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Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la m^thode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 f I i^. ^A ^ < O clf/.^ ^ ^ c^ . ^.-^ /^ r < . ^'i^^.C ^ SKETCHES ILLUSTRATING THE EARLY SETTLEMENT AND HISTORY OF GLENGARRY IN CANADA RELATINlS PRINCIPALLY TO THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR OF 1775-S3, THE WAR OF ,8.2- 14 AND THE REBELLION OF 1837 8, AND THE SERVICES OF THE KING'S ROYAL REGIMENTOF^ NEW YORK, THE S.|Th OR ROYAL HIGHLAND EMIGRANT REGIMENT, THE ROYAL CAN- ADIAN VOLUNTEER RILGIMENT OF J'OOT, THE GLENGARRY FENCIBLE OR BRITISH ' HiGHLANM) REGIMENT, THE GLEN- GARRY LIGHT INFANTRY REGI- MENT, AND THE (iLENGARRY MILITIA. BY • ■ J. A. MACDONELL [OF G'^EENFIELD]. " I beg to state that the County of (Jlengarry has on every occasion been distinguished for good conduct, and will on any emergency turn out more fighting men in proportion to its population than any other in Her Majesty's dominions." — Extract from a letter from Lieutenant-Colonel Carmichael, Particular Service, to Lieuten- ant-Goneral Sir James Macdonell, K.C.R., K.C.H., commandino- Brigade of Guards and second in command of Her Majesty's Forces in Canada, dated December, 1840. MONTREAL Wm. Foster, Bnown it Co. 1893. Entered according to Act of the Parliament of Canada, in the year One Thousand Ei\;lu Hundred and Nmc'v-Three, by John Alexander Macdoneli, in the Office of the -Minis er of A'acaduix. ^ To His Kxcellkntcy SIR HUGH MACnONELL, K.C.MX;., C.Jl., H. M. Eiu-oy to the King of Denmark. Mv Di;ar Aherchai.hkk, It was my intention to have dedicated these little sketches re- lating princiiially to the military services of the Glengarry people in Canada to your brother, General Sir Alexander Macdonell, K.C.B., Colonel-Commandant of the 2nd Battalion P.C.O. Rifle Brigade, but jioor Sir Aleck's recent death rendered it impossible. His services in the Crimea as A.D.C. to Sir George Brown, when m command of the Light Division, and where he himself after- wards commanded die 2nd Battalion of his distinguished Regiment ; in the Indian Mutiny, where he commanded the 3rd Battalion, as well as in the camjKiign on the Northwest Frontier of India, and in the Expedition against the Mohmund Tribes, which he led, and the distinctions conferred upon him by his Sovereign, proved his merit as a soldier, and maintained the record of what was once known in Scotland as a fighting name. Your father was (together with his elder brother, who was the Speaker of the first House of Assembly of this Province) one of the two first members for the County of Glengarry when wliat was pre- viously known as the Up]jer Country of Canada was erected into a separate Provmce and Parliamentary Institutions accorded to it. He had been, with his fiither, his brothers and other kinsmen— all of them holding commissions in the King's Royal Regiment of Nc'v York and other Loyalist Corps- one of those who had fought through the Revolutionary War, and who on its termination settled here, a body of men deservedly held in high esteem by following generations of Canadians, known to us in Canada as United Em- pire Loyalists. Colonel Simcoe, who was nominated Lieutenant Governor of the Province, appointed him to be the first Adjutant- General of the Militia of Upper Canada, and he was largely instru- mental in laying the foundation of the Militia system which still exists. He had served also in command of a Company of the 2nd Battalion of his brother's Regiment, the Royal Canadian Volunteer Regiment of Foot, which for several > ears (1796-1802) garrisoned the posts of this Province, as did the ist Battalion of the same IS Regiment, under one of the most distinguished of the King's new sul)jects, Lieutenant-Colonel the Baron de Longueuil, that of Lower Canada during the same period. His association, therefore, with this Province, and with the County of Glengarry in particular, could scarcely have been more intimate, while the distinction of his after career in the service of his Sovereign, under the patronage of his friend and benefactor H.R.H. the Duke of Kent, was such as to prove a just source of satisfaction to his relatives and friends who remained on this side of the Atlantic. It affords me pleasure, therefore, to dedicate to one of his sons, whose present [)osition proves that iiis own career in the Diplomatic Service of the country has not been without merit as it has not been without the recognition of his Sovereign, and to whose assistance I have been much indebted in their preparation, these fragments which relate to mitters in which we have a common interest. I am, my dear Aberchalder, Faithfully yours, J. A. MACDONELL. Glengarry, Canada, August 22nd, 1892. hi I SKETCHES OF GLENGARRY. CHAPTER 1. Glexgarkv in Scotland. — Result of the Disarming, Pro- sckliilng and otiikr acts intruduced into the scottish Law. — Formation ok Highlaxu Regiments and Emigra- tion. — A LARGE NU.MIJER LEAVE GlENCIARRY IN SCOTLAND IN 1773 AT THE INSTIGATION OF SlR WiLLIAM JoHNSON AND SETl'LE IX THE MoHAWK VaLLEY, IN THE PROVINCE OF NeW York;.— Death of Sir \\'illl\m in 177.}.— His Services, IxKLUEXCE AM) ('llARACTER. Ill nuich that lias of recent years been written on tlie very in- teresting suhject of tlie United Empire Loyalist settlement of this Province, the War of 1S12, '13, '14, and the Rebellion of 1837-8, there is but little, if any, mention made of the part which the High- landers of Glengarry took in the American Revolutionaiy War of 1776-83, and the early settlement of the country at the close of the War, its defence in 1812-14, and the suppression of the rebellion. Others, the York Volunteers in particular, come in for at least their fiiir share ol credit. Their tlags are paraded, and their deeds are made to sjjeak again after a lapse of many years, and the inference is given, with i)ainful reiteration, that to them and theirs amontr the local f )n:es of the country, is the credit chiefly due on these occa- sions ; while, in some instances, individuals who never left their pro- vision shops except to take to the woods when York was a second time surrendered, and ])oor Dr. Strachan left to negotiate with the Americans, would appear to have become of late great military com- manders of those days— the very saviours of their country, in fact, in the hour of its utmost need 1 I venture the assertion that the County of Glengarry contained at least as many Loyalist settlers who had fought lor the CrowQ during the first War as any other of the earliest settled counties, and contrihutcd on I)oth the latter occasions more fighting men for the preservation of the country, its connection with the Mother Land, and the maintenance of our Institutions, than any other part of the Province, and this without wishing to detract in the least from the services of the good burgliurs of York, or of others, vaunted though they be. I submit it to the judgment of my readers whether I cannot make that statement good. I shall speak by the record, and shall give my authorities. It is of importance, first, to consider the circumstances under which the County of Glengarry was originally settled, as the settlers for the most part, i)revious to the War of 1812, came to Canada under circumstances which redound to their credit as loyal and faithful subjects of the J3ritish Crown. We are now so far removed from the struggles made in Scotland on behalf of the House of Stuart, that we can recall them dispassion- ately. Practically, that race is extinct. If represented at all, it is in the ])erson of our i)resent gracious Sovereign, who, like her immedi- ate predecessors, has no more loyal subjects than the descendants of the men who fought with such chivalry fi)r those they recognized as Kings by the Right Divine. They were unsuccessful in their efforts, but the history of Great Britain does not contain a more glorious chapter than that which tells of the struggles of the Highland Jacobite Chiefs and Clans, and how they poured out their blood like water for those they called their Kings. The strongest Hanoverian, the staunchest Orangeman, cannot read what notably Sir Walter Scott, the Kttrick Shepherd, Kdmonstoun Aytoun, as well as the Scottish ballads, have handed down to us, without admitting — without any abatement of princii)le — the devotion and heroism of those who risked and lost their all. Conspicuous among the Jacobites were the people of Glengarry. With other Scottish Cavaliers, they had rallied around Montrose, and " throughout his campaigns were one of the mainsprings which kept uj) the astonishing movements of the chivalrous enterprise ;" (i) they were foremost among the Highland forces under John Grahame of Claverhouse, the Viscount of Dundee, and bore the brunt at Killiecrankie, when that great Leader fell ; in greater number than almost any other Highland Clan they joined the Earl of Mar in 17 15. t V' (i) Mac lan's Miutches ; title, " GluEigarry." -4 7 On a later occasion their Chief was selected from amongst the High- land Chiefs and Noblemen to be the bearer of an address to I'rince Charles Stuart signed with their blood (i) In 1745 their leaders were the most trusted adherents of Prince Charles and their nun as brave as the bravest of his soldiers ; they paid the penalty like men of valour as they were, some in death, others in expatriation, and all, from the proud Chief to the humblest of the clansmen, in the devastation of their homes. " They stood to the last, and when standing was o'er, Ail sullen and silent they drojjped the claymore, And yielded, indignant, their necks to the blow, Their homes to the llame, and their lands to the foe." But the principle of Monarchy was an innate and cardinal article of their faith, and each succeeding generation has never since failed to prove it to the House of Guelph wiien there ceased to be any question as to the Dynasty. The result of the Disarming and Proscribing Acts, the Jurisdic- tion Act, and other alterations adojjted into the law of Scotland in conseciuence of the long series of conflicts which culminated in <' the '45," together with the introduction S the system of sheep- farming in the Highlands, for which its people were unfitted, and the aboUlion of the feudal system of Clanship, which gave way under the absence of many heads of Clai\s who were exempted from the Act of Indemnity of 1747, and the impoverishment of others, was to force a large number of the Highland people to emigrate, though many thousands, brought up to the trade of arms, availed tht.miselves of the opportunity affjrded by the genius of Mr. Pitt, afterwards Lord Chatham, who was then Primj Minister, and entered the military service of the Crown mider the liberal plan devised in 1757, when Letters of Service were issued for raising the Highland Regiments. Mr. Fullarton, in his "History of the Highland Clans and Regiments," quotes from an anonymous writer, who says. :^ "This call to arms was responded to by the Clans, and Battalion on Battalion were raised in the remotest parts of the Highlands among those who a few years before were devoted to, and too long had followed, the Race of Stuart : Frasers, Macdonakls, Camerons, Macleans, Macphcrsons and others of disaffected names and Clans were enrolled ; their Chiefs and connections obtained commissions, and the clansmen, always ready to follow with eager- ness, endeavored who should be first listed." U) liurke's Dormant and Kxtinct IVorage •. mlc. •' Lord Macdundl and Aios.' 1 8 Willi what glory to the Nation ihcy acquitted tlicmsclvcs is matter of history. "To thoin, under the geiieralship of Wolfe, is largely due tlie fact that Canada is to-day a possession of the ISriusli Crown J they baltled under Hutchinson and Ahercronihie, i)ushed the l''rench at Aljoukir, and hore the brunt of the 'I'urkish cavaliers at Rosetta," says Colonel ('oitui in his Chronicle of the War of 1812. Indeed, wherever (Ireat liritain had any riL,'hiing to do they were on hand to do it, and those were days when ihitain needed her bravest and her best. In 1776 the Ivirl of Chatjiam was al)lc to uller in Parliament his famous euioj^y on the Highland Regiments : — " I sought for nurit wherever it could be found. It is my boast that I was the first Minister who looked for it and found it in the Mountains of the North. I called it forth, and drew into your service a hardy and intrej)id race of men ; men who left by your jealousy became a prey to the artifices of your enemies, and iiad gone nigh to have overturned the State in the War before last. These men in the last War were brought to combat on your side ; they served with fidelity as they fought widi valor, and conquered for you in every quarter of the world." Jiut at present we have to do with those who emigrated to the Colonies of the Crown in America. Otliers were left in Glengarry who, as will be seen hereafter, did as other Highlanders, and en- rolling themselves under their young Chief, fought as was to be exj)ected when the opi)ortunity was afforded them. The Immigrants had naturally looked for iieacC; and hoped in the new world to repair the disaster ami retrieve the hard fortune of the old, l)ut the time was not far distant when once more they were to tly to arms and across the Atlrjitic assert the i)rinciple of the Monarchy, and, regardless of the iJynasty, fight for Ceorge as they had fought for King James; once more, " for Conscience sake, to leave ail aside and .still keep true whate'er betide " — even tliough for a second time they shi-uid have, as eventually they were obliged, to leave behind thuii their homes, which this lime they had made for Uieinselves. 1 1 was not long afier the last unsuccessful effort had been made in Scotland (ju bejialf of the House of Stuart, that a number of the peofile of Glengarry and Knoydart, under the leadership of several gentlemen of the Clan, called after the properties of their families in Scotland : Macdonell of Aberclialder, Leek (or Licks, as I see the name is s]ielt in an old ma]) of Scotland), Collachie and Scotas (or Scothouse) — emigrated to America, settling in what was then called I I I Tryon Count)' in the Moliawk Vall'.y, in llic Province of Now York, al)oiit thirty miles from Albany. The name of the (-oiintywas, diiriny the Revolutionary War, in i 7S4, changed to .Montg(jmery, after tlie Americpn ('leneral.who \v;is killed at the sic^'e of (^>ui'li(c in Di-rember, 1775, the former aiipellation having fallen into disfavor owing t(j the fact that William 'I'ryon. who had previously been Gf)Vernor of the Province of New \'ork, then of Carolina and aficruards of New York again, was one of the most prominent and devoted l,oyalisls. The County, as originally formed, embraced all that part of the ])resent State of New York lying west of a line running north and south nearly through the centre of the jMVsent (!oiinty of Schoharie. It was ili> ided uito five districts, which were again subdivided into smaller districts or prec incts ; the county buiKlnigs being at Johnstown, where was the residence of Sir William Johnson. The settlement of these Highlanders in that part took jtlace at the instigation of Sir William, who had acquired a vast luoperiy in the vicinity, and who, having learned the Indian language, studi>.'d their mctliods and conciliated their regard by long and fair dealing widi them, was possessed of an influence over the Indians, particularly those of the .Six Nations such as no other man had ever enjoyed. In the war which terminated in the conquest of Canada from the French, Sir 'William had taken a most active i)art, being entrusted with the command of the provincial troops of New York, and at the same time Ijeing Superintendent-General of Indian Affairs of that Province. In 1759. he commanded the jirovincial troops under Brigadi^iir-General I'rideaux in the expedition against Niagara, and on the death of the latter, succeeded to the command, eventually taking Niagara, when about 600 men were made prisoners of war. This event broke off the communication which the I'rench intended to establish between Canada and Louisiana. \Vhcn Amherst embarked at Oswego in June, 1760, to jM-oceed on the expedition to Canada, Johnson brought to him at that place 1,000 Indians of the Iroquois, or Six Nations, which, it is alleged, was the largest number o( Indians ever seen in arms at one lime in the cause of IJrilain. I'or his previous signal services in the cause of the Kijig. His Majesty, on the 27th November, 1755, had been graciously pleased to create hi'n a Tkironet of the United Kingdom, and a't the same time conferred upon him a large pension, (i) (i) Morgan's Celebrated Canadians. m to From liie miture of the i)ur.siiits in which Sir William J'hnson was engaged, the then unsettled slate of the conntry, and the fact: that these Highlanders were, like their countrymen of that and prc- cech'ng generations, trained to arms from their very inflmcy, accus- tomed to hardships and as active as the Indians themselves, it can easily be conceived that they would prove the most desirable class of neighbours and allies to Sir William. He did not, however, long survive. The American historian, Stone, states in his life of i>rant : — ■ " Sir William Johnson was too observing and sagacious a m.m not to note the signs of the times " (the relerence, of course, being to the impending revolution). " He saw the gathering tempest, and it is believed to iiave given him great uneasiness. His sympathies, according to the testimony of those who knew him, were undoubt- edly with the peo[)le. He was from the i)ody of the people himself, hiving been the architect of his own rank and fortunes ; and those w lo were acquainted with and yet (1S32) survive him, represent the stuggle in his bosom to have been great l)etween those sympathies anil ius own straight princi|)les of liberty on the one lunul. and his duly to his Sovereign on the other — -a .Sovereign whom he had served long and faithfully, and who in turn had loaded him with princely benefactions. His domains in the Valley of the Mohawk were ex- tensive ; and his inthience through a large number of subordinate otiicers and a number of tenantry, was correspondingly great. To the Indians, not only of the Six Nations, but those far in the West beyond, who had fallen within the circle of his influence after the conquest of Canada and the subjugation of Pontiac, he had been a father and they looked uj) to him with veneration. Long association with him and great resi)ect for his character — which for its blunt honesty, frankness and generosity, not altogether void of that rough life incident to a border population, was well calculated to secure the attachment of such people--had also given to his opinions the force of Royal authority among the colonists. The population, aside from the Intlians, was chiefly Dutch in the lower part of Mohawk Valley, while in the interesting Vale of the Schoharie and in the upjier district of the Mohawk it was composed of the descendants of the (ierman palitinates who had been planted there 50 years before, li was not at that time a very intelligent population ; and the name of Sir William, who had been their friend and companion, in peace, and their leatler in war, like that of the King, was a tower of strength. It was very natural, therefore, that their oi)inions upon the great political questions then agitating the country, should take thi'ir complexion for the most ])art from those entertained by him. Hence, when the storm of civil war commenced, the Loyalists in tli.it Valley were probably more numerous in ])ro])ortion to the whole number of the population than in almost any other section of the N.iitlicrn Cv)lonies. LI m " Tn connection with the troubles which every man of ordinary sagacity could not but perceive were fermenting, Sir William visited England tor tlie last time in the autumn of 1773, returning in the succeeding spring. He probably came back with his loyal feelings somewhat strengthened. It was not his fortune, however, good or ill, to see the breaking out ot the tempest, the near approaches of which he had been watching with an intentness of observation cor- responding with the magnitude o." his own personal interests, which must necessarily be involved. He died suddenly, at Johnson Hall, about the 24th June, 1774." He was succeeded in his title and estates by his son, Sir John Johnson, 2nd Baronet, and in his office of Superintendent General of Indian Affairs by his son-in-law, Golonel Guy Johnson, who had long been in office as Assistant Superintendent, he having for his dei)uty Colonel Daniel Claus, who had likewise married a daughter of Sir William. Sir John Johnson, on his father's death, became Commandant of the Militia of the Province of New York. They derived great aid in the subsequent administration of affairs, especi- ally amongst the Indians, from the celebrated Joseph Brant (Thayen- danegea), who became Secretary to Colonel Guy Johnson, and who had been much in the service of Sir William during the latter years of his life ; as also from his sister, Mary Brant, who was a woman of singular talent and character, and who was the last wife of Sir William Johnson, though I believe their marriage had taken place according to Indian custom only, and may or may not therefore have been legal. Be that as it may, it was largely instrumental in securing their powerful influence to the side of Britain in the long struggle which then ensued. 13 CHAPTER 2. Breaking Out of the Revolutionary War. — The " Committee OF Safety " at Albany Warned against Sir John Johnson, and notified that the Scotchmen were Arming. — The Whigs " daily scandalized, provoked and threatened " BY the Loyal Catholic Highlanders. — Correspondence BETWEEN Sir John and Governor Tryon, and the latter AND Lord George Germaine. — General Schuyler, of the Revolutionary Army, invades Tryon County. — Negotia- tions between him and Sir John and Mr. Macdonell (Collachie). — Sir John and the Highlanders escape to Canada, — Lady Johnson taken prisoner. — Her Letter to General Washington. At the time of the arrival and settlement of the Glengarry people in the Mohawk Valley, affairs in America were, then, in a very unsettled condition. In order to meet the military expenditure therein, the British Parliament had a short time previously imposed a stamp duty on all legal documents. This was met with a denial on the part of the discontented colonists of the right of the Imperial Legislature to impose taxes upon them without their consent. The Stamp Act was repealed the year following its enactment, but it was contended that the principle of taxation without representation was maintained by a light duty of three pence per pound which was placed on tea — one fourth of that paid in England at the time^ and nominal duties on other articles. On the i6tli December, 1773, occurred in Boston Harbour that episode which Mr. ErastusWiman has lately designated as the " Boston tea party," when a number o f persons disguised as Indians threw into the harbour from the Eas t India vessels some three hundred and forty chests of tea. The por 1 of Boston was thereupon closed, and troops sent to enforce sub • mission. A "Continental Congress" was then decided upon and convened at Philadelphia in September, 1774, and an effort made to iniace the people of Canada, who had but lately passed under British rule " Committee 'HN Johnson, RMiNG. — The hreatened " despondence the latter 'ler, of the '. — Negotia- Macdonell s escape to Ier Letter le Glengarry en, in a very expenditure isly imposed ith a denial the Imperial nsent. The :, but it was ;ntation was which was the time — raber, 1773, stus Wimaa number o f m the Eas t Thepor 1 ciforce sub • I con/ened to iniuce British rule 13 to join in it by sending representatives. " The Quebec Act "which was then in contemplation, however, and the principles of which were known to the King's New Subjects fully satisfied the French Canadians, guaranteeing to them as it did their own laws, language and customs, and they tacitly declined to participate in the proposed Congress, although some sons of sedition within the Province en- dea.vorpr\ to stir up their tellow countrymen to hostility against the form o{ government, and went to the expense of translating, printing and circulating the letter sent to them by the promoters of the Continental Congress, (i) In April, 1775, occurred the first collision between the armed Colonists and the soldiers of the King, and throughout the Thirteen Colonies measures were taken with a view to procuring their ultimate independence. On the iSth of May the provincial Committee of the Palitinate District or State of New York addressed the *■' Committee of Safety " at Albany, stating that the Johnsons and their powerful allies in the Mohawk District, had succeeded by threats, intimidation and an array of military strength, in preventing any open adoption of a de- claration approving of the proceedings of the Continental Congress. Says the Palitinate Committee ; — " This Coimty has for a scries of years been ruled by one family, the several branches of which are still strenuous in dissuading the people from coming into Congressional measures, and have, even last week, at a numerous meeting of the Mohawk Di;trict, appeared with all their dependents armed, to oppose the people considering of their grievances ; their number being so large and tlic people unaimed, that they struck terror into most of them, and they dis- persed." Mr. Stone adds that : — " The Committee further notified their friends in Albany that Sir John Johnson was fortifying the Baronial Hail b / i)lar.ting several swivels around it ; and he had paraded part of the Regiment of Miliiia which he commanded on the day previous for the purpose of intimidation, as it was conjectured. It was likewise reported that the Scotch Highlanders, settled in large numbers in and alK)ut Johnstown, who were Roman Catholics, had armed themselves to the nimiber of 150, ready to aid in the suppression of any popula outbreak in favor of the growing cause of liberty. (2) During the course of the summer, the tension became strongerr (i) Sir (Juy C.-»rletoii to Earl Dartmouth, April 6, 1775. (a) Vslumn i .page 54. 14 The Dutch or German settlers divided in their allegiance, Mr. Stone stating that the majority of tliem declared themselves as Whigs, as the Amerif.an sympathizers were called — the Loyalists being termed by the Revolutionists, Tories. The first shot in the war West of the Hudson was fired when the Loyalist Sheriff of the County arrested a AVhig named John Fonda, at whom he fired when he resisted arrest. It was immediately returned by the discharge of a number of firelocks of the rebels at the Sheriff, which, however, were not very deadly, as the only effect was a slight wound in his breast. The doors of the house were broken, and an effort made to seize the Sheriff, -when a gun was fired at tlie hall by Sir John. " This was known to be a signal for his retainers and Scotch partisans to rally to arms, and as they would muster 500 men in a very short time, the Whigs thought it more prudent to disiJcrse." (Stone). From this out, the relations of the neigbours to each other became more and more strained. The Loyalists threw every imi)e- diment in the way of the Conmiittee, and no method of embarrassing them was left untried ; they called public meetings themselves, and chose counter-commiltees, covered the Whig Committees with ridicule, and charged tliem, most properly, with illegal and tyrannical conduct — the consequence being mutual exasperation between near neigh- bours, and the reciprocal engendering of hostile feelings between friends, who ranged themselves under opposing banners. These incipient neighborhood quarrels occasioned, in the progress of the contest which ensued, some of the most bitter and bloody conflicts that ever marked the annals of Civil War. On the 7th .September, 1775, the Whig Committee wrote the Provincial (^)ngress in New York, denouncing the conduct of Sir John Johnson, and that of his associates — ])articularly the High- landers, who, to the number of 200, were said to be gathered about him, and by whom the Whigs " were daily scandalized, provoked and threatened." It appears that from the following correspondence in January, 1776, Sir John and the Highlanders took active preliminary steps towards armed resistance to the Congressional authorities : — GOVERNOR TRVON TO LORD GKORGE GERMAINE. " On board " New York " Mv Lord, " The genilenaan who delivered me the enclosed letter from Sic •d H.M.S. Duchess of Gordon, 1 k Harbour, 3rd January, 1776. | I if ii '■% Mr, Stone Whigs, as ng termed /est of the y arrested e resisted a mimher were not lis breast. : to seize I. " This .rtisans to ery short one), ich other ery inipe- )arrassing ;lves, and 1 ridicule, 1 conduct ir neigh- between Tliese is of the conflicts 'rote the ct of Sir le High- sd about )rovoked January, ry steps from Sir 15 JoliM Johnson, assured me that liy Government complying witli its contents Sir John could muster five liundred Indians to support the cause of Government, and that these with a body of regulars might r.'take the forts. If Sir John had the title of Superinteiulent of In- dian Affairs it would give tlie greatest Weight to His ^fajesty's Indian ahairs, the Indians having the greatest affection for the son of their late benefactor. I wish Vour Lordship may think as fevourably of Sir John's proposals as I do. liltC., in the one part and Sir John and Mr. Allan Macdonell (Collachie), IS representing the Highlanders, on the other. The fourth article of the terms offered by General Schuyler was as follows : " That the .Scotch inhabitants of the said County .iliall, without any kind of exception, immediately deliver all arms in their pos- session, of what kind soever they may be ; and that they shall each solemnly i)romise that they will not at any time hereafter, during the continuance of this unhappy contest, take up arms without the per- mission of the Continental Congress or of their General Officers j ind for the more faithful performance of this article, the General insists that they shall immediately deliver up 10 him six ho.stag,'s of his own nomination." Sir John having answered the written offer of terms, agreeing to deliver up their arms, but as to the fourth article declining on the part of the Scotch inhabitants to give host.iges — no one man having i:ommand over another, or power sufficient to deliver such — General •ichuyler declared tlie answer to his terms to be wholly unsatisfactory, md required immediate compliance with his demands in all respects )efore midnight. Sir John Johnson is alleged by the Americans then :o have given his parole of honor not to take up arms against America. General Schuyler was to be at liberty to take away six of the Scotch inhabitants prisoners, without resistance, the others all to surrender their arrns ; the six prisoners to be maintained agreeable to their .espective ranks ; to be a 'lowed a few days to settle their private affairs, and, being gentlemen, to wear their side arms. " Fifth : Neither Sir John Johnson nor the Scotch getitlemen can nike any engagements for any other persons than those over whom •Jiey may have influence. They give their word and honour that, so iar as depends on them, the inhabitants shall give up their arms and inter into the like engagement as the Scotch inhabitants." To this General Schuyler agreed, stating that he would take six of the Scotch inhabitants prisoners, since they preferred it to going as hostages, and undertaking on behalf of Congress to pay all defer- I 17 ence due to their rank, they to be confined for the present either at Reading or Lancaster in Pennsylvania. They were eventually sent to the latter place, Mr. Allan Macdonell being one of the prisoners. On the same afternoon Sir John delivered up the arms and ammuni- tion in his possession, Mr. .Stone naively remarking that the quantity of both was much smaller than was expected : " On Saturday, the 20th, General Schuyler paraded iiis troops at noon to receive the arms of the Highlanders, who to the number of two or three hundred, marched to the front and grounded their arms. These having been secured, the Scotchmen were dismissed with an exhortation to remain peaceable, and with an assurance of protection if they did. (i) The American authors allege that Sir John Johnson did not observed the compact of neutrality, nor the obligations of his parole, and further that General Schuyler was in receipt of information con- vincing him that Sir John was secretly instigating the Indians to hostilities. "To prevent such a calamity," says Mr. Stone, '' it was though advisable to secure the person of Sir John, and once more to quell the rising spirit of disaffection in the neighborhood of John- town, especially among the Highlanders," and in June following the event already narrated. Colonel Dayton, with a part of his regiment then on its way to Canada, was despatched by General Schuyler to prosecute the enterprise. Sir John, however, was warned in time of the proceedings of the enemy, and hastily collecting his friends, made his way to Canada, arriving after nineteen days of severe hardship.s at Montreal, "having encountered all the sufferings that it seemed possible for man to endure." Mr. Sparks, in his life of Washington, states that Lady Johnson was removed to Albany, where she was retained, but without any partic-.dar insult, except the indig- nity offered ',0 a gentlewoman of high station and in a delicate state of health, as a kind of hostage for the peaceable conduct of her husband. Lady Johnson was a daughter of the Honourable John Wotts, for some time President of the Council of New York, and a lirst cousin once removed of General Schuyler, to whom she had so deep an aversion, as appears from the following letter of hers addressed to General Washington, apprising him of her being taken prisoner : " Sir, "Albany, June 16, 1776. " I take the liberty of complaining to you, as it is from you I (I) Stone, page 143. 1 8 expect redress. I was comijelled to leave home, much against my inclination, and am detained here by General Schuyler, who. I am coin'inced, acts more out of ill nature to Sir John than for any rea- son that he or I have given him. As I am not allowed to return home, and my situation here made as disagreeable as it can be by repeated threats and messages from General Schuyler too indelicate and cruel to be expected from a gentleman, I should wish to be with my friends at New York, and would prefer my captivity under Your Excellency's ])rotection to being in the power of General Schuyler, who rules with more severity than could be wished by Your Excellency's " Humble Servant, " M. JOHN.SON. ♦' To His Excellency General Washington." Lady Johnson was obliged, however, to remain at Albany for six months longer before she was allowed to proceed to New York. Sir John and Lady Johnson had been married in New York in 1773. She died at Montreal in 1815. i against my wlio. I am or any rea- J to return can be by ) indelicate wish to be iviiy under af General wished by rNSON. Albany for New York, w York in 19 CHAPTER 3. Formation* ok the Kind's Royal Regiment of New York under Sir John Johnson. — It is placed on the Estaklishment. — A Second bArrAi.ioN Authorized. — List of Glenc.arrv Genlemkn to whom Commissions were Granted in TfiAT AND OTHER LOYALIST CoRPS. ARREST OF WiVES AND Families of the Highland Loyalists. — Retridution. — The Vali.kv of iHE Mohawk. Rendered "a scene of Widespread, Heart Sickening and Universal De.solation." — Battle of Oriskany. — Dr. Moses Younglove's Alleged" Brutalities." --Highlanders Rescue their Families. — Capture of Exeter and Fort Wintermoot by Butler's Rangers. — Americans Apandon I-'okt Wyoming.- — Highlanders make Anothi-r Incursion into the .Scoharie Settlement. The arrival of Sir John Johnson and his Highland followers in Canada was communicated by the Governor General, Sir Guy Carleton, to Lord George Germaine, then Secretary of State for American and Colonial Affairs, as follows : — "Chamblie, 8 July, 1776. "My Lord, " The day after His Majesty's Troops took possession of Mont- real, and the communication with the Upi)er Country therel)y became open, Sir John Johnson and about two hundred followers arrived there from the Province of New York. He represents to me that there are considerable numbers of people in the ])art of the country he comes from who remain steadily attached to His Majesty's Government, and who would take up arms in its defence had they sufficient encouragement ; on which account, in the meantime, they suffer all the miseries that the persecuting sjjirit of the Rebels is able to inflict upon them. " In consequence of this rejjresentation, and taking it for grant- ed that the King's pleasure is not only to furnish all his good and loyal subjects with the means of defending themselves against rapine and violence, but further to grant them aU possil)le assistance, I have therefore given Sir John Johnson a Commission to raise on that 90 Frontier of this Province a Ikttalinn of men (to he called the Kinj^'s Royal Regiment of New York) of e(|ual ninnhers witli otlier ol' His Majesty's marchin}; Kegiments serving in America, and I have appointed him Lieutenant-Colonel Commandant thereof " I am. with all due respect, "My Lord, " Your Lordship's Most (Jbedient and Most Humble Servant, " Lord George Germaine. " Guy Carleton. The l)ei)uty Adjutant-Cieneral in his letter to Sir John John- son authorizing the tormalion of the Regiment, instructed him that the officers of the new Corps were to l)e divided so as to assist those distressed by the Rebellion, ( i ) and in order to provide agninst an abuse then common in the Service, but which it was considered undesirable to transplant, it was intimated " that there were to be no pluralities of officers in the (;or])s." It was soon jilaced on an clticient tooting, as on the 13th January, 1777, Sir Guy wrote to General I'hillips, applauding the spirit of the Royal Regiment of \ew York, and sug- gesting arrangements for the care of refugees with the Corps, many of the Loyalists having placed themselves under its protection, of whom in December, 1776, a large contingent had arrived from New York under the Messieurs Jessuj), doubtless the same body of men subse(|uently embodied under Major Jessup, and known as the Loyal Rangers, who. on being disbanded on the close of the war, settled in the vicinity of wiiat is now I'.rockvillc. ( )n the 2 ph March, 1777, Lord George Germaine wrote from W'hitehall, London, to Sir (iuy Carleton that he had received notice of Sir John Johnson's arrival in Montreal, that the distress and loyalty of the i)eople in that part of the country from which he came justified the raising of a Bat- talion there, and that the Kitig approved of it and of Sir John John- son having been i)laced in command. (2) In July. 1780, authority was given to Sir John to raise a second liattalion, which was done with expedition, as on the 28th November General Haldimand wrote Lord George Germaine, highly commending the conduct of Sir John Johnson, and stating that the second JJattalion was in a forward state. In the following year. Lord George Germaine announced that the Regiment had been placed on the I^stablishment (i) H.ildiinand Collection, H 39, p 170. (a) Ibid, H38, p. 5. |ihiraiities ;ient footing, •al Philli])s, i'i<, and siig- -orps, many rotection, of 1 from New ody of men 'wn as the of the war, ! |lh March, iidon, to Sir I Johnson's "I'lo in that ig of a Hat- John Jolni- o, authority li was done Hand wrote of Sir John a forward announced ahlishment 31 of the IJritish Army, and referred in complimentary terms to the conduct of Sir John Johnson. It had previously been settled, and Sir Henry Clinton informed, that officers of Provincial Corps were to take rank with JJritish officers of the Regular Army, to receive gratuities for wounds, and to hold perman- ent rank in America. This Regiment is commonly referred to by the American writers Sparks, Stone, Sebine and others, as well as by Dr. CannifT, as *' The Royal (ireens," possibly because their facings may have been of that colour. Sir John Johnson, its Colonel Commandant, was a])pointed Ijy (ieneral Order of ist October, 1782, Jkigadier-General of the King's Provincial Troops, with Captain Scott, 53rd Regiment, as his Major of Prigade (i), a just tribute to himself, and a mark of distinction to the Regiment which he commanded. Many interest- ing i)articulars relating to tiiis Regiment will be found in Judge Pringle's most valuable book, " Lunenburg, or the Old Kastern Dis- trict," pp. 172-83. Many of his relatives, as well as those of his wife, served in the Royal Regiment of New York with honour to them- selves and advantage to the Loyal cause. In this Regiment, Butler's Rangers — which also was largely composed of Loyalists from the Mohawk Valley, and was command- ed by Colonel John iiutler, who greatly distinguished himself during the War — and the Eighty-Fourth or Royal Highland Emigrant Regi- ment also then raised, the Highland gentlemen who l.ad emigrated from Clengarry in 1773, and settled, as we have seen, in Tryon County, received commissions and the men enlisted. On the ter- minntion of the War and the reduction of these Regiments, returns were made of the officers of these Corps and other Regiments, copies of which are now amongst the Archives at Ottawa, and from them I take the following list of the Scottish officers who had come from CHengarry in Sc[acdon- ell (Leek) Scotland 8 years Merchant; liad no lands Cai)tain Allan Macdonell Scotland 8 year> Held joo acres in fee Lieut. (Leek) siui]ile uniler Sir John at £6 per 100 acres. Lieut. Hugh Macdonell (Aberchalder) Scotland 7 years Son of Captain Mac- donell. Ensign Miles Macdonell (Scotas) Scotland 3 years Son of Captain John Macdonell. SECOND BATTALION KING S ROYAL REGIMENT OF NEW YORK, 1' I 'm Captain Lieut. James Macdonell Ranald Macdonell (Leek) Scotland Scotland 8 years 3 years Held — acres in fee sim])le under Sir John at £6 per 100 acres. Karmer. al'icrwaicls tied to the ainc iiuiiK- Drchcstcr's uik, name, s ; — ' YORK. arks. l;ui(l in fee :i' Sir John yearly an- '.(> per I oo. olh Regt., 3 ; Lieut, in 1 770; sold ml of bad 22> I775- s. property, purcliused o i nprove 4- d no lands :rcs in fee Sir John o acres. liiin Mac- tain John YORK. res in fee Sir John ) acres. 93 COUPS OF DUTLKR'S RANC.KRS, CoVIMANDID nv T.lRirrRSANT' COLON 1: 1, JOHN UUTLKK. Place ofl Rank. Name. Captain John Macdtnicll (Al)crchalder) First Lieut. Nativity Service Remarks. ln\crnL'SS(; years'Canie to .America with shire, Scotland Second Lieut. AlexaiulcrMacdon-j Inverness ell (Colkichie) -shire, Sci;tland ChichesterAfacdon Inverness ell (Aherciialder) -shire, 'Scotland liis lather and other Highland Immigrants in '773, setiletl in Tryon County, near Johns- town, m the Trovincc of New ^■()rk ; entered His Majesty's Service as a Suhallern ( Jtlicef luuc I (, ' / / .T in the .S4lh or Rfoal High land I'anigrants. 7 years, Came to America with ;his father and other Highlaiul iMiiigranls in '77.1, Jicttled in 'I'ryon County, near Johns- town, in the Province of New York ; entered His Majesty's Service as a Volunteer in the S4th or Royal High- and J''anij.;rants. 6 years Came to America with his father and other Highland Emigrants in 1773, and settled near Johnstown ; entered His Majesty's Servi'ie as a \'()iiintccr in the King's Royal Regiment of New York in the year 1778. EIGHTY-FOURTH OR ROYAL HIGHLAND EMIGRANT REGIMENT. Captaini Allan Macdunell (Collachie) Lieut. Ranald Macdonell Lieut. Arch'd. Macdonell 40 yrs 8 years Prisoner at Lancaster in I ennsylvania. SEVENTY FIRST REGI.MENT. Lieut. I Angus Macdonell «4 In giving the prominence that I do to the above gentlemen of this name, I am far from wishing it to be understood that they and those of their name were the only Highland United Empire I^)yalisls who settled in the Mohawk Valley and other parts of the United States, and, having fought through the war, on its termination took up their abode in what is now Glengarry. Far from it. llic names of those above mentioned are conspiciotis and easily distinguished and identified by reason of the fact of their having held commissions, and on that account of more ])rominence than others of ecpial merit, and who made cfjual sacrifices, but who served either as non- commissioned officers or in tiie ranks, and where names are not, therefore, now distinguishable one from another. 'Hie figures given hereafter will sliow that while other Scottish Clans were represented among these most deserving men, there were so many more from Glengarry in Scotland than from any other part of it, that it cannot l>e matter of suri)rise that among them were many men whose jxysition and other (jualifications entitled them to commissions in the Regiments raised. The fiict is, that while from other iKirts there had been individuals who hati emigrated before the breaking out of the War, from Glengarry there had come a very considerable portion of the Clan, all at one tune, settling in the same place, of the same name and religious and political fivith, and at their head many persons of station and education, and all, without a solitary exception, taking up arms in defence of a principle binding upon their consciences, and in defence of which they were Itound, if necessary, to die. So large, indeed, was the proportion of the Glen- garry people in comparison with others that to that fact is due undoubtedly, the name given to the County. And that alone, if no other reason existed, would constitute a sufiicient one for the mention of these names. I have, however, gone most carefully over Lord Dorchester's list and other sources of information, and the only other names of Commissioned Oflicers that I can find who settled in Glengarry are those of Major Gray, Lieutenants Sutherland and McMartin, of the King's Royal Regiment of New York ; the Rev. Mr. Bethune, Chajjlain of the Eighty- Fourth Regiment, and Ca])tain Wilkinson, of the Indian Bram-,h of the .Service. There were, of uourse, many commissioned officers of other Scottish names, but they did not settle in Glengarry. Of the Fr.isjrs, for instance, there 'Pi ■I I I eiTtlemert of It they and re Loyalists the United nation took 'ilic names istinguished jmmissions, ?qiial merit, er as non- es are not. 'cr Scottish there were other part than were L'cl them to while from 1 before the me a very in the same md at their without a )le binding e bound, if f the Glen- "act is due done, if no he mention over Lord only other settled in :rland and ; the Rev. nd Ca])tain e were, of lames, but mce, there 25 xvere four, but all of them settled in the neighborhood of what is uonV Brockville. It is also to i)e understood that of those mentioned above, sev- eral settled in Stormont and Dandas, and one in the County of Prince Kdward, though the majority of them were identified with Glengarry, and, as I think the se(iiiel will shew, served it and its people with ?ufficieut fidelity and distinction to warrant the tribute paid to their memory by the mention of their name. Such of the Scotch Loyalists as yet remained in Tryon County shortly afterwards left, Mr. Stone stating that early in the month of May, 1777 : "The residue of the Roman Catholic Scotch settlers in the ncighborliood of Johnstown ran off lo Canada, together with some of the Loyalist Germans, all headed by two men named McDonell, who had been ])ermitted by (leneral Schuyler to visit tiieir tamilies. The fact that the wives and families of the absconding Loyalists were holding communication with them and administering" lo their subsist- ence on the outskirts of the settlements, had suggested their arrest and removal to a place of safety, to tJie number 'of four hundred— a measure tliat was approved l)y G-eneral Herkimer and his officers." Such treatment of women and children, however, was scarcely calculated to placate the Loyalists. I could not attempt, within tlie limits I have laid down for my narrative, to enteral any length into the various events of the Revo- lutionary War, or to narrate at all circunisianlially, even, those relating to the engagements in which Sir John Johnson and his Regi- ment— which, on its disbandinent, principally contributed fVom among its officers and men the first settlers of our County, and has therefore for us the most interest— were engaged. This Regiment, Willi iJutler's Rangers, and the Indians under fJrant, harassed time and lime ag;iin the nortliern p.irt ni' New Vork, and that jtart of the Slate west of .Mbany, especially the Mohawk Valley, as well as Pennsylvania. 'JTiey were evidently bound lo have it out with their former neighbours, whom Ihey regarded not only as traitors to the Sovereign, but doubtless also as the imnHare his life. He tiien plundered liiin of b.is watch, buckles, spins, tV'c. : and other Tories, following his example, stri])ped hini alniu-^t naked with a great many threats, wjiile they Avere strijjping and massacring pri- soners on every side. That this deponent, on being brought before -\fr, Butler, Sr., who demanded of him what he was fighting for. to win'ch this de[)onent an .wered, ' he fought for the liberty that God and nature gave him, and to defend himself and dearest connections from the massacre of savages.' To which Butler replied, 'You art a damned im])udcnt rebel.' and so saying, imniediately tiu-ncd to the savages, encouragiiig them to kill him, and if they did not, the deijonent and the other ])risoners should be hanged on a gallow-; th.;:i ))rep;i,ing. Tiiat several prisoners wave then taken for\\ard tow.u'd tlie e.iemy's headquarters, v.dth frenuent scenes of horror and massacre, in which Tories were active as well as savages ; and. in particular, one Davis, formerly known in Tryon Counly on the ^[ohawk River ; that Lieutenant Singleton, of Sir John Johnson's Regiment, being wounded, entreated the savages to kill the prisoners, which they accordingly did, as m'gh as this deponent can judge, si\ or seven." "That Isaac Paris. Ksq., was also tak.:n the same road, without receiving from them any remarkable insults, except stripping, until some Tories came u]), who kicked and abused him ; after wiiich the savages, t unking him a notable offender, murilered him barbarously; tJiat those prisoners wlio wne deli\ered up to the Provost Guards, were kept without victuals fjr niany days, and had neither clothes, blankets, shelter nor liie ; while the guards were ordered not to use any violence in protecting the jirisoners frcan the savages, who came every day in l^rge companies with knives, feeling the prisoni'rs, to know who were fittest ; that they dragged one of the jirlsoners out of the guard with the most lamentable cries; tortured him for a. long tim., and this deponent was informed, by both 'J'ories and Indi ms, tiiat they ate him, as appears they did another on an island in Lake Ontario, by 1)ones found there nearly picked, just after they had crossed die lake with the prisf>ners ; tljal the ijdsone.-s' wh.) (i) .'tone, Voliim.' i, Aj-tj) nai.v XX.XIII. were not delivered up were murdered in considerable numbers from day to day round the camp, some of them so nigh that their shrieks were heard ; tliat Captain Martin, of the batteaux-men, was delivered to the Indians at Oswego, on the pretence of having kept back some useful intelligence ; that this deponent during his imprisonment, and his fellows, were kept almost starved for provisions, and what they drew were of the worst kind, such as spoilt pork, biscuit full of maggots and mouldy, and no soap allowed, or other method of keei)ing clean ; and were insulted, struck. &c., without mercy by the guards, without any ])rovocation given ; that this dejjonent was informed by several Sergeants, orderly on General St. Leger, that twenty dollars were offered in general orders for every American scalp." There can be little d')ubt buf that on both sides there was much done that cannot be reconciled with the methods of modern warfare, but such apparent flilsehoods as those to which this " reputabh " Dr. Vounglove de])osed under o.ith bear their own refutation o i their face. Even as late as che War of '«i2, it was a favourite allegation of theirs that our Indians were encouraged to scalp, vhile it was proved beyond a shadow of a doubt(i) that the first sea p of the War was taken by an American— an Officer at that — who boasted of it in a letter written to his wife which was found in his pocket when he was killed a day or two later. (2) Even at this very time. General Arnold, (3) then in command of their forces in this district, concluded a proclamation with the omin- ous assertion that if the Loyalists, " blind to their own interest and safety, obstinately j)ersist in their wicked courses, determined to draw (1) James, Volume I., 59-62. (2) This ahocking operation w.is perfiirmccl by ,i circular incision hein;; made upon the crown of the head "f alxjut three inches or more in diameter, according to llie length of the hair. The foot of tlie operator was ihen placed on the neck or bod>' of the victim, and the schj or tuft of skin and hair torn fr ml the sknll hv strength of arm. In case tlie h lir was so short as not to admit of being grasped by the hand, the artist first with his knife turning up one edge of the circle, applied his teeth to the part, and by that me uis (inite .as elTectnally disengaged the scalp. In order to preserv e the interesting relic, it was then stretched and dried upon a small osi''r hoop. It would be w('ll for the civilization of America had this terrible indignity oidy have been perpe- trated by the s.avages on their victims, but history rec mis the fact that the brave Tecumseth, di^tiuiruished above all Indians for his humanity, wis himself sc ilped after the Hattle of the Thames 1. Moravian Town), in October, 1813, by some of the Kentucky soldiers. The admi^sum, quoted by Mr J.imes in his " Military (Occurrences I'f the War," is made in " Burdick's PoIiti:.il and Historical Register," p ige S4: " Some of the Kentuckians disgraced themselves by cinimit. ting indignities on his ( recumseih's' dead holy. He was sca'ped and otherwise disfigured." The tuith being, as stated by Mr. James, that his b"dy was flayed and the skin cut into strips which were carefiilly treasured as " trophies " by these inhuman wretches. (3I The first mention of this name, the most inf.imiiiis in the annals of America, that I am able to find is in a despatch fr nn Sir ("luy Carleton to Lord D.arimouth of 7th June, 1775 : " Hazei brings word that Henedict Arnold, a native of Connecticut and a horse Jockey, has surprised the det.achment at St. John's, seized the King's sloop, batteiux and militan,' stores, and carried theuj off with the prisoners." The war being over and his treachery accomplished, first to the King, whose subject he was, and then to the Continental (.lovernment, which he .served hut to betray, the following is extracted from I>ird Oorcliester's List of Names of United Kmpirc Loyalists: "Arnold,. IJeneral Ivenedici," "Arnold, Lie itenant Hen'y," wi h this emphatic word follow- ing their respective n.ames, "Expunged."' The soil of Upper Canada was not to be desecrated by sucti as Henedict Arnold or his son. numhers from t their shrieks , was delivered ept back some risonment, and wiiat they drew nil of maggots keeping clean ; ;uards, without lied by several ^ dollars were here was much lodern warfare, -eputabh " Dr. kition o 1 their urite allegation , vhile it was ;a.p of the War )oasted of it in jcket when he n command of vith the oniin- n interest and mined to draw ade iip^n the crown ;h of the hair. The he sc'l;j or tuft of so short as not to up one edge of the engaged the scalp, a small osi>;r hoop, y hnve been perpo- brave Tecumseth, the Hattle of the rs. The admi^si/iii, Rurdick's PoIitL'il mselves by c iinmit- lerwise disfigured." skin cut into strips Linerica, that I am une, 1775 : " flazci his surprised the s, and carried theuj first to the King, ved hut to betray, Kmpirc Loyalists : haiic word foJlow- iot to be de.secrated Oft thenlseWes the just vengeance of Fteaven and this exasperated country, they must exi)ect no mercy from either," and they certainly received but little from the latter. Our neighbours must explain away Sullivan's devastation of the Seneca and Six Nation country undertaken by the direction of their Commander-in-chief, " to cut of( their .settlements, destroy iheir corps, and inflict upon them every other mischief which time and circumstanc-s would permit "(i) before they can accuse the British of being the sole particijjants in the cruelties which made this W'ar an ever memorable one. Again in June, i779, 1 Uffm n.U llie wars Itched from ]u!oncl Jolin igers, al)out he Wiliey of 1 extremity, so kaown as loiiel .Butler iy afterwards vn — Colonel ; battle was s, less tr.ait ; dead l)eii\!^ iaeutenants women and lining. The iulon lluiler d with liim, of capitula- ; Americans, stores given made good, , their lives , was unable 1 the X'aliey vards on tlic ider Gener.d .h regard to :alse by yir. Hit of a large ey by agree- lUt to death ; after having the story of women ;i,nd lenUilily en- about " tlie 3t monster Brandt" iu connection with these events, but then Ednion* stoun Aytoun, in the " Execution of Montrose," terms a Chief of the Cami)i)ell Clan, in Avhom they take great pride, " the monster- t'un I Ar;;yle." I suppose if Poets v.'ere allowed no license we would Ivave no poetry ! At tiie close of the War, the .M')hawk tribe almost to a man. under Urant's leadersliip, quit their Ijeautiful \'alley and retired to Canada witli the other Loyalists. Jiraat was a Christian and a member of the Church of J-aigland. In 1786 lie i)ui!t a Churcli on the Crand River, wherein was |)laced the rtrst '"Church-going beil " that ever tolled in Upper Canad.t. Shortly before his death he built a. coainiodious dwelling house for himself near iiurlington J3ay, v/liere he died on the 24th Novemi)er, 1807, aged sixty-four years and eight monllis, and after a p.iinful iijness borne wiili true Indian lortitude and Christian paticiice and resignatiou. Mr. .Stone states that wliile his mauiier was reserved, as was customary with his peoi)L', never- tiieless he was affable tho igli dig, lined, on all occasions aitd in all society com])orting himself as would be ex|)ected in a well-bred gentleman. His great (piality was his strong, j^ractical, good sense and dee|) and ready insight into ciiaracter. He had a keen .sense of humour and was ari excellent conversatio:iali-.t, while in letters he was in advance of some of the Generals against whom he fought and of even still' greater military men who have tlourished before his day and since. Thovigh not without failings, they were redeemed l.)y high qualities and commanding virtues ; in business relations he was a model of promjititude and integrity ; the purity of liis i)rivate morils has never beeit qtiestioned, and his ln)use was the al)ode of kindness and hospitality. As a warrior he was cautious, sagacious and brave, watching with slee])less vigilance for opportunities of a(-tion, and allovriag neither dangers nor difficulties to divert him from his well-selected purpose. His consiitiuion was hardy, his capacity of endurance great, his energy imtiring, and his firmness indomital)le. On the occasion of his visits to Great Britain, he was treated by the Royal Family, the leaders of the Nobility and the Political chiefs wuih the most distinguished consideration. He had din-ing the Revolutionary \Var made the personal friendship of several ollkers uC high social station, among others being Ivarl Moira, after- wards Marquis of Hastings, who had served in America as Lord Rawdon, who presented him with hi.s nnniature, set in gold; General 3* Sir Charles Stuart, a younger son of the Earl of Bute, and the Duke of Northumberland, who had as Lord Percy been on terms of inti- mate friendship with him, and with whom he maintained a corres- pondence until his death. Many of these letters are given by Mr. Stone in his '' Life of Brant," the Duke, himself by the way a warrior of the Mohawk Tribe by adoption, always addressing Brant as " My dear Joseph," and signing himself, "Your affectionate friend and brother, Northum])erland Thorighwigeri," in which Indian title he rejoiced, and which had been conferred ui)on him by Brant himself. The name signified " The Evergreen Brake," a pretty conceit, indi- cating that a titled house never dies, like the leaves of this i)ecu!iar species of brake, in which, when the old leaf falls, the young is in fresh and full existence. Brant, on his part, fully aware of tiie cus- toms of the great, always addressed His Grace as " My Lord Duke," signing himself, " Your Grace's faithful friend and brother warrior, Jos. Brant, Thayendanegea." The l^arl of Warwick was another of his friends, and for whom he sat for his picture, as he had done for the Duke of Northumberland. When presented at Court, he declined to kiss the King's hand, l)Ut with equal gallantry and address offered to kiss that of the Queen, which the kind-hearted Monarch took in excellent part. He stood equally well in the graces of the Prince Regent, who took great delight in his company, and by whom he was freiiuently enter- tained. It was quite the mode to affect him, and the Carlton House set, Fox, Sheridan and others, taking in this as in much else their cue from " the first gentleman of Europe," lavished attention and civilities on him. A laughable episode occurred at a flmcy dress ball which was given during his stay in London. Brant attended the masquerade, which was got up on a scale of great splendour, and at the sugges- tion of Lord Moira dressed himself in the costume of his nation, wearing no mask, but painting one-half of his face. His plumes nodded proudly in his cap and his tomahawk glistened at his side, no character in all the brilliant pageant being more picturesque or attracting greater attention. Among others who were present was a Turkish diplomat of high rank, who scrutinized the Chief very closely, and mistaking his rouge et noir complexion for a painted visor, took him by the nose, intending, probably, to remove the id the Duke ;rm.s of iiui- d a corres- vcn by Mr. ay a warrior ant as " My friend and ian title he •ant himself, onceit, indi- liis peculiar young is in of the cus- .ord Duke," her warrior, > another of ad done for ling's hand, :hat of the t part. He t, who took ently enter- Iton House h. else their ention and '. which was lasquerade, the sugges- his nation, rlis plumes at his side, iuresque or iresent was Chief very ' a painted emove the m 33 mask and have a look to see who was concealed thereunder ! Brant, to carry out the joke, feigned intense indignation, raised his appalling war-whoop, which made the blood of the merry-makers curdle in their veins, flashed his tomahawk around the head of the terrified Turk, who doubtless was a remarkably " sick man" at that particular time, and left the screaming women under the impression that they would be the unwilling witnesses of the scalping of the poor Turk. The joke had been carried far enough, however, and the Mussulman was left in possession of his hair, the matter was explained, and the incident accounted quite the feature of the even- ing. Mr. Stone states that some of the London papers rejjresented that Brant raised his weapon in serious earnest, having taken the freedom of the Turk for an intentional indignity, but this of course is ridiculous. Readers of Mr. John Gait's work, " The Steamboat,'' will remember another instance in which Printing House Square was imposed upon in connection with another Chief, not unknown to the Clansmen of Glengarry, when at the Coronation of George IV. a lady's hysterics at seeing a Highlander in full dress almost created a jjanic, and the " Times," under the heading of " A Mys- terious Circumstance," absolutely gave the impression that it was a deep-laid Jacobite scheme for the destruction of the Royal Family. But to resume. Later in the summer, one of the Macdonells who had formerly lived in Tryon County, and according to Mr. Stone was a Loyalist Officer " distinguished for his activity," made a sudden irruption into the Schoharie settlements at the head of about three hundred Indians and "Tories," burning houses and killing and making prisoners of such of the male inhabitants as came in their way, the American force in the fortress at Schoharie being afraid to come out. Colonel Gansevoort, however, with a squadron of Cavalry, jtrrived to the assistance of his countrymen, and Macdonell and his men, having accomplished the object of their mission, returned to headquarters. H CHAPTER 4. Sui.i.ivAx's l'',vi'Kiini()\ AdAixsT 'iiii'. Si;.\A(;vs and Cavi'Gas. — In'I'k.vdei) Cai'itki; ov Niacarv krustrati-.d. — Sik Jomx Johnson' and his Rkcimin t ki/itkx to '1'kvon Countv. — ]>rant dkstrovs (."nnajoiiakik. — Stii.i, anoi'HKk Invasiox /.\ro TiiK Schoharie (j)n\rRv— Investment or Fort Midiu.e- r.ERc; — Americans eIre o\ a 1m, ao he 'I'ri'ce. — Inhu'-nse Di'STRUCI'lON ()|. ("iRAIN ANI) O'THKK FroI'I'.RI'V'.— CArC.HN A- WAOA ANI) Stone Arakia i.aik in ashes. — Defeat oe A^rEKIC\Ns a't Fort IveysivR. — Haldi.man'd's ai'prot.aiton of Sir John Johnson's zi'.ai,. — Nkcotiations eou keturn ok PrISONI'RS. — SlJEKERIXOS OE LoVAMS'T KAMI LIES. — FlOHT AT Schell's Setti-emknt, near ['"ort Dayton. -- A r.RAVE DISCIPLE OF Martin Li riir.R. — Americans victoriocs in two enc.agements ne.vr Johnstown. — Death of ^V'Al/TER • Butler. — AwEUE ^[AssA'JRE iiv Amkkicvx misckean't.s of THE iMoRAVE\X TRILSE OF XOX-CO.\UiATAN T IXOiANS. — CoX- CLUSiox OF THi: War. fn the' Spring of 1779, it ^^';ls di'tcnninod l>y the Americuiis lli.-it active measures sliouid be taken aL;ainst tl'.e Indians, es|)e;;ially tlie Senacas and Caytigas, that tliose tribes should in fact be annihilated^ and with this object in view a division of their army from Pennsyl- vania under Cicneral Sullivan, who was in command of the expedi- tion, and another from the north under General Clinton, effected a junction at Newton, the site of the ])resent town of Elmira. Their joint forces amounted to five thousand men. They were there met by a gallant band of five hundred Indians under ]]rant, with two hundred and fifty British under Colonel John Butler, associated with whom were Sir John and (luy Johnson, Major Walter N. Butler and Captain John Macdonell (Aberchalder). A desperate resistance was made against such tremendous odds, but witiiout ]ireseat suc- cess, yet the ultimate and indeed the princij)al object of the cam- paign, which .was the capture of Niagara, the liead<]uaitcrs of the British in that region, and the seat of fiiihience and power among the CAvro AS. — — Sii; joiix CoLNTV. •:k Invasion )RT Mi 1)01. E- — ■ Immknse -Caic.iina- Dkfkat of idllATlON i>K K|-/I'UUN' (II- — I'lCilT AT - A r.RAVE rrdiunus ix OF ^V'AI/l'^;K i.:keax'I'.s of AXS. — Cox- lericuiis l]i:il i])c;;ially the annihilated )ni Pennsyl- tlic cxpcdi- 1, effected a lira. 'J'heir re there met u, with two uciated with . Butler and i resistance iresenl suc- 3{" the cam- rtcrs of ihe r among the 35 Indians, was aliandoned. and the Anicrirans rca]ied bnt little advan- tage from the expedition except that they scourged a broad extent of country, and laid more towns in ashes than ever had been destroyed on the continent before. Such of the rednien as were not mas.sacred Were with their women and children driven from their country, their habitations were left in ruin, their fields laid waste, their orchards uprooted, their altars overthrown, and the tombs of their fathers desecrated — all of which is admitted by the American historians, and was in strict accordance with (leneral Washington's orders, and for which General -Sullivan received the thanks of Congress (November 30th, 1779). And yet they coinitlained of the atrocities of the In- dians I Still again, in May, 1780, .Sir John Johnson, at the head ot five hundred men, comi)Osed of some Regular troo])s, a detachment of his own Regiment, and about two hundred Indians and "'Tories," re-visited the scene of their once habitation, a visit highly unpopular to their former neighltours, and the immediate object of which was to recover Sir John's family plate, which had been buried in tlie cel- lar of Johnson Hall at the time of his tlight in 1776, the place of deposit being contided only to a faithful slave. It was found and distributed among forty of his soldiers, who brought it back to Montreal. After the custom of the day, they destroyed all the buildings, killed the sheep, cattle and a number of obnoxious Whigs, and approi)riated all the horses to their own use. Their ranks were recruited by a considerable number of Loyalists, while Sir John also obtained ])ossession of some thirty of his negro slaves. A number of prisoners were also taken and sent to Chambly. We are of course told that " this irruption was one of the most indefensible aggressions upon an unarmed and slumbering people which stain the annals of British arms." It made much difference on which leg the boot was placed; and the Indians in sympathy and alliance with the Briti.sh were to abstain from all acts of violence, while not only the men of their race, but the women aixl children as well, were to be massacred fn cold blood, their very extermination being the object in view — and the Loyalists were to strike no blow for the Cause they held so dear, and against those who had deprived them of every earthly posses- sion. The following is Sir John Johnson's report of this expedition : 36 "St. Johns, 3rcl June. 1780. " Sir, " I have the honour to rc|)ort to Your Excellency the .irrival of the troops and IndiiMis uiulcr my comm.md at this iihice. U'c arrived at tiie settlement, williin five miles of Johnson Mall, on the 2islof last month, in the evening, i)rivious to which I had made known to the Indians tiie \>hn I wished to |)ursue, and I thought 1 had little reason to doubt iJieir joining heartily in it, but upon assembling them to obt.iin their fnial answer, I was not a little mortified to fnul them totally averse to it, or even to a division ot their body. I therefore found myself under the disagreeable necessity of adopting their plan, which was for them to proceed to 'I'ripe's Hill, wiihin a mile and a half of i'ort John.ion, while the troops under my command were to march by Johnstown to Caghna- waga, where the whole were to join and ])roceed up the river to the nose, and from thence to Stone Arabia. We accortlitigly proceeded, and met at the house of 1)(Av l''on(la, at Caghnawaga, destro.\ing all before us as we marched along. From thence we proceeded to with- in a mile of the nose, where a halt was found absi)lutely necessary, the troops and Indians being much fatigued and in want of refresh- ment, having marched from six in the morning of the 21st till ten in the morning the day following. Some of the Indians and Rangers continued burning and laying waste everything before them, till they got above the nose. Most of the inhabitants tied to the opposite shore with their best effects, securing their boats, which prevenieil their crossing the river. After the men were sufficiently rested and refreshed. 