the lake, where he was thrown in and drowned. Samuel Chubbok and others Aveie indicted for the murder. A Annals of Ntaoara. 227 lot always, ways found lya took a irnment of Boulton, Morrison, he Senate, electors of Dominion county of ■he county f Niagara, ver. It is c for men •tates, and [asons and ito politics ings with rate, when iblished a lense sale, ent. The ited. Old rork was bitterness iared. It 1 him off ^ara, with ft leading- It was [asona of ^vhere he irder. A great sensational trial took place at Lockport, N. Y., which wrought up men's minds to frenzy. The charge was not proved, however, and the death of Morgan has remained a mystery to this day. The public in Niagara was intensely interested in these proceed- ings, which formed almost the sole topic of con\ersation for two years. A large lodge of Free Masons existed in Niagai'a, and opinions were divided here as elsewhere on this exciting and mysterious affair. A {)ropositi()n that can neither be proved nor disproved is the most lasting bone of contention between rival sects or parties, both in religion and politics. On the retirement of Sir Peregrine Maitla.n rightfully as nnich theirs as the Church of England's. Ft had been a liappy thing ii" the Reserves liaatience. but the Rev. Dr. John Strachan of "^Poi-onto, instead of yielding disputed the claims of these churches, and at once the (piestion became one of 228 ANNAiii OF Niagara. .Mri ■ '• i political party strife, instead of a bond to unite all Protestant churehea in union and mutual charity. The question of Clergy Reserves henceforth was one of great political and religious rancour, and gave what it never should have done, a new and sore cause of political discord, which lasted until the Clergy Reserves were taken from the 'churches and secularized by Parliament. Every church has since then had reason to lament the issue, which deprived thorn all of property which was given to support a Protestant ministry in Upper Canada. The difficulty generally experienced of maintaining a Christian ministry and churches, drives them all into a rivalry of competition to obtain funds for their support which lowers the prestige and character of them all. This bitter dispute as to the appropriation of the Clergy Reserves drew the Presbyterians and Methodists into political opposition to the administration of the day, and led many of them into a support of the general agitation which was startpJ and carried on for some years by Wm. Lyon McKenzie, witii the claim for Responsible Government. From 1820 to 1832 the Province increased in population and wealth. The preferential tariff it enjoyed in Britain, and a tariff of heavy rates on American importations, favored the agricultural pro- ductions and started manufacturing industry in Canada to some extent, although the Province was as yet too thinly peopled on the whole, and its towns hardly yet worth the name of towns, only the beginnings of such to make a figure. Niagai'a up to 1832 still held the lead as to wholesale trade in Western Canada. The District of Niagara was now getting cleared of its dense forests, and well cultivated farms with good houses and barns showed the improvements on the leading roads. The log houses disappeared slowly, however. One reason of this was that they were exempt frciuj taxes, while frame or stone and brick houses were assessed for county rates. The people were hopeful, content and happy. The two reigns of George IV. and William IV. were uneventful in the Province. A controvei*sy was started by the United States on the old subject of boundaries in New Brunswick. William IV., who knew the merits of the dispute and the character of the contestants, uttered a saying which was repeated all over the Province, until it J 'I; Annals of Niagara. 229 Protestant of Clergy us rancour, ■e cause of were taken ery church •rived thom ministry in aaintaining rivalry of lowers the :y Reserves position to a support 1 for some lesponsiblo lation and a tariff of Itural pro- a to some led on the 3, only the still held became a watchword : " Canada must neither be lost nor given away." The country had cause to lament the death of the patriot King when Lord Ashburton, either in ignorance of the fraud in maps presented to him by Daniel Webster, or out of an imbecile spirit, signed the disgraceful Ashburton treaty, which gave away the valuable rights of New Brunswick and Canada to the Aroostook and Madawaska territory, and gave their rights away for nothing but to secure peace at any price. This did not affect tiie Niagara District, however, nor check the growth of the town perceptibly. The increasing attractions of Toronto, Hamilton, London, and especially St. Catharines, drew off much of its wholesale trade. Still Niagara had resources as being the district town, the seat of courts and the headquarters of the military on the frontier, that kept off the wolf of rival opposition for some years. M) its dense ns showed isappeared •e exempt sessed for >py. The ul in the is on the IV., who ntestants. . until it i 230 Annals of Niagara. II CHAPTER XXXIII. 1837. ^IR John Col borne retired from the Government of Upper Canada ^^ in 1836 to take cliief command of the troops in Lower Canada, which was in a most disturbed state and threatening rebel- lion if certain demands made in the notorious ninety-two resolutions were not conceded. Sir John was succeeded by Sir Frai cis Bond Head in 1830, a clever writer and speaker, who had got a name for statesmanship which has been disputed and re-affirmed and disputed again, to this day. Sir Francis' government fell to him in a bad time, however. Parties had got so hot and obstinate on political questions that it is certain Sir Francis came on the .scene too late to reconcile or to pacify them. One of his first acts of administration led to a serious riot in the quiet town of Niagara, which is worth recording, and which caused many to distrust his judgment and blame his rashness. In those years the institution of negro slavery was dominant in the Southern States, and the fugitive slave laws were strictly enforced in all the free States of the Union. Great numbers of slaves made their eseapr and sought refuge and protection under the British flag it Canada, the only country in North America which refused to surrender an escaped slave to his former owners. Niagara was a convenient " City of Refuge," and in time a population, of between four and five hundred blacks had settled here. A portion of the town was called Negro Town from so many of that class living in that quarter. They were quiet, peace- able and industrious, most loyal and gi'ateful to the British Govern- ment, which protected them in their self-acquired freedom. Incessant complaints and demands were addressed by the slave owners and slave state governments for the rendition of the fugitives. Annals of Niagara. 