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MONTREAL PUB LIS TIED FOR THE AUTHOR, By H. H. CUNNINGHAM. THIS. e<^?^o " He who has a clamour raised against him hy numbers, appeals in vain to numbers for justice, though his claim may be clear as the sun at noon-day. The divided responsibility of bodies of men prevents any thing like the consent of conscience, and the most ruthless wrongs are committed, equally without reflection and without remorse." — Cooper's Crater; or, Vulcari's Peak, vol. ii., pages 70, 71. .'. VV, HAniMrOX. T [ijV'l'I.i!. ^1^ THE GUARDS IN CANADA OR, I'HE POINT OF HONOR. It has not been without deep reflection on the subject, that I have arrived at the determination of adding the following to my Eight years in Canada; but, as allusion ha3 already been made therein, to a circumstance presumed by many, to have thrown a shade over my character for courage, and which is but imperfectly understood, in all its bearings, even by those who are presumed to have had cognizance of all the facts. J feel it to be a duly which 1 owe to myself — to my friends — those noble and manly friends who have generously sustained me through evil report, and to all who are inclined to think favorably of ms — to remove the veil of concealment, and lay bare the whole matter before the public— not, be it understood, that I seek to make that public partisans, in a question, the merits of which can only be properly decided by the initiated in the Court of Honor, but chiefly with a view that the transaction may be brought under the notice of those select few whom I admit to be competent to decide upon its merits — and who arc principally to be found in the London ('lubs. It has not, I repeat, been without deep, without serious reflection, and I may add, not without considerable reluc- tance, thnt T have decided on reviviug a s;i!)iect, over wliicii \<.'ai-:> h;ivo yurtKilh/ ihrovvn ihe shadow of oblivion, i)Ul nut 'n'liolly so; and il is for this vcrv reason — it is hecaiise 1 have been led to believe ihal i'also sintemcnis have been made — 'i^hiC iiiiprcssion.s received, buiii here and at lioine, wliich m\ pecidiar lends \\\ these matters repudiate witli !ori},iijfi^ and scorn — diat f now fee! myself called upon to vindicate nn^elf to the uHcrtnost. In a few short years I may !jo down to ll.e grave, atid who then, il" 1 do il not riow, wjl! leel justdic ho/V/ever nincii ind eenerous ly mcUned n jUiting forth an explanation wliicli I had negiceicd t<.i ren- THE GUARDS IN CANADA ; dcr myself ? — wliosc voice will be raised to drown the calum- ny which nriy enemies, too timid — aye, loo cowardly — to circulate in other than whispered, foul moutlied, inuendoeg now, will then, when freed from all dread of refutation, loudly proclaim ? On reference to the volume, I lind that notwithstanding I have, in alluding to the disagreeable matter in question, intro- duced every thmg which could bear against myself, I have offered no other defence than what is contained in the scorn- ful, but unsupported denial of so gross and improbable a charge as that contained in several of the low American pa- pers. There is not to be found a line — a word, to convey to the reader, and to posterity, I trust, proof of the utter false- hood of the accusation, and of the animus which directed the whole proceeding — yet, which aiforded, to i\\c fashion- able, the honorable, and the high-minded actors in the drama, the glorious opportunity of uniting in the noble design of crushing a single individual — one however, who, as the Montreal Herald of that day tridy remarked, was not, and is not, to be put down by any set of men whomsoever — not even by those who, filled with arrogant assumption, pre- sume to set themselves up in judgment on their fellows on points, the true merits of which they are incompetent to seize with accuracy — and with no diploma — no other re- commendation to be heard, than what seems to be associated with the chivalrous character of their profession. It is by no means my intention to go over the (to me) dis- gusting details of the matter and maimer of this affair of honor as it is facetiously enough called by the writer of the paragraph which appears in the book. A summary of this will be given later in a copy of a document which was sent to Sir John Colborne ; but as the Grenadier Guards — the then elite of Canadian society, are the parties to whom I shall have principally to allude, as having taken the initiative in the gentlemanly and manly crusade, it will be necessary for me to show on what terms I then was with those gentle- men ; and, in order to do this the more effectually, no better evidence can be given ttian what appears under their cwn hands. My first acquaintance with Colonel Barnnrd, was made at the table of Sir John Colborne, with whom J was ra- ther a favorite until I adoj)ted Lord Durham's views in favor of Responsible Government ; and, through thac officer, J. subsequently became known to thr^ Baltnlion rrfnerMlIlA', ;ind OR, THE POINT OP HONOR. 6 to Colonel Crawfurd in particular. These, I had always found to be highly agreeable men, and certainly, up to the moment of the "unfortunate occurrence," I had had no reason to regret the honor of their acquaintance. Only a few days previously, I had dined at their mess, and I con- fess, from the manner of my reception by the whole corps of officers, I had no cause to infer that a time would arrive, and that speedily, when they would conspire to offer slight to one who had been thus generously entertained by them, and who, as they themselves admit in irrevocable language, had been guilty of no wrong. The following notes from Colonel Ellison, commanding the Regiment, and Colonel Barnard, on the part of himself and others, will sufficiently show on what terms we were, up to the moment of the affair in which I was stated to have misconducted myself. 10 Little St. James Street, Monday, '22rd March. \ Mt Dear Sir, — I regret rauch that it is not in my power to accci)t your kind invitation for Thursday next. Yours truly, [Signed] ROBERT ELLISON. Major Richardson, &fc. Sfc. 8(c. Dear Sir, — Colonel Crawfurd, Captain Cadogan, Cliflbrd, and myself will have great pleasure in dining with you and iMrs. Rich- ardson, on Thursday next. To save time, I have engaged to excuse them not personally answering your note. Ever truly yours, [Signed] H. W. BARNARD. So informal, and therefore seemingly friendly, was his note, that, as will be remarked, it was neither addressed nor dated. On the morning of Wednesday, a person whom I have no desire to name, had called upon me with a note, purporting to be from a party, from whom I had some reason to expect a message, although through a very different channel. I was indignant that the individual in question should have assumed to be the beaier of a communication of the kind, and I re- fused to acknowledge him. I told him, however, that when the party calling upon me for explanation, sent a gentleman B TUB GUARDS IN CANADA ; to mc, I would entertain the subject, but not until then — and somewhat oercmplorily desired liim to leave the house. This he did ; and 1 iieard no more of the mailer for that day, unless 1 may except a further refusal, in the course of the afternoon, to entertain the same person as a second. On the following morning I had driven into town, from the suburb in which my residence was situated, and was stopped by one or two persons, who informed me that Co- lonel Barnard and Colonel Crawfurd were anxiously look- ing for me. Not long afterwards I met these ofHcers, when they, seemingly big with some event of which they sought to be delivered, begged me to leave my vehicle without delay and join 'hem, as they had something highly important to communicate to me. I did so, when we immediately pro- ceeded from Notre Dame street, where I had joined them after putting up my drag, and descended the hill leading to the St. Lawrence suburbs. As we walked, and almost im- mediately after I had joined them, either Colonel Barnard or Colonel Crawfurd remarked, and in a tone that implied the speaker attached much importance to the subject. " Do you know that intends to post you ?" I had not given the slightest consideration to the subject, since the preceding day, nor indeed did I know their motive for having sought me, until thus informed by themselves. " To post me !" I repeated with no slight degree of astonishment, — "why, are you aware of the circumstances — that I have not refused the message, but objected only to the messen- ger ?" •' Oh yes " was the reply, we know that, but we have also heard it stated in a very high quarter, that you ought to have received anybody." This to me, who, by some strange fatality, have had a good deal of experience in these matters, as well on the continent of Europe as in England, was rather a novel doctrine, and I could not but suspect something wrong. Why should these gentlemen, who professed to be my friends, and to whom, if to anybody in the country, the chivalry of this sort of thing ought to be familiar from education, if not from practice — thus seek to impress me with a belief that I had committed myself, by refusing to entertain as a second, a man, so ignoble in his appearance, that my wife, taking him for a beggar had, only a few days before, been on the point of tendering alms to a child whom he led by the hand ? I confess I was staggered, for, from the manner in which the opinion of one in a very high quarter was pronounced, it OR, THE POINT OF HONOR. looked very much as lliough my inforinanls were endorsers of the dictum. This was not particularly cheering. However, still talking over the allair, we proceeded leisurely to the bottom of the hill, and were there standing, when the person with whom I had had the difference, rode up on horseback. As he was in the act of passing us, I called to hin;* to stop. He did so : and I then asked if it was true that he had threatened to post me. He answered that it was true, and that he would do so. I inquired why he hud not sent a gentleman to me. His reply was, that the party he had sent, was as much a gentleman as myself. Highly incensed, I then .struck him i blow with my stick. A scuffle ensued in which he suc- ceeded in wresting the stick from me, while his horse push- ed against me in such a manner that I fell. While down, the person struck me several times, and on my rising, I said to him, " Now, you scoundrel, 1 will meet you in half an hour." CoUmel Barnard and Colonel Crawfurd were all this time present, and evidently regarding the scene with inteiest. On hearing me make the appointment at the old race ground, and within the time already stated, one remarked to the other, " there, that will do — that will do, come along." I certainly felt amazed — stupified. I had intended fully to have asked Colonel Barnard to act as my friend upon the occasion, but when I saw that, so far from seeming inclined to afford me personal assistance in the matter, he apparently sought to avoid giving me even counsel or advice, of which, in the excitement of the moment, he must have observed I stood much in need, my pride revolted at the very idea of subjecting myself to a refusal ; and I at once decicfed that I must look for a friend elsewhere. It is not my intention to go over the hateful past in regard to the affair itself. If I have so far conquered my strong repugnance to renew the disgusting details contained in the preceding paragraph, it is only because the two officers of Grenadier Guards, whom I have named, having been pre- sent at their occurrence, the public may judge of the fair- ness of their conduct towards one in whom they professed to take so great an interest — who, like themselves, bore the commission of Her Majesty, and at whose table they had engaged to seat tiiemselves that very day. Without, therefore, dwelling on the circumstances of what some have been pleased to call a duel, but what I THE aUARDS IN CANADA ; have over consideied a heartless entanglement — my rain en- deavors to procure a friend witliin tiie limited time speci- fied, although 1 had applied to three several parties — my sudden return home for my servant and pistols — the visit of the police to my house, just after I had again left it — the offer to throw myself into the hands of one of the two friend* hj whom my adversary was accompanied — my demand for delay, on his refusal, until 8 o'clock the following morning, when 1 pledged myself to be provided with a second — let me })as8 on to the moment, when, in ahnost phrcnzy at the thought of the imputation which J knew would be sought to be cast upon my character for courage, I returned home late in the evening, not to receive the guests to whom, in the morning, I had expected to do honor, but to curse, in very bitterness of spirit, the false friends — the cold hearted worldlings, who had deserted mc in the hour of my ex- tremity. Still there was a hope. Twenty-four houis had not elapsed, and it was possible, that although they had refused to allow me the privilege of the usual and legitimate delay, they would scarcely dare, as the challenging party, to deny the formal interposition of an auth rized friend. 1 hat friend I had anxiously sought in the morning, but within the few minutes given me to keep the rcndeavouo, so hastily and im- prudently named by myself, my search had proved fruitless. My adventures of the last few hours had not been of a na- ture to give me much appetite for my dinner; therefore, contenting myself with swallowing off a glass or two of wine, I again repaired to the residence of him on whom de- pended my last chance of release from the web in which my own precipitate folly, not less than a tissue of the most extraordinary and adverse circumstances, had cmmeshed me. I found Mr. Weir at home, and several gentlemen with him, among others, Mr. W. King M'Cord, the present Po- lice Magistrate for Quebec. 