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(3«> COI'IKS, I^RIVATKLV I>R INTKlJi SUottJteof ; iPRlNTED BY JOHN LOVELL & SON. 1895. ONLY THIRTY COPIES PRINTED. THE ROYAL CANADIAN VOLUNTEERS. 1794-1802. It is commonly believed that with the birth of " A " and " B " Bat- teries Royal Canadian Artillery in October, 1871, the Rjegular force of Canada originated. Such is not the case, however, and many will doubtless for the first time learn that as far back as 1794, a corps, known as the Regiment of Royal Canadian Volunteers, was recruited and officered by Canadians in the old provinces of Upper and Lower Canada— chiefly in the latter — and that it existed eight years. The first Battalion (De Longueuil's) was largely officered by French Canadian gentlemen — most of them were members of the best known, wealthy and respected families of old French Canada. The jirivates were presumably of the same nationality as their officers. The 2nd Battalion appears to have been chiefly composed of men of British origin. The names of most of its officers recall those of §ie old Glengarry settlement. These strongly marked national charac- teristics became partly effaced as years wore on, for promotions were mnde regimentally, and officers were thus frequently transferred from one Battalion to the other. The I St Battalion was at first quartered at Quebec. During the summer of 1797, it was under canvas on the heights of Point Levi. The 2nd Battalion (Macdonell's) spent the two first years of its existence at Montreal, while detachments or perhaps the whole Battalion was stationed for periods at Sorel, St. Johns and Laprairie. In the spring of 1 798 the headquarters of Macdonell's Battalion were transferred to Fort George, on the Niagara River, with detachments at Fort Erie and Amherstburgh. Fort George was a most unhealthy station ; out of a garrison of three hundred, two hundred and fifty were at one time prostrated with intermittent fever. In those days a battalion was composed of ten companies of from thirty to forty files, and in war time fifty files ; a Grenadier company was always placed at the right of the line, and the Light Infantry Company or Skirmishers on the left. The other companies were numbered from one to eight. The R.C.V, Battalions, although each provided with a Grenadier and a Light Company, seem to have had but six other comi)anies, the average strength of which was seventy men, giving a total strength, of rank and file, of about six hundred. bourg^s* I I The Abb6 Bois, in Iiis biographical sketch of Captain Dam- page 57, says that when the Regiment was disbanded, in 1802, it had still a strength of 600 men. We presume he refers to the ist Battalion only. The same authority also slates that the motto of the Regiment emblazoned on its colors was 'Try iis." It was, however, never given the opportunity of being tried under fire. Its uniform was scarlet, of the contemporary infantry cut, being " Royal," its facings were doubtless blue; the men wore grey cloth breeches; the otticers, white, with long black gaiters buttoned to above the knee. The head dress was a three-cornered hat with black cockade — except the Grenadier Company, which wore the usual tall, conical, highly decorated grenadier cap. The officers wore a cocked hat crosswise, with the tassels over the shoulders. Tlic Officers' swords were straight, 3S inches long, the blade ornamented with blue and gold tracings, the hilt was of ivory and gilt metal ; it was supported by a broad buff belt slimg over the right shoulder ; a crimson silk sash was worn around the waist and knotted to the left ; the gorgeret was of gilt metal, it bore the monogram G.R. and royal arms, which also decorated an oval breast-plate on the swoul sling. The men were armed with the old Hint lock and bayonet. It seems probable that the Regiment was raised on the sugges- tion of the Duke of Kent, father of our gracious Sovereign, who had served in Canada as Colonel of the 7th Royal Fusiliers from 1791 to January, 1794. He left Canada for the West Indies, spent the year 1 794 actively employed, and with great personal distincuon, during Sir Charles Grey's brilliant expedition against Martinique and Gua- daloupe. In the following summer he came to Halifax — as comman- der of the Troops in Nova Scotia — where he remained until 1800. His correspondence with the many friends he had made in ('anada proves the deep and sustained interest he felt in the Royal Canadian Volunteers. Several of its officers had been his i)ersonal friends while in Quebec, and were undoubtedly his nominees for their com- missions in the R.C.V., notably Major Louis de Salaberry, and his two sons, the Duchesnays, the De Lanaudieres, Dambourg^s, Hale,t etc. In the volume compiled by Dr. Anderson, which contains the Royal Duke's numerous private letters to the De Salaberry family *Le colonel Dambourg^s, Etude histovique canadienne — 8vo. pages 58, Que- bec, 1866. tSee The LifeofH.R.H. Edward Duke of Kent — illustrated by his cor- respondence with the De Salaberry Tamily, etc., by Dr. \V. J. Anderson, 8vo, Ottawa and Toronto, 1870. covciirg a i>eriod of about twenty-eight years, the nobleness of his character, his gentleness and manly generosity are admirably j)o:» trayed. These letters give an extremely interesting insight into his . private life, his social and family relations with the other members of the royal family ; they arc at the same time of considerable impor- tance to the historical and military student. In 1799 strong pressure was brought to bear on the officers of the R.C.V. by the Home and Colonial Military authorities to cause them to consent to be placed on the same footing as other Fencibie Corjis. A^ Commander in Chief in North America, the Duke wrote to Major Louis DeSalaberry under dale Halifax, N.S., Uci. 22, 1799:— " His Majesty has thought proper to make it known that he " would be pleased if all the Provincial regiments would offer to '' serve in all the American Colonies, in place of being confined 10 "the one whose name they bear. In consequence of accepting "this ofTer, they would be placed on the establishment as the Fcn- " cibles are in England and as is the Newfoundland Regiment, — " that is to say, the officers would rank through all North Ameri(a " the same as they do at present in their respective provinces, and "the Adjutants and Quartermasters would be sure of half pay in " case of reduction, and the regiments would be commanded by offi- " cers taken from the line who would be proprietor?. I believe " it is the intention of forming a Brigade of Canadians after the "manner ot the 60th, of which ihe Commander in Chief of the " Troops in North America would be Colonel, ns.tiie Duke of York " is of the 60th. " The proposition has already been made to tlie Nova Scotian "and New Brunswick Regiments, and both have «rxpressed in the " most loyal manner their willingness to serve wherever His Majesty " may think proper." So far we have found nothing to prove that the proposed change met with the approval of the R.C.V. or otherwise ; but whether it was favorably viewed or not, the corps was doomed to extinction. Mr. Douglas Brymner, Dominion archivist, fixes this event as occurring daring the months of August and September of 1802. At that time the second Battalion had several detached companies on duty in both the Canadas. Those in Upper Canada were : King- ston, I Company ; Fort George, 3 Companies; Fort Erie, a detach- ment of 18^ rank and file ; Chippewa, a detachment of 18, rank and file ; York, 2 Companies. Captain Hector MacLean was in com- mand at Kingston, when the arms and accoutrement were handed 6 in to store on the 32nd of August, 1803. Captain Neil MacLean performed similar duties at York on the ist of September. All these companies belonged to the 2nd Battalion. The ist Battalion was then also morcelled in the various garrison towns of Lower Canl- ada; it was disbanded during September, 1802. Threr companies were then in Quebec under Captains de la Bruire-Piedmont, Sabrevois de Bleury, and Vassal de Monviel — the other five com- panies received their ^^ coup de grdce" in Three Rivers, Sorel, Montreal and St. Johns, An imperfect list of the officers of the R.C.V. is to be found in Neilson's Quebec Almanac for 1796.* The same publication for 1797 contains a fairly complete list; it is as follows : — ROYAL CANADIAN VOLUNTEERS. 1ST BATTALION. Lieutenant Colonel. — Jor.eph de Longueuil. Major. — Louis de Salaberry. Captains. — (8) I'rangois Dambourg6s. DesRivi6res Beaubien, Francois de la Bru^re-Piedmont, Louvigny de Montigny, Pierre Marcoux, C. Sabrevois de Bleury, Francois Vassal de Monviel, Chevalier J. B. D'Estimauville. Lieutenants. — (10) David Dupre, Pierre Duchouquet, Ant. Juchereau Duchesnay, Joseph de Beaujeu, Charles G. de Lanau- di6re, Hypolite de Herlel, Pierre Bazin, Henry Hay, Joseph Bou- chelte, Benjamin Jobort. Ensigns — (10) J. B. Juchereau Duchesnay, Antoine Petrimoulx, Louis de Montizambert, Honor6 Baillie, Antoine de Lanaudi^re, Etienne de LcMoiandi^re, Richard Hay, Francois Boucher, Robert Anderson, Francis Duval. Chaplain. — Rev'd. Salter Mountain. Quarter Master. — Louis Fromenteau. * Adjutant, — Robert Anderson. Surgeon. — James Anderson. Surgeon's Mate. — J. B. L. Menard, •These important little volumes were issued annually from 1780 to 1842. They contain civil, military, militia, ecclesiastical and professional lists as well as historical sketches, new ordinances and a mass of miscellaneous local informa- tion of the highest interest . They are unfortunately very rare. aND BATTALION R.CV. Lieutenant Colonel. — John McDonell. Major. — Hazelton Spencer. Captains. — (7) Peter Drummond, Hector MacLean, Hugh Mac- Donell, Neil MacLean, Miles MacDonell, Rid -rd Wilkinson, Alexander McMiHan. Lieutenants. — (10) Richard Fargueson, William Fraser, William Crawford, Chiclicsttr McDonell,Thomas Frazer, Ronald MacDonell, William Johnson, Angus McDonell, — Taschercau, Pierre Ignace Mailhot. Ensi^^ns. — (7) Pierre de Boucherville, William Deace, Peter Grant, George Ermatinger, Charles Launidrc, Joseph Hoardwine, Robert Woolsey. Chaplain. Duval. Adjutant. — John Cranipton. Quarter Af aster. — Andrew Cameron. . ilurgeon. — James Davidson. Sur^i^eon's Mate. — Cyrus Anderson. Paymasters do not appear on the list until 1798, when Louis Genevay is detailed to the ist Battalion and John Taylor to the 2iid Battalion. In December, 1798, Lieutenant Ferguson of the 2nd Battalion is promoted to his Captaincy in the ist Battalion, vice Dambourg^s deceased. Considerable changes are noted this year in the list of ensigns. Through the influence of the Duke of Kent, J. B. Juchereau Duchesnay is transferred to an ensigncy in the 5th Battalion of the 60th Rifles, while the names of Pierre Peirimoulx and Etienne de la Morandi6re disappear from the list of the ist Battalion, the first on promotion to a lieutenancy in the 2nd Batta- lion. They are replaced by Denis Alexander, Maurice Roc de Salaberry, second son of Major Louis de Salaberry, and J. B. Phi- lippe d'Estimauville. James Walker is now Surqeon, vice James Davidson; and Henry Loedel, Surgeon's Mate, vice J. B. L. Menard deceased. This for the ist Battalion. In the 2nd Battalion, Chaussegros de Levy figures on the list of Captains as junior of the rank. Pierre Petrimoulx is promoted to a lieutenancy from an ensigncy mthe ist Battalion. Stephen Mc- Kay, Ferdin.ind Dame and Joseph Chin'que (Chinic?) receive their first commissions as ensigns. If we exanr.ine the list of the R. C. V. officers three years later. 