231 1' Canada n Lower n^ rebel- 38oIutions cis Bond name for disputed in a bad political 'O late to ^ riot in d which less. In fc in the "orced in b refuge intry in 5 to his ' and in !ks had I'om so peace- fovern- 5 slave fitives, under one pretence or another. A few were even kidnapped if they offered a chance to men on the other side hired for that mean busi- ness, but on the whole the negroes kept a strict watch over the slave hunters, and some of the latter came to grief when they ventured too far in search of their "property." The Canadian Governments were inflexible in their resolution to protect fugitive slaves, but in 1837 a case occurred in which the Lt.-Governor, Sir Francis B. Head, gave his decision in favor of the demands of the owners of a fugitive slave, which led to the memor- able riot and rescue of the slave by the negro inhabitants of Niagara and the surrounding district. A negro slave named Moseby, of Kentucky, had resolved to escape and follow th(^ lead of the Polar star to the land of freedom in Canada. One day he was sent on horseback to carry a message to a neighboring planter. Moseby thought the opportunity good, having a pass, to make his escape. He rode off" and got across the Ohio River, and travelling l»y night, following the Polar star, and resting by day in woods, he finally madfe his way to the Niagara River, left his horse, and crossed over into Canada, where he found his way to Niagara among so many more of his race. A grand jury of the county in Kentucky found a true bill against Moseby for horse stealing, and a requisition for his arrest in Canada and surrender to them was brought by American civil officers to the Lt.-Governor for his extradition. Moseby was arrested in Niagara on the charge of horse stealing, and lodged in the district gaol. The charge was a pretence. His owners avowed that they only wanted to get him back to Kentucky to whip him to death, as a warning to slaves against seeking liberty by going to Canada. Sir Francis B. Head chose to regard the alleged charge as lawful and sufficient for Moseby 's surrender. He would not consider the fact that this slave had worked gratuitously all his life for the master claiming him, and might fairly claim to be the creditor of his master by the price of many horses. An immense excitement arose in Niagara over this question. The colored people, men and women, met in crowds and i-esolved that Moseby should never be given back to slavery, and that they would resist to death any attempt to carry him away. The white people 232 Annals of Niagara. •?y':i if3 ' sympathized largely with the blacks, and encouraged them in their resiaiance to the surrender. They sent strong petitions to the Lt. -Governor not to give up a fugitive slave under the pretence of hcvtfe stealing. The Lt.-Governor replied that his duty was clearly to give up Moseby as a felon, although he would have armed the Province to protect a slave. The colored people came in crowds and encamped night and day before the gates of the gaol to rescue Mosebj' as soon as he should be brought out. They were directed in their movements by a very clever mulatto schoolmaster named Ho-mes, and were day after day addressed by an eloquent poiur^^d '«'oman named Mrs. Carter, whose fiery speeches roused the ai V^ to frenzy. The women were particularly excited. They st' > • -olid phalanx before the gaol gates singing negro hymns, praying and encouraging the men never to allow the fugitive to be dell o ^' up io his masters. This scene lasted over a week, when the siieriit recon > I »_ -ders from the Gov- ernment to at once deliver up the prisoner. Accordingly, on the 25th September a large posse of constables under the direct orders of the sheriff, having handcuffed Moseby and placed him in a wagon, with guards on all sides of him, issued out of the gaol gates. The colored people were ready for them. Holmes and another colored man seized the horses' heads, and others shoved sticks between the spokes and locked the wheels of the wagon. The women also stood in front in a mass to stop its progress. A scuffle at once ensued ; shots were fired by some of the guard; Holmes was killed, many others were wounded. Some of the guards were also hurt. Moseby, an active man, got his handcufis off and leaped out of the wagon, and was instantly lost in the crowd. A powerful black woman seized the deputy-sheriff, Alex. McLeod, round the waist and held him fast so that he could not get away. Mrs. Carter stood on a wagon, calling on the people in the wildest strain of impassioned oratory to rescue the captive and never give him up while they had life. Moseby had the sympathy of the whites generally. The gaoler, Wheeler, was supposed to have connived at the handcuffs having been put so loosely on Moseby that he easily got his hands out of them. He had friends, too, among the sheriffs posse, who made but Scei her MrsJ Herl fold! di£ Annals of Niagara. 