1 explained my position, al- ready well known throughout the city, when, without even wailing for me to ask him, he offered to go immediately, and demand a formal renewal of the negociation w^hich had been broken off by the adverse parlies, notwithstanding my protest against their decision. He remarked that the second, on the other side, was not a person whom he would have met in conference on such a subject, on an ordinary occa- sion, but as this was an extreme case, he would waive all considerations of the kind, and exert himself to the utmost \ ■ OR, THE POINT OF HONOR. to obtain the meetin ^. In less than an hour he returned to his dininff room, where wo were sitting ov(.r the dessert and wine, and reported lliat he liad pressed them closely, but could not get a definite promise. They insisted upon hav- ing until two o'clock the next day to decide. At the expira- tion of that time, their answer was given. It was to the eil'ect that they had taken the advice of certain MilitaireSf whom they had consulted, — most prcux Chevaliers, and a high honor to tiie British service must these gentlemen have been — and that was, not to consider the affair as other than terminated. That night I was placarded over the walls of every street and corner of Montreal, as a ** coward/' — not as a British officer — oh ! no : that would have reflected on the cloth of those who had advised the proceeding — but as an officer in the service of the Queen of Spain ! Do I feel the slight- est hesitation in mentioning the fact at this distant day, when the circumstance is regarded in its true light, by every pri- vate gentleman in Montreal — by all, indeed, save those have an interest and an object in preserving the recollection ? Certainly not ; for it is in the power of any set of scoundrels, be they clad in red or black, to do the same, and the infamy of the transaction attaches far less to the imnjediate agents in the matter, than to the faint-hearted Militaires, who ad- vised ill secret what ihcy dared not openly avow. To the honor of the people of Montreal, and by the peo- ple, I mean the lower classes, every one of the atrocious placards was torn down almost as soon as they appeared, and amid so mixed a population, there was but one man to be found — and he perhaps hired by the Militaires distingues for the purpose — who ever repealed in distance, but with a design that I should hear it, the disgusting epithet which had every where been presented to the public eye. But, I have insensibly wandered from my resolution, not to enter more than is absolutely necessary, into the case it- self; but chiefly to confine myself to the action taken on it by the Grenadier Guards — several of the principal officers among whom, had been only a day or two before, as has been seen, on manifestly friendly terms with me. I return therefore to these soi disant elite of the British army. On the morning following the placarding, my opponents publi bed their > ualcmciit. Mine was, at the same moment, in the course of preparation, and meanwhile, having been mformed that Colonel l:arnardliad been privately communi- I 10 THE GUARDS IN CANADA; eating with my adversary, I wrote to him with a view to dis cover what was his true feeling in regard to myself. I can- not find the copy of my letter to him, but his answer, which follows, will sufficiently explain its tenor. March ZOth, 1839. Mr Dear Sir, — I regret very much the circumstances under which you are placed, and equally so, not heing able to accede to your request, but it is a subject on which I cannot give an opinion. The public must judge between you, and 1 shall await your statement with every good wish. I remain, my dear Sir, Faithfully yours, [Signed] H. W. BARNARD. Major Richardson, Whitens Collage. What a commentary on the lip-deep professions of man. How faithfully yours indeed ; and this even after I had been posted as a coward ! By no means convinced from Colonel Barnard's note, that the writer had not acted as represented to me, I created an opportunity by writing for some books and papers which I had lent to Captain Cadogan, to hint to him what I had heard on the subject. The following is his reply : — " Captain Cadogan regrets exceedingly, that owing to a mistake of his servant, who took the parcel to Major Dixon, Major Richardson was prevented from receiving the books mentioned, some days ago. " Knowing the decided reluctance which Colonel Barnard had to being, in any way whatsoever, concerned or implicated in the late un- fortunate transaction Captain Cadogan thinks himself justified in ta- king no other notice of that part of Major Richardson's note, relating to the advice reported to have been given by Colonel Barnard, than by distinctly stating his (Captain C's.) impressions, gathered from what he heard and saw at the time — these were that Colonel Barnard looked upon Mr. — — — 's visit, as indeed he would upon any attempt made from any quarter to involve his name in such a transaction as that pending, to be intrusive as it was unwarranted. Captain Cado- gan trusts to Major Richardson not to permit this note to be made the subject of future discussion '»»■ correspondence, between any of the par- ties mentioned. Water Street, } Tursday morning." J Agreeably to Captain Cadogan's desire, no use was made of this note, at the time, which could possibly lead to (\,6- OR, THP. POINT OP HONOR. H cussion or correspondence between the parties mentioned." At this remote period however, and when it becomes a mat- ter of duty to myself to use no false delicacy with those who have not manifested much delicacy with me, 1 con- ceive myself fully justified in publishing that which bears no other mark of confidence than what was particularly spe- cified. Four days after the publication of my statement, which Colonel Barnard promised to " await with every good wish," and a resume of which, I repeat, will be found accompany- ing the copy of a communication which I addressed to Sir John Colbornc, the following missive was left at my house : — *' Colonel Ellicon and the officers of the Grenadier Guards present their compliments to Major Richardson, and hope, that under the existing circumstances, he will understand the necessity they are un- der of withdrawing their invitation to him for Monday the 8th inst. Montreal, April 4." Here was the coup de grace, I had no doubt now, there was a powerful conspiracy forming among the high-minded Militaires, at the head of whom were Her Majesty's Grena- dier Guards, which left me no longer in the dark as to the advice given to my adversary to attempt to crush my name and my honor for ever — and yet these men called themselves, and thought themselves, gentlemen, christians ! — Heaven defend me from frequent contact with either such christians or such gentlemen. In the fulness ol my disgust, I instantly penned and des- patched the following : — " There was not the slightest necessity for Colonel Ellison, and the officers of the Grenadier Guards insulting Major and Mrs. Richard- son by their note of this morning. " Major and Mrs. Richardson know too well what is due to them- selves to have profited by the invitation of the Grenadier Guards, un- der existing circumstances. '^ The words dashed, were meant to imply my belief — con- firmed by my receipt of this note — that notwithstanding the glaring infamy of the whole transaction which had been at- tempted to be brought to bear to my prejudice, the Guards had played me false. The matter could not of course rest here ; but the time for further action had not yet arrived. 19 THE GUARDS IN CANADA; My good fortune multiplied. On the day following my receipt of the note, which it required, the united talent of the Guards to write twice and even then, to prevent mistakes, to be passed under review by their Chief, the High Constable of the District, made his appearance and handed me a docu- ment, which, being p. curiosity in its way, may as well be given for the benefit of the reader. maketh oath, that on Thursday the 28th of March last, he was violently assaulted and struck by one John Richardson of Montreal, an Officer in the Spanish Service (not the British, be it remarked— "the Militaires, in all probability had had "an eye" to that,) who was then armed with a stick, and who also then and there threatened the life of the deponent — that the said John Richardson hath several times, since the said twenty-eighth day of March last, made divers menacing threats towards this deponent, and this depon- ent is credibly informed, that the said John Richardson is now lying in wait for the said deponent, armed with a pair of jnstols to attempt the life of this deponent, wherefore he prays the benefit of the law." Here, indeed, were precautions with a vengeance, to chain down the " Spanish Hind " suddenly transformed into the " Spanish Lion." One really might have thought that the placardcr and his backers, the Militaires, already felt in anticipation, the iron grasp of a Hans of Iceland, a Rob Roy, or a Wacousta himself. Be that as it may, I was not delivered from the fangs of the High Constable who, however, behaved most courteously on the occasion, until I had en- tered into bonds, not to cut the throats of any of these Mi- litaires, for the space of one month at least, within which time it was possible, that even if I did succeed in finding them out, they would have left the country. Fortunately all the good people in Montreal did not think me such a desperado, and two sureties, in one hundred pounds each, were soon procured, and added to my own personal recog- nizances of two hundred. On the same day, and in consequence of the course taken by the Grenadier Guards in the withdrawal of the invita- tion alluded to in their note, I addressed the following to the Commander of the Forces, Sir John Colborne : — Montreal, 5th April, 1839. Your Excellency,— a transaction has recently occurred in this City, v/hich has now become almost matter of history. This is of so peculiar a nature as to have affected my character in the opinion of the public, to a most painful degree ; and yet I have the inward, the OR, THE POINT OP HONOR. 13 perfect assurance of having acted, throughout the whole of that trans- action, with the high feeling and due sense of honor of a British otfi- cer. True, I am only on the half pay of the service, hut still I bear Her Majesty's Commission ; and in that character I appeal to Your Excellency, as one to whom the honor of the service must he dear, to order a Court of inquiry on my conduct, to bo assembled. Whatever may have been my previous intentions on the subject, I have this day been bound down by the strong arm of the law, in a manner to render private redress, in a great degree, impossible. I have the honor to be. Your Excellency's most Obedient humble servant, J. RICHARDSON, Lt. H. P. 92nd Highlanders. His Excellency Sir John Colborne, &c. (fee. &c., Commander of the Forces. The reply was : Deputy Adjutant General's Office, Montreal, Gth April, 1839. SiR, — I am directed, in reply to your letter of the 5th instant, to ac- quaint you that the Commander of the Forces does not feel authorized to order Courts of Inquiry upon any officer on half pay, not serving under his command, or to interfere in the case to which you have drawn his attention. I have the honor to be. Sir, Your most obedient humble servant, [Signed] JOHN EDEN, D.A.G. Lieut. Richardson, H. P., 92nd Highlanders, Let any one, possessing the slightest degree of sensibility, picture to himself the bitterness of my feelings during this crisis. Deliberately posted as a coward — that opinion tacitly endorsed by the magnanimous Grenadier Guardsmen of Her Majesty — and all fair opportunity denied me by the head of the army, of which I was a member, of vindicating myself from the foul slander, what was I to do ? It was difficult indeed to decide. However, my own conscience iicquitted me, and with that to sustain him, and the first stings of the arrows aimed at him, a little blunted by tiins, a man of determination may well aflbrd to despise the arti- fices of any tricksters whomsoever. 1)2 14 THE GUARDS IN CANADA ! ■ i They, who had presumed on the pain the placarding would inflict upon me, judged rightly. A cooler and more phleg- matic man might have regarded the infamous act with the scorn it deserved ; but I confess, I could not so indifferently view it, for I was sensible that no common, no ordinary agency had been at work, and I felt that a train was being laid for my destruction, which it would require all my dex- terity and ingenuity to avert. My first encounter with the officers of the Grenadier Guards, after my reply to their note, was some days subse- quent to their ball. I passed near a group, lounging at a corner of the Place d'Armes, among whom were Colouel Barnard and Colonel Crawfurd. I glanced unconcernedly at them as I passed, to see whether they would bow. They did not. The " ever truly yours," in particular, looked as though he had never been truly mine in his life, and I had the delightful assurance of being cut dead by the whole of those very formidable bear-skin- capped gentlemen. It would be idle to tell all that passed in my mind at that mo- ment — all the resolutions I formed ; but prudence I here felt to be the belter part of valor, and with my blood at the boil- ing point, my manner essayed to be as cool as zero. There was yet more than a fortnight of recognizance, and I had no right to commit those who had become my bail. Many anxious days I passed, during this period, endeavor- ing to determine on the course to be pursued. If I should send to the Guards for explanation, their answer might be comprised in the mere act of pointing to the placard as an insuperable barrier. This could not be risked, inasmuch as their example would serve as a pretext to shield every fu- ture puppy from the consequences of offence offered to me. Again I resolved to appeal to Sir John Colborne, and on the 20th of April wrote as follows : — Your Excellency, — Some limo ago, I had the honor to address a communication to your Excellency, soliciting as a special favor, that a Court of Enquiry might be ordered on my conduct as a British officer, in an affair of recent occurrence in this city, in which I have been a principal actor. To this appeal Your Excellency was pleased to state, through the Deputy Adjutant General, that you did not feel authorized to grant Courts of Enquiry on officers on half pay, not serving immediately under Your Excellency's command, and that you did not conceive mine to be a case in which the usage should be departed from. To this decision of your Excellency I bowed. OR, THE POINT OP HONOR. 15 A few days later, I had the honor to converse with Your Excellency, and, from the kind manner which yuu were pleased to evince towards me, I had the satisfaction of inferring that I had not suffered in Your Excellency's estimation — yet has that satisfaction not been unalloyed, for I have observed, with equal pain and surprise, that some of the officers under Your Excellency's command, whose station in society may be deemed to give weight to tt)eir apparent opinions, have as- sumed towards me the semblance of disapprobation. The accompanying summary, to which I request permission to so- licit Your Excellency's attention, will sufficiently prove that I am un- deserving of that disapprobation ; and it is under that consciousness that I now venture to appeal to Your Excellency to pronounce an opinion on my conduct, which I think I may be excused in anticipa- ting, will remove any sentiment to my prejudice that may at present exist. In a recent affair at home, in which an officer of the Blues was unjustly slighted by his brother officers, appeal was made to the Commander in Chief, who pronounced his censure on the conduct of the corps which had thus unjustly treated one of its members. I do not pretend, Your Excellency, that there is a perfect parallel between the cases, since 1 am on the half pay of the service, nor can 1 expect that Your Excellency should pronounce a censure upon those military persons to whom I allude ; still, in common with themselves, I bear Her Majesty's commission which I have either dishonored or upheld. If that commission has been dishonored by me, I am unworthy to hold it longer ; but if, on the other hand, I have upheld it-, I should, I humbly conceive, be upheld. As a British officer — as the son of a British officer — both of long standing in the service — as a member of one of the most loyal families in this country — two of whom, at this moment, fill seats in the Legis- lature of the sister Province, I venture to make this appeal to Your Excellency, not that I have a strict claim to the interference of the Com- mander of the Forces, but, because I confide in Your Excellency's well known benevolence and sense of justice, not to suffer a gentleman who has had the honor of being repeatedly admitted to Your Excel- lency's table, and who came to this country furnished with a letter of int'oduction to Your Excellency, from one of the most distinguished officers in Her Majesty's Service,* to be thus lightly and unjustly condemned. I have the honor to be, Your Excellency's most Obedient humble servant, J. KICHARDSON, Lt. H.P. 92nd Highlanders. His Excellency Sir John Colborne, Commander of the Forces, &c. &c. dec. * liord Hardinge, the present Governor General of India. 