8 in 1 80 1, we shall find no c'lxnges in the field ranks and few changes among the other ranks. The name of Captain Des Rivieres Beau- bien is no more to be found ; it is re|>laced by that of \V. J. Ban- bury as junior captain, — he had probably been brought into the Regiment from some other Regular or Fencible corps. Antoine Juchereau has been appointed lieutenant, and Frangois Louis de ■Salaberry, third son of Major Louis de Salaberry, is ensign. No further changes are made until both Battalions are finally disbanded in August and September, 1802, We find then that two officers are translerred to the civil list — Major Louis de Salaberry as district superintendent of Indians, and Paymaster Louis Genevayas deputy to the Post Master General at Quebec. The two young de Sala- berry?, as we shall see, received appointments in the 7th Royal Fusiliers, and Capt. Vassal de Monviel is made Adjut. Gen. of Militia, Judging from the following extract of a letter of the theri Prime Minister, the Duke of Portland, to Sir Robert Shore Milnes, Lieutenant Governor, the first Canadian Regulars could not have been favorably reported on to the Home authorities ; he writes : " I " cannot help expressing to you my surprise, that the establishment " of the Canadian Battalion in Lower Canada, the principal object " of which was to draw the Canadian gentlemen from their indolent "and inactive habits, and attach them to the King's service, should "have met with no greater success." , Whatever may have been the shortcomings of this " Canadian Battalion", it had, certainly, no lack of loyalty on the r2th June, ]8or. It i)laced in the hands of the Governor-General a Bill of exchange for five hundred pounds sterling, " as a voluntary contri- bution on the i)arl of the Ofiicers and Privates of the ist Battalion R. C. V. towards carrying on the present war ". The Governor- General in his letter of thanks said that he " had no doubt this very handsome testimony of the zeal and loyalty of the corps will be received by His Majesty with peculiar satisfaction." Several of the officers of the R.C.V. had either rendered dis- tinguished services previous to their appointments, or rose to dis- tinction after leaving the Corps. We have culled from authentic sources some information concerning the lives of the officers of the old R.C.V. whose deeds are worthy of being recorded. De Longueuil — Colonel, Joseph Dominique Emanuel Le- moyne, Seigneur de Soulanges, was born in J738. In 1755 he re- ceived his first commission from Louis XV, served his King faith- fully, and was present at all the principal battles between the English and French in America from that d.''-te to 1760. Three years later 9 he elected to remain in Canada, and swore allegiance to King George. He fought on the British side during the War of Indepen- dence, was appointed Legislative Councillor in the first Canadian Parliament ; Colonel of the ist Battalion R.C.V. He died in Montreal in 1807. One of his descendants, Mr. M. de Beaujeu, of Montreal, published an interesting sketch of his life in iJ'92. The biograi)her of Dambourgds asserts that the R.C.V. Regiment vas frequently sliort of supplies, and that Colonel de Longueuil actually sustained it lor a considerable time out of his private means. MajiR Louis de Salahekry was the son of Michel de Salaberry, the first of the name who settled in Canada. His mother was of the Juchereau I )uchesnay family. He was born in 1752. The father became a British subject after the Conquest, but sent his son to France to be educated. At the outbreak of the War of the Rebel- lion in 1775 he had returned, and we find him an officer of Militia at Fort St. John, wjiere he was severely wounded by the explosion of a siiell. He was subsequently twice '.vounded at different times during this war. Like most of his descendants, his physique was magnificent and his strength herculean. At the close of the War of Independ- ence he was granted a pension. He married a Miss Hertel de Rou- ville. Dr. Anderson says of him in his Life of the Duke of Kent : — " He was living hap])y and respected in the bosom of his family " when the Prince arrived in Canada. A warm attachment sprung up " between tliem. Tlie prince was a constant, almost a daily, visitor, " showing a strong attachment for and delighting in the society of the *' children, of whom Mr. de Salaberry had several boys and girls." Tlie Prince obtained a commission in the 60th Rifles for his son Charles, later the hero of Chateauguay, — then only fifteen years of age. He doubtless nominated the falh.T for his majority in the R.C.V. Wiien tlie Regiment was disbanded in 1802, Major de Salaberry's previous pension was continued to him, and he was ap- pointed o:.e of the su])eriiitendent3 for the Indians. In 18 10 he was elevated to ihe Legislative Ccuncil. During the war of 181 2 the old veteran comm;inded a Regiment of Militia on the frontier. He died in 1S26. His four sons received commissions in the British service : Charles in the 60th Rifles, Maurice Roc and F'rangois Louis in tlK 7tli Royal T'usiliers ; they both died in India in 1808 and 1809, and the youngest, Edward, godson of the Duke of Kent, graduated from Woolwich into the Royal Engineers ; he was soon sent to the Peninsular War, there he lost his life in a most heroic manner, when attempting to blow up one of the gates of Badajos the 6th of .-Vpril, 1812. 10 Captain Dambourges was born in the south of France in 1741. He came to Canada shortly after the Conquest, and soon became a successful merchant at St. Thomas in Lower Canada. When Que- bec was besieged by the Americans under Montgomery in November, 1775, I)anib')urg^s was one of the 1500 regulars, sailors and militia men who successfully held this the only foot-hold which remained to Britain in Canada. Most contemporary writers and Cana- dian historians mention his heroic conduct on the memorable night of December 31st, when the besiegers under Arnold penetrated on the east side of the city to Sault au Matelot street. Dambourges was one of the defenders of the barricade which blocked this ap- proach to tiie Lower Town. A party of Americans occupied a stone building overlooking this barricade, and opened a galling fire on the defenders. Dambourges seized a ladder, and, followed by three or four Canadians, climbed, unobserved by the enemy, to a gable window ; thus taken by surprise from the rear, and believing that Dambourges had many followers, the Americans threw down their arms, and gave themselves up prisoners to thtse few men. He behaved in an equally conspicuous manner until the end of the siege. For his gallantry, Sir Guy