233 in their to the itence of give up )vince to and day fhould be a very ter day 1", whose ^n were he gaol -n never is scene le Gov- he 25th ' of the "1, with s. The colored sen the stood naued ; many toseby, '^^agon, vomtin i held 1 on a n'oned y had aoler, iving- ut of 3 but a mere show of resistance to the crowd of blacks. Indeed the sympathy of the whole Province was on the side of the slave, and the people were glad to hear of his rescue. The celebrated Mrs. Jameson relates in her book of " Winter Scenes" that she saw Mrs. Carter at Niagara in 1837, and spoke to her about the occurrence in which she had borne so prominent a part. Mrs. Jameson says : " She was a fine creature, about twenty-five. Her black eyes flashed with excitement as she extended her arms or folded them on her bosom with an attitude and expression of resolute dignity which a painter might have studied." She said to Mrs. Jameson : " Yes, I was happy here, but now I don't know. I thought we were safe here. I thought nothing could touch us on British ground." She was proud of her part in the rescue of Moseby. Mrs. Carter died at Niagara several years after. Moseby lived quietly the rest of his life in St. Catharines and Niagara. The principal leader and hero of this rescue was the mulatto Holmes, who willingly gave his life to preserve the liberty of a poor fugitive slave. He was buried in the cemetery of the colored Baptist church in Niagara. No stone marks his gi-ave, and none now can point out the spot. The Governor's view of the matter was not approved of in the Province generally. It was considered that a slave taking a horse of his master to aid him in escaping from slavery was a venial offence, and not to be ranked with felonious horse stealing. This was the last attempt ever made by a Governor of Canada to surrender a fugitive slave on any pretence. The colored people in Canada were very loyal, and a large com- pany of them enlisted during the rebellion and served under Captain Johnson Clench on the frontier — good and trusty soldiers they were. The question of the Clergy Reserves inflamed party politics and broke up the old harmony which had existed so long, and drew many loyal men under the influence of a new agitator, William Lyon McKenzie, a countryman and imitator of Robert Gourla3\ McKenzie first settled at Queenston, and there started a newspaper. The Colonial Advocate, which in personalities, rancour and venom exceeded any- thing yet seen in Canada, or since. McKenzie took up the clergy 234 Annals of Niagara. t reserve disputes, the land grants, the war losses, taxes, and characters of public men, the last especially. Men in those days were more sensi- tive than now to what newspapers said of them, and savage feelings were evoked by every issue of McKenzie's paper. This led to a remark- able prosecution of McKenzie V^y William Hamilton Merritt, the gallant Captain of Provincial Dragoons in the war of 1812 and the promoter of the Welland Canal. McKenzie attacked him on all points in the foulest language, charging him with frauds and falsifications in canal affairs. Merritt sued him for libel, and a great and prolonged trial took place in the court at Ni.igara. Needless to go over it — Merritt beat McKenzie in the court, to the general satisfaction of reasonable men, and McKenzie, finding Niagara offered him too narrow a scope for his ambition, removed to York, and there published his weekly Colonial Advocate, which, in the paucity of newspapers at that day in the country, was extensively read, and influenced party spirit to a serious degree, and with a bad effect on McKenzie liimself, for it led him to exaggerate his powers of mischief. He misunderstood the inherent loyalty of the people generally, and could not foresee that they would rise and crush any armed rebellion, no matter who tried it. The elections, 1836, had turned against McKenzie's party. He was himself returned, but the new Parliament turned him out, and McKenzie, without the knowledge of the leaders of the Reform party — BaldwMJi, BidM'ell, Rolf, Morrison and others — formed a con- spiracy with his personal followers to rise in arms and overthrow the Provincial Government, take possession of Toronto, and virtually proclaim an independent State. Sir Francis Bond Head had, in pursuance of a policy adopted by him, sent away to Lower Canada every regular solder in garrison in Upper Canada — for one reason to assist Sir John Colborne to sup- press the rebellion of Papineau in the District of Montreal, and, for another reason, to demonstrate that the loyal people of Upper Canada as local militia could suppress McKenzie if he went to the length of rebelling, which no one yet believed he was fool enough to do. ' The effect of this was to encourage McKenzie to armed rebellion. The news of his gathering his adherents in arms on the 5th Decem- Annals of Niagara. 235 characters lore aensi- :e feelings a remark- he gallant promoter |nts in the 18 in canal uged trial Merritt reasonable \ a Hcop(> s weekly that day pirit to a for it led ^tood the esee that fcter who i-ty. He out, and Reform ^ a con- irow the ■irtually 'pted by rison in to sup- ind, for Upper to the enough sellion, )ecem- ber seemed at first too ridiculous for belief, but when it was learned to be really true the people woke up as by a thunder clap, and mustered in arms by troops and n'giments of n)ilitia. and without a day's delay made Toronto their goal, and it was who could get there the soonest to put down the wicked rebellion of a mad politician, who was so far in earnest that he really tried to put in practice the disloyal doctrines he had for years been declaiming about in his speeches and writings. On the 7th December the townspeople were astonished to see the steamer Trtmsit, with flags flying, coming across the lake from Toronto, where she had been laid up for the winter. Hundreds of conjectures were made as to the cause of her trip. The people flocked to the wharf, and at once an officer of the stafl' came ashore with orders from (\)lonel FitzOibbon, who was in command of the militia of the Province. He told the astonished crowd that a rebel- lion had been started back of Toronto l>y McKenzie, and that Captain Garrett, an old oflicei- of the 49th under (Jeneral Brock, was directed