1 pio|)Osed moving on to Stone Arabia, to which the Indians objected, alleging that the troops, as well as diemselves. were too much fatigued to i)roceed any further, and that the inhabitants were all tied into their forts with their effects, and that there was nothing left but eniptv houses, which were not worth the trouble of going to burn ; indeed, many (j1 them moved off with their plunder, with which they were all loaded, before I knew their inten- tion. I therefore found myself under the necessity of following them. We burned several houses on our return to Johnstown, where we arrived about one o'clock the same day. After providing provisions, etc.. we marc hed back by the same route we came to the Scotch settlement. The number of houses, barns, mills, etc., burnt, amounts to about one hundred and twenty, 'fhe Indians, contrary to my expectation, killed only eleven men, among diem Colonel Fisher. Caiitain Fisher, and ancjther brother, of what lank 1 know not. The prisoners taken amounted to twenty-seven. Fourteen of them I sat' fcicd to return, being either too old or too young to inarch, and 1 was induced by the earnest desire of the Loyal fomilies left behind to set at liberty two of the principal prisoners we had taken, in order to protect them from the violence of the people, which they most solemuiy I line, 17. Ho. y the arrival of lis iilacc. W'c )ii Mall, on tiic ;h I had inadu lul I ihougiit 1 II il, but upon vas not a littlL to a division ol 10 (hsagroeal)lc vm to proccuil in.ion, wliilc the own to Ciigiuia- tiie river to the !igiy i)ioceedcih i, de.stio)int^ ail )eeL'dcd to wilii- iitely necessary, want of refresiv- j 2 1st til! ten in IS and Rangers e tiiem, till they to the opposite .'hich prevented :nlly rested and , to which the as themselves. , and that the jffects, and that e not worth the ed off with their new their inten following them, town, where we ding provisions. t; to the Scotch .burnt, amounts contrary to my Colonel Fisher, know not. The n of them I suf- j march, and 1 lilies left behind aken, in order to y most solemnly .17 promised to do ; and in order to make them pay the utmost atten- tion to their engagements, I assured diem thai the rest of the prison- ers siimild be detained as hostages for the perforinancc of this pro- mise. I also sent a Cajitain V'eeder back in exchange for Lieuten- ant -Singleton, of my Regiment, which I hoin- will meet with Your Excellency's apimibation. Vast 'piantities of tlour, bread, Indian corn, anil other provisions were burnt in the houses and mills, and a great number of arms, cash, etc.; many cattle were killed, and al)out Seventy horses brought off One hundred and forty-three Loyalists, arid a luinilier ol women and chiklren, with about tliirty blacks (male and female), came off with us. .Seventeen of the latter belong to Coliinel (llaus, Johnson and myself Some are claimed by white men and Indians, who are endeavouring to dispose of them ; I should therefore be glad to have Your Kxceliencv's direi-tions concerning them. [ enclose Your Kxceilency the only papers I could procure, witii s hulry letters, which will shew the early intelligence they had of our apjiroach. [ must bog leave to refer Your i'lxcellency to Cap- tain Scott tor further pirticulars, and beg you wili excuse this imper- fect account of om- proceedings. I shall transmit exact returns of the Loyalists and Indians from the Mohawk \'illage, who have come in, by the next post. I beg leave to recommend my cousin, l-jisign Johnson, to Your Kxceilency for the vacancy in the Forty-Seventh, if not pre-engiged, as he was of great service in ])reventing the Indians from conmiiiting many irregularities, which I was very a|)pre- hensive of and he has been jiromised the first vacancy. I must also beg Vour Excellency will be pleased to grant a Hag for the relief of the families left in Tryon County who may choose to come into this Province, which is most earnestly wished for by their husbands and parents. " I have the honour to be, with great resjiect, " Your Excellency's " iMost obedient and " Most humble servant, " His Excellency, General Haldimand •"(ol "John Johnson. Later in that year (August, 17S0), Brant with his Indians paid a visit on his own account to the settlements of the Nbjhawk, destroyed the forts at Canajoharie, and rendered the fairest district of the Valley in a single day a scene of wailing and desolation, sixteen oif . ti-ie inhabitants being killed, fifty-three dwelling houses, as many barns, together with a grist mill, the church and growing crops destroyed, and between fifty and sixty prisoners taken, though it is admitted (ij H.ilillm.ind Papers, .Series B, vol. 158, p. iz8. I iiM urniintfuri^a.Mi 38 that " no outrages were committed on defenceless v/omen and child- ren other than carrying them into captivity " — a circumstance which Mr. Stone is good enough to attribute to the absence of the wicked " Tories " in this exi)edition. In October of the same year another and more extensive expe- dition was i)lanned and carried out against the unfortunate Whigs of the same district, in retaliation for Sullivan's merciless crusade, under Sir John Johnson, Thayendanegea and a famous Seneca Chieftain, a half-breed named O'Bail, styled by the Indians " Corn Plahter" — the force consisting, besides Mohawks, of three Companies of the Royal Regiment of New York, one Company of German Yagers, a Detachment of two hundred of Butler's Rangers, and ono Company of Regulars, under the command of Captain Richard Duncan, the son of an opulent gentleman residing })revious to the War in the neighborhood of Schenectady, and who was afterwards a well-known pioneer of the County of Dundas, which, if I am not mistaken, he represented in the early Parliaments of Upper Canada, and was also in later life one of the Judges of the Province — for the District of Lunenberg, as the Eastern portion of the Province was first known. Their total number is variously estimated from eighi hundred to over fifteen hundred. Sir John's troops were collec ',eu at Lachine, whence they ascended the St. Lawrence to Oswego. Thence they crossed the country to the Susfiuehanna, where they were joined by the Indians and sonie " Tories." Each soldier and Indian had eighty rounds of cartridges. The Americans on this occasion, when Sir John had invested the {''oit of Middleberg, showed their appreciation of the rules of honoiinible warfare by firing three different times on British officers be '.ring I'ags of truce with a summons to surrender, their reason bcin,;. as is alleged, '' The savages, and their companions the Tories still more savage than they, had shown no res|)ect to age, sex or condition, and it was not without force that the ciuestion was repeated, are we bound to exercise a forbearance totally unrecipro- cated by the enemy ?" " Besides," it was added, " let us show that we will neither take nor give quarter ; and the enemy, discovering our desperation, will most likely withdraw." Such conduct as this was likely to meet with reprisals, and it did. The march was con- tinued in the direction of Fort Hunter, at the confluence of the Schoharie-kill with the Mohawk River, in the course of which were leii and child- iistance Vv'hich 3f the wicked xlensive expe- nate Whigs of :riisade, under :a Chieftain, a m Planter" — ipanies of the mn Yagers, a onr; Company Dtuican, the e War in the i a well-known mistaken, he and was also he District of IS first known, indred to over chine, whence ; they crossed joined by the an had eighty had invested of the rules of British officers , their reason )ns the Tories to age, sex or question was illy unrecipro- t us show that ly, discovering induct as this larch was con- luence of the oi which were 39 destroyed the buildings and produce of every description. Genera,! Washington, in his message to the President of Congress, stated that the destruction of grain was so great as to threaten the most alarm- ing consequences, in respect to the forming of magazines for the puiiiic service at the north, and that but for that event the settlement of Schoharie alone would have delivered So,ooo bushels of grain. The houses and barns Were burnt, the horses and cattle killed or taken, and not a building known to belong to a Whig Was saved ; the Whigs, however, in retaliation, immediately after reducing the houses of the Tories to the common lot. .Sir John ordered his forces to spare the Church at the Upper Fort, but his mandate was dis' obeyed. It is alleged that over one hundred of the inhabitants were killed, but this is probably a gross exaggeration. Whatever was left of Caughnawaga at the time ot the irruption of Sir John in the spring, and all that had been rebuilt, was destroyed by fire, and both sides of the Mohawk River laid in waste. A Major Fonda, a prominent Whig, was a principal sufferer, his houses and i)roperty in the Town of Palatine to the value of sixty thousand dollars being destroyed. At Fort Keyset a battle took place, which resulted in the entire dis- comforture of the Americans, their leader, Colonel Brown, and some forty-five of his men being killed, the remainder seeking safety in Hight, and Stone Arabia was then reduced to the condition of a de- sert. By this time, however, reinforcements had arrived for the Americans, under the command of General Van Renssalaer, whose forces were in every respect sujjerior to the British. In the engage- ment which followed, the British Indians did not act with their usual bravery, and though the Regulars and Rangers are admiited to have fought with great spirit, Sir John and his forces were obliged to retire. He succeeded, however, by a very skilful manoeuvre, in capturing a strong detachment of the Americans under Captain Vrooman, and made his way to Oswego without further molestation. Sir Frederick Haldimand, writing to Lord George Germaine, stated : " I cannot finish without expressing to Your Lordship the perfect satisfaction which I have for the zeal, spirit and activity with which Sir John Johnson has conducted this arduous enterprise." About this time some very acrimonious correspondence was taking place between British and American officers, each accusing the u./.er of cruelty to prisoners. Thus, General Watson Powell writes to the American Colonel Van Schaick, in returning some 40 American prisoners : " The attcinion wliicli has heen shown (6 ^frs, Ccinip(>cll and those in her unfortunate circumstances, as well as the good treatment of the prisoners, which it is hoped they will have the candour to acknowledge, is referred to for comparison to those by whose orders or [)erniissi.)n His .XCajesiy's subjects have experienced execution, the horrors ota dungeon loaded with irons, and the miser- ies of want," and he enclosed a list of some families of men l)elong- ing to the l*',igiity- Fourth Regiment whose return was demanded. The list is as follows: John McDonell's faaiily, Donald McCiruer's, Duncan McDonell's, John Mcintosh's. Duncan McDonell's, Donald McDonald's, Kenneth McDonell's, and John AfcDuiieH's father and mother. Colonel (iansevoort replied, denying the accusation which General Powell made in a ])revious portion of his letter, of a breach of failh on the ]i.irt of tiie Americans iu regard to the cartel of the Cedars, and denying also that, except in some few cases ])y wayof re- taliation for the many cruelties alleged by him to have])een ])erpetrated by the British, any prisoners or Loyalists had been treated with cruelty or indignity. Colonel Canscvoort, lu)wever, is u[)on their own admission, proven to have lied twice in the same letter, and liis maxim being, as is stated, "his country, right or \vrv)ng" — his denial of cruelty to i)risoners is worthless. It is api)are'iit, and perhaps after all but natural, that their wrongs all through the War were magnified to the utmost extent, and in others tlie most preposterous stories were fabricated, while they carefully conceal, minimize or totally deny wcll-foundetl accusations of cruelty to prisoners in their hands, and other offences. Some of their violations of the rules which govern hostile States and Governments are, however, not(jri- ous, and are matters of history, as when Congress itself broke the plighted faith of their General (.A.rnold) in regard to the cartel entered into at the Cedars for the exchange of prisoners. They are unable to deny or ex])lain that breach of national honour, and are obliged to admit that the violation of the stipulations made on that occasion created difficulties in regard to the exchange of prisoners during the whole War, and was frequently a source of embarassment and mortification to General Washington during its entire continua- tion. The Haldimand p.apers shew the vicissitudes and hardships imdergone by the families of many of the officers. In series B, vol. 158, p. 351, appears the following : ■ '_'.V I :)wn to Mrs, well as the rill have; the to those by e.x|)ericnced d the miscr- mcii bolong- clemanded. ; McCiriier's, sirs, Donald 's father and satio'.i which , of a breach :artcl of iiie by way of re- 1 perpetrated treated with s u[)on their ;tt.er, and lu's ' — his denial and perhaps le A\'ar were preposterous minimize or jners in their of the rules fever, notori- elf broke the to the cartel s. They are lour, and are made on that of prisoners :ml)arassment itire continua- nd hardships series E, vol. 4^ " To His Excellency General Haldimand, General and Con'irAande)' in Chief of all His Majesty's Forces in Canada and the Fron- tiers thereof, " Tlie memorial of John and Alexander Macdonell, CajJtain? in the King's Royal Re<^nment of Xew York, humbly sheweth, '•That your Memorialist, John Macdonell's, family are at present detaine 1 by he rebels in the County of Tryon, within the Province of New York, destitute of every support l)ut such as they may receive from the few friends to Governmeni in said (juarters, in which situa- tion they have been since 1777. '* And your Memorialist, Alexander Macdonell, on behalf of hi>- brother, (Ja;nain Allan Macdonell, of the Kighty-lMnirth Regiment; lliat the family of his said brother have been detained by die Rebels in and about Albany since the year 1775, and that tmless it was for the assistance they have met with from Mr. James Ellice, of Sche- nectady, mercliant, they mu^t have ])eris!ied. " Youv Memorialists therefore liumbly ])ray Yoiu- Excellencv will l)e graciously pleased to take the distressed situation of said families into consideration, and to grant that a Hag be sent to demand them in exchange, or otherwise direct towartls obtaining their release- nient, as Your Excellency in your wisdom shall see tit, and you'- Memorialists will ever pray as in duty boimd. "(Signed,) Johx Maci'onki.i,, " Ali;xanm)i;r .\L\CDONEr,i,." The above memorial is dated 27th July, but the year is not given. It was probably 1779 or ( 780. A petition from a niunber of the men of the King's Royal Regi- ment of New York is as follows : — To the Honourable Sir John Johnson, Taeutenant-Colonel Com- mander of the King's Royal Regiment of New York. The humble petition of sundry soldiers of said Regiment .iheweth, — That your humble petitioners, whose names are hereunto sub- scribed, have families in different i>lai'es of tlie Counties of Albany and Tyron, v.iio have been and are daily being ill-treated b'v the enemies of Government. Therefore we do himibly pray that Your Honour wotild be ])leased to procure i)ermissit)n for them to come to Canada. And your petitioners will ever pray. John McGlenny, Thomas Ros.s, Ai.i'.xA \ I)i:r Camkron, Fredi'.rick Goose, Wm. Urghad,* Ai.EX. Ferguson, Thomas Taylor, Wilijam Cameron, (iEoR(;E Mlrdoek, William Chessim,! * I'robably Urquliiirt. t Probably C hisliolm. 4^ Duncan McIntire, Anuri'.w Mu-kross, Donald McCarter, Allen Grant, Hugh Chisholm, Angus Grant, John jMc Donald. The names and number of each family intended in the within petition : — Consisting or John CnRfsrv, Daniel Campbell, Donald Ross, Donald CHissEM,f Roderick McDonald, Alexander Grant, Name of Familv i, Duncan Mclntyre's 2, John Chri.ity's 3, George MordufT's 4, Daniel Campbell's 5, Andrew Mi!ro>s' 6, William Uighud's 7, Donald McCarter's 8, Donald Ross' 9, Allaii Grant's 10, William Chissim's 11, Donald Chissim's 12, Hugh Chissim's 13, Roderick McDonald's 14, Angus Grant's 15, Alexander Grant's 16, Donald Grant's 17, John McDonald's 18, John McGlenny's 19, Alexander Ferguson 20, Thomas Ross' 21, Thomas Taylors' 22, Alexander Cameron's 23, William CamennVs 24, Frederick Goose 3 Wife, Sister and Child Wife and 3 Children do 6 60 d<3 5 do Wife Wife and 3 Children do 3 do do I Child do 1 do do 1 do do 2 Children do 5 do do 4 do do 5 do do 4 do do 4 do Wife Wife and 2 Children do do do do do do 5 do 4 do I Child 3 Children 3 do 4 do No, 3 4 7 6 r 4 4 2 2 2 3 6 5 6 5 5 I 3 6 5 2 4 4 5 Endorsed— Memorial from several soldiers of Sii; John John- son's Corps, received 27th July. (The year i«. not given, it was probably 1779 or 1780.) (i) In August, 1 78 1, Donald McDonald, one of the Loyalists from Tryon County, who had come to Canada at the head of a small band dC sixty-two Indians and Tories, and accompanied by " two ijotorious traitors named Empie and Kasselman," as Mr. Stone is good enough to term two prominent German Loyalists, whose t Probably Chisholm. (i) H.ildimand Papers, Series B, vol. 158, p. 352, as given by Judge Pringle. >-t NT, I the within No. 4 7 6 T 4 4 2 2 2 3 6 5 6 5 5 I 3 6 5 2 4 ■ - 4 5 John John- iven, it was oyahsts from a ?raall band d hj " two Mr. Stone is alists, whose ingle. 43 descendants now live in the County of Slormont, made a raid upon the settlement at Schell's l)ush near Fort Dayton. A numl)er of Whi,c)Versies with the Pope. \\'hile thus engaged, McDonald's forces returned to tlie figlit, and made a desjjerate attempt to carry the fortress 1)\ a-sauU and rescue their leader. Rushing up to the walN. ti\e of them lhru>t the nni/zles of their guns through the looj)- hoies, hut had no sooner done so than Mrs. Schell, seizing an axe, ■ by .pn'ck and well-iHrecled blows, ruined e\ery musket by bending tlij barrels. Scheli afterwards managed to escape to Davton.' ^[|'Doll,ild was so i-lesperaiely \V(junded lliat his men were unable to remove him, so they toi)k Scliell's boys as hostages, charging their wounded leader to tell the Americans that if tl.ey would be kind to him they would take care of Schell's boys. .McDonald was the next day renioveil to Fort Dayton by Captain Small, where his leg was ami'Utated. but the 1/iood could not ])e staunched and the brave man died in a few hoiu's. Mr. Stone is authoiity for the statement . that he wore a silver mounted tomalKn\-k, which was taken from him by Schell, that it was marked by thirty s(-aJ]) notclies, "showing that (cw Indians could have been more industrious than himself in gathering this description of military trophies"- but M\. Stone is not impartial or thoroughly trustworthy on such sul.jects. I'.ieven IJniiMi were killed and six wounded, and the boys who were returned after the W^ir re|)orted that nine wounded died before they arrived in Canada. Schell was Mibse(iuenily kille.l (hn-ing the V/ar by Indians, one of his sons being killed and another wounde.l in thv ir eltlu-ts to save him. It must be conceded th.at he fought with ,,plu<:k and that Martin Luther had every reason to be proud of his MiM'ij;!e. 44 The last expedition against this neighborhood was destined to Ik: a still more unfortunate fine for the Briiish. In October, 1781, a force was organized at Buck's Island, in the St, Lawrence, a few miles below Kingston, consisting of about seven hundred men, composed oftwenty-tive men of the Eighth Regiment, one hundred nl the Thirty-fourth Regiment, one hundred of the Eighty-fourth (Royal Highland Emigrants), thirty-six Highlanders', oneliundi'ed and twentv of Sir John Johnson's, forty of Eake's Independents, one himdrrd and lifiy of Butler's Rangers, twelve Yagers, wiili on<. hundred anil thirty Indians, the whole under the coniniand of ^.l.ijur Ross, wiv.i was, I believe, a brother-in-law of Cajitain John Mat.donell of Aber- chalder, having married his sister. A h;ird conti-sted batll'j took jdace in the neighborhootl >■( i' ^Tislown on the -vph ( )cl(>l)er, the fcrliine ot vvar varying fruni time 10 :ir/ ', b It evehtuating in ihdt of llie Ameriean.s, wiiose loss w;i- fort) ': <\ l. the liriiish losing the same number in killed and sonir •^fty p '■^. A day or two later, another engagement occurred, about ('..ei ■ ' 'le British being killed, amongst whom was du brave U alter Butler, son of Colonel Ihuler of die Scouts, one ni the most enteri)rising ar.d indetatigable officers, who was shiii through the head by an Oneida Indian and promptly scalped. It i> necessary to peruse a full narrative of the war jinjperly to appreciate the dauntless courage, activity and endurance of this gallant soldier. The Americans disgraced their nation by refusing burial to his body. '' In re-passing the battle ground, the body of Butler was discovered as it had been left, and there, without sepulchre, it was suffered to remain.([) This expedition closed the active warlike ojierations in the north fui that year, and the follov.'ing was a period rather of armed neutralii\- than active war, while on the 30th November, 1782, provisional Ardcles of Peace on the basis of a treaty, by which the independence of the Uiiited States was acknowledged, were entered into, and the people ol tlic Moluxwk \alley were left in peace, though that region of country had been so utterly laid waste that little more was to be accomplished. The Loyalists lost dieir homes, but the land on which their own dwellings once stood was all that they left to the'v op])onenls. The l;ist act of the AVar is a fitting satire upon the pm- testations of the .Americans of the hmnane manner in which die} (I) blone, vol. 2, page 192. :J0> ,s destined to he ctoher, 1781, a ,awrence, a few hundred men, , one hundred til' ty-fourlh (Roya! died and twtntv ts. one hundred 11. hundred ami lajur Ross, wiio .donell of Alx-r- leiLdihorhood d' trying from linic wiKJse loss \v;i> liiled asid sonu- :ment occurred, whom was dvj Scouts, one ni who was sh;)i ■ scalped. It is :ly to appreciate i gallant soldier, rial to his body. ■ was discovered was suffered to IS in the north fur irmed neutrality 'S2, provisional le independence xl into, and the jugii tluU region more was to l)c ut the land on hey left to the'r re ujjon tiie pro- r in which die\ y 45 conducted it: the massacre of every man, woman and child belong- ing to tile Nroravian Tribe of Indians by a band of some three hun- ■ dred wretches tmder the command of a miscreant named Colonel David Williamson. Tiiese Indians had been peaceable during the whole War — the tenets of their religious faith, lor they were Christ- ians, and their religious principles, which would appear to have been somewhat similar to those of the Quakers, forbidding them to fight. Th'/y are described as a humble, devout and exemplarv community, simple tillers of the soil of their forefathers. Their brains were bat- tered out, old men and matrons, young men and maidens and children at th.eir motiiers' breasts being niassa<:re(l, two only of the whole settlenivMit escaping, while the American jiapers of the day applaui)er Canada, and what now consii tiites the County of Glengarry, being principally settled Ijy those from Glengarry in Scotland, they called it after the well-loved name of the home of their forefathers; others were allotted land in what now constitute the adjacent Counties of Stormont and Diindas. The officers and men of the First Battalion of the Ring's Royal Regiment of New York, stationed at the close of the War at Isle au.x Noixand Carlelon Island, with their wives and children, to the ntmiber of one thousand torn- hundred and sixty-two, settled in a body in the firsi five townships west of the boimdary line of the Province of Quebec, being the present Townships of Lancaster, Charlottenburgh, Corn- wall, Osnabruck. and Willi.irasburg ; those of the Second Battalion of the King's Royal Regiment of New York going further west to tin: Bay of Quinte. 'I'he following list shows the officers of the l"'ir>t Battalion of Sir John Johnson's Regiment, with length of service, iS:(:.: 'LEX(;ARRV AM' XDAs — List of alioxs of thh -Colon i:l Sti;- xn E.\iu;ram (jKriCERS. land soldiers of irt of what aftcr- vhat now consii settled l)y those ivel Moved name L'd land in whai d Dundas. The Royal Regiment >le aux Noixand 3 number of one I)ody in the lirsi ince of Quebec, ttcnburgh, Com ■.ond Battalion ut" iher west to the :ers of the I'irsi h of service, &e.: 47 RETURN Oi; Tilt: OFKICF.RS oF IHK h.VVE FIRST I'.AT tAlJOX, RING'.t ROYAL RKOLMKNT OF NKW YORK. Names. "2 ° ^T" Place of! J^' 7* 3 Nativity. \ ' o^^ ^1 7 3- Former Situations and Remarks. la. Cign in I,ord Loudon's RA.'gt., 17.15 ; liiMU. and capt, in ye 4Jiul till afier taking the Havannah, at which lime he sold out.(r) Had some landed [n-operty, part of which is secured to his son, ye remnant lost in conse- quence of the rebellion. Mnsign in 60th Regt.. July 8th, 1760; lieut. in same regt., 27th Dec. 1770. Sold out on account of bad state of health. 2_>nd May, 1775. Had no land.s, John Munro Scotland 8 years Had co isuler.d)le landed pro|)erty lost in consecpience of ye Rebellion, and served in last war in America. Ireland 9 years Lieut, in the 84th Regt. at the Siege of Oiiebec, 1775-76. ^■i yrs Live years Knsign in the 55lh Regiment. 8 years Had landed pro])erty, and served in last war in America 8 years Had lamled projnMty, 500 acres, purchased, and began to imi)r()ve in April, 1774. 8 year> joo acres of land in fee simple, under Sir John John- son, Bart., ye annual rent of £6 per 100. Capt Capt l\urick Daly Capt Riciiard Duncan Scotland Capt Sam'l. Anderson 'America I i Captjolui McDonell Scotland i Cai)t Alex. McDonell Scotland O) Havaiiiiah was taken in 1763. l}ray sold out in 1763. 4S Capl Capt -Lt. Lt. Lt. l,t. r.t. I A. I,t. Lt. Lt. Names. Place of Nativity. [acoh Farrand William Claus America America \X. Hugh M'.inro lAinerica Lt. jj()sei)h.\:i(lerson A'nerica Lt. iThoinas Smith iLvlaiid Ens. John Connolly Irel.ind Ens.. Jacob Glen America Ens. Ens. Ens. Ens. Ens. Ens. Miles McDonell Scotland pyuen'r Anderson' America DuncanCameron Scotland John ^Lann I America Francis McCar-'L'eland thy John Valentine America America Ch'p John Doty lain I Adjt' James Valentine' Ireland Q.M Isaac Mann Surg Charles Austin M'te [ames Stewart America England Scotland ^i'-no I l^'oriner Silualions and Remarks. Arch. Mcl){jnell Sc.oliand Allan McDonell Scotland Mai. Mc^Lirtin Siolland I'eler Everett .Xinerira John i'reiiiiss 'AnuTii'a •Hugh McDonell Scjtland John F. Holland America William Coffin America ii ye.irs Merchant. Had no lands. .S years llckl 2co acres of land un jder Sir John Johnson, at £6 'per ICO. 8 years Held loo acres of land un- der .^ir John JohiiS(jn, at .£6. 7 years Had .some landed prtjperly. 9 years A \'ulunteer at the Siege of KJuehec, 1775-7^). 7 years .S.)n of ('apt. .\icl)onell 5 vi-arsiSnn of Major H(illa!id, Sur- •veyoi--(icneral, Province of JQuel)ec. _^ years'Son of Mr. Coffin, merchant, jia'.c of I'oslon. 7 yearsJNei'lKw to ALajor Ciray. 7 years|S()ii df Col. Claus, dc[)Uty |agent Lulian Afliiirs. 6 years'Son of Capt. John .NLmro. 6 yearsiSon of Ca|>l.Sa:n'l..\nderson. 4 yearsjSon of Dr. .Smith. 2 years, Private Cientlenian. 3 years'.Son of John Cilen, F;s(]., of Schenectady. Had consider- able landed property. 3 yearsjSonof Capt. John iVlcDonell. 6 yearsjSonof Cajjt. Sam'l. Anderson. 14 yrsjln service last war preced- |ing this one. 8 yearsTrivate gentleman. 28 yrs Formerly sergeant in the J34th Regiment, 24 yrs' 18 years in 55th and 62nd Regiments. 8 years Formerly minister of the jC/ospel at Schenectady. 4 years Son of Ens. John Valentine. 8 years Merchant. 22 yrs (4 years in hos])ital work. 14 yrs SurgecMi's mate in the 42nd iRegt. the war before last. i m^ lions and ks. (i no lands, of land iin- iiison, at £6 of land un- ns(jn, at ,i'6. :d property. the Siege of l)i)nell ''- olland, Stir- Trovince of n, merchant, ir Clrav. alls, deputy airs. n .Miinro. 'i..Vnderson. an. en, Esrp, of atlconsider- )erty. 1 iVlcDonell. 'I.Anderson. ■:: war preccd- n. 'Wk nt in the "-''■};('■■ 1 and 62nd -er of the ectady. 1 Valentine. ii tal work. 1 the 42nd ■f fore last. i 49 RETURN OF THE OFFICl'.RS OV TIIK LATE SECOND RATTALION, KING'S ROY.\I, RKdl.MENI' OV NEW YORK. 3 Names, Place of!g~'c: XT'' I >* rnP Nativity. • a -S iMaj. Capl Caj)! Capt Caj)! Robert I,eake ICnglaiul 7 years Thos.Ciiimmescll England !S years Former Situations and Remarks. Cajtt Capt Capt Capt Capt Lt. Lt. Mad l:iige laiideil projjerty, iVc. lost in consecitience of llie rel'ellion. Konnerlv merchant in New York. Served in ye army in the 6otli Regl.,from 1756 to 1 763. c'ifierwaids in the Ouarter- Master (ieneial's I )ept. Was lieut., 19th June, 1776, in rst Bait.; capt., 15111 Nov., i7>'t. in 2nd ll;iti. James Mel )oneil, Scotland 8 yearSjIlL-ld 200 acn'es of land in lee simple, under Sir Jolm Johnson, at .£6 jier 100. Ireland 8 years America 8 years Jacob NTaurer 'I'ureigner 28 yrs Win. Morrison Scotland 8 years Geo. Singleton Wm. Rc'dford Ciawford — ]]vrns — Lepscom! Ireland 8 years l''ornK!iOy merchant. Meld lands under Sir John Johnson. Held lands under Sir J (dm Johnso!!. England 7 years Midshipman, Royal Navy. — McKen/.ie iScotland 8 years Held lands uiide'r Sir John [Johnson. 7 years rriwite gentleman. 10 yrs Soldier and non-commission- icd officer in 26th Regt.; en- |sign, i7tl-i Oct., 1779, in ist I')att.; lieut., Nov., 1781, in Patrick Langan Ireland Walter Sulher- S(U>tlan(.l land : Lt. IWiliiam Mclvav S;:otla:id Lt. Lt. Lt. Lt. Lt. Lt. Neal Roliertson Henry Youn Scotland 'Vnierica John Howard 'Ireland Jeremiah French America- Phil. P. i.ansingh America Ha/ieit'nSponcer America \'rs 8 years 8 years 13 yrs 7 years nd Halt. 1 years volunteer and ser- geant in 2 J St Regt. Merchant. Farmer. Farmer; served 6 years last war, from 1755 to 1761, as soldier and non-commission- ed officer in 28th Regt. I'armer. 4 yearsjHigh Sheriff, Chariot county, 7 years Farmer. 50 I,t. 1,1. 1,1. I'.ns. Kiis. Eii.s. Kiis. Kiis. Kli:.. Ell,-. J'.ns. Ch'l hi in .A (lit .Sill. ( )livir C'luiicli W'illinm I'i-,i^-rr Clirisliiin W lur Alc\. iMckt ii/.ic Kdii. iMchoiicll — II:u- Sanii.ii McKay 'I'inKaliy'l'lioiiii son liilm A[( K;iv — Jolinsni; — ( 'i;i\\ ton! [dlin Stu.iri — l-'rascr - Dii's k. Kill- J'larc of ??"*' 2 I T'(> Nativity. : • >f-c(.v riiHT Situations and Ki niark.s. .\iiUTi(\i 7 yens I'M niKT. Sidilaiid 7 vi'ars I'.inviLT. I'oivinn'r 7 vt'ar.s I anncr. NMiiitain 4 yi-ars;liinin'i-, \. IJnlaiii -1 years ll'aiiiuT. ,\niLTi<:a ;. years Sun "f (lnv. H.iy ai |)ctif)i; Aniirici T; years .Son ol lln' IjIi/ ( 'a|il. McKay. .America •; yeais Private c;eiitleiiian. .Ameiica ,; years Son of ihe iaie ( 'aplMcKay, Iielaiui 2 years, Nephew to ilje late Sir A\'ni. Ijoiinson. J5art. .\iiu:i(:a 4 years .Son of Cajil. Craw ford. .\mcrica t, yearSiMi->sionary for ihe Mch.iwi.; j Indians at I'ort Hunter. .•Scotland |io yr."- 7 }ears .soldier and non-c(ni- I 'missioned ofticer ii j.ith I |Rcj:inienl. .\meriea 7 years; I'ariiier. Scodaud :; years'Assistant Mirueon. Tile laUer lUttalion. as already stated, 1) >tli oiRixts and men. widi fjonie i'cw exceiitions, sctdeel principally about Calaraijiii, as Kini.{.s- ton was then called, on tlie l>ay of (^ninte, in the Counties of I,ennox and I'riace Ivlward, where their descendants are now to be found. Ivach soldier received a cernficate as follows, entitling him to land. The descendants of the soldier mentioned still worthily occnipv the land so well earned by their ancestor, lot one in the ninth concession of CharlottenburLih ; His Majefty's Provincial Reeiinent, called the King's Royal Regiment of New York, whereof Sir John Johnson, Kiiight and J]ar- onet is Lieutenant-Colonel, Commandanl. These are to certify that the Dearer hereof. Don.dd A[(d)onell, soldier in Capt. Angus Mid )(aieirs Company, of the aforesaid Regi- ment, born in the P; rifh of Killmoneneoack, in the County of Jnver- nel^. aged lliirty-five /ears, has served honeftly and faithfully in the fud regiment Seven Years ; and in confe(]Uence of Mis Majesty's Older for Difbanding the laid Reeiment. he is herebv difcharued. is uatlons nnd ill'iks. ay at nctuji; Caiil. Mc.Ka\-. laii, CaplMi-Kay. late Sir A\ii) ' ra \\T( 1 II 1 . llii- Mohawk t iluiilrr. and iu)n-c( 111- <:(.'r ii 3.|ll\ ;on. HI 1 men. willi |ui, as KinL;s- ifs ()( f,ennnv to l)'j found. liini to land. ly occiijiy the ih conccssioii viiig's Royal ight and Bur- Id McDonclI. ) re said RcL;i- inty of Jnvcr- ithfiilly in the lis Majesly's difchargcd, is ■m 5' entitled, l>y His Majesty's late Order, to the Portion of T.and allotted to eacli soldier of Jlis rrovincial (,\)r|)s, who withes to lieconic a Settler in this IMovinee. He having fufl received all j'lfl demand; of Pay, Cloathing, vVe., from his entry into the faid Rej^iment, to the Dale of his l)ifrharL;e, as appears iVom his Reeeipt on the back hereof (liven under my Hand and Seal at Anns, at Montreal, this twenty fourdi I >ay of December, 17S.V foilN JDIINSON. 1, i)o:iaid Mel)i)iU'll. private soldier, do acknowleilge that I have received ail my CloatliitiL;. I'ay, Arrears of Pay, and all De- m mds wiiaifoever. from the lime o\' my Inliltin.i; in the Reuiment ami ("o;iii)aiiy mentioned (in the other Side, lo ilii^ imtenl Day of m>' Difch.irge, as wilnet's my Hand this j.jdi day of Decemli.-r. 17S.5. DoN.M i> MeDiixi'.i.i,. Mr. I 'roil states thai each soldier was entitled to one hundred acres on the river tVont. hj'ides two hundred acres at a dislinee remite from the River. If m.irried an ! with a family, or if at any future time he shoiild marry, he was en ded to filiy acres more for his wife and fifty for every child, hcsfdes which each son ami daugh- ' ter on coming of age was entitled to a farther grant of two hundred acres. This, I believe, is wiiat the men ultimately gol. yet the ( )r ler in Council of 22nd October, 17.S.S (although the di->cliarge as given above, the original of wliic.h was lent me, would seem lo indicate that there had been a previous Order on the subject) recite had better read the book. The I''ighty-Fourth, or Royal Highland Emigrant Regiment (originally embodied in 1775, but not regimented or numbered till 1778), was to consist of two battalions. Lieutenant- Colonel Allan McLean, of the late One Hundred and I'ourtli Highland Regiment, was a|)poinied I/ieutenant Colonel Commandant of the first l)attalion,which was to 1)0 raised and embodied from the Highland Emigrants in Canada, and the discharged men of the Forty Second, of Eraser's and of Montgomery's Highlanders who had settled in the country after the I'eat-e of 1763. Captain John Small, formerly of the Forty Second and then of the Twenty First Regiment, was appointed Maji)r-Com;nandant of the Second Battalion, which was to be ■^ ent, yet many le old Eighty- settled in the xising and the It is given in e Highlanders ,' service of the 'art of Garth, with the scars It is doubtful to gather the land. ter for his per- Lve somewhere espeare, which m 5P of those line.i "ant Regiment numbered till Colonel Allan Regiment, was )attalion,which Emigrants in ^f Eraser's and ; country lifter of the Eorty rvas appointed :h was to be 53 completed in Nova Scotia from l-jnigrant and discharged Highland soldiers. The estal)lishment of both was Seven Hundred and Fifty men, with officers in proportion. The Commissions were dated the I4lh June, 1775. Officers sent to the back settlements to recruit found the di-,charged soldiers and emigrants loyal and ready to serve His .Majesty. The emigration fri)ni the Highlands, previous to this period, had been very limited. With many the change of abode was voluntary, and consecjuently their minds, neither irritated nor discoiv tented. retained their former attachment to their native couiUry and government. Hut there was much difficulty in ccmveying the jiarties who had enlisted to their res[ieclive tlestinations. One of these detachments, from Carolina, had to force its way through a dangerous and narrow iiass. and across a bridge defended I)y cannon and a strong detachment of the rebels ; " but aware that the .\mericans entertained a dread of the broadsword, from ex])erience of its effects in the last W'.ir, with more bravery than prudence, and forgetting that they had only a U-w swords and fowling pieces used in the settlements, they determined to attack the post sword in hand, and pushed f(jrward to the attack." Hut they found the enemy too strong and the difficulties insurmountable. They were fiirced to relin piish the attempt with the loss of (Jai)tain Macleod and a number of men killed. Those who escaped made their way by different routes to their tlestination. Colonel Maclean's Hattalion was stationed in (Jiiehec, when Can.ula was threatened wilh invasion by the American (ieneral, .Vrnold. at tlie head of tluej thoisand men. Colonel Maclean, who had been detached up the River St. I.awrence, returned by forced marches, and entered (Quebec on the evening of tiie t3th November, 1776, without being noticed by Arnold. He had previously crossed the river, and on the night of the I''ourteenth made a smart attack with a view of getting ])ossession of their out- works, but was repulsed with loss, and forced to retire to Pointe aux Trembles. The fortifications of the city iiad been greatly neglected, and were now in a ruinous state. The garrison consisted of fifty men of the Fusiliers, three hundred and fifty of Maclean's newly raised Emigrants and about seven humlred Militia and .Seamen, (leneral Guy Carlton, the Com nan lerin-Ciiief, being occiqiied with 54 preparations for the general defence of the Colony, the defence of tlie town was entrusted to Colonel Maclean, an able and intelligent officer. Arnold having been reinforced by a Ixnly of troops under Gen- eral Montgomery, determined to attempt the town by assault. On the nKjrning of the 31st December, both Commanders, leading separate i)oints of attack, advanced with great boldness, but were completely rejiulsed at all points, with the loss of General Mont- gomery killed and General Arnold wounded. .The Highland Emi- grants, though so recejitly embodied, contamed a number of old soldiers, who, in this affair di>l 'honour to the character of the Corp- in which they served. General Arnold, disappointed in this attempt, established him- self on the Meigiits of Aluaham. with the intention oi intercejjting all suiip'.ies, and blockading the town. In this situation he reduced the garrison to great straits, all communication with the country being entirely cut off Tliis blockade he soon turned into an active siege ; he erected batteries and made several attempts to get possession of the Lower Town, but was foiled at e\ery point by the vigilant and intelligent defender, Colonel Maclean. On the approach of spring. Arnold, despairing of success, raised the siege, and evacuated the whole of Canada. After this ^,ervico, the JJattalion remained in the Province dur- ing the War, and was principally employed in small but harassing enterpiises. In one of these, Captaiu 1). Kobertson, Lieutenant Hector Maclean and Ensign Grant, with the Grenadier Company, marched twenty days through the woods with no other direction tlim a com[)ass and an Indian guide. Tlie object to be accomi)lished was to surpri.se and dislodge the enemy from a small post, which they occupied in the interior. 'Pliis service was accomplished with- out loss. Pjv long practice in marching through the woods the men had become very intelligent auil serviceable in this kind of warfare. With every opportimity and much temptation to desert, in con- se(iuence of offers of land and other incitements held out by the Americans, it is but justice to the memory of these brave and loyal men to stale, on the most uni[uestionable authority, that not one native Highlander deserted, and only one Higlilander was brought to the halberts during the time they were embodied. ;he defence of ind intelligenl [)3 under Gen- ■ assault. On idcrs, leadinLi less, but were jeneral Mont- lighland Emi- umher of old ■ of the Corps Province dur- but harassing 1, Lieutenant ier Com])any. lirec.iii)ii ih.m accomi)lished 1 jjost, which iplished with- oods the men d of warfare. lesert, in con- d out by the Live and loyal that not one as brought to 55 RETORN OV OFFICERS OF THE FIRST BATT.VUON OP HIS MAjESTY^S REGIMENT OF ROYAL HIGHLAND EMIGRANTS.( I ) Isle aux Ndix, 15th April, 1778. Rank. Lieut.-Col. Major Captain Names. Former Rank in the Army. ablished him- -'W a itercepting all e reduced the M Lieutenant country beiuL' 1 active siege ; 9 possession of fl J vigilant and ch of s])riiig. V ■ jvacuated the - 'W^ t^ 1 mm w Ensign I .\llan McLean Donald .McDonald William Dunbar John Nairne Alexander Fraser ( 1 eo rge .\I c I])o ugaJ 1 .\Liicolm Fraser Daniel Robertson Oeorge Laws Xeil McLean (prisoner) John McLean .-Vlexander Firtelier Lachlan Mcl-ean I'lan. Daniburgess (prisoner) Ensign 21 Nov., 1775 David Cairns Ensign ist June, 1775 Lieutenant-Colonel. Capt. late 78th Regt. Lieut, late 78th Regt. Lieut. 60th Regt. Lieut, late Sih Regt. Lieut. j,2\\d Regt. Lieut. 7th Regt. Ensign late ti4th Regt. Cha|)lain Adjutaiu Q'r-.\Iasier Surgeon Surg's ^L^te Don. McKiuiion Ronald McDonald John McDonell Alexander Stratton(prisoner) Hector .McLean Ronald McDonald .\rchibald Grant David .Smith George Daine Archibald McDonald William Wood John Pringle Hector .\I(:[,ean (prisoner) lohn Jk'thune (prisoner) Ronald McDonald Lachlan .^^l:Lean James Davidson James Wolker Ensign 20th Nov., 1775. Ensign 14th June, 1775. Ensign i4ih June, 1774* The Second Battalion was very quickly embodied in Nova .Scotia, and was comi)osed of the same de.scr!i)tion of men as the hrst, but with a greater proportion of Highlanders, among whom ALijor Sm all was held in high estimation. [He was a native of (I) HalJimand Collection, B 213, page 15. 56 Strathardiile in Athole. His first Commission was in the Scotch IJrigatlo. In 1747 lie oI)tained an Ensigncy in the old Tlighland Regiment, anil served in it till the I'eace of 1763, whea he was reduced as Captain. He died Major-General and Governor of Guernsey in 1796.] No chief of former days ever nure firmly secured the attachiujnt of his Clan, and no chief, certainly, ever deserved it better, W'ith an enthusiastic au I even romiatic love of his country and countrymen, it seemed as if the i)rinci|)al object of his life had been to serve them an 1 proiDte their prosperity. Ivjually brave in leading them in the field, and kind, just and con- ciliating in quarters, they would have indeed been ungrateful if they had regarded him otherwise than as they did. Tiiere was not an instance of desertion in their Battalion. Five Companies remiined in Mova .Scotia antl the neighboring settlenunts during the War. The other five joine 1 (General Clinton and Lord Cornwallis' Armies to the southward. The Flank Com[)anies were in the Battalion of that description. .\t Fataw Springs the Grenadier Company was in the Battalion, which, as Colonel Alexander Stewart, of the Third Regiment, states in his despatches, drove all before them. It was not till 177S that this Regiment was numbered the Fightyd"'ourth. The Battalions, which were previously known only as the Royal Highland Fmigrants, were now ordered to be augment- ed to one thousand men each, Sir Hemy Clinton being appointed Colonel in Chief and the tw>) Commandants remaining as before. The unitorm was the full Highland garb, with purses made of racoons' instead of badgers' skins. The officers wore the broad- sword and dirk, and the men a half-basket sword. All those who had been settled in America ])reviously to the War remained and took possession of their lands, but many of the others returned home. The men of Colonel Maclean's Battalion settled in Canada, and of Colonel Small's in Nova Scotia, where they formed a settlement or township, as it was called, and gave it the name of Douglas. I am unable to procure a list of officers of this Battalion. 57 1 the Scotch )ld Highland /•he;i he was G )veriior of more tinnly ertainly, ever uuic love of [)al object of ir proip^rity. just ami coii- ratefiil if they •e was not an lies rem line I ing tlie W^ir. wallis' Armies e BattaUon of Company was of the Third Hi. uinihjred the y known only 1)6 augment- :ing appointed ing as before. rses made oi re the broad- All those who remained and thcrs returned 1 Canada, and a settlement Douglas. attalion. n i CHAPTER 6. UxiTKr) Empikk. Loyalists. — Li.sx ok Scottish names appear- ing IN Lord noRCHESPER's lisp. — A " Dpsiinguisuei) Individual's" opinion of the Highlanders ok thap Gen- era rio\. — M«. Ckoil's description ok the sipl'apion and CONDITION OP THE LoVAI.IST SKPTLKRS IN THE UnIPED Counties. A reference to the " Old U. E. List," compiled by (jovernmenl by direction of Lord Dorchester, shows the original United Empire LoyaHsts in tlie Province. In many instances, however, instead of the Township being given, it is merely stated that lands were allotted in the Eastern District. My only ])lan will, therefore, be to insert in the appendix the names of all who ap[)ear to have settled in that district, showing the respective Townshijjs when given, and omitting those who are stated to have settled in Townships outside Glengarry. This list was ])repared in pursuance of the Order-in-Council of gth November, 1789, wherein it was stated that it was His I'Acel- lency's desire "to put a Marke of Honour upon the families who had adhered to the unity of the Empire and joined the Koyal Standard in America before the Treaty of Sej)aration in the year 1783 '*' '^ to the end that their posterity may be discriminated from future settlers * * as projjcr objects by their presevering in the Fidelity and Conduct so honourable to their ancestors for distinguished Benefits and Privileges." The list is preserved on record in the Crown Lands Department, and it shows that those of the name of the Clan which gave its name to Glengarry outranked in number those of any other individual name in the Province, and that there were more Loyalists of that name than any three English names combined in the whole Province, liut though there were more Macdonells from Glengarry in Scotland than any others, there were, as previously stated, representatives of almost every Highland Clan and every Scottish name. A list of the names will [)r()ve it, and as the statement has been made by one who professes to speak authoritatively on the subject, and to know whereof 5« hes^jeaks, and writes that " the Scotch and Irishelcment in the United Empire LoyaUsls is too snvill as coniijarcd with tlic picponderating English and German to be taken into account, " I give it. with the number of each name : Anderson 23 Malcolm I McEaren 4 Andrews 2 Miller 20 McEuighlin 5 Armstrong 5 Morrison 5 McLean 11 Hetliinie 2 Mimro 12 Mel, el Ian 4 Bruce 6 Murchison 5 McLeod 4 Cam] 1 bell 28 Murray • 2 McMartin 3 Cameron -'5 McAlpine I McMaster I Carr ) , McArthur 10 McMillan 1 Kerr > ^ Mc.Vulev 2 McNabb 3 Chisiiolm 13 McHain' 4 McNairn 1 Christie 3 /..'cCallum 1 McNatighton 2 Clarke }« ^'cCrimInoll I McNeit 5 Clark McDonald 8 McXish 3 Crawford 4 McDonell 84 Mcl'hee I Cuniming 4 McDoiigall 5 Mcl'herson 6 Edgai- I M•> Robertson 8 Eraser M.Gil lis 5 Rose 15 Gordoi\ -> McGregor 6 Ross 20 (irant. 35 McGruer 4 Scott 4 Craliam 8 Mclniyre 7 Stewart 5 dray 4 Mcintosh 1 1 Stuart 6 Crimn 1 McKay 10 Sutherland 8 H.iggart 2 McKen/.ie S Young 20 Livingstone 8 • I quote from the original list. Names were subsequently added, from time to time, by Order in Council, on the special api^lication of those who had omitted to take the precaution in the first instance. The additions would not alter the projjortion of the above nomenclature. I am satisfied, however, from facts within my knowledge, that many of the Highlanders never took the trouble of having their names inserted at all. first or last. Thus Bishop ^Lac- donell (who came to Canada over twenty years after the Loyalists had settled here) writing subsequently, states, " I had not been hjng in the Province when I found that few or none of even those of you wlio were longest settled in the country had legal tenures of your properties. Aware that if trouble or confusion took place in the Prcv- vince your projjerties would become uncertain and precarious, and imdcr this im])ression I proceeded to the seat of Government, where, ■^-^ a c r ■f' c V t 1 S € tl .-S ii ■/i ■iv St S le -"-/' CI 4 V ni ■;l 1 ■>' ■'1 ■t 01 ot ni til J li J lO United iderating with tlic jn ghlin n an (I lin ;lci- Ian )1) in ILllltOll 1 ,h ■c .Tson y son and 4 5 1 1 4 4 ■> ,•> I 1 I 2 5 3 I 6 2 8 i.S 20 4 5 6 8 20 >sequendy e special on in the ion of tlie within my trouble of hop Mac- LoyaHsts )ecn long ose of yon es of yonr in the Pro irious, and .■nt, where, 59 after some months hard and unremitting labour, through the public offices, I procured for the inhabitants of Glengarry and Stormont patent deeds for one hundred and twenty-six thousand acres of land." When they would not trouble about taking out their patents, many of them would not think of having their names inserted on the roll. The above list is, I submit, a f;iir rejjresentation of those who to-day comjirise what the author of the essay referred to, Mr. George Sandtield Macdortald, 15. A., of Cornwall, is pleased to designate a.s the " Keltic " i)opulation oi the Province of Ontario. For further information on the subject and a comjiarison of the number of the '' Kelts" with the English and Germans amongst the I>oyalist settlers of the Eastern District I refer him to Lord Dorchester's list, simply stating that of the three English names most Irequently met with* Smith, Jones and Brown, there were, all told, just eighty, or four less than of one Highland Clan, while of the Germans, taking as a criterion all the names to which the prefix " Van " is attached, from Van Allen to Van Vorst, there were but forty-two, exactly half of the number of those from whom the County of Glengarry took its name. The statement to which I have referred, however, is not the only one in this singular essay, which was read before the Celtic Society of Montreal, which requires explanation and correction. We are gravely informed that the '" Keltic ' settlers in Canada of the period spoken of" (the early setUement of Glengarry, 1783-6) "had no mental qualifications to entitle them to take rank with the founders of the American plantations," that "unlike the Puritans of New Eng- land, the Catholics of Maryland, the Cavaliers of Virginia, the Huguenots of South Carolina and the followers of William Penn. the compelling force leading to change of country was in contrast U) the motives of a higher order, as in those cases," that " long subjection to the despotism of chiefs and landlords had numbed the finer qualities and instincts," and that "even the physique had degenerated under oi)pression." We are told, too, that an analysis is required of the generations which have succeeded the original settlers, psycho- logical and sociological no less, to grasp the full significance of the lives and actions of those he is pleased to consider "distinguished individuals," and the " people " among whom they deigned to move, which was a very gracious condescension on the pan of these distinguished individuals, seeing that " the experience and ideas of the ' people ' were confined within the smoke of their own bush 6o fires." Now, all this may be very fine writing, and display a large amount of culture in one doubtless a typical specimen of the mod- ern distinguished individuals referred to, but it is very grievous rubbish nevertheless, and a most uncalled for and gross calumny on the men who left ScoUand and settling in Canada, after fighting through the War, were largely instrumental, not only in preserving it by their prowess, but developing it from the primeval forest to the fruitful land it is to-day. Their descendants will neither credit nor relish the unworthy sneers at the stunted limbs and intellects and ignoble motives of those to whom they have every reason to look back with pride, and who laid the foundations of the homes and Institutions we now enjoy. This, however, is a digression. The facts are there to speak for themselves, and are themselves a refutation of the theories and allegations of Uie essayist — as well might he lt.-ll us that the men of the same generation who entered the Highland Regiments, and to whom Pitt referred, were feeble and stunted of limb, with their finer qualities numbed and their instincts dwarfed by years of oppression and tyranny of " so-called chieftains." Glengarry, where they settled, is the most easterly County of what is now the Province of Ontario, " the upper country of Can- ada," to the south being the River St. Lawrence, on the east tlie Counties of Soulanges and Vaudreuil in the Province of Quebec, to the north the County of Prescott, and the west that of Stormont. Alexandria, which may be considered the centre of the County, is about mid-way between the St. Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers, and is about equi-distant from the political and commercial cai)itals of the Dominion — or to be precise, fifty-six miles from Ottawa and fifty- four from Montreal. The United Empire Loyalists of course settled largely in the front of the County, along the banks of the River St. Lawrence, the later emigrants locating themselves in rear of the pre- ceding ones to the north. Mr. Croil, in his "Sketch of Canadian Histoiv," gives an admirable description of the situation and condition of tlic United Empire Loyalist soldier-settler in the adjacent County of Dundas, equally applicable, of course, to his late comrade in arms in Glen- garry. ' The circumstances of the officers and their fixmilics were necessarily somewhat better, as having the pensions of their resjiect- ive ranks at the date of the reduction of the various corps, '1 an ■ -'J i 6i they could rely upon a supj)ly of ready money at certain stated intervals, and though the amount was comparatively small, yet money went far in those jjrimitive days, and their families had but few opjKirtunilies of indulging any extravagant tastes they might have ac'iuired from their former circumstances of life. Owing to the number of officers who settled in the Eastern District ol the Province they formed among themselves a society quite ecjual to tliat of any portion of the Province, while their birth and education enabled them to hold their own with the official circles at York or among t'le largely mercantile aristocracy of Montreal when occasion arose for them to visit either of those places. Such w.t; their number that a P)()ard of Officers, composed of Colonel Jolin Macdonell (Aberchal- der), of (ilengarry, Caj^tain John Macdonell (Scotus), ot Cornwall, and the Reverend John Stuart (formerly Chaplain Second Paltalion. King's Royal Regiment of New York), of Kingston, was required to administer the necessary oaths to enable them to draw their |)ensions from time to time. Mr. Croii states the Proclamation of Peace between Cireat Britain and the United States of America witnessed at least a ])artial fulfilment of the prophecy that " men shall beat their swords into plough-shares and their spears into priming hooks." The brave and loyal subjects, who during the fierce struggle which then culminated h;id remained faithful to the British Crown, being no longer required to fight their country's battles, were now destined in a very different way to add to their country's greatness. It was determined that liberal grants of land should be freely given to the disl)andcd soldiers. This was simply characteristic of that principle of high honour and justice which, in every period of its history, has distin- guished the British Govemment. The properties of all wl.o had withstood the Republican Clovernment in the States were of course confiscated, and peace being proclaimed, not only was the soldier's occupation gone, but his farm and all his earthly possessions were forfeited for ever. Having arrived at Cornwall, or " New Johnstown " as it was then called, in compliment to Sir John and the capital of their former settlement in the fertile Mohawk Valley, the soldiers found the Gov- ernment Land Agent, and forthwith jjroceeded to draw by lottery the lands that had been granted to them. The townships in which the different corps were to settle being first arranged, the lots were 62 numbered on small slips of pajier, and i)Iaccd in a hat, when each soldier in turn drew his own. As there was no opportunity for examining the comi)arativc (juality of the lands, so there was little choice in the matter ; but by exercising a spirit ot' mutual accommo- dation, it frequently resulted, that old comrades wlio had stood side by side in the ranks, now sal down side by side, on the banks of the St. Lawrence. Witii what feelings of intense interest, mingled even with awe and melancholy, must these settlers have regarilcd this introduction to their new wilderness home ! How impatient each to view the particular spot where his lot had been cast I Everywhere save in the neighbourhood of the Longue .Sault Rapids the landscape wore an aspect of wild and gloomy solitude : its solemn stillness interrupted only by the deep murmuring of the mighty river as it roiled along its ilood to the ocean. On leaving the river, the native grandeur of the woods, tenanted only by the Indian hunter and his scarce more sav- age prey, must have filled them with amazement. Well might they exclaim, is this our inheritance, our future home ! Are these to be at once our enemies and our associates ! Can it be that these giant denizens of the forest are to succumb to our prowess, and that this vast wilderness is to be converted into fruitful fields ! The first operation of the new settler was to erect a shanty. Each, with his axe on his shoulder, turned out to help the other, and in a short time every one in the little colony was provided with a snug log cabin. All were evidently planned by the same architect, differing only in size, which was regulated by the requirements of the family, the largest not exceeding twenty feet by fifteen feet inside, and of one storey in height. They were built somewhat similar to the modern back-woodman's shanty. Round logs, roughly notched together at the corner, and piled one above another, to the height of seven or eight feet, constituted the walls. Openings for a door, and one small window, designed for four lights of glass seven by nine, were cut out — the spaces between the logs were chinked with small splinters, and carefully plastered outside and inside, with clay for mortar Smooth straight poles were laid lengthways of the building, on the walls, to serve as supports for the roof. This was composed of stripes of elm bark, four feet in length, by two or three feet in widtii, in layers, ovedapping each other, and fastened to the poles by withs. With a sufficient slope to the back, this formed a roof which when each •rtiinity for u was little acconimo- stood side anks of the I with awe Uruduction view the save in the le wore an interrupted ;(1 along its deiir of the ; more sav- might they hese to be these giant id that this t a shanty. other, and ded with a e architect, lents of the feet inside, t similar to ily notched le height of door, and n by nine, with small :h clay for le building, composed ree feet in le poles by roof which 63 was proof agp.inst wind and weather. An ample hearth, made of Hat stones, was then laid out, and a fire back u( field stone or small boulders, rudely built, was carried up as high as the walls. Above this the chimney was formed of round poles notched together, and plastered with mud. The floor was ot the same materials as the walls, only tluit the logs were split in two, and tlattened so as to make a tolerably even surface. As no boards were to be had to make a door until they could be sawn out by the whip saw, a blanket sus- pended from the inside for some time took its place. IJy and by, four little panes 'of glass were stuck into a rough sash, and then the shanty was complete ; strangely contrasting with the convenient appliances and comforts of later days. The total absence of furni- ture of any kind whatever, was not to be named as an inconvenience by those who had lately passed through the severest of hardships. Stern necessity, the mother of invention, soon brought into play the ingenuity of the old soldier, who, in his own rough and ready way, knocked together such tables and benches as were necessary for household use. As the sons and daughters of the U. E.'s became of age, each repaired to Cornwall, and presented a petition to the Court of Quar- ter Sessions, setting forth their rights ; when, having properly identi- fied themselves, and complied with the necessary forms, the Crown Agent was authorized to grant each of them a deed for two hundred acres of land, the ex})enses incurred not exceeding in all two dollars. In addition to the land spoken of, the settlers were otherwise jjro- vided by Government with everything that their situation rendered necessary — food and clothes for three years, or until they were able to provide these for themselves ; besides, seed to sow on their new clearances, and such implements of husbandry as were required. Each received an axe, a hoe and a spade ; a i)lough and one cow were allotted to two families ; a whip and cross cut-saw to every fourth family, and even boats were provided for their use, and placed at convenient points of the river. They were of little use to them for a time, as the first year they had no grists to take to mill. But that nothing might seem to be awanting, on the part of Gov- ernment, even portable corn mills, consisting of steel plates, turned by hand like a coffee mill, were distributed amongst the settlers. The operation of grinding in this way, was of necessity very slow ; it came besides to be considered a menial and degrading employment, and, ■|5^ 64 as tfie men wen- all (K.cuiiled (uit of doors, it (istially fell lo the Ini of the Wonien, reminding \is foreibi) of tlie Hebrew women of old. simiiiirly oteuiiied, of whom we h;ive the loiiehing allusion in Holy Writ, "Two women .siudi lie grinding at the mill, the one shall be taken and the other left." In most ca.ses, the settlers repaired to Cornwall ea( h spring and tall, or durirg the winter, and drugged up on the ice, by the edge of the river, as much as he could draw on a hand sleil. Pork was then, as now, the staple article of anima! fooil ; and it was usual for the settk'rs, as scx.n as they luid received their rations, to smoke their bacon, aiul then hang it up to dry ; sometimes it was thus I ''t inrai: tiously suspended outside all night : the result not tnifreipie !)• wa^, that, while the family was asleep, the ([uarter's store of pork would be unceremoniously carried off liy the wolve?, then very numerous and troublesome, and in no wise afraid of apjjroaching the shanty of tlie newly arrived settler. l're([uently, too, during the night, AVould they be awakened by these marauders, or by the discordant sounds of ]iigs and poultry chisleriiig round the door to escape from their fangs. There was in former times a deal of valuable timber standing in the Counties. Huge pine trees were cut for ship's masts, measuring from ninety to one hundred and twenty feet in length, and from forty to forty-eight inches in diameter, when dressed for market. One such piece of timber must have weighed from twenty or twenty-five tons. These mast trees were dragged from the woods by from twelve to sixteen pairs of horses. A single tree was sold in Quebec as a bow-sprit for $200. Of white oak, averaging when dressed from forty-five to sixty-five cubic feet, and of the best Canadian quality, there was abundance ; this found a ready market at from 2s. 6d. to 3s. per foot ; inferior (juality of this timber was converted into stave blocks, and also shipped to Quebec. At a later period, large fpian- tities of elm and ash were sent to market from this C(^'- beech and maple, then considered worthless, wen pil heaps and burned, the ashes being carefully jiu the merchants, to be made into potash. There being ample employiticnt on the fa ut's fan a, yet un- cleared, for all his sons, there was little inducement lor tV <• to think of setting up for themselves ; as a consequence, the lands the child- ren had diawn were of little value to tlKin in the meantime. U. 1'.. m foil U> the I(.i VODU'll (if old. isidii in Hdly one shall \w t li spring and ly lliL' edge cf *oik\v;is tlicii, usual for ihf I sniokc thfir hus I ""t incaii rL'(|ur !y wa>, f pork Would a-ry nnnicrous ; the shanty of .' niylit, Would )rdant sounds pc from their er standing in sts, measuring md from fort) 2t. One such ;nty-five tons. r from twelve Quel)ec as a dressed from adian quality, om 2S. 6d. to ted into stave d, large fjuan- Coti"'- ' ■' farm, yet un- th ■•'■V to think nds the child- itime. U. E. tights l)ecame a staple article of eommerce, and were readily bought up l)y speculators, almost as fast as they came into the hands of the rising generation. A |)ortion of what remained to the farmer or his taniilv was soon sold in payment of taxes, at sheriff's sales, and these lots, too, usually tell into the hands of land jobbers, .Many of the lots had never been seen by the parties who drew them, and their comparative value was determined either by their distance from the river, or the pressing necessity of the |)ariy holding them. It thus happened that lands in the rear townships, which in a very few years brought from twenty to thirty dollars jier acre, were then considered worthless ; and lots even more favourably situated, in respect to locality, were sold, if not for an old song, at least for a new dress, worth perhaps from three to four doll.irs in cash. We have even been told credibly that iwu hundred acres of laiul, ujion Wiiich now stands a Ihjurishing village in the adjoining County of Dundas, was, in these early days, actually sold for a gallon of rum. The usual ])rice of fair lots was from $25 to $p, some even as high as $50 per 200 acres. At $30 the price would be fifteen cents per acre. The same lands were even then resold to settlers, as they gradually came in from JJritain and the Uniteil States, at a jjrice of from $2 to $4 per acre, thus yielding a clear profit to the sjieculator of 1000 ])er cent, on his investinjnt, a profit in comparison with which, the exorbitant interest of later days sinks into utter insignifi- cance. The summer months were occupied by the early settlers in burning up the huge logs that had previously been piled together, and in the sooty and laborious work of re-constructing their charred and smouldering remains into fresh heaps ; the surface was than raked clear of chips and other fragments, and in the autumn the wheat was hoed in by hand. During winter every man was in the woods, mak- ing timber, or felling the trees to make way for another fiillow. The winters were then long, cold and steady, and the fall wheat .seldom saw the light of day till the end of April ; the weather then setting in warm, the dormant breaks of wheat early assumed a healthy and luxuriant vegetadon. Thistles and burdocks, the natural result of slovenly forming, were unknown, and neither tly nor rust, in these good old days, were there to blight the hopes of the primitive farmer, riie virgin sold yielded abundantly her increase ; ere long there was 1 !y in the land for man and beast, and, with food and raiment, t settler was contented and prosperous. ''^ . 66 There was in the character of the early settlers that which com- tnanded the admiration and respect of all who were hroiiglit into contact with them. Naturally of a hardy and robust constitution, tney were appalled neither by danger nor dilficullies, but manfully looked them fair in the face, and surmounted them all. Amiable in their manners, they were frugal, sim[)lc and regular in their habits. They were scrupulously honest in their dealings, affectionate in all their social relations, hospitable to strangers, and faithful in the di.s- charge of duty. While we say this much of the early settler, let us not be under- stood as wishing to hold them up as jiaragons of perfection — as e.xamples in all things to their descendants. They had their failings, as well as their virtues, but we must make allowances for the circum- stances in which they were placed. They were charged by the early missionaries, and perhajis with some degree of truth, "as wofully addicted to carousing and dancing," but these were the common and allowed amusements of the times in which they lived. It may, however, be said with truth, that forms of licetiousness and profligacy, which are not uncommon in the present day, would have aroused the indignation of the early settler, and met with reprobation, if not chastisement at their hand?- It is true, they were not of those who made broad their phylacteries, or were of a sad countenance, dis- figuring their faces, and for a pretence made long prayers. Innured to a life of hardship and toil, — without the check of a GosjjcI ministry, and exposed to the blunting influence of the camp, the barrack and the guard room, we must be. content to find them but rough examples of Christian life. The scrupulous and distrustful vigilance, however, with which modern professors of every creed eye their fellow men, and recpiire every pecuniary engagement, no matter how trivial, to be recorded in a solemn written obligation, stands out in stiihing contrast to the practice of the early settlers, among whom all such written agreements were unknown, every man's word being accounted as good as his bond. Lands were conveyed and pay- ments promised by word of mouth, and verbal agreements were held as sacred as the most binding of modern instruments. In course of a few years the settlers were enabled to supply themselves with the necessaries of life from the mill and the store, and the roving and dissipated life of the soldier was torgotten, in the staid and sober habits of the hard working farmer. A few of a more ■^n ■:>««>.• t which coni- hrouglit inl') constitution, but manfully Amiable in their habits, tionatc in all ul in the dis- not be undcr- )crfcction — as their failings, )r the circuni- rged by the e of truth, lese were tlio :h they lived, iousncss and , would ha\o 1 reprobation, J not of those itenance, dis- rs. Innured of a Gospel le camp, the nd them but id distrustful 2ry creed eye nt, no matter n, stands out among whom i word being ed and pay- nts were held 2d to supply id the store, rotten, in the ew of a more 67 adventurous turn of mind at times would man a boat, and, ascending the river to 0.swego, take a circuitous route by lakes and rivers, betimes carrying their boats shoulder high for miles at a stretch, and finally reach the green valley of the Mohawk, dear to them still in memory. Returning, they brought such articles of merchandize with them as they could transjjort, and, providing themselves with a i)ass- ]i()rt at Carleton Island, they swiftly glided down the river. The ff)!lowing is a coi)y of such a passport: — Inward. John Liuicks, two men, two W(jmen, three children. Permit the boat going from this to i)ass to Kingston widi their provisions, fiimily, clothing, beding, household furniture and farmhig utensils, they having cleared out at this jxjst, as appears by their names in the margin. Oiven under my hand at Fort (Ontario, 2islday of May, 1795. '!'(, whom concerned. A. McDONKLL, P.O. (1) Having sufficiently tres])assed on Mr. Croil's pages. I shall now quote from those of Judge Priiigie.(2) The latter is himself a des- cendant of a United Empire Loyalist family, and has certainly done much towards collecting such records relating to them as are at this lale dale accessible : It is unfortunate that no effort was made in the early days of the settlement to ])reserve records of the services, the labours and the sufferings df the L'. K. Loyalists both before ami after their coming to Canada. One can easily understand why such records are so few. I'or many years after 1784 there were but few who were al>le to keep a diary, and they, in common witli the rest of the settlers, were tco busy, too much engaged in the stern work of subduing the forest and making new homes, to have much time for anything but the struggle fur existence. Each U. E. Loyalist had some story to tell of the stirring times through which he had passeil. Sonic of the older men could speak of service in the French war, under Mowe, Alieicidmbie, Wolte, Amherst or Johnson ; perhaps of the defeat of IJraddock, or of the desperate fight at the outworks of Ticoiuleroga, where Montcalm drove back Abercrombie's troops ; of success at F'rontenac or Niagara ; of scaling the Heights at (Quebec, and of victory with Wolfe on the Plains of Abrahaiti; of the long and perilous voyage down the 10 (.'roir.-, " IJiiniias, I'm Sketch of Caii.ulbn llistiiry," pp. 129-141. (2) " Lunenburg, or Old l'«istcrii Uistiict," p ay, ct sc(|. i 68 St. Lawrence with Amherst, and of tlie capitulation of Montreal. There were hut few who could not tell of adventures in the Seven Years' War from 1776 to 1783, and of loss of home, property and friends, for the part they took in it ; while many could speak from personal experience of cruel wrong and persecution suffered l)y them as a punishment for their loyalty. No doubt when neighbours met together on a winter evening to cliat beside the great fireplace filled with blazing logs, many an hour was passed in the telling of tales of the troubles and adventures they had encountered. These stories have gradually faded and become dim in the recollection (jf the people ; here and there a few focts can be got from some f imiiy that has cherished the remembrance of them as an heirloom. A I'raser could tell of the imprisonment and death of a father; a Chisholm of imprisonment, and escape through the good offices of a brother Highlander in the French service ; a Dingwall of the escape of a party through the woods, of sufferings from cold and hunger, ut killing for food the faithful dog (1) that followed them, and dividing the carcase into scanty morsels ; a Ferguson of running the gauntlet, imprisonment, sentence of death, and escape ; an Anderson of service under Amherst, of the offer first of a comjiany, then of a battalion, in the Continental Army, as the price of treason, of being imprisoned and sentenced to death, and of escape with his fellow- prisoner to Canada. It is probable that not a few of the Highlanders could tell of service on one side or the other in the abortive rising under " lionnie Prince Charlie " in 1745, which, after successful actions at Preston Pans and Falkirk, was quenched in blood on Culloden Muir in 1746. Some, like John McDonell (Scotus), (2) might be able to show a claymore with blade dented by blows on the bayonets of Cumber- land's Grenadiers. (i) One of the party got the dog's tail, which he ate with great relish, declaring it to be the sweetest morsel he ever tasted. (2) Cr.indfuther of the Lite Don I'd .Eneaa McOonel', at one time Sheriff of the Eastern District and for m.iny years Warden of the KinKston Penitentiary. John Macdonell, who was i Captain in the K. R. K. N. V., was known as "Spanish John," from the fact of his having bcm long in the Spanish Service. of Montreal, in the Seven property and J speak from ered by them ighl^ours met ireplace tilled ig of tales of These stories ection of the le family that n. A i'^raser 1 Chisholm of of a brother t escape of a id hunger, ut and dividing J the gauntlet, Anderson of ny, then of a ison, of being th his fellow- could tell of nder " Bonnie ns at Preston Muir in 1746. lie to show a ts of Cumber- eclaiing it to be thi: criir of the Eastern acdonell, w!io was .i •X of his having bcm 69 CHAPTER 7. LoVALISTS IN THE UlM'ER COUNTRY OF CaNAOA DeSTRE A Change in the Tenure of Land and Separation from THE Province of (^ukuk.c. — Address to Lord Dorchester FROM LeADINi; SeTI'LERS in GlEN(!ARRV and VlClMTV. — Mis Rei'lv. — He Recommends Acquiescence in Rkquksi' OF LovALisi's. — 'Formation of Districts of Lunen lujur., Mecklenburg, Nassau and Hesse i?v Proclamation, 24TH fuLY, 178S. — Province of Upter Canada Kstaheished and CoNSTITUl'litNAE GoVERNMICNr ASSIGNED TO IfS I'EMPI.K, 26TH DiCCEMiiER, 1791. — -Divided ini'o Counties. — -Pirst Commission of the Peace, ICastern District. — -Extracts from records of first court of the district. Shortly after their settlement in the Upjier Country, some among the leaders of the Loyalists took strong exception to the tenure of land in Canada, alleging that it subjected them to ihe rigorous rules, reservations and restrictions of the French laws and customs, which they found far different from the mild tenures to which they had ever been accustomed, and on behalf of the oflicers and soldiers of the Provincial Troojjs and Indian Department, they forwanlod in Aiwil, 17S5 a petition to the King, in which they pro- l)0sed as a renudy against the hardships indicated, that a district from Point au Boudet (the south-east limit of the present County of Giengirry and of the now Province of Ontario) westward should be formed, distinct from the Province of (>jebec ; that it should \)i divided into counties, with Catararjui (now Kingston) for its metro- ])olis, and that the land therein should be held on the same tenure, practically, as existed in England. The reasons and considerations respecting the proposals are given at length by the petitioners in a very able document. They alleged that they had been born British Subjects, and had ever been accustomed to the government and laws of England ; that it was to restore that government and be restored to those laws, for which from husbandmen they became soldiers, animated with the hope that, 70 even in the most gloomy aspect ot public affairs, should they fail in their attempts to recover their former habitations by a restoration of the King's Government, they would still find a refuge in some part of the British Dominions where they might enjoy the blessings to which they had been accustomed, and that they still i)rofcssed the greatest confidence that through His Majesty's gracious interposition they would be exempt from the burden of the tenures complained of, which, however congenial they might be to men born and bred under them, were nevertheless in the highest degree exceptionable to Englishmen. They cited the case of the settlers in Nova Scotia and New iirunswick, and asked to be placed in the same relative situation with the inhab- itants of those Provinces. Again, on the return to Canada of Sir Guy Carleton, now Lord Dorchester, who had a second time been ai)[K)inted Governor- General of Canada, and who was much beloved by his old soldier comrades of the earlier period of the Revolutionary War, (i) addresses were presented to him from the leading settlers in the neighborhood of New Johnstown (Cornwall). Oswegatchie (Oswego and vicinity) and Cataracjui (Kingston), in which latter the matter of land tenure was again alluded to. That from New Johnstown was as follows : — "To His Kxcellency the Ri,i;ht Honourable Lord Dorchester, Governor-Cieneral dnd Comnuinder-in-Chiet ot all His Majesty's Forces in lirilish America, t\:c., ^:c. " The address of the subscribers on behalf of themselves and the other inhabitants in the neighl)ourhood of New Johns Town, ■ii (i) Sir'iiiy Cirleton had been Governor-lkneial and Cnmmandir-in-Clii f of the C'anndas from lyfiS to June, T778, wlieii he was replaced by Sir I'relerick Haldininiid. Me was, on his elcvalioii to the Peerage as Hanm Dorchester, re-api>ointed to liis fcirinei position and cuiiiniand in Ocloher, 1786, and so continued until Jnlv, 1711", and tliis served longer by far than any other Governor-' leneral since the I onpicst of Canadi Ho was the d(•^cendant of .in ancient family which had lived in t onuvall, England, for ccntnries previous to the Norman 'Ajnijuest. He was i)orn about 1725, ond entered the army at an early aHe. lie accompanied Wolfe's ICxpedition to Can idi, was present at the first and second hatt'es on the Plains of .Aliraham ; was specially inentioned in despatches li\ both Townslicnd and Murray; I'ontinned umler the coniin:ind of the latter and became Hriiiadier-t i 'eral. I o hi« bravery, activity and self-possession, may largely be attiilnited the salv.\tion of ( la at the breaking out cif the Kevolutionary War, when with but HiX) men at bis disposal he si .ssfully resisted the attacks ol the American t",tjnenils Arnold, Montgomery and Mor>;an Upon liiiruuvne being appointed ' ominander-in-Chief in America, cor, '.dering himself slighted by the ( Jovernineut, lie, u a despatch to Lord ( leor^je ' ierniaine dated J7th lone, 1; ■ recpiesied his reca I. " bei ';; fearful thai the marks of V ur l.odship's disple isnre should I II' .t not me bat the Kiii(j's Service and the tiAn>|inhty of his people, nor thinking it wise that the private enmity of the Kin;;'s servar.ts should add to the disturbances of his reign." In 178^ he was appointed to succeed Sir I lenry Clinio per aim iin during his life, th t of his wife and eldest son. It is impos- sible to estimate the value of his public services to Canada, lie married a daiglU'r of the second l-"..irl of Klhngh on, I'V whom he left .1 large laini'y. He died in 1808, aged cighlythree years. His name is commenior.i'ed in the metropolitan County of 1 arleton in Ontario and the County of Dorchester in (Quebec. — Morgan's Celebrated l anadians. '.y fixil ill ation of c part of 10 which .rcatest ion llicy if, which, cr them, ishinen. unswick, le inlialj- low l;ord iovcrnor- d soldier addresses liborhood vicinity) nd lemirc orche.ster, Majesty's elves and ns Town, the I'anaJas e was, on his iiut coniniaiul liaii any oilier .iiicii'iit family icst. He was Kxpeditioii to rt'as si)ecially nminil of ihc , may laiijely ar, when with lenils Arniild, f ill America, r^e ' Jerniaiiie iir I.oil^hip's is people, nor islurbances of ler-in-' hief o4" liainent voted It is iinpos- of the second ythrec years, ihe County of M '»ii 71 corniirehendiiig six Townsliijjs from Point au 'Boiidet iiiiWalds. '* I'crmit us, my Lord, to conyralulale you upon your safe arrival once more into this Province, and to particij)ate in the general joy which this event has tjccasioncd, a joy whicii can be only equalled by the regret which was fell ujionyour departure. " Our warmest thanks are due to Your Lordship for your early attention to our wants. This jiroof of your regard, with many others, will never be erased from the memory of us or tjur posterity. We shall teach our children to venerate the name and the memory of the man who at all times and on all occasions has ever distinguished himself as our advocate and our friend. '• We feel the most sensible plensure on the marks of honour as well as power conferred on Your Lordship by tJur Mijst Gracious Sovereign, who is ever desirous to reward distinguished merit, and we are tliankful to Providence for having dictated a choice which of all others is the nn)sl apjiroved of by the universal voice of all classes and all denominations of people. "We cannot omit this op[)nrlunity of acknowledging our grati- tude to Mis Majesty for his Roy.il favour and patronage, and we must re [uest Vour Lordship to be so good as to signify to Our Most Gra- cious Sovereign that this infant settlement, though at a remote dis- tance from the Throne, is nevertheless peojiled with subjects ani- mated with sentiments of the warmest zeal and attachment to His Person and Government. " To conclude, may you My Lortl, Lady Dorchester and your family enjoy every pleasure that health, honor and aftluence, united to the conciousness of having contributed to the ha;;piness of many, can bestow. "New Johnstown, 2nd December, 17S6. "Jamks Grav. Major King's Royal Regiment of New York. Richard Duncan, Captain late Royal Regiment of New York. Ai.i.AN Machonki.l, Captain late Royj.1 Regiment of New \'()rk. Ai-KXANOEK .