16 THE GUARDS IN CANADA ; 8TATEMENT ENCLOSED. hi 51 i! An individual comes to my house, during my absence, and endea- vors to obtain proof of my being the author of a publication, in order that, furnisljcd willj the necessary information, he may communicate it to the officers ni" a Regiment who are prepared to call me to account. Indignant at tliis conduct, and wholly ignorant of the authorship attri- buted to njc, I express myself towards the party with a warmth justi- fied by the occasion. Tins party sends to me a friend whom the respect I owe to myself and prolession forbids my receiving in the character assumed by him. My adversary admits the validity of the objection I make to the first messenger, and endeavors to procure another, but finding a difficulty in this, placards me,f not for having refused him the satisfaction customary in such cases, but for having rejected the intermediation of one whom I couH not look upon as a gentleman. Apprized of this most unwarrantable act, I am compelled to assault the party in question — a fracas ensues — a meeting is named, and "ivithout that reference to the probability of procuring a friend in so short a time, which, in a cooler moment, would have been duly con- sidered. Half an hour only is given, in which, not only to find a friend, but to be at the place of rendezvous — a mile from the scene where the appointment is made. Within this time I apply to three diflerent parties, J although from my short acquaintance with some of them, not strictly warranted in doing so — they decline, and I hasten In fruitless search of others. The dread of being too late urges me to the place of rendezvous. Here au obsiacle occurs, and the locale of the meeting is changed. Pursued b^ the police, I find it impossible to prosecute my search for a friend, but being the challenged party, I naturally feel anxious to be ujion the ground in time to afford my ad- versary whatever redress, and in whatever manner he may require, arrived there, I ask the assistance of one of those with whom my ad- versary is provided. He refuses, and I then olFer to throw myself into the hands of the adverse party, confiding in their disposition to see justice done to both principals. This also is refused me. The adverse party, taking the most undue advantage of my position, de- clare the attair terminated. That night I succeed in obtaining j friend, and send him to my adversary, who demands until two o'clock the next day to give his reply — the answer at length given is, that the affair is ternjinated, and the ofTensive placards posted— the friend of my adversary, stating to mine, that he had taken counsel from several military men. A few days later, I publish a statement which differs but immaterially, in its more important features, from that of my ad- versary, preceding it. The civil public pronounce in my favor, but the military portion of society evince towards me a disapprobation, the cause of which neither have they explained, nor have I been able to conjecture, thereby placing me in a position as painful as it is un- merited." tTliis is evidently a mistake. It should Imve been threatens to placard me. X Mr. R , a gentleman who had been constantly visiting at my house and to whom I had, only a dny or two before, paid a hundred pounds lost to him and Mr. L , tlie ■ of the -, at cards. Mr, E of the Commissoriat who also v.as en- gagod to dine with me that day, and a Mr. D- -, whom, however, I knew but sliglitly. OR, THE POINT OP HONOR. 17 To this second communication and statement I received for answer : i Deputy Adjutant Gkneral's Office, Montreal, April 20th, 1839. Sir, — Having submiued to the Commander of the Forces, your letter of this day, and the enclosure which accompanied it, — I am di- rected to express His Excellency's regret that he cannot interfere, in any way, in the case which you have brought under his notice. I have the honor to he. Sir, Your most obedient servant, [Signed] JOHN EDEN, D.A.G. Lieut. Richardson, H.P. This was not encouraging, nor did it, in any way, enable me to laiic the liigh ground I sought, in calling upon the officers of the Guards for an explanation. Still the facts were so plain, so palpable that I knew, whatever might be their disposition, they dared not compromise themselves by an open declaration of justification of the conduct which had been pursued towards me. I felt strong in my own right, and, although I cc '^Id have preferred that p Court of Inquiry sliould have placed me in a position not to admit of a possibility of question, I was not the less resolved to try the issue with those gentlemen, who, with all the facts before their eyes which I have hitherto stated — my last let- ter to Sir John Colborne excepted — had done themselves the honor of insulting a lady — even putting myself cut of the question — by formally withdrawing an invitation sponta- neously given to her husband by their most chivalrous and polished body. Anxious to obtain some further insight into the f'^elings of the officers of the Grenadier Guards — the seeming arbiters of my fate — I addressed one of the most gentlemanly men of their corps, Mr. Daykin, one of the Assistant Surgeons, and received from him, not what I sought, but what, I con- fess, gratified me not a little, for I had never mixed him up — a man of sense and refined feeling — with the little chicanery that was passing in his regiment. The following is his answer : — Mt Deae Sir, — I am sorry to say, illness more or less for the last month, has kept me almost entirely out of Military Society ; and on the few occasions when I have happened to mix with them, I la THE GUARDS iN CANADA ; V i really assure you I do not remember over having once heard any conversation on the subject alluded to by you, in your note of yes- terday. It would have given mo great pleasure to have afforded you a use- ful hint on the subject, had I been able to do so. Mrs. Daykin joins me in compliments to Mrs. Richardson, and be- lieve me, Yours very truly, [Signed] W. B. DAYKIN. April 28th. I sincerely trust, and indeed, on an occasion of this sort, I am quite confident, Mr. Daykin will pardon the introduc- tion of a private note, alike honorable (particularly under the circumstances) to himself, and necessary to me — as shew- ing that all the Grenadier Guards were not influenced by the same small motives. After several attempts at a communication to their com- manding officer, which were greatly softened down, in spirit as well as in letter, by a judicious and talented friend, who, very properly, felt that a temperate tone could alone effect the desired object, I at length dcspatclied the follow- ing :— ■V White's Cottage, ? Montreal, April 30th, 1839. { Sir, — On the 5ih instant I received a note, purporting to contain, on the part of yourself and the officers of the Regiment under your command, the withdrawal of an invitation to a party which had been sent to me a few days before. Having, a short time previous to the arrival of that note, understood that an officer of rank in your Regi- ment,* who had engaged himself to dine with me on the very day on which a certain fracas occurred — by whom I had been introduced to the corps, and who had professed a strong interest towards me in the matter alluded to, had been seen in close conference with my adver- sary, apparently as his adviser — nay, having at the same time been informed that that adversary had since received an invitation to the party in question — having, I repeat, been so informed, and having just been arrested on the oath of that adversary, I, under the feelings of indignation which such information, and the arrival of your note at such a moment could not fail to create, answered that " existing cir- cumstances" — meaning the circumstance I have just related — ren- dered wholly unnecessary a communication of that tenor. An officer, Sir, of your rank and presumed acquaintance with the usages of society, must, in writing that note, have fully expected that the person to whom it was addressed would have felt himself equally I M \. * Colonel OnrnarJ. OR, THE POINT OP HONOR. 19 impelled by his own feelings, and obliged by the laws of honor, tore- quire from you, at the earliest possible period, an explanation of the grounds upon which you had conceived yourself authorized to address to him such a communication. To inquire into those grounds is the object of this letter, which I address to you the instant after the expir- ation of that recognizance to keep the peace, under which a panic of my adversary, not very compatible with his public pretensions to per- sonal resolution, had placed me at the very moment of my receipt of your note. As that note purports to announce to me your individual sentiments, I now address myself to you in your individual capacity, and expect, that in such capacity, you will answer me. I am, Sir, Your obedient servant, J. RICHARDSON, H.P. 92nd Highlanders, Major, late Spanish Service. Colonel Ellison, Grenadier Guards, 10 Little St. James Street, Montreal. On the same day, the following reply was left at my re- sidence : — Little St. James Street, April 30, 1839 ■ \ Sir, — I have just received your note of the 30th, and, in answer to it, have to observe, that, with regard to the first part of it, I have no- thing to say, as it does not concern me. With regard to the second, I can have no hesitation in putting you in possession of all that took place in the Regiment under my com- mand, from the period of your rencontre with Mr. , up to that of your receiving the note in my name, of which you complain. A few days prior to our ball, some of the officers observed to me that it would be very unpleasant should Major Richardson present himself at the ball, and asked me whether it would not be better that a note should be written to him. My answer was that I thought it quite un- necessary, as I could not imagine that Major Richardson, at the pre- sent moment, would avail himself of the invitation. Shortly after, some of the officers who had been talking the matter over, again ob- served that Major Richardson might avail himself of it, and that it would be very disagreeable if anything occurred to disturb the har- mony of the ball. I observed in return — " if you think so, let a note be sent, but take care that it is so worded as not to make Major Rich- ardson think that we have condemned him for what has taken place, or at all prejudged his case." The note was written and shown to me. I made some alterations, being anxious that it should be so worded as 20 THE GUARDS IN CANADA; to avoid, in any manner, hurling your feelings. My surprise, and that of all the other otiicers, was naltirally very grcaJ, upon receiving your answer, particularly as, up to that period, nothing had occurred, as far as we knew, in your rencontre with Mr. — — , to alter the feelings of tlioso ollicers towards you who made your actjuaintance. Upon the receipt of your note the case was altered, and we liad but one course to pursue. 1 have the honor to be. Sir, Your most obedient servant, [Signed] ROBERT ELLISON. Major Richardson, 8fc. Sfc. Sfc. Now, let me ask every impartial reader to pause a mo- ment on the contents of this letter, for which, however, I have some reason to thank the veteran ollicer, now no more, who penned it. It is evident that Colonel Ellison felt and acted throughout with all the delicacy, and desire to make reparation, of the high-minded gentleman ; and that, even at a moment when all friendly intercourse between us had ceased, he was anxious to afford me — what he knew, must, to a man of acute sensibility in these matters, be satisfac- tory in the highest degree — the assurance tiiat he had done nothing, in the opinion of himself and officers, in the affair which had so recently taken place, unworthy of a man of honor. This admission was indeed a treasure to me, and of no little use on after occasions, as will be seen. But while really grateful to Colonel Ellison for an expression of opinion which might have been withheld, had he been so disposed ; and satisfied that he had been pestered and mis- led by his officers, into a course of action which his own feeling heart and better judgment condemned, let me, I repeat, ask the reader to analyze, with me, the contents of this reply to my demand for explanation. Her Majesty's Grenadier Guards, being supposed, from their position in society, to take the initiative in matters of this kind, and to give the ton — in a colony especially-— acquit a brother officer of all blame in an affair in which it has been declared by their Colonel, nothing had been done by that officer, to change the favorable opinion entertained of him by those under his command ; and yet, these men, in the face of all the facts leading to this admission, offer him a slight of the most marked and decided character, by with- drawing an invitation previously given — thus leading the on, THE POINT OP HONOR. 