to muster the pensioners and retired soldieis who were at Niagara, and go at once to Toronto on board the Tranmt with them, and such others of the loyal townsmen as volunteered to accompany them. There were living in Niagara then about two hundred pensioners — old soldiers discharged at various periods from the regular regiments stationed there. Capt. Garrett immediately ordered out this body of old soldiers, who to a man turned out at his ordei*. The magistrates also met and called for volunteers. There was at that time a splen- did fire company in Niagara, composed of the most respectable and active men in the town, under the command of their captain, Mr. John Barker, a sturdy Loyalist. He summoned the fire company, explained the danger Toronto stood in, and the whole company of about fifty men volunteered their services to the Government. Other contingents to support the Goverrnnent went from the Gore District under the comuiand of Col. McNabb, and indeed such was the number of Loyalists who came forward that the Lt. -Gover- nor ordered no more to come. He had enough. McKenzie's follow- ers were assembled at their appointed rendezvous at Montgomery's tavern on Yonge street, a few miles from the city. They were placed under the jnilitary command of one Anderson. Blood was necessary 236 Annals of Niagara. |( •■: • i'r tKii\'''''i laggt .-■■•J si! R to seal the rebel cause. A victim soon offered in the person of Colonel Moodie — a fine old retired officer of the regular army. He was riding down Yonge street past the crowd of rebels at Mont- gomery's, when they ordered him to stop. Not obeying their order he rode on, and was instantly fired upon and killed on the highway. This was the first blood shed in the rebellion. Soon another, on the rebel side, paid the penalty of death. McKenzie's military com- mander, Anderson, with a party or horsemen, had taken prisoner John Powell, a Niagara nian, and another with him, on Yonge street. The rebels were escorting Powell back to Montgomery's, when Powell, who was riding near Anderson, shot him dead with a pistol, and spurring his horse escaped to the city, where he gave the first news of the rebels' advance. The death of Anderson was a great loss to McKenzie, who had no military knowledge himself. John Powell was county registrar of Lincoln, and died many years after the rebellion, and is intended at Niagara. Colonel FitzCibbon, on the arrival of the Niagara and Gore Volunteers, resolved to march out and attack the rel)els on their position at Gallows Hill on Yonge street. FitzGibbon formed his troops in order to attack, placing the Niagara pensioners in the front, followed by the Wentworth and Gore Militia and a strong body of Toronto Loyalists, with one gun and some cavalry. They soon came up to the rebel position, which was defended by about 800 men drawn up on ea«h side of the road. The Niagara pensioners led and at once opened fire upon the rebels, which was feebly returned. The rebels were shaken at the first filing. A general volley followed, and the pensioners, militia and volunteers were ordered to charge with the bayonet, when the rebels broke and fled in all directions. Montgomery's tavern was burnt, also the house nearby of Dr. Gibson, a prominent rebel. McKenzie being well mounted turned to fly among the very first. In less than an hour the affair was all over, and not a rebel was left on the field, except as prisoners and a few killed and wounded — not a great number, for the battle was decided HO quickly that the rebels did not wait to be killed, but made their escape as fast as they could. In fact there was no heart in it ; they took up anns at the call of McKenzie, thinking it was only to dis- comfit the party opposed to them in politics. In spirit few of them Annals of Niagara. 237 kraon of liny. He it Mont- 'ir order lighway. ', on the [ry com- prisoner !e street. Powell, itoJ, and st news b loss to Powell fter the »d Gore )n their ned his le front, body of >n came )0 men led and I. The ed, and e with actions. Jibson, to fly I over, a few 3cided their they ) dis- them were rebels. They had no real grievances except imaginary ones declared by McKenzie to be such, and when the militia were ordered out to suppress rebellion they obeyed the law as a matter of course, and McKenzie's political supporters were as ready as any to put him down. An example of this shall be recorded here. It happened in the family connection of the writer. Two brothers, men of wealth and position. They had each commanded a company in the Ist Lincoln in the war of 1812. They were brave soldiers, men of iron will and hard tempers. One was a Presbyterian, and on account of the Clergy Reserves had got on the other side of politics fi-om his brother, who was a member of the Church of England. They had also quarreled over land claims, and had not spoken together for many years, although living on adjoining estates. On receipt of the news of the rebellion the former went to his brother's house and saw him. He extended his hand and said : " John, a rebellion has been started at Toronto by McKenzie. No one of our name ever was or could be a rebel. I have sup])orted McKenzie, now I am ready to go with you to tight him. Let us now be friends 1 " The two brothers were at once reconciled, and were found next da}' in the ranks of the 1st Lincoln, of which one of them was Colonel. There was great rejoicing at Niagara at the return of the volunteers and pensioners, who had led the attack upon the rebels at Gallows Hill. McKenzie made his escape towai-ds the Niagara frontier, hiding by day in the houses of his partizans and travelling by night. He reached Wentworth and then made for Queenston, where he crossed the river. Hundreds were on the lookout for him. He had a very narrow escape from some of the militia at the Four Mile Creek, but he managed to elude their search. He got to Buffalo, where he was received with open arms and had abundant promises of help if he would continue the war upon Canada. The rascaldom of