\L\ci)oNEi.i,, Captain late Royal Regiment Mew York. AkCH'iJ .\Lvci)i)NHt-L, Captain late Royal Regiment of New York. Jno. Macdoneu,, Cajftain late Royal Regiment o( New York. HitiH Macpdnkm,, Lieut, late King's Royal Regiment New York. S. Andkrson, (Captain late Royal Regiment of Xew \'ork. ^L\l.c()l,M McMartin, Lieut, late Royal Regiment of New Yoi-k. Rn:u'i) Wilkinson. Lieut, iate Six Nations Indian Dejiartment. Pin'KR KvKRiri', Lieiit. late R.iyal Regiment t)f New Yoik. Neii, McLean, Lieut, late I'.ighty l-'ourih i-legiment. J. Anderson, Lieut, late Royal Regiment of New York. Jacou Farkand, Lieut, late Royal Regiment of New York. William Faulkner, C.P. Walter Sutherland, Lieut, late Royal Regiment of New York." His Lordshijj's reply to these addresses, directed to Mr. Stephen 7^ Delclncy, who had been charged with the presentation of them, was* as follows : "Quebec, 14th December, 1786. " Sir, " You will communicate to the iniiabitants of the Townships of New Johnstown, Oswegatichie and Cataracjui, my thanks for their jirofessions of regard for me. You will at the same time assure them that nothing could be more acceptable to me than the sense of grati- tude they testify for His Majesty's jiaternal attention to their situa- tion, and which they so wnrmly and so dutifully express. Agreeabh.- to their request, the memorials shall be transmitted and laid at the fo(jt of the Throne. " I am, with regard, " Your most obedient servant, " Dorchester." "Stephen Delancy. 7 " Inspcctt)r of Loyalists." ) The addresses were transmitted to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, with the following communication Irom His Plxcellency : " Quebec, 3rd Januar)-, 1787. "Arvl,()RD. " The addresses from the settlements of New Johnstown, Oswe- gatchie and Catara(iui arc sent to Your Lordshi]), as it is requested that their sentiments of gratitude and zeal and attachment to His Majesty may be transmitted. "They also cxi)ress ho|)es that die same privileges and' indul- gences which their fellow-suffjrers and fellow-subjects enjoy in the other new formed s.'tdements in Jiritisii America will be extended to them. I asked Mr. Delancy, who [ircscntcd the addresses, what their general expressions meant. He answered that he thought they regarded the terms on which they were to hold their lands. " The conditions of lands held in Canada en roture is in truth much more heavy and disadvantageous than in any other Province in America, but of this I hojie to be able to write more fully to Your Lordshi]) in the course of next summer. My answer is also enclosed. " Alany other addresses have been presented, but as they con- tained no matter which requires particular notice, I have not trans- mitted Uiem to Your Lordship. " I am, with res])ect and esteem, "Your Lordshiji's most obedient , " And most humble servant, " Dorchester. " The Right Honourable ") " Lord Sydney, >- "&:c., &c." ) 73 V\) to this time, the Province of Quebec was divided into two- Districts, viz.: those of Quebec and Montreal, the latter containing the whole of the territory which the Loyalists thus sought to have erected into a separate District, and which now constitutes the great Province of Ontario. Lord Dorchester was as good as his word to the Western Loyalists, and having represented the matter to the Home Government, he, by the King's instructions, on the 24th Julv, 17S8, issued a proclamation whereby four new Districts were formed, that of Lunenburg, extending from the eastern limit of Lancaster northerly to Point Fortune on the Ottawa, and westerly to the mouth of the River Ganano()ue. It com|)relKndv;d the Townships of Lan- caster, Charloltenburg, Cornw.Ul, Osnabruck, Williamsburg, ^LlliUla, Edwardsburg, Augusta and Klizabelhtown, all of them extending northward to the Ottawa River. The otiier Districts were Mecklen- burg, extending from Ganano([ue to about Pelleville, Nassau from the latter i)lace to Long Point on Lake Krie. and Llesse comiuising the rest of Canada to the western boundary of the present Pro\ince of Ontario. The territorial nomenclature was calculated to inspire the House of Gueli)h with a lively interest in the welfare of the infimt settlement ! Previous to the formation of the four new Dis- tricts, and while the upper country still formed portion of the District of Montreal, magistrates had been apj)ointed, though the Commis- sion under which they acted cannot now be found nor its date ascer- tained. Judge Pringle states, however, that it must have been pre- vious to the 29th July, 1786, as there is a commission dated on that day to "Samuel Anderson, of New Johnstown (Cornwall), one of His Majesty's Justices of the Peace in end for the District of ^b)ntreal," authorizing him to administer oaths to certain parties in a matter before the court, and he is of ihefjpinion that the gentlemen who held commissions in the disbanded battalions were generally ajjpointed magistrates. He mentions that there is no record of their having held any Courts of General Sessions of the I'eace bctbre ihe issuing ot Lord Dorchester's proclamation, though there are tradi- tions of Magistrates' Courts having been held, and of rough and ready justice being summarily dealt out to offenders. The same authority, and there is none better, states : " The first Court in the District of Lunenburgh, of which any record exists, was the General Quarter Sessions of the Peace, held at Osnabruck on the isth day of June, 1789. It is not stated in what / 74 part o( ("jsnabruck the Court met ; the place imist have f)een in the front, probably near what is now known as Dickinson's Landing. The records of the Courts of General Sessions for tlic District of Luncnburgh — •afterwards the Ivvsteru District, and now the Tnited Counties of Stornwnt, Dimdas and (ilengarry — -have been very care- fully kept ; the l)ooks containing the minutes of the proceedings from the 15th of Juue, ijiSq, until the jjrescnt time, are in the oflice d' the Clerk of the I'eace at Cornwall. They contain the names of Magistrates, Officers of the Court, Jurors, and i)arties to cases tried, and not a little information of the olden tin-ve that may be of interest to the present generation. The magistrates who had Iwen apjTointed before the Province of Upi)er Canada was formed, continued to act and to hold the Courts of General Quarter Sessions, until Lieutenant-Governor Simcoe issued a new Commission of the Peace for the Eastern District. This Commission, which is now among the records in the oflice of the Clerk of the Peace at Cornwall, is dated at the Government House, Navy Hall, * on the loth day of June, 1793. The old magistrates Were re-appointed, and some new ones were added to the original number. The names of those in the commission of 1793 are : The Honourable William Osgoode, Chief Justice (i) ; William Dummer Powell, Esquire (2) ; the Honourable Alexander Grant (3) ; the Honourable Peter Russell (4) ; the Honourable James Baby (5) ; Richard Duncan (6), J()hn McDonell (7), John Munro (8), James Gray (9), Edward Jessuj) (10), Walter Sutherland (n), William Falkner (12), Richard Wilkinson (13), William Byrnes (14), Thomas Swan (15), Jeremiah French (16), Archibald McDonell (17), Allen McDonell (18), William Eraser (19), Peter Drummond (20), Justus Sherwood (21), Fyphraim Jones (22), William Buel (23), Thomas Sherwood (24), Alexander McMillan (25), Alexander McDonell (26), Samuel Anderson (27), Joseph Anderson (28), James Stuart (29), Allan Patterson (30), Malcolm Mc^Lartin (31), Samuel Wright (32), James Brackenridge (33), Alexander Campbell, of Augusta (34) ; Neil McLean (35), Miles McDonell {^(i), Vermiel Lorimier (37), Hugh McDonell (38), Alexander Campbell, of Johnstown (39); Thomas Eraser (40), Andrew Wilson (41) and Neil Robertson (42)f, *■ At Niaj^fira, then the sc.it of (lovernrrient. t I have taken iDiisulenilile troihlc to trice the record nf these (^ent'emen. The first five were ex-oflTicio cominis'-ioners. It will be seen that the remainder were ahiiost without exception officers of the disbanded Loyalist Regiments. The personnet of Commission c ntrasts not :)een in the i Landing. District of the United very carc- roceedings \ the office _> names of cases triedj of interest Province of the C'ourts lor Sinicoe rict. 'I'his Ffice of the ;nt House. magistrates he original are : The 1 Dummer t (3) ; tlic nal.y (5) : (8), James ), William [), Thomas ry), Allen 20), Justus ), Thomas )onell (26), tuart (29), 'right (32), usta (34); imier (37), own (39) ; tson (42)f , The first five- thout exception c ntrusis not i I I 75 Esquires, who are directed " to enquire the truth most fully, by the oath of good and lawful men of the aforesaid District, of all and all nunner of felonies, i)oisonings, inchantmcnts, sorceries, arts magick, tresiiasses, forestallings, regratings, ingrossings, and extortions what- soever, and of all and singular other crimes and offences of which the Justices of the Peace may or ought lawfully to emjuire." On the 26th December, 1791, the division of the Provinces of L'pper and Lower Canada took ])lace, Constitutional Goveru'nent was granted, and the [)eople, through tlieir representatives, were placed in a ])osition to settle the tenure of tiieir lands and other matters f)r themselves. Lieutenant-Governor Simcoe issued a Proclamation, dated the i6th day of Jime, 1792, dividing the Province into Counties, the easternmost of which were then, as now, styled Glen- garry, .Stormont and Dundas. At the first session of the Legislature of Upper Canada, in 1792, an Act was passed changing the names of the Districts. Under that Act the District of Lunenburgh became the Eastern District. The oldest book of the records of the Court of General Quarter Session.s of the Peace for the District of Lunenburgh shows that die first session of that Court began at Osnabruck on the 15th day of June, 1789. The magistrates present were : — John McDonell, Richard Duncan, James Gray, Thomas Swan, Icremiah P'rench, Justus Sherwood, Kiihriam Jones, William Palkner, William Fraser, Archibald McDonell. unfavorably, with those of the present (tav in tlie I'roviiice of Ont\rio : — t. Ihif Justice of Upper C':in.ula. 2. Then Commissioner of Oyer and Termiii'T of Upper C.in.ida : Uhief Jistce. iSrs. 3, 4 and 5. M''ml)ers of the Kveculive and I, ixisl.itive Council of L'pper C'aii.ida. 6. l.oj;i>>lativ'e Cnnncillorof Upper Canada; formerly a Captain First Battalion Kini<'s Royal Keiriment of \cw York 7. Formerly a Captain Hu tier's Corps of Ringers; Speaker First Parliament of Upper Canada and I.ientenant-Colnnel ^econd liittalion Uoyal (lamdia'i Volinit' er Regiment of Foo* 8. Formerly Captain King's Koy:d Regiment of \ \'. , First liattalion. o. Form- erly M jor K.R.R.N.V. 10. Formerly .Ntajor Commandant I.oyal Rangers 11. Formerly l.iLUlenant K K.k.N V. X2. Name on Lord Oorchester's li>t as U. K : (Jcjrps and rank not staled 13. I.ientenant Six Nations Indian Department 14. Captai > K. R. R \. V. 15. .Name on l.oid Dorchester's list .is U'.l-; ; Corps and rank not siateu t6, l.iciitenani K. R. K.N \'., Second liattalion. 17. Captain K K.R.^■.^■,. I'ir-i liattalion. 18. Captain-I.ientenant K R.R.N.V ly. Captain Loyal Rangers Jes^iip's Corps'. 20. Captain I.oyal Rangers! lessiips Corps). 21. Captain I.oj^al Rangers ( jessiip's 1 orpsi. j2 .\i\ l lllicer of iho 1 o'lmiissariat I>e])artment. 23. Stated in Lord Durcli-ster's list t 1 have been Knsign, Royal Ranges; n nie does not appear in list c f officers on rcdnction of Regiment. ^J^ F.nsigii l,o\al Rangers ( |cvsu;i's Corps!. 25. An officer in Del, ancle's lirigade. jo. (Ireenfield. 27. Captain K.R.R,.N'.V, First Hattall"!!. 2S. Lieutenant IC.R.R N.N' , l''irst Haltalion. 2) Snrgeon's \I.ite K.. R. R. N'. V. t,>. I '.ninot trace this gentlem;in. 31. Liem K. R R.N. V. 1st Matt. 32. .Name on Lord D.irchester's list as II. F.. ; t'orps md rank not st ited. 33 Capt 'In l.oy d Rangers ( Kulger's t'orps . (4 ari'l 3q One a Lieutenant Royal R.irigers. 3i. Lieiue ant laghty-Fourth or Rov.i Highland Kinigranl Regiment. t6 laisign bC. 11. II. N.V., First II itt liion. 37. ' annot trace this gent!'.-- ni.in. 38. l.ienlenant K. H. I<.'s.\' , First liatt 'lion. 4.J. ■ aptain I^oyal Ii.angeis (Je>Mi)i's Corpsl, 41. Cannot trace this gentleman, 42. I.,ie iten nt K. R.R.N.V. 'ifT" 76 It is not stated who the Chairman was. empannclled were : — Tlie Grand Jurors 1 Alexander Campbell (Foreman), 2 Peter Drununoiid, 3 Thomas i-'raser, 4 John McK.en/ie, 5 (ieorge Stewart, 6 John Seymour, 7 Malcolm McMartin, 8 Neil McLean, 9 Martin Walter, 10 John Pescod, 11 Ranald McDoiiell, Jr., 12 Ranald McDonell, Sr., 13 Gideon Adams, 14 John Dulmage, 15 James Campbell, 16 Alex'r Campl)ell, 17 David Brackenridge, 18 Kjihriam Curry, 19 Joiin Jones, 20 Elijah Pottom, 21 William Snyder, 22 Daniel Campbell, 23 Matthew Ho\v;ird, 24 Thomas Robertson. The first case was tried on Tuesday, the i6th day of June, 1789. The following is an exact copy of the entry of the proceedings, and I regret that Judge Pringle's researches compel me to chronicle the fact tha*^ Mic defendant was a namesake of my own, candour, however, obliging me to acknowledge that I am not in the very least surprised at the nature of the indiscretion charged against honest Ranald, who I hope got the worth of the money out of the other fellow ! A careful examination of subse(iuent records of the Court of (Quarter Sessions might possibly disclose tlie fact that namesakes of Ranald's have not unfrei^uently contributed, in the most public-spirited manner, to the public exchequer as the result of similar little controversies with their neighbours, and I have been given to understand that the pri- vilege is now somewhat more expensive than it was a hundred years ago, when Ranald appears to have differed in opinion with Mr. McKay : The King, on Pros., Alexander McKay. vs. Ranald McDonell, In Assault and Battery. Sent up the bill of indictment to the (rrand Jury. The Grand Jury return a true bill. The defendant, being arraigned, pleads not guilty. It is ordered, on motion for the prosecution, that the trial come on immediately, by consent of the defendant. The jury em- panelled and sworn to try the issue of this traverse were : 77 7 Joseph T.nucks, 8 AiUliDiiy Wallascr, 9 Joliii Wart, 10 Jacol) Mcrkle, 1 1 Ad;' Ml Kmpey, I 2 Nicliolas Ault. 1 William Phillii.s, 2 jac^oh VaiiAllcn, 3 Jacob Wc'cgar, 4 Michael Hains, • 5 David Jaycoc.ks, () John Coons, Witness for the prosecution, Angus McKay. Tiio jury having heard the evidence, retired to consider their verdict, in charge of Duncan Mc Arthur, bailiff. The jury having returned into court, say, by H'illiam Phillips, their foreman, that the defendant is guilty, as' laid in the indictment. 'I'he court having considered the verdict of the jury, it is ordered that the defendant do pay a fuie of one sliilliug, aiid that he stand committed till paid. The following persons were appointed Constables for Glengarry : Lancaster— Richard I'ountain, Ik-njamin Paker. Cnarlottenburg— Finnan McDonell, Charles Ross, Duncan Mc.\rthur. 78 CHAPTER 8. Services of Sir John Johnson. — 200,000 Aires Ahandoned UY Him in the Uniiei) States. — Lord Dorchester Re- commends Him as First LlEUTENANT-tioVERNOR OF Ul'IM-.R Canaka. — i'oLicv OK Home Government Oi'I-osed to the Appointment of Residents to the Government. — Des- patch OK THE CtM.ONIAL SECRETARY. — FlRST REFER- ENCE TO (iLF,N(;ARRY SETTLE.nIENT. — Col.ONEL JoHN Macdonell (Aherchalper). — He and His Brother Hugh Macuonell Elected Members in Fir.st Parlia.ment of Upper Canada. — He is Elected its Speaker. — List of Members, — So.me Facts Relating to the.m. — Acts Passed AT First Session. Sir John Johnson, wlio had been so intimately associated with those who became the first settlers of Glengarry, did not altogether sever his connection with them. Portion of the land which was allotted to him in consideration of his signal services to the Crown was situated in the County of Glengarry in the immediate vicinity of what is now known as " Stone House Point." He had, I am told, selected a site for his residence, of which the foundation had been been laid, where the house now occupied by Colonel Alexander Fraser is built on the River St. Lawrence, on what is now known as Eraser's Point.(i) Judge Pringle states that what are locally known as " the In- dian Lands," a narrow strip between the western townships of Glen- garry and the eastern ones of Stormont, are said to have been intend- ed for Sir John Johnson, and to have been held for the Indians on Sir John's declining to accept of them. This, of course, would have been a very extensive grant — many thousands of acres — yet it must be remembered that, as stated by Mr. Stone, " he voluntarily gave up (i) Colonel Fraser died since the above was written, June 5th, 1891, much and deservedly respected. 70 duinains in what is now the United States larger and fairer than had ever liclongcd to a single proprietor in America, William I'enn only excepted," and that of all the eminent men among the I,oyalists none xtx-re at all comparable to him, either as regards the extent of the sacrilices made or the importance of the services rendered through- out the War from its conimencement to its close. 'I'wo hundred thousand acres of valuable land was what he surrendered. He also owned a large tract of land in the neighborhood of Williamstown, so named l)y him after his father, Sir William, and where he built the first mills. As showing the interest which Sir |ohn Johnst)n took in the County of (ilengarry, it may be mentioned that on the 25tii of June, 1S14, he presented to Neil McLean, then Sheriff ot the Eastern District, and his successors in oHice, twelve acres of land in WilliamstoWn for the purpose of a fair grcund for the people of tlie Counties, being the site of tiie jjresent (ilengarry Agricultural Society grounds. He never, h(jwever, permanently re- sided in Glengarry, the nature of his occupation not permitting of it. He had been appointed at the close of the War Superintendent- General and Insjjector-General of the Six Nation Indians, his com- mission as such being dated March 14th, 17S2. He was Colonel-in- Chief of the Six Battalions of Militia of the Eastern Townships, and a member of the Legislative Council of Lower Canada, to which he was summoned 24th January, 1797. He had been knighted by the King in his father's lifetime, at St. James, on the 22nd November, 1765, when but twenty-three years of age. The Rev. Mr, Campbell mentions in his " History of St. Gabriel Church, Montreal," that the Patent of Baronetcy, conferred upon his father, contains a most singular clause, which gives the title of" Knight" to the eldest son in this family on his attaining his majority. Sir John was always, in ofticial documents, designated, after his father's death, as " Knight and Raronet," thus showing that the Knighthood did not merge in the Baronetcy, He owned the Seigniory of Argenteuil, and was for many yea.s a conspicuous figure in Canada. He Was born on No veniber 5lh, 1742, and died at his residence, St. Mary's, in the ('ounty of Rouville, on January 4th, iX.^o, in the eighty-ninth year of his age, and was buried in the f^imily vault at his seat on the south side of the St. Lawrence, near Montreal. He is described in Jones' " History of New York " as bold, resolute, spirited, brave and active, and his career undoubtedly proved it. So Mr. Morgan states in his " Celebrated Canadians " that Sir John's eldest son, Wilham Johnson entered the army, became a Colonel in the Service, and was kuied at Waterloo. He was suc- ceeded in the Haronetcy by his eldest surviving son. Sir Adam Gor- don Johnson, wiio, dying witliout issue, was succeeded by the f)re- sent llaronet.Sir William (leorge Johnson, of 'I'wickenhanl, i''ngland, son of John Johnson, ot" Point Oliver, Montreal, a younger brother of Sir Gonhm. who died before the hitter. A niece of Sir John's be- came Lady C'lyde ; a grand-ihiughtcr married Alexander, Count Bahnain, Russian Connnissioner at St. Helena, and others of hi-i descendants made distinguished alliances.(i) I/ord Dorchester had on the 15th March, 1790, in a des])atch to the Right Honourable Wiilia . Wyndham (irenville, strongly recoinnleiuled Sir John as the first I,ieutenant-(iovernor of Uppir Canada on the gnjund of hii eminent services. The answer of the Secretary of State shows, however, that not only had the appoint- ment of Ijieutenant-Colonel Simcoe been decided upon previous to the receipt of Lord Dorchester's despatch, aivl that Simcoe had been duly notified of the fact, but it sets out fully and clearly the policy ot the British Government then prevailing and ever since pur- sued in regard to the appointment of residents of the Colonies to the government of the simie. No one can (|uestion its wisdom, however great may be his a])preciation of Sir John's services, which rendered his claim paramount to that of Simcoe or any other individual whom- soever. It was, I belie vo, the intention to have followed the same wise course in Canada at liie time of Confederation in regard to the appointment of the Lieutenant-Governors of the Provinces, but local circumstances, the short tenure of oftice, and the comparatively cir cumscribed nature of their functions and powcis, probably led to a diflerent course being adopted with regard to these officers. The following i.s the despatch referred to : (Private and Confidential.) WniTF-HALi., 3rd June, 1790. My Lord, — I think it right to take this mode of mentionmg to Your Lord- shi|) rather than by an official despatch, that previous to the receipt of Your Lortlshii)'s desp-atch No. 20, I had submitted to His Ma- jesty the name of Lieutenant-Colonel Simcoe for the Lieutenant (iovermneiit of Upi)er Canada, supposing the pro])osed division of (I) Campbell's History of St. Oabriel Street Presbyterian Church, Montreal. ' that Sir became a Ic was siic- Adam Gnr by the pre- 11, Knghuid, r t)rother (it [ohn's be- ider, Count tliors of hi-i a despatrli Ic, strf)iigly ir of Upiur swer of the lie appoint picviou!^ to Sinicoe had clearly the r since pur- onies to the m, however :h rendered dual whoni- i the same t,Mrd Lo tin- 's, but local atively cir ly led to a , I790- V^our Lord- the receipt ;o His Ma- Lieutenant division of \hv iVovince of Quebec to be carried into effect, and thai ) had hceii directed bv His Majesty lo express to that otficer His Majesty's approbation of his ai)]K)intinent. In making this selection, I had not overlooked the situation and services of Sir John Johnson, but motives of very consiilerable weight in my opinion inon, howe\e',' ilistinguished in point ol silualioi, or services, who was not cordially and sincerely disposed to co-ojieralion with the King's re|iresentative. I have the hoiio'ir lo be, With great i.alh and regard. My Lord, Voui Lord.ship's most faithful and Obedient humble serv.inl, W. W. (iKLNVllli:. The Right Hon'l)Ie i,;.'rd Dorchester. An unpublished .MS. diar\ of Maiiliiaiion of alTairs at Detroit." May 4lh. Signified to Lord Dorchester my feelings at being aliseni from my Regiment at a time when the comphxion ofaffairs in liie Upper Country ajiijears lalher gloomy, and my regret at the it necessity of relinquishing the honour of attending hinl. His rx)r(l received and ai)i)r(>ved of my proposal to join n.y Rrj^imunt in the handsomest manner ; would not allow of its making any alteration in my situation with him, and said he had business at Detroit, etc., t<> charge me w'th, on which he would exi)ect me to return and rejiort to him ., the fall, provided tlie situation of affairs above would permit. I therefore prepared immediately to set off. On Uie 17th May he arrived at Coteau du Lac, the next entry under date iSth .May being as follows ;— Oot on board the bateaux nt 4 o'clock, and i)roceeded to lx)ngueil, the entrance to the lake, Were there obliged to stoj) owing to a violent head wind, whieii made the lake impracticable .\t 2 o'clock the wiml moderated, and we jjushed off (lot to Foiiii au iJaudet at 6, where one AtcOee, formerly in .Sir John Johnson'-- Corp.i lias a settlement, on which he has made very rapid progress. Halted about 15 minutes, and i»roceeded to Point r'I'oronierr . arrived there at half after eight o'clock, and on my way [lassed Lieutenant .Sutherland's settlement, situated in a deep bay. We were not near enough to form any judgment of the Land, but he seemed to have cleared a good deal. Halted lor a few minutes, and was just pusliing off fo' S-r i. lohn-^on's Point wiien a violent gust came on. which determined me to piu up for the night in an uninhabited house. May 19th. .Set off at 4 o'clock, the wind still high antl contrary. weather disagreeably cold. Passed Mr. Falconer's settlement at a distance, and landed at a small house within two miles of Captain Alexander .Macdonell's. Walked to his h(>use and breakfasted. The situation here is delightful and the s(jil very hue. He has cK'ared a great de.il of l.ind. .trid bid-> fiir for b.asing a fine farir) in a short time. We proceed on foot to .Mr. Wilkinson's. He is situated close to the river, by a fine creek, where he is erecting a potash and means to l)uild a mill. 'I'hcre are two inconsiderable settlements above this, and then an interval of four miles belonging to St. Regis Intlians, the points ot which and situation are very favorable for settlement, and from the wood growing the soil must be very rich. The first settlement from this interval is strikingly beautiful, i)eing situated upon an easy, regular slope, facing the south, and defended from the raking east and west winds. .V fine island, richly clothed with wood, and sonii." meadow grotmd before it. I believe it is the liroperty of NF-ijor Cray. Got on this evening to tlie lot of one Nave of Sir |ohn johnsoi.'s Corps. He is married to a very young woman. ,iniing of a single aooin. Iiut the neatest and mo'^t cleanly f e\er s.iw. Here we lay. 20lh. Proceeded at 4 this ntorning. Still unf irtuiiate in otn His rx)ni iciit in thr icration in oit, etc., to return ami lirs abow ff. next entry ceedetl t* ; .'ll to Stdj! ractic.ililc >t to Foini [(jhnson's 1 progress. I'oroniere . ;\y |)assL(i I lay. Wr land, l)ui ,v minutes. a violent tight in ai7 1 contrary. ment at a f Captain eaklasted. He has farm in a is situated otasli and jttlements St. Regis )ral)!e for very ricii. ful, being defended ly clothed ,' it is the one Navf ig woman. to assist nd tlnse a single we law He iti oui «3 wind. Passed the Long Saiilt about 2 o'clock, and got to Captain Duncan's aliout six in the evening. Drank tea here witli Captain J. Monro and Lieutenant McMartin. Walked frotn thence about two miles to Thotnpson's, who was in Sir J. Jolin.son's Corps. A sensible man, seemingly very industrious, having all materials ready to enlarge his house and much ground cleared. He is married to an old Dutch woman. It rained hard this whole day. 2 1 St. Set off at half after four. Stopped at Captain J. Monro's, two tiiiles from where we lay and breakfasted with him. His havitig been in England prevented him from building, nor has he yet cleared much. He lives at ])resent in a hut l)elonging to otie of the men. Halted here near two hours, and i)roceeded to Major lessup's by 4 in the evening. Walked with him over the front of his lot, which is situated opposite the Fort of ( )swegatchie. He has not yet built, but has most of the material collected an(i has cleared a great deal of land. I think this lot in ])oint of situation, regularity of ground and gi)odness of it sui)erior to any I have yet seen. The Major came on board and proceeded with us to Cajjtain Sherwood's, about four miles further. He has built a very tolerable house upon his farm lot in New Oswegatchie, some distance from his farm, and '■ s already a potash going forward. We did not find him at home, t> •d after waiting about half an hour in hopes of seeing him we got •" I board. Of the Loyalist officers who settled in Glengarry, probably the most conspicuous in the future history of the Province was John Macdonell, then younger of Aberchalder. He shortly became one of the most leading men in Upper Catiada. He had served during the whole Revolutionary War, first in the Eighty-Fourth or Royal Highland Emigrants, and for the last five years and ten months in command of a company of Butler's Rangers. His father, Captain Alexander Macdonell, and his brothers, who had also held coiiiiiu's- sions in the several Loyalist Regiments, likewise settled in the Townsnip of Charlottenburgh (on the regiments being disbanded) on the banks of the River St. Lawrence about six miles east of Cornwall, where they drew a very large tract of land. The ruins of their seat, destroyed many years ago by fire (in 18 13), but well known in its day as Gleiigarry House and renowned for its hospitality, are still to be seen on what is now called " Stone House Point." It was, I understand, the first stone and largest house in Upper Canada. When writs were issued by Colonel Simcoe for the election of meml)crs for the first Parliament of Upper Canada, John Macdonell was, together with his brother, Hugh Macdonell, returned to 84 represent the County of Glengarry, which extended from the St. Lawrence to the Ottawa River and whicli had two jpresentatives. The proclamation of Lieutenant-Governor Simcoe forming the Province into counties, and allotting the number of representatives was dated i6tii July, 1792. Nineteen counties Were formed, namely: Glengarry, Stormont, Dundas, (Jreiiville, In-i the nim.'s of th; -...ntlem^n who sat in the first House, but in answer to an entpiiry he mforms me that he is unable to assign their respective constitu- encies. I fancy, therefore, that it is only from records in the po.^ses- sioa of the families of peoiile living in Canada at the time, or from nthc 8s other ])r!vate sources, that a list can be compiled, and information thus afforded would, I am sure, be acceptable to all who are inter- ested in the early history of the Province. I will mention such facts as I have been able to (,Mther from books and i)a|)ers within my riMch re,i,'ardini; the gentlemen who comjxised the tirst Legislature, ill the hope tiiat others will throw furtiier light ujion the subject, as it is only by sucli means that we can arrive at what is of much historic interest, if not of importance. Dr. Canniff mentions at page 534 that the following were elected members of the first House: 1. lohn Micdonell, .Speaker. 2. losluia Booth. 3. Mr. Haby. 4. .Alexander Camjjbell. 5. I'hilip Dorlantl. 6. Jeremiah I'rench. 7. Kphraim jitnes. 8. William Mocomb. 9. Hugh Mac.donell. ro. Benjamin I'.iwling. 11. Nathaniel I'ettit. 12. David William Smith. 13. I la/.eltoii Spencer. I 4. Isaac S\va/y. 15. — Young. 16. lohn White. Nos. I and 9. — The careers of Colonel John Macdonell. the Speaker, and Mr. Hugh .Macdonell. his brother, the members for (ilengarry, are given in these jiages at length. 2. Joshua Booth. — ^.V U. E. Loyalist. His name is enteri'd in I.onl Dorchester's List with the noli, " S. Ci. Sergeant," and his residence is tiiere stated to have been Ernest-town. I can find nothing to show thi' constituency for which he set or any other facts relating to him. '•. Mr. Baby. — It will \)c observed ihe (Christian name is not given by Dr. C^annilT. This 'lame w.is long, intimately ami hnnour- abiy associated with the (bounty of V ex, and the presumption is lli.ii the gentleman referied to was a Uiember of the family of that name resident there before the taking of Ouebcc by Wolfe, and that ]\v represented "Suff)lk"and Essex. I had at lirst assumed it must li.ive been the Hononr:d)le James Baby who was appointed by Colon..'! Simcoe a member of the first lOxecutive Coim<:il of l^pper Canada at Kingston, on the Sth July. 179:!. antl who for many yeais was Inspector-deneral of the rrovin<-f I ,n;ike this suggcsiion un- der correction, however, as .Mr. .Morgan sl.Ues in hi> '• l!ii>gr,ijihi''s of I'elebrated Canadi.ms." that Mr. James B.iby In > uue ;i lU'-tnlK r of tlie Legislative as well as of the I'Accutive Council at that limj 86 (1792), and continued in tlic regular and efficient discharge of the duties of those eminent stations until his deatii in 1833, and he could not well have been a ineiul)er of holh l)ranehes of the Legis- lature at the same time. 4. Alexander Campbell.— Mr. Croil in his work, " Dundas, or a Sketch of Canadian History," meniioMs that Ale.\ander Campbell was the first number for the County of Dundas, and slates that " the little that is known ol his history jjresents few inducements to pro.se- cuie the euipiiry " as to who or what he was, adding, " his character is sunnui'd up in ilii-.. that in- was i.uniliarly known at the lime by the unenviable soubri((uet of • Lying Campbtll.'" Possibly lie may have made pledges to his constituents which he was unable to carry out, ami it being the only instance of that kind which our political history affords, his name is handed down to posieriiy in this unfor- tunate manner ! Li Lord Dorchester's hsi 'here appears the name of ".Alexander Campbell, Ksijuire," his residence being given as the Kastern Dislrict, aiul it is staled that he was a Lieutenant in the Loyal Rangers. l'rob.xbly the same person. 5. I'hilip Dorland. — 'I'liis gentleman appears to have lived in Adolphusiowii. and ilie |iresumpli(jn is thai he was elected to repre- sent ihe County ot Prince I'Alward, to winch tiie i'own^hip of Adolphus was attached. Mr. Dorland, being a (Quaker, refu.sed to take the oaths, and the House unanimou-.ly passed a resolution that he was therefcjre inr.iuipeteil to Ml and vote in Parliament, where- upon a writ issued for a new eleciion. and Peter \'an .Vlstine was elei 111 in his stead. .\L\ \'aii .\lstine also lived in .Vdolphustown, and w a L'. L. l.uyalisi, as his name ajtpears in l-ord Dor -.hesler's list, ah the, to me, enigmatic note, "Cuylers, (.'aptain." 6. Jeremiah l'"rench. — 'A I'. E. Loyalist, in Lord Dorchester's list his residence being given as the Ivistern Disirici. He was a Lieulenam in the Iviag's Royal Kegimeiii ot \ew York (Second Battalion), in which he served nine years. I presume .Mr. Krench re[)rescnted ( irenville. 7. Kphraim Jones. - .\ C K. Loyalist who settled in the Town- ship of Augusta, County of Letsls. nid was the failici of the late Mr. Justice Jonas Jones ami guimlfather o( the late .Mr. Lord Jones, M P., and other well-known gentlemen. .Staled in Lord Dorchester's list to have been a Commissary. Mr. Read in " The Lives ot the Judges" mentinns that after the Revolutionary Wai Mr. Jones had v.harge of the supplies granted by tlie British (it)vcniinein to the settlers ill I'l^per Cimada. Mr. Jones living in the C'oinity of J.eeds, 'he presumption would i)e thai he represented that County ; hut it will he observed that Leeds and Kronienac were then united for pur- puses of representation, and Dr. C'aniiiff ([uotes from a ilespatch of (Jolonel .Simcue, wiierein he states, "it was by good fortune tiiat the temporary residence I made at Ivingston created sufficient intluence lo enable us t(j bring tile Allorney-t fcneral White into the House '' — (rom which the inference niiglit i)e drawn that .Mr. Whit.' was returned .'or Fronlenac, in which (bounty ivingsKjn is situate, and wliich was joined to it states he resided 111 liie Home District. No d(jubt he wai member for one of tiie ridings of Lincoln, as Butler's Rangers settled in the Niagara Dis- trict on the Regiment being disl^aiuled. 11. N^athaniel I'ettit. — Resiti.d in the Home Disiriit; slated in Lord Dorchester's list to have been "an active Loyalist." 12. David William Smith. — ^.\L)rgan's "Celebrated Canadians" gives an account of tiiis distiiiguisheil gentleman. He was a ( '.iptain in the fifth Foil, and was afler\vards called to the Bar of I'pper Canada, with precedent e as Deputy Judge Advocate ; was appointed S;nveyor-Ceneral of i-ands, one of the trustees lor the .Six .Nations and a member of the Executive Council ; sat in the three tirst i'ar- liami-nts, and was Speaker of the secoml and third Parliaments, l-'or hi?< jiublic service^ in Can.ula he was created .i l').uoneI b\ ]iaiciu .\iigust .}oth, iSji. Di;'d at \lnwick, Lngl.md, yth .Mav, i.S.^7. Mr. Bain, the Librarian at roioiuo, l.itely procured all tlie valuably I'llilic documents relating to the I'rovinci- which .Mr. Smith took with linn on his return to Ivi-land rroh.ibiy .Mr. Smiili represented D.irii.iin and N'ork a;id ilie hrsi riding of iamolii. i.V H.i/-ltoii Spent er. — .\ V. K. Loyalist. 1 tind from a return of the ortii ers of the R. C.\ . Regiment that he served eleven months with the Incorporated Loyalists, three \ears live months and two days as a \ ohinteer ui the King's Royal Regiment of New Vork, two 88 years seven months and four days as a Lieutenant in the same Corf;<;. and five years and seven months in the Second Battalion Royal (Canadian Vohinteer Regiment of Foot. In 1803 he was Lieutenant of the County of Lennox, and Was also Colonel of the Lennox Militia Regiment. No doubt he sat for Lennox in the first Parlia- ment. 14. Isaac .Swa/y (Query, SWayze). — A U. K. Loyalist described in Lord Dorchester's list as '■ Pilot to the New York Army," residing in the Home District. Mr. Swayze represented one of die ridings ot Lincoln. In 1S04, when tlie constituencies were rearranged (not then termed gerrymandered !) the same gentleman and Raliih Clench, \\h(\., represented tiie second, iliiril and fourth ridings of Lincoln. 15. — \'oung. -Several of ihi, name (twenty in all) were U. K. Loyalists, the most prominent being Lieutenant John Young, form- erly of the Indian Department, who resided in the Home District, but whether or not he was the gentleman who sat in the House I am unable to state. 16. John White. — The first Attorney (ieiieial of the Province who came to Canada in 1792. and was killed in a duel with Mr. Small, Clerk of the Kxecutive Council, January 3rd, 1800. For which constituency he sat I am unable to state. tlu)ugh from Colonel Simcoe's des|ntch, before referred to. it may possibly have been Leeds and Frontenac. Dr. Scadding, in '• Toronto of Old," jiage 346, quotes the remarks made by the "Oracle" and Niagara "Con- stellation" regarding Mr. White at the time of his death, both highly eulogistic. Dr. Ryerson, in his book, " The Loyalists of America and their Times," states that the members of this Assembly have been repre- sented as " plain, home-spun clad farmers and merchants from the ])lough and the store," and very properly remarks that "the mem- bers of our Legislature have always, for the most part, been such from that day to this, but many of the members of the first Parlia- ment of Upi)er Canada had possessed resj)eclable and some of them luxurious homes, from which they had been exiled by narrow-mindjd and bitter enemies ; they had fought on battle fields for the country whose forests they now burned and felled ; their homespun [gar- ments were some of the fruits of their own industry and that of their •e l)C(Mi ' Con- liighly \vi\c^i and daiiglitcr.s," remarks fully borne out l)y the few facts t have stated regarding these gentlemen, from which it will he seen they were largely composed of oflicers of the dishaniled Regiments of the Revolutionary War. So far as our own County is concerned I (an alfuin with ti'ith, that in the hundred years which have inter- filed the County has never been represented by gentlemen whose cmiiaiu public services and high station and character surpassed ihose of our two first members. Three members of the Legislative Council anil five members of the House of Assembly were present when the first Parliament assembled. 'I'he House having me' in a camp tent at Newark (now Niagara) on .\[onday, the i 7th Septi h/Ikt, the first entries made in the Journals (collies of which iiave lately been procured from England, and are now to be found at the Parliamentary Libraries at Ottawa and Toronto) are as follows : — » " 'The House having met, all the members were severally sworn ill hv William |arvis, E.-.cjuire, who acted by special coinmission from Mis'l'Acellency." "The House having jiroceeded to the election of its Speaker, John .Ntacdonell, lOsipiire. one of the members for the County of (lien garry, was unanimously elected to be Speaker." lie would a[)pear to have served in that capacity during all that I'luiianient. and, as far as can be ascertained, (hiring the fir^t Sis>ion of the Second Parliament, as on the meeting of the House on the 9th June, 179^, being the second .Session of the Second Parlia- nunt. it is stated in the Journals that — " Mr. Speaker addressed the House in the following words, to wit : — "(lentlemen of the House of Assembly, " As you have done me the iion(jur to c.all me to the chair of this House. I feel it a duty I owe to the recollection of the services of Colonel NLicdonell to move that in order to mark the sense I e'ltertain of his former situation as S|)eaker, a place be considered a|i]iropriated to him during the present Session, being the first next to llie chair on the right hand side. " 1" I u'liich recom n.Mvl,uion the House unanimou'-ly agreed, and it was ordered accordingly." ICight Acts were i)assed at the first Session of the Ix-gislature, the first and most important introducing the English Law in all miners relating to Property and Civil Rights. Chapter IL Established 96 Trial by Jury. Cha\j\.eT III. established a .Standard for Weights and Measures. Chapter IV. Abolished the Summary Proceedings in the Court of Common Pleas in actions under Ten Pounds Sterling. Chapter V. Related to the Prevention of Accidents by Fire. Chapter VI. ICstablished the Procedure for an Kasy and Rapid Recovery of Small Debts. Chapter VII. Regulated the Toll to be taken in Mills; and Chapter VIII. Provided for the building of a Gaol and Court House in each of the four Districts of the Province, and altered the names of the Districts to the Kastern, Midland, Home and Western Districts respectively. The first division which can Ije ascertained to(jk place in the Legislature of this Province on the 20th June of that year. It is probable that divisions iiad previous taken place, but owing to the loss of so many of the Journals the first I can find is as follows. It is interesting as showing the members of the Second Parliament of the Province : — " Mr. Speaker read the third time as engrossed the Hill to authorize and allow persons coming into this Province to bring with them their negro slaves. "Mr. Solicitor-General " (Robert Isaac Dey Grey, who wa.** then Member of the County of Stormont) " mf)ved that the said Bill do not pass, and that the question be thereof put (sic), and the yeas and nays taken down in distinct columns ; whereui^n the question was put and the members were as follows : YEAS. Colonel Macdonell. Mr. Beasley. Mr. Hardison. Mr. Robinson, Captain Fraser. Mr, Jessup. Mr. Street, Mr. Jones, NAYS. Mr. Solicitor-General, Mr. Rogers. Mr. Cornwall. Captain Wilkinson. 9« CHAPTER 9. Bill the the The First Rki;i.mi".n't Raised \s Uvvv.u. Canada.— The Second Battalion R. C. V. Recimfat ok Foot. — Lieutenani- Colovel Macdonelt., M.P. for Glengarry, Placed in Com- mand. — Headquarters at F^ort (iKoRCE. — Volunteer their Services to any Quarter of the Gi.ohe. — Thanks of Duke Of Kent. — Reditction of Rkoiment durinc Peace or Amiens. — Return of (Officers. — List of Officers First or Lower Canmhan Baitaliov. — .Colonel Macdonell's ^[emorial. sl'al'e of i'hk mli.iita. — •lieutenants of Coi NTiEs. — Colonel ^^\cDoNELL Reco.m.mends F^ormaiion OF A Corps of Highland Fencibles in Glengarry. — Colonel Brock Approves of Proposal and Transmus Recommendation to War Office. — Death of Colonkl Macdonell. In 1794 a number of Independent Companies were in existence in Upper Canada, which in 1796 were, with others ir. Lower Canada, embodied in a Regiment of two Batt^ilioiis, the second Battalion being under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel John Macdonell, the member for Glengarry. This Regimeit was placed on the Per- manen': I*lstablishment, and was known as the Royal Canadian Volunteer Regiment of Foot. The Second Battalion was the first Corps raised in Ui)per Canada. (i) The F'irst Battalion was com- (i) This (liitinction is not infruiiuentlv riaiinetl for tlv <)nfen's Raivcis, thi' second Corps of lh.it n.nitif, but the eontention is ss in fMiinild as much c've mat fni..ii:ites Ir in ili ■ '.aiiie viiiri:c though It is constantly dinnfil into ou> cars on gveiy p ssihlc :iiitr :ction of what is now Vonge street, r.iiininy north some miles from 'lo onto through tlie C'jii ty of York to Lake -iincoe. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) y // // {< ..,*■ «, * :A f/u 1.0 I.I lAililM IIIII15 iM Illi^.O 1.8 1.25 1.4 j 1.6 -^ 6" ► V] <^ /^ d^ # c" O ^l. 7 /A Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 I «*o C^- f/u I 1 v. :| 4 02 manded by Lieutenant-Colonel De Longueuil, with Louis DeSak berry as Major. The Second Battalion garrisoned this Province from 1796 until disbanded in 1802, as did the First Battalion the Province of Lower Canada during the same period. Colonel Macdonell's headquarters were at Fort George (Niagara) during the period the Regiment was on service. Detachments were stationed at the following i)laces, viz.: Kingston, under Major Spen- cer ; St. Joseph's Island, under Captain Drummond ; Amherstburg, under Captain Hector McLean ; Fort Erie, under Captain Wilkin- son ; Fort Chippewa, under Lieutenant William Crawford. In 1800 a suggestion appears to have been made that it would be of advantage if the Second Battalion, R. C. V., would extend its service to any part of British America, and Colonel Macdonell hav- ing submitted the matter to the officers under his command, was enabled to address the following letter to the Officer commanding in Canada : "Fort George, February 20, 1800. " Sir, " I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 26th November, with enclosures. " The suggestion that the services of the Second Battalion Royal Canadian Volunteers might be usefully extended to the different parts of British North America in general was no sooner made known to the five companies forming the garrison in this post, Fort Erie, and Fort Chipiiewa than they were most clieerfully offered, and generally showed a desire to extend them to any part of His Majesty's dominions. " The officers (as might be expected from such Loyalists) ex- pressed satisfaction at having an opportunity of testifying their zeal and attachment to their King by tendering their services in any part of the globe to which they might have the honour of Iieing called. I shall have the honour of reporting to you as soon as possible the sentiments of the other four companies at Kingston, Amhersthurg, and St. Joseph. I think, however, I can vouch tiiat their zeal to His Majesty's service is not less tli.in the comjianies I have already mentioned. The example ot the Nova Scotia and New Brunswick Corps is certainly highly meritorious, and would no doubt operate 93 strongly in exciting an emulation in others ; but I have the vanity to beliu've that the Second J3attalion of Royal Canadian Volunteers would have offered their services even had the other Provincial Corps not shown the example. '■ I have the honour to be, " Sir, Your most obedient servant. "J. Mac DO NELL. " To Lieutenant-General Hunter, " Commanding His Majesty's Forces in both Canadas." The offer of service which Colonel Macdonell was thus author- ized to make on behalf of his Battalion was acknowledged by H. R. H. the Duke of Kent in tiie following letters : Extract from letter of the Duke of Kent to Lieutenant-General Hunter, commanding the Forces in the Canadas, through his Aide- de-Cani]), Major Gordon :^ " Kensington Palace, Decemp.er 15, 1800. " With respect to your letter of the 26th of July, containing an enclosure from Lieutenant-Colonel NLacdonell, commanding ' the Second Battalion Rc^'al Canadian Volunteers, of the four companies of that Corps stationed nt Kingston and Amherstburg. to extend their services as Fencibles throughout British America, I am commanded to desire that the thanks of His Royal Highness may be communicated to those four companies for this fresh mark of their zeal for the service and attachment and loyalty to their Sovereign." Extract from a letter from the Duke of Kent to Lieutenant General Hunter : — "Sir, " Pavilliox, Brightelmstone, October 25th. iSoo. "1 have the pleasure to acknowledge the recei[il of your letter No. 12, dated Yoik, July 25. which reached nu together v,-ith iu several enclosures on the 25111 uh. "Your letter of the 26th of July to Major (iorden enclosin.Lj Lieutenant-Colonel Macdonell's report that four more companies of the Second Battalion of the Royal Canadian Wjjunteers had volunteered the extension oi their services to the whole of JSritish North Americr' having arrived at the same time, I am enabled to desire you to authorize that officer te express to the officers and men of those comj)anies my thanks in the same manner as he was desired to do to those of the former five. "Edward." 94 Colonel Macdonell was obliged to adhere steadily to his post 'rom the first raising of the Regiment, as appears from a letter ad- dressed by him to the Military Secretary at Quebec dated September I, 1800 : " Not having it in my power to examine into the state of the Militia of the County of Glengarry, nor of my private afHiirs since the first raising of the Royal Canadian Volunteers, I take the liberty to request of Lieutenant-General Hunter leave of absence for a few weeks for those purposes. " Captain McMillan has requested me to apply for leave of absence for him on i)rivate affairs in Glengarry, he not having been absent since he first joined." This Regiment was, together with many others, and including all the Fencible Regiments in the service, disbanded during the Peace of Amiens in 1802. The following is the return on the reduction showing the names of the officers of tliis Battalion, with their respective length and record of service : — RETURN OF THE OFFICERS OF THE SECOND BATTALION ROYAL CANAUL\N VOLUNTEER REGIMENT OF FOOT. Rank. Licut.-Col. Major Captain Name. John Macdonell Hazelton Spen cer PeterDrummond Hector McLean Neil McLean Miles Macdonell Ricjiard Wilkin- son Servi. „. 15 years and 4 months ; 3 years and 2 months late 84th Rcj^iment ; 5 years and 10 months late liutler's Rangers, and 6 years and 4 months Royal C. V. 12 years and 6 months ; 1 1 months with the incorporated Loyalists ; 3 years 5 months and 2 days as Volunteer in K.R.R.N.Y.; 2 years 7 months and 4 days as Lieutenant in said Corps, and 5 years and 7 months in the 2nd Batt. Royal Canadian Volunteers. 14 years and 5 months ; 9 years Lieut. in late 84th Regiment and 5 years and 5 months in R. C. Volunteers. 10 years and 3 months ; 6 years Lieut. and linsigu in .S4th, and 4 years and 8 months in R. C. V. 8 ye.irs ; 2 years Ivi^ign in K.R.R.N. Y., and 6 years in R.C.V. 13 years ; 8 years Lieut, in K.R.R.N. Y. and 4 years and 5 months in R.C.V. 9S kank. Name. Service. Captain Alex. McMillan. XI years; 7 years in ist Batt. de Lan- cie's Brigade, and 6 months as Volun- teer in the late 71st, and 4 years in the 2nd Batt. R.C.V. i( Chassegras de Lery I years 9 months. (1 Richard Fergu- 9 years and 5 months ; 3 years in King's son Rangers as Volunteer and 6 years and 5 months in R.C.V. LifUt. William Fraser <( \Vm. Crawford 8 years and 2 months ; 2 years and 9 monthsasVolunteerandEnsign inK.R. R. N. Y., and 5 years and 5 months in R.C.V. (( H. de Hortell. « Wm. Johnson. « Ranald McDon- 32 years and 7 months; 6 years and ell 6 months in 17th Regt.; 12 years in 60th j 8 years and 4 months in late 84th, and 5 years and 9 mouths in the 2nd Batt. R.C.V. u Angus McDonell 6 years. « Thomas Fraser 5 years. f< P. Taschereau 4 years and 3 months. i( Pierre Malhoit 5 years and 10 months. y the restoration of peace, they can- not on that occasion reflect without emotion upon the particular circumstances of their own situatit^n. "That a very consideralde ])ro])ortion of your memorialists had the honour to serve His Majesty during the American War, and having at the conclusion of it settled uijon and cultivated the lands assigned to them, were beginning to rea|) some of the fruits of their exertions, and with the assistance of their half-pay to enjoy some degree of ease and comfort when the War broke out ; and that the rest of your memorialists are sons to persons of the very same de.-'Cription. " That as the appearances of things at that time indicated but a short period of service, your memorialists eagerly embraced the 0])])0rtunity of evincing their grateful attachment to their Sovereign without contemjjlating any other rewa:d than the a))[)ointments of their respective rank, and with no prospects but of soon returning to that life of industry on which their jjrincipal dependence was necessarily placed — both for present support and for the means of future provision for their families. " That the destructive aml)ition of His Majesty's enemies hav ing, contrary to all expectadons, protracted the War to such a length, your memorialists have now remained embodied nearly eight years ; the consequence has been that the domestic affairs of your memorialists of the first description have in that long interval of absence and unavoidable neglect been materially imimired, and they win now be obliged (unless His Majesty's gracious favour be extend- ed to them) to return to their homes at a more advanced period in life and with prospects less favourable both for themselves and their families than when the War began. Your memorialists of the latter de.-^crijition are involved in a still more gloomy situation, for having dedicated the flower of their years to a military life, and having passed in His Majesty's service that period of their lives during which they might have embraced other professions, unless some pro- vision be made for them by the munificence of their Sovereign, having no resources of their own, it is jxunful to foresee the hard- ships and difficulties which must await them ; " Your memorialists therefore most humbly j^ray of Your Excel- lency that you will lay them at His Majesty's feet, beseeching him that he will be graciously pleased to place them upon the half pay list according to the rank which they nt i)resent hold in his service. "And that His Majesty will also be graciously jileased to extend to the Battalion the same gracious bounty in donations of waste of the Crown which was extended to the Provincial Corjis at the end of the American War — a measure which, besides filling the hearts of your memorialists with addidonal gratitude, would at the same time place at the disposal and within the immediate call of His 98 Majesty's representatives in this Province a body of loyal disciplined men, attached to the country, and jiroud of transmitting their own principles and sentiments unim|xxired to their ijosleiity, and your memorialists as in duty bound will ever pray. " J. Macdonell, " Lieutenant-Colonel, " Commanding Second Battalion Royal Canadian Volunteers, " For himself and on behalf of the officers and men of the Corps. " Fort (leorge, 24 August, 1S02." It is evident from the statement in the memorial of Mrs. Hugh Macdonell, quoted hereafter, that the prayer of the officers to be placed on half-j)ay according to their respective rank was not acced- ed to, but from information gathered in the Crown Lands (Office I am led to believe that the men received an alhjtment of land similar to that granted to the soldiers of the various Loyalist Regiments of the Revolutionary War. In addition to being a member for the County of Glengarry, Colonel Macdonell occupied a position which existed certainly between the years 1793 and 1808, though I can find no lists of a later date than the latter year, viz.. Lieutenant of the County of Glengarry. The Duke de la Rochefoucault Liancourt who visited General Simcoe at York, in his " Travels through the United States, the Country of the Iroquois and Upper Canada," gives a succinct account of the duties of Lieutenants of Counties and of the militia organization of the Province. He states that the division of the then four existing districts of the Province into counties : " Is purely military, and relates merely to the enlisting, completing and assembling of the militia. The Counties are about twelve in number."(i) The militia of each county are assembled and com- manded by a lieutenant : they must be divided into regiments and companies. They assemble once a year in each county, and are inspected by the captains of the different companies at least twice a year. Every male inhabitant is considered a militia man from the age of sixteen to fifty. He is fined $4 if he does not enlist at the ])roper time ; and officers, both commissioned and non-commissioned, who do not join their regiments at the time the militia is assembled paj; a fine, the former of $8 iind the latter of $2. An officer who, in case of insurreciion or an attack, should not repair to his assigned post, would be punished in a pecuniary [Julialty of £50, and a petty ot'ficer with a fine of £20. A militia man wlio sells eilher the whole or a ])art of hi< arms, amuiunilion or accoutivmenS is lined £5, and in default of j)ayment imprisoned for two months. The Quakers. J>ap- (i) As a fact, however, there were i.ineteeii. 99 tists and Tiinkcrs pay, in times of peace, twenty shillinj^s a year, and during a war or insurrection five pounds sterling for their exem[)tion fr(ini military service. (Jut of these fines and ransoms, the Adjutant- (leneral of the Militia receives his pay and the remaindt-r is at the Governor's disposal. This is nearly the substance of the first Act of the Legislative body of Upper Canada, passed in 1793." The following year a further Act was passed relating to the militia, tending to improve and more accurately define the internal form of the Regiments, Battalions and Companies, and to render the assembling of detachments more easy and ex])editious. It extended, in time of War, the obligation to bear arms to sixty years, and directed that Quakers and others who were exempt should pay fi)r their immunity up to that age. It obliged the militia to serve on board of ships and vessels, to act as cavalry and to extend their service beyond the I'rovince, on condition, however, that the same men shouKl not be bound to serve more than six months successively, The exemptions from service were confined to tlie officers of justice and otlier public functionaries, whose number was very small. The whole militia force was estimated at g,ooo men, and the cost of maintenance was defrayed by the British (Government. The expense of civil and military administration, including money and i)resents to the Indians, was then, fi)r Upper Canada, about £100,000 [ler annum. Dr. Canniff states, in his " .Settlement of Ujiper Canada," that " in all the measures introduced by Governor .Simcoe and passed into law by Parliament can be discovered a military mind actively at work. The arrangements by which he endeavoured to settle the country, to secure it against invasion, to keep alive a spirit of mili- tary ardour, to keep aglow the fiame of patriotism, a love for the Mother Country, were eminently judicious and commendable. There is no doubt that the military s])irit of Simcoe was pleasing to the old soldier-farmers, and in them hj f)und willing and zealous abettors of his military schemes."(i) I have lists of Lieutenants of CounUes of the years 1803 and 1808. I give that for the year 1803, which is the earliest I am able to find. It is taken from the Upper Canada Almanac of that year, published at York by John Bennet at his printing oflice. King street : (i) Page 546. 100 Glengarry — Lieutenant-Colonel John Macdonell. Prcscott — William Fortune, Esq. Stormont — Archibald Macdonell, Fr .p )si!s inl > i-ffjc-t. TIk,- Fi^'ld (jfficors must undergo a vast djal of trouble, and their time will be as much occujjied as if the Corps were constant!}' embodied. " The County is almost entirely inhabited by Highlanders and lot their descendants, naturally brave and loyal as subjects, and firmly attached to the British Constitution and Government, yet from their situation and circumstances, being in general possessed of some landed property and the high run of wages in the County, they are reluctant to quit these advantages to become soldiers. Nothing but a scheme of this nature, headed by gentlemen whom they know and respect, would induce them on any consideration to put themselves under the restraints of military discipline. The Chaplain having served in that capacity in the late Glengarry Fencibles in Great Britain, Ireland and Guernsey, has a claim to the favour of Govern- ment. He conducted a number of these people to this country, and having rendered himself useful in many respects to the people at large, has gained so fai their confidence that his services in urging and forwarding this matter will be very essential. The adoption and successful issue ol the present plan will greatly facilitate any future project of raising troops for a more general and extended na- ture of service. " I have the honour to be, sir, " Your most obedient, humble servant, " J. Macdonei.l, " Lieutenant of the County of Glengarry. " Colonel Brock, &c." Colonel Brock forwarded Colonel Macdonell's pro,, jsal to the War Office with the following letter to the Right Honourable William Windham, then Secretary for War : — "Quebec, February 12, 1807. "I have the honour to transmit for your consideration a proposal from Lieutenant-Colonel John Macdonell, late of the Royal Canadian Volunteers, for raising a Corps among the Scotch settlers in the County of Glengarry, Upper Canada. " When it is considered that both the Canadas furnish only two hundred militia who are trained to arms, the advantages to be derived from such an establishment must appear very evident. " The militia force in this Country is very small, and were it possil)le to collect it in time to oppose any serious attempt upon Quebec, the only tenable poit, the number would of itself be insufficient to ensure a vigorous defence. " This Corps, being stationed on the confines of the Lower Province, would be always immediately and essentially useful in checking any seditious disposition, which the wavering sentiments of a large population in the Montreal District might at any time manifest. In the event of invasion or other emergency, this force could be easily and expeditiously transported by water to Quebec. " The extent of Country which these settlers occupy would moke the permanent establishmen of the staff and one surgeon in each tbi conipany very advisable. I shall not i)LTsiilTie to say ho\v far the claims of the field OfiiccTs to the same iiuliilgence are reasonable and exi)edient. " In regard to the Rev. Alexander Mac.donelt, I beg leave to ob- serve tiiat the men, being all Catholics, it may be deemed a prudent measure to a|)|)oint him Chaplain. His zeal and attat'hment to (lovernmci.t was strongly evinced while filling the otVice of Chaplain to the (Hengarry l-'encibles during the rebellion in Ireland, and were grcaciously acknowledged by His Royal Highness the Conunjiider-iii* Chief. "His influence over the men is deservedly great, and I have every reason to believe that the Corps, by his exertions, would be soon completed, and hereafter become a nursery, from which the army might draw a number of hardy recruits. " I have, &c., " Isaac Brock." Colonel Macdonell's wise suggestion was not at the time carried into effect, but a few years afterwards, when our relations with the United States had arrived at a crisis, the British Government adopted his plan, and gladly availed itself of the services of the hardy band of Highland Loyalists, who had made their home in Glen- garry in Canada, and fortunately, though Colonel John Macdonell was unable to aid his Sovereign and his Country, the patriotic Chaplain (afterwards Bishop) Macdonell with the assistance, as will be seen, of another namesake and clansman, raised and organized the Glengarry Light Infantry Regiment, that ubiquitous Regiment which fought through the War of 1812-14, and caused the name of Glengarry to be respected by those who gloried in the freedom of British institutions, and feared by thtjse who sought to overthrow them. I am unable to state definitely the date of the death of this gallant Officer and meritorious public servant. J fear that having spent the best portion of his lifetime in the service of the country, his latter years were burdened by ill-health and pecuniary embarassment. I observe in a letter from his sister, the wife of General Ross, to her brother, Mr. Hugh Macdonell, Consul-Geneicil at Algiers, this paragraph : " By a letter from Chi- chester " (another brother who was then Lieutenant-Colonel of the Eighty-Second Regiment) " who had letters from Canada, I am sorry to lind that our brother John's health has been on the decline, and I fear his means also. Chichester has procured him the pay- mastershij) of the Tenth Veteran Battalion, which will be something in the meantime. Had he not trusted so much to other people, he m Would not have been under the necessity of accepting of sutii a tritie. Poor fellow, he thought all the world as honest-hearted as himself." He died at Quebec, on his way, I believe, to England, jjrobably to take the appointmcnl indicated above, and was buried under the Catholic Cathedral Church there. He left one son, Alexander Macdonell, Major in the Lan- caster Regiment of Glengarry Highlanders, which served throughout the Rebellion of '37-8, and who died many years ago, when com- paratively young, and of whose family one daughter now survives, and still retains in Glengarry a considerable portion of the property, which was granted in return for the stern and unfailing loyalty of her grandfather and his father. It is known as the " Schenectady " l)roi)erty from the fact that Colonel Macdonell had married a lady from that j)art of the State of New York, a Miss Yates — whose family, unlike that of her husband, had adhered to the revolutionary side. 104 CHAPTER 10. Career of Hugh Macdonell (Aberchalder), M.P. for First Riding of Glengarry in First Parliament of Upper Canada, — Testimony op Colonel Mathews, Military Secretary to Lord Dorchester, as to Services of Him- self and his Family. — First Adjutant-General ok Militia Upper '^anada. — Appointed Consul-General at Algiers.— Duke of Kent's Tribute to his Memory. — His Family. — His Brother, Colonel Chichester Mac- donell, Another U. E. Loyalist Officer. — Alexander Macdonell (Collachie), M.P. for Glengarry and Speak- er House of Assembly, 1804. — His Services in Revolu- tionary War and War of iSij. Another of the Highland Loyalist Officers who settled in Glen- garry at the close of the Revolutionary War, represented the County in Parliament, achieved considerable distinction in the Province, and afterwards rose to high position in a far distant part of the world, was Hugh Macdonell, a brother of Colonel John Macdonell of Aber- chalder. This gentleman commanded a company in his brother's Regiment (Royal Canadian Volunteers) on its first establishment, and afterwards was transferred to the Second Battalion, and in which he svas at one time the Senior Captain. In 1803 he was Lieutenant- Colonel of the Glengarry Militia Regiment, of which his elder brother was Colonel. He wj's appointed by Lieutenant-Covernor Simcoe to be the first Adjutant-General of Militia in Upper Cana- da, and was the founder of our Militia system. He sat as one of the members for Glengarry in the first Legislature of the Province. On the 1 8th September, i'jg2, the day following the opening of the first session, the Address in reply to the Speech from the Throne having been adopted, it was " ordered that Mr. Smith and Mr. Hugh Mac- doilell do Walt on His Excellency to know when His Excellency will be pleased to receive the Hcuscwith the said Address." In the debate on the Dual Language question, in 1890, reported in Hansard, vol. i, p. 894, Sir John Macdonald quoted an order of the House of 3rd of July, 1793, on a motion made by Mr. Macdonell as follows : — "Ordered that such Acts as hav: already passed, or may hereafter pass the Legislature of the Province, be translated into the French language for the benefit of the inhabitants of the Western District of this Province and other French settlers who may come to reside within the Province, and that A. Macdonell, Clerk of this House, be employed for this and other purposes." The meagre records, even where any exist at all, of the proceed- ings of the earlier Legislatures do not enable us to ascertain what particular part any individual member took in parliamentary life in those days. This gentleman, however, did not remain very long in Parliament or in the Province. Letters in my possession at present show him to have enjoyed the friendship and patronage of the Duke of Kent, and he appears to have merited it. Of the services of himself and family (Aberchalder) and the clansmen of Glengarry during the Revolutionary War, Colonel ^L'lthews, Military Secretary to Lord Dorchester, wiio was in a better position to speak authoritatively than any other man, wrote as follows to the Under Secretary of Stale for War, when Capt. Macdonell, after leaving Canada, laid his claim for continued employment in the service before the British Government : — " Dear Sir, " Chelsea College, 23rd June, 1804. " Understanding that Captain Hugh ^L'lcdonell, late of the Royal Canadian Volunteers, has been particularly recommended to the Earl of Camden, and that he will consetjuently have the honour to wait upon you, I cannot, with the intimate knowledge 1 possess of his < wn and the meritorious services and sufferings of his family, forbear of taking the liberty of troubling you with a few lines, in the hope of iiUeresting you in his favour. " His father and uncle, respectable men in the Higlilands of Scotland, left that country with their faniilies and considerable 1 ri)nerly. a tow years before tlic Rclicllion in Anieric;!. with a view to csaiuiian lacnueives in t.iai connay, havi.ig for that puipu^e carried out a number of their djiJciukniL-i. i'acy ubiained a valuable grant of land from Sir John Johnson on the ^Iohawk River, in the settle- ment of which they had made considerable progress. io6 "When the Rebellion broke out they were the first to fly to arms on the part of Government, in which they and their adherents, not less than two hundred men, took a most active and decided lead, leaving their families and property at the mercy of the rebels. " I was at that time quartered at Niagara, and an eye-witness of the gallant and successful exertions of the Macdonells and their dependents, by which, in a great measure, the Upper Country of Canada was preserved, for on tliis little body a very fine battalion was soon formed, and afterwards a second. " Captain Macdonell's father and uncle, at that time advanced in years, had coni])anies in that Corps and in which his elder brother, afterwards an active and distinguished jiartizan, carried arms. 'J"he sons of both families, five or six in number, the moment they could bear arms, followed ihe bright example of their fathers, and soon be- came active and useful officers in that and anollior corps of Rangers, whose strength and services greatly contributed to unite the Indians of the Five Nations in the interest of Government, and thereby decidedly to save the Upper Country of Canada and our Indian trade. " These Corps were reduced on the ])eace in 1783, and were settted in Upper Canada on grants of land from Government, where Captain Macdonell's father and uncle died a few years after with a total loss of all their property and the means of assisting their families. " Cai)tain Macdonell afterwards held a company in the Canadian Volunteers, of which his elder brother, before mentioned, was Colonel ; but that also l)eing disbanded, and he not having rank in the army, he is literally left destitute after a service of twenty-six years — for I countersigned his commission as Lieutenant twenty- three years ago. Thus a valuable officer is lost to himself and to the service, whose abilities either in a civil or a military capacity, particularly in Canada, where his knowledge of the French language, the customs and manners of the people, and of the interests of the Indian nation, might be turned to good account, while the services and sufferings of a very deserving officer would be rewarded. " I have the honour to be, dear sir, " Your very obedient and humble servant, " R. Mathews. " Edward Cooke, Esq." Such statements emanating from one who had so long been on the staff of Sir Guy Carleton (Lord Dorchester) constitute high praise indeed, and are indisputable proof of the loyalty and merit of the Glengarry men. Colonel Mathews and that eminent essayist, Mr. George Sandfield Macdonald, do not appear to agree, but I venture to suggest that the former is probably the better authority of the two as regards the United Empire Loyalists. Psychological and sociological research and disquisition is evidently Mr. George Sand- field Macdonald's forte. He had better follow John Richard Green in that field, and leave the " humble and ignorant" Highlanders alone or confine himself to " individuals of distinction." The descendants of " the people'' will preserve the memories and deeds of their own forbears and write their history. Lord Camden, then Colonial Secretary, writing to Lieutenant- Governor Hunter, under date Downing Street, 2nd August, 1804, states ; * * * u ^ y^.|.y favourable representation having been made to me by General Simcoe of the merits and services of Cap- tain Hugh Macdonell, who was formerly appointed Adjutant-General of the Militia Forces in Upper Canada, and who appears to have received, up to the 1st Jane, 1795, only, the pay intended to iuive been allowed to him, I am to authorize you to issue to him or his agent from the date above si^ecified until your arrival in Canada in 1799, wlien his services as .-Vdjatant-Cjcncral appear to have been regularly dispensed with, an allowance at the rate of five shillings per day." After the close of the Revolutionary War, and previous to the raising of the R. C. V., Mr. Macdonell was Surveyor of the Eastern District of Upper Canada, and surveyed, I believe, the greater portion of it, including the County of Glengarry. After his death, his widow prepared a statement of his services in Canada, from which I take the following extract : — " * * It was universally known that the settlement of Upper Canada was originally a matter resorted to on the cessation of tlie hostilities with the United States, consequent on the extensive reduction in the army which took place on that event, the Govern- ment granting portions of land proportioned to respective grades — on which occasion Mr. Macdonell was allotted five hundred acres as a reduced Lieutenant on half-pay. Subsequently a more liberal allow- ance was extended to the ofticers, by which he became .entitled to one thousand five hundred acres more, which grant, from inadvertence, was deferred and finally was never located, although he was Surveyor to the Eastern District of the Province, and in virtue of which the duty of the assignment of land to those entitled devolved ujjon iiim. •' The Government under the anxious desire of conciliating the the (Lower) Canadian gentry to their rather recent condition of British subjects, authorized Lord Dorchester, the Governor and io8 Captain-General of the Canadas, to raise a certain force as an expedient. His Lordship committed this service to Mr. Macdonell's elder brother, the officci-a being selected from half-pay native Canadians. Two Battalions were within a reasonable time embodied, in one of which Mr. Macdonell was Senior Captain. This levy, destined for the service and security of the Canadas and other colonial possessions in British North America, volunteered to extend their services to any quarter where they might be deemed to be most available, and had existed for a period of about eight years, until the measure of the Treaty of Amiens was compassed, wlien this force, which was always considered to be intended to be permanent, was, to the astonishment of all and indignation of many, included in the reduction of the army which followed that event, without conferring rank, half-]my or any remuneration whatsoever on the unfortunate officers, by which narrow policy and unlucky jjarsimony the case that was meant to be propitiated became on the contrary more deeply aggrevated. " Having abandoned the pursuits and occupations that he held previously to joining the lately-reduced Corps, considering them to be incomjjalible with his new position, he parted with a valuable water mill property to satisfy a considerable claim upon him in consequence of having become security for an individual who failed in his engagomenls — in short, he parted with whatever property he might have renuiinccl [jossessed of, and detemiined to move from a country where his lot had been so singularly unprosperous, and with what he considered his incontestable claim for employment, he repaired to London. He was about to be satisfied with a lieutenancy in the Fusiliers when the extreme benignity of His Royal Highness the Duke of Ke it saved him from the mortitication of having again to enter the army in the grade of subaltern by obtaining for him the appointment of Assistant Commissary General within his own gov- ernment (Gibraltar). He continued in this department till he was, still through the protection of his Royal benefactor, called uj^on to repair to Algiers. " I have entered into a tedious detail of matters personal to my late husband solely to establish that his absence from Canada while engaged in the i)ublic service ought not surely to be considered pre- judicial to any claims he might have pending in that country. '* I might further add, without grounding any pretensions on it, that Mr. Macdonell had a younger brother, Lieut.