21 public of a small community, in which every thing is known, to arrive at a conclusion uireclly the reverse of what their own studied written language puts forth. It was idle for the Grenadier Guards to pretend that they were justified in sending the oflfensive note they did, especially where a lady was concerned. If they had no fault to find with the hus- band, it was in the highest degree indecorous and insulting to the wife ; particularly when they knew that the former had been placed, by a tissue of the most extraordinary cir- cumstances, in a position in which he could not well call upon them for explanation. The very demur of Colonel Ellison, in the first instance, proved the existence of wrong in those who so pertinaciously urged his sanction to the note. And what were the contents of that note, emanating from those on whom my conduct is said to have produced no unfavorable impression ? Colonel Ellison states that, not- withstanding his strict injunction that it should be carefully worded — so worded as not to wound my feelings, or lead me to suppose that they had at all prejudged my case — he was under the necessity of revising it. But why despatch a note at all ? Here was the ground of oirence Had the subordinate officers of the Grenadier Guards possessed one tithe of the delicacy or consideration of their commanding offi- cer, those * Elegant Extracts,' would have left it to my own jndgment whether, or not, to avail myself of their invitation. Colonel Ellison was quite right in supposing that I would not have presented myself at the ball ; not because I felt that there was any obstacle interposed by my own conduct, to prevent me, but because good taste seemed to demand that, until the curiosity and excitement created by the affair, which could not be denied to be most extraordinary of its kind, should in some degree have subsided, an excuse from attendance should be sent. A certain officious person — one of those to whom I had, in vain, applied to accompany me as a friend on the morning of the proposed meeting — had had the coolness to come to my house a few days afterwards, and to evince some anxiety to know whether I intended go- ing to the Guards' Ball or not. I, of course, told him I should, for it was my impression that this individual had been sent to discover my views, and on his report, I have no doubt, the note of the Guards was written. But for this circumstance, I should have anticipated the offensive missive which was conveyed to me, and sent an apology. That, it occurred to me, was my course. The course of the Guards was very n3 ii 89 THE GUARDS IN CANADA; «*,- u diflnrcnt. They, as llic aasinncd leaders of tlio Montreal society, should have acted \viil) hoiieslv and with consis- tency. If they really thought there had been nothing wrong in niv conduct, they should have given the tone to public opinion, by marking their own sense of the matter ; and insisting that I should present myself on an occasion where all might have an opportunity of knowing the tacit judgment they had pronounced. By the step they adopted, they led the public, who were well aware of the fact of with- drawal from me of their invitation, to infer that they had condemned me, wiiich no doubt they had, although their let- ter denies it. There is falsehood somewhere, and it is for the Grenadier Guards to point out in what (juarler. The reason assigned for the withdrawal is curious enough : — least, say these Cheslerfieldians, through their Colonel, " something unpleasant should occur." Now, it is difficult to understand what unpleasantness could have been anticipated to occur at a party of the kind. Surely, no one of the guests of the Guards would have presumed to slight or offend one whom thoy had so wholly exonerated from blame, as to con- tinue in their regard ! Not so : Canada is too red-coat rid- den for any just apprehension of that kind ; and if not, it could scarcely be supposed that I would seek to irritate whem it was my interest, as well as my duty, to conciliate. Colonel Ellison states, in his explanation, that his officers were very much surprised on the receipt of my answer to their note. In this surprise, if they really entei rained it, they assuredly stand alone. Considering all the stra.nge cir- cumstances connected with Colonel Crawfurd and Colonel Barnard — the latter in particular — from the very outset; their most singular ; and, I should have thought, most unguards- man-likc corroboration of the opinion expressed in a " high quarter" — that I ought to have received anybody as the bearer of a hostile message — and the specious refusal of Co- lonel Barnard, subsequently, to give me one line of advice, even while his letter was signed with the usual marks of friendly and unabated interest — under these circumstances, 1 repeat, I had no right to consider in any other light, than as a condemnation of my conduct, and ?n indirect cut, the withdrawal of an invitation previously given and accepted. Had any one of those officers of the Grenadier Guards — Colonel Barnard for instance — written to me a friendly and private note, intimating any reasonable cause for wishing me not to appear at their ball, I should have taken the hint on, TIIR POINT OP HONOR. 33 in llic Hpirit in wliich it waa meant to he conveyed. Then, indeed, the case would liavc hcen very dilferent ; out a fornml note in the third person, from a l)ody of men, several of whom, as has heen seen, had, only a day or two previoii«ly, been on terms of coniijarativo intimacy with me, could bo regarded in no other liijiit than as a premeditated aflTront to one whose hands tiiey know to be tied, not only by the law, but by a far more powerful agent — public opinion, as oslen- sihlif directed by themselves. Wiio would, or could, have rcfarded such n note, under the circumstances of the case, but as a formal withdrawal of acquaintance, and who would have hesitated to reply as I did f And yet Colonel Ellison's letter states, that up to the moment of the receipt of my answer, nothing had oc- cuired to alter the feelings of those ofHcers of his regi- ment who had made my acquaintance. A strange mode, it must be confessed, of evincing their friendly sentiments, by making it matter of notoriety throughout the city that they had withdrawn a card of invitation. Again, Colonel Elli- son adds that, on the receipt of my answer, which very much surprised his olBcers, the case was altered, and they had ro other course to pursue — than what? — to cut me, I presume. This is a mode of reasoning that will be better understood by the Guards themselves than by sensi- ble men. Few, however, will believe that this was the case, and unless it was, the Guards, then in Canada, have not been much disposed to regard straightforwardness and integrity — and had acted (Colonel Ellison excopted)through- out the whole affair, with the most shameless — the most heartless duplicity towards me. Was it that they did not like my indignantly accusing them of gratuitous insult to a lady ? If so, the question now is, did they or did they not insult her, in withdrawing an invitation in which her name was included, and under circumstances reflecting, as they themselves admit, no blame whatever on her husband ? I tliink they did ; and my sen" of this was the stronger on uie occasion, because these gen- tlemen — supposed to be conversant with the courtesies of well-bred men, had not even bethought them of the neces- sity for excusing themselves from the dinner, the invitation to which they had accepted. True, I had not expected them under, as they expressed it the "existing circumstances ;" but it was not the less ihcir duty, as gentlemen, to have gone through the form of excuse, particularly where a lady was in 94 THE GUARDS IN CANADA; ii fcii ! I the question. Neither Colonel Barnard nor Colonel Craw- furd, liad had, since their separation from me in the morn- ing, so much to occupy their attention, unless, indeed, it was their deep interest in my affairs, as to prevent them , jm complying with a conventional politeness. When, therefore, added to the withdrawal of their invitation, oame the recol- lection of tliis fact, I confess I could not but experience deep indignation ; for I felt that one whom they had had frequent opportunities of meeting, not only at the parties of Sir John Colborne, but at those of the Earl of Durham, at which last they could not have failed to witness the marked and respect- ful attention of that nobleman to h r, had a right to expect a little more courtesy from the Grenadier Guards — even al- though her husband had failed in a point of honor with an adversary. W!'»&t other interpretation can be placed upon Colonel Ellison's letter of exolanation, which intimates that my first note to the corps had altered the case, and left them no other course to pursue, I am at a loss to understand. Be this as it may, the very refined feelings of those very refined gen- tlemen ought to have taught them ra(her to refrain, at the suggestion of their Colonel, from wounding those in whom they admit they found no wrong, then to feel pique or an- noyance at being charged therewith. Inconsistency such as theirs might have been over-looked in a cockney, or a country bumpkin ; but in gentlemen pretending to the savoir /aire and ton of the Grenadier Guards, a very different course was to be expected. However, it was suflicient for my present purpose that all intention of slight was dis' avowed, whatever the feeling entertained, and as the Guards •.nought proper to interpret my note into an offence to them, it '.vas, of course, for them to adopt what decision ihey thought proper on the occasion. To Colonel Ellison's note, written in a spirit very differ- ent from that which appears to have animated the officer? under his command, I returned the following acknowledg- ment, which, with that note and the one it answered, was published in the Montreal Herald, a day or two after the correspondence had ceased. White's Cottaue, } Tuesday night, April 30th, 1839. 1 Sir, — I have to acknowledge the receipt of your answer to my let- ter of this afternoon, and to express my sense of the tone and air of cour- OR, THE POINT OP HONOR. 25 tesy which pervade it. It is a source of satisfaction to mo to fir/d, as was indeed to be expected, that, up to the period of the receipt, by you and the officers of the Grenadier Guards, of my note of "lie 5th of April — a period some days 8ubse(|ucnt to the termination of my tran- saction with Mr. — — — — , and all the published explanations and coirespondence relating to it — tiiat nothing had occurred to alter the f(&elings, towards me, of those officers of your regiment who had made my acquaintance. Such, however, being the case, 1 cannot wholly suppress the expression of my surprise, that it should have been deem- ed necessary for persons, thus entertaining for me unabated consider- ation, to address to me a note of such a nature as to have induced you kindly to recommend so much care and delicacy in its composition, and even finally to have retouched it yourself. It is surely, there- fore, not to be wondered at that I should, on its receipt, have experi- enced that pungency of feeling which you appear to have antici- pated, and against which you seemed so solicitous to guard — a pun- gency of feeling occasioned, not only by the nature of your note, but by the anticipation of the publicity and interpretation it was so soon to receive, and has actually received. I felt much the apparent in- dignity, and was justifiable in expressing -nay, obliged to express this aling in my reply. But it is sufficient that all intention of slight has been disavowed. ^ I have the honor to he, Sir, Your obedient servant, J. RICHARDSON, 92nd Highlanders, Major, late Spanish Service. Colonel Ellison, Grenadier Guards, 10 Little St. James street, Montreal. Thus terminated my relations with the Grenadier Guards. The lesson afforded mc, by the honor of their acquaintance, had been rather a bitter one, but nevertheless it was one which I determined should not be wholly without instruc- tion. They, or rather their gentlemanly and considerate Colonel, had armed me fully against future impertinences, by the important admission contained in the note of explana- tion ; and I was resolved that those officers of Her Majes- ty's Service, who had advised the outrage so recently and infamously committed on a brother officer, should find, whenever occasion presented itself, that posting was a sort of game which might be played in return, and with advan- tage, upon themselves. Man is, but too often, a mere imitator — the weak in in- tellect of the strong — the humble in position of the more ex- 26 THE GUARDS IN CANADA i!i alted*; It was sufficient that the Grenadier Guards — les Honor ahles, par excellence, in Canada — should have acted in the way they did, to induce the host of ihose, who bowed and fawned upon, and hcked the dust from beneath the feet of those gentlemen, to follow l.ieir example. It would appear that my note to the Grenadier Guards, must have embraced an affront to the whole Garrison, for the two regiments of the line, then in Montreal, and in- cluding men who had been in the habit of visiting — nay dining — at my house, following the course of the bear-skin- caps, no longer did me the honor to bless me with the light of their rosy and rubicund faces. But this was not all. There is no country in the world — certainly no colony — wherein the military have such absolute and exclusive rule as in Canada, or are so slavishly copied. Like so many curs, (I confine myself to their imitators) the few young men who aim at being considered lixtremely fine and extremely fashionable, both in speech and manner, may be seen follow ing in the wako of the nien of scarlet, sniffing at their heels, and proud to be permitted to tread in their footsteps ; while the men they adulate, treating them with the secret con- tempt their conduct so justly merits, reward their servility by monopolizing the attentions and affections of their wo- men — few of whom ever condescend to notice a civilian, when a red coat is the competitor for favor. Some of these women flirt with regiment after regiment, as they succeed each other in garrison, until they have absolutely grown wrinkled in the almost diurnal occupation. These may ever be distinguished by the loud laugh and speech — the bold look of effrontery, and the dissipation-telling cheek, on which the blush of virgin timidity has long ceased to mantle, as they saunter up and down the pave, or frequent all places of public resort, the scorn of some — the pity of others — and the astonishment of all. I could name half a dozen of those misguided, half-educated women, who take the lead in this sacrifice of the commonest principles of delicacy and pro- priety ; but will not so far gratify those who have not yet made the sum progress in a serni-courtezanship which has repeatedly been d'^nounced from the pulpit — Catholic as well as Protestant — yet denounced in vain. Indeed, could credence be given to all that is said of some — not covertly, but openly said — not the painted, but far more modest look- ing harlot who daily frequents the same promenades, can have reason to envy the more distinguees of her sisterhood. OR, THE POINT OF HONOR. 27 on the score of morals. And yet, these latter affect to re- gard, as beneath them in tlie social scale, tliose of their own sex, who, with ten times their talent, natural and acquired, do not mix in their tainted coterie of vicious ignorance. Nor can it be wondered at, that they should be thus, — for the mothers of the unblushing, dissipated looking women to whom I allude, having, in their youth, paid adoration at the same idol, are rather glorified than pained by the unfe- minine conduct of those whom they seem to have trained but to one sole purpose — that of entrapping a military lover. But 1 have, insensibly, digressed from the parasites of their own sex. It would be in the highest degree amusing, were it not for ihr humiliation, and the shame for one's kind, induced by the sad contemplation, to behold the abjectness of self-gratnlation — the silly pompousncss of manner of those, the first desire of whose small hearts is to be deemed on familiar terms with a red coat, without the slightest refer- ence to the qualifications — the talent or ignorance of him it covers. The acme of tJieir happiness is to be permitted the enviable position of being dragged at an officers heels, too happy if they are not kicked into the gutter, in some mo- ment of caprice of their masters ; but allowed to be seen by their fellows, who dare not, or choose not, to aspire to a si- milar distinction. Even by such creatures as these, and to whom, I scarcely can divine how I became known — was the conduct of those, to whom they bent the knee with all the adulation of the slave, in some degree imitated. It was not long after this evnnt that, as I have slated in the early part of the volume,* i visited the Western section of the country. My newly acquired fame had, as of cc" ^, intended by my calumniators, preceded me. While in the neighbourhood of Detroit, a paragraph appeared in a Cana- dian paper — the Western Herald — publisfied in the village of Sandwich, reflecting rather severely on the facilities af- forded to American citizens whom curiosity often induced to visit the fortifications at Fort Maiden. I was at that time — and trust 1 am still — on friendly terms with the more re- spectable families in Detroit, and among others with that of Governor Mason. . The Misses Mason were highly charm- ing, amiable girls ; and good naturedly, yet rather malici- ciously rallied me, during a morning visit which I paid them, soon after the appearance of the paragraph in question, on 'Eight, years in Canada, not yet published in Lundun. 