Buffalo were placed at his service. He proceeded to organize a Government for Canada, and to issue bonds payable V>y the sale of lands in the Province. People in Buffalo bought his bonds and so supplied him with money. He forthwith enrolled an army of roughs and scalla- wags, and, having been allowed to take the State arms out of the military armouries, he armed his followers, and seizing a steamer at 238 Annals ok Niaoara. Buffalo culled the Caroline he emharked a motley army — which could only have found a n>atch in Falstaff s I'oj^inient of .scarecrows — and dropped down the river to Navy Island — belonf^in^ to ('analaze was cut '"^ose and allowed to drift swiftly to ilestruction over the tremen cataract of Niajjara. Immense was the uproar n)ade in the ITnited States at this broadsiJer from ('anada. Colonel McNabl) and others were indicted at Lockport a few days after for the murder of the rebel shot on the wharf, and a jjeneral war was threatcuied in all th(^ newspapiMs. But the Government of Britain accepted full responsibility I'oi" the act, and justitied the action of her officers, and when it was found that Britain would ^o to war if one of her otficers was punished foi* it in the United States the ati'air was prudently allowed to pass. Alex, McLeod of Niafjara was arrested and put on ti'ial at Lockpoit in 1840. He had not really been in the attack on the Carolina', but the Government of Britain declared that war would follow if hr was punis' Mr. Daniel Webster, then Secretary of State at VVa.sliing- ton, ' the gravity of the situation, got a jury empanelled at Lockport for the i)urpose of acrpiitting McLeod, who did ac(|uit him, and thus that very threatening storm, like some others, blew over. But the affair of trie CaroUiif was long a topic of interest on the Niagara frontier. Navy Lsland was abandoned a few days after by the Rebels and Sympathizers. The President, after the failure of the Rebels, issued a proclamation forbidding the breach of the neutrality laws, and General Scott was sent down to recover the guns and material of the United States at Navy Island, but he in no way stopped the further action of the Sympathizers. If McKenzie had been a wise or prudent man he would have given up his attack upon the Province, but he was neither. Encour- aged by the Americans, he formed a numerous bodj of freebooters, whom he called " Hunters " and " Sympathizers," with the object of keeping up an irregular war upon Canada. He published " The Caroline Almanac," full of fierce invectives against Canada, and a newspaper just as bad — worse it could not be. These Sympathizers kept up a steady warfare of pillage and murder for two years on the frontier from Windsor to Prescott, 240 Annals of Niagara. Is Many lights took place, and many on both aides were killed. Some of the Sympathizers were shot or hanged. The annoyance and expense they caused to Canada were immense. McKenzie having failed in his efforts, his American friends ceased to support him, but he was given a berth in the customs house. New York. He did not keep it long, for his inveterate spirit of con- tention and fault finding led him to attack his superiors, and he was dismissed from his office. He soon became disgusted with his American friends, and, recanting all his bad opinions of the Govern- ment of Canada, applied to the British Cabinet for permission to return to Canada and promised to be a good subject ever after. He wrote a letter to Earl Grey, the Colonial Secretary, in which the following sentiments are expressed, which show the hollow factious opinions of hiiiisolf and followers in 1837 : " A course of careful observation during the last eleven years has fully satisfied nie that had the violent movements in which 1 and many others were engaged on both sides of the Niagara proved successful, that success would have deeply injured the people of Canada whom I then believed I was serving at gre.at risks, that it would have depi-ived millions, perhaps, of our countrymen in Europe of a home on this continent, except upon cou- ditions, though many hundreds of thousands have been constrained to accept them, but are of an exceeding onerous and degrading character. "There is not a living man on this continent who more sincerely desires that British Government may long continue and give a home and a welcome to the old countryman than myself. The result is not a desire to use power and influence here, but to help if I can and all I can the country of my birth." McKenzie's appeal was listened to. Pardon was granted, and he returned like Gourlay to Canada, but he had lost his influence. Others had succeeded him in the lead of the party, and although he was elected in Haldimand in opposition to George Brown, the country would not trust him again, and McKenzie lived and died some years after a professedly loyal man and political enemy to those who had taken his seat of power away from him. After the evacuation of Navy Island the First Lincoln Militia was kept for six weeks longer on duty, under Colonel John D. Servos of Niagara township. The old regiment on the fii-st outbreak of the rebellion on Yonge street had turned out and paraded on the common at Niagara 1,900 strong, with a spirit and unanimity that showed how men at once forgot their political quarrels and united together as one body to defend their flag and country. &^"V Annals of Niagara. 241 id. Some 'ance and ids ceased )use, New it of con- id he was with his Govern- li.ssion to ter. in which e hollow s has fully -ny others at success heUeved I erhaps, of upon cou- rained to cter. sly desires I welcome Jse power ny birth." d, and he influence, loug-h he i country fie years who had 1 Militia ). Servos k of the common showed together CHAPTER XXXIV. 