-Col. Chichester jNLacdonell, who died in Lidia while in command of the 34th Re- giment, who was entitl'^'l to an equal grant of land with himself, and which he firmly believed was never located — if any part, certainly not to the extent of the second allotment. Further, to obviate all doubt that might arise respecting the perfect authenticity of my children's claims, I have to state that Mr. Macdonell was a Member for the first Riding of the County of Glengarry of the first House of Assembly of which his elder brother was Speaker and that he was ap- 109 pointed by General Simcoe, Lieutenant-Governor of the Province, to the post of Adjutant-(ieneral of the Militia Station, to which from relative circumstances he attached some moment, the number of troops assigned for the service of Upper Canada being necessarily limited." Captain Hugh Macdonell's subsequent career is so interesting and so well worth recording that I venture shortly to digress with that object. Colonel Playfair, H. M. Consul-General at Algiers, in his annals of British relations with Algiers, entitled " The Scourge of Christendom," states that Mr, Macdonell began his career in 1778 as an Ensign in the King's Royal Regiment of New York, and that he rose to be Adjutant-General of the Province of Upper Canada ; that in 1805 he was ai)pointed Assistant Commissary-General at Gibraltar. In 1810 he with Lord Cochrane, K. B., and Captain Harding, R. E., was sent to Algiers to inspect and report ui)on La Calle, and in 181 1 Mr. Macdonell, under the patronage of the Duke of Kent, was sent as Consul-General to Algiers, whore at the hands of the infamous Dey he suffered the greatest hardships and privatinos the lives of himself and his family being in almost constant jeopardy, and he not infrequently imprisoned. It was necessary lor Lord Exmouth, then in commaiid of the Mediterranean fleet, to bombard Algiers in order to procure his release in August, 18 16. Having effected his purpose and before resigning his command. Lord Exmouth publicly thanked Mr. Macdonell as follows : — " I cannot deny myself the satisfaction of offering you my public thanks foj; the assistance I have received from your activity and intelligence in my late negotiations with the Regency of Algiers, and more esjiecially for U>e manly firmness you have displayed throughout all the violence and embarassments occasioned by the late discussions, of which it will afford me sincere pleasure to bear testimony to His Majesty's Ministers on my return to England." The plague, which had broken out in 18 17, spread rapidly throughout the country. The Dey continued to send out plague- stricken cruisers against vessels of Prussia and the Hanse Town especially, but they visited those of every other nation and thus spread the contagion all over the Mediterranean. He had a fiendish delight in thus propagating the fell disease, and he even on one occasion attempted the life of Mr. Macdonell by causing a wretch who had it to cast a cloak on the Consul's shoulders. Retribution no however, speedily overtook him, and he died of it himself on March I, i8i8.(i) His successor, Hussein bin Hassan, took immediate steps to hasten the equipment of Algerine cruisers, but he yielded to the representations of the British Government that they should not be sent forth during the continuance of the plague. The average number of deaths from the plague was fifty daily. It was computed that 16,000 souls had died of it in Algiers, while Constantina, Bona and Blidah were almost depopulated. (2) Mr. Macdonell continued as Consul at Algiers until 1820, when he was pensioned by the British Government. Colonel Playfair states of Mr. Macdonell : " For many years he had rendered excellent service to the state. The Duke of Kent always entertained the highest opinion of his cliaracter and abilities, and maintained a constant personal correspondence with him." A letter written by Lieutenant-Colonel Harvey contains a most flattering testimony of his worth : " His Royal Highness has always understood from those wlio have had occasion to be acquainted with his proceedings at Algiers that his conduct has invariably met with the highest approbation of Government for the judgment and firmness lie lias evinced in the most trying moments, a circumstance peculiarly gratifying to the Duke, who reflects with picas. ire upon his being the first who brought him forward." After Mr. MacdoneU's death, his widow (his second wife, who wa-i a daughter of Admiral Ulrich, Danish Consal Gj ural at Algiers) married the Duke de Talleyrand-Perigord, and died at Florence in 1870 at a very advanced age. • Mr. Macdoiieli's two sons — General Sir Alexander Macdonell, K.C.B., Colonel-Commandant of the Prince Consort's Own Rifle Brigade, and Mr. Hugh Guion Macdonell, C.B., C.M.G., Her Majesty's Minister Plenipotentiary and Envoy-Extraordinary to the King of Denmark — still survive. It is gratifying to find that the sons of a gentleman who first represented the County of Glengarry in Parliament have risen to the highest preferment in the militiary and diplomatic services. (3) Hart's Army List gives Sir Alexander Macdonell's distinguished career as follows : — (i) Playfair, page 284. (ji Idem. K po (3I Sir Alexander Macdonell died since the above was writte:., at Carshalton, Surrey, 'ngland, on the 30th April, 1891, The '" London Ulustrated News " of May j^th cont.iins his oitr.iit aid u sketch ol his career. Ill "SecoTid LieutenaTit, 23 June, 1837 > Lieutenant. May 11, 184! ; Captain, 24 October 1845; Brevet Major, 12 December, 1854; Major, 22 Decenil)er, 1854; Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel, 17 July, 1855; T.ieutcnant-Colonel, i June, 1857; Colonel, 20 July, 1858; Major-Cleneral, 5 March, 1868 ; Lieutenant-Gcnerai, i October, 1877; 'General, i April, 1882 ; Colonel-Commandant Uitle Brigade, 24 January, 1886. "Served with the Ritle Brigade in the Kaffir War of 1846-7 [medal], also throughout the Eastern Campaign of 1854 as Aidc-de- Cani]) to Sir (ieorge Brown, and present at the affair of Bulganac, 'ca])ture of Balaklava and Battles of Alma and Inkennan. Com- manded the 2iid Battalion from May, 1855, to the Fall of SebastopoK including the defence of the Quarries on 7 Jime and assaults of the Redan on 18 June and 8 Sejit. [medal %vith three clasps, brevets of Major and Lieutenant-Cf)lonel,C.B., Knight of the Legion of Honour, Sardinian and Turkish medals, and 5th class of the Modjidie] "Commanded the ,^rd Battalion during the Indian Mutiny, in- cluding the Skirmish of Secundra, Siege and Capture of Lucknow and subsetjucnt opeintions [brevet of Colonel, medal with c!as])]. Also served in the campaign on thi- Northwest Fronder of India in 1864 [medal]. " Commanded the Kxpedition against the Mohmund tribes in i86,v4 [medal with ckispl." I 1 this Regiment (th-.' i'rince C'jnsort's Own Ritle Brigade), in which Si' .Vl'jK.indvT Maodonel! is iiow Colonel-Commandant, and of wliidi His Roy;'.' Highness the Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, K.( ;.. is Coloi.el-ii; ( 'hief — amither officer, a native of this country, and •:ion ot a gentleman whose name will ever be held in grateful remem- brance by all Canadians, has attained high rank. I refer to Colonel C. W. Robinson, C. B., now Assistant Military Secretary at the Horse Guards. Colonel Robinson is the youngest son of the late Sir John Beverley Robinson, Bart., for many years the eminent Chief-Justice of Upper Canada, and a brother of the Honourable John Beverley Robinson, recently Lieutenant-Governor of this Province. This is not the first time these names have been associated ; both gentlemen are descendants of Loyalist officers of the Revolutionary War, Sir Alexander Macdonell, as we have seen, being a son of an officer in the King's Royal Regiment of New York, and Colonel Robinson the grandson of Chistopher Robinson, who was an Ensign in the Queen's Rangers in the same War, and both of whom held seats in the earlier Parliaments of Upper Canada. Again, Mr. (afterwards Sir John) Robinson, at the time a student in the office of Colonel John Macdonell (Greenfield), who was then Attorney-General of Upper Canada, was a Lieiiteriant in the York Volunteers, and jjrescnt with Colonel Macdonell at the Capture of Detroit and the Battle of Queenston Heights, where Sir Isaac Brock and Colonel Nfacdonell fell, and he was one of the pall-bearers of the latter when the remains of General Brock and his Aide de-Camp were interred after' the dearly-bought victory then achieved. It is a soinewhat strange fact that the i)resent Sir Alexander Macdonell should be a first cousin of the then mjmlx;r for Glengarry, Colonel Macdoneil,who was killed seventy-seven long years ago, "while gal- lantly charging up the hill with the hereditary courage of his race," as Sir Isaac Brock's f)tographer states of him, " Wounded in (our places, and with a bullet having passed completely through his lx)dy." (i) Perhaps here I may nrjntion that Mr. John Beverley Robinson, the recent Lieutenant-Governor, was one of those who strongly urged me to attempt the task I have now undertaken, ot writing a sketch of the early history of our County on the ground, as he wrote me, that *' the history of Glengarry is a proud record of most valuable services rendered to the country in early times, when the men of that County made its name famous in War and Peace." The youngest son of Mr. Hugh Macdonell, M. P. for Glengarry, Mr. Hugh Guion Macdonell, at the age of i6, also obtained a commission in the same distinguished Regiment as his brother, the Rifle Brigade, and served on the Cape Frontier, where he contracted a severe rheumatic fever, which precluded him from joining his Regiment in the Crimea. He was then obliged to enter the diplo- mitic service, in which his career has been as follows : — " Was appointed attache at Florence, February 8, 1854 ; passed an examination for a paid attacheship, October 27, 1858; was ap- pointed paid attache at Washington, November 23, 1858 ; at Con- stantinople, December 13, 1858 ; fourth paid attache there, Decem- ber 31, 1859, and third paid attache, November 24, 1869. Was appointed a second secretary, October i, 1862; was transferred to Rio de Janeiro, August 10, 1865 (but did not proceed thither), and to Copenhagen, July 24, 1866. Was promoted to be Secretary of Legation at Buenos Ayres, April 9, 1869, where he was Acting Charge d'Affaires from December 12, 1869, till December 15, 1872. Was transferred to Madrid, October 26, 1872, where he was Acting Charge d'Affaires from June 26 to October 6, 1873, and from June 24 till September 25, 1874. Was promoted to be Secretary of Em- bassy at Berlin, January 15, 1875, where he was Acting Charge d'Af- (1) Tupper's " Life of Sir Isaac Brock," page 332. »»3 f aires from August 4 till September 13, 1875 ; ^^^^ J^^^ 26 till July 15, 1876 ; from August 4 till September 4, 1876 ; from May 31 till July 3, 1877 ; and from September 26 till November 24, 1877. Was transferred to Rome, May 6, 1878, where he was Acting Charge d'Affaires from July 7 till October 29, 1878 ; from August 23 till September 27, 1879; from July 19 till October 23, 1880 ; from April 23 till May 2, 1881 ; and from July 28 till September 28, 1881. Was promoted to be Charge d'Affixires at Munich, February 23, 1882, and to be Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the Emperor of Brazil, November 5, 1885. Transferred in the same capacity to the King of Denmark, February i, 1889." The daughters of Mr. Hugh Macdonell (the member for Glen- garry) were married to Mr. Holstein, who succeeded Admiral Ulrich as Danish Consul-General at Algiers ; General Sir Robert Wynyard, Military-Governor of the Cape of Good Hope ; General Sir George Brown, who commanded the I^ight Division in the Crimea War, and was Adjutant-General of the Forces; Captain Buck, Royal Navy; Viscount Aquado ; Captain Cumberland, F'orty-Second Royal High- landers ; and Don Augusto Conte, late Spanish Ambassador in Vienna. Another daughter was a religieuse ot the Order of the Sacred Heart. A brother of Colonel John Macdonell and Mr. Hugh Mac- donell was Lieutenant-Colonel Chichester Macdonell, who also was a Loyalist Officer in the Revolutionary War, having com;nenced his military career as a Second Lieutenant in Butler's Rangers. He did not remain in Canada on the conclusion of that War, but continued in the service and became successively Lieutenant-Colonel of the Eighty-Second and Thirty-Fourth Regiments of Foot. He served under Sir John Moore at Corunna and died on service in India. After his death, a medal having been struck for Corunna, a gold medal was transmitted to his family by direction of the Prince Regent to be deposited with them " as a token of the respect which His Royal Highness entertained for the memory of that officer." Mr. Hugh Macdonell, the British Minister at Copenhagen, had the kindness and courtesy to send me the original letter from H. R. H. the Duke of York, Commander-in-Chief, enclosing his uncle's medal. It is a coincidence that it should be from the same illustrious personage as another in my possession forwarding another gold medal (to my grandfather) for the Capture of Detroit, to be deposited with his family, " as a token of the respect which His Majesty (t4 entertained for the memory of Lieutenant-Colonel Johrr Macdoiiell," who was killed with Brock at (^ueenston Heights, and who was a nephew of Colonel Chichester. Still another of their relatives, Sir James Macdonell, C»lci>garry's brother, " the stalwart and indomit- able defender of Hougounwnt," "the Ixravest man in Ikitain," had another of these hard-earned Ixit glorious tokens of tl>e Sovereign's, approbation and their country's gratitude, while Colonel George Macdonell, of the Glengarry Fencibles, another relative and clans- man, was awarded one of the two gold medals given for Chateauguay, De Salal)erry getting the other. A »ister of the foregoing gentlemen had been married in Scotland tO' .Alexander Macdonell of Greenfield Irefore either of the families came to this country, and was the mother of I^eutenant-Colorkel Duncan Macdonell of Greenfield, Lieutenant-Colonel John .Macdonell, and Lieutenant-Colonel Donald Greenfield Macdonell — the two latter of whom lx)Lh afterwards represented the County of Glengarry in Parlia- ment, and all of whom, togetherwith their father and relatives innumer- able, did their fliir share of fighting in perilous times not far distant. Another sister was married to Captain (afterwards General) Wilkinson, and a third to Captain (afterwards General) Ross, and brother of Field Marshal Ross. Still another of the Loyalist officers who represented the County was Alexander Macdonell (Collachie). This gentleman was born at Fort Augustus, in Glengarry, Scotland, in 1762, and was a son of Mr. Allan Macdonell, whose name is appended with that of Sir John Johnson to the various negotiations with the American General Schuyler before hostilities actually took place in the ill-fated Valley of the Mohawk in 1776, and who appears to have been commissioned to speak more particularly on behalf of the Scotch inhabitants of that district. His father was one of the six prisoners taken by General Schuyler on the 19th January of that year, together with two of his nephews, it being previously agreed that " all due defer- ence should he paid to their rank, and that being gentlemen they should be permitted to wear their side arms." They were sent to Lancaster in Pennsylvania, and were detained during the greater portion of the continuance of hostilities. Mr. Alexander Macdonell's mother was a daughter of the Chief of Mac Nab, and, hke most of the Scotch women of that day, made of good stuff. She, too, was eventually taken prisoner, as was Lady Johnson. From her place of ** "5 captivity at Schenectady, whither she was taken with her two daugh- ters, she wrote to her son on learning that he had, though too young for a commission, joined her Sovereign's forces as a volunteer, ex- horting him to be brave and " never to forget that all the blood in his veins was that of a Highland gentleman " — much the same sentiment as was in Praed's mind when he wrote : Fight as your fathers fought, Fall as your fathers fell ; Thy task is taught ; thy shroud is wrought — So, Forward and Farewell ! Mrs. Macdonell managed to effect her escape from her place of imprisonment in 1780, and made her way to New York, which was then in possession of the British forces. An interesting letter of hers, written before she was taken pri- soner and when, her husband being prisoner of war, she appears to have been left in charge of the settlement and such of the men as had not already accompanied Sir John Johnson to Canada, is given in a book lately published at Albany, " The Orderly liook ol Sir John Johnson " : "CoLLACHiE, 15th March, 1777, " Sir, " Some time ago I wrote you a letter much to this purpose con- cerning the inhabitants of this bush being made prisoners. There was no such thing then in agitation as you were pleased to observe in your letter to me this morning. Mr. Billie Laird came among the people to give them warning to go in to sign and swear. To this they will never consent, being already prisoners of General Schuyler. His Excellency was pleased by your proclamation directing every one of them to return to their farms, and that they should be no more troubled nor molested during the war. To this they agreed, and have not done anything against the country, nor intend to if left alone. If not, they will lose their lives before being taken prisoners again. They begged of me the favour to write to Major Fonda and the gen- tlemen of the committee to this purpose. They blame neither the one nor the other of you gentlemen, but those ill-natured fellows amongst them that got up an excitement about nothing in order to ingratiate themselves in your favour. They were of very great hurt to your cause since May last, through violence and ignorance. I do not know what the cause would have been to them long ago if not prevented. Only think what daily provocation does ! Jenny joins me in compliments to Mrs. Fonda. " I am, sir, '^Your humble servant, " Helen Macdonell." n6 Mr. Alcxaiulcr M.icduncll served as a cadet under Sir John Juhnsou at the Attack ii})on I'ort Schuyler, tlie Hattle of (Jriskany and in most of the severe skirmishes which took place in the Valley of the Mohawk in 1777. In 1778, being then sixteen years of age, he was appointed to an i;nsigncy in the Second Battalion of the Royal Highland Emigrant Regiment (Eighty- Fourth), and was pre- sent at the J3attle of Monmouth, and served under Cieneral Clinton at Philadelphia until that city was evacuated by the British forces, who retired to New York. Mr. Macdonell ihere received his lieu- tenancy. He was made the bearer of despatches from Sir Henry Clinton to General Haldinund, commanding in Canada. From New York he proceeded to Rhode Island, thence making his way via Lakes George and Champlain to Canada, principally on foot. Shortly after his arrival, he was transferred to Butler's Rangers, with which he remained on active service until the close of the War, when he was placed on half-pay. When General Simcoe was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada in 1792, he appointed Mr. Macdonell — who had been favouraI)ly known to him during his ser- vice in the army — Sheriff of the Home District, whicli included the ])resent Counties of Northumberland, Durham, Ontario, York, Halton, Peel, Simcoe and others. Upon the removal of the seat of Government from Newark to York in 1797, he went to reside in the latter place, and continued to be Sheriff of the Home District until 1805. From 1805 to 181 2 Mr. Macdonell acted as agent for Lord Selkirk in superintending his settlement at l^aldoon in the Western District. This settlement was formed by Lord Selkirk subsequent to a similar one he had formed in Prince F'dward Island for the purpose of benefitting his Highland fellow-countrymen. Mr. Macdonell represented the County of Glengarry in several of the earlier Parliaments, and in 1804 was elected Speaker of the House of Assembly of the Province. When war was declared in 18 12, he hastened to return to Can- ada from London, whither he had gone on private affairs, was gazet- ted Colonel of Militia and appointed Assistant Paymaster-General to the Militia Force. At the Capture of Niagara by the Americans on May 26, 18 13, he was made jjrisoner of war, and sent to Lancaster in Pennsylvania, where he was detained until the close of the War. It happened, singularly enough, that he was then imprisoned in the same place in "7 the same town in which his father (who in early life had fought with Prince Charlie at Culloden) had previously been kept prisoner in conse(iuence of his stern loyalty to the British Crown in the Revolu- tionary War of 1776, so that this family had their fair sliare of suf- ferings and hardships. On the conclusion of the War, and the consequent disbandment of the various liegiments, many of the men entitled to land were settled by the Government on the waste lands of the Crown through- out the Province, and especially in the neighbourhood of Perth, and Mr. Macdonell was appointed Superintendent of the settlement. The officers of the Department for Settlers in Upper Canada were as follows : — Superintendent — .Alexander Macdonell, Esquire. Deputy Superintendent — D. McGregor Rogers. Secretary and Store-keeper — Daniel Duverne. Officers in charge — Captain Richard Bullock, senior ; Lieuten- ant Angus Macdonell, Lieutenant Mclver. Surgeon — John Caldwell. Subsequently in 1816 he was appointed Assistant Secretary of the Indian Department, on accepting which, it being an Imperial appointment, he forfeited his half-pay whicii he had received since the disbandment of Butler's Rangers. The Honourable Alexander Macdonell was subsequently for many years a member of the Legislative Council of Upper Canada, and died in Toronto on 14th March, 1842, full of years and the esteem of all good men. The people of Glengarry can thus point with some degree of pride to the services rendered to, and the sacrifices made for the country by this gentleman, whom their fathers deservedly entrusted with the representation of their franchises when representative gov- ernment was in its infancy in this Province. Of his brothers, Angus Macdonell, also of course a Highland Loyalist, was the first Clerk of the Legislative Assembly in 1792, and was one of the earliest barristers of Upper Canada, and Trea- surer of the Law Society of Upper Canada from 1801 to 1804. He was Member for Durham, Simcoe and the East Riding of York in the Legislature. He was drowned, with Judge Cochrane, the Solici- ii8 tor-General, Robert Isaac Dey Gray and all other passengers on the vessel " Speedy," on October 7th, 1804. The youngest brother, James Macdonell, was a Captain in the Forty-Third Light Infantry, who died while on service in the West Indies. He, with others of the Highland Loyalist officers, was hon- oured with the patronage of the Duke of Kent. Writing to his brother, from Montreal, 5th May, 1795, he states : " I am now just readie to quit this place for Quebec, on my way to the regiment. The number of people His Royal Highness has lately provided for, and his kind expressions to myself, leave me no room to doubt but he will continue his goodness to me." 119 CHAPTER 11. The Reverend John Bethune, First Presbyterian Minister. — Chaplain First Battalion Eighty-Fourth Regiment. — Minister of St. Gabriel Presbyterian Church, Mont- real. — Removes to Glengarry. — His Death in 1815. — His Sons. — Bishop Stachan's School at Cornwall. — The Reverend Roderick Macdonell (Leek), First Catho- lic Priest. — Letter from Lord Sydney, Secretary of State, to Lieutenant-Governor Hamilton, Introducing Him. — Knoydart Emigration to Glengarry, 1786. — Other Early Settlers in the County. Among the first settlers of the County, few names have come down to us of men who in their day were held in greater or more deserved estimation than the Reverend John Bethune, and although the connection which existed between his family and the County has been severed for many years, yet .so intimate was the association in early days that any record of those days would be incomplete which did not make some mention, however imperfect, of this learned and worthy divine. As all relating to Mr. Bethune, who was the first and for many years the only Minister of the Kirk of Scotland, not only in Glen- garry but in Upper Canada, must necessarily be of interest to many, I may mention that that gentleman was born in the Isle of Skye in 1 751. The family trace their lineage very far back in Scotch and French historical records. The first of the name who left Normandy for the British Isles came to Scotland in the reign of Malcolm III,, a contemporary of William the Conqueror, in the eleventh century. Many men famous in Scotch history belonged to this family, among whom may be mentioned Cardinal Beaton (the name is frequently 120 Jpefled and pronounced in this way), and Archbishop Bethane of Glasgow. The Reverend Robert Campbell, in his book, which contains so much that is of interest connected with t.ie early settlement of the country, " History of the Scotch Presbyterian Church, St. Gabriel Street, Montreal," mentions that Mr. Bethune had been Chaplain to the Royal Militia in North Carolina, was taken prisoner and con- fined in gaol by the RevoKitianists. He obtained his release from the hands of the rebels at the outbreak of the Revolutionary War owing to an exchange of prisoners which took place, and made his Way to the steadfast Province of Nova Scotia, residing for the tim? at Halifax, taking almost immediately thereafter an active part in organizing the Eighty-Fourth or Royal Highland Emigrant Regi- ment, of which a"i acccfunt is given in another place (i), and in Which he Was appointed Chaplain to the First Battalion. When that Regiment was disbanded, the United Empire Loyalists and others of the Presbyterian faith in Montreal, naturally rallied around Mr. Bethune when he proposed to organize a Presbyter- ian congregation there. Nor was the assistance which he received confined to those of his faith alone, Mr. Campbell stating that many Highland Catholics, and some who belonged to the Epis- copal Church as well, with characteristic high feeling and national pride, open-handed as they were brave and pati -nt in enduring hard- ships suffered for conscience sake, generously responded to the appeal of their fellow-countryman, and subscribed according to their fneans to the building fund of St. Gabriel's Church, of which Mr. Bethune Was the founder, and in which he preached to his small but interesting congregation until May 6th, 1787. Mr. Bethune had however, received the grant of land appor- tioned to his rank in the army — 3,000 acres, the same as a captain —and it being located iti Glengarry, and having a growing family to provide for, each of whom, on arriving at age, would also be entitled to an allotment of two hundred acres, removed to Williamstown, then the leading settlement in Glengarry ; but though he went to re- side upon his property, he did not forget his ministerial vows, but resumed professional work in the new sphere to which Providence had led him. He was a faithful and zealous missionary, and to this (i) Ante, p.p. sa-56. tfil day the fruits of his vigour and efficiency rertiain in the large attd prosperous congregations organized by him not only in Williams' town, but in Martintown, Cornwall and Lancaster. He baptized al- together 2,379 persons during his ministry in Glengarry. His wife was a lady of Swiss birth, Veronica Wadden, and together they struggled bravely against poverty and privations manifold incidental to life in the bush, " having little more to live upon than his half-pay as a retired Chaplain," and brought up their large family of six sons and three daughters, instilling into their minds high principles, and im- parting to them that culture which, emanating from so many Scottish manses, has led on clergymen's sons to distinction and honour. His patriotism, of which he had given such striking proof in his youth, grew with his advancing life and heli>ed to deepen in the whole district the loyalty which has ever characterized the men of Glengarry. His name is found second on the list on the loyal ad- dress presented to Sir Gordon Drummond, President of the Province of Upper Canada, on the 2ist December, 1814, at the conclusion of the Second American War, Mr. Alexander (afterwards the Bishop) Mac- donell's name being first. The mention of Bishop Macdonell's name suggested to Mr. Campbell an interesting incident of those days, illustrative of the kindly sentiments which the Gaelic-speaking people of Glengarry, Protestant and Roman Catholic, cherished towards each other. Some dispute had arisen between Mr. Bethune and his parishoners, as still sometimes happens in the best regulated congregations, which they failed to settle by themselves. The happy tiiought occurred to some one to submit the difhculty in question to Bishop Macdonell, their respected Catholic neighbour at St. Raphaels, and this course was mutually agreed on. After the hearing of parties, the Bishop, who might be expected to give the benefit of the doubt to his Protestant confrere, by way of upholding the principle of authority, not only gave judgment in his favour, but gave the people a good lecture on the duty of respect and obedience which they owed their ecclesiastical superior, which exhortation the congregation received in good part, and the breach between them and their pastor was healed. In addition to this instance of the utter absence of intolerance, I may mention that in cases of emergency the Bishop was often sent for to administer consolation to dying neighbours not of his faith, but who, unable to procure their own minister in time, wanted his prayers, which he could offer up in the beloved Gaelic, 122 which he spoke as well as English — better indeed, for it was his mother tongue. These evidences of regard and confidence natural- ly greatly gratified the Bishop, who used to declare that he knew lots of good Protestant prayers. Mr. Campbell mentions as another illustration of the relations subsisting in those days that the Church of the RecoUet Fathers in Montreal was placed by the priests at the disposal of the Presbyterians in 1791 until their own church on St. Gabriel's Street was completed, and that they gladly accepted of this hospitality, and their sacraments were administered in it, the Priests " declining to accept of any compensation by way of rent, but were induced to accept as a present from the congregation two hogsheads of Spanish wine and a box of candles, quainting express- ing themselves as being 'quite thankful for the same.' " Mr. Bethune died on the 23rd September, 1815, deeply regretted by the community among whom he had lived and laboured so long, the Montreal " Gazette " remarking at the time of his death, in a highly eulogistic obituary notice, that he was a man remarkable for the mildness and agreeableness of his manners, but at no time deficient in that spirit which h requisite for the support of a Christian and a gentleman, understanding what was due to the powers that be without losing sight of that respect which was due to himself, while the position held by his family in societv proved that as a husband and a father he must be numbered among those who had done their duty well. A tablet with an inscription commemorative of his excellence in the various relations of life, admirable for the delicacy yet warmth of respect and tenderness of affection which it breathes, was erected to his memory in the Church at Williamstown by his six sons, Angus, Norman, John, James, Alexander and Donald. It is a proper and most excellent tribute to the memory and virtues of a gentleman by those who themselves were gentlemen, and is creditable to both alike. Among his dons were two who subsequently gained high rank in the English Church, the Very Reverend John Bethune, who became Dean oi i»Iontreal, and the Right Reverend Alexander Neil Bethune, D. D., who succeeded the Honourable and Right Reverend John Strachan as second Anglican Bishop of Toronto. It is a strange coincidence that both Bishop Strachan and Bishop Bethune, who 123 rose to such eminence in the English Church, should both originally have been Presbyterians, and both have begun life in Canada in the immediate vicinity of Glengarry and amongst its people, (i) Mr. Strachan's school in Cornwall was an unequalled seminary in its day. It was a school for Protestants and Catholics alike, where not only were their minds improved and an education given such as enabled those who were fortunate enough to partake of it to achieve in after life the highest positions in the gift of the country, but where were also impressed upon them those sound and loyal principles which actuated the Bishop himself throughout his life, to the great advantage of the country, which benefited by his eminent services not only as a divine but as a patriot whose cloth alone, like his friend and compeer of the Catholic faith, forbade in time of greatest danger his also being a soldier. But if he could not be a soldier his pupils were, and from the Cornwall School there graduated a long list of men who distin" guished themselves as much in early life in the War of 1812 as they did afterwards in time of peace at the Bar, on the Bench and in all the learned professions and other walks of life. It is needless to say that such of the families in Glengarry whose means permitted had their sons educated by Mr. Strachan. Mr. A. N. Bethune, amongst others, was a pupil, and afterwards when Mr. Strachan removed to York, as he did, I believe, at the request of General Brock, joined him there as classical tutor, and subsequently studied divinity under him, was admitted to Deacon's orders, and in 1824 ordained Priest by Bishop Mountain at Quebec. He was subsequently appointed Coadjutor to Bishop Strachan in 1867 with right of succession, and died in Toronto in 1879. At the close of the Revolutionary War, such of the soldiers who were married, and had not already brought iheir wives and families to Canada, returned to the Mohawk Valley for them. Great indeed, almost surpassing our conception, were the trials and privations of the women, many of them bearing their children on (i) Archdeacon John Stuart, D.D., the first Minister of the Church of England in Upper Canada, whom Dr. Strnch.in succeeded as Archdeacon, was also a Chaplain in a U. E. Loyalist Reeiment (2nd Battalion King's Roval Regiment of New York), and, strangely enough, like Bishop Strachan and Bishop Bethune, he too was the son of parents who belonged to the Church of Scotland. I have seen a MS. account of his life written by the Archdeacon himself, in which he states that his entry into the Anglican ministry w;is resolutely opposed by his f ither, who was a most strict Presbyterian and most tenacious of his opinions It was many ye.irs before he gave Ills consent to his son's studying for the Knglish Church. Archdeacm Stu.art was the father and Sandf.ilher of a number of men who have graced public life and the Bemh in the Province ot wer • '.in ida, and whose services have been justly recognized and rewar led by the Crown. The social life of the two Province* has been dignified and adorned by the several generations of the families of the Stuarts, Bethunes and Strachans, 124 their backs a good part of the distance, for the men had to carry with them their arms and such of their household goods as they could. They had to endure jierils by land and perils by water — in daily risk of death from hostile Indians and wild beasts, and those who had successfully revolted and held these " Tories " as accursed things-— their food often being the flesh of horses and dogs, and even the roots of the trees. Little wonder that those who were nurtured by such mothers fought with desperation in 1812, and held in abom- ination the disseminators of republican and revolutionary doctrines whom four regiments from Glengarry turned oul to suppress in 1837-8. A good story is told of one of the old warriors, who, having seen much service, knew well the country from the neighbourhood of Schenectady, where the families lived, and took ciiarge of one of these parties in their journey through the wilderness to Canada, John Roy — -we will call him — lived to a good old age, and was treated with much consideration by all, esi)eciaily those whom he he had led to their homes. As years went on, the number of John's party naturally increased with his years, and the frequency with which he told to the open-mouthed listeners the perils and hardships of the journey. A very distinguished Scottish ofHcer, who had served in Canada for some years, Was returning home, and, passing through Glengarry, spent a few days with Bishop Macdonell, then the priest at St. Raphael's. He told the Bishoj) he would like to meet some of the old veterans of the War, so that he might hear their tales and tell his and their friends in Scotland how their kins- folk in Canada had fought and suffered for the Crown in that lar-off land. Amongst others, the Bishop took him to see old John Roy. That was too good an opportunity to be lost, and John told the General in Gaelic the whole story, omitting no details — the number of men, women and children he had brought with him, their perils and their escapes, their hardships borne with heroic devotion ; how, when on "he verge of starvation, they had boiled their mocassins and eaten them; how they had encountered the enemy, the wild beasts and Indians, beaten all off and landed safely in Glengarry. The General listened with respectful interest, and at the termination, wishing to say something pleasant, observed it was most wonderful. ■• Mr. Macdonell," he remarked, " the only instance I know that I cai. at all compare it to is that of Moses leading the children of Israel mmsmKiSsi »2S in to the Promised Land." Up jumped old John. " Moses," said he, " compare me to Moses ! Moses be d ! He lost half his army in the Red Sea, and I brought my jiarty through without los- ing one man !" I tell the tale as it was told to me. I am not responsible for the accuracy of the charge against Moses. Immediately after their settlement in Glengarry, those of the Catholic persuasion took steps towards procuring the services of a clergyman of their faith, and one acquainted with their language, many of them knowing no word of English. Representations were therefore made to Mr. Roderick Macdonell, who was a brother of Captains Archibald and Allan Macdonell (Leek), K.R.R.N.Y., and closely related to others of the officers, and known to and respected by the men, to join them in that capacity. He had, I believe, been educated at the Scots' College at Valodolid, in Spain, where or at Douay (r) most of the gentlemen of the name received their educa- tion in former days, and had ministered to the i)eo[)le of liis native Glengarry previous to his coming to Canada. He therefore placed ■ himself in communication with Lord Sydney, the Secretary of State, who represented the circumstances to the King, the result being that Mr. Roderick Macdonell was sent to Canada with the following let- ter to Lieutenant-Governor Hamilton : — LORD SYDNEY TO LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR HAMILT0N.(2) "Whitehall, 24 June, 1785. "Sir, " Having laid before the King a memorial of Mr. Roderick Macdonell, stating that, at the solicitation of a considerable number of Scots Highlanders and other British subjects of the Roman Catho- lic persuasion, who, prior to the last war, were inhabitants of the back settlements of the Province of New York, and to wliom, in consideration of their loyally and services, lands have been lately assigned in the higher parts of Canada, he is desirous of joiiiinn' them in order to serve them in the capacity of a clergyman, in the humble hope that, on his arrival at their settlement, lie shall be allowed by Government an annual subsistence for the discharge of that duty, I enclose to you the said memorial, and am to signify to you the King's commands that you do permit Mr. Macdonell to join (i) Mr. Shaw, in his " History of Moray," state< that "the Mncdoriells of Glengarry, never, that I know, reformed The gentlemen of that name have their sons e lucatcd in ilu; Scotcti colleges abroad, especially at Douay, and they return home either avowed or concealed Papists." With all respect to Mr. Hhaw, I beg to state that "the gentlemen of that name ' never concealed either their religious or political faith They answer to Clod for the one ;ind to their fellow men for the other, and are on all occasions prepared to justify either or both, thon^li their religious creed, which has been handed down to them since Christianity was first known in the Highlands of Scotland, is their own aflfiir exclusively. (a) Canadian Archives, Scries Q. 24-2, p. 279, 126 the above mentioned settlers and officiate as their clergyman ; and with respect to the allowance to be made to him, I shall take an early opportunity of communicating to you His Majesty's pleasure. " I am, etc., "Sydney." In what part of the County Mr. Roderick was stationed I can- not ascertain. He was for many years stationed at St. Regis, where he died, Mis-iio;iary Priest to the Indian > there. It is possible that place may always have been his head juarters, and the U. E. Loyal- ist settlers, living as we know along tiie oilier side of the .St. Law- rence, that he may and prubably did oftici,ue on both sides of the River, among tiie Indians on tiie one and the Loyalists on the other. Mr. John McLennan, formerly M.P. for Glengarry, in an account of the early settlement of Glengarry, read before the Celtic Society at Montreal in, I believe, 1885, gives some interesting parti- culars regarding some of the settle»"s, which I may be permitted to quote. He mentions that the Grants, McLeans, Murchisons, Roses, Mrs. Bethune (who inherits from the McKays) and others in the Township of Charlottenburgh are all of Loyalist descent. In addition to the Scotch settlers, there were others, though not many in Glengarry, of English, Irish and German descent. Amongst Uiose who came to Lancaster were William and Ralph Falkner, with their families They were originally from Lancashire, and appear to have given the name to the Township. Their descendants con- tinue to occujjy portions of the land granted them adjoining the Vil- lage of Lancaster. Mr. William Falkner had been on the Commis- sion of the Peace in England, and performed the ceremony of marriage during several years, until a clergyman arrived in 1787. On the east side of the Township, the fa:nilies of Curry (Irish), Young (Scotch), and Snider and Cline (Schneider and Klein, German) were allotted land. Mr. McLennan suggests that the two latter were probably of the Hessian soldiers of George III., as well as the family of Summers (Sommer) who settled in the front of Char- ,lottenburgh. Mr. Isaac Curry, born in 1798, now occupying the homestead of his family, states to Mr. McLennan that the colony on the east side of Lancaster planted com and harvested a supply for their first winter, and one of them, Jacob Snider, built a mill. Their wives and children came into Canada by way of Lake Champlain and the Richelieu River. Among the officers who obtained grants of land in Lancaster were Lieutenant (afterwards Lieutenant-Colonel) "7 Sutherland, a Lieutenant K.R.R.N.Y., who ajjpears formerly to have belonged to the Twenty-Sixth Regiment, and Mr. Gunn, who is stated in the U. E. List to have also taken part in the contjiiest of Cana(ia. A grandson of the latter now occupies a pirt of the grant near the Village of Lancaster. Mr. Cliarles Westley, a m.in of education and good position, who left a valuable property in the State of New York, settled on the i)roperty now occupied by his grandson, Who Worthily l»ears the same name. In 1786 Captain John Hay osta!)lis',icd him>elf 01 an arm on the River Raisin, naming the locality " Gleanafeoir" ((rlen of rtay)> Ho lia 1 c ):nj in 1773 fr)m Gle.^frae, Huntly, in Abcrileenshire, to Prince Edward Island. VViien the Revolutionary War broke out, he joined the Eighty- Fourth Regiment, serving until the peace in 1784. He was a Presbyterian, married to a Roman Catholic lady. His son, Mr. John Hay, a well-known veteran of 1812, died not many years since. Another well-known son was the late Very Reverend George Hay, Vicar-General of the Diocese of Kingston, and for many years the highly respected Priest of St. Andrews, County of Stormont. Having endeavoured to show who constituted the U. E. Loyal- ist settlers of Glengarry, I shall now attempt to trace as far as pos' sible the other immigrations previous to the War of 1812. Shortly after the close of the Revolutionary War, in 1786, a large emigration of Highlanders, numbering, I believe, some five hundred souls, took place principally from that part of the Glengarry estates known as Knoydart, under the leadership of the Reverend .\lexander Macdonell, who settled with their clansmen and kinsfolk in Glengarry. The following extract, taken from Neilson's " Quebec Gazette," relates to this immigration : "Quebec, 7th September, 1786. " Arrived ship " McDonald," Captain Robert Stevenson, from Greenock, with emigrants, nearly the whole of a parish in the north of Scotland, who emigrated with their Priest (the Reverend Alexan- der Macdonell, Scotus), and nineteen cabin passengers, together with five hundred and twenty steerage passengers, to better their case. Up to Cataraqui."(i) This Priest was one of the earliest Catholic priests or mission- aries, other than French, in Upper Canada. He was born at Scotus (i) Which was then the present Kingston, know, instead of proceeding further west. They, of course, remained in Glengarry, as we House m fCnoydart, Glengarry, Scotland, in, f believe, 1 750^ We was educated in Prance and ordained priest in Paris in 1778. He* was the founder of the Parish of St. Raphaels, the pioneer parish not only of Glengarry, but of all Uj)i)er Canadi, where he built the first church, known in its day as the " Blue Chapel," and which was succeeded by the |>resen>t large editice erected by li^ishop Macdonelb He died at Lachine, on his way to Montreal on the 24th May, 1803, Previous to his leaving St. Raphaels for Montreal, wliere he hoped to obtain medical aid, he atUiressed the following to the Church VV^ardens of St/ Raphaels : "GeNTI EMKN, " By virtue of the ])oWer invested in me, by the Bishop, as Parish Priest of the Parish of St. Raphael, in the County of (ilen- garry, I do hereby authorise you to act as formerly in every point in regard as Church Wardens, during my absence, and that is if I was present, and until my return back (if it be God's will), to take charge of said Parish, as formerly, and you are to act. agreeable to late regulations laid down in this Parish, by tl'Mi Bisho]j's authority, which established your authority and mine. And as I always and on all occasions, as Church Wardens, never found any of you failing or deficient in any part of your duty, but found you, faithfull, honest and trusty, with the greatest probity and integrity, as well toward the public as myself, I have the strongest assurance of con- fidence that you'll observe this request, for the benefiit of all parties concerned. " Alexander MacDonell, '• Priest. "Glengarry, igfh May, 1803. •' To Angus McDonell, Prin'le. Church Warden ; Donald McDonell, Joiin Kennedy, Malcolm McDougal, Archibald McDonell, Lachlin McKinnon, Donald McDonell, Duncan McDonell, Hugh McDonell, Alexander Fraser, John McDonell and Alex- ander McDonell." The next Priest at St. Raphaels (the predecessor of Mr. Alex- ander, afterwards Bishop, Macdonell) was, as will be seen by the following letter, a Mr. Fitzimmons, an Irish gentleman who came with the following letter from Mr. Roderick Macdonell, the Mission- ary Priest at St. Regis. It was addressed to " Mr. Angus Macdonell(r), Arch-Syndic of the Parish of St. Raphaels," and is now in my possession ; " To the Churchwarrants at St. Raphael : " I have to acquaint you that the Revd. Mr. Fitzimmons has (i) Aogneas Mac Alastair Bhan. \2.) came to this country to serve you as a Pastor, and that he is api)ointed by the Lord lhsho|) of Quebec for your Parisli of St. Raphael. If Mr. iMacdonell arrives this year, it will rest with the IJisliop to app(jint him or not, in tlie meantime you are to receive this gentleman as your lawful pastor, and render him every service in your power. You know that no priest can be a jiastor in any parish, unless he is appointed by the Hishop, and that it entirely depends on the Bisliop to ajjpoiiU any one he ].«leases, liierefore Mr. Fitsimmons, having been duly a|)pointed by the JJishoi) of the Diocese, you are bound and obliged to receive him widi every mark of esteem and attention in your power. Thr liishop will be with you in February, and settle everything respecting your mission. " I remain, " Gentlemen, " Your obedient servant, "R. Macdonell. "St. Regis, I2th .September, 1804." The Priests wiio have been stationed at St. Raphaels from the establishment of the Parish to the present day are as follows : t, Mr. Alexander Macdonell (Scotus), who arrived in 1786 ; 2, the Reverend Mr. Fitzinimons; 3, Mr. Alexander (afterwards Bishop) Macdonell ; 4, Mr. Angus (afterwards Vicar-General) Macdonell ; 5, Mr. John Macdonald, who was afterwards Priest at Alexandria, and died there in May, 1845 ; 6, Mr. John Macdonald, shortly mentioned; 7, the Reverend Mr. Masterson ; 8, the Rev. Mr. Duffus ; 9, tiie Reverend Mr. Kelly, and 10, the present incumbent, the Reverend Mr. Fitzpatnck.(i) Amongst the emigrants from Knoydart was one at\erwards Well known in Glengarry and elsewhere, and whose memory will always be affectionately cherished in the County, the Reverend John Mac- donald, invariably known by the old people as " Mhaister Ian." He Was then but a child of three years of age. His parents, John Mac- donald and Anna McGillis, brought with them two other children, the eldest, /Eneas, being seven years of age at the time. lie also became a priest, and resided for forty years a Professor in the Col- lege of the Gentlemen of the Seminary at Montreal, where he was distinguished for his piety and learning ; a perfect French and Gaelic scholar. He was for many years an ecclesiastic only, being ordained Priest in 1832, during the cholera, when priests were urgently required. They were descended from the Macdonalds of Luibhe, (i) The Rev. Mr. Gaulin {afterwards Bishop of Kingston), and Mr. lafterwards Vicar> General William) Macdonald offici >ted at St. Raphaels as Parish Priests shortly after Bishop Macdonell was elevated to. the Episcopate. trhi'ch in Gaelic signifies a bent arm of the sea. Like many another Highland gentleman, " Mhaister Ian" could trace his genealogy back for six hundred years. He was educated at the Petit Semin- aire, Montreal, and studied divinity in Queljec, where he was ordained in the year 1814. He was for sotne years stationed at Perth, then a new settleirjent, and there, mving to the extent of his parish and the ix)verty of his parishioners, endured great hardship. He died at Lancaster, in (llengarry, on the 16th March, 1879, in the ninety-seventh year of his ago. It would rc'iuire a I>ean Riimsay to do justice to the many excellent stories which are told of this gentleman, distinguished as much for his wit as for his piety. One of his sisters, Catherine Macdouald, a nun, and known in the Order of her Sisterhood as Sainte Pelagic, came from Montreal with another religieuse to St. Raphaels in 1828, with a view of founding a convent there, but found that the then situation of the Parish and surrounding country would not justify it. Lieutenant-Colonel R. C. Macdonald, of the Castle Tioram Regiment of Highlanders, Prince Edward Island, published, in 1843, a pamphlet, entitled " Sketches of Highlanders," with an account of their early arrival in North Arrierica and some of their distinguished military services in the year of 181 2. At page 67 of his work he states : — " The only Chieftains, or heads of families, who came from the Highlands to the Lower Provinces of British America were the Chief- tains of Glenaladale and Keppoch. The history of the former I have already referred to. (i) The latter, the last of the chivalrous Chiefs of Keppoch (Major Macdonell), died in 1808 on Prince Edward Island, leaving no other male representative of the family than one young man, a lieutenant in the army, who was killed in Spain. Thus became extinct in a distant colony the representative of a (i) Colonel Macdonald is not quite correct in stating that (>lenaladale was a chieftain. He was the nead of one of the most respectable families of Clanranald's Clan, in fact the head of the cadet houses of that distinguished ( Ian, and as Colonel Macdonald states, was selected in the minority or incapacity of the chief to be '' Tanister," which in Gaelic signifies the gu >rdian and the one next in rank to the chief. John M.icdonald of Glennladale, who in 1773 sold his property and brought out a ship load of the Clanranald people to Prince Edward Island, was a highly Kspected and distinguished man. He with Major (afterwards 1 lace in the Northwest Territories between his Company and Lord Selkirk's. His murderer was brought down and placed on trial at Montreal and acquitted, but was never seen after leaving the C^oiirt House. Duncan Macdonell of Cireenfield conmiandeil a Company at the taking of Ogdenslnirgh and Cap- ture of Kort (Covington in 1813, and se^-ed also in 1S37-8. On his retirement from the Militia as late as 1857, it was declared in General Orders of the 3r(l September of that year : — " His lv\ce!!ency the Administrator of the Government and Commander-in Chief cannot permit laeutenant-Coionel Duncan Mac- donell of Cfreenfield to retire from the command of this Battalion (Second Glengarry, Lancaster Regiment) without recording the sense he entertains of the value of his long and faithf'ul services in the Militia of this Province dadng from the last War." The same gazette contained the appointment of his on ly son to the command of the Regiment, and that genUenian, Archibald John Macdonell, retaining it until his death in 1864, it aftorded probably the only instance of a command of a Regiment of Canadian Militia being continuously retained by three generadons of one family for upwards of half a century, each of them having been out on active service with the Regiment.(i) Colonel Duncan Macdonell was by profession a land surveyor, and at the time of his death Registrar of the County. The two younger sons of Mr. Alexander Macdonell of Greenfield — Lieutenant-Colonel John Macdonell and Lieut-Colonel (1) The list named gentleman was a lad of fifteen years of age, attending Dr. Urqnhart's school at Cornwall when the Regiment was ordered to Ixjwer Canada in 1838. He ran :iway from scho 1, and proceeding on foot to Lower Canada, joined the Regiment and served in the ranks with ^..veral of his cousins of about the same age. 133 Donald Greenfield Macdonell, Deputy Adjutant-General of MiK "a of Upper Canada — both represented Glengarry, and I may have occasion to refer to them hereafter when dealing with the War of 1812-14, in which both took an active part and the former died. As stated by Mr. McLennan, the County, becoming notjd as a Scottish Colony, attracted inmiigraiits as they arrived from time to time from all parts of Scotland. Several families of Macphersons from Badenoch settled in Lancaster, among them Mr. Murdoch Macpherson, who lived to the age of 107 years, and whose place is worthily occupied by a grandson. Mr. McLennan is of opinion that the first .settlement was made in Lochiel in 1796, probably by some of the Cameron men, who were from Lochiel's Country in Scotland, Init I am informed by Mr. John McLeod, Surveyor (brother of Mr. Alexander McLeod, the Surveyor, who died some years ago at the advanced age of ninety-two years) that in 1793 his fiither, Cai)tain Alexander McLeod, of the family of Moale, chartered a vessel and brought with him from (ilenclg, in Scotland, about forty families of McLeods, McGillivrays, McCuaigs and Mclntoshes — his own father, also Alexander McLeod, being among the number. They arrived in Glengarry early in 1794, and proceeded out to the north part of the County, and settled in the neighborhood of Kirkhill, where their descendants still reside. Mr. Alexander McLeod was a Captain of Militia in the War of 1812 in the Regiment commanded by Alexander Macdonell of Greenfield, with whom he was closely related. Each of these families received a grant of two hundred acres from the Crown. The Township, or at any rate a considerable portion of it, was first siirveyed by Hugh Mac- donell (Aberchalder), one of the two first members for the County* and afterwards, the Consul-General at Algiers, whose career has been previously noticed. The field notes of his surveys were amongst the papers lately procured by Mr. Bain, the indefatigable Public Jjibrarian of Toronto, which were taken by the former Surveyor- General Smith to England when he retired from Canada. »34 CHAPTER 12. Raising of the Glengarry Fencible or British Highland Regiment in Scotland. — Incidents Previous Thereto.— Mr. Alexander (Afterwards Bishop) Macdonell Accom- panies A number of the Highlanders to Glasgow, where THEY are Employed by the Manufacturers. — Closing of THE Manufactories on Proclamation of War Between Britain and France. — Proposal to Raise a Regiment to BE Under Command of the Young Chief of Glengarry.— First Catholic Corps since the Reformation. — Stat.oned IN Guernsey. — Offer to Garrison St. Marcou. — Services IN Ireland in Suppression of Rebellion of '98. — Dis- banded with other Fenciules in 1S02. — Services of the Chaplain on behalf of the Men. — He Procures a Grant of 200 Acres for each >l\n in Glengarry in Canada. — Lord Hobart's Letter to Lieut.-Gov. U. C. The last emigration on a large scale of Glengarry Highlanders took place in 1802 under the circumstances mentioned in Thomson's " Memoirs of the Jacobites," page 322 et seq., but as they are so interesting and of such historic value to the County, I prefer to quote from the words of the person best qualified to speak authorita- tively on the subject, and who brought the immigrants to Canada, the former Cha])lain of the Glengarry Fencible Infantry or British Highland Regiment, afterwards the Honourable and Right Reverend Alexander Macdonell, first Catholic Bishop of Upper Canada and a member of the Legislative Council of the Province. I take them from the Canadian Literary Magazine of April, 1833, vol. i, page 3 et seq. Mter explaining how, consequent upon the abolition of t\\fe feudal system of clanship which had obtained from time immemorial, and had been based upon the mutual interest of Chieftain and clans- men, by the influence and consequence in proportion to the number of his followers it afforded the former-^-and the protection and sup- port it gave to the latter— the " bleak and Iwirren mountains of the north," which had previously raised men, had been Converted into sh-;ep walks, and the suffering thus necessarily entailed upon the people— their utter misery in fact— he proceeds : It Was in this conjecture that the Writer of these pages, then a Missionary on the borders of the Counties of Inverness and Perth, in the highest inhabited parts of the Highlands of Scotland, afiTected by the distressed state of his countrymen, and hearing that an emi- grant vessel which had sailed from the Island of Barra, one of the Hebrides, had been wrecked and had put into Greenock, where she landed her passengers in the most helpless and destitute situation, repaired in the spring of 1792 to Glasgow. Having secured an introduction to several of the professors of the University and to the principal manufacturers of that city, he proposed to the latter that he should induce the Highlanders who had been turned out of their farms, and those lately escaped from the shipwreck, to enter into their works if they (the manuf:icturcrs) would but encourage them, and this they really promised to do upon very liberal terms. There were two serious obstacles, however, to the usefulness of the High- landers : the one that they did not understand the English language, the other that a large portion of them were Roman Catholics. The excitement raised by Lord George Gordon about Catholics twelve years before, When the Catholic chapels of Edinburgh and Glasgow, and the clergymen's houses, were burned, had not yet subsided, and a strong and rancorous feeling against the professors of the Catholic religion still remained amongst the lower orders of the people of Glasgow ; so much so, indeed, that no Catholic clergyman could with safety reside there from the time of the burning of the chapels to the period we are now speaking of. The manufacturers repre- sented to the Missionary that although perfectly willing themselves to afford the Catholics all the countenance and protection in their power, yet, as the Penal Laws still remained in full force against them, they could not be answerable for the consequences in the event of evil deigned persohs assailing or annoying them ; and they repre- Sentecf that the cfangerwas still greater to a Catholic Clergyman, wfic; Was subject not only to the insult and abuse of the rabble, but to be arraigned before a court of justice. To this the Missionary replied that although the letter of the law militated against Catholics, the spirit of it Was greatly mitigated, and that if they would but assure the Highlaifders of their protection, he himself would take his chance of the severity of the law and the fanaticism of the people, and accompany the HiglilaiTders to the manufactories, ir> order to serve them in the double capacity of Interpreter and Clergyman ; for the Missionary saW that k xVas a notorious fact that Catholics following the dictates of their religion, and restrained by its morality, made faithful and industrious servants ; but, discarJing thfise ties and obligations, they became vicious and unprincipled. The manufacturers, appearing much pleased with this proposal, offered every protection and encouragement in their power to him- self and followers. Accordingly, with the approbation of his Bishop, he took up his residence in Glasgow in June, 1792, and in the cour.se of a few months procured employment for upwards of 600 High- landers- On the few occasions previous to this, that a priest bad officiated in Glasgow, he was obliged to have his meetings up two or three pairs of stairs, and to station at the door a sturdy Irishman or High- lander armed with a bludgeon to overaWe the intruders who might attempt to disturb the service. But t..c missionary, by the advice of one of the most influental Presbyterian of the city, (i) opened his chapel to the street and did not close the door during the service. Two respectable members of the congregation attended to show any decent persohs, attracted thither by curiosity, into a seat; and several who thus came were repeatec'-ly heard to say that this was not Popery at all, although the principal tenets of the Catholic Religion were taught and explained both in English and Gaelic ; and because they saw neither pictures nor images, and the mass was said early in the morning, before those Who might be disposed to give annoyance Were up, and who, being of the lower class of labourers and trades- man, generally .spent the Saturday evenings in a tavern and Sunday morning in bed. For two years the manufactories went on with astonishing pros- jjerity and success, but in ..le year 1794 the principles of the French (i) Dr. Porteiis, a nephew, by marriage, to Sir John Moore. V37 Revolution, Spreading rapidly over Great Britain, and rAeeting with Vhe warmest al)ettors in the manufacturing districts, the English Government found it necessary to adopt measures to check its pro- gress and to prevent intercourse between the two countries. War was at length proclaimed between Eiigland and France- The exjjort of British rftanufactufes to the Continent was stopped : the credit of the manufacturers was checked ; their works were almost At a stand ; frequent bankruptcies ensued ; a general dismis "al of labouring hands took place, and misery and distress overtook those thus suddenly Ihrowii Out of employ. Among the sufferers were the poor Highlanders above mcn- i:ioned. TJnaCCustomed to hard labour and totally ignorant of the English language, Ihey became more helpless and destitute than any other class of the whole community. At this crisis' the Missionary conceived the idea of getting these unfortunate Highlanders embodied as a Cathohc corps in His Majesty's service, \Vith his young Chief, Macdonell of Glengarry, for their Colonel. Having procured a meeting of the Catholics at Fori Augustus, in Fehruary, 1794, a loyal address Was drawn up to the King, offering to raise a Catholic corps, under the command of the young Chieftain, who, together wilh John Fletcher, Esq., of Dunans, proceeded as a deputation to London with the addtess, which was most graciously received by the King. The manufacturers of gow furnished them With the mostainple and honourable testimonials of the gooxl conduct of the Highlanders during the time they had I)een in their Works, and strongly recommended tiiat they should be employed in the service ol their country. A Letter of Service was accordingly issued to raise the first Glengarry Fencible Regiment as a Catholic corps, being the first that was raised as such since the Reformation. The missionafy, although contrary to the then existing law, was gazetted as Chaplain of the Regiment. Four or five Regiments which had been raised in Scotland, having refused to extend their services to England, and having mutinied when they wete ordered to march, the Glengarry Fencibles, by the pefsuas'on of their Chaplain) offered to extend their services to any part of Great Britain or Scot- land, or even to the Islands of Jersey and Guernsey. This offer was very acceptable to the Government, since it fiTnU';! a precedent to all Fencible corps that were raised after this period. The Regi- ifjent, having been embodied in June, 1795, soon afterwards em- barked for Guernsey, and remained there until the summer of 1798. Sir Sidney Smith having taken possession of the small island of St, Marcou, in the mouth of Cherbourg Harbor, the Glengarries offered to garrison that post, but the capture of that gallant officer and of the much lamented Captain Wright, who was first tortured and them y to death in a French pri .on because he would not take a re .iniSb.c . in the French navy, prevented the enterprise from taking place. In the summer of 1798 the rebellion broke out in Ireland, and the Glengarry Regiment was ordered to that country. Landing at Ballenack, they n-inrched from thence to Waterford, and from Water- fore to ^ ' *' :iie same day. At the former ])lace a trifling circumstaiice -- .".n •i^ which afforded no small surprise to souie and no slight rn' cule to others, while at the sarne it showed the sim; Unity of the Higr,!..'>(' rs and their ignorance of the ways of the world, Tlie "'lie's Who -od billet money on their entrance in the town returned ,. (*r. t'u ! ': rlr p: ordered to march the same evening to New Ross for the piupose of reinfo'^cing General Johnson, who was surrounded, and, in a manner, besieged by the rebels. The next day General Johnson attacked and dislodged the rebels from Laggan Hill, who, after a very faint resistance, retreated to Vinegar Hill, The Chaplain, upon this and all other occasions, accompanied the Regiment to the field, with the view of preventing the men from plundering or committing any act of cruelty upon the country people. The command of the Town of New Ross devolved on Colonel Macdonell, and the Chaplain found the Jail and Court House crowded with Wounded rebels, whose lives had been spared, but who had been totally neglected. Their wounds had never been dressed, nor any sustenance been given to them since the day of the battle. Colonel Macdonell, on being informed of their miserable condition, ordered the Surgeon of his Regiment to attend them, and every possible relief was offered to the wretched sufferers. From New Ross the Regitnent was ordered to Kilkenny, and from thence to Hackett's Town, in the County of Wicklow, to reduce a body of rebels, and deserters, who had taken possession of the neighbor- ing mountains, under the command of the rebel ciiefs, Holt and Dwyer. The Village of Hackett's Town had been entirely consumed to 139 ashes, partly by the insurgents and partly by the military. De- prived of this shelter, the troops were comi)elled to live under tents the greater part of the winter, and the Chaplain considered it his duty to share their privations and sufferings. Colonel Macdonell, who now commanded the Brigade, which consisted of the Glengarries, two companies of the Eighty-Ninth Regiment of Foot, two companies of Lord Darlington's Fencible Cavalry, and several companies of the Yeomanry, finding that the rebels made a i)ractice of descending from the mountains in the night time to the hamlets in the valleys for the jjurpose of i)lunder, adopted a plan of getting the troops under arms about midnight and marching them from the canii) in two divisions without fife or drum. One division was ordered to gain the summits of the moun- tains, the other to scour the inhabited parts of the country; so that the rebels, in attempting to regain their footsteps, found themselves entrapped between two fires. The Chaplain never failed to accom- pany one or the other of these divisions, and was the means of saving the lives of, and i)reserving for legal trial, many prisoners, whom the • yeomanry would, but for his interference, have i)ut to immediate death. The Catholic chapels in many of those parts had been turned into stables for the yeomanry cavalry, but the Chaplain, when he came, caused them to be cleaned out and restored to their ])roper use. He also invited the terrified inhabitants and clergy to resume their accustomed worship, and lalx)ured not in vain to restore tran- quility and peace to the ])eople, persuading them that if they behaved quiedy and peacefully the Government would protect Catholics as well as Protestants, and impressing upon their minds that the Government having entrusted aru's to the lunds of the Glengarry Highlanders, who were Roman Catholics, was a proof that it was not inimical to them on account of their religion. These exhortations, together with the restoration of divine service in the chapels, the strict discipline enforced by Colonel Macdonell, and the repression of the licentiousness of the yeomanry, served in a great measure to restore confidence to the people, to allay feelings of dissatisfiiction and to extinguish the embers of reliellion wherever the CHengarry Regiment served. The Highlanders, whom the rebels called " the Devil's Blood- hounds," both on account of their dress and their habit of climbing *'•'■■; 140 and traversing the mountains, had greatly the advantage of the in- surgents in every encounter, so much so that in a few months their force was reduced from a thousand to a few scores. Holt, seeing his numbers so fast diminishing, surrendered to Lord Powerscourt, and was transported to Botany Bay. Dwyer, after almost his whole party had been killed or taken, was at length surprised in a house with his few remaining followers by a party of the Glengarries. Here he defended himself and killed some of his pursuers, till the house being set on fire, he was shot while endeavoring to make his escape, stark naked, through the flames. The Marquess Comwallis, Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, Com- mander of the forces, was so well pleased with the services of the Glengarry Fencibles that he advised the Government to have the Regiment augmented. In furtherance of this plan, the Chaplain was despatched to London with recommendations from every Gen- eral under whose command the corps had served in Guernsey or in Ireland, to procure the proposed augmentation and to settle on the terms. Previous to his departure from Dublin, the measure of a legislative union between Great Britain and Ireland had been brought into the Irish Parliament and miscarried. The Catholic Bishops and Catholic nobles of Ireland having assembled in Dublin to discuss this subject, came to a determination favourable to the views of Government, and communicated their sentiments to the Chaplain, authorizing him to impart them to the Ministry. The Chaplain did so accordingly in his first interview with the Right Honourable Henry Dundas, afterwards Lord Melville, but that statesman con- sidered the Chaplain's information incorrect, and insinuated that the intention of the Irish Catholic dignitaries and nobility was quite contrary to what was stated. He also privately informed Sir John Cox Hippesley, who accom- panied the Chaplain to the Secretary of State's Office, that by a despatch received through that day's mail from Lord Castlereagh, the Secretary of State for Ireland, he was informed that the purpose of the meeting of the Catholics was to counteract the measures of the Government. This the Chaplain took the liberty to deny, and offered to prove his assertion to the satisfaction of Mr. Dundas by being allowed time to refer to the Catholic meeting at Dublin. He accordingly wrote to Colonel Macdonell, whom he had left in that city, and received by return of post an answer from Viscount Ken- 141 mare, contradicting in toto the assertions of Viscount Castlereagh. On this occasion the Government papers indulged in severe reflec- tions upon the conduct of the Irish Catholics. The Chaplain requested that they should be contradicted, which was done very reluctantly, and not until he had threatened to have the truth pub- lished in the Opposition papers. The correspondence on that subject is now in his possession. , The i)roposed augmentation, however, did not take place. The views of government were altered, and instead of augmenting the Fencible Corps, they gave commissions in the regiments of the Line to those officers of the Fencibles who could bring a certain number of volunteers with them. The Glengarry Fencibles were afterwards employed in the mountains and other parts of Conomaragh, where some of the most desperate rebels had taken refuge, and where the embers of rebellion continued longest unextinguished. TheChai)lain was their constant attendant down to the year 1802, when at the short Peace of Amiens, the whole of the Scotch Fencibles were disbanded. I have obtained a list of the officers of this Regiment from an army list of 1798. The Regiment was stationed at Kilkenny at tlie time. It will be observed that Colonel Macdonald is named as Colonel, Glengarry being in charge of the Brigade : Colonel — Donald Macdonald. Lieutenant-Colonel — Charles McLean. Major — Alexander Macdonell. Captains. Archibald McLachlan, James Macdonald, Donald Macdonald, Archibald Macdonell, Ranald Macdonell, Roderick Macdonald, Hugh Beaton. Captain- Lieutenant and Captain — Alexander Macdonell. John Macdonald, Ronald Macdonald, Archibald McLellan, James Macdonell, Lieutenants. James McNab. D. Mclntyre, Donald Chisholm, Allan McNab. Donald Maclean, Archibald Macdoncll, Alexander Macdonell, Andrew Macdonell, 14a Ensigns. Alexander Macdonell, John Macdonald, Charles Macdonald, Donald Macdoncll. Francis Livingstone. Adjutant — Donald Macdoncll. Quarter-Master — 'Alexander Macdonell. Surgeon — Alexander Macdonell. Taken as a whole, the names seem to be somewhat .Scotch, and to savor, as did these of tlie men, of the clan whose suaicheantas was the heather ! 