86 THE GUARDS IN CANADA; •i my being the author. Deeply mortified at the imputation t>f so ungenerous an act, I nevertheless dissembled my an- noyance, and carelessly inquired who had given them the information. " Lieutenant Schreiber of the 34th," was the reply. Soon afterwards I took my leave — crossed the River — rode down to Amherstburgh, a distance of eighteen miles, and dispatched a communication to the officer who had been named, and who was quartered in the Fort. I have mis- laid — indeed lost — the copy of that note, but the answer I subjoin, together with the reference I have just made to the subject, will sufficiently shew what were the contents. Maiden, 16th July, 1839. Sir, — Tn answer to your note of this day*3 date, I beg to inform you that, in the course of conversation with some friends at Detroit, about the paragraph in question, I mentioned the circumstance of my having heard it reported that you might huve been the author of it; but from whom I heard it I have not the slightest recollection, and only men- tioned the thing as a common rumor of the day, without attaching the slightest importance to it. I have the honor to be. Sir, Your obedient Servant, [Signed] A. S. SCHREIBER. Major Richardson, Sfc. 8fc. Sfc. So ; this was the first fruit of the notoriety given to my affair in Montreal by the conduct of Her Majesty's Grena- dier Guards. I had been accused of paragraph writing in one place, and of course the same charge must hold good in another. But 1 saw more in this slander than I chose to advert to at the time — an ingenious device to make me as unpopular with my American friends, as it had been endea- vored to render me with my own countrymen. In answer to Mr. Schreiber, I sent a friend with the fol- lowing : Forster's Hotel, ) Amherstburg, i6th July, 1839. S Sir,— Your note, in reply to mine of this morning, is in every way unsatisfactory. You state that it was common report that I might OR, THE POINT OP HONOR. S9 have been the author of the paragraph in question, and yet you cannot recollect one of the many parlies from whom you heard it. Thid is unfortunate. It is a received axiom in matters of this kind, that a gentleman uttering a report, injurious to the character of another, shall be held responoible for the offence, unless he shall have given up some decided and tangible authority. This you have not done; and I now call upon you to apologize to me for having circulated a rumor, inju- rious to me in the society in which it was uttered, without being fully prepared to satisfy me of the identity of the party from whom you profess to have obtained it. My friend, Captain Grant, of the Essex Cavalry, will hand you this note, and enter into such explanations as may be necessary. I have the honor to be, Sir, Your most obedient servant, J. RICHARDSON, H. P. Gordon Highlanders, Lieut. E. S. Schreiber, Sitli Regiment, Amherstburg. Major, late Spanish Service. To this, my friend accepted the follo\ying answer Maiden, July \ZtJi, 1839. Sir,— In reply to your note, handed to me by Captain Grant, I beg to state, that I regret having been the cause of circulating a report, in Detroit, to your prejudice, as, in mentioning the subject, I assure you it was far from my intention to injure your character as a gentle- man. Major Richardson, 8fc. Sfc, S(c. I have the honor to be, Sir, Your obedient servant, [Signed] A. S. SCHREIBER. Shortly after my receipt of Mr. Schreiber's last note, I hastened back to Detroit, and submitted the correspondence in the quarter where I had obtained the information which gave rise to it. This prevented the mischief which, I verily believe, had been intended by the originator of the report, and which, but for the prompt course I felt mysel! compelled to pursue, must have resulted. While in Detroit, another affair occurred, which, although unconnected with the gentlemen between whom and myself B4 so THE GUARDS IN CANADA 1 1 guerre ouverte had been more than half declared, it may not be irrelevant to subjoin, as instancing the singular fatality which has ever maiic me the party assailed, hisicad of the aggressor in matters of this kind, 1 had accepted the invitation of a gentleman in Detroit, to become the inmate of his dwelling for a few weeks, prior to leaving that part of the country tor central Canada. It chanced that a lady relative of my host, and separated from her husband, was residing, at the same time, beneath his roof; and, not many days after my instalment in most com- fortable quarters, I received a letter from the husband, inti- mating to me that he thought it exceedingly improper that I should continue to remain where observation and com- ment might arise, prejudicial to his wife. This letter was, as he subsequently admits, rather coarse in its tone, and I did not reply to it. Shortly afterwards, a gentleman called upon me as the friend of the husband, and insisted on satis- faction for the slight I had offered in failing to reply to the letter. A friend was named by myself,* and a great deal of annoyance and vexation resulted from the simple fact that our opponents knew not how an affair of honor should be conducted. To crown my misery, I was attacked by ague, and while people came into my room, talking of the deter- mination of my adversary to have me out with rifles " and no mistake," the violent shivering under which I labor- ed, and which grew more marked in proportion with my excitement, might have led them to believe me an easy con- quest. Finally, and after, as I have just remarked, a great deal of trouble, a rendezvous was given (the weapons pistols) at a spot appropriately enough, called Fighting Island, and thither Lieut. Wooster, and myself, accompanied by Major Forsyth,t one of the most gallant and gentlemanly Ameri- cans in that section of the country, repaired one afternoon early in the month of June. We waited some time, but there was no sign of those who had invited us to enjoy the beauties of the scenery. But although these gentlemen were absent, we were not quite alone. Seemingly taking a meditative strol' on the sands of the Island, we encounter- ed the herculean form of the late member for Kent, Joseph Woods, Esquire, who at once intimated to me that he knew "' at we were there for, and had instructions to arrest and "ry us before a magistrate. Tiiis was not pleasant, how- * Lieut. Wooster of the 4lli United States Artillery, and now in Mexico. fThis oflicer is also in Mexico. I ; ! OR, THE POINT OF HONOR. 91 ever, as some lime had elapsed, and ihere was no appearance of the other parl^, or likelihood of their coming, it was not difficult to salisly Mr. Woods that we should "commit no breacii of the peace " there, and we were suflercd to depart from Her Majesty's territory. Mr. Woods had, it appears, received his instructions from Colonel Prince, to whom I had applied for pistols in the morning, without at all thinking of binding him to secrecy in the mailer. I had thought him too old a sportsman, however, to disturb game thus prematurely, and indeed have never thought of asking him since, how he came thus to falsify his creed. My friend Wooster, a very gallant fellow, who has, I per- ceive, distinguished himself — as have indeed almost all the officers of the 4th artillery — in the Mexican war, of course made his report on his return to Detroit, and I was freed from all importunity, or dread of rifles. Sometime afterwards, I received the following singular letter from my late antagonist : Detroit, Wednesday, June V7th, 1840. Sis, —Man, at times, under strong excitement, goaded on hy friendly inuendo, is not apt, in such moments, to maintain a mastery over his passions— to weigh deliberately his expressions. In such a po- sition recent events have placed me. It is an attribute of my charac- ter, when in error, to make every necessary atonement — to suffer no inducement to keep me, knowingly, in the wrong, at the same time, never to depart from a line of t jnduct which reason justifies me in assuming, by wavering irresolution, or apprehension of personal harm. There is a coarseness and impertinence in one of the passages of my first note to you which I would gladly disavow. It was neither dictated in wantonness, nor conceived on reflection ; but had its birth from an unbalanced mind, tossed in a tempest of trying events. I would, therefore, desire it eraced from memory and paper. Our difficulty reached a point nearly defining a termination. I wrote to convince you, by your friend's own note and admissions, that the imputation of cowardice cannot be attached to me. With that object, supposing that no generous mind would hesitate to do even tardy justice, I proposed to Mr. an interview, instead of seeking public notoriety, where the malignant might introduce a lady's name unjustly, to convince you that theu, as now, I have yet learned to live iu the fear of any man. Respectfully, Major Richardson, 4^. <^. 8fc. 89 THE GUARDS IN CANADA ; To this I returned llie following answer, which terminated the tragi-comic affair : Major Richardson has to acknowledge the receipt of Mr. — s' note of yesterday's dale, which absence from Detroit has prevented him from noticing earlier. Major Richardson cannot but regret that friendly inuendoes should have urged Mr. to the adoption of the course pursued by him on a recent occasion. As, however, he has disavowed the objection- able portions of his original note, to which it was impossible that a reply could be sent, and has furthermore expressed his extreme con- cern at having penned them, Major Richardson trusts that no more may be thought of the matter. In regard to a personal interview, which is, moreover, rendered ■wholly unnecessary by the note now forwarded to Mr. , Major Richardson must beg, under all the circumstances of the case, to de- cline it. Jefferson's Avenur, ) Tkuraday, June 18th. ^ It was soon after this affair, and on my return to Brock- ville, to take up my final residence in that place, that an event occurred, between Lieutenant Colonel Williams of the Particular Service commanding the District, and myself, that created, at the lime, not a little sensation. Whether I was the aggressor in this case, the following correspondence, conveying all the bearings of the matter at issue, will show. Rock Cottage, } August 24th, 1840. 5 Sir,— I have only just been made acquainted with the fact of your having reported, or ordered to be reported, certain officers under your command, for having engaged in a private game at cards a few evenings since in this pla :e. Upon the disposition to corfinue that system of annoyance, and interference in the private aflarsof officers, which led to repeated complaints, terminating in your removal from your command on the Lower Canada frontier, I liave nothing to remark ; but as far as re- gards myself, who have no inclination to acknowledge your right, or to succumb to your assumption of interference with what passes under a private gentleman's roof, some explanation of the step yon have thought proper to pursue is necessary. The fact of your having made the conduct of the officers alluded to a censure of course implies impropriety on their part. If, therefore, such impropriety be attributed to them, all these gentlemen, not your officers, comprising the remainder of the party, — Mr. S— — Mr. OR, THE POINT OP HONOR. S3 M , (at whose invitation we met), and myself, would seem to be included in the censure. Now, Sir, as the honor of beinc; commented upon in any way by you is not precisely that which I covet ; and as I cannot suffor a doubt to exist on the subject, I must beg you directly to state whether your censure upon the ortlccrs to whom I have alluded was in any way intended to reflect, directly or indirectly, upon me. 1 have the honor to be, &c.. Your most obedt. humble servant, J. RICHARDSON, Major Late Spanish Service. Lieut. Colonel Williams, Particular Hervice, Commanding Prescott. Brockville, August 2ith, 1840. Sir, — I am in the receipt of a letter from you of this day's date, and have only to observe that I am not responsible for any inference people may choose to draw from, nor accountable to you, or any other private individual, for the conduct I may think proper to adopt with any officer under my command, though I might deem you are so to me, for the untruth of the statement you have thought proper to make respecting my removal from the Lower Province ; did 1 con- sider such an assertion, made by you, likely to aHect my character in any way, and as I have not tlie honor of being personally ac- quainted with you, neither do I covet the honor of any further corres- pondence with you. I am, Sir, Your most obedient servant, [Signed] W. F. WILLIAMS. /. Richardson, Esq., Major Late Spanish Service. Brockville, 25th August, 1840. Sir, — As your letter of yesterday's date, in reply to mine of the same morning, does not deny that a reflection was intended to be cast upon me in the course you thought proper to pursuse on a recent occasion, I am under the necessity of assuming the fact. Under these circumstances, and making due allowance for what appears to be a natural infirmity, all that remains for me to state is, that ; considering your conduct to have proceeded from a spirit of espionage — an intrusion info privacy, as unbecoming as it is derogatory to the high-mindedness of a soldier — I can only entertain, and shall ever express, but one sentiment for a person capable of such a dere- liction from the usages of society. J. RICHARDSON, Major, Late Spanish Service. Lieut. Colonel Williams, Particular Service, Commanding Prescott. 34 THE GUARDS IN CANADA ; i Wednebdat ArTERNoorf, 2{}tk Aufrust, 1840. Sir, — 1 liavc just received your letter of the 25th instant, and placed it in llio hands of a magistrate, rcqucating him to release mo from the furtlier annoyance of one who has no claim to the treatment of a gentleman. W. F. WILLIAMS. J. Richardson, Esq., Late Spanish Hcrvicc. At a first view, and taking my original letter to Colonel Williams, without reference to the causes winch induced it, it may appear unnecessarily severe ; out I must here state, what should previously have been remarked, that Colonel Williams hud provoked it by presuming to observe, to one of the officers alluded to, *' If Major Richardson wishes to keep a gambling house, he had better select his own resi- dence." This particularly rude and vulgar allusion to my- self was so uncalled for and unwarranted by the occasion, that, without compromising the officer who had given me the information, I liad no other course to pursue than to heg the repetition to myself. His last note, of course, sealed our correspondence, and thus, a fair opportunity having been afforded — nay, forced upon me, to retaliate the act which had, so shortly before, been advised by the judicious Militaires, I was resolved that this gentleman — of sufficiently distinguished rank for my pur- pose — should enjoy all the benefit. I immediately afterwards caused the following announcement to be printed at Ogdens- burg, in the United States, and not only placarded it there, but at Prescott, the head quarters of Colonel Williams, and at Brockville, where the correspondence had taken place. ADVERTISEMENT. Whereas, Major Richardson, an officer in the service of the Queen of Spain, was recently under the necessity of charging Lieut. Colonel Williams, of Her Majesty's Particular Service, commanding the Prescott frontier, with conduct derogatory to the character of an officer and a gentleman ; and whereas the said Lieut. Colonel Williams has not noiiced such accusation in the manner usual on those occasions, but has, on the contrary, thrown himself under the protection of the magistracy; and furthermore, given it out, (not openly to Major Richardson, but to other parties, basely and insidiously,) that his reason for not calling out Major Richardson was the misconduct of OR, THE POINT OF HONOR. 