Carleton gave him a lieutenancy in the ist Battalion of the 84th Regiment. With this corps he served until the end of the War of Independence in 1783. He was placed on half pay when this Battalion was disbanded the year following. Dambourges then returned to his commercial pursuits, and became Colonel of a Militia Battalion. In 1791 he was elected to the ist Parliament of Lower Canada. When the Royal Canadian Volun- teers were raised, Lord Dorchester, remembering his past splendid services, offered Dambourges the captaincy of the Grenadier Com- pany. Although fifty-three years of age, this veteran was still gifted with a magnificent physique and extraordinary energy. He soon enlisted one hundred and fifty recruits chiefly from St. Thomas and neighboring parishes. Prince Edward honored him with his intim- ate friendship, — he was one of his favorites ; he used to call him '•' le capitaine balafrd," on account of a deep bayonet wound in the face which he had received during the siege of Quebec. No opportuni- ties of gaining further distinction in the field were offered to him in his new corps. In October, 1798, while stationed in Montreal, he was attacked with pleurisy ; he died from its after-effects in the De- cember following. He was given a very imposing military funeral. His body still reposes in a vault under the parish church of Mon- treal. He deserved well of his king and country, and was an honor to his race. His deeds are to be found in a biographical sketch by 11 the Ahh6 Bois, published in 1866, now long out of print, but his memory should be perpetuated by a suitable monument or tablet. The Historical Society of Montreal should consider this suggestion, for no loyal Canadian better deserved such a tribute to his memory. He left two daughters only, so that the name has now become extinct in Canada. Captains DesF.ivieres-Beaup.iem, De la Brudre-Piedmont, C. Sabrevois de Bleury. Louvigny de Montigny bore excellent family names, but I have failed to find anything worth noting after their leaving the R.C.V. Captain Francois Vassal de Monviel was born in 1758 ; he was a godson of the celebrated Bougainville ; he served with distinction under Burgoyne and St. Leger during the War of Independence. Bibaud asserts that when the R.C.V, was disbanded, Vassal served in some military capacity under the Duke of York in Holland ; a few years after he reappeared in Canada, but in rather straight- ened circumstances, for he navigated for some time a small coast trading vessel as a means of subsistence. Sir James Craig soon relieved him of further embarrassments by appointing him Deputy Adjutant General of Militia. He immediately devoted his energies to the reorganization of the Militia of Lower Canada. The writer of this sketch has in his collection of manuscripts a " Traits sur la Milice " of 85 pages, 4to, written by this energetic officer in Sept., 1810, dedicated to Sir James Craig, the then Governor General and Commander-in-Chief. It is replete with highly patriotic senti- ments well expressed. At the request of Sir George Prevost, then Commander in-Chief, he compiled and published a volume of 248 pages tamo, "Regies et R^glements pour la formation, Texercice " et le mouvement de la Milice du Bas Canada," Quebec, 1812. On Vassal's hands fell the command of the embodied Militia during the whole of the campaign 1812-1814. He served chiefly on the frontier south ofMontren' and on Sir George Prevost's staff; he was present at the siege of Plattsburg, He remained Adjutant General of Militia 20 years longer. His death occurred in 1843, ^^ '''^ ^g^ of 85. Bibaud says he was a small dark mm, very vivacious in habit, full of wit and repartee, he excelled at impromptu verse, and was a great social favorite. The two Duchesnay brothers joined early the :st Battalion R.C.V., and helped in recruiting and organizing it ; — they were excellent young officers. The ensign, as before stated, was later transferred to the 5th Battalion 60th or Royal Americans, and with it saw much service in the West Indies and elsewhere. Early in tlie 12 I ■ century he returned to Canada. We next find him captain, then junior major of DeSalaberry's Regiment, the Voltigeurs Canadiens, At the battle ofChateauguay and in the other engagements, during the war of 1 812, in which the Voltigeurs took part, Duchesnay, together with his younger brother Narcisse, won special mention for bravery and meritorious service. The elder brother Antoine Juchereau was at this period Lieutenant-Colonel on the staff. The Duchesnays repre- sented one of the oldest and most loyal of the French Canadian families. They were also wealthy proprietors of the seigneuries of La Beauce, Beauport, Fossambault and Gaudarville. Their first Canadian ancestor came to Canada about the middle of the 17th century ; their original surname was Juchereau de St. Denys. Lieutenant Joseph BoucHETTEwas born at Quebec on the 14th of May, 1774, the son of a man who acquired very considerable celebrity during the War of Independence, and who was fortunate enough in personally contributing in a marked way in preserving Canada to the British Crown. It was in November of 1775, Bouchelte senior commanded, at the time, a brigantine named the " Gasp6," which was moored in the harbor of Montreal. The American army had just taken Montreal, they were also masters of the St. Lawrence and of the neighboring parishes as far down as Lake St. Peter. The few British troops under General Prescott had surrendered to the invaders. Governor General Sir Guy Carleton was a fugitive, and in momentary danger of falling into the hands of the enemy. Captain Bouchette, brave, determined and full of resource, offered to conduct the Governor safely to Quebec. Carleton assumed the disguise of a canoeman, a light bark canoe was secured, and the pair, accomjjanied by the Chevalier di' Niverville, started on their perilous journey down the river; they managed to pass by, in the dark of night, with muffled paddles, the American vessels which were patrolling the river. After many adventures and