1888. \ FTER the evacuation of Navy Island the American Sympathizers, ^^ as they called themselves, organized an extensive plan for the conquest of Canada. At every town on their frontier from Detroit to Ogdensburg they formed " Hunters' Lodges," composed of the basest elements of rascaldom in the United States. Thoy armed and drilled everywhere preparatory to an invasion in 1888. One of the first acts they did was the murder of Captain Usher, who lived opposite Navy Island. A part}^ headed by one Lett came over the river in a boat in the night. They went to Usher's house and knocked. He went to the door suspecting no harm, when they shot him through the side window of the hall. The murderer escaped. Another attempt at invasion was made by three or four hundred men from Buffalo, under the command of one Moreau. They got across and at once made for the Short Hills in Pelham, where they sur- rounded a tavern containing an outpost of Lancers. They captured a piquet, but were incontinently attacked by the main troop of Lancers under Colonel Magarth, and routed witli some loss. Moreau was taken prisoner and taken down to Niagara, where he was tried, sentenced to death and hanged in the gaol there. There was no further attempt made on the Niagara frontier. Reinforcements of troops arrived from England. The 48rd Regiment of Infantry, the 98rd Highlanders, the Incorporated Militia, which was commanded by Col. Win. Kingsmill, and a troop of King's Dragoon Guards were sent up to Niagara and to the Falls, where they remained about a year. They effectually prevented all further attacks on the frontier. By the end of 1888 British regular troops to the number of 20,000 men had arrived in Canada. Their presence, and that only, put a stop to the disgraceful buccaneering warfare, which the Government of the 242 Annals of Niagara. United States either would not or could not stop. In the summer of 1838 the Sympathizers invaded the Province at Prescott in the eastern and Point Pelee in the western district, and much loss of life and property was the consequence. They were defeated at all points. VanSchoultz and other leaders at Prescott were hanged. Colonel Prince at Sandwich shot on the spot a number of marauders whom he had taken. Rough medicine, but the only course left open for the protection of the country from the thousands of desperate men banded on the opposite frontier to invade and plunder the Province. They took the warning, however, and after the winter of 1888 no further invasion was attempted, but solitary outrages on individuals and property continued until 1839. In March, 1840, one Lett, the same who had murdered Captain Usher a year previous, came across the river wi>,i'i some others at Queenston. They placed gunpowder within the beautiful monument which the Province had built in honor of General Brock, and with a loud explosion shattered the monument so that it was ready to fall at any time, and could not be repaired. This atrocious deed roused a feeling of indignation all over the country. Public meetings were held denouncing the act of the then unknown miscreants as an outrage to the memory of Brock, and a public insult to the Province. Sir George Arthur, in 1838, was appointed Lieutenant-Governor in succession to Sir Francis Bond Head. He by proclamation called a public meeting of the people of Upper Canada, to be held on Queenston Heights on the 13th October, 1840, to consider the ques- tion of the rebuilding of the monument. An immense gathering took place on that day. Sir George Arthur presided at the meeting. People came from all parts of Upper and Lower Canada. A procession of seven steamers loaded with people came up the river from Toronto and Hamilton. There were no "railways in those days,, and the difficulty of travel was much more than at the present time. Eloquent and most stirring speeches were made to the assembled crowds by the Hon. Chief Justice Robinson, Sir Allan McNabb, Judge Macaulay, Hon. Hamilton Merritt, Colonel Kirby, Chief John- son of the Six Nations, and others. Resolutions were offered and adopted expressive of indignation at the lawless act of the destrue- i;*i :?:?! Annals of Niagara. 243 inner of in the of life points. Colonel honi he for the te men rovince. 888 no viduals tion of the monument, and to open Hubscriptions for its re-building, and committees were appointed to take chaige of the work. The cost was estimated at !!i<20,000. It cost much more, however. Still a good beginning was made, and it was certain that, cost what it might, the Province would make it all good. An incident shall be mentioned here that took place at the time of this meeting. A number of men stood grouped on the American Heights on the opposite side of the river. They rai.sed a Britisii flag. It wats known that they were a lot of Canadian refugees who had tt,ed from Canada with McKenzie, and dared nt)t come back. They took this method of showing their resj)ect to Brock, and it may be their regret at having risen in rebellion against the Queen. The writer viewed them with an eye of pity and regret that they should ever have got into such trouble as led to their exile from their own country. In 1842 the present court house was built on the the site of the market house, which was pulled down. The distance from the town of the old district court house was the cause of its construction. The attendance of suitors, lawyers, witnesses and jurors at the district courts was great in those days. Three counties — Lincoln Welland and Haldimand — did their judicial business lU Niagara, and a strong feeling existed against the distance of the old court house. The town of Niagara was in possession of a large fund contributed by ground rents of the market block and market fees. 