35 tho latter in a cortain affair of honor which took place in Montreal about ei/^ht months URo: — this is to dedaro ihnt Mnjor Rlchunlsoti, having bt!(>n ('Xdncratcd Iron) .-ill Itlanu! in iIk; adiiir in (lucstion l)y public opinion frcncriilly, and particularly by Colonel lOllison, tlitwi coniniandanr at Montreal, ol'tlio Irrt'Dudiitr Uiiards, — a fact of which Lieut. Colonel Williams was fully coj^ni/tuif, from adniissions con- laineil in a certain correspondence published in the Montreal papers of tho day; — this, it is repeated, is publitdy to ileclarc that the sniil Lieut. Colonel Williams, of tho Particular Sc-rvice, commanding on the Preacott frontier, is a contemptible, shullling, ami prevaricating slanderer, who has sought to avoid the personal responsibility hia littleness of conduct had entailed, under u subterfuge as cowardly as it is false, caluiiiniuus and malicious. J. RICHARDSON, Major, Laic Spanish Service. These placards are frreat ticklers, nor could there be any thing particularly outre in my following on the path of those Militaires distingues in Montreal, wiio had set the fashion, and in whom, of course, there could be nothing wrong. I now felt somewhat in the position of the unhappy victim whose back has been unmercifully scored at the halberts, and wlio, on seeing his fellow-suflerer tied up and undergoing the same castigation, experiences a partial solace to his wounds — and this tiie greater, because he is sensible that the man, last flogged, is far more deserving of punishment than him- self. Not exactly impressed with the chivalry of the course that would, on this occasion, be adopted by the little gentleman who had sought refuge, as he had been good enough to in- form me, under the protecting wing of a highly moral Ma- gistrate of the District, I, immediately after the placarding, repaired to the American shore, leaving my address behind me. A day or two afterwards, a Captain Shaw of the battalion of Militia, under the command of Colonel Williams, called upon me at the hotel where I had taken up my temporary sejour ; and, as I had expected, introduced himself as the bearer of a message. The invitation he brought was a very friendly one — a little partie carree — merely a cheek by jowl affair — only four paces — in short, just hugging dis- tance. Now, I had several reasons for not assenting, on the spot, to come so closely in collision with the redoubtable Colonel, whose "dander," as brother Jonathan har' it, was at length 36 THE GUARDS IN CANADA up, and wlio, apparently sought to put a Kilkenny cat ter- mination to our ufTair. In the first place, I had never fought a duel in any otiicr 8j)irit than that induced by the necessity for punishing an insult, and at the regular English distance ; in tne second, I knew the certain penalty of killing Colonel Williams at four paces, as \ inevitably must have done, and had not the slightest desire that his chances of killing me should be proportioned to his inclination ; and thirdly, not having reason to believe that Colonel Williams had the least serious idea himself of fighting at that distance, I felt satis- fied that he only wanted my verbal refusal to his friend, to make a very laudatory and pompous affair of the over-boil- ing valor evmced in his proposal. After hearing what Captain Shaw had to say, I merely referred him to a friend in Brock- ville, whose promise of service, should it be necessary on the occasion,! had already received, and with whom,l added, he must confer as to preliminaries. Shortly after Captain Shaw left, it occurred to me, that, to avoid misinterpretation, my sentiments had better be re- corded in a note, and I therefore immediately dispatched the following, across the river, to Prescott, where ho was quar- tered : — OODENSBUROH, } Half-past 3 o'clock, Sept. 23rd, 1840. $ Sir,— Tn reference to the verbal message, conveyed through you, as his friend, by Lieut. Colonel Williams, that he would meet me at four paces, and to which I replied that the arrangement rested wholly with my friend Colonel Grant, to whom I referred you — I further beg to add that I shall, this afternoon, and with as little delay as possible, send to Brockville for Colonel Grant, who, I have no doubt, will be in Prescott at an early hour to morrow, for the pvvnose of making such arrangements as may be necessary. I am, Sir, Your obedient servant, J. RICHARDSON, Major, Late Spanish Service, Captain Shaw, Sfc, &fc. Sfc., Prescott. Meanwhile, Captain Shaw had proceeded to Brockville, and before my message reached Colonel Grant, had an in- on, THE POINT OP nONOH. 37 lerview with tliat gcntloman, as appears by the lirst note of their correspondence, which is subjoined. (ilRNASH'H IIOTKL, I*RKHCOTT, SrpL '2-ilh, 1H40. Sir, — In complianco with my «'iiKii,,oinriit, I, tliin iiioriiiiif,', reply to your proposal of last cvenitiu;, iti regard to tlio aHiiir l)(;lw«'cn Colo- nel Williams and Major Rirlinrd'on. Upon rcflf;cti(»ii, I (;atmot consent diat a mt'cliii/j; slioiild take place liewiseu llicso geiitU'ineii at less than tlio usual distance — I'ntm ten to twelve paces. A shorler dintance would, in the event of anylliinn fatal orctirrinu;, sulijcct the surviving parties — princi[)al atnl seconds — to :i trial for murder. I oidy await your reply to this nolo (and I heg it may bo in writ- iii(r,) to iiumu the time and place. I am. Sir, Your obedient servant, [Signed] A. CHANT. Captain Shaw, cf-c. <*^r. (^r., PrcscoU. Pkescott, 2-ith September, IH •10. \ Sir, — I beg to ncknowledg the receipt of your note of this day's date, giving; your reasons for not fultillin;; the ('n^au;(;m(!nt you uniler- took last ni^lil, as the friend of .Maj(yr Kichardson, well kmiwinn; at that lime the only terms on wliicU ('olonel Williams could at all i't.'ol justilied in meeting him, and in which 1 li'l y concurred. Under existing circumstances, I cannot alter my opinion, or consent to their meeting at a longer distance than four puces. I am, Sir, Your obedient servant, [Signed] A. SHAW Liicut. Colonel Grant, (^r. ^x. ^r. GiRNAsn's Hotel, > Sept. 24lh, G o'cLoc/c, p. m. \ vSiR, — I have just received your note, in answer to mine of this morning; and have only to observe, that it is perfectly immaterial whether Colonel Williams can or cannot feel himself justified in meeting Major Richardson at more than four paces, as you seem to in- timate lias been consented to by me last evening. 1 must beg distincfhj to deny that I entered into any engagement with you last evening on the subject. On the contrary, I stated to you that I had not had the slightest communication with Major Richardson, and must apprize him of your proposal before I could render you a reply. 38 THE GUARDS IN CANADA; Colonel Williams Ima sent Major Richardson a message. That message has hecn accepted, as is usual 'iinoiig gentleman ; but noilhor Major Richardsou nor myself have any desire lo b lassed anioDii; assassins. IC I do not hc;ir from you in the course of one hour from tl)is, staling Colonel Williams' intenti( •^ to meet IN'Iajor Richard son at I lie usual distance, I shall be under the necessity jf declining any further correspondciice on the subject. I am, Sir, Your obedient servant, [Signed] A. GRANT. Captam Shaw, SjV. i^lC. t^Y. But nothing like this moderate distance woiiM answer the lirc-eatcr — " lour paces — nay, you njay even give hiiri five if lie hesitates " — said the nK.gnificent little Colonel to his second, " but slick to tliat — .lot one pace more." Another letter from Captain Shaw, repudiating, with chivalrous in- dignation and scorn, the very tii'jght of ten paces — a dis- tance only to be fouglii over wilh blunderbusses — and the honor of Colonel Williams, deeply wounded in the placard- ing he ha'l so wantonly provoked, was sufficiently appeased. The liint of assassination, however, wvs not particularly pleasant to men who really never meant to be guilty of the crime, and Colonel Williams' friend, thus addressed mine on his own account. Prescott, 25lh September, 1840. Sir, — Having s Itled the object ol my undertaking with respect to my friend Colonel Williams, I hrve some explanation to request from you as to tfie exp cssion you mnde use of las* evening respecting bcinsr "classed among assassins." I am, Sir, Your obedient servant, [Signed] A. SHAW. Tho hot, gaclic blood of my gigantic second, who could have put poor btile Colonel Williams into his pocket, and gone through a day's march, without ever being made sen- sible, from fatigue, that such a personage was there, grev/ very irascible at this demand ; and seemed not a little in- clined, to be exceedmgly brusque and unmistakable in bis answer. But the tables were now turned, and I was his If -^ Li OR, TlIK POINT OF HONOR. 39 counsellor. As such T 'icrsuade*! !iim to soflcn down his clioler, ard send the following, wliicli w''ilc ropeating, in other words, what had been before written, ^ccmed to give the fullest satisfaction, for nothing further was heard from these ' four paces ' geut, .men. Girnash's Hotel, ) Prescott, Scjitemher 2!jth, 1840. > Sir, — I have just received your note, calling upon mo to explain what was intended by the observation contained in my communica- tion, that neither Major Richardson nor myself were desirous of being classed among assassins. 1 should have Imagined that any reference to tliis paragraph would have been made before the corri'S|)()ndeiicc between us had terminated ; however, even at this " eleventii hour," 1 havo no hesitation in a(Ti)rd- ing you an explanation of my meaning. Elad I surtcr.'d Major Richardson to meet and kill Colonel Williams, at four paces (a result almost i"' vitable, from the shortness of the distance,) I should certainly ha\ joked upon him and myse'fas assassins, and expected but little mercy from the civil jjower in the event of trial, Under these circufustances, I neither could nor ivould have gone out as the second of Major Richaidson. or any othei jjurson, T'lese are my views in regard to Major Richardson and myself. I mak'; no comment on the views oropinioi'S of others. I am, Sir, Your obedient ser\ant, [Signed] A. GRANT. Captain Shaw, <^"c. S^. ^x. Colonel Williams published this correspondence in a pamphlet, which he distributed amon'^ the different regi- ments and corps in Canada ; and to tiie letters, were ap- pended a good der,' of vituperation of the officer of the Queen of Spain's service, for not consenting to have his brains blown out at * four paces.' I, of coinse fell myself called upon to publish a reply, which I caused to be circu- lated through the same channels; but this generally was returned *o me. It concluded in the following words : — " Finally, the vulgar inuendoes, and he can deal in no other language, in which Colonel Williams has thought proper to indulge against the Spanish service, T, as an officer of that service, fling back upon him with the contempt and scorn they merit. But why break a fly upon the wheel ?" This affair created a good deal of sensation. As an instance 40 THE GUARDS IN CANADA ; of the general opinion entertained in the country. The best commentary is afforded in the following extract from a let- ter from a gentleman in Montreal who had good opportuni- ties of judging, and had had some little experience in these matters. " We all liere iliink you were pcrfccly riglit in acquiescing in your eecoi.d's refusal to figlil at four paces. How any officer in llie British service could niakc such a proposal I cannot imagine. Jf such an otlf.r had heen made to uie, I should iiave been apt to burlesque it, by accepting, on coridilion that the weapons were rifles! But no gentleman could be a second in such a duel -and no man, in a country blessed with that cue signum of civilization — a gallcvs ! Colonel Williams was exceedingly indignant lliat he could not persuade all those, over whom lie exercised the slightest authority, to join with him in condemnation of my conduct ; and so far did he pursue the bitterness of his animosity, that he sought to prevent all intercourse between the officers under his command and myself. The following is highly characteristic of the man : — The detac' .nenl of the battalion, subject to this immediate orders, which was stationed at Gananoque, was commanded by a gentleman, who, with his wife, were from the same place with, and acquaintances of Uiine. Of course, we fre- quently saw each other, and a drive to Ciananoquc, for a day or two, was a matter of frequent occurrence — they visiting our cottage in return Colonel Williams, hear- ing of this, wrote up to Sir George Arthur, to complain of Captain Jessopp being, on terms of intimacy with Major Richardson, notwithstanding the affairs which had so re- cently taken place. This official letter was ordered by Sir George, to be sent to Captain Jessopp, for any remarks he might have to offer thereon. The commentary of that officer was very brief and characteristic. He replied, of- ficially, t'..at he had known Major Richardson, and his wife and her family, in England, and was wholly at a loss to un- derstand why, since not the slightest imputation rested on Major Richardson's character, in the affairs alluded to by Colonel Williams, he (Captain Jessopp) should be made a partizan in the quarrels of the latter officer, or be expected to discontinue his acquaintance with one whom he had no reason to regard in any other light than as a gentleman. ft OR, THE POINT OF HONOR. 