hair-breadth escapes, Bouchette and his charge reached Quebec in safety, but barely in time to make hasty preparations to defend the place, revive the courage of the despondent citizens and of the small garrison. Young Bouchette was first destined for a naval career ; when 14 years of age, he was with his father on a government vessel on Lake Ontario. He showed early talent for drawing ; this led to his being employed in making charts for the use of the Royal Navy on the upper lakes. In the summer of 1796, when only 22 he commanded a small government vessel manned by 30 men doing patrol duty between Quebec and Montreal. This same 13 year, however, he accepted a lieutenancy in the ist Battalion R.C.V. In 1799, he was transferred or seconded to Halifax; he soon after severed his connection with the R-C.V. by exchange into the 7th Fusiliers. We find him Adjutant of his Battalion until the year 1802, when Bouchette finally quitted the army to accept the post of Provincial Deputy Surveyor General. In 1804, he received from the King the commission of Surveyor General, a position which he held until his death in 1841. He filled it with great distinction to himself and advantage to the country. Early in the war of 18 12-14 he received the rank of Lieutenant- Colonel on raising a Battalion of Volunteers in the city of Quebec. His intimate knowledge of Upper Canada caused him to be se- lected to convey despatches to and as.'.ist Sir R. Sheaffe in the defence of Upper Canada. He was also charged to make extended reports on the defensive state of the frontier. For this service he received high commendation, and his views on the defenceless state of Yorke, now Toronto, and of the manner in which it could be taken by the enemy, proved but too prophetic. His further military services during this campaign are sketched as follows in " Morgan's Celebrated Canadians " : " In November, 1813, at a very critical juncture, he was ordered to repair to Lachine, whither it had been found expedient to assemble a con- siderable force, and on the ninth it became the headquarters of the army. He accompanied the Commander in Chief to Coteau du Lac, where he received important reconnoitering instructions. The American Generals Hampton and Wilkinson were, at this period, concerting a juncture of their respective forces, the one marching into the province by the Chateauguay frontier, whilst the other descended the St. Lawrence. Their project was frus- trated, and ended in a repulse and precipitate retreat within the limits of their own territory. Colonel Bouchette had, however, previously followed up closely his instructions, and did not return to Lachine until he had ascertained the strength and position of the enemy at the cross-roads, some miles above McMartin's Mills, on the Riviere-aux-Raisins, and, under cover of tlie night, pro- ceeded in a canoe with two Indians to the mouth of the river, crossed over to the south side of Lake St. Francis, near the Salmon River, to watch the movements of the enemy then in full retreat ; being uncertain, however, wiiether they meant to proceed further down the St. Lawrence, he immediately went down the Beauharnois channel, ascertained the condition and situation of •the gunboats, and having put the forces on that line of military com- A lii' 14 I 111 : li! ■-;•(( munication on their guard, he repaired to headquarters to submit his report." "On the 17th July, 1814, the Governor in Chief directed tiiat he should proceed to the frontier, towards Lacolle and Odelltown, to sketch the roads leading from thence into the province, and at tlie same time to reconnoitre the enemy who were stationed at Cham- plain town. A detachment of forty men of the Voltigeurs Cana- diens and thirty Indians accompanied him on this service, which was characterized by General Heriot as having been performed by Colonel Bouchette with much credit to himself and to the admira- tion of the army." With this campaign Bouchette's honorable and meritorious military career ended. His labors were turned henceforth to the geography, topography and description of his country. He prepared and had published in London several most accurate maps of the Province, even now consulted. In 1815, his " Topograph- ical Description of the Province of Lower Canada " was printed in London, and dedicated to the Prince Regent at his special re- quest. His master work, however, one which brought him lasting fame and which would have done credit to any P^uropean topo- grapher, was his " British Dominions in North America," or a topographical and statistical description of the Provinces of Upper and Lower Canada, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, the Islands of Newfoundland, Prince Edward, and Cape Breton, includ- ing considerations on land granting and emigration and a topo- graphical description of Lower Canada, etc., printed in London in 1 83 1, in three large volumes, of 4to size, accompanied by three large maps. Colonel Bouchette died suddenly in Montreal on the 9th of April, 1841. He was buried in the Notre Dame parish church of Montreal. He left two sons: Joseph succeeded his father as Surveyor General ; Robert Shore Milnes, after editing a French newspaper, siding with the Rebels in 1837-38, and being sent in exile to Bermuda (a painful experience for his aged father, who had always been such a devoted servant of the Crown), repented, was pardoned, and subsequently rose to a high irosition in the Customs of Canada. Both brothers have been dead many years ; both left descendants, one of them is Lady Ambrose Shea, wife of the present Governor of the Bahamas. The De Lanaudieres. — Lieut. Charles Gaspard de Lanaudidre and his brother Antoine de Lanaudiere were the sons of the Seigneur de La Perade, a Legislative councillor, who, in his youth, had been 15 te in an officer in the army of Louis XV, and who had seen much fighting before the conquest of Canada and later at the time of the War of Independence. They were also nephews of their colonel the Baron de Longueuil. This family had been ennobled in Canada, it