'J'hese were called the market trusts. This money was appropriated by the town to build the new ccmrt house, tovvn hall and market, at a cost of about S30,000. The holding of the courts was held in the new l>uilding when it was completed, in about 1843. No part of America has so complete and useful a .system of Municipal Government as the Province of Ontario. To the Hon. Robert Baldwin is due the credit of first establishing district councils, composed of representatives of tow^n.ships. The council of the District of Niagara in 1842 represented the thi'ee counties of Lincoln. Welland and Haldimand. David Thorburn, Esq., M. P. for Lincoln, was appointed the first warden, and a dignified and efticient one he was. He sat in the warden's chair, wearing a black gown, with his cocked hat beside him. He brought in the rules of the House of 244 Annals of Niagara. Assembly to govern the proceedings of the council, and, in fact, the District Council of Niagara, which met in the large room of the British Hotel, was a creditable Parliament in miniature. It did good work, and set an example for usefulness and order to all other district councils in the Province. In 1846 an event of great importance to Canada took place by the sudden change of opinion and policy on the part of the British Cabinet, led by Sir Robert Peel, who brought a bill before Parliament for the establishment of free trade without any reservation in the interest of the Colonies. This policy depiived Canada of the preferential privileges she had enjoyed in Britain. It crippled her trade immensely. The markets of the United States were restrictive and an era of bad times set in, which lasted several years. Hon. H. Merritt and others interested in Canadian trade went to London to try and have the old preferential trade I'etained, but the bigotry of Peel, Cobden, Bright, and the Manchester school was such that they would not change although the world came to an end. The delusion of the free traders was, all other countries would follow their example in free trade, and that England would lead the world in manufactures forever. The Queen in her speech at the opening of Parliament, 1846, was nmde to say : " I recommend you to take into consideration whether the principles on which you have acted may not, with advantage, be yet more extensively applied to make such further reductions as may (end to insure the continu- ance of the great benefits to which I have adverted and to strengthen the bonds of unity with foreign powers." Sir Robert Peel is recorded to have said, on introducing his free trade resolutions : " Wearied with our long and unavailing efforts to enter into a satis- factory commercial treaty with other nations, we have at length resolved to consult our own interests, and you may depend upon it, whatever may be the immediate effect, our ea^ample will be ultimately folloioed." Half a century has elapsed and not a single nation in the world has followed the example of England, or shown the slightest tendency to do so. A bigger mistake than that of Peel, Cobden and Bright, in their calculations, was never made by statesmen. The treaty of reciprocity with the United States made by Lord !5^ fact, the m of the did good all other place by British trliament n in the of the pled her jstrictive Hon. H. ondon to gotry of lat they delusion example factures Annals of Niagara. 245 it, 1846, iciples on tensively continu- then the his free a satis- olved to may be e world sndency Bright, y Lord Elgin in 1854 gave an increase of trade in natural products between that country and Canada. Prices of produce and cattle went up, but it was more the inflation caused by the Crimean war, which com- menced in the same year, which gave the impulse to Canadian trade than the treaty. Wheat rose to $1.50 and $2.00 a bushel. Farmers grew rich during that war. and it used to be said that "you could not knock one down on the highway without finding two or three hun- dred dollars in his pocket." The Crimean war was a godsend to Canadian farmers, who too often gave reciprocity the credit of it, overlooking the real cause. About 1845 the regiment of Royal Canadian Rifles was embodied, with headquarters in Niagara, under the command of Colonel Wm. Elliot, an old experienced oflicer of the Duke of Wellington. This regiment was composed of volunteers from the regular army. They served on the frontier until its disbandment in 1858. A tjreat num- ber of the men were discharged in Niagara on pensions, and resided afterwards in the town. A few of them remain until the present time, 1896. In 1855 the Royal Canadian Regiment, the lOOth, was enlisted for service in the Crimea. Many joined its ranks in Niagara, a full company at least, for the military spirit was always strong in the old town. The regiment reached England too late for service in the Crimea, and was sent to Gibraltar. The Hon. Joseph Howe of Nova Scotia had been sent to the United States to encourage the enlistment of foreigners in a legion to be embodied at Niagara for the Crimea. The prejudices against England and in favor of Russia prevented the success of the scheme, although a number of Germans and other foreigners came to Niagara for enlistment. The legion was not formed. Mr. Howe had to escape from the United States, being threatened with arrest. He came to Niagara, where he was most courteously received by the society of the town, and visited among others the writer of this, then the pub- lisher of the Mail newspaper. Howe often came into the office and showed his ability as a practical printer by sometimes setting a few sticks of type, to the delight of the workmen in the office. Howe was a man of great powers of mind and vei-satile talents, but his visit to the United States on this recruiting business )pened eyes 246 Annals of Niagara. i it li wider than they had ever been before to the inherent hostility of the United States to Britain and her Colonies. The progress of the war in the Crimea, 1854-5, was watched with the keenest interest and sympathy with Britain by the whole population of Canada, and by none more than by the people of Niagara. On the receipt of the glorious news of the fall of Sebas- topol the townspeople were wild with joy. A general celebration took place on the Fort George common and in the town. An immense bonfire was made on the common, a whole ox was roasted, and with bread and ale ad libitum a memorable feast was held in honor of the victory. Next night the whole town was illuminated. Hardly a pane of glass in it was seen without a lighted candle. An