1 may mention that this is but one of the twenty-six Scottish re'^imonts, almost all Highland, enumerated in the army list of 1798, though a young essayist has gravely assured us that the finer (lualities and instincts of the men of that and jjrevious generations had been dwarfed by long subjection to the despotism of their chiefs, anJ that even tlieir physique had degenerated under oppression, and that it re(iuired years and another climate and changed surroundings 10 counteract the stunting intluences of centuries. The Highlanders now found themselves in the same destitute situation as they were in when first introduced into the manufactories of Glasgow. Struck with tiieir forlorn condition, the Chaplain, at his own cxi)ense, proceeded to London to rejiresent their situation to the Government and to endeavor to induce ministers to lend them assistance to emigrate to Upper Canada. He was introduced to the Right Honourable Charles Yorke, Secretary at War, and by him to Mr. Addington, the Premier, /fhe latter, on account of the testimonials which the Chaplain presented to him of the good conduct uf the Regiment during the whole ot their service, signed by the different general officers imder whose command they had been, directed that a sum of money should be paid to the Chaplain, out of the Military Chaplains' fund in lieu of half-pay, which could not be granted to him without forming a precedent to other Chaplains of Fencible Corps ; and this favour was conferred upon him at the recommendation of His Royal Highness the Duke of York, then Commander-in-Chief, on account of his having constanUy attended the Regiment when every other regimental Chaplain had retired U3 upon five shillings a day by virtue of an order issued from the War Office in 1798. Mr. Addiiigton requested the Chaplain to slate to him, in writing, the cause of the freiiuent emigrations from the Highlands of Scotland. The Chaplain complieil with his reijuest in a series of letters, on the perusal of which Mr. .Vddington expressed his deep regret that so brave and faithful a portion of His Majesty's subjects, who were always found ready at the call of Government, and from whom no murmurs or discontents were ever heard, even under the most trying and distressing circumstances, should be comi)elled to fjuit their native soil by the harsh treatment of their landlords, and to transfer their allegiance to die United States, whither the emigration had been flowing previous to this period. Mr. Addington added that the loss of so many Fiighlanders was one of the circumstances which had given him the greatest uneasiness during his administration, and that nothing would give him greater satisfaction than to convince them of the friendly feelings and kind intentions of Government towards them by putting them in the way of acquiring, in a few years, ])rosperity, and even wealth, with which they might return and live in ease and independence in their native land. He then i)roposed to the Chaplain to send a colony of those Highlanders with whom he was connected to the Island of Trinidad, which was then first ceded to the British Empire ; and to give a farm of eighty acres of land to every head of a family, and money out of the treasury to purchase four slaves for every farm ; a larger proportion of land and slaves to such gentlemen who would accompany the colony, and to the Chaplain as large a salary as he could reasonably demand. Mr. Addington also offered to send a surgeon and a schoolmaster, with salaries from Government, to the new colony, and, to remove the difficulties which the Chaplain had stated in regard to the unhealthiness of a tropical climate and the propensity of Highlanders to drink ardent spirits, undertook to furnish the colony with as much wine as the Chaplain and Surgeon should consider necessary for the preservation of the general health for three years, also sufldcient vinegar wherewith to wash their habitations for the same period ; after which it might be supposed that the constitution of the setders would become inured to the climate. For these liberal and advantageous offers the Chaplain could not but feel grateful to Mr. Addington, but while he thanked him for klixf intentions towards his roiinti) men, he .tssiiretf him tfi;i( no cnrr- sideiation on e;irtli would iiulii(<' liiiu to prevail upon I Iighlander«. to reside in the unhealthy climate of the West Indies, or reeoiieile Uf his coilHcienex' the bitter reflection of his being the cause of making, & woman or a child a widow or an orphan. Mr. Addinglon seenled greatly f+urprised atxl disapjiointed at this expression of tlie (!haplain's sealimcnts, and deiiMudeil in what other Way he could serve the flighlanders. He was snswered ^that what they exi>erted and wished was to be assisteil rn emigrating to irppcr Canada, where several of tlieir friiMxIs had already settled themselves. The Chaplain proceeded to state lIuH if this assistance wen- tendered ufN)n a nwre expensive scale, it Would allay the irritated feelings entertained by the Highlanders against their landlords, whose cruel conduct was identified with the system and operations ol (lov- ernmeiU. Moreover, the Scotch, ([uitting their country in this exas- perated state of mind, and settling in the Lfniled .Sia.tes, readily imbibed reinil>licaii princ.ij)Ies and a determined antipathy against the ]^itish Government ; whereas by diverting the tide of emigration into the J?ritish colonies, their poi)uIation would be increasetl by settlers retaining British prineii)les, Hritish feelings and an attachment towards their native country, not only undiminished, but even increased by the parental conduct of the (iovernment towards them. Mr. Addington then offered to lend some assistance to the Chap- lain to convey his adherents to the sea coast of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick or Cape IJreton, but assured iiim that His Majesty's (jov- ernnient considered the hold they had of Upper Canada so slender and so precarious that a person in his situation would not be justified in jnitting his hand in the public jjurse to assist Hritish subjects to emigration to that colony. The Cnaplain, however, adhered to his first resolution of conducting his countrymen to Upper Canada, and Mr. Addington procured for him an order (with the Sign Manual) to the Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada to grant two hundred acres of land to everyone of the Higlanders who should arrive in the Province. No sooner was it known that this order had been given by the Secretary for the Colonies than the Highland landlords and pro- j)rietors took the alarm, considering the order as an allurement to entice from the country their vassals and dependents. M5 Sir John MrPluTSon, Sir Anhilialil \facortion to the ntonbe'' he should prevail uiKjn to stay at home. So anxious were these gentlemen to keep the Highlanders at home that they apjilitKl tt) the Prime of Wales, and l>y Jlis Royal ilighiiess' sanction, .Sir 'I'lioinas 'J'yrrwhil, the l'rin( His •Royal Higliness. 'I'his Uu- Cha|)lain also declined, ud in concert with Major Archibald Cam|y!)ell, then on the staff of General Pulteni-y, now{i) i,ieutenant-(Jovernor of New JJrunswirk, propos-eda plan of organiznig a Military emigration, to be cxjinposed of the soldiers of the several .Scotch I'Vncible ReginnntM just then disbanded, and sending them over to U()pcr (.'anada fo the donlili- purpose of forming an internal defente and settling ilie country. It was re(iuested that a certain portit)n of land should be granted to every man after a service of five years, or on his furnishing a substitute j so that the same force might always be ke])! up and the settlement of the country go on. It was considered that this plan would prev:'»'t the frequent desertion of His Majesty's troops to the United States ; would make these military settlers interested in the defence of the Province, and be a prodigious saving of transport of troojjs in the event of a war with the United States. Several distinguished officers appeared anxious to join this military emigration, and the scheme was nearly matured, when Mr. Addington found himself under the necessity of resigning the Pre- miership, and Pitt and Dundas returned to office. The war was soon after renewed, and the Scotch landlords combined to keep their people at home. (i) Ai the time the Dishop wrote the narrative, 1833. r4<5 Most of these gcntlemi-Mi had received commissions from the Government to raise levies, ;Tnd were, of course, anxious to fiilfii Iheir engagements. Seeing that so many thousands of their jjoot countrynKMi who had l>€en let loose in tlie country in a state of destitution, had no other alternative, if prevented from emigrating, than to enter the army, they procurea an Act of Parliament to impose cerlain restrictions and regulation.-- on vessels carrying out emigrants to the Colonies. Hy those regi.lations, a vessel could not get her elearance from the Custom Hwuse if she had more than one i)assen- ger, even an infant, for eve' y two tons of the registered burden of the ship — -ahhough the tr.j>s])()rt regulations for carrying troops U> the Ivist and West I ndijs -allowed a ton and a iialf tor every soldier, even without reckoning wonK'n and children; anotiier clause was ih;it tlie jirovisiun should be insi)ected and certified, that a pound oi salt beef or j)ork. and a [xjund and a half of tlour or of hard biscuit should he found on board as the daily provision for every man. woman am.! child for tne space of tl>ree montiis. .V third clause was that a vessel carrying emigrants from any p.irt in Great lirilain and Ireland to the Colonies should Ix' pn)vided with a surgeon, who should have his diploma from Surgeons' Hall in I^indon, from Edin- burgh University or 'lYinity College, Dublin. A di[)loma from any other college or university in Great Britain would not fpialify him for tiiis charge. Several other clauses similar to the above were contained in this Act, and all under the specious pretext of humanity and tentler benevolence towards the emigrants, and, forsooth, to pre- vent the imposition of those who were em[)loyed m chartering vessels to carry emigrants to the Colonies, who were designated by the Scotch lairds, dealers in white slaves; vet, by the operations of this merciful Act of Parliament, an emigrant could not pay the passage of himself, his wife and four children under eight years of age for a less sum than £84 ! Alexander Hope, then Lord Advocate of Scotland, was in- structed to bring thi.s bill into Parliament, and in his luminous speech in the House of Commons, the learned gentleman, to show the necessity of such regulations, related a most pathetic story of an emigrant vessel arriving in a harbour in one of the British Colonies of North America, the whole of the j)assengcr''. and almost the whole of the crew of which were found dead in their berths, and the few survivors of the crew not able to cast anchor. He also asserted 146 that emigrants who had been sonic time in the Colonies were desirous to get bacli to their native country, and when they could not accom- plish their wishes, were desirous to ])revent their friends at home from emigrating, but dared not a(;(|iiaint them of their now miserable condition but by stratagem desiring them to consult their Uncle Sandy, and if he advised them to come, then they might proceed. Now, it was well known that Uncle Sandy was dead many years previous. These and many other such like i)itiable and affecting passages of the Lord Advocate's speech in the House of Commons blazed through the public jjrints in Scotland, and were believed, or it was pretended that they were believed, like Gospel, hf the Highland lairds and their friends. The moment that this bill passed into law, an embargo was laid on all emigrant vessels in British harbours, and this though many of them had already nearly received tiieir complement of passengers, and the whole of the emigrants of the season, after selling their effects, had arrived or were on their way to the seaports to embark. Fortunately, however, for the soldiers of the disbanded Glengarry Fencibles, the greater part of them had got away before the bill came into operation. The Chaplain, having been detained in London on business, after the sailing of his adherents, received a call from the Earl of Selkirk, who proposed to him to join in his i)lan of taking emigrants to North America. The Chaplain retpiested his lordship to explain his views and intentions, upon which the P^arl stated that he intended to settle those regions between Lakes Huron and Superior with Scotch High- landers, where the climate was nearly similiar to that of the north of Scotland, and the soil of a sui)erior quality ; besides, they would enjoy the benefit of the fish with which the lakes teemed, particularly the white fish of the Sault Ste. Marie. The Chaplain at first declined this offer on the plea that private business would detain him in London. The P^arl than offered him an order for £2,000 upon his agent, as an indemnification for any loss or inconvenience he might exjjerience by so sudden a departure. The Chaplain was a second time compelled to give a refusal and to decline this generous offer of the Earl, declaring at the same time he felt most grateful for such generosity, but that he could never think of putting himself under so great an obligation to iny man ; that the situation which his lordship had selected for his settlement was beyond the jurisdiction of the Government of Upper Canada, and so M7 far from any other location that he was apprehensive that emigrants settling themselves in so remote a region would meet with insuperable difficulties ; that he could by no means induce those with whose interests he was connected to go beyond the protection of the Pro- vincial Government, and, besides, such a settlement would entirely destroy the Northwest Company, as it would cut off the communication between the winterers and Canada ; and as several of the principal members of that Company were his particular friends, no consideration would induce him to enter upon an enterprise that would injure their interest. The Chaplain then asked the Earl what could induce a man of his high rank and great fortune, possessing the esteem and confidence of His Majesty's Government and of every public man in Britain, to embark in an enterprise so romantic as that he had just explained. To this the Earl replied tnat the situation of Great Britain, and indeed of all Europe, was at that moment (September 1803) so very critical and eventful that a man would like to have a more solid footing to stand upon than Europe could offer. The following letter was addressed by Lord Hobart, Secretary of State for the Colonies, to Lieutenant-General Hunter, Lieuten- ant-Governor of Upper Canada, at the time of the departure of this important emigration to Canada : "Downing Street, 1st March, 1803. "Sir, " A body of Highlanders, mostly Macdonells, and partly dis- banded soldiers of the Glengarry Fencible Regiment, with their families and immediate connections, are upon the point of quitting their present place of abode, with the design of following into Upper Canada some of their relatives who have already established them- selves in that Province. " The merit and services of the Regiment in which a proportion of these people have served, give them strong claims to any mark of favour and consideration which can consistently be extended to them ; and witli the encouragement usually afforded in the Province they would no doubt prove as valuable settlers as their connexions now residing in the District of Glengarry, of whose industry and general good conduct very favourable representations have been received here. " Government has been apprized of tlie situation and disposi- tion of the families before described by Mr. Macdoneli, one of the Ministers of their Church and formerly Chaplain to the Glengarry Regiment, who possesses considerable inlluence with the whole body. 148 _ " He has undertaken, in the event of their absolute determina- tion to carry into execution their plan of departure, to embark with them and direct their course to Canada. '• In case of their arrival within your Government, lam com- manded by His Majesty to authorize you to grant, in the usual manner, a tract of the unappropriated Crown lands in any part of the Province where they may wish to fix, in the proportion of twelve hundred acres to Mr. Macdonell and two hundred acres to every taniily he may introduce into the Colony. " I have the honour to be, sir, " Your most obedient, humble servant, " HOBART." 1 49 CHAPTER 13. Emigration from Kintail and Glene^g, Ross-shire. — Sub- divisions OF THF, County. — Local Nomenclature. — Ken- yon, LocHiEL, Breadalbane, Dunvlgan, Eigg, Strath- glass, UiST, Little Knovdart, Laggan, F.vssifern, &c., &c. — Members of Parliament to Union ok Upper and Lower Canada, 1840. — Enumeration of the Clans. i :■: Mr. McLennan, from whom I have previously quoted, states that in the same year and in the same ships that brought out the men of the Glengarry Fencihles and their families, came also a number of peojjle from Glenelg and Kintail and other parts, his father's family being amongst those from Kintail. His grandfather, Mr. Murdoch McLennan, gave up a valuable holding on the Seaforth estate in order to keep with his friends and neighbours, who were emigrating. They were iioo souls on the vessel, and were four months at sea, encountering wintry weather on the coast of Labrador, which, as he remarks, was a rough introduction to the new world. His father, John McLennan, was but 13 years of age at the time. At the call to arms in 1812 he enlisted in the Militia, and was appointed Sergeant in the Company commanded by Captain Duncan Greenfield Macdonell. He was with the Company at the taking of Ogdens- burgh, and became Lieutenant and Quarter-Master at the close of the campaign. After the War, he taught for several years the school at Williamstown, which continues as a high school under the present system. In 1823 he retired to hew out a farm in Lancaster, and was appointed at the same time to the Commission of the Peace. He commanded a Company for frontier duty in 1838-9, and died in 1866. In the same immigration was Mr. Donald Eraser, who after some years' residence and business in Williamstown, purchased from »5o Sir John Johnson the property of Pointe-du-Lac (now Fraser's Point), where his son Lieutenant-Colonel Alexander Fraser, of the Glengarry Militia, hale and hearty at the age of 84 years (at the time Mr. Mc- Lennan wrote his paper), now resides, and from whom he obtained much of the information afforded in his essay.(i) I trust Mr. McLennan will not accuse me of piracy if I quote from him still further : — " The early settlers had many and serious difficulties to en- counter, coming, as so many did, with small means and with scarcely any knowledge of woodcraft, and a great [jroportion knowing very little of farming after they had cleared away the woods ; but they overcame them by the courage and endurance of their race. The value of their exportable timber, and the discrimination in its favour in the British tariff, helped them very greatly, as did also the high price for pot and pearl ashes, which they manufactured from the timber burned in clearing the land. Fortunately for them (and for their posterity) they were of frugal habits; they followed from the beginning the practice of their country in the establisiiment of schools, so that their descendents are able to hold their own in the now greatly accelerated pace of development. " During the lifetime of the first immigrnnts, the Gaelic language was much in use, so much so that a knowledge of it was considered a necessary (lualification for the Presbyterian pulpit. Tiie common school, however, has brought the new generation to use the luiglish tongue, and now a Gaelic sermon is rarely heard, though in some isolated sections the Gaelic language is in some measure of use." I fear it but too true that the Gaelic language is to some extent being allowed tt) die out, though many, to their credit be it said, still make it the language of the household. In 1798 the rear part of Charlottenburgh (which Township was when originally laid out between the years 1776 and 1778, known as "Township Number One "), was erected into a new Township and called Kenyon, doubtless so named after the celebrated Lord Ken- yon, then Lord Chief Justice of England. Charlottenburgh had no doubt derived its name from the Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg- Strelitz, the wife of George II L It was not until 1818 that Lancaster, which was originally known as " the Lake Township," was subdivided, and the rear por- tion named Lochiel, in compliment to those who had come from that (1) As previously menlioned, I.ieiitennnt-Colnnel Fraser died on the 5lh lune, 1891, at the patriarchal age of ninety-one years, retaining all his faculties to the end. An excrllent account of his life and a well-deserved tribute to his memory from the well known pen of one of Gleng.irry's most accomplished sons is given in the " (ilen^arriun " of ihe loth of July, 1891. '51 District in Scotland, the Camerons and their clansmen the MacMillans, the latter by the way greatly preponderating. When a census of the Highland clans was taken by the late Colonel Chisholm in 1852, it appeared that of the MacMillans there were in Lochiel 351, while of the Camerons but 43, In Kenyon the proportion was different, there being in that Township 228 Camerons and 138 MacMillans. Various settlements in these Townships are designated after the districts in Scotland from which the first settlers in the neighborhood came. Thus we have " Breadalbane," where those who reside still maintain the religious and political tenets common to the people of Argyleshire in Scotland (of which Breadalbane forms 3 not inconsi- derable part), with the tenacity of purpose which is one of the great- est characteristics of the Highland race. In and around " Dunve- gan " are settled large numbers of the MacLeods, and there they have perpetuated the name of the ancient and romantic seat of their Chief, the patriarclial fortress of Dunvegan in Skye. The name is familiar, and recalls the well-known but sorrowful air, " Cha till mi tuille," or " MacCrimmon's Lament," the strain with which the emi- grants from the West Highlands and Isles usually took leave of their native shore. Sir Walter Scott gives the first verse as follows : " Macleod's wizard flag from the grey castle sallies, The rowers are seated, unmoor'd are the galleys ; Gleam war-axe and broadsword, clang target and quiver, As MacCrimmon sings ' Farewell to Dunvegan for ever ! Farewell to each cliff, on which breakers are foaming ; Farewell each dark glen, in which red deer are roaming; Farewell lovely Skye — to lake, mountain and river MacLeod may return, but MacCrimmon shall never ! ' " MacCrimmon, who was hereditary piper to Lord MacLeod, is said to have composed this lament when the clan was about to de- part upon a distant and dangerous expedition, llie minstrel was impressed with a belief, which the event verified, that he was to be slain in the approaching feud ; and hence the words with which the song concludes : " Cha till mi tuille ; ged thillis MacLeod, cha till MacCrimmon." [" I shall never return; although MacLeod returns, yet MacCrimmon shall never return."] " Eigg" reminds us of another island on the west coast of Scot- land, a portion of the estate of Macdonald of Clanranald, where occurred, in a dispute between the MacLeods and the inhabitants of that island, a dreadful episode which had better be forgotten. 152 From the MacLeods who came from the main sliore and were separated from their chansmen by an arm of the sea and that ])art of the Island of Skye known as Sleat, the i>roi)erty of the Baronets of Sleat, and who settled in the vicinity of Kirkhill, the country tiiere- abouts is known as "Glenelg." They were very early settlers, com- ing to Glengarry, as we have seen, about 1793. In " Strathglass " there are, as migjit be expected, many Chis' holms, and I might mention that it was due largely to the efforts and genealogical knowledge of clansmen of that name settled in Glengarry that the late Chieftain of that Clan, James vSutherland Chisholm, then a resident of this country, was enabled to establish his right to Erkless Castle and an estate in Scotland worth some thou- sands of pounds sterling a year. " Uist." There was a small setdement in the second concession of Lochiel known as " Uist," from the fact that some families of Macdonalds had settled in the neighbourhood who came from the island of that name on the west coast of Scotland. In " Little Knoydart," a number of persons from that part of the Glengarry estates, who came to Canada coniparativoiy recently, about die time of the building of the Grand Trunk Railway, settled, and their Scottish home is thus commemorated. They are good farmers and in most comfortable circumstances. Some of the post offices and adjoining villages have names more or less familiar, though they were derived, as a rule, more from local surroundings than from Scottish origin, such as Glen Roy, Glen Donald, Glen Norman, Glen Nevis, Glen Sandfield, Glen Walter, McCrimmon, McCormack, Athol, &c., &:c. "Laggan" takes its name from the place of the same name in Badenoch, Inverness-shire, Scotland, recendy best known probably as having been for many years the home of one of the most accomplished writers of the day, Mrs. Grant of Laggan, the authoress of " Letters from the Mountains," " Memoirs of an American Lady," &c., &:c. ; " Fassifern " is a name dear to all who chcish the traditions of the Camerons, ennobled especially in the case of Dr. Archibald Cameron of Fassifern, a younger brother of Lochiel, who with the Honourable Alexander Murray, one of Lord Elibank's brothers, and Macdonell of Lochgarry, was at the head of the last Jacobite effort in Scotland, when Fassifern was taken prisoner, sent to London, brought to trial upon the bill of attainder passed against Iiim on account uf his 155 concern in the Rebellion of 1745, and upon Chat cfiarge arrai'gned, condemned and put to death at Tyburn in June, 1753. Though there may be difference of opinion as to the laudable nature of Dr, Arciiibald Cameron's enterprise (there can be none as to his gal- lantry, hunwnity and brave bearing during his trial or his manner ol meeting his fate !) all, without reference to politics, will cherish the name of his brave descendant, Colonel John Canieron of P^assifern, «o often distinguished in Lord Wellington's despatches from Spain, who fell inaction at Quatre Bras (16th Juite, 1815) while leading the 92nd or Gordon Highlanders to charge a body of cavalry, sup- ported by infantry, and to whom Sir \Valter Scott, in the finest portion of " 'llie Field of Waterloo," in enumerating those who fell, thus refers ; " And Cameron in the shock of steel Died like the offspring of Lochiel." nil iM< " Dalkeith " is somewhat more Lowland than most other Scot- tish names identified with Glengarry, though Sir Walter always claimed that the Scotts were at any rate, "a Border Clan." I pre- •ume the place is called after the title of the eldest son of the Duke of Buccleuch, the head of the great family of Scott. " Alexandria " (formerly Priest's Mills), took ifs name from the first Bishop of Upper Canada, Alexander Macdonell, who built the mill there, which was the commencement of the village. It is now the See of another Bishop of similar name, worthy successor of his great namesake. " Martintown " was so called after an officer of that name. Lieu- tenant Malcolm McMartin, of the King's Royal Regiment. One of his family at one time represented Glengarry and was Sheriff of the United Counties. " St. Andrews " is not far off, but lies in the adjacent County of Stormont. The original settlers in the neighbourhood were all High- land United Empire Loyalist soldiers. 'Hie name requires no explanation — the good people of the viciuity have comme«iorated the name of Scotland's patron saint, not only in the name of their settlement but by erecting one of the finest churches in Eastern Ontario. It is greatly to be regretted that no complete list can be obtained of the members of the Legislature of Upper Canada dur- 154 ingeach parliament from 1792 until the Union of the Provinces of Upper and Lower Canada in 1841. The destruction of all the parliamentary papers when York was burnt by the Americans in 18 1 3 partly accounts for the scarcity of accurate and complete information of this nature. Again, in early days the members of Parlia- ment drew their expenses and indemnity from the county treasurer on their return from Parliament, and Judge Pringle, who has made a careful search of the records, informs me that it is apparent that most of the earlier members for Glengarry evidently considered the honour of representing the County sufficient, and declined to accept or omitted to procure the indemnity to which they were entided, and their names cannot therefore be obtained from that source, as in the case o^ tlie County of Dundas for instance, where the members were as regular in drawing their indemnity as in their attendance on their duties. Since the Union, I believe, members of both branches of Parliament have been somewhat more attentive to the duty they owe themselves in this particular, and the cases are few in which the people's representatives have done themselves the slightest injustice I Until the Union of 1841, Glengarry had two members, and although the following list, for the reasons stated, is not complete, it is as much so as can now be ascertained : MEMBERS FOR GLENGARRY, 1792-184O. John Macdonell of Aberchalder, first Speaker, Hugh Macdonell (Aberchalder), Colonel John Macdonell of Aberchalder, - - John N. Campbell, Alexander Macdonell (CoUachie) Speaker, - Angus B. Macdonell (Saundic), Alexander Mackenzie, Alexander Macdonell (Collachie), - - - • - Walter Butler Wilkinson, Alexander Macdonell (Collachie), Thomas Eraser, Colonel John Macdonell (Greenfield), - - - Alexander McMartin, John Cameron, ■ 1792 1797 • 1803 1808 ■ 1808 • 1812 I8I2 1I8I6 ^S5 Alexander Macdonell (CoUachie), ) „ , Alexander McMartin, j 1820- 23 Alexander Macdonell (Greenfield), 182 r Duncan Cameron, 1823, '28 Colonel Alexander Fraser, - - - 1824 or 1828 and i83o-'34 Donald Macdonell (Greenfield), 1 „ , Colonel Alexander Chisholm, |i»34-35 Colonel Donald Macdonell (Greenfield), - - - 1 « /: . Colonel Alexander Chisholm, ^1030-41 I can find no record of any militia regiment earlier than 1803. From the nature of the population of the County, all its inhabi- tants having previously, almost without exception, borne arras either in the Revolutionary War, in the Second Battalion Royal Canadian Volunteers (disbanded, as we have seen, in the previous year) or in the Glengarry Fencible (British Highland) Regiment (whose men this year arrived in Glengarry), there could have been but little difficulty in organizing a militia regiment in the County. In 1803, the officers of the Glengarry Militia Regiment, which appears to have been one of the most complete in the Province, were as follows : GLENGARRY MILITIA REGIMENT, 1803. Colonel — John Macdonell (of Aberchalder). Lieutenant-Colonel — Hugh Macdonell (Aberchalder). Major — Walter Sutherland. Captains. Ranald Macdonell, Richard Wilkinson, Alexander McMillan, Alexander Macdonell, Joseph Sutherland, Duncan Murchison, John Mclntyre. Lieutenants. Murdoch Maclean, John Hay, Duncan Mclntyre, Duncan McKenzie, Allan Macdonell, John Dunn, Peter Macdonell, Duncan Macdonell, Donald McGillis, Norman Macleod. Ensigns. Jacob Simmers, Jeremiah Snydfjr, 156 Hector Mackay, Donald MacMillan, Ranald Macdonell, Donald Mackay, jr., Duncan Macdonell, John Macdonell, Alexander Grant, John Cameron. Chaplain — John Bethune. Adjutant — Murdoch Maclean. Quartermaster — Lawrence Mackay. Many of these officers had already seen service. Thus Colonel Macdonell had served through the Revolutionary War in the K. R. R. of N. Y. and Butler's Rangers, and was stated by Col. Mathews Military Secretary to Sir Guy Carleton, to have been "an active and distinguished partizan," who, with otiier members of his family and their adherents, " had united the Indians of the Five Nations in the interest of government, and in a great measure preserved tw. upper country of Canada." He had also commanded the 2nd Batt. R. C. V. R. of Foot during its period of service, and while on the regular establishm jnt of the British Army from 1796 to 1802. In 1852 a list was prepared by Colonel Alexander Chisholm, when taking the census of the County, giving the number of the various Highland Clans in Glengarry at that time. The families of most of these people had come to Canada long before, and previous to 181 2 3 and although the numbers may have been somewhat less at the earlier period, and may have increased considerably since 1852, the proportion is but little changed. This enumeration does not, however, give all the clans represented in Glengarry, a few having been omitted by reason of the Government requiring Colonel Chisholm to make his return before he was able fully to complete his interesting enumeration. It was always a matter of regret to that gentleman that he was thus unable to perfect his self-imposed task. Judge Pringle gives the list at page 1 96 of his book as follows : s • N ^ lO r 1 00 H o 55 O ^ w S OS •4 t2 H MM u M f^ E S t/3 h o u tB U !?; >? O w c« ^ b. g ^ Oii h] PL, ^ b. H O J Q s 55 H n H Q 1 n CO s 2 H »57 •iptJUBurf) 1 o 00 ~o6 1 " 1 "^00 NO o 1^ •ui!H|oin."iDj^ %n M •JiunJV^PV in •XtJ-MniM O so 1 r--. •iinji?ivni\I N t^ •}(niiujof)3i^ t^ On S - 1 •llOSUJOJ^ o o\ On •0I'/U.T>{01V On c.| OS On •uum3q3j^ 00 O •uosnSioj On M NO O M M M Nl »^ ~"On M 'J093Jf)0|/^ 00 00 SO M r<. fO iu[oiisni3 00 NO •sso^ ^0 •oj^iupi^ 0^ NO On o •aailjDjV fO 00 On On M •josrj.i O NO M •uosjaqjDj^ in SO ON M •uouuj-^oj^ On On ON •X«JA|n!O^H M O OO M -I- •ijsouipjv o o M On N NO N •I[3qdiUT;3 M 00 H O •uBuuaqoj^ M M M 't •^ OS 00 00 N ./(p3UU3^[ On M M fO o •«!Il!03W 00 oO o o so 00 M On •UOJOlUCf) 00 M -* On On •Uiuio O OS N in 00 lO ^ •pooiDjv to 00 M so -K^opV NO vO" NO M o On "I- NO •llcSnoaoW M 1-^ so M •utJiiUMOH r^ 00 M On •piBUoaoH puB iP"OQ^K o 00 00 o 00 On M SO N M M 00 Chariot tenburg u Lochiel Lan- cast'r... o H ts8 Friends and connections of the original settlers belonging to the various Highland Clans from timo to time joined them, and when in iSi2 war was declared by the United States, it was found that on Canadian soil there was a great colony of Highlanders prepared to maintam the traditions of their race, and to lay down their lives, if necessary, to preserve the connection with the land they had left, but still loved so well. And so I trust it may always be. M9 CHAPTER 14. Outbreak of the War of 1812. — Expressions of the Ameri- can Press and Public Men. — Situation of Affairs in- Upper Canada. — Colonel Denison's Account of General Brock's Difficulties. — Treason of Willcocks, Mallory, Marcle and other Renegades. — Extra Session of Par- liament Summoned. — Martial Law Proclaimed. — Expul- sion of Willcocks and Marcle. It would be foreign to the purpose of a work such as this to enter at any length into the cause which led to the War of 18 12. The people of Glengarry, indeed those of Canada, had nothing to do with that. This matter has been discussed at length by various writers on the subject, by James in " The Military Occurrences of the War," by Christie in his admirable " History of Lower Canada," by Auchinleck in the " History of the War of 1812-13-14," and later by Colonel Coffin in his "Chronicle of the War of 1812," published as late as 1864. My object is simply to show that the War having come upon us, owing to no act of ours, the Highlanders of Glengarry did their share of the work and merited the high encomium of Colonel Carmichael passed upon them in his letter to Sir James Macdonell in 1S40, which I quoted on the title page. Suffice it to say that they were fighting for their homes, for the possession of British North America was what the Americans aimed at. Not only, however, were they lustful of further territorial aggrandizement, but they recognized the fact thr.t, as stated in the " Weekly Register " : " The conquest of Canada will be of the greatest importance to us in distressing our enemy ; in cutting off his supplies of provisions and naval stores for his West India Colonie' and home demand. There is no place from where she can supply the mighty void tha t6o would be occasioned by the loss of this country, as well in her exports as imports. It would operate upon him with a double force ; it would deprive him of a vast quantity of indisi)ensable materials, as well as of food, and close an extensive nlarket for his manufactures. Canada and Nova Scotia, if not fully conquered inuuediately, may be rendered useless to him in a few weeks. Without them, and particularly the latter, he cannot maintain these terrible fleets on our coast which we are threatened with, or bridge our harbours with frigates, admitting he may have no use for them to defend his own shores; for he will not iiave a dockyard, filling the purposes of his navy, within three thousand miles of us." Mr. Porter, then Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations, said : — " These Provinces were not only immensely valuable in them- selves, but almost indispensable to the existence of Great Britain, cut off as she now is, in a great measure from the north of Europe. He had been credibly informed that the exports from Quebec alone amounted during the list year (1810) to near six millions of dollars, and most of these, too, in articles of the first necessity — in ship timber and in provisions for the support of her fleets and armies." Britain's battle, therefore, became our fight, and our defence not only an obligation to us but a duty she owed to herself and her supremacy on the sea. Canada was to be the battle-ground, and the success of theWar must largely depend on the temper and loyalty of its people ; and though there were traitors within the gates tiie great bulk of them proved equal to the emergency. Such of the veterans of the War of 1776-83 as were left had their exi)erience to fall back upon and place at the service of the Crown, though their limbs had lost the elasticity of youth, and in most cases were crip|)led with age and the hardship incidental to their lot ; while the children of those who had gone proved true to the loyalty of their forefathers and the obligations incumbent upon subjects of the British Crown. *' We will drive the British from our continent " was the text of their speeches and manifestoes. " The Falls of Niagara could be resisted with as much success as the American iK'ople when they should be called into action," cried an excited orator in Congress. " I arn willing," was the magnanimous declaration of Mr. Grundy of Tennessee, " to receive the Canadians as adopted brethren. * * I feel anxious not only to add the Floridas to the south, but the Canadas to the north of this ' empire.' " The willingness, however, was not reciprocal, and we purposed to hold our own on what they i6i were pleased to term " their " continent. Tlie Canadian people, less inflated and less vulgar and verbose, gave them their answer on many a hard contested field during the next few years. Henry Clay said : " It is absurd to suppose we shall not suc- ceed in our enterprise against the enemy's Provinces. We have the Canadas as much under our command as Great Britain has the ocean, and the way to conquer her on the ocean is to drive her from the land. I am not for stopping at Quebec or anywhere else, but I would take the whole continent from them and ask no favours. * * * We must take the continent from them — I wish never to see a peace till we do. God has given us the power and the means ; we are to blame if we do not use them." It is a curious coincidence that this same Henry Clay signed the treaty of peace at the close of the War ; and that it did not give the United States a single inch of Canadian territory. Dr. Eustis, the Secretary at War of the United States, said : " We can take the Canadas without soldiers ; we have only to send officers into the Provinces, and the people, disaffected toward their own government, will rally around our standard." There can be no doubt but that they counted, and counted largely, on a portion, a large and influential one, of our population, being inimical to Great Britain, and that they had, unfortunately, some ground for this impression will shortly be shown. My friend Colonel George Taylor Denison, of Toronto, who, like all the members of his distinguished family for several genera- tions, has done so much by precept and example to keep alive the spirit of loyalty and patriotism among our people, in an admirable lecture on the ojjening of the War of 1812, recently delivered before the Sons of England in Toronto, has outlined far better than I could attempt to do, the situation of affairs at the time, the difficulties Gen- eral Brock had to face, and the measures he took to meet them. He has most kindly placed it at my disposal, with permission to use it to the fullest extent — a courtesy of which I most gladly avail myself. He first refers to the fact that England was engaged in the mightiest effort she had ever made, carrying on, almost single-handed, a war agauist the greatest soldier and conqueror of modern times, if not of all time. From 1793, with a slight intermission, she had been continually engaged in war Tlie British troops had been fighting in the Peninsula with varying success for four years. One aruiy l62 under Sir John Moore, had been obliged to retreat in 1809 to Corunna and embark for England ; while Lord Wellington had been obliged to fall back to the shelter of the lines of Torres Vedras in 1810 and across the Portuguese frontier in 181 1 and to retreat fronx Burgos in 181 2. The national debt had increased from £240,000,000 to about £740,000,000 sterling during the preceding nineteen years, an increase of over £26,000,000, or $130,000,000 per annum. The total debt was fifteen times larger than the present debt of Canada, while the population of Great Britain and Ireland was not more than three and a half times our present population. Napoleon was at the zenith of his power. The whole of Europe, except Russia, was under his control. On the 12th June, 181 2, he crossed the Niemen to invade Russia at the head of about half a million of the best troops of Europe. Alison says : " The commands of Napoleon were as readily obeyed by the Italians, Germans or Prussians as by the Guards of the French Empire." Napoleon left Paris for this campaign on the 9th May, 181 2, and six weeks after, on the i8th June, the United States declared war against England. The population of Upper Canada was then estimated at about 70,000, of Lower Canada about 230,000, in all about 300,000. The population of the United States was over 8,000,000. The population of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was slightly more than double that of the United States, but it was a population exhausted by nineteen years of war, burdened with a debt relatively four times as great as the present debt of Canada is to the Canadian people, and facing in mortal struggle nearly all Europe, lead by the greatest captain of the age. England's difficulty was the Republic's opportunity. Madison and his government, believing that England was u])on the verge of ruin, were determined to bring on war, and nothing but the public voice restrained them from sooner commencing hostilities. Sir George Prevost and General Brock knowing this, made it their constant study to guard against anything that would enable the War Party in the States to influence the minds of the peoplo against England. This strong desire to conquer and acquire Canada was increased somewhat by the belief that England was in extremities, but principally from the belief that Canada, weak in numbers as she was, was still weaker in consequence of divided councils and 1 63 internal disaffection. The confidence of the politicians at Washing- ton in the certainty of the acquisition of Canada was absolute. Now let us consider General Brock's pcjsition. For the defence of this Province he had to rely upon the regular troops and the quota of militia that 70,000 people could furnish. On the breaking out of hostilities the regular force in Upper Canada amounted to barely 1,500 men, composed of :— The Forty-First Regiment, 900 ; Tenth Veterans, 250 j Newfoundland Regiment, 250 ; Royal Artillery, 50 j Provincial Seamen, 50. In Lower Canada Sir George Prevost had about 3,000 regular troops. The total number of men capable of bearing arms in Upper Canada was about 11,000. The proportion available for active lervice constantly was estimated at about 4,000. At the beginning of 181 2, the United States had a regular army of 5,500 men. On the nth January, 181 a, five months before the Declaration of War, an Act of Congress was passed for raising 25,000 men for five years. In the next month an Act was passed to organize 50,000 volunteers, and in April 100,000 militia were called called into active service for the purpose of military drill. During the whole war the United States regular array amounted to about 30,000. The whole militia force raised during the war was 471,622, making a grand total of over half a million engaged in the effort to conquer Provinces containing a total population of 300,000" Another great difficulty was the lack of military stores and supplies. General Brock had no uniforms to clothe the militia, and therefore issued a recommendation to them that each man, as far as his circumstance and situation allowed, should provide himself with a short coat of some dark coloured cloth, nude to button well around tlie body, and trousers suited to the season, with the addition of a round hat. It was also recommended to the officers on every occasion when in the field to dress in conformity with the men, in order to avoid the bad consequences of a conspicuous dress. Flour was scarce, the price ha\ g risen before the War to $3.50 a barrel, and many of the militia ,/ere drilling in their naked feet, while Brock was without a military chest, without money enough to buy provisions, blankets or even shoes for the militia. He made his wants known to a number of gentlemen of credit, who formed tlaemselves into what was called "the Niagara and Queenston Association," and several thousand pounds were issued in the shape 164 of bank notes, which were currently received throughout the country. This enabled Brock to fit out his expedition to Detroit. The want of arms was also severely felt until the capture of Detroit placed at his disposal 2,500 muskets of General Hull's army, which were used to arm Canadian Militia. There also he captured a quantity of cannon that were of service in subsequent operations. In addition to the enormous odds against him, the lack of supplies, arms, men and money, there was one difficulty worse than all others, namely, internal disaffection and treachery. The regular force under General Brock was apparently utterly inadequate to defend so' long a frontier, even if assisted by the hearty support of the whole population of the Province. Here, however, came Brock's greatest danger, enough to appal the stoutest heart. Upper Canada had been settled by different classes of settlers. The first arrirals, in 1784, were the loyal fighting men of the Revolutionary War, men who had made enormous sacrifices and suffered untold hardships to maintain the unity of the Empire and their allegiance to their Sovereign. These men had settled along the Niagara frontier, on the Bay of Quinte and along the St. Lawrence. When in 1792 Colonel Simcoe arrived as first Lieutenant- Governor of this Province, being anxious to secure additional population he established a most liberal system of granting the public lands to bona fide settlers. His principal efforts were directed to inducing emigration from the United States. He felt that, although the Revolutionary War had ceased nine years before, there was still in the United States a large number of people whose sympathies were with the Royal side, and who would feel more satisfied in Canada under the old allegiance, and would probably move here if inducements were held out by a liberal system of free grants. His policy had the result of adding largely to the population of the Colony. Many doubtless came who were loyal in their tendencies, but they were different from the men of extreme views, who fought throughout the War, and left the States at its close. The weak point in the policy, however, was that the liberal inducements as to land tempted a large number of Yankee settlers to emigrate: to Cana- da simply from mercenary motives, bringing willi them the Republican sentiments which were so obnoxious to the loyal element which had opened up the first settlements in the forest. This class of disloyal mercenary Yankee settlers was more numorous than is now generally known, and of all the difilculties General Brock had to face, the lukewarmness, disloyalty, and, in many cases, secret and in others open treason of these settlers was the most dangerous and dishearten- ing. One of this disloyal type named M. Smith, who was given a passport to leave the country shortly after the War broke out, has left a short history of the War, published in Baltimore in 1814. He admits that he came from Pennsylvania to Upper Canada in 1808, not because he preferred the Government of Great Britain to that of the United States, but in order to obtain land on easy terms. He says that a large proportion of the population of Upper Canada con- sisted of the same class and their children. The United Empire Loyalists were, as has been mentioned, principally settled along the St. Lawrence, on the Bay of Quinte, on the Niagara frontier and some in Toronto and in its neighborhood. From Toronto westward to the Detroit River, all along the shores of Lake Erie and in the London district, the then settlers were principally of the mixed class, that is tl.e later United Empire Loyalist settlers, and the Yankee settlers who came with them on the same pretexts, but really from mercenary motives. For years the United States had been preparing for war, and Yankee emissaries had been insidiously encouraging disaffection, and spreading fear and doubt among the people. The continued Indian wars in the United States had diverted a portion of the stream of Yankee migration into Canada, and consequently the western district received a considerable number of .Yankee farmers, who took up lands, and wherever they settled spread more or less the repub- lican and revolutionary ideas in which they had been brought up. Of course many of these secondary emigrants were loyal and true to the Government of their adopted country, and fought for it, but the majority of this class were essentially disaffected and disloyal. It was among these men that Yankee emissaries were sent td consult and advise, and the Yankee newspapers were filled with the reports of so-called travellers as to the disloyal state of public opinion in the Province. It was positively stated that our people would make no defence against invasion, and they would submit at once. General Hull's proclamation to the Canadians was evidently based on this belief, that he was bringing them the blessings of freedom for which they were longing. The first invasion was made t66 into the Western district at Detroit. This frontier was far removed from the enemy's base of supplies, and was the most remote and difficult Hne for them to operate upon ; yet the movement on Canada Was commenced there, evidently in the hope that in that section, Where the disloyal faction were settled, they would meet with the least resitance and receive the greatest support from the inhabitants. The disaffection of these aliens was to a great extent instrumental in plunging the two countries into war. Had the people of the United States known that the Canadian people as a whole Were thoroughly loyal, and would have fought as stubbornly as they did in defence of their King and Country, there Would have been no war. On the 2nd December, 1811, General Brock, says, in a letter to Sir George Prevost : " I cannot conceal from Your Excellency that unless a strong regular force be present to animate the loyal, and to content the disaffected nothing effectual can be expected." On the 4th February, 18 12, Brock opened the session of the Legislature and urged upon the House : 1. A militia supplementary Act. 2. The suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act. 3. An alien law. 4. The offer of a reward for the apprehension of deserters. " The many doubtful characters in the militia," he says in one of his despatches, "made me anxious to introduce the oath of abjuration into the bill. It was lost by the casting vote of the chairman. The great influence which the numerous settlers from the United States possess over the decisions of the Lower House is truly alarming, and ought immediately by every practical means to be diminished." The bill for the suspension of the habeas corpus was also beaten by a very trifling majority. Willcocks, Mallory and Marcle were all members of this House and leading spirits of the Opposition. When war was declared, Brock at once called out the flank companies of the militia. This produced a force on the Niagara frontier of eight hundred men,who turned out very cheerfully, and he calculated that all over the Province the number would amount to about four thousand men. In the districts originally settled by the United Empire Loyalists the flank companies were instantly completed with volunteers, an almost unanimous disposition to serve being manifested, and on these men General Brock seems to have depended to overawe the disaffected and to aid him in the field. In fact he said in reply to an address at Kingston that " it was the confidence inspired by the admir- 167 able conduct of the York and Lincoln Regiments of Militia which had induced him to undertake the expedition which terminated in the capture of Detroit." These men who were with him when he died at Queenston were the sons of the loyal veterans of the Revolution. All along the St. Lawrence the same spirit was manifested, the men of Glengarry in particular performing at Chateauguay and in other fights the most brilliant services for Canada. On the 6th July General Brock issued a proclamation, ordering all persons suspected of traitorous intercourse with the enemy to be apprehended and treated according to law. His letters are filled with references to his anxiety as to the machination of the disloyal and disaffected. On the 1 2th July General Hull invaded Canada at Sandwich, and the militia in that district behaved very ill. They seemed either to lose hope or to be disaffected. Five hundred of them, principally of these alien settlers, gave in their adhesion to the enemy, and a party of General Hull's cavalry, amounting to about 50 men, led by a traitor named Watson, a surveyor from Montreal, were able to penetrate eastward as far as Westminster, about no miles east of Sandwich, a conclusive proof of the apathy, to say the least, of the settlers in that district. The Yankee settlers in the Norfolk district aho refused to turn out. At this time General Brock called the Parliament together, and on the ayth July, 1812, opened an extra session. In his speech he says : " A few traitors have already joined the enemy ; have been sulTered to come into the country with impunity, and have been harboured and concealed in the interior. * * ♦ Tq protect and defend the loyal inhabitants from their machinations is an object worthy of your most serious deliberation." His speech concluded with these well known and memorable words showing in the face of all his difficulties and dangers, and in the face of over^vhelming odds, the true heroism and confidence of a gallant soldier : " We are engaged in an awful and eventful contest. By unanimity and despatch in our councils and by vigor in our operations we may teach the enemy this lesson, that a Country d-jfended by free men, enthusiastically devoted to the cause of theii King and constitution, can never be conquered." Two days later Brock ajipealed to the militia of York, the York i6S flank companies, whether they would follow him anywhere in this Province or out of it, in defence of it. The whole force volunteered cheerfully, without a moment's hesitation. The House, however, refused to suspend the Habeas Corpus Act, or to act as promptly as he desired. The disloyal section, led by VVillcocks, assisted by Abraham Marcle, did everything they could to thwart and embarrass General Brock. The state of the country certainly required prompt and vigorous measures, but many of the House of Assembly Were seized with apprehensions, and endeavoured to avoid incurring the indig- nation of the enemy. In consequence of these difficulties Brock, feeling that General Hull's emissaries throughout the country were numerous and active, called together the Executive Council on the 3rd August, and made the following representation to them : " That the House of Assembly, instead of prompt exertions to strengthen his hands for the Government of the militia, providing for lecurity from internal treason by the partial suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act, authorizing a partial exercise of martial law concurrently with the ordinary course of justice, and placing at his disposal the funds not actually applied of the past appropriation, had consumed eight days in carrying a single measure of party, the repeal of the school bill, and passing an Act for the public disclosure of treasonable practices before the magistrates should have the power to commit without bail. That under these circumstances little could be expected from a prolonged session. The enemy had invaded and taken post in the western district ; was multiplying daily his prepara- tions to invade in others; that the militia in a perfect state of insubordination had withdrawn from the ranks in actual service ; had refused to march when legally commanded to reinforce a detachment of regular forces for the relief of Amherstburg ; had insulted their officers, and some, not immediately embodied, had manifested in many instances a treasonable spirit of mutiny and disaffection ; that the Indians on Grand River, tampered with by disaffected whites, had withdrawn from their volunteer services, and declared for a neutrality which was equally inadmissible as with the King's other subjects. That in the western and London districts several persons had nego* ciated with the enemy's commander, hailing his arrival and pledging their support. That the King's forces consisted of the 41st, nine hundred strong, part of the Royal Newfoundland two hundred, with a detachment of Royal Artillery and several vessels. That the ex i6(} tent of coast and distance of prominent parts would divide that orce to support and countenance the militia. That the conduct of the western militia had exposed the regulars at Amherstburg, and he had made a large detachment of the 41st with militia from the home and Niagara districts. That the commandant at St. Joseph had taken Mackinac and might descend to Amherstburg, and compel the invaders to retreat, with the aid of the detachment now on the march to Long Point ; but that no good result could be expected unless he had power to restrain the militia and general population from treasonable adherence to the enemy or neutrality by summary procedure — asked whether it would be expedient to prorogue the House of Assembly and proclaim martial law." The Council adjourned till the next day, the 4th of August, for deliberation, and then unanimously expressed the opinion that, under the circumstances of the Colony, it was expedient after the proroga- tion of the Assembly that the General should proclaim and exercise martial law under authority of his commission from the King. On the 5th Brock prorogued the House and proclaimed martial law. In all probability the action contemplated by General Brock became known on the 4th, for on the 5 th, the day of prorogation, the loyal party carried in this same House a most spirited and patriotic address to the people of Upper Canada. In this it is stated that the popula- tion is determinedly hostile to the United States, and " the few that might be otherwise inclined will find it to their safety to be faithful,'' and calls upon the people to " deem no sacrifice too costly which secures the enjoyment of our happy Constitution." The outlook must have been very disheartening to General Brock when he wrote this minute for the Council on the 3rd of August- With only a handful of troops and no money or supplies, with a House of Assembly weak and timorous, and containing a few infam- ous secret traitors, sufficiently influential to delay and embarrass every step for the defence of the country ; with an invading army within our borders, and a portion of the militia in the invaded district mutinous and disloyal. The turning point was the proclaiming of martial law on the 5th of August. Then Brock was master of the situation, and the change in the prospects in a few days was almost miraculous. That very day the stirring address from the House went forth to the people. The next day Brock left for Amherstburg, arriving there on 170 the 13th at inidniglit. On the 15th he was at Sandwich, with three hundred and thirty regulars, four hundred militia and six hundred Indians. On the morning of the i6th he crossed to the Michigan side of the river, with these thirteen hundred and thirty men, and captured Detroit, with tiie whole of Hull's army of two thousand five hundred men and their immense stores and su[H)lies. Two or three days after he set out again for York, where he arrived on the 27th August. The success at Detroit, so unexpected as it was, ])roduced an electrical effect throughout Canada. It insjjired the timid, fixed the wavering and awed the disloyal. After this event the disaffected saw that it was as much as their projjcrty and lives were worth to disobey orders, and what they were at first compelled to do, after a little wiiile they did from choi':e. Aliens were required to take the oath of allegiance or leave the Province. Many were sent out of the country, large numbers left on their own account — ])assports being furnished those desiring to leave. Those who refused the oath of allegiance, or to take up arms to defend the country, and remained hi the Province after the ist of January, 1813, were to be considered enemies and spies and dealt with accordingly. When the militia of the London district were ordered out, Smith, the author already referred to, says : " Many refused ot their own accord and others were persuaded so to refuse by a Mr. Culver and a Mr. Beamer and one more, who rode among the peo|)le for six days telling them to stand back. However, they were apprehended and the most of the |)eople became obedient. After this they had their choice to go or stay, and some went." This power ot compelling the traitorous to cease their treason soon bore fruit. Large numbers went to the States, among them three members of Parliament — Joseph Willcocks, the leader of the Opposition, Benjamin Mallory and Abraham Marcle. At the next session Willcocks and Marcle, who were still members, were expelled the House " for their disloyal and infamous conduct in having traitor* ously deserted to the enemy." ^Lallory had not been re-elected in 1812. Willcocks was killed at Fort Erie in 1814 in command of a regiment in the Yankee army — Mallory served during the War as major in the same regiment. Fifteen traitors were tried at Ancaster during the war and sentenced to death. Seven of them were hanged together at that place by order of General Drummond and eight were ^» If -i >!■ sent to Quebec for punishment. A large number of the disloyal must have been arrested and put in prison very early in the war, for on the day of the battle of Queenston Heights, October 13, 1813, the Jail and Court House at Niagara were filled with political prisoners, as well as the block house in Fort George, amounting altogether to over three hundred aliens and traitors in custody, with only a few raw militia to guard them. When Brock lost his life at Queenston he did not have many more than three hundred soldiers with him in action, as the main forces had not come up. After the commence* ment of the War the officers of the army, the Indians and the loyal militia all volunteered their services to force the few laggards into the ranks. They thought it hard and unreasonable that they should bear all the burden and dangers of the War, and a number of them were zealously engaged in bringing forward the disobedient. Some forty men of Colonel Grahame's regiment refused to turn out in the neighborhood of Whitchurch township and retired into the wilderness, and the whole regiment volunteered to go out and fetch them in, an offer Colonel Grahame did not accept, probably feeling that such men were better in the woods. The result of the war was practically that the disloyal minority were driven out, uud the apathetic, unable to avoid serving the country, soon became enthusiastic in the cause. Three years of war weeded out the bad elements and welded the Canadians into a loyal and patriotic people. It also stopped the Yankee emigration, and after- wards the country was filled up with loyal English, Irish and Scotch, who settled here that they might retain their allegiance and remain under their Hag. Canada can never again he called upon to face such dangers and difficulties. It seems impossible that the odds could ever again be anything like so great against us, and although unfortunately we miglit have a few traitors among us, yet there are too many sons of Canada born upon her soil and too many other men loyal to their Sovereign and to the land of their adoption for a small fraction of strangers to be able to seriously endanger the national life. Colonel Denison very properly adds that : The experience of 181 2 teaches us that internal treachery and the intrigues of a faction in favour of annexation, although the faction may be small in numbers and weak in influence, may yet involve the two countries in war and bring untold misery and immense loss o^ 172 ]i(e and property upon our country. The belief that the Canadians wanted annexation, a belief industriously fostered and encouraged by the United States Government, alone enabled them to prevail upon their people in 1812 to engage in an aggressive war, and to-day the right-thinking masses of the United States would forbid a war of aggression upon Canada, unless they believed we desired the change and would yield to it without bloodshed. The man who advocates annexation in Canada is therefore playing into the hands of our worst enemies in the States, and doing all he can to embroil us in war. Whenever we hear of men advocating annexation, and there are a few cranks who do, we should remember that they are the most dangerous type to the country. ^73 CHAPTER IB. Sir Isaac Brock — His Par'.-.nta-ie and Former Services — Raising of the Glengarry Light Inkantry hy Captain George Macdonei.l of the King's Regiment and the Reverend Alexander (Afterwards Bishop) Macdonell — List ov Officers — OFtiiERs ok Flank. Companies Glen- garry Militia — Corps des Voyageurs Canadiens — Cana- dian Fencible Infantry. Sir George Prevost was Governor-Geiieral of Canada and Commander of the Forces, liis Fcadniuirteas being at Quebec, while to quote from a commission sigr.ed by him, before me, " Isaac Brock, Esquire," was " President administering the Government of Upper Canada and ISLijor-General commanding His i^Iajesty's Forces tlierein." To the fact that he \'as is hirgely due the i)reser- vation of at least this Province to the Bri'ish Oown and to us the institutions it is alike our privilege and our Iieritage now to enjoy. From Mr. Martin Brock Tupptr's " Life and Correspondence of Sir Isaac Brock," I gather principally the following particulars regariling the man so deservedly designated " 'i he Saviour of Upper Canada." His name will be remembered with gratitude by our people, as h'j biographer stated of a Glengarry man who shortly afterwards fell with him, " As long as courage and devotion are reverenced in the province " : General Brock was the eighth son of John Brock, a gentleman of ancient family in the Island of Guernsey, by Elizabeth De Lisle, and was born on the 6th October, 1769, the memorable year which gave birth to Wellington and Napoleon. He received his commission as ensign in the Eighth (the King's) Regiment 2nd March, 1785, and served in Guernsey and Jersey, in n4 1790 receiving his company. lit; tlien exchanged into the Forty- Ninth Regiment, wiiicli he joined at Ifarbadoes in 1791, but was shortly afterwards compelled to return very suddenly to Kngland on sick leave, having nearly fallen a victim to the pestilential climate. He was then emi)l()yed on recruiting service in EngUvnd,and in 1795 purchased his majority. In 1797 he purchased his lieutenant colonelcy ,when but twcity-eight years of age, and soon after became Senior Lieutenant-Colonel of the Forty-Ninth. He served with distinction under .Sir Ralph .Vhcrcrombie in Holland in 1799, and was Wounded at Kgmont op Zee, where thirty of his regiment were killed and fifty Wi)unded. The loss of the enemy on that occasion was estimated at four thousand men. His next active scrvi(X' was at the celebrated attack on Copen* hagcn by Lord Nelson in i.Soi, when Lieutenant-Colonel Urock was second in command of the land forces, and where his brother, Savery Brock, also gready distinguished himself. In 802, his regiment, the Forty-NiiUh, was ordered to Canada, being stationed at York (now Toronto) in 1803. In 1805 he was made full colonel, and returned on lea 'O to Kngland, that being his last visit, and early in the following year he laid before His Koyal Highness tlie Commander-in-Chief, the outlines of a plan fm the formati(m of a veter.m battalion to serve in the Canadas, recommending that ten companies should be raised, eacl\ of sixty rank and file, with the usual propordon of officers, ' stributcd in the follcjwing manner :- St. John and Chambly, one Company; Kingston, one Comiiany; York, two CompiinlLS ; Fort George and dependencies, three Com- panies ; Amherstburg, r.vo Companies ; .St. Josej)!), one Company. Colonel Brock received the thanks of the Uuke of York "for the communication of his very sensible observations respect- ing the distribution of the troops in Canada, which His Royal Highness will not fail to take int'j consideration at a seasonable opportunity." /Vs in the case of Colonel Macdonell's recommend- ation on a kindred subject, nothing however apjiears to have been done at the time towards carrying out the views of these far-seeing men, who were so well acipiainted with the country and its defensive requirements. While on a visit to his family and friends in (luernsey, Colonel Brock deemed the intelligence from the United States to l)e of so warlike a character that he resolved on returning to Canada before 175 his leave was expired, and such was his anxiety to be at his pr<>t that he overtook at Cork the " I«idy Saiimarez," a Guernsey vessel, well manned and armed as a lettcr-of-marcjue, bound to Quebec. He left London on June 26, 1806, P'iver again to return to home and kindred. On September 27, rSct, he was appointed to the command of the troops in both Provinces, with the rank of brigadier, his appoint- ment as such being confirmed by the King to date from July 2, i8o8 In September, 1806, he addressed a very able representation to the Horse Guards with regard to the defence of the country : — " It is impossible to view the late hostile measures of the Ame- rican Government towards England without considering a rupture between the two countries as probable to happen. " I have in consequence been anxious that such precautionary measures might be taken as the case seemed to justify; but His Honour the President (Dunn, with whom Sir Isacc did not appear to agree) has not judged it proper to adopt any other step than merely to order one-fifth of the militia, which amoir.t^ ^o about ten thousand men, to hold itself in readiness to march on the shortest notice. " The men thus selected for service being scattered along at extensive line of four or five hundred miles, unarmed and totally un. accjuainted with everything military, without officers capable of giving them instructions, considerable time would naturally be required be. fore the necessary degree of order and discipline could be introduced among them. I therefore very much doubt whether, in event of actual war, this force could assemble in time, and become useful. "Without considerable assistance from the militia, the few regul lars which might be spared from this garrison (Quebec) could avai- nothing against the force the Americans would suddenly introduce by various routes into this Province." After referring to the state of affairs in Lower Canada, he con- tinues, " From every information I can receive, the Americans are busily engaged in drilling and forming their militia, and openly declared their intention of entering this Province. The very instant war is determined upon, they will be encouraged to adopt this step from the very defenceless state of our frontiers. The means at my dispo.sal are too limited to oppose them with effect in the open field, and I shall be constrained, unless His Honour ihe President makes 176 exertions, which 1 do not think him disposed at this moment to do, to confine myself to the defence of Quebec." He then narrates the preparations he had made for placing Quebec in a defensive condition, and proceeds, " Although these remarks may be premature, I yet conceive it to be my duty to give His Royal Highness, the Commander-in-Chief, a view of my real situation. " I must confess that I am unal)le to account for the motives which seem at j)rescnt to guide the Councils of this Trovince. X'oluntary offers of service have been made by numbers, on whose loyalty the utmost reliance can be placed, to form themselves into corps of cavalry, artillery and infantry, at little or no expense to Government) provided they were furnished with arms ; but this liberal spirit has not been encouraged by the President." In 1808 Colonel Brock was stationed at Montreal, which, from the description of its society given by Washington Irving in "Astoria,' ■ s a good place to be quartered in. These were the palmy days of ''■■'.: then celebrated North-west Company, "which for a time held a lordly sway over the wintry lakes and boundless forests of the Canadas, almost e(pial to that of the East India Comi)any over the voluptuous climes and magnificent realms of the Orient." The prin- cijjal i)artners resided at Montreal, where they fonned 1 commercial aristocracy and lived in a generous and hos])itab!c manner. Few travellers who visited Canada at this period in the days of the Mactavishes, the Macgillivrays, the Mackonzies, the Frobishcrs and other magnates of the North'west when the Comjjany was in all its glory, but must remember the round of feasting and revelry kept up amv)ng these hyperborian nabobs. With these merchant jirinces Colonel IJrock lived on terms of nrich intimacy. In 18 10 Brigadier Brock was sent to Ui)pcr Canada where he remained in command of the troops uiitil his death, Lieutenant- Governor (lore at first administering the civil government. In 181 1 he was promoted and ap|)ointed by the Prince Regent to serve as a Major-General on the staff of NTorth America and on October 9th of the same year was appointed President and Adminis- trator of the Government of Upper Canada in succession to Lieutenant-Governor Gore, who had returned to England on leave. General Brock had i)reviously expressed his desire for more active employment in Europe, and Sir Gcorue Prevost was authorized to 177 replace him by another officer, but when the permission reached Canada early in 1S12, war with the United States being evitlent ;- at hand, Major-General Brock was retained both by honour and incli- nation in this country. So small was the force we could oppose to the Americans that it became a necessity at once to augment it. Mr. .•\uchinleck, who here confuses the dividing line between tlie I'rovinces ol Upper and Lower Canada, after explaining the reason why a larger levy was not made in the Lower Province (the apprehension that Lower Canadians n\ight contract militia habits and enlist into the service) proceeds: '"'ITiis fcelir.g, however, did not prevent the establish- ment of the Cilengarry i.ii.',ht Infantry, who numbered by the ist May, 1812,400 rank and file ; and we hnd, lurihcr, Uiat on Sir (ieorge Prevost's issuing orders to recruit fora still hi,L,'her establishment, the officers engaged to double the number, and did it. This does not look like disaffection ; and, whether we go still further east, or south, we trace the same spirit. We find two officers dividing Nova Scotia and New Hrunswick, and enlisting Acadians, while Lieutenant Ranald ^Llcdonell is rei)orted as making great jjrogress among the High- land settles on the Coast and (Julf. When we take all tiiese circumstatioes, "hen, into consideration, we confess that we are at a loss to find aay sounder reasons for imputing disaffection to I,ower Canadians th in wc liave foimd to exist among their brethern o*" the Upper Province ; and although they were not called on, in the course of the events which followed, to make such sacrifices, or give such lUKMiuivocal proofs of their loyalty as Upper Canadians, yet we venture to assert that the animus was there, wlwch would have proved that in both Provinces alike the same pure spirit of patriotism burned." We have previously seen that in 1807 Colonel John Macdonell, who formerly commanded the Second Battalioi\ Royal Canadian Volunteers, had urged ijivt Sir Isaac (then Colonel) Brock the desirability of r.ii ing ■ )rps from am.)ng the Highland settlers in (ileng.irry, and that liie latter had forwartled Colonel NLicvlonell's j)rc)posal to ; • .Secretary-at-War stn^ngly recommending that it should be o ; d o.it, iiut fir s.jm: reason which I am unable to discover, it does not appear to have been acted ujjon. It will be remembered that Colonel jnhn Macdonell placet! much reliance on assist.uice in this direction fimn t'.ie Reverend .