occupied the first rank in the Colony, by its wealth, social connections and services. Lieut. C. de Lanaudidre had been sent to complete his education in Europe ; he was brilliant and distinguished in manner, and while in London had been one of the set of the Prince of Wales (afterwards George I V. ) — certainly not the best of schools for a young man. Like Major Dambourges of the same regiment he was elected to a seat in the second provincial parliament ; he was also aide-de- camp to the Governor General. Ensign Antoine de Lanaudiere was of' a very different type ; he had not had the educational advantages of his elder brother, perhaps he could not have profited of them ; on some points he was e.xcessiveiy sensitive ; it is said that one day an officer of the 5th Regiment, who was either instructing or inspect- ing de Lanaudi^re's subdivision, made some disparaging remarks with regard to de L.'s boots, which were out of date in style if not in condition ; liiisi gave him great offence. The outcome of il was that a hostile meeting was arranged to take place on the Levis heights. De Lanaudiere and his seconds were punctually on the ground ; his opponent failed to appear, but at the cost of his commission. When the R.C.V. were disbanded, both the De LanaudiSres retired to their seigniories, at Ste. Anne La Perade and at La Valtrie. I am not sure that they served during the war of 181 2. Lieut. Joseph Saveuse De Beai'.ieu — His family issued from one of the most illustrious families in France. His great grandfather came to Canada early in the i8th century; his grandfather was the De Beaujeu who, at the head of 350 French troops and Canadians, assisted by 600 Indians, lead by the famous Pontiac, lost his life at tiie Battle of the Monongaliela near Fort Duqucsne on the 9th July, X759, but completely routed General Braddock with his 3, coo newly landed British troops, supported by Virginians un- der Washington. His father had been a staunch supporter of the British crown in Canada during our conflict with the American re- bels from 1775 to 1783. 'Ihe Lieutenant in after years was called to Legislative Council, and some of his descendants have also occu- pied seats in our Legislative Halls. Ensign Louis de Montizambert was the son of Niverville de Montizambert, an officer in " les troupes de la Marine, '" who served Louis XV faithfully during the Seven Years War. After the conquest k; Sillil he went to France with the other French troops who served in Canada. In 1763 he resigned his commission, and returned to his native town of Three Rivers. His grandfather, Pierre Boucher, the first sei- gneur de lioucherville, had been governor of this place a century before this in 1663. Louis joined theK.C.V. wlien very young. In 1802 — when the corps was disbanded— he was attached as French secretary and translator to the Governor General's civil office. In after years he filled, even cumulated, several important offices. Early in the century he married a Miss I'aylor of Quebec. Lieutenant-Col. C. Montizambert, R.C.A., commandant of the Citadel, Quebec, and Dr. F. Montizambert, in charge of the Quarantine station at Grosse Isle below Quebec, nre the grandsons of Ensign Louis de Montizambert of the R.C.V. As to the officers whose names appear on the Regimental staff of the ist R.C.V., the Chaplain, the Rev. Salter J. Mountain, was, I believe, anephew of the first Lord Bishop of Quebec, Jacob Moun- tain ; he was chaplain to his Lordship and Rector of the Cathedral of Quebec — a position which he appears to have relinquished about 1820. Louis Fromenieau, jr., quarter master, was the son of an artil- lery officer who had been employed in building tlie fortifications of Quebec in 1757, andat IleRoyalein 1761, under the French Regime. At the outbreak, of the war of 1812 he joined the 4th Battalion of the incorporated militia as quarter master, and served in that capa- city throughout this campaign. Of the Adjutant, Robert Anderson, and the Surgeon, James Anderson, I know nothing. The Surgeon's male, J. B. L. Menard, was a native of Quebec, who had graduated from Harvard University in 1791 or 1792. His military career was, ho\\ever, short, for he died in the spring of 1798, while his Battalion was encamjied at Levis, and was buried with full military honors. This young doctor's account book forms part of the collection of MSS. belonging to the writer ; it is very curious, and reveals secrets of private life which it would not do to make public even at this late date. Louis Genevay, the Paymaster, was one of those Swiss officers who in civil or military life were prominent in Canada during the War of Independence and the 25 years following the Conquest, such as Cramahe, Haldimand and Mas6res, etc. He is frequently mentioned in Haldimand's corres- pondence, chiefly in connection with the army pay department. When the R.C.V. was disbanded in 1802, he was transferred to the Postmaster General's department as deputy. Benjamin Suite, in his " Histoire des Canadians Frangais," vol. VIII, page 34, gives some information concerning Captains de Mon- : ill 17 tigny, D'Eslimauville and Piedmont, and Ensign de LamorandiSre, which may be consulted by those who so desire, but contains noth- ing which deserves special n{»te in tiiis mdmoire. Now for a sketcli of the 2nd Haitalion R.C.V., an 1 of a few of its officers. The Second Battalion, R.C.V. This Battalion spent most of its eight years' existence performing garrison duties in the then wilds of Upper ('anada, at Kingston, Fort (ieorge on tlie Niagara River, Fort Erie, Amherstburgh, etc. Colonel l.andemann, R.E., in the 2nd volume of his '* Recollec- tions and Adventures," gives us an mtcresting account of his acquaintance with the headquarters mess of this Battalion. He reveals to us a < urious insight into the usages, customs and etiquette of officers' messes at that j^eriod, on frontier duty ; after all, they do not appear to differ much from those which would prevail, at the present day, in a modern corps similarly situated. Landemann was then returning from a period of service at Michi- limakinac and Amherstburgh, and had failed to find water trans- port across Lake Ontario towards Montreal ; he tells us : " Having abandoned every expectation ofbeing able tu prosecute my journey, I was kindly admitted an honorary member of the mess of the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Canadian Volunteers, commanded by Lieut.