41 . This, aUhoiigh not perhaps the precise language used, was tlie spirit and substance of Captain Jessopp's communica- tion ; and notiiing further was addressed to him on ihe subject. But this complaint of Colonel Wil'iams leads me to the consideration of another subject. It was conlidently staled at the time, that, soon after the four paces farce had been acted, and the several manifestoes of the belligerent parties had gone forth, the Commander of the Forces, 8ir Richard Jackson, had directed that the officers under his command should have nothing to do with Major Richardson, who had thus, imitating the example of his own " MiUt.aircj,^'' pub- licly placarded an officer of ran): in the British s*uvice. I have had good reason to believe that this was the case, and the very complaint made by Colonel Williams, to Sir George Arthur, seems to convoy a notification of infringe- ment of the interdiction previously laid by the Commander of the Forces, upon his oflicers. Were 1 to say that this was a matter of indifTcrence, I should assert what was not the case ; for it is idle for any man, who has been a soldier, to pretend that he does not de- sire to stand well in the opinion of those win; should, from their profession not less than from their position in society, be the best judges in these matters ; and, indeed, whose ap- probation, as well as that of all other men of the world, it is one of the leading inducements, in resenting an insult, to secure. One's seli-approval is much in these cases, but the approval of those willi whom we are on terms of friendly intercourse, is not a little either. But T know well from long experience that the army is a school •' f >?reat tyranny, for not only is tlie body " cribbed, cabi v' confined " by it ; but the mind, the will the judg- men' • ~. ; and it requires bur a hint from a commanding ofiicci, . p :"ting the course he wishes to have pursued, to en- sure unanitr'ly of purpose and of action. Habits of implicit obedience have too long influenced them, to admit of tlie unchecked exercise of their own judgment, and " every duck waddles at the same gait." Yet there were some few who had the manliness to exer- cise their own discretion, and to arrive at their own conclu- sions, in so pure a mailer of right and wrong. The first, lUi. most prominent of those who refused to sacrifice me ic ''e iniustice of which it was soutrhl to make me the vie- tim, was Assistant Commissary General Weir, and now at 42 THE GUARDS IN CANADA; i '.,1 llichcad of his department in Nova Scotia — and with him, Sir James Alexander of the 14th regiment — Colonel Ballingall of the Marines, and Major, the Baron de Rotlenburg, of the 46ih, with whom I had served in Spain. Captain Jessopp's spirited refusal to be coerced, I have already shown. It might seem puerile, but from the in^^rence that is to be drawn from the fact, that, I should individualize those officers, as assuming towards mc, that bearing which one gentleman has a right to expect from another ; but I am in- duced to mention them, because the exception here, in an eminent degree, proves the rule — that is to say, the command to avoid Major Richardson, as a difficult or dangerous per- soTi. The more honor to those, who, in their honesty and in- tegrity of purpose, had the manliness to think and act for themselves. Had there been, ir their estimation, any thing improper in my conduct, in the ^'s in question, these officers certainly would not have co> .lanced and acknow- ledged me, as I feel gratified — as far ds regards themselves — to say they have uniformly done ; neither would they have introduced me to their mess-tables. Subsequent to the aflfair in Montreal, in which Colonel Williams pretended I had misconducted myself, the only regiment with which I ever dined, was the 93rd Highlanders ; and after my mis- understanding with him, the three first officers whom I have mentioned, invited me to their respective messes. The Ar- tillery, the 14th, and the Royal Navy and Marines, at which latter, I was a frequent, and, I believe, a favored guest. As I have already remarked, these things are trifling in the ab- stract, but not without their weight when taken with the pe- culiar character of the context. I have listened with a good deal of patience, but, at the same time, not without mortification that I should be so far misunderstood, when it has been seriously stated to me, al- though in a truly friendly spirit, that I have, in a great de- gree, been shunned as one repeatedly manifesting a quarrel- some disposition. If, as I have remarked elsewhere, to be incapable of suffering a slight or an insult to pass without notice, be to evince the character of a quarrelsome man, it would be vain for me to attempt to exonerate myself from the charge, nor do I feel any inclination to do so. But I maintain that the feeling I have ever manifested in these matters, does not — cannot come under such a category. I rarely — very rarely indeed — offend without a cause, and if perchance I do, no man is more prompt to lender his apolo- oil, THE POINT OF HONOR. 43 gy ; while, on the other hand, an apology for offence to- wards myself, where I believe it to be tlie spontaneous efTu- sion of the heart, and not wrung from the offender, is ever gladly accepted by me. Some men are more susceptible on these points than others — pcriiaps erroneously so — but wh?Te the impression of insult received exists, that man must be debased indeed, in his own opinion, who suffers patiently under it — and if sunk in his own estimation, how can he fail to think that others will judge him by his own standard ? Nay, I will even go farther. Humility is a very praiseworthy virtue in the abstract ; but I verily believe that the Deity, the great Creator of mind as well as of matter,looks with no extreme disfavor on the man who causes in his own person, and as far as his imperfect nature can attain that end, that high sense of individuality with which he has endowed the most intellectual of his creatures, and which is an emanation from Himself, to be respected by the stern assertion of its own dignity. Nor, as I may show at some future day, and at much greater leng h, is there any thing singular or wild in this idea ? With a rightly-thinking and rightly-feeling man, it is not blood that is sought, on these occasions, so much as the atonement. It is true blood may flow, but that is only the con- tingency ; and were anything wanting to prove this, the most conclusive evidence is to be found in the fact that the party insulted often stands a greater risk of being shot himself, than of drawing blood from the offender ; nay, he may chal- lenge that offender under the perfect assurance that he will be shot ; and yet his high sense of honor mus'i remain sullied unless (apology, where it can be received, being wanting,) the good old fashion, instituted in the days of chivalry and manly heroism, and which the utilitarian spirit of this matter-of-fact age is fast seeking to discountenance, but can never, it is to be hoped, effectually destroy — be re- sorted to. It may be replied to this, that he who fights many duels must necessarily be a good marksman, and that his pro- ficiency renders him the more ready to embark in a contest in which his skill is likely to avail him so much. To that I rejoin that, in my case, this never was a consideration ; for, although the assertion may, by some, be doubted, I am not by any means what is called " a dead shot,'' " a candle snuffer," or " a hair splitter ; neither have I ever .made pis- tol practice my study— seldom, indeed, engaging in it even as ■ |R|,.IPIHip^!»lW^»HP|iW,>V,.HWf»«" 44 TlU'l GUARDS IN CANADA; m If. i' n i a passe-temps. The proficioncy of a Somcrs or an O'Meara, on one side of ihc JJritish Cliannel, or that of a Du Hally or a Failliot ou the other, I never sought to attain, and, in all probability, never shall. But even admitting that I were all this — admitting that I had studied the pistol as a saint does her breviary, that ab- stract fact would prove nothing. To bear out the assertion, that a man is of a quarrelsome disposition, it must be shown that he is in the habit ol fastening r[uarrels upon others. He must be proved to be governed by the same animus which once induced the Count Du Hally, fibove alluded to, to untie, in a public ball room, the cravat of a mere youth — a total stranger to him — with no other reason assigned — no other remark made — than " Monsieur voire maniere de plier voire cravale ne me plait pas;^^ and then, when called out on the spot, to kill the insulted youth, under a neigh- boring lamp-post. Some such disposition to ruffianism must be shown ; but what have been the facts connected with the several affairs in which I have unfortunately, and from no desire of my own, been engaged, and from what side has the act of aggrcsssion proceeded ? Surely, from the instances it has been my unpleasant task to detail, it cannot be shown t'lat I have been originally the ofTending r .rty ; but these are not unsupported by further evidence. On my first arrival in this country, I found Colonel Chi- chester, then an Inspecting Field Officer also, and since dead, while in command of the 81st Kcgimcnt. That officer had, while in Spain, and as a Brigadier General, seconded a highly offensive resolution, affecting me, which circum- stances rendered it impossible that I could then notice. Tlie proposer of that resolution gave me, very reluctantly indeed, his written apology, and General Chichester did the same, on conviction of his wrong — Colonel Wetherall, of the Royals, being his friend on the occasion. These dncuments, together with other matter connected with them, I subse- quently published, as, in vindication of m}' assailed lienor, I had a legitimate right to do, and copies were sent home, not only to Lord Hill, then Commander-in-chief, but to Lord Fitzroy Somerset, Sir Henry Hardingc, the United Service Clubs, and to (icncral De Lacy Evans, under whose indi- rect sanction the insult in question had been offered to me. This, I have reason to believe, created me no favor here, and had not a little to do with the chivalrous conduct adopted in regard to me at a subsequent period ; but 1 had T > iiiinii^>a(ipnB|« m themselves, but still they were blows ; and there ever seems to be that affinily between the dog and his master which causes the latter to look upon a blow given to his trusty follower as though extending, through tlie influence of strong sympathy, to himself. In fact, an unapologized-for-assault on the dog is tantamount, at least, to an insult to the master ; and it was in that spirit that the Macnamara tragedy was enacted in London. I, very naturally — any man would have done the same — went up to the officer, then a personal stranger to me, and inquired what he meant by punishing my dog. He replied, that he had been fighting with a smaller one, and that he would serve any dog in the same manner, under the same circumstances. There was an as- semblage of ladies on the ground, and, of course that was not the proper place for further discussion. I merely re- marked, " Very well, Sir," and turned on my heel to leave the promenade. Before, however, I had gone a hundred yards, on iny way home, it occurred to me that the offender might not, at the time, have known whose dog he had struck, and I determined to return and ask the question. Fortu- nately, I met him, arm-in-arm, with an officer of his own regiment, an acquaintance of my own ; and I took the occa- sion of his being then detached from the crowd, to ask him, in the presence of his friend, and a gentleman who was with me, if he knew, at the time he was striking him, to whom the dog belonged. The answer was, as nearly as I can recollect : " I assure you. Major Richardson, I did not know the dog was yours, nor did 1 mean, in the slightest degree, to ofTciid you in striking him. I merely obeyed a natural feeling, in endeavouring to save the weaker animal from the stronger." What could be more gentlemanly — more satisfactory than this ? I was disarmed in an instant of the mortification and indignation ! felt at what appeared to me, to have been an intentional insult, ai.J I answered truly, that T was indeed most happy to hear the avowal, and trusted that no more might be thought of the matter : and thus we parted — I with a much lighter heart, and a far less embarrassed spirit than when I had begun to move from the promenade to fulfil a duty which had so painfully been imposed upon me. A few days later, I had the pleasure of meeting, and taking wine with this officer at the mess of his regiment — and in- deed, he was kind enough to take home to Eng^land, whi- ther he was returning on leave of absence, the volumes con- OR, THE POINT OP HONOR. 47 taining llio apology of Colonel (Winchester, to which I have so recently alluded, as having hecn addressed to the Com- mander in Chief, and other distinguished officers of the Bri- tish service. I am aware, that in this matter, 1 was thought to be un- duly hasty, but wherefore ? It was no fault of mine that an officer — a stranger to me, and therefore assumed to be less excusable — should have punished my dog before a host of peo[)le — those people knowing the animal to bo mine ; nor could it be expected that a gentleman, seeing his favor- ite thus treated, should content himself with looking on, and suffer uncomplainingly, in a two-folJ sense, under the inflic- tion. I could do nothing less than inquire, perhaps in a peremptory tone, but not wholly unsuited to the occasion, what was intended by, what appeared to be, so pointed a pro- ceeding. Nor will it be said that the answer which 1 re- ceived, in tbe first instp'^ce, bore any such interpretation as apology. Under the circumstances, 1 had but one course to pursue, but if I had felt that exultation, which some persons would willingly ascribe to me, at being afforded an oppor- tunity of gratifying my pugnacious propensities, I should hardly have adopted the prefatory and milder course of re- turning, and asking Mr. if he had acted with a design to offend — thus leaving him every fair opportunity for hon- orable explanation. The last case to which I shall refer, in connection with this subject, and which is rather a curious one, occurred dur- ing the period when the 52nd and 89th regiments were quartered in Montreal. The locate was a place of public amusement, where a very young gentleman, Mr. Mytton, of the latter corps, thought proper to conduct himself towards me in rather a cavalier — nay, rude manner ; and that^ with- out the slightest provocation of look, word, or act, on my part. That Mr. Mytton enjoyed a name of high repute, every body knows ; for what man has attained a higher celebrity than the father of this young gentleman — not as a soldier, a statesman, or a scholar, but in the higher arts of leaping fences, hedges, toll-gates, and fifty other equally scientific and remarkable accomplishments. Of course, from the unscorched loins of such a sire, could not but spring a scion worthy of himself. I believe Mr. Mytton, however, attained to higher distinction than even his gifted progenitor. He could stand on a table, I understand, for I never was a witness of this display of abiUty, and per- 48 TIIH GUARDS IN CANADA ; fill form a summersault, taking up in the act, his hat which lay upon the floor, with tlu! cinply iicad, and without the slight- est assistance from his iianils. Now, vvhclhcr it was the very natural fueling of pride and selt-conlidence, arising from the possession of acconi})lishments of which liis hat feat is a sainple. or of wealth out of all proportion with his wit, Mr. Mytton was, it appears, at all limes exceedingly dis- posed to he vidgarly brustiue in his manner, and, on this parlicidar occasion, was obviously rude to me. This con- duct was repealed before I took any notice of it, and then I simply remarked that I should tnke the o})portunily of send- ing to him in the morning. In llie meantime another offi- cer, Captain , observed to me, and in a tone which I did not conceive to be the most courteous in the world, that his friend Mr. Mytton was not addressing himself to mc. Tliis was very true, for the youth's reiriarks were made not to but evidently (tt me. 1 very quietly asked this second gen- tleman what his name was. He gave it to me as Caj)tairi of the 52nd. " Then, sir, I shall also be under the necessity of sending to you in the morning." Nothing fur- ther passed at the time, but soon afterwards. Captain left his seatj and coming to the spot where I was standing at the time, began to explain himself, assuring me that he never intended any thing offensive by ins observation. This declaration I received with umnixcd satisfaction, for I felt all the unpleasantness of having two affairs upon my hands at the same moment, and these quite unprovoked by my- self; and I very frankly told Captain that I had ex- pected nothing less from an officer of the gallant 52nd. Here then, was one of my annoyances disposed off. Not long afterwards, an officer of the 8J)th, who had ac- companied Mr. Mytton into the room, and had, with others, been present during his remarks, touched me on the shoulder, and, on my turning round, requested me to go with him in- to an adjoining room. I did so; and found there, grouped together, some three or four officers, among whom was Capt. , whose disclaimer of offence I had just received. These gentlemen began, by remarking that they, of course, knew perfectly well what I intended doing in the morning; but strongly urged me not to pay any aliention to what had been said by Mr. Mytton ; that this was onbj his manner, and that he was in the constant practice of making the most offensive comments on themselves, of which, however, the}'' never tooir the least notice. Not a little surprised at this OR, THE POINT OF HONOR. 