\lcx.iiuler .Macdonell, 178 the former Chaplain of the Glengarry Fencibles (the regiment raised in Scotland), afterwards Bishop of Upper Canada. When hostilities broke out some five years afterwards, and the necessity arose, that settlement was looked to to supply soldiers tor the defence of the country, and the following letter was addressed to General Brock : — Colonel Baynes, Military Secretary to Major-General Brock. "Quebec, December 12, 181 1. " I am directed to transmit herewith a copy of proposals for raising a corps of Glengarry Fencibles. The Commander of th? Forces has selected an officer of the King's Regiment, Captain George Macdonell, an avowed Catholic and a relative of the Glen- garry priest of that name, to attempt the formation of a small battalion to be in the first instance under his command with the rank of Maior, and in case a more respectable body can be collected, a Lieutenant- Colonel Commandant will be appointed. Captain Macdonell will leave this in a few days, and he will be directed to take an early op- portunity of communicating with you as soon as he has felt his ground in Glengarry, and is able to form a correct idea of the prospect and extent of success that is likely to attend his exertions." In order to insure the important co-operation of the Catholics in Lower Canada, His Excellency the Governor-General personally jpresented Captain Macdonell to the Bishop of Quebec, as the oiticer specially selected to raise the corps, which had a very important political effect, as the French-Canadians regarded the regiment most favourably as beiiig a Catholic one, indeed the letter of service directed to Captain Macdonell, distinctly named the Highland Catholic Priest in Glengarry, Mr. Alexander Macdonell s Chaplain of the corps — a mc:t unusual proceeding — but which indiccted to those of that faith, though of a different race, the begmning of a new system towards them and a flattering mark of th;, confidence of Government in them, exactly as the wise policy of Chatham won the Highlanders in the reign of George the Second, and therefore the raising of this corps immediately called forth an active spirit of loyalty throughout all Lower Canada, whilst it raised the good feelings of the .settlers in the Upper Province. French and British Canadians were incor- porated in its ranks, (i) The gallant officer, Captain George Macdonell, who was selected to raise and to assume temporary command of the Glengarry ii) tJnited Service Journal, 1846, p. 430. ,- 1 ^ \ 179 Fencibles, was a member of a cadet family of Glengarry, well known in the Highlands for their great strength and warlike disposition. They were settled at Leek, in Glengarry's Country (from which they took their name) for many generations until after Culloden, when, like many other Highland families, they had to seek shelter elsewhere, their house at Leek having been burned to the gr(jund by Cumberland's troops. His father John Macdonell of Leek, joined Prince Charles in 1745, and was on his staff at the battle of Culloden, where he was wounded by a shot in the thigh. He remained in hiding in the house ot Grant ot Glenmoriston (his grandmother being of that family) for six months until his wound healed up, after which lie w.ilked in dis- guise the whole way to Hull, where he embarked for Holland in a sailing ship, and soon after joined the Prince at St. Germain. He subsequent- ly served in the Garde Ecossais. Some time after, under an assumed name, he returned to the Highlands and joined subsequently, Fraser's Highlanders as lieutenant. His commission is dated 5th January, 1757. He fought with his Regiment on the Heights of Abraham, before Quebec, a..d was beside Wolfe when he fell. Before "the Forty-Five," he had formed the acqjaintance of the great general, and became so attached to him that he named his eldest son after him. Wolfe acted as his friend, and protected him throughout, the amnesty not having been granted for some years after the fall of Quebec. He remained on the staff after Wolfe's death and was a great favourite with his brother othcers. On a .:ertain occasion one of the Hessian officers on the staff had a difference with him about a 1 dy, when the Hessian denounced him as a 'ebel Highlander. 'I'lie whole head(piarters were indignant and spurned the accu.-iaiion Macdonell challenged his accuser ; a duel with swords ensued, and the German was killed, to the gratification of some thirty officers, who witnessed the combat and strongly sympathized with Mr. Macdonell. Among his friends in the latter days were the famous Glengarry of (ieorge IV. 's time and his distinguished brother, General Sir James .\Licdonell, defender of Hougcjumont. He servet Iligii- land Light Infantry, The hand of the " C'haplain" is easily traced in the successful formation of this regiment (the Glengarry Light Infantry), Colonel Cotfin states tli.it : — " The Hishoj) had !>een most activf> in rousing and recruiting the Glengarries during the preceding winter. Tiie Fiery Cross had passed through the land, and every clantman had oI)eyed die sum- mons. Partaking of the cliaracter of tht. medi;eval cinuchmaii, half Baron, half Bishop, he fought aiu' juayed with equal /.e;d, by the side of men he had come to regard as his hereditary followers." The Bishoj) himself, in a letter to .Sir Francis Bond Head, written in 1S36, to repel some charges brought against him in the House of Assembly, of having neglected his spiritual functions to devoie his time iind talents to politics, after showing how he had discharged his duty to (iod, the hardshi]>s and privations he had suffered in thedis- charge of his sacred functions, and how he had spent thirteen tiioiis.md pomids uf his own means in building churches, chapels, presbyteries and school houses, in rearing young men for the Church and in pro- moting general education, states : — " f never had, or enjoyed, a situation or ])lace of profit or emo- lument except the salary which my .Sovereign was j)leaseil to bestow u|ion me, in rt:wardof I'.irty-two years' faiiiihil services to my cotmtry, having been iiistnimenial in gelinif.; two corps of my Mock raised and embodied in defence ol liicir country in critical tinus, viz. : the first Gle'igarry I'Vnciblc Kegimenl was raised by my inthii-nce as a Caiht)lie corp-> during the Irish Rebelliim, wliose d,u;.:"rs .and fatigues I shared i:i tiiar disi.Mcted country ; ample and honouiable testun(inials of tiieir ser\;v:e and my conduct may be found in the (iovernin lU ( Hiices .,i T.iro.ito. Tne second (il-i-garry Fcncible Regiment, rais.-d in liie IVoviucc when the Government of the I l8l United States of America invaded and expected to make a conquest of Canada, was planned by me and partly raised by my influence. My zeal in the service of my country and my exertions in the defence of this Province were acknowledged by his late Majesty, through Lord Bathurst, the Secretary of State for the Colonies. My salary was then raised and a seat was assigned for me in the Legislative Council as a distinguished mark of my Sovereign's favour, an hon( ur I should consider it a disgrace to resign, although I can hardly ever expect to sit in Council." Captain Macdonell evidently not only filled up the ranks of the regiment in Glengarry, but distributed rather more commissions among the gentlemen of the county than was anticipated by or alto- gether pleasing to the otBcers at headquarters, as appears from the following letter : — Major-General Brock to Colonel Baynes ; "York, January 26, 1812. " Captain Macdonell, accompanied by the priest, arrived here some days ago. The badness of the weather has prevented his return as soon as he first proposed. AH the junior commissions being already disi)osed of among the youths of Glengarry, I fear that little will be done in this part of the Province towards recruiting the intended corps. A few idlers may be picked up, but without the aid of persons of influence no great number can be expected, unless indeed the militia be called out and land promised. " Understanding from Cai)tain Macdonell tiiat the Commander of the Forces had applied to the Prince Regent for permission to offer some of the waste land of the Crown as an inducement to the Scotcli emigrants to enlist, I stated tlie circumstance to Council, and have much pleasure in assuring His Excellency that should he be of opinion the present state of affairs calls for prompt measures, and that a direct promise of land would accelerate the recruiting this Government will readily pledge itself to grant one, or even two, hundred acres to such as would enlist on the terms proposed by his Excellency. This will be deviating largely from the King's instruc- tions ; but in these eventful and critical times the Council conceives that an expression from his E.xcellency of the necessity of the measure will be sufficient to warrant a departure from the usual rules. " Should His Excellency think it expedient to act immediately, and authorize a direct offer of land, I have no doubt that a number of youni( men might be collected between Kingston and Amherstburg, in which case His Excellency may sanction the raising of two additional companies under my superintendence." Sir George Prevost replied on the 20th February, readily ■.ccepting General Brock's proposal to recruit two additional t83 Ci^mpanies to be added to the Glengarry Fenclbles, the nomiriation of the officers, viz., 2 Captains, 2 Lieutenants and 2 Ensigns, to rest entirely with General Brock, and intimating his intention to recom- mend Colonel Baynes, then on his staff as Militia Secretary, to the Colonelcy of the regiment On the 26th January, the Rev. Mr. Macdonell (" the Chaplain") was the bearer of despatches from General Brock to the Commander- in-Chief, with regard to the opening and keeping up communication between the two Provinces, " a subject which he is well qualified to explain." In fact " the Chaplain " was evidently entirely in the con- fidence of boih, and relied on for active co-operation, which was unstintingly given by that loyal and patriotic man. Had he not been a great missionary, pri' and prelate he would have been a great soldier. He used to say that every gentleman of his name should either be a priest or soldier. So great had been his success in raising the Glengarry Light Infantry that General Brock, in February, 1812, recommended the formation of a corps of Canadian Fencible.s, whicli was shortly after- wards accomplished. An idea of the manner in which Captain Macdonell performed the important duty assigned to him, and the readiness with which the people of Glengarry took up arms, may be gathered from the following letter of 14th May, 1812, it being borne in mind that it was only on the 12th December, 181 1, that the Mili- tary Secretary wrote General Brock that Captain Macdonell had his authorization, and would in a few days start on iiis recruiting tour for Glengarry, that the service was performed in the doi)th of winter and that there were no railways or telegraphs in those days :— Colonel Baynes to Mujor-General Brock : "Quebec, May 14, 1812. " I have great satisfaction in telling you that I have reported the Glengarry Light Infantry more than comiilete to the esta!)lishment of four hundred rank and file, and have received Sir George Prevost's comuiands to recruit for a higher establishment, indeed the (juota the officers have engaged to fulfill will nearly amount to double that number, and from the very great success that has attended our exer- tions, I have no doubt of succeeding by the end of the year. Two officers have divided Nova Scotia and New Brunswick for their hunting ground, and are ])ermitted to recruit Acadians, and Lieuten- ant Ranald Macdonell, of tiie Canadians, proceeds in a few days to Pictou and the Highland settlements on the coast and gulf ; he is an officer that appears to be eminently qualified for that service, and i83 he is sanguine that the proffer of lands in the Scotch settlements of Ui'jier (!aii,i(ia will iiidiice ;,'re'4t numbers td ciiicr. I am assured tiial me nun I have got are generally young and of good di^l)()siti(;U, there being very few V.uikees animg them." OLK.NC.AkkV I.UHir INKAMKV KKNH:l lil.K KKCIMKN T, KSi,}. A list of tlu' ((ffieers of this corps, which was on the regular establishment of llie Jiritish Army, is as follows; — Colonel -K 1 ward Hiyiies. (i) Lieutenanl-C'olonel — l'ra;icis 13atti rsby. Major — George Macdouv-11. Captains. K.)l), rl Macdouall, (2) 'I'homas Fiizgerald, Foster Weeks, W. Roxburgh. Lieutenants. James Stewart, H. S. Hughes, .-luicas Shaw, James Macaulay. (4) F-nsigns. Roderick Matheson, (5) (6) Angus Macdonell, (t.) ThU nfTiciT hnd entered the army in 1781. After servinff at f Ml)ralt.ir and the Went Indies he tiecame aidc-ile-c:imp, in 1711), to Sir J.inies (Iraii;, aflerwanis (Juvernor-' ieiiernl of Canada, and was at the takiii>; of ImkrI lloiio in 171)^ ind also at the ciptiire uf a Dutch force in Saldanha Hay in the fnllowini; ycir. Il<: sntiseiinenllv served as A.O.C. ti> .Sir James in the Kast Iniiics, bnt having I ihtaineil a majority in the (|''iili. Ii' i lined that orps at Cawnp.ire. In 180-^ he returned to Knt:land. In tHoi lie was appninftd liciiienant-colonel of the f.tti Foot, and in 1811;, sir James Craii; a>;ain clesirini; his se'rvices, he wis ])Ku-ed on half-pay and serveil as first aide-de-camp to --ir lames at 'iihvaltir, Malta, .N'aples ami Sicily. In 1S07 he was appointed adjntant-^encral to the forces in North \merica, which appointment he held dnrin^ the whole of the War of iSij-i 4 and for several ve.irs wfierwirds. He died at Sidinouth, England, in March, 1829. (Morn.in's Celebrated Canadians, \>. j.m.) '2.1 This uall .nt otTicer entered the service in 171'i and a''ter taltin'^ the various steps, be- came a major-i;cneral in iK.(i, When in commuid at Kort Michilam.ackinic he success! idly do- fended it when att icked by a very superior force, Auijnst 4th, 1814, wliicl be drove off with COM« sideialile loss. He dieil at Stranaer on I'^th November, 1H48, (>lori .Afterwards Sir James Hnch.inan Mac.iiilav, C.B., one of the three gentlemen who served through the war and afterwards became chief justices, the other two bclui; Sir John liever- ly Kobmson, iiirt., and the lion. Archibild >r.l,e.iu — dl three, -tramely enui^li, h.iv ulc b.,'ea pupils of Mr. (attcrw.irds liisliop) stiaohan at th .■ I'ornwall school. He died 2;th July, i8s7 (5.) ;\fterw.uds the Hon. Ilodcrick Matheson. Horn in Kossshire, Scotland, and ,;re it grandson of Du;; lid Mathoson, chief of liiscl.m.who was killed in the action at I Hen Shiel, ■ ileneig , loth June, 1710 Mr. Matheson w.as present with bis rest " ent .at the actions at Y.irk, Saoke'.t's Harbour, t ross l\o ds. Kort I ^.'or^'e, l.undy's l.ane and I'ort Krie Wounded at Sackett's H ir- b ur. lie was :i|>pointed a life member of the Lejjislative l.'ouncil of t-'pper Can.ada in 1847, and A'ldrew i.i.l kll, John Jenkins, (3) R. M. Cochrane, 1). Mcl'herson, A. McMillan, .•\nthony Leslie, W.ilter Kerr, William Kemble, William Maclean, Byland Smith, Alexander Macdoncll. 184 James Rohins, James Mackay, Joseph Kroliisher, Paymaster — Anthony Leslie. Adjutant — John Mackay. Quarter-Master — John Watson. Agents — Greenwood, Cox i\: Co. In addition to the regular force then raised from among the people of (ilengarry, there were also two regiments (jf Glengarry militia. Unfortunately, I can only procure the names of the officers of the flank com|)anies. I know as a fact, however, that Alexander Macdonell of Greenfield commanded the Second Regiment of (.ilen- garry Militia at the time, as a commission of Captain Donald Green field .Macdonell, dated 15th .\pril, 1812, appoints him to the com- mand of a company in that regiment, " of which .Vlexamler Macdonell, Ksqnire, is Lieutenant Colonel," and I find from family papers in my jjossession that he commanded that regiment at the action at Hot)ple's Creek, where some of his men were wounded, whose ca.scs he brought to the notice of headquarters in applying for pensions for them. The Militia Department furnishes me with the following : — GLENGARRY REGI.ME.V TS — FLAMK COMPANIES— SERVED I.\ WAR Of 1812. First Regiment Captains — Duncan Macdonell, John Hookc Campbell. Lieutenants — John Cameron, Donald McDermid. Ensigns — John Kennedy, James Macdonell. .Second Regiment. Captains — Donald Macdonell, Alexander Mackenzie, Alexander Macmillan. tat until Confederation, when he w.ts called to the Senate by Rnyal Proclamation. (6.) An otTicer who subseciuentlv served in this regiin<;nt and retired in 1816 as a captain in it was James Kitzjibb )n, siil)sec|iii;iitly C')l viul of the ist Rc^iin'jnt of Turonio Militia. Mr, Fitzgibbon liad previously served iii the igtii and 6ist l<*-^jimeiits ,i% a non-ciMurnissioned officer, an I Ti.id been present in the acti m ne ir 'he Hcldcr and elsewheie in llol>: consisting of all but one company of Fourth Regiment United States Infantry, a detachment of the First Infantry, with some artillery and four hundred militia, while oppose to them were not more than four hundred and fifty men, of whom two hundred were Indians. General Hull stated in his official report that " nothing was gained iti it but honour." That satisfied him. He was easily satisfied, as the results showed. General Brock, who up to this time had been detained at York, left that place for the scene of action on the 6th of August with some two hundred volunteers, arriving at Amhersburg on the 13th. His little band on the way, he stated in his note book, endur.d all the fatigues with greater cheerfulness and constancy than he had ever previously seen evinced, their conduct throughout exciting his admiration. The following letter from Lieutenant-Colonel Macdonell, General Brock's A.D.C., to the Honourable Duncan Cameron, of York, who was, I believe at the time and continued for many years subsequently a member of the Government of the Province, his been placed in my hands through the courtesy of Mr. yKinilius Jarvis, of Toronto, and is of interest as giving an account of the journey to Detroit and as being the last letter written by Attorney-General Macdonell, who was then Member for Glengarry, and was so soon to die with Brock in the defence of the country. " Port Talbot, loth August, 1812. " My dear Sir, " We left Dover on the 8th, between three and four o'clock p.m., and got to this place about six this morning, when the wind blew so strong upon the shore that we found it would be quite impracticable to weather the point about thirty miles ahead and between which and this place there is no possibility of landing, so were forced to beach and have our boats into a fine creek where, from present appear* ances, it is jwssible they will remain till to-morrow morning, and how much longer I cannot say. It has rained almost continually since we encamped last night, and although the men have been completely drenched, they continue in excellent spirits and behave in the most orderly and obedient manner. " Peter Robinson,with his riflemen, joined us about twelve o'clock to-day, and our fleet now consists of twelve sail of all kinds, in one of which is a six pounder (dismounted), with ammuniiion, etc. The want of boats obliged the General to send a detachment consisting of al)out one hundred men of tlie Oxford and Norfolk Militia in a a small vessel, wliich happened to be at Dover, which must have reached Amherstburg this morning. " Upon our arrival at Dover it was said that a sufficient number of boats to embark the whole of the force assembled there had been got ready, but upon examination we found that hardly one was in a state for service, and it was not till about four o'clock next day, with every exertion, that we got ten boats under way. Many ot them are in so bad a state that we are constantly delayed and detained by them, and will no doubt prevent our arriving as soon as we otherwise would. Had there been boats enough we i)robal)ly would have had with us about one hundred men more than we have. Our force at present, including the men sent in the vessel, will be upwards of three hundred and fifty, besides about twenty Indians, under Cadotte, who has fallen behind. Thjse, with the sixty men from the Forty- First sent from Fort Erie will, I trust, be found a sufficient reinforcement to the garrison at Amherstburg to enable us to effect the desired ob- ject Not having heard a word from Amherstburg since we left you, we must su])])()se things remain in tlie same state. " I am sorry to say that poor Chambers was taken so ill just as we were about to embark, that Mr. Rolph thought it absolutely necessary to detain him. Robinson, however, says tha Colonel Talbot and he were to leave Mr. R.'s yesterday morning, so that we look out for him every moment. Such a disaiijjointment to him would certainly be most distressing — I mean being left behind. I ho])e he may arrive, not only on his account, but also for the good of the service, which I think would materially suffer e attributed 10 him. Colonel Macdonell it was who iiegociated the.-.e terms. He so soon after "nobly fell " at so earlv an age that it is due to his memory thai the credit fir the services he h.-id the opportunity of rendering his country should be accorded to him alone. His monument is with that of Brock at Queenston Heights, where he died. Sir John Robinson is to be found in the '^ubsjquent pages of Caiiadian History. 194 evening with the exception of iwo hundred men, whom he left escorting a vahiable convoy at some little distance in his rear; but there can he no doubt the officer commanding will consider himself equally bound by tiie capitulation. " The enemy's aggregate force was divided into two trooi)s of Cavalry, one Company of Artillery ICngiiieers, the Fourth United States Regiment, detachments of the I'irst and 'I'hird United States Regiments, volunteers, three regiments of the Oliio Militia, one regi- ment of the Michigan Territory. "Thirty pieces of brass and iron ordnance liave already been secured." nston bj >less lished •vices onell idue jnttjr ghts, itory> In addition there was handed over four hundred rounds of twenty-four-pound shot fixed, one hundred thousand cartridges, forty barrels of powder and two thousand five hundred stand of arms. The terms of capitulation were as follows : — ■ Camp at Detroit, August i6, 1812. — Capitu! ion for the siuTender of ]<"ort Detroit entered into between Major-deneral IJrock, co n- manding His JJritannic Majesty's forces on the one part, and IJrigadier-General Hull, commanding the Northwestern army of the United States on the other part : — Article I. — Fort Detroit, with all the troops, regular as well as militia, will be immediately surrendered to the British forces under the command of Major-Gencral Jkock, and will be considered as prisoners of war, with the exception of such of the Militia of Michi- gan Territory who have not joined the army. Article II. — All public stores, arms and all public documents, including everything else of a public nature, will be given up. Article III. — Private persons and property of every description will be respected. Article IV. — His Excellency Brigadier-General Hull having expressed a desire that a detachment from the State of Ohio, on its way to join his army, as well as one sent from Fort Detroit under the command of Colonel McArthur, should be included in the capitula- tion, it is accordingly agreed to. It is, however, to l)e understood that such part of the Ohio Militia as have not joined the army will be permitted to return to their homes, on condition that they will not serve during the war; their arms will be given up, if belonging to the public. Appro V'jJ. '95 Article V. — The garrison will marc.li out at llio hour of twelve this d.iy, and the British will take iminodiate possession of the tort. J. MACliDNliLL, Lieutenant-Colonel Militia, P.A D.C. J. ]5. ()\.v.r.G, Major A. D.C. James Miktkk, Lieutenant-Colonel Fifth United States Infantry. K. liUU.S!!, Colonel commanding First Regiment Michigan Militia. ( \V. Hum,, Brigadier-General commanding Noiihwestern Army. Isaac Bkocic. Major-General. An article supplementary to the articles of capitulation, con- cluded at Detroit, the i6th of August, 1812 : — " It is agreed that the officers and soldiers of tiie Oh.io Militia and Volunteers sliall l^e jn-rmitted to proceed to their respective homes, on tiiis condition, ih:it they do n(jt serve during the present \v ir, unless they are exchanged. "W. Hi;m., "Brigadier-General Commanding United States Northwestern Army. " Isaac Brock, " Major-General." An article in addition to the supplementary article of capitula- tion, concluded at Detroit, the i6th of August, 18 12 : — " It is further agreed that the officers and soldiers of the Michigan Militia and Volunteers, under the command of Major Whetherall, shall be placed on the same principles as the Ohio Militia and Volunteers are piaced by the supplementary article of the 1 6th instant. "W. Hull, " Brigadier-General commanding Northwestern Army United States. " Isaac Brock, "Major-General." Return of the ordnance taken at tne Fort and batteries at De- triot, August 1 6th, 1812 : — Iron ordnance, — Nine twenty-lour pounders, eight twelve- pounders, five nine-pounders. Brass ordnance — three six-pounders, rwo four-pounders, one three-pounder, one eight-inch howitzer, one three and a third inch ditto, (i) (1, After the surrender of the American troops (Jeneral tirock desired Tec\imst.'th not to a'low the Indians to ill-tre^it the prisoners. The gre.it I ndi.m chief replied "I despise ihem too nrich to meddle with them '." As a proper c uitrast to this Mr. Limes cites .1 battle between the .Anierirans, under General Jnckson, and the Creek Indians in M.irch, 1814, when of about one thousand Creeks, only ten of the men .ire supposed to have escaped with life ; sixteen of the Oecks who had hidden being killed the mornin^' after the battle, the American commander sa> ing in his despatch he was dcteruiined to extcriuinate the tiibe. Xqft The siuToiKkr ol Detroit clcctrifi'.'d all Canadians. It was the first (.•ntorprise in which the militia had been 'n^'at^cd, and the cour- age and success of ihcir voliiutecrs nniinatol and cncnnraLCed all. No more was there of donhtinj^ or waverin,^ ; disalTection sunk out of sight. Brock I)ecame the idol ofUpper Canada ; and no man ever, by his dauntless example, both moral and i)hysical, and by effecting much with small means, had mure l.onosily won lli',' lionvii^e of the people, (i) It was a sad and strange coincidence that on the day of his death and that of his chief of staff. Glengarry's representative, at Qucenston Heights, the gun ol the Tower of l,ondon proclaimed the victory at Detroit ! A medal was struck to commemorate the victory, and gold medals were awarded to the following ; — Major-Gcneral Sir Isaac Brock, killed in action in 1812. lacutenant-Colonel [ohn Macdonell, A.D.C., killed in action in 1812. Lieutenant-Colonel Peter Latouche Chambers, Forty First Foot, died in 1828. C(jlonel Mathew (Charles Dixon, R.K. Lieutenant-Colonel Matliew I-llliot, Canadian Militia. Lieutenant-Colonel J- B. Ciicgg, Forty- Ninth Regiment. Major Adam Muir, l'"orty-First Foot. Lieutenant Colonel Robert Nichol, Canadian Militia, Major-General Sir P. Bligh St. George, C B., K,C,IL, died in i8_^6, M.ajor Joseph Tallon, Forty-First Foot. Lieutenant Felix Troughton, R.A., died in 1815. The names are taken from the army list of 1S52, which gives the rank subsequently attained in the army by each oflicer. Colonel Macdonell's was forwarded to his family after his death with the following letter to my grandfather from the Duke of Vork, Commander-in-Chief of the Forces : — " Horse Guards, May 16, 1820. "Sir, — The King having been graciously pleased to ccmnand that the officers present at the capture of Detroit should be permitted to bear a medal in commemoration of that victory, I have to transmit to you the medal which would have been conferred on tl;e late Lieutenant-Colonel John ^L^c Jonell of the Canadian Militia, and which His Majesty has been rleased to direct should be deposited with his fcimily as a token of respect which His Majesty entertains for the memory of that officer. " I am, sir, yours, " Fkhderick, '• Commander-in-Chief. " Dimcan Macdonell. Esq." (i) Coirin, p. 49. M^' 197 On the other hand, as soon as a cartel was effected, and General Hull returned to the United States, he was placed under arrest and the Administration exhibited charges for capital offences against him. He was eventually tried at Albany, N. Y., by a court-martial, of which General Dearborn was President, on January 3, 1814, charges of treason, cowardice and neglect of duty being preferred against him. He was practically acquitted of the first, but was found guilty of the second and third charges, and sentenced to death, but on account of his revolutionary services and advanced age (which was only fifty-nine years, however, at the time of the surrender), was earnestly recommended to tlie mercy of the President, who approved of the sentence of the Court, but remitted the execution of it. The feeling in the United States appears to have been varied as to his conduct, though on the whole decidedly adverse, as might naturally be expected. After the publication of his defence, how- ever, a i)ul)lic dinner was tendered him in Boston as an evidence of the appreciation of its people. That was, and is, no affair of ours. If they were satisfied, tlie people of Canada had every reason to be. The proclamation remains an imperishable monument of his good intentions. As soon as possible, after concluding the necessary arrangements at Detroit, on the 22nd August, General Brock, wilh such of his men as could be spared, loft for tl^.e Niagara frontier, intending to follow up in that direction the advantage gained at Detroit. The vigorous measures he proposed to adopt, liowever, were not only hampered but nullified by the armistice which Sir George Prevost, acting un- der orders trom England, and General Dearborn, the An-'.jrican commander, had concluded. The British Order-in-Counci!, v/hich the American:, urged as the cause of the war, which had been revoked by order of the 23rd June, seven days after the declaration of war by the United States, an action on their part the British Government concluded would suffice to effect the recall of the declaration. In this they were mistaken, and the unfortunate armistice afforded the Americans the opportunity they desired of strengthening their several positions in the vicinity of Montreal, at Niagara, and further west. After it had served their purpose it was repudiated by the President. General Brock's correspondence with his brother shows the very natural impatience with which he was obliged to remain inactive. On September i8th he states that he 198 believes he could sweep everything before him from Niagara to Buffalo. By the middle of October, however, the Americans had assembled on the Niagara frontier an army of six thousand three hundred men, of which force three thousand one hundred r'nd seventy were at Lcwiston, under the command of General Van- Ranssalaer. To ojjpose this force General Brock had part of the Forty-First and Forty-Ninth Regiments, a few companies of militia and about two hundred Indians, in all one thousand live hundred men— dispersed, however, at different points between Fort Erie and Fort George. The Americans decided upon an attack, and before daylight on the morning of October 13th, a large division of their army, numbering some one thousand four hundred men, under Brigadier- General Wadsworth effected a landing at the Village of Queenston, immediately opi)ose Lewiston, not however v/ithout strenuous opposition from such of the British forces as could be collected in the vicinity. Some of them were driven back, their boats being disabled or sunk, but the greater number succeeded in gaining the summit of the mountain, after which no resistence could be offered to those crossing from I^ewiston. A gentleman who will be well remembered by many of the older people of Glengarry, who resided for very many years in Cornwall and WIS Judge of the United Counties, the late Judge Jarvis, was not only an eye-witness of", b ii an active participant, in the events of that day. He had been one of those who had attem;ited to prevent the landing of the Americans. His acc.nint of what followed will be read with interest. It is given in Auchinleck's " History of the War," page 104 : — " On letiring to the north end of the village, on the Niagara road, our little band was met by General Brock, attended by his Aide-de-Camp, Major Glegg and Colonel Macdonell. He was loudly cheered as he cried, ' Follow me, boys 1 ' and led us a pretty smart trot tovvards the mountain ; checking his horse to a walk, he said, ' take breath, boys ; we shall want it in a few minutes.' Another cheer was the response both from regulars and militia. At that time, the top of the mountain and a great portion of its side was thickly covered with trees, and was now occupied by American riflemen. On arriving at the foot of the mountain, where the road emerges to St. David, General Brock dismounted, and, waving his sword, climbed over a high stone wall, followed by the troojjs. Placing himself at the head of the light company of the Forty-Ninth, ho led 199 the way up the mountain at double quick time, in the very teeih of a sharp fire from the enemy's riflemen — and, ere long, he was singled out by one of them, who, coming forward, took deliberate aim and fired. Several of the men noticed the action and fired, but too late, and our gallant General fell on his leftside, within a few feet of where I stood. Running up to him, I enquired, 'Are you much hurt, sir?' He placed his hand on his breast, but made no reply, and slowly sunk down. The Forth-Ninth now raised a shout ' Revenge the General,' and regulars and militia, led by Colonel Macdoncll, (i) pressed forward, anxious to avenge the fall of their beloved leader, and literally drove a superior force up the mountain side, to a considerable distance beyond the summit. The flank companies of the York militia, under Captains Cameron and Heward and Lieutenants Robinson, McLean and Stanton, besides many others whose names I forgot, eminently disunguished themselves on this occasion." General Brock's biographer and relative, Mr. F. B. Tupper, after describing the fall of the gallant officer, continues : " His Provincial Aide-de-Camp, Colonel Macdonell. of the militua, and Attorney-General of Upper Canada, a fine promising yoimg man, was mortallv wounded soon after his chief, and died the next day at the early age of twenty-five years. Although one bullet had passed through his body, and he was wounded in four places, ye" he survived twenty hours, and during a period of excruciating agony his thoughts and words were constantly occupied with lamen- tation? for his deceased commander and friend. (2) He fell while galiantiy charg'ng with the hereditary courage of his race up the hili with one nundrcd and ninety men, chiefly of the York Volun- teers, by which charge the enemy was compelled to spike the eight- een-pounder in the battery there, and his memory will be cherished as long as devotion are reverenced in the Province." Had the Americans by this time received reinforcements, the fate of the battle might have been different, but all the authorities, American as well as Canadian, ag»-e'3 that those who still remained on the opposite side of the river exhibited the utmost poltrooney. General Van Ranssalaer crossed with a view of urging them en, but they absolutely refused to cross. Reinforcements, however, had arrived for the British under General Sheaffe, who, on the death of General Brock, assumed command, until the force amounted be- tween 800 and looo men. The invaders were surrounded, and although they fought most gallantly, their cause was hopeless, and (i) Col')nel M.u; i iriell's hnrritishers." At sea, however, it had been different. The admiralty could not or would not understand that the Americans were building vessels sujjcrior in all respects to those which constituted the fleet on the Nortii American statio:i, and the first engagement in which tiie British " BelviJero," in charge of a convoy bound for the West Indies, beat off Commodore Rogers with a squadron of three frigates and two sloops, rescued the merchantmen and saved herself, was calculated to impress them vriththe fact that it was impossible for Britain to be otherwise than supreme upon the sea. Moreover, the nominal strength in equipage and tonnage of the American vessels was not a fii'- cri'erion when compared witli the nominal strength 01 the British. Their vessels were new, while the British were for the most part old ; they had but one war on hand, while Britain had ships fighting on every sea ; their crews were picked crews, while the British vessels were manned — -in most cases under-manned at that — witli in-tioy crews, pressed into the service from every av.iilal)!. (luarii-r a;ul iai.,ely undisciplined. The Biiiish '• liuerriere," after an une(]i!a! contest, was obliged to strike her ilag to the American vessel " Constitution," and in October the " Frolic " succumbed to the American ship " Wasp," the latter, however, being taken and the " Frolic" rescued the same day by " Poictiers." A few days later the " United States " beat the '• Macedonian," and about the same time die British ship " Peacock '' was, after a desi)erate encounter, sunk by the American " Hornet," tour of die American sailors nobly losing their lives in an effort to save the " Peacock's " crew. The British at last achieved a brilliant victory, however, in the celebrated battle between the " Shannon," Ca|)tain Broke commanding, and the " Chesapeake." It was pro- bably one of the shortest and most spirited actions ever fought at sea, lasting only fifteen minutes. Eleven minutes from the firing of the first shot. Captain Broke boarded the " Chesapeake," and in four minutes more her flag was hauled down. Captain Lawrence was mortally wounded, and died almost immediately after, with forty-seven of his ofTicers and men killed and ninety-nine wounded, ibuiteen uKjitally. Cajjtain Jkoke was severely wounded, his first 212 lieutenant and twenty-llirce others killed and fifty -eight \vounded.(i) The campaign of 1813 oj)ened on the extreme western frontier, where, owing to the climate being less rigourous than in the east, they were naturally able to go to work earlier. Colonel Proctor had been left in command at Detroit by General Brock, when in the preceeding August the latter had gone to the Niagara frontier. On the iQtii January, he received informatio.i that a division of the American army under General Winchester was encamped at Frenci'itown, some twenty-six miles from Detroit He promptly determined to attack them before they could be reinforced by Gen- eral Harrison, who was tlien three or four days' march in the rear. His disposable force was asseml>i.'d at Iirownstown on the 2iSt, consisting of five hundred regulars and militia, and six hundred Indians. The next morning he advanced some twelve miles to Stoney Creek, and made, at day-break, a resolute attack on the enemy's camp. General Winchester himself, soon after the com- mencement of the action, fell into the hands of the Wyandot Chief Roundhead, who surrendered him to Colonel Proctor. His forces retreated to the houses and enclosures, from which they made a vigourous resistance, but sf)on surrendered. Their loss in killed and wounded was between three hundred and four hundred men, while over five hundred men, with one Brigadier-General, three field ofiicers, nine captains, twenty subalterns, surrendered prisoners of war. The British loss was twenty-four killed and one hundred and eighty-five wounded. The House of Assembly of Lower Canada, then in session, passed a vote of thanks to Colonel Proctor and to the officers and men of his force. Colonel Proctor was immediately promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General by the commander of the forces, which was approved of and confirmed by the Prince Regent. (2) The next engagement of moment, the assault and capture of Ogdensburg, was one in which the Glengarry Light Infantry and the Glengarry Militia played so important a jiart that I maybe permitted to narrate it at greater length, as it must of necessity be of interest to the descendants of those who jjrincipally earned the credit of it — nor is the credit denied them by any of those who have written on the subject of the war, all bearing testimony to the daring of the man (t) It is woithy of note that thp oftlrer who succeeded to the cornmanJ of the "Shannon,' Capt.nin broke beinn desperately wounded and the first heutenant killed, and who took her out of action was a Canadinn and is still alive, the Senior Admiral of the Heet, Sir Pro\ost Wallis, U.C.H., who was born at Halifax on the 12th April, 1791, and is now over one hundred years 01 age, and as the London I'ini.s in an account of his career observed, may well be termed the Father of the Koyal Navy. (3) (. hristie, vol. a, p. 69. 213 who devised it. and who, acting on his own discretion, and without orders to do what he so gallantly accomplished, would probably have been broken had he failed. Sir George Prevost, the Governor-General and Commander-in- Chief, having closed the Session of the Legislature, left Quebec on the 17th February on a journey to Upper Canada. On his arrival at Prescott Lieutenant-Colonel George Macdonell, second in com- mand there, proposed to him, as he passed through, an attack on Ogdensburg in retaliation for an excursion by the enemy from thence upon Brockville some days previously, where a sentry had been wounded, some cattle jiens sacked, some jirivate houses and the gaol burned and fifty-two of the inhabitants taken into captivity, amongst them two majors, two captains and two lieutenants, elderly gentlemen who, as a compliment, retained their commissions in the militia.(i) Mr. James states thai Colonel Macdonell had been sent across the river by Colonel Pearson, his senior officer, to remonstrate with the American commander at Ogdensburg against the commission of such depredations. Porsyth was exceedingly insolent to him and expressed a wish to meet Pearson and his men u])on the ice, declar- ing in his own vernacular tliat he could " whip " him with the greatest ease, 10 which NLic l.jnell replied that the command at Fort Wellington would in a tew d lys d^-volvo up ju him and that he would have no objection to indulge Colonel Forsyth in the manner indicated by him. Ogdensburg was then a fortified military post, garrisoned and armed, but still more effectually protected by the breadth of the St. Lawrence, at this point a mile and a quarter wide. One rash attempt upon it had, as we have seen, already failed. The Gover- nor did not deem it expedient to order an attack, but as two men had deserted on the evening of his arrival, and had gone over to the enemy, who might, on ascertaining of the arrival of the Governor, waylay him on his route, it was determined that Lieutenant- Colonel Macdonell should make a demonstration on the ice in front of Og- densburg, as well with a view of engaging the attention of the enemy as by drawing out their forces to ascertain the strength of the garrison. But such a thing as an attack was expressly forbidden, Sir George Prevost i-epeating more than once his prohibition in unequi- (i) Cofiin, p. 214 vocal terms. He parliciilarly objected to the hazard of doing anything that might tend to interrupt the transport of stores then going on by land, and he would give no credit to t!ie rumour then current and communicated to him by Colonel Macdonell, that the enemy were about to concentrate a large force at Ogdensburg for that very pur- pose. He strictly enjoined on Colonel Macdonell the necessity of great prudence on his part "to justify the strong step he had taken in placing him (Macdonell) above all the majors in his army, a measure, lie staled, that had already excited great murmurs among that class of oliicers." The only admission of the possibility of an attack that His Kxcellency would make, was that on the expected arrival at Prescott of Major Cotton and three hundred men of the King's Regim.nit, then some days' march distant. Colonel Macdonell might write to Major-General de Rottenburg, commanding at .Montreal, and act as that olfiicer might be pleased to direct. Colonel Coffm, in liis account of the affair, states that Lieutenant- Colonel Macdonell at this time commanded the Glengarry Light Infantry. Tins, however, is a mistake. It is true that on the occasion of the attack he commanded such of them as were present, as he did the other forces, but it was for the very reason that he did not receive the com.nand of the regiment which he raised and completed 10 the addiui)na! establishment, that the local rank of Lieutenant- Colonel and the command of the St. Lawrence frontier was conferred upon him The facts are stated in Colburn's Military Gazette of 1848, and as they are of interest and some importance, I quote them at length before giving an account of the engagement : " It happened that in the end of January, 18 r3, the Glengarry Highland Militia Regiment, being much harassed by severe duties arising out of i)redatory excursions by the enemy's strong garrison at Ogdensburg, sent in a petition to the Governor-General that their per- sonal aciiuaintance and clansman, Major Macdonell of the Glengarry Light Infantry, should (since deprived of that corps) be appointed to command them, and the highly vulnerable frontier they had charge of, extending about one hundred miles, and more than half of it at that moment a bridge of ice, passable for artillery. This petition was of course undeniable: first, liecause. without disparagement to the brave and loyal English and Anglo-Dutch settlers, these High- landers were, from their numbers an 1 |)eculiar locality, indisputably the sheet anchor of t!ie H igiish le:iu.c ol'CJauatla, and secondly for the following reason : — The Governor-General had, most unfor- tunately on the eve of hostilities, by a very inconsiderate breach of 215 public faith, (more, it is lielicvtcl, the act of an ir.fi leslcd oflictal than liimsclf) unjustly cloprivcd Major Macdoneil (i the expressly stipulated command of the Gknyairy I.igia JnlV.ntr). wliicli he had raised and which, hut for Ids local inllueiice, ncvrr coi:ld have been attempted, and had placed in connnand, from jjrivate favour, an Irish othcer, undoubtedly laave, but an utier stiani'er to the Higislanders in the Glengarry District. The immcvliaie conseciuence of diis unjust and dangerous act, was mutiny in the crps itself, and somed^ing not unlike an insurrection aniong tlieii- fithtr.s and i:ro'r,t rs in the sctdement, a circumstance wiiicli can i.xcite iiuie -li.'pri^e in anyone who has read CoioiUri David S.ewart's *• History "i the Highland Regiments." True, the extreme fosbca-asice of the Cr.thoiic I'liist in Glengarry (the Clui] lain of the Kiginai:!) and the ten;reiate tirni ness of Major Macdonell. had allayed the elfcrveseerice, hut deec* resentment still lurked in the breast of those sturdy Highlandeis, many of whom could not sj^eak one word of English, at the th.ought of their relative and clansman having been betrayed, as they alleged, by the Government, and placed unJer an Irish Protestant, an alien to them and their ])eculiar feelings, and as they not unnaturally b'..t erroneously thought, a bitter enemy to their religion. The Governor- General ajipreciated the necessity of putting these brave and oyal men into good hmnour with him and the Government, and th s he accomjjlished by placing Colonel Macdonell at their head and giving him the command in their own District." On the morning of the 23rd February, Lieutenant-Colonel Mac- donell commenced his maich on the ice with about two hundred and thirty militia and two hunured and fifty regulars, two thirds of the little force being Glengarry Highlanders. The distance across the river, in the diiection of the j^oint of attack, was about a mile and a half Owing to the caution requisite in marehing over ice with four hundred and eighty men, at a place which had never been crossed in the same manner, the troops and militia were divided into two columns and formed in extended order. Olieying for some time the command of Prevost, Colonel Macdonell played with the enemy, but, as Mr. Rattray observes, " the season for action had come. They needed no martial address or inflated ])roclaniation. The Highland blood was up." "These men did not plead rpialms of conscience or constitutional scruples for not daring the ice which undulated and cracked and gaped beneath their feet." (i) The American Commandant Forsyth was at his breakfast, and affected to ridicule the demonstration, Macdonell (1) Coffin, 3l6 divided his force into two columns, having, as stated, advanced rapidly to the attack — s[)oed and resolution alone could save him. The Americans, more wary than their chief, sprang to their guns ; muslcL-'try and cannon opened on the advancing columns. The left, under Macdonell himself, rushed rapidly on, under a heavy fire, and througli the deep snow ascended the river bank, and swept from the left into the village of Ogdensburg, overwhelming all opposition. Here, from the eastern bank of the Oswegatchie, he commanded to a great extent the llank and rear of the old French Fort Presentation and tiie batteries whicli raked the river; but his own guns were behind hand, they had stuck in the dee[) snowbank and rough ice, broken and jiiled, at the river bank. By furious efforts they were forced to the front, and not a moment too soon. While this was doing Ca])tain Jenkins, of the Glengarry F'encibles, who commanded the right wing, a gallant New Brunswicker, was making a most desperate effort to carry out the jiart assigned to him. Seven pieces of artillery, backed by two hundred good troops, smashed the head of his advance ; gallanily he rallied his broken column ; not a living man shrank; springing forward ivith a cheer, his left arm was shattered by a shot ; nothing daunted, f(jrward and still cheering on, his u[)- riaht right arm was disabled by a case shot ; still disregarding all pernoiKii consideration, he nobly ran on, cheering his men, to the assault, till, exhausted by pain and loss of blood he became unable to move, his com]iany gallantly continuing the charge under Lieutenant Macaulay. Tne Glengarries, with broken formation, through the deep snow, in front of the deadly battery, were re- forming for a charge with the bayonet, when, fortimalely, Macdonell's guns on the left got within range. Captain Kustace, with the men of the King's Regiment, crossed the Oswegatchie and captured the eastern battery, and, together, both attacks swarmed into the body of the place, to find it vacated, except by dead and dying — the enemy having withdrawn to the woods in their west rear, where there was no nieans of intercepting their retreat."(i) " The gallant Utile l.iand- -worthy sons of the Gaelic clans — had nobly vindicated their claim to ancestral valour. Ogdensburg was theirs and an end was put to frontier raids from the other side." (2) (i) CotVin, page 93. (a) R iittray. 217 Eleven pieces of cannon and all the ordnance, marine, commissariat and quartermaster-general's stores, four officers, seventy men wcie taken, and two armed schooners, two large gunboats and both the barracks burnt, twenty of the enemy killed and a large number wounded. Of the British seven were killed and seven otticers (in- cluding Lieutenant-Colonel Macdonell) and forty-one men wounded. Colonel Coffin suggests that on crossing the river a little oi the old raiding temper had revived among the Highlandmcn, and the word " spulzie " had passed and many faces glistened with giee at the hopeful prospect, 'i'his is the only case in which I find my old friend drawing upon his imagination for liis facts ■ On the day following this action Sir Cleorge Prevost was at dinner with the officers of his staff at Kingston .vheii his Colonial Aide-de-Camj), Captain Peicival, who had remained behind for a day at Montreal when Sir George left there, walked in, holding in his hand Colonel Macdonell's despatch announcing his success at Ogdens- burg, and apologizing to the Governor-General for having dared to take it. His Excellency filled a bumper to the captor an ' *hat night wrote him as follows : — •' Kingston, 24th February, 1813. " Mv Dear Sir, — Although you have rather exceeded my orders, I am well pleased with what you have done, and so I have just told you in a general order, which is to announce to the troops in British America your achievement. " I am, yours faithfully, " (Signed), George Prevost. " Lieutenant-Colonel Macdonell." The general order stated that * * * " His Excellency feels much pleasure in publicly expressing his entire approbation of the gallantry and judgment with which the taking of Ogdensburg appears to have been conducted. A salute to be fired immediately." On the 8th March, 18 13, the House of Assembly of Upper Canada passed a vote of thanks to Lieutenant-Colonel Macdonell and his force for what the Speaker, in his letter transmitting it styled, " the splendid victory at Ogdensburg." Sir Roger Sheaffe, Lieuten- ant-Governor and Major-General commanding in Upper Canada, al- though a personal stranger to Colonel Macdonell, wrote to the latter from York a letter of congratulation on his " recent success in the bril- liant affair of Ogdensburg." The Govcrnor-Ciencral recommended to the Horse Guards that Lieutenant-Colonel Macdonell, who had been 2:8 severely wounded in the action, should receive by brevet a confirm- ation of the local rank in which he performed the service, and in consideration of the political importance even then visible, but not fully appreciated until afterwards, proposed to the Government that the capture of Ogdensburg be made a medal day. Indeed, even His Royal Highness the Duke of York himself, at a later period, also recommended that it should be made a medal day, but Lord Baihurst replied that the list liad been closed and could not be re-opened. It seems scarcely fair that it should have been left to a civilian such as Lord Bathurst to pronounce upon and determine a matter purely military. A medal was given for the taking of Detroit, where not a life was lost on either side. A motion was made, some time after the vote of thanks was passed in the House of Assembly, that a sword of the value of one hundred guineas should be presented to Colonel Macdonell. It seems scarcely credible, and certainly is far from creditable, that religious differences should have determined a matter such as this, but I fear it was so. The writer in the Military Gazette does not hesitate to state that it was because Colonel Mac- donell was " a Papist " that the motion was allowed to drop, and declared that the then Speaker of the House boasted afterwards that he had quashed it by using the " argument " that on account of his religion Colonel Macdonell ought not to receive from a Protestant House any recognition of his bravery and services. The name of his authority is given, Mr. John Gumming, of Kingston, then or afterward member for that town. Sir George Prevost, in his proclamation to the inhabitants of His Majesty's Provinces in North America, of 12th January, 18 14, in contrasting the conduct of the troops under his command with that of the American forces, refers to the conduct of the British on this occasion as follows :***<< in the winter of the following year, when the success which attended the gallant enterprise against Ogdensburg had placed that populous and flourishing village in our possession, the generosity of the British character was again conspicuous in scrupulous preservation of every article which could be considered as private property, such pulilic biildings only being destroyed as were used for the ac commodation of troops and for public stores. The destruction of the defences of Ogdensburg and the dispersion of the enemy's force in that neighbourhood laid open the whole of the frontier on the St. Lawrence to the incursion of his i His Majesty's troops, and Hamilton, as well as the other numerous settlements on the banks of the river might, at any hour, had such been the disposition of His Majesty's Government, or of those acting under it, been plundered and laid waste." A correspondent in the United Service Magazine, 1848, part i, page 452, does not hesitate to affirm that this important part was taken on that morning contrary to the most positive orders, verbal and written, of the Governor-General in person and on the spot only one-half hour previous to the attempt, and that when Lieutenant- Colonel Macdonell hazarded the attack he was acting under some- thing like a certainty of being cashiered by a court-martial, if not indeed sentenced to be shot, for disobedience of orders in the event of failure. Nothing but success could justify the attempt — it was a case of do or die — and yet, when it was done, the despatch an- nouncing it to the Home authorities and published in the London ♦' Gazette " was altered, and Colonel Macdonell was made to say, over his own signature, that he had taken Ogdensburg " by the command of His Excellency." (i) Being constantly employed in remote parts of the upper country. Colonel Macdonell did not discover this misrepresentation of fact until November, 1816, and when he called the attention of the Col- onial Military Secretary to it, the only rei)ly he received was that such alterations were customary in the service. The matter was subsequently brought before the Duke of York, but the time had gone by and Colonel Macdonell was left without satisfaction. He was a rash young officer and did more than his duty, for which men are seldom thanked. The statement has frequently been made that, having acted in disobedience of orders, he was obliged to leave the service. This, of course, is untrue. Though he never received for this and other important services rendered by him, any reward commensurate with his merits, he continued on in the service, received one of the two gold medals given for Chateauguay, and in 181 7 was made a Commander of the Bath. He afterwards commanded the 79th Highlanders. When General Pike arrived at Ogdensburg in the week following with five thousand regular American troops, he found the garrison had fled to Sackett's Harbour, the barracks all burned down, the (i) James i, 393. 220 fort dismantled and all the artillery, stores and provisions transferred to our side of the river, and, having no food or cover for his men, and seeing his grand plan of taking Prescott, and with it hampering all Upper Canada, anticipated and counteracted, he thought it pru- dent to abandon all idea of conquest and to Iiurryon to Lake Ontario. Thus the taking of Ogdensburg completely frustrated all the enemy's schemes ; it forced him to remove the seat of war for six months thereafter three hundred miles further from Montreal, and so compel him to waste his time and strength in that, for him, remote and useless locality, and this too when time was everything for Britain, as it gave time for the arrival of troops. The return of kilHd and wounded shows : — Royal Artillery, two rank and file killed ; Eighth or King's Regiment, one .sergeant killed, one subaltern, twelve rank and file wounded; Glengarry Light In- fantry, two rank and file killed, one captain, one subaltern, three sergeants, nine rank and file wounded ; Militia, nineteen wounded. The officers wounded were : — King's Regiment, Ensign Powell ; Glengarry Regiment, Lieutenant-Colonel Macdonell, Captain Jen- kins and Ensign McKay; Militia, Captain Macdonell and Lieutenants Impey, McLean and Macdonell. Lieutenant-Colonel Macdonell, in his despatch to Sir George Prevost, among other officers mentioned for their gallant conduct, Lieutenant Macaulay, and Ensigns Macdonell and Kerr, of the Glengarry Regiment, and Ensign Kerr, of the Militia, the two latter of whom had each charge of a field piece. Needless to say, the gallantry and devotion of Captain Jenkins was first recorded. The following men of the Glengarry Militia Regiments, who were wounded at the taking of Ogdensburg, received a pension of twenty pounds each : First Regiment Glengarry Mjlitia: — D. McDermid, Farquhar McBean, Donald Macdonell, John Macdonell, Thomas Ross. Charles Mackinnon and Finlay Munro were wounded near Cornwall on the loth November, 1812, and also received a pension of twenty pounds, (i) To Glengarry and Glengarry men, I think I have shown, must that important achievement, one 01 the most daring of the war, be credited in greater part. (i) Upper Caiia la Gazette, ist J.inuary, i3i8. 331 I have obtained, from the official records, a list of the officers and men of the think companies of the Glengarry Militia Regiments who were present both at the taking of Ogdensburg and the capture of Fort Covington, in the same year, all of whom received grants of two hundred acres of land from the Ciown for tlieir services on the conclusion of the war, but I regret that want i)f si)ace will not permit me to insert it. When the Legislature of Upper Canada assembled at York on 25th February, 1813, (Jencral Sir Robert Sheaffe, commanding the forces in Upper Canada, and who iiad succeeded Sir Isaac Brock as President of the Province, in his address to the House stated, " It affords me satisfaction that tiic first time I am called upon to address you in this place, I have to offer you my cordial congratula- tions on the uniform success which has crowned His Majesty's arms in this Province. The enemy has been foiled in rej^eated attempts to invade it. Three of his anuies have been surrendered or com- pletely defeated, and two inipor.ant posts wrested from him. In this glorious cam])aigii, ihe valour and discipline of His Majesty's regular troops have been nobly supported by tlie zeal and bravery of our loyal militia." The Americans' plan of cvnpaign for this season included attacks on Kingston, Fort George, Niagara and York. Their superiority on the lake rendered the situation of these places very critical — that of York, which was entirely unprotected, extremely much so. It was then, as now, the capital of the Province, though in i8t2, instead of a population of two hundred and sixteen thousand, it contained one thousand souls. The Legislative Buildings and Government Offices were there, and all official people were obliged to live in " Muddy little York," as people of other places then and for many years after called it. The British force stationed there consisted of but six hundred men under General Shea/fe. In April, 1813, Commodore Chauncey, with a squadron of six- teen sail, and having on board of the various vessels General Dear- born and some two thousand five hundred American soldiers, left Sackett's Harbour, and on the 26th of that month arrived at York, which fell an easy prey on the following day. It was as well defended as could be expected, by the regular force, consisting of a company of the Glengarries, a company of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment (which served in this Province throughout the whole War) and two 333 companies of the Kic^hth Regiment (which happened to he at York en route from Kingston to Niagara), and the local militia; but success- ful resistance was out of the (lucstion. The enemy had virtually cajitured the place when an explosion occurred at the i)owder mag- azine, where some two hundred and fifty of the Americans were killed or Wounded, including General Pike, their commander ((iencral Dearborn ajipearing to have remained on hoard), as well as a few of the JJritish. The American [)apers endeavoured, with their usual untruthfulness, to show that this was done intentionally, though the evidence was all to the contrary, and even it it had been it was perfectly consistent with the rules of warfare. (leneral Slieiiffe retired with the regular forces to Kingston, and the militia, to the nunii)er of two iuindred and ninety-three, with a few othcers and men of the Royal Navy, surrendered piisoners of war. The /Vmericaiis l)urned tne public buildings with the libraries and all the records and p.ipers of Parliament, and gained possession of a great qii ruity of n.ival and other stores. The British loss was sixty-two killed and seventy-two wounded. Of the Glengarry Regi- ment, twu rank and file were killed, Ensign Robins and three rank and file wounded, and three rank and file missing. The militia rolls fell into the hands of the eiKiny, who claimed many as prisoners who never surrendered into their hands. \'ork had a fictitious importar.ce, owing to its being the capital of the Province, and we can easily understand, as the fiict was, that the Americans made the most of its capture. Commodore Chauncey forwarded to the Secretary of the Navy the British standard which was taken, accom- panied by the mace, and what he claimed was a human scalj) which hung over it. Colonel Coffin says it was a peruke such as was commonly worn in those days, and verylikely belonged to the Speaker, while Mr. Auchinleck suggests it was the scalp of an unfortunate Indian who was shot in a tree by the Americans, and was taken by Commodore Chauncey himself. They held possession of York about a week, evacuating it on the 2nd May, when they proceeded to the Niagara frontier. The regular force in that district at the time consisted of the Forty- Ninth Regiment, and of detachments of the Eighth, Forty-First, Glengarry Light Infantry, and Royal Newfjun Hand corps, with so iie artillery, the whole co nmandj.l by Brigadier-General Vincent. At Fort George were about a thousand of these, with three hundred militia its and about fifty Indians, but unfortunately there was so great a scarcity of powder that they were al)lc to maKc but little use of the gum. After being driven back in tnree separate cflTorts to land, the Americans on the 27th May obtained Dossession of the fort, which General Vincent abandoned, having lost thrct; ofliccrs, one non- commissioned officer and forty-ei^lit rank and file killed, eleven officers, four sergeants and twenty-nine men wounded and one officer, thirteen sergeants and two hundred and forty rank and file wounded and missing ; and the Americans thirty-nine killed and one hundred and eleven wounded. The Eighth Regiment, Glengarry Light Infantry and Royal Newfoundland detachments lost about half their united force. The Glengarry Regiment had one captain, one ensign, one sergeant, twenty-four rank and file killed ; one captain, one lieutenant, one ensign, three sergeants, twenty rank and file wounded ; one lieutenant, two sergeants, twenty-three rank and file wounded and missing. The officers of the Glengarry Regiment killed were Captain Liddell and Ensign McLean ; those wounded Captain Roxburgh, Lieutenant Kerr and Ensign Kerr. General Vincent fell back to the head of the lake, the enemy not attempting to follow, and eventually encamped at Burlington Heights, when his supply of ammunition was reduced to ninety rounds per man. On the 5th June the enemy were encamped at Stonoy Creek. Mr. Auchinleck shows conclusively that their force was not less than from two thousand two hundred to two thousand five hundred men, while General Vincent states it to have been three thousand five hundred, with two hundred and fifty cavalry. Lieutenant- Colonel Harvey (afterwards Sir John Harvey, Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick), who had been sent by General Vincent to reconnoitre, recommended a night attack, which General Vincent determined on and advanced with a force of seven hundred and four men. Colonel Harvey led the attack ; the enemy was completely surprised. He was charged again and again, and before daybreak the battle was over ; the first and second officers in command, Brigadier-Generals Chandler and Winters, and upwards of one hundred officers, non-commissioned oflScers and men made prisoners and the remainder of the survivors in full retreat to Forty-Mile Creek, where a junction was eflected with two thousand men who were on ••4 their march to reinforce him. The British loss was twenty-three killed, including one lieutenant, twelve officers, nine sergeants and onj hiuidred and fifteen men wounded and fifty-five missing. On the 24 June Colonel Boerstler, of the United States Army, with a force of five hundred and forty-one men, having been sent to surprise an outpost m the vicinity, and having been rather severely handled on the way by Colonel Bisshopp, Colonel Clark of the Lincoln Militia and a few Indians, was sumaioned to surrender by Lieutenant (afterwards Colonel) Kitzgibbon, who was at the head of some thirty men and two hundred Lidians, which with praise- worthy exaggeration he rejjresented to be many times their number and the vanguard of a 'arge army in the immediate vicinity. Colonel Boerstler threw up the sponge and surrendered to this imposing force. Just as the enemy were being drawn up, Major De Haren, of the Canadian Fencibles, arrived with two hundred and twenty- nine men, and articles of capitulation were agreed upon. Very naturally, there was a row in Congress over this succession of mortifying defeats. It culminated in the recall of General Dearborn, who had been scarcely been more fortunate than Generals Hull and Smytlie, and the taking of York and P'ort George were amply avenged. 225 CHAPTER 18. General Dearborn in Turn Supfrseded.— SuccESsfur. At- tacks ON Fort Schi,()s.si;r and Black Rock. — Death or Colonel Blsshopp. — Attack on SxcKErr's Harhouk. — Prevost'9 Demonstration on F(/rt (iEOROE. — The Glengarry Reglment'sTlmkly Occupation or Burlington Heights. — York Again Taken. — Canada Menaced in Three Directions in the Autu.mn of 1813. — Disasters on Lake Erie. — Evacuation of Detroit. — General Proc- tor Defeated at Moraviantown. — Death or Tecumseth, — Court-Martial on Proctor. General Dearborn was succeeded by Generals Boyd and Lewis, The enemy, by these successes of the British, was compelled to confine himself to Fort George and its environs, where sickness broke out and his troops suffered considerably. Thcjgh General Vincent's force amounted to only eighteen hundred men, he I>e- leagured the American;,, numbering some four thousand, and before the ist of July the British had formed a line extending from Twelve Mile Creek on T^ake Ontario across to Queenston on the Niagara River, nor did they leave the enemy idle The "glorious Fourth" of July, of all days in the year, was selected by Colonel Clark, of the 2nd Lincohi Militia, for a descent of Fort Schlosser, immediately above Niagara Falls, and during the night a small party of militia with a few regular soldiers surprised the guard at that post and brought away a brass six-pounder, up- wards of fifty stands of arms, a quantity of stores, with a gunboat and two batteaux, without loss of life. Again, on the i ith July, poor Colonel Blsshopp, who had so distinguished himself on the Niagara Frontier in the preceding autumn and spring, crossed over to Black Rock, near Buffalo, at daybreak with two hundred and forty men, consisting of a small party of militia and detachments of the Eighth Forty-first and Forty ninth Regi'nents. He effectually surprised the enemy and burnt his block houses, stores, barracks, dock-yard and 226 a vessel, but while occupied in secui-ing the stores the > ■>emy, with a reinforcement of militia and Indians, under cover of the surrounding woods, opened a smart fire and compelled the British to hasten their retreat, with the loss of tliirleen killed and a n.uiiber of wounded, among the latter being Colonel Jiisshopp himself, wlio died almost immediately, to the deep regret of his comixinions in arms. He was an officer of singular merit and hut thirty years of age. A. beautiful monument in the graveyard at Drummondville, erected by his family in England, marks his resting-place. On the same day that the Americans took Fort George (27th May), Sir James Yeo having arrived in Kingston from England, with some naval officers and seamen to the number of four hundred and fifty, and Sir George Prevost being also at Kingston, it was deter- mined by these two officers that an attack should be made on Sackett's Harbour, on the American side, somewhat higher up the Lake, the enemy's fleet being then at Niagara. Some seven hundred mt.n, including a company of ihe Glengarry Regiment, set out from Kingston on board three frigates, four gunboats and some batteaux, and at noon of the 2Sth they were off Sackett's Harbour. An un- fortunate delay occurred, however, which was the precursor of other miscarriages. This delay enabled the Americans to assemble their militia from the surrounding district, and thus, by the material addi- tion of some live hundred men to their regular force (consisting of dragoons, artillery and infantry, to the number of seven hundred and eighty-seven) largely to outnumber the invading force. The landing took place, after much difficulty, on the morning of the 29th, not without strong opposition on the part of the enemy, under General Brown, while the fleet which was to have supported the advance of the troops was, owing to adverse winds, a long way off. Colonel Baynes, Colonel commanding the Glengarry Regiment and Adjutant-General of the forces in British North America, who was in charge of the attacking party, having at le.igth secured a landing, ordered his men to divide and scour the woods, where the enemy had taken refuge, and kept uj) a sharp fire on the British. They succeeded in dislodging the enemv at the point of the bayonet,who thereupon tied t(; tiieir fjrt and blockhouses, whither thcv were |)ursued by the British, who set fire to the barracks. Colonel Baynes considered, however, that it would be iinpossible to capture th.e enemy's blockhouses and stockaded battery without the assist- 227 ance of artillery, which had not been landed, and without the aid of the fleet, which was still out of reach, while his men were exposed to the fire of the enemy, secure within his works. Colonel Bockus, of the American Army, had, however, in the meantime, been killed, and part of his force had fled. Tne signal for retreat to the boats was given to tlie Hritish and the enterprise abandoned at the very moment that victory was witliin their grasp, the enemy so far calcul- ating upon a decisive victory for our forces as to have set fire to their naval storehouses, hospital and marine barracks, by which all the booty previously taken at York was consumed. It was a most un- fortunate occurrence, and all the moro so owing to the presence of the leaders of the land and naval forces, and the attack having been under the immediate direction of the Adjutant-General. The British loss was one officer and forty-seven men killed and two hundred wounded and missing; that of the Americans about three hundred killed and wounded. The Glengarry Regiment lost six rank and file killed. Captain McPherson was severely and Ensign Matheson slightly wounded ; one sergea'U and sevonteeii of their rank and file were also wounded. Colonel Ha\ nes, in l:is report to Sir George Prevost, stated that Captain Macphcrson's conijiaiiy of the (ilengarry Light Intantry, the one present in this action, evinced most striking proof of their loyalty, steadiness and courage. This untoward event was a grievous blow to the militar}' repu- tation of Sir George Prevost, nor was it strengthened by what took place on the Niagara Frontier in August following. The two armies had there remained in sight of each other, inactive, until the Commander of the Forces had arrived from King- ston, when the speedy reduction of Fort George, where the Americans were entrenched, was confidently expected. The Governor, to ascertain, as it was pretended, the extent of the enemy's works and the means he possessed of defending the position which he occupied, determined upon making a demonstration on that tort on the 24th of August, and the army was ])ut in movement as if for an assault upon it. The enemy's pickets were driven in, several of them being taken, and the British advanced within a few hundred yards of the enemy, who. although sup])orted by a fire upon the British from their batteries on the opposite shore, declined leaving their entrenchments to venture into the field. Sir George, however, did not deem it ad- 2 2S visal)le to risk a trial for the recovery of the Fort, which, as he deemed it, was not of suificieiu niometit to compensate for the loss that must have ensued iiad an .iltack l)jen in.il',-. It is true the American forces within the fort numbered four thousand, while those in the neighbourhood of Fort (leori,'e did not exceed two thousand on an extemled line, yet the Anuricans were totally dependent upon their own resources for their subsistence, and were compelled to act solely on the defensive from the iiostile front assumed by the British in their neighbourhood. This fruitless " demonstration," coming, as it did. so soon after the fiasco at Sackett's Harbour, dispelled whatever confidence in Sir George Prevost as commander of the forces, the army and those in the country best able to judge of his capacity as such previously en- tertained, nor was he ever able to regain it. .Shortly before this, however, the Glengarry Regiment had another opportunity of distinguishing itself On the 2,Sth July the Aniv^rican lleet un Icr Ciimni)lore Chauncey, which was then lying off the Niagara River, having on board a battery of artillery and a considerable number of troops under Colonel .Scott, U.S.A., pro- ceeded to the head of th>' Lake, with a view of seizing and destroyi ^ the stores at Burlingl;>n Heights, the principal dc|)ot ot the army on the Niagara frontier, then garrisoned by a small detachment undi.