-Colonel McDonell, and I passed many ])leasant days with the officers of thai excellent regiment. In addition to Lieutenant '1\ Forbes, of the Royal Artillery, who, like myself, was an honorary member, there was an Irish Roman Cathf)lic priest whose name was Burke, and a remarkable good companion he was. Father Burke's anecdotes were not only excellent, but his wit and manner were admirable. Ke never altered a muscle of his face, although at times wlicn the story was highly laughable, a slight twinkling of his small sunken eyes, and a gentle comjjression of his lips, i)redi3posed his audience to convulsions, he retaining an air of simplicity i)assing all description. He accompanied his nar- rative with strong expressions, yet, as he was averse to swearing, he evaded the sin, as he fancied, by the frequent use of the word pardc, an abbreviation o{ par Dicii, or by par-diman ! with a strong touch of the brogue. By the latter name he was generally known, to which he answered without the slightest sign of being offended.* *E(lmun(l Burke became first bishop of Nova Scotia on the 4th July, iSij, under the title of Bisliop of Sion {in partibus infideliiim'). He was consecrated at Quebec in 1818. Had first come to Quebec in 1787. In 1791 he was Cur6 of St. F'ierre and St. Laurent on the island of Orleans; in 1794 he was missionary at Halifax; in 1795 he was transferred to Riviere aux Raisins in Upper Canada, as vicar general and missionary ; in 1797 he was mis'-ionary and chaplain to the troops in the Niagara district. He died at Halifax on the ist December, 1820, aged 67. 18 ■!' H ; 'if i : i \ ; i !■! i I ' !' ! •"•<. " ' It was a year or two ago,' said Father Burke, on one occasion, ' that the Bishop of Quebec (John Jacob Mountain) and his family visited Niagara, and when about to sail for Kingston in one of the government vessels appointed to convey the distinguished party, the celebrated Joseph Brant, an Indian, and chief of the Six Nations, also proposed lo take jjassage in the Fame vessel. Captain Brant, for he actually was a real captain on the half pay unatiaclicd list (a reward he had received for his services during the first Americ-n war), was a very well educated man, had been in England, was a freemason, wrote and spoke the English language remarkably well, was shrewd, clever, and had been received in the best society in London. At this time Brant was on his way to Lower Canada to attend to some Indian affairs as Chief of the Six Nations, and was attended by sixteen of his handsomest and cleverest Indians, who, although somewhat civilized in many points, were all of them, including Brant, in their native costume, that is siifis culottes. The Bishop very naturally felt much objection to the close society of so many half-clothed men with the ladies of his family, and consequently look an opportunity of giving Brant a hint of the propriety of their wearing trousers. " " " My Lord," said Brant, " I think with you it will, no doubt, be much more agreeable ; " then with an arch look added, " send me sixteen ])aiis of tiouseis, my lord, and I shall take care that my rascals wear them." Sixteen pairs of trousers, his lordship began to consider, would cost no trifle, and this expense was merely to enable his wife and daughters to appear on deck for one or two days at most. " No, no," thought his lordship: "we must wave the ceremony of the trousers." " ' Whilst mentioning this very extraordinary Indian, 1 may as well take the opportunity to relate, that during the time I was at Fort George, still in the year 1798, Brant dined several times at the mess of the Royal Canadian Volunteers. I found him gentlemanly and well acquainted with all the etiquette of the table; he was never troublesome, I y intrudiiig any Indian vulgarities while sober, yet he occasionally indulged in a few glasses more than he could bear, which rendered him excitable. I have seen him with very little cause jump up and flourish his tomahawk over any person's head whom he considered had offended him, declaring, as he screeched out his war whoop, that he would instantly scalp him. I never heard, however, that he had gone beyond a threat, and I firmly believe that he had no desire but to cause alarm, and in that, I have reason to think, he never failed. .:i ? ,i!i I» " ' Drinking to tlie health of tlic king was the first toasc alter the cloth was removed, when Brant filled a bumper, and rising, drank *' to the health of George III, God bless him ! " but the moment the health of the Prince of Wales was proposed, Brant turned down his glass, and, evidently much enraged, would exclaim : " I love George III from the bottom of my heart." then frowning, and assuming an expression of supreme contempt he added emphaiically, " d — n the Prince of Wales." I never learned the cause of his dislike to the Prince.'" Rcferruig to the Commanding Office r of the 2nd Battalion Royal Canadian Volunteers, Landemann says ..'Isewhere that Lieut. -Col. McDonell was a small man, and almo.it constantly suffering from gout. With regard to his antec«;dents before joining the Royal Canadian Volunteers and his subsequent career, all I can say is that he was from the Glengarry settlement in Upper Canada, toge- ther with most of his brother officers and men, and that I have failed, wiiii very (cw exceptions, to identify any of them from among their innumerable namesakes from ihe same locality. There was, however, in 1804, a "John McDonell, Esq.," who was appointed "County Lieutenant of Glengarry," — was this the lae command- ing officer of the Royal Canadian Volunteers who suffered so con- stantly from gout ? Major Hazelton Spencer was appointed to a similar function in tlie County