49 novel species of intercession, I remarked that Mr. Mytton might take these hberties with tliem, to whom he was known, but that, with a perlect stranger, the case was very different. Captain , and Mr. G , of the 89lh, a))pcarc(l prin- cipally interested on the occasion. Tiiesc gcMUlenien con- tinued very earnestly to entreat that I would not send to Mr. Mytton in the morning, or, in fact, treat him as other than a rude and inconsiderate boy, who had taken too mucii wine ; adding, that ihcy would consider my acceptance of their explanation as a j)(;rsonal obligalioti. Thus urged, and not really being desirous of proceeding to extremities with 80 mere a youth, I told those gentlemen that, singular as the proceeding was, I would not take any further steps in the matter, provided they would pledge thcniselves, in the event of remark being made on the subject hereafter, to de- fend me from any unjust irr^putation, owing to my failure to notice Mr. Mytton's impertinence in the maimer I had pro- posed. They all assured nie that they would make it known, if necessary, that I had only yielded to their intercession, and that my conduct throughout had been strictly that of a gentleman. With this assurance, the conversation ceased. Now, let me ask, what stronger evidence of moderation can be adduced ihrm I exhibited on this occasion ? A party. I will not say intrude themselves in, but enter, a place where I happen to be ; and one of them, without the slightest provocation on my part, thinks proper to make use of offen- sive language. On my hint to notice this at a suitable moment, another of that party interposes in support of his friend, and leaves me in the pleasant position of knowing that I have two invitations to send instead of one. True, the good sense of the last offender induces him to pursue a course which relieves us both — and me in particular — from a heavy responsibility. Then, when the friends of the first party solicit me not to resent the offence of an impertinent Ensign, richly deserving of chastisement, I evince anything but a vindictive desire to persevere — satisfied that my motives are understood, and that those gentlemen conslilulcd, from the circumstances, the guardians of my honor in this pecu- liar case, will do me common justice on the premises, 1 accede to their request, and treat the young man as a brain- less and ill-mannered stripling, [ have no hesitation in giving the name of Mr. Mytton ; nor, indeed, need I have used any delicacy in regard to the others — all of them were. so THE GUARDS IN CANADA if tfi and are, strangers to me ; nrul I cJjirc say, if I had comtniltej myself in any way in the matter, they would not have evinced much tenderneHH, on that score, to me. Such, then, were the results sprin^^ing fiom tiio conduct which had heen |)ursued, towards me, hy the (ircnadier Guards; and hecause I knew this to he the case, I felt the more tenacious on the suhject. Had it not heen for their ex- am[)lc. Lieutenant Schreiher never would liave stated to people in Detroit, that I had \n\c.\\ the author of a paragraph written in a sj)irit highly oll'ensive to my Am(5rican friends. Neither, indeed, would he have heen put to ihe humiliation rf confessing regrcit for what he had coolly and delihcratcly « jne. His apology to me, I consider a forced one, for had he entertained n correct apprehension on the occasion, or heen guided hy a proper feeling, lie would have made at first, the apology that was only conceded to a renewed de- mand. Again, had it not been for the course pursued hy the Grenatlier Guards, Colonel Williams would never have pre- sumed to conduct hin)self, as has been seen in the j)reccd- ing pages. Had they acted in the bold, numly, and inde- pendent manner which wa^ to have been expected from men, who had had no reason to alter the favorable opinion they had once done me the honor to enlerlain for me, that aflfair never would have taken place. Nor, finally, would this half-lletlgcd Ensign, Mr. Mytton, with just nous enough to know his right half face from his left, have presumed to evince, towards mc — a soldier of some five-and-thirty years bearing — a bearing for which I had previously called his superiors to account, had not a gar 'led statement of my affair with the Guards gone forth, mystifying the truth, and perhaps leading every impertinent to believe ihat 1 was a sort of man who could be offended with impunity. Some of these young men labor under the impression, that, because Her Majesty has thought proper to discountenance duelling in the army, that principle will hold good in the relations of milil.arv men with civilians. Tiiey are in error. Her Majesty's prohibition is confined within the limits of the respective services themselves. It can have no reference to affairs where one of the parties only, is of the service, and in the service. Nor can an offi- cer plead, as an excuse for not going out, that he may lose his commission. That commission he must sell or lose, if necessary ; but atonement must be made if insult be offered on, THE POINT OP HONOR. M to a civilian, otIinnviHO will somt'ihiii^ fur more futnl, lliougli mucli loss woiiMciingatul puinriil lliiin pDjtliiig — llio Mccrel pis- tol and llio l)owic-knifc, l)o roHorlcd to, to nvcngc tiio wrong — the injury — siiHlriituMl, and yd iinaloncd for. As I nave slated at tlie out.sct of tlies(! pages, it is far from being a task of pleasure to be conipelleil lo recur thus to the past ; but il was necessary that the wound should bo again probed ; for I have reason to think the cure has been anything but elTectual or pi^rniaiKMit. Several years have now passed away since the first liaieful act of lliis diama was perfoiiued; and li'ne his ho rtiyisiilied and confused the whole trun- action, hat it ia now seen as " through a glass darkly," and not all to niy advantage. Regiment has suc- ceeded regiment on the theatre of the first represcnialion, and these have, in turn, received their impressions Few, however, are aware of the real facts of the case — fewer of the existence of the letter of Colonel Ellison exculpating me, in his own name, and that of his ollicers, from all blairie — still fewer of my earncs* appeal to the then Coiimiander of the Forces for a Court of liupiiry — iliat high tribunal of honor and, sometimes, of justice, where tin merits of a case can be the more fully and the more fairly tested. All return to England, convinced by the idle rumors they have heard — perhaps corroborating what the (jrenadier Guards themselves have erroneously put forth, and whispering away a fair fame which they prudently decline openly to attack. These, then, are the reasons — and povvcrfiil they must be admitted to be — which have, at lengih, induced me to rise up in my own juslificalion, and submit to the world, and particularly to those who are the acknowledged arbi- ters in the code of honor, for an infringement of which 1 originally stood charged, the conduct of men who so heart- lessly, and so unjustly, placed me in that most unenviable position. I repeat, therefore, that I cannot go down to the grave without leaving behind me this infperishable record of facts, in which is illiisiraled, under the signature of my enemies, my proud adhesion lo those principles of action which orevail in the modern world of chivalry, and by which my con'uct has ever been regulated. Let me not, however, be misunderstood. I throw not the glove of defiance at those who have not sought to injure me either in word or deed. I intend no allusion to those who were not of the number who sought to do me evil — but of those who have — even was their number legion — I tell 52 THE GUARDS IN CANADA ; I tlinm ihaf. I enlcrlain for them the most unmitigated scorn. Men, who could fee' and act as they did, who counselled that a brcUior officer should be posted on the public walls of a city as a co vard, when the fluttering of their hearts, filled with very dread of detection of their participation in the foid wrong being brought home to them, gave tiie lie to what their lips had atil! the temerity to utter — are indeed almost beneath even scorn ; but let that pass. The Guards are gone— but Jiot out of the world, and they alone, who were he-e on the occasion in question, are embraced in any allusion that has been made, in the course of this most pain- ful explanation. But not the Guards only, could have been the advisers of this measure. Indeed, notwithst<*nding all their extraordinary and contradictory condu' t towards my- self, believe them to iiave been far too honorable men for that. There were other officers present then, who are still in the country. If any are of the number who advised my being placarded for the coward, they well knew 1 was not, the remark I have made, at the outset of this paragraph, applies to them. It may be highly honorable tO counsel others to proclaim me what Her Alajesty does not ; but those gentlemen ought to know enough of tlieir own service, to be sensible that the British Government does not confer mili- tary rewards on men wlio are remarkable for their want of courage. It is a proiid trophy. I have had the good for- tune to win it in the service of England, as well as in the service of a Foreign power, and having won it, I trust I know how to preserve my claim to it, in defiance of mv assailants. How many of their breasts can exhibit the same guerdon of honor? Nor, let it be imagined that I am influenced by any undue van'ty in the possession of that v hich it is the first desire of the soldier's heart to obtain. At another moment, and on another occasion, I should have abstained from all allusion to the subject, but this is not a time to be influenced by a misplaced delicacy. When the question at issue, is the personal resolution of a man — and, although that ques- tion no longer exists, it ivas the groundwork on which is based all that is detailed in the preceding pages — ib.e best evidence that can be offered, in disproof, is a reference to that which ought to put to sliame those, whom an inordinate and unwholesome appetite for scandal, blinds to the holiness of charity, and in wliose breasts is stamped the malignancy of a wilful and perverse love of detraction. As the mere man of business mides himself on his ^'.ora- ir«T< w-^^y^n 1 OU, THE POINT OF HONOR. 63 mercial integrity, and would almost rather hang himself in his garters than fail to meet, at the proper season, a bill that is due, so does the soldier pride himself on tiiose chivalrous principles which have been inculcated in early youth — grown with his growth, and become so interwoven with his moral being, that they form an essential ingredient of his character. Both have their peculiar codes — for each has been brought up in a different school, and each believes his own to be the imperative one. These have, at least, ever been my sentiments ; and how far I have acted up to the principle is made manifest from the foregoing — although there are hundreds of men in London who know that a very different experience has been afforded me, in Europe, to v-^hat is recorded here. The character of a quarrelsome man I am by no means inclined to as- sume 10 myself, althougli, as I have already remarked, lam not desirous to vleny the existence of that self-respect which will not suffer affront, real or imagined, to pass without a demand for explanation. If I am wrong, I will cheerfully submit to be condemned, not by people who, neither from education nor from knowledge of the world, are compptent to decide upon these questions ; but by those in whom is vested the right to inquire into the conduci of men who pro- fess to belong to the freemasonry of that particular school of honor which regulates the courtesy of good society. These, as I have elsewhere remarked, are principally to be found in the .nost select of the London Clubs, and by their impartial and honest judgment in the matters herein set forth, and supported by documentary evidence, am I prepared to stand or fall. From them, however, I anticipate but one decision ; or, if blame be at all attached to my conduct, it will be in this, — that I did not call out all the superior officers of the Grena- dier Guards, with the exception of Colonel Ellison, the mo- ment after their letter had placed me in a position to do so. I had considered this matter deeply, but on consultati'-u with the friend to whom I have previously alluded, we came to the decision, that, as the letJer of explanation from the Grenadier Guards distinctly i.nplied offence at my answer to their original note, even while it denied all intention of slight on their own part, I could not well prosecute the affair further, inasmuch as the frank letter of explanation from Colonel ElUson having been published, and public opinion satisfied, any additional step would only be to incur 54 THE GUARDS "N CANADA; that very odium of pertinacity in these matters, which it has been so sedulously sought to affix to me. Moreover, if the Guards were pleased to take offence, as a body, because I had accused them of insulting a lady — which they certainly did — I, of course, could not compel their choice of action. There was a reason given, as implied in Colonel Ellison's letter, wherein he says, that after my note to them, they had no other course left them to pursue. To call out bodies of men, is rather a quixotic, and somewhat delicate undertaking at any time, and it was particularly so with me, at that mo- ment, when I labored under the difficulty which is so well described in the extract, from a recent work by Cooper, which I have given at the commencement. That I vas not iniluen'^edby the same consideration, at an earlier period, even in reference to these gentlemen Guardsmen, might be seen from a correspondence now in my possession, but which, as the party to whom I allude is no more, I shall abstain from publishing. r f ERRATUM. Page 60, 29th line— for five-and-thirty years bearings read five- and-tbirty years standing.