-r Major .Maule. The design of the enemy ag.iinst the dcp.it being suspected, the Glengarry Regiment, under Battersb^, was ordered l)y Colonel Harvey frcjm V'ork, aid by.i march of extraordinary celerity arrived in time to save the place. The enemy, upon he.uing of ihcir arrival, wisely determining to abandon the proposed attack. The Gleng;irry Regiment unfortunately lost their baggage which they had left in some boats in a creek in the neighbourhood of York. Col- onel Hattersby wrote to Major William .Vllan to send some of the militia to secure it, but the letter did not reach its destination, as the gallant officer to whom it was addressed liari retired to the woods when the Americms a])peared off Vork.(') ("ommodore Chauncey, however, on ascertaining that York, by the advance of the Glengarry Regiment to Burlington Heights, was left unprotected, seized the opportunity and bore down u|)on that unfortunate place, which he entered on the 31st July. The Americans landed without opposition, and having taken possession of a small f[uantity of stores, (i) Letter lion. W. U. Powell to Sit George I'revojt, .•Viigust i, 1813. 229 Set fire to the barracks and public storehouses, and having re-em- barked their troops, and carrying with them some sick and wounded American prisoners found in York and a cjuantity of provisions from the shop of Mr. WiUiam Allan, bore away for Niagara. Some naval engagements took place about this time on Lake Ontario between the rival naval commanders, Yeo and Chaunceyi each striving for the command of the Like. The British captured two small vessels (the " Julia "and " Growler ") off Niagara, and the Americans lost two others, the '• Scourge " and " Hamilton," in a press of sail to escape the Britisii ; all the oiHcers and men, except sixteen of the latter, being drowned. No general engagement, how- ever, occurred. On the ist Octol^er the American fleet set sail from Fort George with a convoy of troops for Sackett's Harbour, wiiere an ex])edition was preparing whose destination was as yet unknown, and was, as we shall shortly see, fated ultimately ".o be untoward. In their way they fell in with and captured five small vessels out of seven, with upwards of two hundred and fifty men of De Watteville's Regiment, from York bound for Kingston, where an attack was ap- prehended, a loss which, although small, was. owing to the scarcity of troops in the Upper Province, severely felt. It was during this autumn that the .'Vmerieans made the most strenuous, and in one quarter, most successful efforts of the War. Three separate armies menaced Canada in as many directions. In the East, during the month Oi oeptember, the forces which had been concentrated at Burlington, in the State of Vermont, under General Hampton, moved across Lake Champlain to Plattsburg, with a view of penetrating into the District of Montreal ; the army under Hampton's command, consisting of seven thousand infantry and two hundred cavalry, and being veil supplied with artillery. General Wilkinson at S ickett's Harbour, on Lake Ontario, a short distance above Kingston, on the opposite side of Lake Ontario, was preparing, under the immediate direction of General Armstrong, the American Secretary at War, a large flotilla of batteaux and Dur- ham boats for an expedition of ten thousand men, destined against Kingston or Montreal, though fated to reach neither place. General Harrison, with an army shortly reinforced until it numbered eight thousand men, was camijed on the Miami River, in Michigan, only a' aiting the equipment of the American fleet fitting out at Presq' Isle, some distance below on Lake Erie, to move his forces against Detroa,which still continued in possession of the British (since Us captare by Brock at the beginnnig of the War), and carry Oil ollensivc operations in the neighbourhood of Lake Erie. For- tunately only the latter was successful, and in the West the most disastrous engagements of the War, both on water and land, with the exception posiii)ly of Plattsburg, took place, though the valour of the U.ui.ih nava! furces retrieved to some extent the serious loss sustained. I'he British fleet on Lake Erie was commanded by Captain Robert Ijarclay, who had seen service under Nelson, and lost an arm at Tiafilgdir, his flagship being the " Detroit"; his squadron consisting in allot six vessels and sixty-three guns, while Commodore Perry was i;i command of the enemy's fleet, Iiis flagship, the "Lau- rence," aiul iiis sijuadron com[nising nine vessels, with fifty-two guns, the weight in uieial bei.ig, however, in fa voiir of tlie Americans, m the jiiojioiiiun of over two to one in pounds. During the uKjnih of July tiie British had maintained an effective blockade on th.- .Vuierican fleet in Presq' Isle Harbour, where a sandb.'.r prevented the larger American vessels moving out without unsliippiiig their guns, but towards the end of August, Barclay having occasion to pr iceed to i^ong Point, on the Canadian side, for pro- visions, the Anijricans took advantage of his absence and crossed the bar. The British fleet then sailed for Amherstburg, followed shortly by Commodore Perry, for the head of the Lake. The British forces in the Michigan Territory, under the command of General Proctor, falling short of supplies, for which they depended solely upon the fleet. Captain Barclay had no alternative but a general engagement, which accordingly took ])lace on the loth September, near Put-in-Bay, though the British fleet h.id but fifty experienced sailors between its six vessels, the rest of the crews being made up of two hundred and forty soldiers and eighty volunteer Canadian seamen, while Perry's ships were fully mannerl with six hundred skilled sea- men. The battle began about half af;er twelve, and continued with great fury until half past two, the advaiitage being then on the side of the British, Commodore Perry being obliged to abandon his flagship and take to another vessel, the " Laurence" shortly afterwards striking her colours, but the British, from the weakness of their crews, were unable to take possession of her, A sudden and strong breeze 23t enabled the Americans to retrieve the fortunes of the day, iiarclay's vessels, owing to lack of seamen, becoming unmanageable. Captain Barclay himself was dangerously wounded, his tliigh being shattered and his only arm disaivled ; Captain l''innis, of the " Queen Charlotte," killed, and every British conlm.uidcr and dflicer second in command either killed or w.)undL'd, forty-one of the British officers and seamen and soldiers were killed ,ind ninety-four wounded. Li. :. vonder the flag was struck! The American loss was twenty- seven killed and ninety-six wounded, though the battle lasted but little over three hcLrs. Mrs. Edgar, in her interesting book, " Ten Years of Upper Canada," states that when some months afterwards the gallant Bar- c):u '•■- '■•' n>Td been [ilaced on ])ar()le and then exchanged), was brought b.^iore a r.ourt of eiKiuiry to answer for the loss of his tleet, his juH ^t., \.. u.. moved to tears as tiiey looked at the mutilated form of the hero ^v\r', lad foiight so well. She mentions that he was a Scotci.n.Ji. and ; \ nti.jnded school at Kettle, at which Bishcip Straclinn, w ?.''', : .. '- tauijht at Cornwall, was the master. l>isastrous asw is i _ ■ ;\._/cment itself, in that the whole British squadron on Lake Ki ie was caiitured by the enemy, who now became masters of the Lake, it was even more so by reason ot the fact that the British army in possession of the Michigan Territory, and in the neighbourhood oJ Detroit, was thus de[)rived of every prospect of obtaining future sup|)lies, antl a speedy evacuation of Detroit and a retreat towards the head of Lake Ontario became ineviuible. I'ort Detroit, therefore, was immediately evacuated; Proctor, on leaving, destroying the magazines, barracks and public stores. Had the retreat been pro[)crIy managed matters would not have been so bad. Commodore Perry, as soon after the engagement of the loth as circumstances permitted, transported the American forces under commanJ of Harrison to Put-in-Bay, from whence they were con- veyed to the neighbourhood of Amhcrstburgh (or Maiden, as it was then called), which also had been abandoned by the British, which they occupied on the evening of the 23rd September. Proctor's troops were altogether too inadequate in numbers and destitute in resources to make a stand against the overwhelming forces of the enemy and a retreat along the River Thames was de- termined upon, the Indians, under Colonel Elliott, of the Indian Department, with their great Chief Tecumseh, still adhering to his 232 Standard in his reverses witii unsiiaken fidelity, and covering his retreat He was closely followed by General Harrison, whose force was escorted by a number of batteaiix under the immediate direction of Commodore I'erry, by which they were enabled to overtake, on the 41I1 October, the rear guard of the British, and succeeded in canturiiig the whole of their ammunition and stores. It was under these adverse circumstances that Proctor was compelled to stake the fate of his small army in a general engagement. He accordingly assumed a jjosition on the right bank of the River Thames, at the Indian ^'illage of ^Toraviantown, where he awaited the apjjroach of the enemy, who had crossed the river in the morning, and came up in the afternoon o( the 5th October. The battle was of short dura- tion. Harrison had among his forces a large number of Kentucky cavalry, accustomed to ride with extraordinary dexterity through the most intricate woods. These he ordered to charge full sjjeed Ujion the Briti,sh. J5y this charge of the enemy our soldiers, worn out with fatigue and huuger, and dis])irited by the unpromising api)earance of the cam]), iign, became totally routed, and for the most part sur rendered ])risoners to the enemy, while (leni;ral Proctor and his personal staff sought safety in Ih'ght. Tiie Indians behaved with a gallant! V worthy of the chief who led tliem, and for a considerable tinv- carried on the contest with the left of the American line with great iletermination, but finding all hoi)e of retrieving the day to be futile, at length yielded to the overwhelming numbers of the enemy, and reluctantly left the field, but not until the great Tecumseh had fallen. Mr. James states (i) that Tecumseh, although he had received a musket ball in the left arm, was still seeking the hottest of the fire, when he encountered Colonel Johnson, Member of Congress for Kentucky. Just as the chie.*", having discharged his rifle, was rush- ing forward with his tomahawk, he received a ball in the head from the colonel's ])istol. Thus fell the great Indian warrior in the forty- fourth year of his age. What Brant had been to the British in the Revolutionary War, Tecumseh was in the War of 18 12, and the memory and services of these two great men would, were other motives wanting, of themselves constitute a reason why the Indian tribes of British America should be treated with justice, consideration and respect by those who are charged with the administration of (t) Military Occurrences i, p. 287. 233 afTairs. He was a great leader of his penjjle, of stn/iig iiiteflect and lofty spirit, sufficiently austere in manner to control the wayward passions of those who followed him in war. He iiad a iiow of oratory that enabled him, as he governed in liie field, so to guide in council. Though he fre'iuently levied sahi lies lo a large amount, yet he preserved little or noiiiing lo in'mseif — n )l wealth hut glfuy being his ruling passion After the capture of Detroit, in which his knowledge of the surrounding coiuitry, as well as the awe inspired by his followers, had been of inestiuKible value, General Brock, as soon as the business was over, jjublicly took off his sasli and placed placed it around the body of the chief Tecumseh received the honour with evident gratification, but was the next day seen without the sash. General Brock, fearing something had displeased the Indian, sent his interpreter for an explanation. The latter soon returned with an account that Tecumseh, not wishing to wear such a mark of distinction when an older, and, as he said, abler warrior than himself was present, had transferred the sash to the Wyandot Chief Roundhead, which act of disinterestedness proved him to have had the highest and best instincts of a gentleman. The Prince Regent, out of respect to hi-: memory, sent out a valuable sv*ord as a present to his son, a lad seventeen years of age, who fought by his father's side when he fell. That he was scalped by the Americans is beyond doubt, and Mr. James proves conchisively that the Ken- tucky soldiery, not content with his scalp, which would be the property of but one, absolutely flayed his body in order to procure "trophies" whicii all might share, (juoting from Burdick's Pol. and Hist. Reg., p. 84, which American authority admits that " some o the Kentuckians disgraced themselves by committing indignities on his dead body. He was scalped and otherwise disfigured." He held the rank of Brigadier-General in the British Army. The British loss at Moraviantown was twelve killed, twenty- two wounded, while thirty-three of our Indians were found dead on the field. Upwards of six hundred of the army, including twenty- five officers, were nude prisoners of war. The Am.'rican loss was but seven killed and twenty-two wounded. Such of the British as escaped made the best of their way to Ancasler, at the head of Lake Ontario, exposed, at an inclement season, to all the horrors of the then wilderness. On the seventeenth of October they arrived at that place to the number of two hundred and forty-six, including General Proctor and seventeen officers. 234 General Proctor was tried by court-martial at Montreal in December, 1814, on five charges preferred against iiiin for misconduct on this occasion. He was found guilty of [xirtions of the charges and sentenced to be pul)licly reprimanded and to be suspended from rank and pay for six months, but though it was found that he did not take proper measures for conducting the retreat, and had been guilty of errors of judgment and deficient in those energetic and active exertions which the situation of his army so particularly required, the Court nevertheless most fully accjuitted him of any defect or reproach in regard to his personal conduct during the action of the 5tli October. The Prince Regent, in confirming the finding of the Court, animadverted upon its " mistaken lenity " towards the accused, and directed tne general officer commanding in Canada to convey to General Proctor His Royal Highness' high disapprobation of his conduct, and directed that the charges pre- ferred against him, together with the finding and sentence of the Court, and the Prince Regent's remarks thereupon, should be entered in general orders and read at the head of every regiment in His Majesty's service. His previous services in this war, when he defeated felie enemy at Brownslown, which contributed much to the fall of Detroit and tlie capitulation of Hull and the American army, and his brilliant victory over a suialtalion, hidden by 259 Macdonell in the forest on that side, and actually then nearly eiivel- oped by the more advanced portions of the enemy's columns. This instantly threw the three battalions into disorder, for not seeing their opponents, and blinded with the smoke, they in their confusion opened a heavy andcontinujd fire upon each other. The detached company, having thus doue its work, immediately crept Ixick out of the woods unseen, crossed the ford and rejoined its own corps, leaving the enemy therj fully occupied with their own embarassment. Macdonell soon her.rd by the approaching cheers of Hampton's forces that he vraj driving the Voltigeurs before him, and seeing clearly that theri was no immediate danger to be apprehended from the brigade of the enemy in confusion on the right bank, advanced rapidly to support DeSalaberry. By the happiest accident possible, he was joined at this moment by one hundred and seventy Indians from the rear. He instantly threw them into the wood to his right, with instructions to scatter and scream their war whoop, and by an incessant fire to threaten Hampton's left flank, sending with them a dozen of his bugles to spread widely and keep sounding " the ad- vance " in every direction ; and making his remaining bugles fre- quently repeat the call and his companies in succession to cheer loudly (to appear to be distinct bodies), he i)ushed on in double quick to rally the front line. He had scarcely met the retreating Voltigeurs, who then turned upon the enemy, when Hampton, jjara- lyzed p.t once by the screams and fire of the Indians, the constant clang of bugles and the cheering at different distances — and con- vinced also by the heavy fire that his brigade on the right bank was warmly opposed by a considerable force, declared that there was certainly ten thousand British in the forest, and thinking he had been drawn into some fatal ambuscade, he halted, broke and in- stantly abandoned the field, as did also his right wing, in the course of the day and following night, leaving some prisoners in the hands of the Light Battalion, from whom were obtained the details of the enemy's strength. And just as the last shots of the retiring enemy were dying away. Sir George Prevost and his staff arrived, and re- ceived the verbal report of Lieutenant-Colonel Macdonell, who had by that time returned to watch the ford ; and shortly after Major General de Watteville also came up in consequence of a note written to him in pencil by Colonel Macdonell at the commencement of the action. 240 It is incontestable that the battle of Chateauguay — absolutely lost for about half an hour — would have been no impediment what- ever to the advance of the enemy upon Montreal, and must have ended in the irresistible capture of DeSalaberry and his little band bift for the ardent zeal which brought the Light Battalion so oppor- tunely on the ground, and for the active manner in which it there handled the enemy— an enemy of British descent, consisting of seven thousand infantry and two hundred cavalry, with ten pieces of artillery, to which were opposed just nine hundred men, all of whom except Lieutenant-Colonel Macdonell and Captain Ferguson, of the Canadian Fencibles, were of French blood and but recently era- bodied, the only three officers of the regular army being the two gentlemen named and Lieutenant-Colonel DeSalaberry. Chateauguay being made a medal day, gold medals were award- ed to Lieutenant-Colonel George Macdonell, Glengarry Light In- fantry ; Lieutenant-Colonel DeSalaberry, Canadian Voltigeurs. Both these officers were also created Companions of the Bath for their services upon this occasion. The despatch of Sir George Prevost to the Secretary of State, . dated just four days after tlie battle of Chateauguay(i), shows the imminently critical state of Lower Canada at that moment. He there states, " almost the whole of the British troops being pushed forward for the defence of Upper Canada, that of the Lower Pro- vince must depend in great measure on the valour and continued exertions of its incorporated battalions — only five in number — and its sedentary militia until the Seventieth Regiment and the two battalions of marines now daily expected, shall arrive : " " the sedentary militia " being neither more nor less tlian the mere unarmed and unorganized French-Canadian peasantry working at their ordinary avocations on their farms ! Had Hamj)ton won the battle of Chateauguay, there cannot be a doubt that, quite independent of Wilkinson's division, there would in the space of ten days after tlie action have been at least sufficient American volunteers in the city of Montreal to have rendered the probability of its recapture extremely problem- atical. DeSalaberry and his little corps, being much exhausted with the fatigues of the last ten days, were relieved on tlie evening of the action, and Macdonell took charge of tlie aJvance posts with his (i) James i,4<'J' ^m 241 Light Battalion, and with these six hundred comparatively raw rerniits he held Hampton (who had returned to l-'our Corners on the 2iSth) completely at bay until the iith November following. Wilkinson's orders from his (Government were "' to precipitate his descent of the St. Lawrence by every practical >le means. "( ;) He had accordingly moved to Grenadier Island, in f^ake Ontario, between the 17th and 24th October, I)iit hearing of Hampton's defeat on the 26th, his flotilla advanced by slow stei)s to give that General time to make a seconc' attempt on the Chateauguay ; and thus he only dropped down to French Creek on the 3rd Noven^ber, remaining thf.e some days, which (.lelay kept Kingston in suspense as to his intentions, as it was assailable from that (Quarter. Finding, however, on the 6th November, that Hampton could not be brought to attempt another jiassage by the Chateauguay, Wilkinson that day altered the original plan of the campaign, ordering the others to march trom Lour Corners, and to meet him, on the 9th or loth, at the Lidian village of St. Regis, on the St. Lawrence, opposite Corn- wall, (2) and to effect this juncture he himself tloated down to the head of the Long Sault on the lolh, where (to lighten his boats in running the rapid) he landeil most of his men and marched the greater jurt down on the JJritish side to within tive miles of Corn- wall. He had thus been comi)elled, by the loss of the action at Chateauguay, to waste sixteen days in descending a distance that Macdonell covered in thirty-one hours ! Of course Montreal gained thereby a respite of about a fortnight. Fortunately General de Rottenburg, at Kingston, hail con- vinced himself on the 7th of the mo Uh that Wilkiison's real object was Montreil, and had accordingly, that day, despatched Lieuten- ant-Colonels Morrison and Harvey to folhnv him with five hundred and sixty men of the Forty-Ninth and Seventieth Regiments and .some tijld artillery, and these, being joined at Prescottby Lieutenant- Colonels Pearson and Plenderleath, with two hundred and forty of the troops at that po.st, this small regular force overtook atChrystler's Farm, on the nth Novemlier, the rear guard of the enemy, am )unting to between three thousand and four thousand men. (3) They turned upon Morrison, but after a gallant action of about two hours, he compelled them to retire. (1) J.imes I, 473. (2 J.-imcs t, 471. (31 Jiiincs 467. Corn- ioii at that [ainccl con- ol)ject ieulcn- uiulreJ Its and LMiant- )rty of ystk-r's enemy, iion.(.0 at two 242 Chrystler's Farm was made a medal day : Tnc following officers received gold medals : — Colonel Miller Clifford, C.B., K.H., Fifty-Kigiith Foot, died in 1837 (then Major liighty-Ninth Regiment). LieutenantGeneral Sir J. Harvey, K.C.B., K.C.H., Fifty-Ninth Foot (then Lieutenant-Colonel and Deputy Adjutant-General). Major-General F. Heriot, C.B., died in 1844 (then Major of the Voltigeurs). Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Geo. Jackson, R.A., died in 1849 (then Captain R.A.). Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Plenderleath, C. B., Forty-Ninth Foot (then Lieutenant-Colonel Forty-Ninth Regiment). Lieutenant-General Sir Thomas Pearson, C.B., K.C.H., Eighty- Fifth Foot, died in 1847 (then Lieutenant-Colonel commanding detachment at Prescott). Colonel J. W. Morrison, C.B., Forty-Fourth Foot, died in 1826 (commanding at Chrystler's Farm). This was unquestionably a very brilliant affaire d'armes, but it is quite a mistake to suppose it had any effect upon the ulterior operations of the enemy, as Wilkinson's flotilla pursued its course down the rapids next morning, and by mid-day re-united his whole division nearly cpjiosite St. Regis. Morrison followed by land and reached Mille Roches on the 13th, but as the enemy were in boats and a day ahead of him down the stream he could not possibly impede their progress upon Montreal — which, indeed, they might easily have reached on the following day, while Morrison would have required nearly a week to march that distance by land. I* was only on the loth or nth of the month that the Governor- General received, at Lachine, intelligence for the first time of Wil- kinson's intended combination with Hampton. His dismay can easily be imagined at finding this new force of ten thousand men within two days' run of Montreal, then almost deft.'nceless, and Hampton's co-operating division only held in check by the six hundred men of the Light Battalion. His Excellency, having no disposable regular soldiers to send to imi)ede the progress of either column, and knowing that there were no troops between him and Wilkinson except three companies at Cornwall and the 103rd Regiment at Coteau du Lac, a post that could not be abandoned, his only resource was in " the zeal and alacrity evinced by the militia of the Scotch settlement," who from their locality might cripple Wilkinson in some of the rapids, and therefore " solicitous to forward their laudable exertions and the good of His Majesty's service by placing them under the direction of an officer who from talents, local information and influence is best qualified to promote that object,"(i) he ordered afield officer to proceed express to the Chateauguay frontier to relieve and send into headquarters Lieutenant-Colonel Macdonell, who arrived at Lachine on the afternoon of the 12th, and was forthwith despatched to Upper Canada with carte blanche to do as he might think proper. General Wilkinson states in his report to the American Secre- tary at War of the i6th November, 18 13, that on reaching the fort at the Long Sault on the 12th, he "confidently expected to hear of Major-Cieneral Hampton's arrival 011 the o,iposite shore," but that " to his unspeakable mortification and surpr'se he there learnt that Hami)ton had not only" declined the junction ordered, but had actually, on the nth November, quitted the Canadian frontier alto- gether, and had marched back from Four Corners towards Lake Champlain, evidently in order to avoid being forced into any further co-operation in the proposed attack upon Montreal, and thus we see why Wilkinson's immediately-assembled Council of War at once decided that the contemplated attack upon Montreal should be abandoned for the present season, because the loss of the division under Hampton weakened the force too sensibly to justify the attempt.(2) It is clear that had Hampton screwed up his courage to wait for the arrival of Wilkinson on the 13th, at French Mills, the two armies might that night have supi)ed together half way between those mills and Four Corners, or they might, the next morning, have both united within fifteen miles of Macdonell's Light Battalion, still in its old position on the Chateauguay, and Wilkinson's boats could have been either sent down the St. Lawrence to meet them at the mouth of the Chateauguay, or they could have been drawn across the short isthmus of four miles between this last stream and the Salmon River, and Montreal would still have been as much at their mercy as if Colonel Morrison had remained quietly in garrison at Kingston ; indeed, their defeat at Chrystler's Farm had but the effect ot accelerating their advance upon Montreal. It is apparent. (i) Adjutant-Oenerars letter tn Lieutenant-Colonel Macdonell, loth November, 1813. (a) James i, 474- 244 therefore, that the effect of Chateaugiiay was much more important than that of Chrystler's Farm, and though both were made medal days several brevets were conferred for the latter but none for Chateauguay ; indeed, Colonel Macdonell was not even confirmed in the local rank he held when he so opportunely arrived by his own gratuitous activity to snatch the victory out of the half-closed grasp of the enemy. Nay, more, neither the general order issued on the occasion, nor the official despatch to the Secretary of State, ever once mentioned the name of that officer as having been present in the action, or gave the slightest hint that he was in any way con- nected with it, or even that he had stirred one foot from Kingston to hasten to save it. What made the remissness all the more extra- ordinary and unjust was the fact that both these state papers spe- cially named with praise some of the captains of his corps who acted under his eye and his express direction ; but as if to cheat him of any, even the slightest part of the merit, not calling them officers of the Light Battalion, but designating them only by the little known numerical titles of the several different regiments " of the embodied militia " from which they had been originally drafted to form his Light Battalion — not one of those embodied militia regiments being within twenty miles of the action ! This studied omission is attri- butable to an influential official, who had profited too much by a previous injustice to Colonel Macdonell ever to permit him to acquire any distinction which would enable him to plead that wrong with eff'ect at the Horse Guards. What made the transaction deplorably base was the fact that the whole of the injustice Macdonell experienced throughout the war, on this and other occasions, hinged notoriously on mean and contemptible fanaticism — that he, a free-born Briton, chose to hold by the religious faith of the royal heroes who won the fields of Cressy and Agincourt. Surely his devotional opinions were his own. and Government should have recognized with gratitude how with his co-religionists of Scotch and French descent he turned them to the service of the Crown, and won with the one Ogdens- burg and the other Chateauguay — achievements which saved, in the former instance, the free navigation of tlie St. Lawrence and the connecting link between the Upper and Lower Province, v t\C in the other the certainty of the capture of Montreal. On the 26th March following, His Excellency issued a general order, expressing the 245 approbation of the Prince Regent of the affair at Chateauguay, and '' his peculiar pleasure in finding that His Majesty's Canadian sub- jects had at length had the opportunity of refuting, by their own brilliant exertion in defence of their country, the calumnious charge of disaffection and disloyalty, with which the enemy had prefaced his first invasion of the Province." To Lieutenant-Colonel De Salaberry in particular, and to all the officers and men under his command, the sense entertained by His Royal Highness of their meritorious and distinguished services was made known. The Commander of the Forces at the same time acquainted the militia of the determination of His Royal Highness to forward colours for the various battalions of embodied militia, feeling that they had evinced an abiUty and disposition to secure them from insult, which gave the best title io such a mark of distinction. So flattering a mark of the Prince Regent's a^jp "obation was eminently gracious, and wise withal, and well calculatcJ to raise the pride and enthusiasm of the French-Canadians ; but it should be borne in mind that t'le battalions themselves were many miles distant from the scene of action, only their flank companies forming the Light Battalion, under Macdonell, and it was due to him therefore that they won their colours. The only recognition of his services which Lieutenant- Colonel Macdonell obtained was the gold medal and C.B. given to him. General Hampton having declined the juncture with General Wilkinson, to the surprise and mortification of the latter, nothing was left to the American commander, on whom countless difficulties momentarily crowded, but to re-cross to his own side and a Council of War being held, it was determined " that the attack on Montreal should be abandoned for the present season and that the army near Cornwall should immediately be crossed to the American shore for taking up wint(ir quarters," which was accordingly done on the following day, when they proceeded to Salmon River, where their boats and batteaux were scuttled, and extensive barracks, surround- ed on all sides by abatis, were at once erected. Sir George Prevost, every appearance of immediate danger having subsided, by general orders of 17th November dismissed the sedentary militia in the neighbourhood on Montreal, with acknowledg- ments of the cheerful alacrity with which they had turned out, and the loyalty and zeal they had manifested. 346 threatened Montreal through the armies of General Wilkinson, the hTan.;": -'^'^V'^ ^--- --y. and General Ha^^tn 2nkX, ::' •'' ^°""^^'«have landed on Isle Perrot. fTom the M T f t' ^""'"'^ "''^^ "^""J^'""' -'"^h is separated from the Island of Montreal by a small channel over which he fnd nlrvTv M ^^i^'^'^^^y ^"d George Macdonell, Morrison U7 CHAPTER 20. Evacuation of Fort George by the Americans, Who, Before Leaving, Destroy the Town of Newark. (Niagara). — Tak- ing OF American Fort Niagara by British, December iqth, 1813, AND of LewISTON, 20TH, AND OP BlACK RoCK AND Buffalo, December, 1813. — Retaliation. — Close or Second Year of the War, Matters being thus, in a comparatively satisfactory position in Lower Canada, it became essential to take inimediate and effective steps a9 regards the Upper Province. Towards this end Major- General De Rottenburg was relieved of the comn>and in the Province, and Lieutenant-General Gordoii Drummtond appointed in his stead. That active, brave and resolute officer, of Scotch descent, though born in Canada, immediately proceeded to show the stuff of which he was made, and entered upon a most vigorous and successful campaign. His first objective point Was Fort George, but General McClure, hearing of the disasters which had befallen Wilkinson and Hampton on the St. Lawrence, relieved him of further anxiety in regard to that post by evacuating it and moving his force to Fort Niagara,on their own side of the river, on the 12th December. Before leaving Canadian soil., however, he was guilty of an offence against the rules of civilized warfare, and acting under the immediate instructions of the Ameri- can Secretary at War, he set fire, on the tenth December, to the Village of Newark, as Niagara was then called, whereby over a hundred and fifty houses were laid in ashes, and four hundred and fifty women and children were exposed to the inclemency of a Can- adian winter at half an hour's notice to the defenceless inhabitants. On the same day McClure reported exultingly from Fort Niagara to the Secretary of War : " The village is now in flames and the enemy shut out of hope and means of wintering in Fort George." Now, when Detroit had been taken by the British, and Michil- imackiiiack and Ogdensburg, Forts Schlosser and Black Rock, all 24$ private property had been respected, and only public property destroyed, in conformity to tbe views and disposition of the British commnndevs and the liberal and magnanimous policy of the British Government. It was reasonable, therefore, to suppose that the invad- ers of Canadian territory would have abstained from acts of wanton- ness and unnecessary violence and not have broiigiit disgrace upon a nation calling itself civilized and Christian, the more especially as General McCkire had, by a recent proclamation in which he affected to consider Upper Canada as abandoned by the British Army, proffered his protection to those " innocent, unfortunate, distressed inhabitants," whom he thus made the mournful spectators of the conflagration and total destruction of all that belonged to them. Retribution quickly followed. " The British Commander would have ill consulted the honour of his country and the justice due to His Majesty's injured and insulted subjects, had he permitted an act of such needless cruelty to pass unpunished, or had he failed to visit, whenever the opportunity arrived, upon the inhabitants of the neighbouring American frontier, the calamities thus inflicted upon those of our own."(i) " Let us retaliate by fire and sword," we are told fiat Colonel Murray said to General Drummond, as they gazed on the sinking ruins of the town. " Do so, swiftly and thoroughly," said the Comm inder ; and bitter indeed was the vengeance taken. (2) Fortunately, in his haste to take refuge at Niagara, McClure, had neglected to destroy Fort George, and Colonel Murray, Who was in command of a small corps of observation which lay at Twelve- Mile Creek, and to whom the flames of the burning village became a signal, putting his men in sleighs, hurried forward through a blind- ing snowstorm, and marched in on the night of the day McClure evacuated the fort. Once more the British flag waved over its walls and the left bank ot the Niagara was in possession of the British forces. It was immediately decided to take Fort Niagara, and on the night of the i8th December, a sufllicient number of batteaux having beeti conveyed overland from Burlington, " it was done accordingly." (i) Sir George Prevost's Procl.im.ition, 12th Janii.iry, 1814. (3) Mr.s. Edgar, 360. 249 The manner in which Colonel John Murray performed the task is thus described in general orders, dated Quebec 29111, 1813 : " The Fort of Niagara was most gallantly carried by assault at the point of the bayonet at daybreak, on the morning of the 19th instant, by a detachment consisting of the Grenadiers of the Royals, of the flank companies of the Forty- First, the Hundredth Regiment, and a small party of the Royal Artillery, under the command of Colonel Murray. The enemy suffered severely in killed and wounded. Captain Leonard, the commandant, several officers and the greater part of the garrison were made prisoners. This gallant enterprise was achieved with the loss on our part of very few of our brave men ; but His Excellency has to regret the fall of Lieutenant Nolan, of the Hundredth Regiment, and that Colonel Murray has been wounded. All the ordnance mounted in the fort, together with three thousand stand of arms, clothing and military stores of all descriptions, to a considerable amount, have fallen into our hands. His Excellency is in hourly expectation of receiving the official de- tails of this brilliant affair, which reflects the highest honour upon Colonel Murray and the small detachment under his command." The Provincial Corps acted as boatsmen on the occasion. Two of the enemy's picquets were cut off and the sentinels on the glacis and at the gate surprised, from whom the watchword was obtained, which greatly facilitated the enterprise. One British officer and five men were killed, two officers and three men wounded. Of the enemy sixty-five men and two officers were killed and twelve men wounded (i), and over three hundred soldiers of the regular army of the United States taken prisoners. General McClure had left for Buffalo a few days previous and thus escaped. Major-General Riall, who had crossed over immediately after Colonel Murray with a large force of Indians, the First Battalion Royal Scots and the Forty-First Regiment, in order to support the attack, proceeded up the river upon Lewiston, where the enemy had established a fort and erected batteries for the avowed purpose of destroying the village of Queenston, immediately opposite on our side, and which they ha,d been bombarding with red-hot shot. These, however, they abandoned, together with a considerable quan- tity of arms and stores, and then began the work of vengeance, and (1) The disparity between the number of killed and voiindcd is probably to be accounted for by the enemy's proceedings of the loth Dejember. A free use of the bayonet was to have been exprctcd. aso Lewiston, Youngstown, Tiiscorora Village, Manchester, Schlosser and tlie circumjacent country wore laid in waste by our Indians and exasjjerated soldiers who had witnessed the scene of devastation at Newark. But the end was not yet ; the oi)i)ortunity was at hand and a full measure of retaliation was essential ; justice demanded that the whole of their frontier should be laid in ashes. General Drummond accordingly moved his forces up to Chip- pewa on the 28th December, and on the following day approached to within two miles of Fort Erie, and having reconnoitred the enemy's position at Black Rock, determined upon an attack. General Riall was accordingly directed to cross the river at midnight on the 29th with about a thousand men, composed of four companies of the King's Regiment, the light company of the Eighty-Ninth, under Colonel Ogilvy, two hundred and fifty men of the Forty-First, the Grenadiers of the Hundredth, and some militia and a body of Indians. He succeeded in surprising and capturing the greater part of the enemy's picquets. At daybreak he attacked the enemy, who were in great force and strongly posted, and maintained their position for some time, but a reserve under Lieutenant-Colonel Gordon hav- ing arrived, they were compelled to give way, and were driven through their batteries at the point of the bayonet. The Americans fled to Buffalo, about two miles distant, where they received a rein- forcement and rallied, attempting to oppose the advance of the British by the fire of a field piece, but they shortly broke and took to the woods. Their forces greatly exceeded those of the British, numbering not less than twenty-five hundred. They lost in killed and wounded from three to four hundred men and one hundred and thirty were made prisoners. The British loss was thirty-one killed, four officers and r ixty-eight men wounded and nine missing. Cap- tain Robinson, with two companies of the King's, was immediately despatched to destroy four of their lake squadron, a short distance below the town. Buffalo and Black Rock then followed the fate of Lewiston and their other frontier towns, only four buildings being left standing in the former and one in the latter to mark where once their sites had been, and all tlieir public stores, with such of their contents of clothing, spirits and flour as could not be carried away, entirely consumed. These successes put the British force in possession of an ample and sorely-needed supply of provisions, ammunition and stores of all •51 kinds. Hitherto they had had no winter clothing, and even yet were without any reg\ilarly organized commissariat. The resources ot the enemy being thus completely exhausted, there being no more towns left to take, nor anything to destroy, General Drummond went into quarters for the winter. Hampton's army had been beaten, Wilkinson's had, after being badly defeated at Chrystler's Farm, recrossed to his own side without taking either Kingston and Montreal, and the Upper Province was rid of all appearance of the enemy, who had at one time threatened to over- whelm it. Thus closed the second year of the war. •5t CHAPTER 21. Opening of Parliament Flrruary, 1814. — Campaign of that Year. — Americans Defeated at Lacolle. — Raid near Cornwall. — Oswego Taken by British May 6th. — Gen- eral Brown Succeeds to Command of Northern Division U.S. Army. — Drummond's Dire Distress. — Abanoonment of Upper Canada Contemplated Owing to Lack of Sup" plies. — Desperate P'ighting on Niagara Frontier. — Fort Erie Surrendered 3RD July. — Americans Victorious at Chippewa July 5TH. — The Battle of Niagara or Lundy's Lane, the Most Sanguinary of the War, 25TH July. When the House of Asscmljly met at York on the 15th Feb- ruary, 1814, General Drummond, as President administering the Government of the Province, was able, as had been his predecessor Sir R. Sheaffe at the commencement of the former session, to con- gratulate the members and the country upon the results of the pre- vious year's campaign, proving as it did what could be accomplished in a good cause by men who had nothing in view but their own honour and the country's safety. He alluded, more as a matter of regret than surprise, to the fact that two members of the Legislature, Benjamin Mallory and Joseph Willcocks — the same two traitors who in the incei)tion of the war had so seriously hampered General Brock when prompt action was so imperative, and had purj)osely wasted the time of the Legislature by futile discussion on school matters when the exigencies of the situation called for martial law and the suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act — had found their proper place in the ranks of the enemy. Wilcocks' treachery had been rewarded by his being placed in coniniaiul of what tiiey were pleased to term a Canadian regiment in the United States army. He shortly met his fate — far too good for him — being killed when planting a guard at the siege of Fort Erie. A small reinforcement, consisting of the second battalion of the th (King's) Regiment came overland on sleighs through New 353 Brunswick in February, and two hundred and fifty seamen for the lakes by the same route. The campaign of 1814 opened in the neighbourhood of Lake Champlain, Brigadier-General Macomb with a division of the Ame- rican forces crossing the lake on ice to St. Armands, while General Wilkinson prepared for an attack on Odclltown. where he was soon joined by Macomb, their joint force numbering some five thousaiid men. The Americans made an attempt to take a blockhouse in the vicinity of Lacolle, scarcely deserving the appellation of a miliiary post, but were driven off by a small Hriiish force composed of the dank companies of the Thirteenth Regiment, the Grenadiers of the Canadian Fencibles and some of the Voltigours, and retired in good ord?r upon Platlsburg. Major Hancock, who commanded the Brit- ish forces, which consisted of one hundred and sixty men in the blockhouse, with reinforcements which arrived during the action to the number of two hundred, had reason to be i)roud of his achieve- ment in repelling an army more than seven times liis number. His loss was ten killed and four missing, two officers and forty-four men wounded ; that of the Americans, ihiileen killed, a hundred and twenty-three wounded and thirty missing. The action took place on 30th March. General Wilkinson c mnot have been regarded by his countrymen as a successful commander, or a marked improve- ment upon Hull, Smythe, Van Rmsaller, Dearborn or Hampton. As was to be expected, his services were not again called into requisition. In Upper Canada during the winter matters had been quiet, the only incident of note being a raid from Cornwall organized by Cap- tain Sherwood, of the Quartermaster-General's Department, who, with twenty marines and ten militia men under Captain Kerr (I presume of the Glengarry Regiment) on the night of the 6th February made an incursion upon Madrid on the Grass River, fourteen miles below the village of Hamilton, and recaptured a (]uantity of mer- chandize plundered from British merchants near Cornwall in Octo- ber preceding when on their route to Upper Canada. An unsuccessful attack was made by the British on the 4th March on Longwood in the extreme west of the Province. A small detacnment consisting of the flank companies of the Royal Scots and the light companies of the Eighty-Ninth, with a few of the Kent 254 militia and some Indians, under the command of Captain Barsden, of the iMghty-Ninlh, attempted to dislodge a strong party of the enemy, who were strongly entrenched, by a gallant charge up an ice-covered hill, but after a spirited contest of an hour and a half Ihe troops were withdrawn, the enemy, however, shortly abandoning the position. Two British oflicers and twelve men were killed, and three officci-s and forty-nine men wounded ; the enemy's loss being unknown. It was not, however, until the opening of navigation that the campaign can be said to have begun in earnest. The taking of Oswego by tlie liritish was the first noteworthy event. The American forces in the neighI)ourhood of Lake Charrplain were withdrawn and moved towards Lake Ontario early in the spring, shortly after the fiasco at f,acolle, the object being to strengthen the army, whicii was lo recommence offensive operations in the Niag;na District as soon as the Iket at Sackett's Harbour should be in a state to co-operate with the land forces. General Drummond and Sir James Yeo determined upon intercepting the enemy's naval stores for the fleet at Oswego, and with this object in view an expedition against lh.it ])lace was determined upon. A force consisting of the light companies of the Glengarry Regiment, six companies of DeWatteville's Regiment, the second battalion Royal Marines, with a detachment ot artillery and two field pieces, a detachment of a rocket company with a few sa])pers and miners, set sail in the fleet, which had been stiengtliened by two additional ships, the " Prince Regent " and " Princess Charlotte," on the 4th May, arriving at Oswego on the following day, but were unable to land owing to a stiff gale which sprung up. On the 6th, however, a landing was effected by about a hundred and forty of the troops and two hundred seamen armed will, [likes, in the face of a h*"avy fire of round and grape shot from the battery and of musketry from a de- tachment of three hundred of the Americans posted on a hill and in a neighbouring wood, Nevertlielcss our men pushed on with true British pluck, pressed up the hill and captured the battery, from which the enemy retreated, leaving sixty of their wounded behind. The fortifications were dismantled, the barracks burnt and the stores found in the fort carried off, but the naval stores which it was hoped would have been secured had been moved some miles up the Rixer Oswego, and were thus saved to the enemy. The Lritish loss was 255 severe, Captain Holtaway, of the Marines, and twenty-one men killed, six officers and sixty-seven men wounded. In his despatch General Drummond specially mentioned for gallant conduct Captain McMillan, who comma'ided the light company of the ubiquitous Glengarries, who covered the left flank of the troops in the advanct. The fleet returned to Kingston on the following day. On the Niagara frontier the command of the American troopi had passed to Major-General Brown, formerly an officer in the New York militia, who had gained some distinction among his country- men by his good fortune in defending Sackett's Harbour in the previous year, and on General Wilkinson's retirement he became commander of the northern division of the United States army. He had some excellent officers under him, notably Brigadier-Generals Winfield Scott and Ripley — the former of whom was one of the most talented and best trained officers in the army. Both sides now required t'leir ablest generals, for the skill and judgment of the commanders as well as the pluck and endurance of their armies were shortly to be put to the severest test. The Americans had this great advantage over their opponents, namely, that their troops were not worn out with fatigue as were those of the British, whicli from the scarcity of their number in comparison with the extent of tne country they had to cover and protect, and the number of posts they had to garrison, were so reduced from ex[)Osure and fatigue, and coiisecpient ill-health, as to he largely unfit for duty. Stores, too, of all kinds had to be brought up from Montreal at enormous trouble and exi)ense, and provisions were difficult to obtain owing to the ravages of the enemy, and so many of the flirmers, then com- paratively few at the best of limes, having been in the two previous seasons engaged in co-operation with the regular forces in the defence of the country to the total neglect of their ordinary avocations. General Drummond had been unremitting in his preparations for the coming campaign. Through the worst of weather and ex- ecrable roads he hurried from York to Kingston and from Kingston to Delaware, making enciuiries into tue resources of the country and the condition of the inhabitants, with a view to procuring sujjplies (i). In the month of January, indeed, it had become evident that the supply of meat would soon be exhausted and he began to entertain serious apprehensions that he would be compelled to abandon all (ii Lieneral Driimmoir G. Prevost. March jth, 1814. 256 that part of the Province west of Kingston from sheer want of food. In addition to his troops, he had several thousand non-combatants to feed, most of the Western Indians who had survived General Proctor's defeat, as well as .the whole of the Six Nations from the Grand River, three thousand persons in all, of whom two-thirds were women and children, had sought refuge near the British can- tonments at Burlington. Their depredations so harassed and alarmed many of the inhabitants in the vicinity that they abandoned their farms and took shelter in the soldiers' qiurters.(i) In addition to these the homeless fugitives from Niagara were also dependent upon the overtaxed commissariat. Thus while the armed force num- bered less than two thousand, between seven and eight thousand rations were issued daily.(2) The Indians alone consumed twice as much flour as the whole of the troops. Mrs. Edgar points out (3) tiuu with but three thousand British troops, garrisons were maintained at Forts George, Niagara, Erie and Mississagua (build early in 1814 after the burning of Newark by the Americans), the important post at Burlington Heights had to be protected, detachments were re<|uired to guard the provision depots at Twelve Mile Creek and Twenty Mile Creek. York from its exposed position and liability to be agiin attacked, had to be defended. Port Dover, on Lake Erie, was also in need of protec- tion, owing to the danger that troops might be landed there and gain the rear of General Riall's division by the Western road ; while at the crossing of the Grand River (Brantford) and also at Delaware other detachments had to be posted to guard the advance of the enemy by way of the Thames. It was owing, of course, to the Peninsular War that material reinforcements could not be sent to Canada until too late for any practical use, although it is customary with American writers to describe General Drummond's forces as being composed of Wellington's veterans. In May, the Sixteentli and Ninetieth Regiments, besides a corps of rifles and some artillery, landed at Quebec, but it was not until the autumii of this year that consequent upon the downfall of Napoleon, Wellington's troops, released from service on the continent, were despatched in large numbers to Canada, and enabled us to compete witli the enemy on anything like equal terms. The disaster at Plattsburg, which was (1) Drummond to Prevojt, February 8th, 1814. (») Ernest CriiickshanU'5 " I^iindy's Lane," p. 7. (3) Ten Vean of Upper Canada, p. 384. ^57 the one engagement of importance in which thoy participated, could not, however, have been congemal to regiments which had so re- cently shared with Wellington the glory of the Peninsular War. By the end of June the Anxrican forces concentrated on the Niagara fronlier were ready for another invasion of Upper Canada. They consisted of five thousand regular soldiers and three thousand New York and Pennsylvania militia, admirably drilled at the Buffalo camp of instruction, which had been organized under Brigadier- General Scott ; together with some six hundred Indians under the celebrated Seneca Chief Red Jacket. On the 3rd July the enemy embarked in boats and batteaux, and effected a landing on the Canadian side, with two brigades under Brigadiers Scott and Rip- ley respectively, the former about one mile below and the latter the sarrie distance above Port Erie. ^* t this post was a small British detachment of some seventy men under Major Buck, of the King's Regiment, who had been engaged in placing it in a state of defence, more with a view of causing a temixjrary check to the anticipated invading force than for defending it against a regular seige, which would have l>een impossible- The Ami."ricans, after having erected some batteries, and placing their cannon in position, summoned Major Buck to surrender, giving him two hours to determine. Had he held out even for a few hours. General Riall would have been able to have concentrated his troops in the vicinity, and have fallen upon the enemy before they could have had time to prepare for an effective resistance. Major Buck, however, tamely surrendered to the enemy without making even a show of resistance, his force being sent across the river prisoners of war. Tlie loss of this imjiortant post was a most serious matter to the British forces, and many a life Was lost around it before the American General Izard, previous to abandoning the Niagara peninsula, mined it and on the 5th November laid it in ruins. The Americans advanced the next day to Chii)pewa and were making preparations to caTy the post when General Riall, having collected his forces, and I>, g reinforced by the arrival of the 8th and looth Regiments, on the 5th July, gave them battle. The enemy had much the advantage in |X)int of numbers and a most sanguinary conflict ensued. After an hour of desperate fighting, General Riall, having lost no less than six officers and one hundred and forty-two me;i killed, twenty six officers (among them Lieutenant-Colonel the Iiiil were having the 8th le enemy liguinary Val Riall, Jforty-two llonel the 258 Marquis of Tweeddale, severely) and t'.vo hundred and ninety-five men w ounded and an officer and forty-five men missing, was obh'ged to fall back upon Chippewa. The enemy stated his loss at seventy killed, two hundred and forty-nine wounded and nineteen misssing. Had the American fleet been in the vicinity, the whole of our forts in the neighbourhood of Niagara might at this time have been reduced and the greater portion of the Province again subjugated, as shown in the letter of General Brown to Commodore Chauncey, dated 13th July, begging him " for God's sake " to meet him with the fleet at Fort George, where they " would be able to settle a plan of opera- tions that will break the power of the enemy in Upper Canada and that in the course of a short time." Fortunately, however, Chaun- cey was still safely blockaded in Sackett's Harbour by Sir James Yeo. As it was the enemy advanced upon and occupied Queenston and made demonstrations upon Forts George and Mississagua, with- out any result however, falling back on Queenston on the 25th July, and after firing the village of St. David, retreating to Chippewa, his object being to disencumber his army of its heavy baggage, draw a supply of provisions from Fort Schlosser, and then proceed in the direction of Burlington Heights with a view to capturing that im- portant post. General Drummond had repeatedly requested that more troops should be sent him for the relief of tho Niagara frontier, but the only reinforcements he received were four hundred of the Glengarry Regi- ment, which had formed for some time past the garrison at York, a small portion of Marine Artillery, the Hundred and Third Regiment and some of the Eighty-Ninth, under Colonel Morrison. He also had the able assistance of Colonel Harvey which came most opportunely. Sir George Prevost could not, however, be made to appreciate the imminence of the situation. He was convinced that the attack would be made from the neighbourhood of Lake Champlain. Pencilled upon the margin of General Drummond's letter of June 21st, 18 14, expressing his firm belief that the main attack would be made on the Niagara frontier, and that the movement of troops towards Platts- burg was simply a feint to prevent reinforcements from being despatched from Lower Canada to his assistance, there is this significant memorandum in Prevost's own handwriting, " Much »59 obliged to Lieutenant-General Drummond for his opinion, but it is entirely without foundation, "(i) On the 25th July, then, with such forces as there were at his disposal. General Drummond had to fight the most stubbornly con- tested and sanguinary battle ever fought in Uj)pcr Canada. It began between six and seven in the evening and lasted five hours and a half Nothing could have been more awful or impressive than this midnight struggle. In Canada it is commonly known as Lundy's Lane, in British official records Niagara, while by American writers it is styled Bridgewater, but by whatever name it many be known it was a glorious victory for the British forces. The Glengarry Regiment constituted the right wing of the British army (2). General Riall had early in the morning sent the Glengarry Regiment,with the Provincial Dragoons and Incorporated Militia(3), to reconnoitre the American camp at Chippewa and watch the movements of the enemy. They took up their position on the high ground near Lundy''; Lane, and in the afternoon were joined by General Riall and Lieutenant-Colonel Drummond of the Hundred and Fourth, The best and naturally most authentic account of the battle tiiat ensued is that of the gallant General Drummond himself in his official despatch to Sir G. Provost : From Lieutenant-Genf.ral Drummono to Sir G. Pkevost. Sir, Head-quarters, near Niagara Falls, July 27, 1814, I embarked on board His Majesty's schooner "Netley," at York, on Sunday evening, the 24th instant, and reached Niagara at daybreak the following morning. Finding, from Lieutenant-Colonel Tucker, that Major-General Riall was understood to be moving towards the Falls of Niagara, to support the advance of his division, which he nad pushed on to that j)lace on the preceding evening, I ordered Lieutenant-Colonel Morrison, with the Eighty-Ninth Regiment and a detachment of the Royals and King's, drawn from Forts George and Mississaga, to proceed to the same point in order that, with the united force, I might act against the enemy (posted at Street's Creek, with his advance at Chippeway) on my arrival, if it should be found expedient. I ordered (i) Mr. Cruickihank'i Lecture. (3) It was by no means the fust time Olenj;>rry men had held thtt post ia battle ! (1) Drummond hail some time previously directed the establishment of a battalion of four hundred men from among the militia to serve durinii the w.ir in order that tlie athers micht bMtow their attention on their firms except in the event of a levy en m >s»e The ranks of tni« cori>s w*re rapidly filled up with stalwart young recruits, and it was armed and exercised as a light infantrv oattalion under the name of the Incorporated Militia, They rendertd most valoable service ditnng the latter portioo of the war. b6o liicutenant-Colonel Tucker, at the same time, to proceed up the right bank of the river, with three hundred of the Forty-First, about two hundred of the Royal Scots, and a body of Indian warriors, supported (on the river) by a party of armed seamen, under Captain Dobbs, Royal Navy. The object of this movement was to disperse, or capture, a body of the enemy, encamped at Lewistown. Some unavoidable delay having occurred in the march of the troops up the right bank, the enemy had moved off previous to Lieutenant-Ci)lonel Tucker's arrival. I have to express myself satisfied with the exertions of that officer. Having refreshed the troops at Quecnstown, and having brought across the Forty-First Royals, and Indians, I sent back the Forty- First and Hundredth Regiments, to form the garrisons of Forts George, Mississaga and Niagara, under Lieutenant-Colonel Tucker, and moved with the Flighty-Ninth and detachments of the Royals and King's, and light company of the Forty-First — in all about eight hundred men— to join .NIajor-General Riall's division at the Falls. When arrived within a few miles of that position, I met a report from Major-General Riall, that the enemy was advancing in great force. I immediately pushed on, and joined the head of Lieutenant- Colonel Morrison's columns just as it reached tlie road leading to the Boaver Dam, over the summit of the hill at Lundy's Lane. Instead of the whole of Major-General Riall's division, which I expected to have found occupying this positon, I found it almost in the occupation of the enemy, whose columns were within six hundred yards of the top of the hill, and the surrounding woods filled with his light troops. The advance of Major-General Riall's division, consisting of the Glengarry Light Infantry and Incorporated Militia, having commenced a retreat upon Fort George, I countermanded these corps, and formed the Eighty-Ninth Regiment, the Royal Scots detachment and the Forty-First light company, in the rear of the hill, their left resting on the great road ; my two twenty-four pounder brass field guns a little advanced, in front of the centre, on the summit of the hill ; the Glengarry Light Infantry on the right ; the battalion of Incorporated Militia, and the detachment of the King's Regiment on the left of tht great road ; t'le squadron of the Ninteenth Light Dragoons in the rear of the left, on the road. I had scarcely com- pleted this formation when the whole front was warmly and closely engaged. The enemy's principal efTurts were directed against our left and centre. After re|)caled attacks, the troops on the left were partially forced back, and il.c <'nemy gained a momentary possession of the road. This gave him, however, no material advantage, as the troops which had been forced back formed in the rear of the Eighty- Ninth Regiment, fronting the road, and securing the flank. It was during this short interval that Major-General Riall, having received a severe wound, was intercepted as he was passing to the rear, by a party of the enemy's cavalry, and taken prisoner. In the centre, the 96t repeated and determined attacks of the enemy were met hy the Eighty-Ninth Regiment, the detachments of the Royals and King's, and the light company of the Forty- First Regiment, with the most perfect steadiness and intrepid gallantry, and the enemy was con- stantly repulsed with very heavy loss. In so determined a manner were their attacks directed against oar guns, that our artillerymen were bayoneted by the enemy while in the act of loading, and the muzzles of the enemy's guns were advanced within a few yards of cur's. The darkness of the night, during this extraordinary conflict, occasioned several uncommon incidents ; our troops having been for a moment pushed back, some of our guns remained for a few minutes in the enemy's hands ; they, however, were not only quickly recovered, but the two pieces (a r>ix-pounder and a five and a half inch howitzer) which the enemy had brought up, were captured by us, together with several tumbrils, and in limbering up our guns at one period, one of the enemy's six-pounders was put by mistake on a limber of ours, and one of our six-pounders limbered on one of his ; by which means the pieces were exchanged ; and thus though we captured two of his guns, yet, as he obtained one of ours, we have gained only one gun. About 9 o'clock (the action having commenced at 6) there was a short intermission of firing, during which it appears the enemy was employed in bringing the whole of his remaining force ; and he short- ly afterwards renewed his attack with fresh troops, but was every- where repulsed with equal gallantry and success. About this period the remainder of Major-General Riall's division, which had been ordered to retire on the advance of the enemy, consisting of the Hu'idred and Third Regiment, under Colonel Scott; the head- quarter division of the Royal Scots ; the head-quarter division of the Eighth, or King's ; flank companies of the 104th ; and some detach- ments of the militia, under Lieutenant-Colonel Hamilton, Inspecting Field Oflicer, joined the troops engaged; and I placed them in a second line, with the exception of the Royal Scots and flank companies of the Hundred and Fourth, with which I prolonged my line in front to the right, where I was apprehensive of the enemy outflanking me. The enemy's efforts to carry the hill were continued till about midnight, when he had suffered so severely from the superior steadi- ness and discipline of His Majesty's troops, that he gave up the con- test, and retreated with great precipitation to his camp beyond the Chippeway. On the following day he abandoned his camp, threw the greater part of his baggage, camp equipage, and provisions, into the rajiids, and having set fire to Street's Mills, and destroyed the bridge at Chippeway, continued his retreat in great disorder to- wards Fort Erie. My light troops, cavalry and Indians are detached in pursuit, and to harass his retreat, which I doubt not he will continue until he reaches his own shore. The loss sustained by the enemy in this severe action cannot be was riod been f the lead- f the etach- lecting second lies of front ng me. about steadi- le con- nd the threw IS, into ed the ler to- s are not he mot be 262 estimated at less than one thousand five hundred men, including several hundred of prisoners left in our hands ; his two commanding generals, Brown and Scott, are" said to be wounded, his whole force, which has never been rated at less than five thousand, having been engaged. Enclosed I have the honour to transmit a return of our loss, which has been very considerable. Tiie number of troops under my command did not, for the first three hours, exceed one thousand six hundred men ; and the addition of the troops, under Colonel Scott, did not increase it to more than two thousand eight hundred of every description. In enumerating those by whose valour and discipline this im- portant victory had been obtained, special mention was made of the Glengarry Light Infantry, which under Lieutenant-Colonel Batters- by, it was stated, had displayed most valuable qualities as light troops, while in reviewing the action from the commencement the first object wiiich presented itself was * * <« the very creditable and excellent defence made by the Incorporated Militia Battalion under Lieutenant-Co'onel Robinson, who was dangerously wounded, and was succeeded in the command by Major Kirby, who continued very gallantly to direct its efforts. This battalion has only been organized a few months, and much to the credit of Captain Robin- son, of the King's Regiment (Provincial Lieutenant-Colonel), has attained a very respectable degree of discipline." The British loss was : killed eighty-four, wounded five hundred and fifty-nine ; missing one hundred and ninety-three, prisoners forty-two ; total, eight hundred and fifty-eight. The Glengarry Regiment suffered severely, four privates being killed. Lieutenant R. Kerr and thirty non-commissioned officers and men wounded, Ensign Robins and twenty-one non-commissioned officers and men missing. The Incorporated Militia suffered most of all the provin- cial corps, losing one hundred and forty-two officers and men killed, wounded and missing out of about three hundred engaged, among the wounded being Captain John Macdonell, a brother of the wife of the late Colonel Alexander Chisholm, of Alexandria. He had hia arm shot off, and died shortly afterwards of wounds at York, now Toronto. Lieutenant McDougall, of the same corps, was also mortally and Ensign Macdonell severely wounded, and a gentleman who was afterwards Sheriff of this district, then an officer in the Eighth (or King's) Regiment, Donald .-Eneas Macdonell, was also 263 severely wounded.(i) General Drummond hi iself received a pain- ful bullet wound in the neck, which narrov ly missed being fatal, through he paid so little attention to it that he did not even dis- mount to have it dressed. *. few minutes later his horse was shot under him. (2) General Rial!, too, rashly brave and impetuous, was before being taken prisoner wounded in the arm, which it was feared, would require to be amputated, though the operation was, fortunately, eventually found to be unnecessary. The command of the American forces, in the absence of Gen- erals Brown and Scott, who had retired for the recovery of their • wounds, devolved upon General Ripley for the time being, but that officer was severely called to account by his Government for his retreat, and was superseded in the command of the array by General Gaines, who was summoned from Sackett's Harbour to take com- mand until General Brown should recover from his wounds. The aides to the commanding officers on either side, Captain Loring, A.D.C. to General Drummond, and Captain Spencer to General Brown, were both taken prisoners by their respective opponents, but were exchang 1 without the usual delay customary in such cases. Captain Spencer, who was mortally wounded, died the day he arrived at Fort Erie. Ripley's retirement to Chippewa met with the full approval of General Brown, as appears from a despatch of the latter to the American Secretary- at- War. The bravery of the militia engaged in this desperate conflict is stated by Mr. Christie, upon the authority of Lieutenant-Colonel (afterwards Lieutenant-General Sir John) Harvey, to have been beyond all praise. The scene of battle must have been a gruesome and awful sight. Mr. Christie says than it nothing could have been more awful and impressive. The desperate charges of the enemy were succeeded by a death-like silence, interrupted only by the groans of the dying and the dull sounds of the Falls of Niagara, (i) Mr. Macdonell afterwards exchanged from the King's Regiment to the Ninety-Eighth (Royal Tipper ry). Upon retiring from the army he settled at 8t. Andrews, and commanded one of the Stonnont Militia Regiments in the rebellion of 1837-8. He represented Stormont in several V irliaments, was Sheriff of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry, and for many years Warden of the Provincial Penitentiaiy at Kingston. (3) General Drummond was, as previously mentioned, by birth a Canadian, having been born at Quebec in 1771. He was a son of Colin Drummond, of Megginch, Paymaster-General ot the Forces in Lower Canada. His promotion in the service was rapid. He served in Holland at the seii^e of Nimei;uen and elsewhere, greatly distinguishing himse'f for valor. He took pnrt in the expedition to Egypt under Abercroinbie. ami participated in all the battles of that campaign. He succeeded Sir G. Prevost as Commander-in-Chief and Administrator of the Government. He died in London in 1854. a64 while the adverse lines were now and then dimly discerned through the moonlight by the gleam of their arms. Those anxious pauses were succeeded by a blaze of musketry along the lines and by a repetition of the most desperate charges from the enemy, which the British regulars and militia re -ived each time with the most unshaken firmness. The battlefield remained, of course, in the possession of the British during the remainder of the night. Pearson's brigade had marched fourteen miles and had been deprived of sleep the previous night, Morrison's detachment had accomplished the same distance, and the remainder not less than twenty-one miles in the heat of a July day. Almost one-third ot their number had been killed or were wounded or missing. The survivors were utterly exhausted and threw themselves down to rest among the dead and dying upon the blood-stained hill they had finally re-conquered (i). On the following day the British buried their own dead and sent a message to the Americans to send back a detachment to bury their late comrades, which duty they were, however, unable to fulfil, and the heat being so excessive, nothing was left for the British but to burn their bodies. Having claimed Queenston Heights not only as a victory, but declared it to be the chef d'ceuvre of the War, it is not surprising to to find their historians claiming this battle, too, or to learn that " Niagara Falls " is emblazoned on the flags of such of their regiments as participated in it. It fell to their lot not infrequently in this War to extract sunbeams from cucumbers. Fort Erie, to which after the battle the Americans had retreated, was now their only foothold on our side of the river, and here Ripley, under orders from his superior officer, though much against his own judgment and inclination, which would have led him to forsake an inhospitable shore, proceeded to entrench himself and to rebuild, strengthen and enlarge the fortification. General Gaines had arrived on the 6th to take command. The American fleet had arrived at the head of the lake, but on finding the army far from being in a state to co-operate, cooped up at Fort Erie, and incapable of holding any communication with the naval force on the lake, returned to Sackett's Harbor. Captain Dobbs, R.N., had on the night of the 12th August captured two of the enemy's schooners, the " Ohio " and " Somers," (i) Mr. Cniickshank's lecture, page 31. n 265 dose to Fort Erie, each mounting three long twelves, with comple- ments of thirty-five men, which gave spirit to our army, and General Drummond, after ascertaining their |>osiiitm, determined to storm the American entrenchments. He accordingly opened a battery on the 13th, and on the following day nvide the necessary preparitions for an assault, the trO(>ps getting under arms at mid niglit of the 14th of August, his force being divided into three divisions- the first under command ot Lieutenant-Colonel Fischer, of I)e Watteviile's Regi- ment ; tie second under Lieutenant-Colonel William Drummond, of the Hundred and Fourth, a nephew of General Drummond, who had already done much good service, but was fated after this night to do no more (i) ; and the third, under Colonel Scott, (2) of the Hundred and Third, who also now fought his last battle. At two o'clock in the morning the attack became general. Colonel Fischer's column had gained the point of attack two hours before daylight, and the two other columns advanced as soon as the firing upon his division was heard, and at the same moment stormed the fort and entrench- ments on the right, and after a desperate resistance succeeded in securing lodgment in the fort. The enemy took to a stone building, being driven from their posts at the point of the bayonet, which was used with terrible effect. The victory was about complete when a terrible explosion occurred within the fort, the ammunition under the platform on which the guns were placed taking fire, whether accidently or by design has never been ascertained, and almost all the British troops who had entered the fort were blown to pieces. An immediate panic ensued. Those of the British who survived could not be rallied. Colonel Scott had been shot dead and Drummond killed by a bayonet thrust in the contest at the fort, at the head of their respective columns. The enemy had received reinforcements from the left and centre of their lines, which, taking tiking advantage of the darkness and confusion of the moment, pressed forward with a heavy and destructive fire, and compelled their assailants to retire from the works they had so gallantly carried. General Drummond stated his loss as follows : killed — four officers, (il He was fifth son of John Dniminond, of Keliie, County Perth, Scotland. At St. Vincent, when a Lieutenant in the S-cond West India Kugiment. he receiveil the most flattering testimonials from Lieutenant-i General Hunter, under whom he served At the capture of Surinam lie was Aide-de-Camp 1 1 Lieutenant-'^eneral Sir Charles (ircen, in command oi the forces, and most honourably mentione I in despatches. In 1804 he was voted a hundred guinea sword bf Lloyds for his intrepid conduct in animating the crew of the merchant ship " Fortitude'' to beat oir the attack of two French priva'aen.. He was teverely wounded at Sack^ftt's Harbour, and at Chippewa and elsewhere displayed the highest and best qualities of a soldier. (3) Colonel Hercules Scott, of Brothcrton, Scotland. a66 fifty-three non-commissioned officers and men ; wounded, twenty- three officers, two hundred and eighty-five non-commissioned officers and men ; missing, nine officers, five hundred and thirty non-com- missioned officers and men — a total in killed, wounded and missing of 904, while the American loss was but 84 all told I Mrs, Edgar stales that in poor Colonel Drummond's pocket was found a secret order in Colonel Harvey's handwriting, " The Lieutenant-General most strongly recommends the free use of the bayonet." Through this paper General Gaines is authority for the statement that the mark of the bayonet which laid him low is to be seen ! She also mentions the fact that Colonel Scott was buried the the same evening Ly his own men in the presence of the only three officers of his Regiment who came out of that fatal fort unhurt. Among the names of those mentioned in despatches for con- spicious gallantry on this occasion was that of Lieutenant-Colonel Battersby, of the Glengarry Regiment, as also that of Captain Powell, of whom Sir Gordon Drummond reported, " Captain Powell, of the Glengarry Light Infantry, on the staff as Deputy Assistant in the Quarter-Master-General's Department, who conducted Lieu- tehant-Colonel Fischer's column, and first entered the enemy's en- trenchments, by his coolness and gallantry particularly distinguished himself." General Drummond was reinforced a day or two after this assault by the arrival of the Sixth and Eighty-Second Regiments from Lower Canada, which, however, were barely sufficient to supply the recent casualties, and he did not deem it expedient to hazard another attack on Fort Erie, contenting himself with continuing its investment, thereby cutting off the enemy's communication with the adjacent country, and by compelling him to draw all his resources from his own country, rendering the occupation of Fort Erie for the remainder of the campaign of no service to the invaders. He also constructed new batteries, and harassed his neighbours constantly with hot shot, shell and rockets. On the 28th August General Gaines narrowly escaped with his life, a shot descending through the roof of his quarters and exploding at his feet. He was so severe- ly wounded that he was obliged to relinquish his command and retire to Buffalo. 