immense piiblic meeting was held in the court house, and large sub- sci'iptions made to the " Patriotic Fund " in aid of the widows and children of the gallant men who had fallen in the Crimea. Old Niagara never failed in its duty on a question of patriotism. In the summer of 18G0 a great Indian ball play was held on Niagara coumion between the Mohawks of the Grand River and the Senecas of Cataraugus, N. Y. An immense number of Indians, men and women, all in holiday attire, were present, as well as some thousands of whit* people, to see the real game of bagatawayo played by those whose native game it was. The Mohawks were under the direction of Chief Johnson the elder, the head of the Six Nations ; the Senecas were under their head chief, William Jones, also a famous Indian. The play lasted nearly all day. The weather was fine, and the games fluctuated between the two parties, whose running and batting of the ball were very clever. The most of the players were quite naked, except the loin cloth. All exhibited great skill and dexterity. The game was finally decided in favor of the Senecas, who went home in triumph with the pi'izes won at Niagara. This was probably the last Indian game of ball (or lacrosse) which will ever be played by Indians on Niagara common. In that sauje year, 1860, began the great civil war in the United States between the North and South, which made a great impression on Canada as a neighbor and witness of a mad conflict brought on by the intrigues and machinations of rival political parties contend- ing for the power and patronage of the Government. Congress, Annals of Niagara. 247 of the atched whole ople of Sebas- bration n. An roasted, held in inated. le. An f the Mr. Wni. Kirby wa.s sent to Quebec, wliero the Parliament then sat, to obtain compensation. A long .struggle ensued, but the bill finally passed with a clause ordering the sum of eight thousand dollars to Niagara, to be paid by the county as compensation for removal. The removal of course took place, and it was a serious blow to the town, which never recovered from it to the present time. It was resolved, however, to make the best use of the compensation money to the public advantage, and accordingly a joint stock com- pany was organized to build the Royal Niagara Hotel, with twenty thousand dollars stock. The town invested its eight thou.sand dollars, and the hotel was built, costing !?25,()00, which was after given to Captain Dick for nothing. By the removal of the gaol, courts of justice, the judge, sheriff, registrar, treasurei-, county clerk, and other persons connected with the county administration was inflicted a severe blow upon the old town, and which it felt for many years after. The car works, built by Mr. S. Zimniei-man, the promoter and contractor of the Canada Southern Railway, had also closed, by reason of his death in the terrible Desjardins canal bridge accident, March 12th, 1857. Niagara had also borrowed largely of the Gov- ernment Municipal Loan Fund to build the Erie and Niagara Railway, and the load of debt upon the town was a depressing charge which lumg like a mill-.stone about its neck for many years, until the Canada Southern Railway, by taking it over, relieved us and connected the town with the Canada Southern. On the 12th March, 1888, died the Hon. Josiah Burr Plumb, who bad been the last representative in the Dominion Parliament of Niagara, and was Speaker of the Senate. Mr. Plumb was one of a numerous class of rich, intelligent Americans who, having no faith in the continuance of democratic institutions, removed to Canada to enjoy the security and protection of British law for person and property. This class of persons is becoming quite numerous in Canada. They readily drop off their republicanism, and become loyal citizens and good subjects of the Crown. The stream of these people to England and Canada is one of the remarkable but natural features of the present time. 252 Annals of Niagara. 3'| \kn On the ces8atioQ of the civil war in the United States that country waH filled with multitudes of disbanded soldiers, who roamed (jver the country »is tramps, begjjing or demanding subsistence from the people, and through fear usually got what they demanded, and furnished ready recruits for any lawless enterprise that offered. Many were enlisted t(j make war upon Cuba. Many more were en- listed in the Fenian service. A vast organized conspiracy was formetl for the " liberation of Ireland " as it was termed, but really to make war upon Canada and plunder the property of its inhabitants, and seize aniary, a iarge and valuable one, for the reading and instruction of its citizens, who vvei'e men able to appreciate auch a full fountain of knowledge in theii midst ; here the first missionary led the way to the evangelizatiovi of the people — white, red and black — who had settled in x\\(\ grand old forcsta^ which their industry was turning into broad a/'i'es of corn land, meadows, orchards, and all the utilities of civili/:ed life. Obedience to the teachings of religion and to the law, and respect for the magistrates appointed by the King were' marked features of the j)eople who made Cpper Cana, 189(1 50 BY I4R8. 8. A. CURZON, Toronto. The Story of Laura Seeord(18i:!). PI). 15. 1(S91 10 BY WM. KIRBY, F. R. 8. C, NiaRara. The Servos Family, (1720 to 1812) 10 Memento of the Unveiling of the Monunu^nt on Lundy's Lane, July 25th, 1895. A Dediearory Ode, 14 lines , 5 The Annals of Niagara, or the History of the Peninsula for nearly .SflO years, 1890. 270 pages. Paper covers , 75 Do. Do. Cloth, with gilt lettering 1 00 (Express charges or jiostage extra on " Annals of Niagara.""! BY REV. JOHN BURNS. A Loyal Sermon of 1814, preached in Stamford, near liUndy's Lane, pp. 12, 1892 . . 10 BY JANET CARNOCHaN, Niasara. Niagara, 100 Years Ago. ])p. 'Ml 1892 25 BY REV. E. J. FE88ENDBN, Chippawa. A Centenary Study, pp. 26, 1892 25 — ALSO — Brief Account of die Batt)<' of Luudy's Lane, 1814, by Sir R. H. Bonnycastle, Knight. Accounts of Re-in ferments