of Lennox. On the ylh Octob-ir, 1815, Neil McLean, Esq., of Cornwall, was appointed by the King, Legislative Councillor of the Province of Upper Canada, — is he the individual who had been captain in the 2nd Royal Canadian Volunteers ? Landemann, in his " Recollections ", Vol. II, pages 12-13, states thai Captain McLean of the R.C.V. (was it Hector or Neil ?) was commandant at Amherstburgh in 1798; " he was fond of exercising his power, had a peculiar stiffness of manner with dashes of familiarity, making a most disagreablc mixture possible which I thought uncommonly an noying." He was on bad terms with most of the other officers in the garrison. Another officer of the R.C.V. stationed here at this time was Captain Alexander MacMillan, " a jolly, fat Scotchman, with a very plump, round face, sandy hair and rosy complexion. In the course of the evening (after dinner at McLean's) he treated us to a tune on two Jews harps, performing on both at once, and, as he asserted, playing first and second. His Jews harps were great pets, and he kept them in a neat case made for the purpose, well supplied with cotton to protect them from injury. 20 It is much easier to trace the careers and identify the few officers of this Battalion who bore French names. Lieutenant Taschereau belonged to the ancient and very distinguished family of that name, which has at all times and for generations supplied the church, the law, the judiciary and the militia with men of high merit. Lieutenant Pierre Ignace Mailhot came from the district of Three Rivers, where the family is still largely and honorably represented. We find Lieutenants Taschereau and Mailhot appointed lieut.- colonels, and commanding respectively the ist and 2nd Battalions of the incorporated militia which had been raised in the French Canadian districts for service during the war of 181 2- 14. Ensign Pierre de Boucherville deserves more than a passing remark. He was descended of Pierre Boucher, Sieur de Grosbois, who in 1663 was (lovernor of Three Rivers, subsequently founder and first Seigneur of Boucherville ; he was born at Boucherville on the 23rd October, 1780, son of Ren6 Anloine de Boucherville and Madeleine Raimbault de St. Blain. He was therefore but fifteen when gazetted to the Royal Canadian Volunteers. On the 9th January, 1708, Colonel Landemann, R.E., whom I have already quoted, was about to leave Fort George, Niagara, for Lower Canada, via the overland route to the head waters of the Mohawk River, then down its valley to Albany, then North towards Canada by the Lake Champlain route. " I was fortunate," says Landemann, "to secure as fellow-traveller. Ensign de Boucherville of tiie 2nd Batta- lion Royal Canadian Volunteers, a very fine young man, about eighteen years of age, full of loyalty and military ardor. He was the son of one of the seigneurs of Lower Canada." Later, on the 17th January, during their journey east, Landemann tells the follow- ing story of young de Boucherville : They had reached White's town, " a small but very neatly built place, with a new churcii some- what out of proportion. The hotel was very good, having a res- pectable coffee-room, well attended by news hunters. After dinner, our loyal friend Ensign de Boucherville suddenly recollected that this day was the anniversary of the Queen's (Charlotte) birthday, when, unable to restrain a public demonstration of his attachment and loyalty, he started up on his feet, and exclaimed with a French- man's accent:" By G — dis is de Queen's burst day; we must drink Her Majesty's health ! " and then raising his voice and look- ing fiercely round the room, he added : " And everybody in de room shall drink de Queen's health, by G — ! or he shall have to do wit me." There were at this lime about twenty Americans in the room. 21 when they, one and all, rose, ami each, drawing his chair behind him, clapped himself down al our table, declnring they li.id a great re. gard for old Charlotte and for old (leorgy too, and would most willingly drink to their healths. 'I'his being accomplished by emptying two or three bottles in addition to thoie that had been on the table at first, one of these good iiatured fellows said: " Now, gentlemen, you will, I hope, not refuse to drink to the health of our worthy president.' 'I'his was of course done in overllowing bumpers; and then a dozen of the greatest men of both countries were in like manner toasted, always in bumpers. After which, our excellent friends, giving us a very hearty shake of the hand, ex- pressed their desire that we should revisit ihem, and wished us a good night, repeating several times that they would always be gl.ul to drink to the health of old Georgy and his wife. As they waved their hands in putting on their hats, I could see many of them chuckling and winking at each other, in silent enjoyment at leav- ing us to pay for our loyalty ; for these very obli'^iUji, good-natured citizens had consumed with us thirty-seven bottles of wine ! Young de Boucherville remained in the R.C.V. until it was dis- banded. In 1812 he married a Miss Sabrevois de Weury ; he had just been appointed provincial aide-de-camp to Sir George Pre- vost, and served in that capacity until the close of the war. He was for many years one of the most active members of the Legis- lative Council ; he died in November, 1857, leaving two sons, the eldest, the Honorable Senator De Boucherville, twice Premier of the Province of Quebec, is still living. The second died about a year ago near Quebec, a retired i)ublic servant ; in his earlier days he had produced works of fiction, which are still highly esteemed. The historical sketch of the Royal Canadian Volunteers is now as complete as I can make it out of the records and materials at pre- sent within my reach. A considerable number of documents and some correspondence relating to this long forgotten yet interesting old corps are preserved in the Archives Department at Ottawa. They are al all times accessible to any who would wish to know more about the Royal Canadian Volunteer Regiment of 1 794-1802.