36; CHAPTER £2. Capture of Prairie du Chik.v !iv im-. HKin.ii. Amkricans Repulsed at Muhimmacinai . — Ukiti.mi Capture the American Ships "Scorpion" and "'ru.kr.ss.' — Aukival or Large Reinforcements krum Ukiiain.— Pkevost's Disas- trous Expedition to Pi,a'i'tsi?i;k(;, NA .— Amkkuan.s Re- pulsed AT Fort Erie Sept. 17, i-Si^. — Americans Cross to their own shores. — Mc.\rtiiuh's Incursion avd Re- treat. — Close ok the War. — Tre/Vty ok Ghent Signed Dec. 24, 1814, and Ratified Feb. 17, US15. Troops to the number of 16,000 released from further duty in the Peninsular by the overthrow of Napoleon now pouied into Can- ada, and with them some of Welliugion's most distinguished gen erals, notably General Kem|)t, afterwards Sir James Kempt, G.C.B., who became Governor-General of Canada, and who had commanded a brigade which led the attack and carried the Castle of Badajoz, a brigade of the Light Divisio 1 at \'ittoria, the attack on the Heights of Vera, at Neville, Nive, Or.he/., Toulouse and other engagements in that campaign, and who afterwards for his part in the Battle of Waterloo, where he was severely wounded, was promoted to the Grand Cross of the Bath in the place of the renowned Sir Thomas Picton ; General Robinson, who also had fought at and n.'ceived de- corations for Vittoria, St. Sebastian, where he was wounded, and the N've, who was the son jf a distinguished U. E. Loyalist and who afterwards became Governor of Upper Canada ; and General Bris- bane (afterwards Sir Thomas Brisbane, G.C.B., G.C.H.), who had been in five of the most desperate of the Peninsi.lar battles, as also too had General Power. Yet, notwithstanding the number of the reinforcements and the distinction of the officers commanding them. it was their fate to participate, under the immediate direction of Sir (ieorge Prevost, the commander of the forces in British North Ame- rica, in a luckless and iiumiliating exjjedition which terminated in 268 the total loss of the co-opciMtiiig s(iiiadron, of five hundred of the land force in killed, wounded and mis>ing, of stores to a prodigious amo\HU. and tho iciiixnicnt of an indignant army before an enemy inferior in discipline and renown and in every otlier possible re- spect. The memory of I'rcvosl's unfortunate armistice concluded between himself and Gcu. Dearborn in August, 1812, which paralyzed the efforts of lien. IJrock, liic miscarriage of the attack on Sackett's Harbour in May, 1813, uiuLr his immediate superintendence, and his fruitless " demonstration ' on Fort George in August of the same year were to dwuidle ini.) insignific mce in extent and comparison with this most untoward event, wiiich completely shattered his rejjutation as a mililary commander, and from the result of which deat'.i and a consideration of liis iiualities as a civil Govtrnor and his conciliation nnd discreet treatment of and consequent popularity with the French popuuilion alone saved him. The circum-.t.uiccs as tliey appe.ired to each are set forth in the statements made lu ih.ir respec/ivc governments by Sir George Prcvost and (leiie.al Macomb, U.S.A., quoted at length in Mr. ChrisUe"s History, volume u., pj). 216 jjo, and however distasteful to British readers, caun u be gain:,ai(.l, being matter of authentic his- tory, allowance bemg m.ide for .-^ir it. Prevust's evident desire to minimi/.e antl «.'\plain away bis defe.it. and General Macomb's not unnauiral, nor under the circum.iiaaces to be wondered at, exulta- tion — his de. Match, however, on l!ie whole bei;ig compar rively free from tlio bomliasi and vul;;aiity which usually characteri/cd the writings o( '.heir general officers, who seldom during this war had similar occasion to have indulge! in sell-gl>)ritication. A narrative of the circumstances would take more space than I have to spare, and must, togellicr with ihe accounts of liie nuny and sanguinary contests between the Ihitisli and American forces along the sea- board, be left to the ge;ieral historian. The force engaged in this exoedilion into the Staie of New V<)rk by way of Lake Charaplain, were Imperial troo[)s entirely, led, as stated, by the Commander-in- Chief himself, all his subordinate officers belonging of course to tht Imperial service, and I must content myself with following the e^ ents of the war in which the Canadians participated, anil more particularly those in which our own people of (ilengarry had a siiare. A court-marti?" was to have enquired into the charges made against Sir George Prevost in connection with this affair, formulated 269 by Sir James Yeo, who was in command of the naval force in Can- ada at the time, on Prevost's return to England. H.. di) I, however, before the court-martial took place. It is more satisfactory to turn to the situation of affairs in the vicinity of Niagara- vherc shortly took place the last battle of mo- ment of the wai, and in which, as on former occasions, the Glengarry Regiment distinguished itself. The enemy, at Fort Erie, on hearing the result of the expedition to Plattsburg, and aware that the British in their neighborhood had not been recently reinforced to an extent greater than their strength previous to the disasters of August 15, determined to make a sortie, their plan being, as stated by their General, Brown, " to storm the batteries, destroy the cannon and roughly handle the brigade upon duty before those in the camp could be brought into action." They waited initil the 17th of Sep- tember, when they ascertained that De Watteville's Regiment, com- posed of foreigners of all nations and principles, was doing duly at the batteries. They succeeded in obtaining possession of No. 3 Battery, its magazine and the block house upon the right, all of which they destroyed, and had then gained possession of the remain- ing block house and No. 2 Battery and made prisoners of the garri- son, though not without great loss, their three princi|)al leaders of divisions, General Davis, Colonels Gibson and Wood being mortally wounded and a number of their men killed. They were about to as- sail the remaining battery when a force composed of the First Bat- talion of the Royal Scots, the Glengarry Light Infantry, Second Battalion of the Eighty-Ninth and some companies of the Sixth and Eighty-Second Regiments arrived from the British camp. The de- spatch of General Drummond tells the story of how the batteries were retaken by these gallant corps. Camp Bi'.kokI': Fort Erie, September 19, 1814. My letter to your exce'lency of the 17th gave a short account of the result of an attack made by the enemy on my position on that day. I have to add, that as soon as the firing was heard, I proceeded towards the advance, and found the trooi)S iiad moved from camp, and the Royals and 8ylh had been pushed, i)y Major-General De Watteville, into the wood on the right towards No. 3 battery, and that the 82nd was moving to the support of the batteries on the left. At this moment it was reported to me that the enemy had gained possession of the batteries Nos. 2 and 3, and that our troojjs were falling back — a rejjort which the approach of tht fire confirmed ; 270 (your Excellency will have in recollection that the whole line of operations lay in a thick wood). I immediately directed Lieutenant- Colonel Campbell to detach one wing of the 6th regiment to support the 82nd in an attack which I ordered to he made for the recovery of battery No. 2. I threw forward the Glengarry light infantry into the wood in front of the centre, to check the advance of the enemy, and support the troops retiring from that point. Both these move- ments were executed to my entire satisfaction, and being combined with a judicious attack made by Lieutenant-Colonel Gordon with part of the first brigade, consisting of the ist battalion of the Royal Scots supported l)y the 89th, the enemy was everywhere driven back, and our batteries and entrenchments regained, not, hcwever, before he had disabled the guns in No. t, battery and exploded its magazine. The enemy did not attempt again to make a stand, but re i-.m . in great disorder to the fort, and was followed by our troops to tne glacis of that ]>lace. I myself witnessed the good order and spirit with which the Glengarry light infiintry, under Lieutenant-Colonel Batters- by, pushed into the wood, and by their superior fire drove back the enemy's light troops, I cannot sufficiently api)reciate the valuable assistance which I have received from Lieutenant-Colonel Harvey, Deputy Adjutant General, during the i)rescnt service, and which has been of the more importance, as from my own state of health, of late (in conscvpience of my wound), I have not been able to use those active exer'ions which I otherwise might. 'I'o NTajor Glegg, Assistant Adjutant General; to Captains Chainbers and Powell, I)e])uty Assistants Quarter-master-General : to Captain Foster, Military Secretary, Lieutenant-Colonel FLirgerman, Provincial aide-de-camp, who have rendered me every assistance in their respective situations, my best acknowledgments are due. The enemy, it is now ascertained, made the sortie with his whole force, which, including the militia volunteers, by which he has lately been joined, could not consist of less tjian 5,000. About 200 i)risoners fell into our hands, and I cannot estimate the enemy's loss in killed and wounded at less than that number. The dreadful state 0.' the roads and ot the weather, it having poured with rain almost incessantly for the last ten days, renders every movement of ordnance or heavy stores exceedingly difficult. By great exertions, the commanding artillery officer has succeeded in moving the battery guns and mortars, wiih their stores, etc., towards the Chippewa, to which 1 mean to withdraw them for the present. In General De Watteviile's account of the engagement to Sir G. Drummond, he si)eaks in high terms of the Glengarry Regiment, stating, " Lieutcnant-General Pearson with the Glengarry Light 271 Infantry, under T-ieiitonait-CoIonjl Battersby, pushed forward bjr the centre road and iittackcJ ani carried with great ga'lantry the new entrenchment, then in full jxjssession of the enemy." The American loss in this fruitless attack was according to their own account in killed, wounded and missing 509 men, including eleven officers killed and twenty-ihrec wounded, while the Ikitish loss was three officers and 112 men kill'jd, seventeen ollicers and 161 men wounded, and thirteen ofTicers and 303 men missing — a total of 609 officers and ukmi. The Cliengarry I-ig'.it Infantry had three rank and file killed, one .seigejut and eighteen rank and file wounded. Mr. James states tiiat the Amcricui relarn of ca.iualties did not ap- pear to include the militia 01 voluiUeers. They j^roclaimed it throughout the repul)lic, as usual, as a " splendid achievement." General Drummond, after ihis affair, finding his troops en- camped in a low situation, now rendered very unhealthy by the late constant rains, growin;^ sickiy, raised the invesUnent of Fort Erie and fell back upon Chippewa on the evening of the Jist of Septem- ber, without molestation by tlic enemy. He shortly afterwards broke ^\. nis cantonments there and retired n[Mn Fort George and }^u:ling on. On the nurning of tlu; Kjlh OctoI)er, a sVirmish took j;iacv? at i,yon's Creek l>.:iween a i)iigade of Amerp:an regulars un- der General Uisseil and detachm..;u:; from the F.igiity-Second, One Hundredth and Ci!ei";garry Rc|,'inients, am )unting to about 650 rank and file, under Colonel Murray. 'I'iie tliickness of tiie woods gave great advantage to the .Vmeiicaa riiljuien, but though their foicc; amounted to at least 15)0 rank ami file, they would not risk an encounter widi evidenlly inferior nu ulier.; upon open g.ound. .'Vfler what may be termed a drawn b.itilc, each pnly letired; the British with a loss of nineteen killed and wounded, the .\,nericans accord- ing to their own admission sixiy-seveii killed, wotuukd and missing. Reinforcements shortly after came in lii.: fleet from Kingston to the relief of Ger.cml P.ammond; the arrival ot the first, although it did not luginj^ . Drummond's force much beyond half that of General I^a!■d, being made an excuse for the retreat of a considerable port' .■ of the latter to Fort Krie on the :;2nil October, while the rem.'v'" 1 jr having by the aid of then tleet removed the gun-, and comi)lctely destroyed the fortifications, crosseu from Fort Erie to their own shore on the 5th November. The fighting being over upon the Niagara, Lieutenant-General > ir To ret; sk an After kitish ccord- issing. to the -ugh it hat of orablc ilc the s and ',rie to Irene ral Drummond and suite, witli cgiment and a number of convalescents, dtpartcd !;• k, .he lake and arrived at Kingston on the loih N()\' n.I ihc liglu division dis- tributed alonf^ the Niagara ti\ . i aliic winter quarters. The still defenceless Ftau .n District had exposed the inhabitants to all the ]<■ -r.d American invasion. On the 2olh Scptenibfr a lai.. i , .'is issued from the garri- son of Detroit, and. c.rof.sii'.g ihe sut.ii:., .• !■ iia 22nd of the following month a horde of mounted ll)urg. l-ebruary 22, 1813. Taking of York by Americans, April 27, 1813. Battle of Kort George, .May 27, 1813. Attack on Sacketl's Harbour, May 29, 1813. Defence of Burlington Heights, July, 1H13. (1) Aliton'k Hi«l. I'^irope, S'll lV,p|> 4X1-3 »74 Kattle of Chateauguay, October 26, iSm Sk,n„ish at Hoopla's Creek. November ,0. 1813. Raid from Cornwall on Madrid. February 6, 1814, Capture of Oswego, May 6, 1814 Battle of Niagara or Lundy's Lane, July 25, 1814, Attack on Fort Erie, August 15, 1814. Second Battle at Fort Erie. September 17, ,814. Sk.rm.sh at Lyon's Creek, October 19, 18,4 Expulsion of McArthur's brigands. October «. 18x4. I submit it is a good record. *75 CHAPTER 23. The Rr.HELLiON ok 1837-8 William Lyon Mack/nzie's sub- sequent Lettkr to Earl Grey. — Extracts frc m Bishop Macdonell's Address. — No Rehels in Glengarry. — Statement showing where the Disaffection prevailed IN Upi'Er Canada. — Outhreak in Lower Canada in Octoher 1837. — Four Regiments in Glengarry. — List of Officers, — Sir John Colhorne notifies Colonel Macdon- ELL That he has called on the Lieutenant-Governor of Ui'PER Canada for Asslstance and to keep up Communi- cation WITH THE Upper Province. — Requests the Glen- OARRVS RecJIMENT To PROCEED TO LoWER CANADA. — TwO Thousand Men Muster at Lancaster. — Temporary SUPPRES.SION of the ReIIELLION. "A course of careful observation during the last eleven year» has fully satisfied me that, had the violent movement in which I and a good many others were engaged on Ix)tli sides of the Niagara proved successful, that success would have deeply injured the jieople of Canada.whoni I then believed I was .serving at great risks ; that it would hare dcjirlvcd millicns, perhaf)s, of our own countrymen in Europe of a home upon this continent, except upon conditions which, though many hundreds of thousands have been constrained to accept them, are of an exceedingly onerous and degrading char acter. I have long been sensible of errors committed during that period to which the intended amnesty a])plies. No punishment that power could inflict or nature sustain would have equalled the regrets I have felt on account of much that I did, said, wrote and |)ublished • but the past cannot be recalled." * * '^ "There is not a living man on this continent who more sincerely desires that British Gov- ernment in Canada may long continue and give a hand and a welcome to the old countrymen than myself. Did I say so, or ask an amnesty, seven or eight years ago till under the convictions of more recent experience? No; I studied earnestly the workings of the in.^iiiulions before me and the manners of the people, and looked 476 *l what had been done, until lew men, even natives, had been better ichooled. The result is not a desire to obtain power and influence here, but to help, if I can and all I can, the country of my birth." — William Lyon Mackenzie to Earl Grey, Secretary of State for the Colonies, February 3rd, 1849. * * • (Extract from a pastoral address of bishop Maccloncll, dated ist December, 1838.) *' In exculpation of the Canadian Rebellion little can be said. The Canadians had no real grievances to comjilain of ; they paid no tythes but to their own clergy ; no taxes or any other burthen but what was imposed upon them by laws of their own making ; their religion was not only free and uncontrolled, but encouraged and protected by tht ivernment when threatened to In." shackled by their own Cathoiu Assembly ; parishes were multiplied by the con- sent of the Government, and subscriptions were raised by Protestants and even by the representatives of His Britannic Majesty to build their churches — in a word, the I'>ench-Canadians lived freer, more comfortably and more independently than any other class of subjects perhaps on the whole surface of the globe ; and they were perfectly contented and seemed (juite sensible of the blessings they enjoyed under the British Government until the folly and madness of Irreli- gious Papineau, Atheistical Giraud and Camelion O'Cailaghan (whose religion is as changeable as the colours of that animal) of the Protestant Nelsons, Browns, Scots and others of that kidney, who, taking advantage of the ignorance and simplicity of the unfortunate habitants, made them believe that they were groaning under a galling yoke which they did not feel but in imagination, and succumbir.g under unsupportable burdens which had never been laid u\r^>u tlicm; that they were to found a glorious Canadian Republic which was to surpass those of Greece and Rome, and even the overgrown mammoth of our own days. " An unfledged gang of briefless lawyers, notaries and other pettifoggers and a numberless horde of doctors and apothecaries, like the locusts of Egypt, sjjread themselves through the land, and by working upon their prejudices against the British, and tlatteriiig their vanity with the hopes of the distinguished situations which they would occupy in the new republic, they unfortunately succeeded in seducing but too many of the credulous Canadians. 41 4< * 4^ . * 41 17? " The most inexcusable part, however, of the conduct of the Canadians was not to listen to the advice of their clergy, wlio knew well the intention of Papineau and his associates was to destroy their influence and extinguish the Catholic religion, which lie publicly declared to be absolutely necessary, before liberty could be establish* ed in Lower Canada. 4> * O * * * - L^, ■v^ 279 and where the embers of rebellion were ready to burst into blaze : Eastern District, none. Ottawa District, none. Johnston District, 8. Bathurst District, none. Prince Edward District, none. Midland District, 75. Newcastle District, 12. Home District, 422. Niagara District, 43. Gore District, 90. Talbot District, None. London District, 163. Western District, 11. In the Province of Upper Canada but thirteen hundred regular troops, including artillerymen, were scattered here and there from Kingston to Penetanguishene, while in the Lower Province about two thousand soldiers were stationed at various pomts to overawe nearly half a million of partially or wholly disaffected habitants. The situation of affairs in the latter Province was set forth in Lord Gos- ford's despatch of 2nd September, 1837, to Lord Glenelg, the Col- onial Secretary. " It is evident," he wrote, " that the Papineau faction are not to be satisfied with any concession that does not place them in a more favourable position to carry into effect their ulterior objects, namely, the separation of this country from Eng- land and the establishment of a republican form of government," and he added that with deep regret he was under the necessity of recommending the suspension of the Constitution of the Province. Communications had been passing between the leaders of sedition in both Provinces, and their aims, so far as the overthrow of existing institutions was concerned, were identical. When Sir Francis Bond- Head arrived in Toronto, and relieved Sir John Colborne (who was then appointed to the military command of both Provinces) of the Government of Upper Canada, he found that not even the famous Grievance Report contained a recital of all the wrongs the malcon- tents had been able to furbish up, Mr. Marshall Spring Bidwell, a very advanced " Reformer," stating to him in an interview that " there were many grievances not detailed in that book which the people had long endured with patience ; that there was no desire to 28o rebel, but a morbid feeling of dissatisfaction was daily increasing."(i) On the 31st July, a precious document, styled "A Declaration of Independence " was published by Mackenzie and others, the first step in the road to insurrection, committing all who accepted it to share the fortunes of the rebels in Lower Canada, .md a permanent vigilance committee was appointed. Mackenzie had promoted a run on the Bank of Ui)i)er Canada, and the machinations ol himself and his friends had brought about the failure of the Commercial Bank at Kingston and the Farmers' Bank at Toronto, while they were daily declaiming against the loyal element as false Canadians, Tories, pensioners, placemen, profligates, Orangemen, Churchmen, sjiies, informers, brokers, gamblers, parasites and knaves I who he alleged were plundering and robbing with impunity, their feet on the people's necks, resjjonsible for all the woes and wailings, and pau- perism and crimes, the ruin of the merchants and the want of the settlers who, " seldom tasting a morsel of bread, were glad to gnaw the bark off the trees to keep away starvation, and were leaving the country in thousands for lands less favoured by nature but blest with free institutions and just govemment." Had a few of these impassioned gentry been summarily dealt with in the first instance as Lount and Matthews were subsequently, there would have been infinitely less Viant and misery abroad, and many more valuable lives would have been saved ; but, unfortunately, the Govemment permitted an undue license, not only of speech and writing, but allowed the vigilance committees to become the nuclei of military organizations. Shooting matches became fashionable, a brisk busi- ness in the manufacture of pikes was carried on, and drillinr; was practised more or less openly, while Mr. Lindsey states that an occasional feu de joie on Yonge street in honour of Papineau would be made the subject of boast in the press. Mackenzie, meantime, was appointed agent and secretary of the Central Vigilance Com- mittee, a convention of delegates of the Reform unions was to be held, and the functions of the Legislature usurped by these sons of sediiion, and by the end of November fifteen hundred names were returned to Mackenzie of persons enrolled and ready to take up arms at an hour's notice. In Lower Canada the crisis had been reached in October of 1837. A collision had occurred between the Governor and the Legislature, which had abrogated the Constitution by a continued (i) McMullcn's liistory, p. 433. BBaaBH/HHi, ibandonraent of its duties, had refused to vote the supplies, and' nad consequently been prorogued. Meetings were held in different parts of the country, one at St. Charles, on the Richelieu, being attended by over five thousand people. At St. Hyacinthe the tri- colored flag was displayed, while the tavern keepers substituted eagles for their former signs. Officers who had been dismissed from the militia were elected by the habitants to command them again Mobs paraded the streets of Montreal, singing revolutionary songs, and nothing hut the firm, loyal and patriotic stand of the Catholic hierarchy and clergy prevented the actual outbreak. M. Lartigue, the Catholic Bishop of Montreal, who had previously addressed a large body of ecclesiastics at Montreal to discourage insurrection, now, " actuated by no external influence, but impelled solely by motives of conscience," issued a pastoral enjoining the clergy and faithful to discountenance all schemes of rebellion (i). The people, however, became more md more restless as they felt the influence of the clergy setting against them, and priests were insulted in their churches, on one occasion in the presence of Papineau himself. Law and religion were on the side of the Government, and rebellion and infidelity on that of the misnamed Patriots. (2) The popular frenzy was too great to be at once brought under control even by the powerful influence of the Catholic Church, yet even so pronounced an enemy of that Church as Mr. Lindsey ad'uits that " there is rea- son to believe that the influence ot the Roman Catholic clergy eventually did more than even the British troops to crush the iu- surrection in Lower Canada." On the 6th November, 1837, ^ "*'* occurred in Montreal, the " Sons of Liberty" being appropriately led by a Yankee, one Thomas Sturrow Brown. The Loyalists dispersed the rioters, captured their banners and some guns, and threw the printing material of their organ, the "Vindicator," into the street. On the i2ta November a ))roclamation was issued directing the suppression of seditious meet- ings. Bodies of armed peasantry began to assemble near the Riche- lieu River, particularly at St. John and Chambly, and Sir John Colborne, perceiving that the crisis was at hand, moved his head- (luarters to Montreal, where he concentrated all the t oops that had I)ren withdrawn from Upper Canada and al' that could be spared from Quebec^ (1) liudacy's Life of Uackenxie, II., p. 49. 3) McMullcn's HUloiy, p. 416, 283 On the 23rd November a battle took place at St. Denis, the insurgents being commanded by Dr. Nelson and the trocps by Colonel Gore, in which the " Patriots" had considerably the advan- tage, the troops being fatigued by a march of twelve miles through the deep mud, and their ammunition being insufficient, while a large number of the Patriots were safely lodged in a large stone store, four storeys high, irom which they were enabled to keep up a galling fire on the troops, whose loss is stated to have been about fifty, while of the Patriots nineteen were killed. In the meantime the loyal people of Glengarry were re-organizing their Militia Regiments of which there were no less than four, the First or Charlottenburg, Second or Lancaster, Third or Lochiel, and Fourth or Kenyon. They were respectively commanded by Colonels Alexander Fraser, Donald Greenfield Macdonell, Alexander Chis - holm and Angus Macdonell, all of whom fortunately had had previous military experience. Colonel Fraser had held a commission in the Canadian Fencil)le Regiment and had served through the War of 1812-15; Colonel Donald Macdonell had commanded one of the flank companies of the Second Regiment of Glengarry Militia, as well as being Assistant Quarter-Master-General of the Midland District during that war, and had been gazetted to the command of his Regiment in 1814; Colonel Chisholm had been an officer in the Royal African Corps for several years before settling in Glengarry in 1816, and Colonel Angus Macdonell had seen much service during 1812-15, when he held a commission in the Glengarry Light Infantry which, as we have seen, had been in almost every battle and action in that campaign. The Toronto Almanac of r839, which contains the militia list, gives the officers of these Regiments, with the dates of their respective commissions, though I believe the Regiments were largely reorganized for the active service which they were about to be called on to perform, some of the officers having become disabled by reason of age and other causes from undertaking further active service. I am unable, however, to procure further in- formation than is furnished by the source mentioned. The force on service in 1837-8 was paid by the Imperial Government though the commissariat, and all returns made thereto, which accounts for so little information being obtainable in the Militia Department. GLENGARRY MILITIA — 1ST REGIMENT (CHARLOTTENBURG.) Colonel— A. Fraser, April i, 1822. Lieutenant-Colonel — A. McMartin, March 6, 1837. Major — D. Fraser, January i, 1838, Captains. A. McGillis, June 19, 1822. J. McLennan, Jan. i, 1838 D. McPherson, June 20, 1822. A. McDougall, ditto. P. Ferguson, April 13, 1830. D. McPherson, ditto. J. Macdonald, Jan. i, 1838. A. Fraser, ditto. W. Urquhart, ditto. F. Macdonald, ditto. Lieutenants. ditto. J. Dingwall, ditto. ditto. J. Gumming, ditto. ditto. J. McBain, ditto. ditto. J. Hay, ditto. ditto. K. Murchison, ditto. Ensigns. ditto. James Grant, ditto. ditto. D. Macpherson, ditto. ditto. M. McGruer, ditto. ditto. J. Curry, ditto. ditto. D. Cameron, ditto. Adjutant — J, Cumming, Januarj i, 1838. Quarter-Master — A. Campbell, January 1, 1838. Surgeon — D. E. Mclntyre, January i, 1838. SECOND REGIMENT MILITIA. Colonel — Donald Macdonell, January i, 1822. Lt. Col. — Duncan Macdonell, ditto. Major — John Mclntyre, April 16, 18 12. Captains. A. McKenzie, April 21, 1812. Alex Grant, Jan. 25, 1814. W. McLeod, ditto. D. Macdonell, May 21, 18 14, D. McMillan, April 25, 181 2. P. Mclntyre, ditto. J. Macdonell, Jan. 25, 1814. A. Wilkinson, Feb. 25, 1822. Angus Kennedy, ditto. A; Macdonald, July 15, 1822. Lieutenant P. Cameron, April 23, 1812. R. McLeod, Oct. 20, 1815. W. McKenzie, J. McDonald, P. Grant, A. Macdonell, D. Fraser, Jno. Macpherson, A. Macpherson, A. Macdonell, R. Maclennan, J. Rose, D. McMartin, April 25, 1812. A. S. Macdonell, ditto. R. Macdonell, ditto. A. IVLacdonell, ditto. J. Macdonell, Oct. 21, 18 15. J. McMartin, Oct. 22, 1815. D. Chisholm, Oct. 24, 181 5. Ensigns. D. McPhail, Jan. 25, 1814. J. Mclntyre, Jan. 25, 1814. D. Macdonell, Oct. 1.9, 1825. A. Macdonell, Oct. 20, 1825. N. Mcintosh, Oct. 24, 1825. R. Macdonell, Oct. 25, 1825. J. McGilHs, Oct. 25, 1825. R. ^L1cdonell, Oct. 27, 1825. 58 ;i4- 1S14. f822. 1822. 1825. I1S25. 1825. 384 M. McMartin, Oct. 21, 1825. J. Fraser, Oct. 28, 1825. A. Kennedy, Oct. 22, 1825. Adjutant — D. Macdonell, October 19, 181 4. Quarter-Master — R. Macdonell, November 22, 1830. THIRD GLENGARRY MILITIA. (As given in the Militia List of 1838.) Colonel — A. Chisholm, June 27, 1825. Lieutenant Colonel — George C. Wood, June 27, 1825. Major — D. McDonald, December 20, 1837. Captains. D. McLeod, Nov. 13, 1820. T. Duncan, April 28, 1835. A, Cameron, Nov. i, 1827. K. Mackenzie, April 28, 1835 A. Cattanach, Nov. 7, 1827. D. McDonald, Dec. 20, 1837. A. McNab, Nov, 9, 1827. A. Cameron, Dec. 20, 1837. D. McGillivray, April 12, 1830. J. Stewart, Dec. 20, 1837. Lieutenants. E. McMillan, Nov. 3, 1827. R. McGillivray, Dec. 20, 1830. D. McMillan, Dec. 20, 1837. W. McDonald, Dec. 20, 1837. D. Macpherson, Dec. 20, 1837. J. McMillan, Dec. 20, 1837. D. McDonald, Nov. 7, 1827. D. McRae, April 13, 1830. D. Macdonell, April 28, 1835. A. Macdonald, April 28, 1835. Ensigns. T. Chisholm, Dec. 20, 1837. D. Macdonell, Dec. 20, 1837. J. McMillan, Dec. 20, 1837. R- McLeod, Dec. 20, 1837. A. Campbell, Dec. 20, 1837. FOURTH REGIMENT GLENGARRY MILITIA. Colonel — A. Macdonell, June 27, 1837. Lieuteriant-Colonel — A. Macdonell, October 18, 1837. Major — A. Macdonell, October 18, 1837. Captains. G. Macdonell, Oct. 18, 1837. A. McKinnon, Oct. 21 1837. N. Macdonell, Oct. 19, 1837. J. McKenzie, Oct. 23, 1837. A. Macdonell, Oct. 20, 1837. Lieutenants. A. Macdonelli Oct. 18, 1837. J. Macdonell, Oct. 21, 1837. C. Chisholm, Oct. 19, 1837. ^- Macdonell, Oct. 23, 1837. K. McLennan, Oct. 20, 1837. Ensigns. A. Fisher, Oct. 18, 1837. ^- Macdonald, Oct. 21, 1837. D. Macdonald, Oct. 19, 1837. Henry Hunt, Oct. 23, 1837. J. McGillis, Oct. 20, 1837. On the ist December, 1837, Colonel Goldie, A.D.C., wrote to Colonel Donald Greenfield Macdonell, as senior officer of the Glen- garry Militia, as follows : Head-quarters, Montreal, i December, 1837. Sir, — I am directed by Lieutenant-General Sir John Colborne 28s to acquaint you that the District of Montreal, being in a state of revolt and the rebels having again collected in force on the Riche- lieu and preparing defensive works, he has called on the Lieutenant- Governor of Upper Canada ior assistance, and he trusts that several Battalions will be ordered to march to our assistance. The Lieutenant-General thinks that measures should be adopted to keep up the communication with Upper Canada by the Coteau du Lac. I have, etc., Thos. Leigh Goldie, A.D.C. Colonel Macdonell, Second Glengarry Militia, Cornwall. Colonel Macdonell immediately notified the commanding offi- cers of the several regiments, took such otiier active steps as were necessary, and knowing full well how readily any call would be re- sponded to, wrote to Sir John Colbome for further instructions. In answer he received the following : Headquarters, Montreal, December 8, 1837. My Dear Sir, — I am desired by Lieutenant General Sir John Colborne to acquaint you, in reply to your letter of the 6th instant, that provided your march is sanctioned by the Lieutenant-Governor, he is persuaded that the Glengarry battalions under your command may render essential service to our cause by marching to the Coteau du Lac to the ferry at Vaudreuil, opposite St. Anne's, at which place arms and ammunition shall be forwarded to you. Afterwards he would wish you to proceed through Vaudreuil by the Lake of the Two Mountains to Point Fortune, to escort the arms which are intended for the corps now forming at the Carillon under the direc- tion of Mr. Forbes. On your arrival there you will receive further orders respecting our operations against the rebels at St. Benoit and Gr nd Brule. I have, &c., Thos. Leigh Goldie, A.D.C. Colonel Donald Macdonell, com'g. Glengarry Militia. Sir John Colborne had effectually suppressed the Rebellion in that quarter before the Glengarry Regiments were able to proceed to Lower Canada, his force consisting of the First Royals, Thirty- Second and Eighty-Third Regiments, with a strong party of artil- lery, the Queen's Light Dragoons (Provincial), the Montreal Volun- teer Cavalry and Rifle Corps and other militia. At St. Eustache some slight resistance was ofTere J and a few lives lost. At St. Benoit (Grand Brule) two hundred and fifty insurgents surrendered at dis- cretion, and were for the most part dismissed, only the ringleaders ft86 being kept prisoners. The militia appear to have destroyed consi- derable property in retaliation for the injuries inflicted upon that of volunteers and other loyal persons. Papineau and Wolfred Nelson had now fled the country. It will be observed thai the date of the first letter to Colonel Macdonell, advising him of the call for assistance from Upper Can- ada, was the ist December. In nineteen days, two thousand men from all parts of the County of Glengarry were under arms at Lan- caster, on the River St. Lawrence, ready to proceed to the relief of the loyal people of the Lower Province. Mr. Christie, in a note to volume 5, page 14, quotes as follows: «' The Cornwall ' Observer ' of the aisl instant, mentions that on the day previous the four Regiments of Glengarry Militia, mustering about two thousand strong, assembled at Lancaster for the purpose of marching down to Montreal, under the command of Colonels Donald McDonell, Fraser, Chisholm and Angus McDonell. The field-pieces belonging to the different Regiments were mounted on strong sleighs, with horses and everything necessary for active service, which,with flags and martial music of the pipes, formed a most inter- esting spectacle. It was mtended that the troops should march on the 2 1 St, but an express arrived from Sir John Colborne with a com- munication ' expressing his warmest thanks to the colonels of the different regiments for their exertions and activity in this critical period, and requesting them to inform the officers and men of these brave Glengarry Regiments, that in consequence of the Rebellion being put down he does not wish them to march from their homes at present.' * We can appreciate the feeling of disappointment,' says the Cornwall " Observer," " with which this comniunication was re- ceived by the hardy Highlanders, anxious as we knov; they are to distinguish themselves as brave and loyal subjects of their Queen.' " a87 I ;■ CHAPTER 24. Sir John Colborne Commissions Colonels Macdonell and Fraser to Raise Two Battalions of Glengarry " Lads " roR Service in Lower Canada. — List of Officers of " Lancaster Glengarry Highlanders." — Charlottenburg Regiment Stationed at St. Philippe, and Lancaster Regiment at Napierville. — Comments of the Montreal "Herald" on their Appearance on their Return. — General Clitherow Testifies to their Service and Effi- cency Temporarily Relieved from Further Service. The service of the Glengarry Militia were soon to be required however. The Commander-in-Chief of the Forces, Sir John Colborne, on the 15th January, 1838, wrote to Colonel Donald Greenfield Mac- donell as follows : Montreal, 15th January, 1838. "Mv Dear Sir, " Our affairs in Upper Canada as regards the conduct of the United States Government and people require that great exertion should be made to place ourselves speedily in a strong defensive position. Do you think that you and Colonel Fraser could raise two bat- talions of Glengarry lads for five or six months' general service ? If you are of opinion that two corps of six hundred men could be formed in a few weeks .1 authorize you to proceed in organizing them immediately. I remain, dear sir, Yours very faithfully, J. Colborne. Colonel Macdonell, commanding Glengarry Militia. A similar letter was on the same day addressed to Col. Fraser. The Lancaster Regiment of Glengarry Highlanders, raised under the general orders of 8th January, 1838, and in pursuance of the above letter of Sir John Colborne, was officered as follows : aSS bat- Lieutenant-Colonel — Donald Macdonell (Greenfield). Major — Alexander Macdonell (Aberchalder). Captains. Donald Macdonell (Buidh), Ranald Macdonell, Malcolm McMartin, Neil Macdonald, George Macdonell (Greenfield), Allan Cameron. Lieutenants. Donald Chisholm, John Stewart, Alexander Macdonell. Ensigns. John Macdonell, Alexander Cameron, Donald Macdonell. Angus McDougall, Donald McDougall, Thomas Oliver, Alexander Macdonell, Alexander McGregor, Angus Kennedy, Adjutant — William Hayes. Paymaster — Alexander Macdonell. Quarter-Master — Angus Macdonell. I am unable to give a list of the officers of the Charlottenburg Regiment, which was commanded bv lieutenant-Colonel Alexander Fraser. His grandson most kindly placed at my disposal all the papers connected with the corps, which have been most carefully preserved, but uiitortuuately tliey do not contain the names of the officers, nor was Judge Pringle, who, owing to his relation to Colonel Eraser's family, was in even better position to have procured inform- ation respecting the Regiment, able to procure a list when giving those of other Regiments of Glengarry and Stormont. On the 31st January, 1838, Colonel Gore addressed Colonel Fraser as follows : Montreal, January 31st, 1838. Sir, — I am directed by His Excellency the Lieutenant General Commanding tc inform you, that, from the reports which have reached him of the preparations of invasion from the lines that your services may be required, and that if you can march your Regiment to Mont- real, Sir John will immediately have arms served out to you and you will be quartered in the L'Acadie district. I have, etc., Chas. Gore, Deputy Quarter Master General. To Colonel Fraser, Commanding First Glengarry Regiment. Colonel Eraser's (Charlottenburgh) Regiment was quartered at St. Philii)|)c, in the County of Lai)rairic. When Colonel Macdonell's t89 (Lancaster) Regiment went down I am unable to ascertain. It was stationed at Napicrville, and both remained in Lower Canada during the winter. The Chariottenburg Regiment returned in March, the Mont- f cal " Herald " of the 20th of that month remarking, "One Regiment of Glengarry Highlanders, under command of Lieutenant-Colonel Fraser, arrived in town yesterday from St. Philippe, and created nqite a sensation as they marched through our streets to the martial music of the spirit-stirring bagpipes. They mustered about five hundred strong, and were generally considered as fine and efficient a body of volunteers as could be produced in the Province, such men as would * do or die ' for their Queen and country. They are en route for their homes, after having displayed their willingness to defend with their lives the glorious institutions of their Fatherland from the encroacliment of internal traitors or foreign enemies." Colonel Macdonell's Regiment remained until May. The " Herald " of the ist May stated, " This day the Lancaster Regiment of Glengarry Highlanders, under command of their Colonel, Donald Greenfield Macdonell, marched into town en route to Upper Canada from Napierville, where they were quartered since their arrival in this Province during tiie winter. They are a fine body of men, and presented a very military appearance." On the 2nd May they were inspected by the Commanding Officer of the District of Montreal, who directed the following letter to be addressed to Colonel Mac- donell ; Montreal, May 2nd, 1838. Sir, — I am directed by the Maior-General commanding the Dis- trict to request that you will accept and convey to the officers, non- commissioned officers and privates of the Lancaster Glengarry Highlanders the expression of his best thanks for the soldier-like appearance that they presented at the inspection yesterday. Major General Clitherow directs me to assure you that it will afford him great pleasure to be enabled to report most favourably to His Ex- cellency the Commander of the Forces on the appearance and effi- ciency of this fine corps, and he doubts not that should their active services at any future period be required, the Lancaster Glengarry Highlanders will maintain the high reputation which they have now so deservedly acquired. I have, &c., James John Hamilton, Major and Major of Brigade. 390 At the inspection of the Charlottenburg Regiment by Sir John Colbornc and liis staff, one of tlie men, Lewis (iiant, whci stood 6 feet 7 inches, carried a ttrass three-pound field-piece on his siioulder when the Regiment marched j)ast.(i) Having returned to ITppcr Canada they were disembodied in accordance with the following letter : Montreal, nth May, 1838. Sir, — Witli reference to my letter addressed to you on the and instant, I have this day received the direction of the Commander of the Forces to inform you liiat the large reinforcements which have arrived at ()uel)ec from Kngland enable His P^xcellency to dispense with the services of the corps which you have so zealously brought forward in time of danger and alarm for the defence of the Province, which measure becomes the more desiri.l)le as, from the advanced period of the season, many of the men must be anxious to return to their homes, flis l'',xcel!ency is therefore pleased to direct that the Lancaster (ilengarry Higianders under your command shall be dis- embodied on the 15th instant, receiving pay, however, to the end of the monili. His IvxcelJency has been pleased to grant permission for the men of your coips to retain the arms, etc., wliich they have in their jjossession, as well as a certain ])roportion of ammunition. (After instructions as to the care to be taken of the arms and ammunition the letter proceeds :) The Commander of the Forces requests that the officers, non- commissiined otticers and men of the Lancaster Glengarry High- landers will accept his sincere ihanks for the important service which they have rendered, and he is firmly persuaded that should the Provinces l.e ever again in danger of revolt or attack from the lawless banditti from which it has lately been rescued, that they will be the fir>t to come forward in their defence. His F\(xllency also grants permission to the Loyal Volunteer Corps to retain their clothing, which must, however, be preserved with the gre.ites: care, as in the event of their services being required on any future occasion no fmthcr supply will take ])lace. The officers and men of the disl)andcd Loyal Volunteers are to remain upon tlie list according to the' designation of their respective corps, as unpaid volunteer corps. I have, etc., W. P. Christie, Provincial Military Set -etary. A letter similar in effect was addressed to Colonel Fraser, under date 19th April. 1S3.S, when the Charlottenburg Regiment was released from further service. (i) JmUu l'nnj;lo, p 260. 2$< CHAPTER 28. Departure of Lord Durham. — Renewal of Insuprection in Lower Canada. — Bishop Macdonell's Loyal Address. — Seizure of the ''Henry Brougham" at Beauharnois. — Glengarry Regiments Called out a Third Time. — March on Beauharnois. — Its Easy Capture. — Appreciation of Sir John Colborne. — Congratulations of Lieutenant- Governor Upper Canada. — Ordered to Upper Canada TO Repel Invasion of Brigands. — Battle of the Wind- mill. Lord Durham arrived at Quebec on 27th May to assume charge of the Government and the reinforcements which had been sent from Enghind rendered the probabihties of successful revolt more slender than ever. The Special Council summoned by Lord Durham had banished Wolfred Nelson and other leading insurgents to Bermuda, and b.ad threatened the ])enalty of death on Papineau and others should tiiey return to Canada. While the Home Government ap- proved of this cours J the Imperial Parliament censured him, and Lord Durham accordingly resigned and returned to England on the 3rd November, 1838, leaving Sir John Colborne, the Commander of the Forces, again in charge of the Government, and who was shortly thereafter appointed Governor-General. The departure of Lord Durham would appear to have been the signal for another outbreak. Mackenzie and other refugees in the United States had been at their dastardly work of agitation, and countenanced by the uni)rincipled portions of the American border ])opulation,(i) secret associations had been formed along the frontier (1) " Hunters' Lodies" had been formed in various towns and places on the frontier in the United States, accorduig to the statements of prisoners taken at Prescott, among others at Oswcijo, Sa'ina, Liverpool, Syracuse, Auburn, (Ireat liend, Palema, Dexter, livans' Mills, Wa- terto«n, Brownville, Ler.iyviile, S.ickett's Harbour, Cape Vincent, Chaumont, Millen's Bay, Alexandria Bav, Orleans, Flat Rock, Ogdensburg, Rossie Villajje. These societies are supposed to have oriuinated in the State of Vermimtiu May, i8j8. Thtir objects are shewn by the nature of the oath each '* Hunter*' h;id to take : " \ swear to do my utmost to promote repub- litau institutions and ideas throughout the world — to cherish ihein, to defend theni; and especially to devote nivself to tlie pro|)a:;aiion, protection and defence of these institutions in North America. I pledge my life, my i)roperty and my sacred honor to the association. I bind myself to its interests and I promise, until death that I will attack, combat and help to deslioy, by all means that my superior may tJiink proper, every power or authority of Royal ori,i;io upoi this continent, and especi.allv never to rest till all tyrants of Britain cease to have any dominion or t'ou.ing wh.itever in North America So .help me God." 392 of both Canadas and a combined system of invasion and insurrection organized. It would appear, therefore, that the country was agam to be plunged into turmoil, and steps were taken to place the militia regiments in readiness for the emergency. It vas under these cir- cumstances that Bishop Macdonell issued the following address to the people of Glengarry : My Dear Countrymen, I am far from thinking it necessary, in the present critical situ- ation of your country, to address you on the score of loyalty to your Sovereign, and uncompromising attachment to Britain and ihe British Constitution. Forty years' intercourse and intimate connexion with you, in various parts of the British Empire, where your active services have been of so much importance in restoring peace and tranquility to Ireland, in repelling the invasion of the Americans on these Pro- vinces, and in checking the progress of Canadian rebellion last win- ter, leave no doubt on my mind that you will turn out to "' « Toronto, their execution being wit- .» ve inT„le7'"^r °' "' *^°' ^' Montgomery and other^, ^h„eve„.ua.,;re*d1„tSgt:'L ."Hen^''"^^^^^^ Itmdred organijanons, yet who bitterly complained when ^rT7 r^^^^'TX ""'"r" '■='"-' "> * '" ConsdtulXtmer/of wan. : m Sed 3^^'"^ ^''^'^^'^ ""« «■'' "■" - 3" CHAPTER 27. Further Attacks on Border Towns in Upper Canada. — Colonel Prince's Laconic Despatch. — Glengarry Regi- ments AND OTHERS GarRISON CORNWALL IN VVlNTER OF 18389. — Officers on Particular Service. — Colonels Turner, K.H., and Carmichael. — Their Thanks to the Militia of District. — ■ Letters of both to Colonel Fraser, Commanding Charlottenburg Regiment. — Ar- rival of Sir James Macdonell, in Command of Brigade of Guards. — His Great Military Career — Defence of Hougoumont. — Invested with Order of the Bath by Sir John Colborn.---Addresses of Magistrates of Glengarry AND StoRMONT on HIS ARRIVAL AND DeP. RTURE. War with the Unitea States being a possible contingency, ow- ing to the ill-leeUng in both countries arising over the " Caroline " affair and the Maine boundary matter on the one hand and the fre- quent and outrageous attacks upon our frontier towns on the other. Sir John Col borne therefore sent engineer officers to all posts where troops or fortifications were required. At Amherstburg, Fort Mai- den was repaired; barracks were commenced at London, Fort Mis- sissaga at Niagara was strengthened, additional barracks were constructed at Toronto, the works at Kingston were strengthened, Fort Wellington at Prescott rendered impregnable to sudden attack (1), and more troops were forwarded to various points. Notwithstanding these precautions, a body of sympathizers crossed near Niagara and committed considerable depredations. Thirty of them were taken prisoners as well as their leader Morrow, who subsequently suffered the death penalty. Simultaneously with this, bodies of " patriots " penetrated into the London District, res- cued a number of state prisoners and plundered some of the inhabi- tants, wlien they were taken in hand by the Lidians, and badly routed, several of them being taken prisoners. At Goderich also a body ot them made their appearance in a sloop, and after commit- (i) McMiillen's Histury, p. 463, 312 ting some robberies in the shops, escaped.(t) Nothing further transpired until November, when took place the attack on Prescott, and the battle at the Windmill already described, and another in- vasion on Amherstburg on the 4th December, when some four hundred and fifty miscreants crossed, marched upon Windsor, captured a few militia guarding it, burned the steamer *' Thames " and some buildings, murdered a negro and proceeded to Sandwich, brutally murdering Surgeon Hume, of the Regular Army, who hap- pened to meet them, and mutilating his body in a shocking manner. (2) They were then met by Colonel Prince, who attacked and routed them, killing twenty-one of their number. Some prisoners were brought in shortly after the engagement and properly dealt with by Colonel Prince. His despatch states the facts : " Of the brigands and pirates twenty-one were killed, besides four who were brought in just at the close, whom I ordered to be shot on the spot, which was done accordingly." Twe.ity-six prisoners were shortly afterwards taken and reserved for the authorities to deal with. The remainder escaped, except nnieteen who concealed themselves in the woods, and, unable to re-cross to their friends, were shortly after- wards found frozen to death. This practically closed the rebellion, though affairs remained in an unsettled condition for some time. One hundred and eighty of those taken at the Windmill and else- where were tried before general courts-martial at Fort Henry ( Kings- ton) and London early in 1839 and sentenced to be hanged, the great majority having their sentences commuted. Ten were hanged in Kmgston, including Von Schultz. Of the remainder, most of them were sent to Van Dieman's Land, where many died, the re- mainder being eventually pardoned and many of them returned to Canada. The militia, though some of them had been out on three different occasions, were liable to be again called on at a moment's notice. Thus, among Colonel Eraser's papers I find the following letter from the distinguished officer on Particular Service commanding in this District : Cornwall, 20 min. to 10 a.m., 22nd November, 1838. My Dear Colonel, — I wish to see you in here as soon as possi- ble. I fancy some very important information has come to light (i) McMullen's History, p. 464. (3) McMullen's History, p. 467. 313 regarding the American Government. Two Regiments of Glen- garrys are immediately to be stationed in this town. In haste. Yours very faithfully, C. B. Turner, Colonel Com'g. To Colonel Fraser, ist Glengarry Militia. Judge Pringle states(i) that during the fall of 1838 and the early part of 1839 *he First Provisional Battalion under Lieutenant- Colonel Vankoughnet, the third (Lochiel) Regiment of Glengarry Militia under Colonel Alexander Chisholm, the Fourth Provisional Battalion (practically the Lancaster Regiment of Glengarry Militia) under Colonel Donald Greenfield Macdonell, Major Jarvis' Troop of Lancers, Captain Crawford's Independent Company of Infantry and Captain Pringle's Company of Artillery were all stationed in Corn- wall, which must have had the appearance of a garrison town. At the same time the Fifth Provisional Battalion under Lieutenant- Colonel Alexander Fraser (no doubt largely composed of the officers and men of the Charlottenburg Regiment of Militia) was raised in Glengarry, and was on duty along the front of that County, the headquarters I believe being at Lancaster ; and the First Regiment of Stormont Militia under Colonel Donald -(Eneas Macdonell was on duty in the Township of Cornwall, In the spring of 1839 the First Stormont, the Third Glengarry and Captain Pringle's Company of Artillery were relieved from duty, while later in the season the Provisional Battalions were also relieved. The Government then authorized the formation of the Fifth Battalion of Incorporated Militia under Lieutenant- Colonel Vankoughnet, which evidently caused some friction, as I observe in a letter from Colonel Turner to Colonel Fraser the statement (of which I had previously known), " I can neither make head or tail of Colonel Macdonell in conse- sequence of Colonel Vankoughnet being employed in preference to himself, and it would not surprise me, from the manner in which he and his friends are now acting, if the company of his son(2) will not continue their services any longer than the end of this month." Similar trouble on a larger scale had occurred before, when Glen- garry men in Scotland were not given the post of honour, which they deemed their services had earned. Their pride and prejudices have always to be reckoned witli, and I can easily understand how little (i) Lunenburg, p. s66. (^ Referring to the Independent Company of Glengarry Light Infantrj*, which garrisoned Coteau du Lac under Captain Alexander (Jreenheld MacdoneU until June, 1843. \)\ty would like the imputation (probably never intended) that they Were not capable of defending their own frontier ! At the expiration of two years, Colonel Vankoughnct's Regi- ment was re-enlisted for two years, and remained in Cornwall until April or May, 1842, when the Fourth Incorporated Battalion, which had been stationed at Prescott, was sent to Cornwall, the Fifth going to Prescott. In May, 1843, all tli^^ five incorporated battalions were disbanded. They were clothed and armed as the regular troops and were fully equal to them in drill and efficiency, and had they been kept on foot would have formed an excellent nucleus for the training c*" our militia and voluntcers.^i) Early in the rebellion the authorities in England had sent oat Officers of experience to take command of the militia and superintend the formation and drill of the regiments and companies ordered out For service. Judge Priilgle gives the names and stations of these officers as follows ; Colonel Chichester, Chatham j Colonel Mar- Shall, Brockville; Colonel Cox, K.H., Whitby; Colonel Carmichael (2), Lancaster and Coteau du Lac ; Colonel Young and afterwards Colonel Williams, Prescott ; Captain Baron de Rottenburg, Belle- ville; Captain Swan, Niagara ; Colonel Turner, K.H., Cornwall. The Town Major of Cornwall during the stirring times from ^838 to 1843 ^v^s Major Donald McDcmald, who had been a lieu- tenant in the Fortieth Regiment and had previously seen much ser- vice in the Forty-Second (Black Watch) Highlanders. He had the t*eninsular medal with ten clasps for Corunna, Fuentes D'Onor» Ladaioz, Salamanca, Vittoria, Pyrenees, Nivelle, Nive, Orthes and Toutouse. Colonel CamVichael, who had seert so much of the Charlotten- burg Regiment during its several periods of service, was presented with an address by its officers on his removal to Prescott. Hii reply was as follows : Prescott, May 24, 1839. Gentlemen, — I beg you will accept my very best thanks for the address you were pleased to present to me at Lancaster on my way to this District. During the time 1 have been employed amongst you your zeal and good conduct could not have been surpassed, and there cannot (t) Pringle, p. afr^. (4) Colonel Carmichael was a Highlander and an enthusiastic lover of the langnn^ , dren and traditions of the Gael. He buiK the cairn at the mouth of the River au Raisin near I^ncas> 'ter in honour of Sir John Colbome, afterwards Field Marshal Lord Scaton. He had seen service in the East Indies. 315 l)e a stronger proof of your attention to your duty than my not hav- ing had a single complaint from any of the men who served in the Fifth Provisional Battalion last winter. That you may long enjoy the confidence and support of your loyal and brave countrymen to uphold the reputation of Glengarry is my sincere wish. Agus creidiruh gu brath, gu mi ur caraid dileas. L. Carmichael, Col. P.S. Col. the Hon'ble Alexander Fraser and officers of the ist Regiment of Glengarry Militia. Colonel Turner on the 29th April, 1839, in District Orders, stated that he could not permit so many of the brave, loyal militia of the District to return to their homes without returning them his best thanks for their zeal, indefatigable attention to their drill, discipline in the field and their exemplary conduct in quarters, instancing the fact that while on service under him not a complaint had reached his ear from those who 'lad so nobly come forward in defence of their Most Gracious Queen's dominions in Canada, and of the glorious and happy Constitution under which by God's blessing they were permitted to live, and of which a set of unprinci- pled rebels and remorseless vagabonds and brigands from the United States, who had no fear of God nor regard for civilized and humane laws, had endeavoured in vain to deprive them of. He mentioned that he had received from the several commanding officers of corps in the District so cordial a support as to render his duty pleasing and easy ; begged them to accept his special thanks and to convey the same to those officers under them, and trusted that God's blessing would attend all, officers and men, and that happiness and prosperity would crown their labours in their different occupations in life, assuring them that he knew well that should their services ever again be required they would all with willing hands and stout hearts again take the field to put down unnatural rebellion, and drive from their happy soil pirates and brigands who should dare to put foot on it. Such language, though not now the mode in the Legislature of the Province,, had the ring in it which appealed to the hearts of the men of half a century ago. I have been so fortunate as to procure the letters which Col- onels Turner and Carmichael addressed to Colonel Fraser on their return to England, and cannot do better than to give them both in lull: 31* CoRNWAT.L, 1 2th April, 184J. My Dear Colonel Fraser, — I cannot quit the command of this loyal District, which I have had tiie honour to hold for upwards of five years, without expressing to you liow much I have valued your useful services to your Queen and country and to myself for your advice and information in time of great excitement in the country, and when I was an entire stranger in the District, and which advice and information I always found correct and for the benefit of Her Majesty's service and the good of the District and of the brave militia which I had the good fortune to command during the dis- turbances in this country — and for which I now tender you my sin- cere thanks. And I beg in the name of Mrs. Turner and myself to acknowledge our obligations to you and Mrs. Fraser for the kindness and hospitality so often shewn to us and our family, and sincerely do we hope that by the blessing of God yourself and family may continue to prosper and be happy to tlic end of your days, whiqh we pray may be long and past in peace and tranquility. God bless you all, and believe me, my dear Colonel, Your very sincere friend, C. B. Turner, Colonel Particular Service. Colonel Carmichael wrote as follows ; W1LI.IAMSTOWN, 2ist May, 1843. My Dear Colonel Fraser, — Previous to my departure from thii country, I beg you to accept my warmest acknowledgments for the able assistance you have given me in the performance of my duty during the last five years, which from your well-earned influence among your countrymen, was on every occasion most valuable, and cannot in the future fail to be of the utmost service to Government. The soldier-like manner in which you have conducted the First Glengarry Regiment was most creditable, and no country can boast of a better corps, in appearance, good feeling and loyalty. That you may long retain your high position among such true men is my sincere wish. Always believe me, yours very sincerely, L. Carmichael, Lt.-Col. P. S. Colonel the Honourable Alexander Fraser, Glengarry. The advent to Canada of Sir James Macdonell during the re- bellion in the position of second in command of the British forces under Sir John Colborne, was naturally regarded with great gratifi- cation by the people of Glengarry. He arrived at Quebec on the 9th May, 1838, in H. M. S. " Edinburgh " (74), which was accom- panied by the " Inconstant " frigate and the troop ships " Apollo " and " Athol," bringing the Second Battalion Grenadier Guards and the Second Battalion Coldstream Guards, the whole under the com- mand of Sir James. He was on the 28th June following, together with Vice-Admiral the Honourable Sir Charles Paget, G.C.H., 317 IJcutenant-Colonel the Honourable C. Orcy, t'le Honoural)lc Col- onel (Charles Coupcr and the Honoinablc Charles Hiillcr, appointed a niemher of Lord Durham's Special Council. Me was one of the most renowned soldiers of the day. In the Service he was known as the " Hero of Hoiij^oumont," and through- out the Kmpire he had for years borne the glorious appellation of " 'IT.c Ihavest Man in Hritain." He was the third son of Duncan Macdonell, 14th Chief of Glengarry, by Marjory, daughter of Sir liUdovic Grant, Hart., of Dalvcy, and a brother of Alastair Ranald- son Macdonell, 15th Chief, described by Mackenzie(i) as "being truly called the last specimen of the Highland Chiefs of history, and who is stated to have been, in the most favourable features of his character, Scott's original for I'ergus MacIvor."(2) He had obtained his commission in the Coldstream Guards in 1796, and with his regiment had taken part in the expedition to .Vaples and Calabria in 1S05 and 1806. He had rendered most im|)ortant service in K^'Vpt, and subsequently in Portugal, Spain, I'rance and rianders. He had received one of the few gold medals given for Maida. It was at Waterloo, however, that he covered himself with greatest glory. He was then a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Guards and was in the Second l^rigadc of the First Division, (1) Hjifory of the MacdonaMs anJ Lords of the Isles, p. 356. (2) There ii no doubt as to this. It was well-known at the time of the publication of Waverlcv, acid is mentioned by m.iny others besides Mr. Mackenzie. Sir Walter and Olengarry were warm personal friends. Sir W,-»lter writes in his journal (I,ockhart's Life, p. 606, Abboti- ford edition): " February 14, 1826. I had a call fruin Glengarry yesterday, as kind and Iriendly as usual. This gentleman is a kind o) Quixote in our age, having retained m their full extent, the whole feeling of clanship and chieftainship, elsewhere so long abandoned. He seems to have lived a century too lalu, and to exist, in a complete state of law and order, like a Glengarry of oil, whose will was law to his sept. Warm-hearted, generous, friendly, he is beloved by those who know him, and his efforts are unceasinE to show kindness to those of his clan who are dis- posed fully to admit his pretentions. To dispute them is to incur his resentment, which ha» sometimes broken out in acts of violence, whicn have brought him into collision with the law. To me he is a treasure, as being full of information as to the history of his own clan and the manners and customs of the Kitchlands in general. Strong, active and muscuLar, he follow! the chaseof the deer for days and nights together, sleeping in his plaid when darkness overtakes him. The number of his singular exploits would fill a volume; for, as his pretentions are hi^h, and not alwiys willing to yield to, he is every now and then giving rise to some rumor. He is, on many of these occasions, aj much sinned a^ains'. as sinning; for men, knowing his temper, Jtometimes provoked him, anxious that (Jlengairy, from his character for violence, will always be put in the wrong by the public I have seeu turn behave in a very manly manner when thus tempted." Mr. John Gait bean testimoay of a. similar nature in one of hit tales, *' The Steamboat,' in reference to an affair which occurred at the coronation of (ieorge IV. He alludes to Glengarry as "a chieftain of the most truly Highknd spirit," "one of the last of the chieftains, none caring more for the hardy mountain race, or encouraging, by his example, the love of the hill and the heather,'' "a proud and bold son of the mountain,' " the noble that a king cannot make, for it is beyond the monarch's power to bestow the honour of a chieftianship, even on the Ouke of Wel- lington, as all true Highlanders know.'* He was killed on the t|th January, i328, when jumpinz from the wrecked steamer " Stirling Castle," at Corran, near Fort William. His clansmen carried his body nn their shoulders over the hills to his seat, Invergarry Castle, [ have heard oldj)eople tell of the wailing throughout t^ilengarry in Scotland and the sadness in (ilengarry in Canada when their beloved chieftain was no more. I knew how they loved him and gloried in him, and how many, many years after his death, and in ttiis Car oCT laad, old eyes would kindle at the mea> tion of his nam:. 3»8 tinder deneral Sir J. Byng, afterwards Field Marshal the Earl of Strafford. On the eve of the i8th of June it was decided that I.ii-'iitcnant-Colonel Macdonell with the Second Battalion of the Coldstream (luards should have charge of the buildings of Hougou- niont, while Lord Saltoun should hold the orchard and wood. The Rev. Mr. Gleig, in "The Story of the Battle of Waterloo," describes the defence : " Hougoumont was felt to be a point of vital import- ance, and Napoleon calculated that could he make himself master of that he might suspend all future operations in this quarter and turn his undivided strength against the allied left. Wherefore «'.louds of men rushed down to sustain the advance, which, having won the wood, appeared to be on the eve of winning the Chateau likewise. * * * Dense masses of assailants rushed against the gates, and shouted as they flew open, and then began such a struggle as does not often occur in modern warfare. Not a foot would the defenders yield. Not for a moment or two would the assailing party withdraw. At last the bayonets of the (luards carried all before them, and five individuals, Lieutenant-Colonel (now Lieutenant- General) Macdonell, Captain (now LieutenantClenerr'l) Wyndham, Ensign (now Lieutenant-Colonel) Gooch, Knsign Harvey and Ser- geant Graham, by slieer dint of personal strength and extraordinary bravery and perseverance, succeeded ia closing the gate and shut- ting the enemy out." Sir Walter Scott concludes "The Field of Waterloo " by the following reference to the defence of Hougoumont : Yes, Agincourt may be forgot, And Cressy be an unknown spot, And Blenheim's name be new ; But still in story and in song For many an age remembered long Shall live the Towers of Hougoumont And Field of Waterloo. Mr. Southey, in his " Pilgrimage to Waterloo," thus refers to it : But wouldst thou tread this celebrated ground, And trace with understanding eyes a scene Above all fields of war renowned, From Western Hougoumoiit thy way begin ; There was our strength on that side, and there first In all its force, the storm of battle burst. Sir James was created a K.C.H. in 1837 and a K.C.B. in 3^9 September, 1838, his investiture with the latter Order taking place in this country, the Governor-General, Sir John Colborne, acting by deputation from Her Majesty. The Quebec papers of the day con- tained interesting accounts of the ceremony, which was attended with great military pageant, guards of honour, waving banners, a splendid cortege and military music. On cither side of the Throne were placed the colours of the Grenadier Guards and Seventy-First Highlanders, of which Regiment Sir James afterwards became Colonel. Sir John Colborne, in his highly complimentary address to Sir James, alluded to his services in Egypt, the Peninsula and at Waterloo, and expressed his gratification at being the Queen's re- presentative to thus honour so distinguished a soldier and so faithful a subject. " Nothing," said the " Herald," " could be more impos- ing than to witness a war-worn hero like Sir John Colborne, covered with wounds and wearing numerous stars and orders as the reward of his heroism, being the means of bestowing a mark of Her Ma- jesty's favour on one who had with him opposed and triumphed over the gigantic power of Napoleon." " With much grace and pro- priety," says Dr. Henry, in his " Recollections of a Staff Officer," " one eminent soldier was thus the Royal Representative in confer- ring this honour on another gallant companion in arms ; and that well tried sword which had led the Fifty-Second to victory on many a hard-fought field and finally waved before the.i when they routed a column of Napoleon's Guards on the evening of Waterloo, was now most fitly employed in bestowing knighthood on the stalwart and indomitable defender of Hougoumont." Sir James, in addition to the gold medal for Maida and the Waterloo medal, had the Pen- insular medal with clasps for Salamanca, Viltoria, Neville and the Nive. He had also received the Order of Maria Theresa, and was a Knight (fourth class) of St. Vladimir. He was principal Equerry to the Queen Dowager. He was, of course, a frequent visitor to his friends and relatives in Glengarry during his command in Canada. Upon the occasion of his first visit he was presented with an address by the leading gentry of the County and the adjoining County of Stormont. The original of his answer is in my possession and is as follows : To the Inhabitants of the Counties of Glengarry and Stormont, Gentlemen, — I return you my most sincere thanks for the con- gratulation with which you have met my arrival amongst you, and ves ion ing [he Ion- lind 330 for the marks of affectionate knidness I have icceived in the Coun- ties of Glengarry and Stormont. From the moment in which I received the intimation that Her Majesty had been graciously pleased to approve of my nomination to the Staff cf British North America, I promised to myself the pleasure of visiting you, and I looked for a welcome, not on my own account, but for the sake of my departed brother, who, when in life, loved you more than life itself. Thro' me you have honoured his memory, and have thus convinced me that Highland hearts beat as warmly in the Canadas as on the heath-covered mountains of our Mother Country. Gentlemen, you have justly said that it is not necessary to as- sure me of your warm and unshaken attachment to your Sovereign and the Constitution of the Parent State : You have proved it by your past conduct, and should circumstances again call for your active services, I know you will uphold the character you have already established. J. Macdonell, Major-Gen'l. To the address presented to him on his retirement from his command he made the following reply : To the Magistrates and other Inhabitants of the Counties of Glen* garry and Stormont, Gentlemen, — I have received with no ordinary feelings of pride and gratification the address which has been presented to me. I am conscious that your expressions of regret at my approaching retirement from the command I have had the honour of holding in this country, spring from no other source than that of a pure and kindly character ; and the assurance you convey to me of your loyalty and attachment to our Beloved Queen enhances your tribute of regard. Your allusion to my military services I estimate as a soldier, and with the pride of one shall ever gratefully remember. Should it please my most gracious Sovereign to again require my services, it will be my duty to obey, and believe me when I as- sure you that that portion of Her Majesty's Canadian possessions, which contains a population of such devoted r.eal and fidelity as that of the Counties of Glengarry and Stormont, shall never be forgotten by me. I am truly sensible of your esteem and regard, and shall derive no small degree of consolation when fa: removed from all intercourse with you by reflecting that the ties which bind us to each other are those of loyalty and honour. Your allusion to the memory of my departed brother is grateful to my heart. If, as you justly designate him, " the noble, high- minded and patriotic Glengarry," how truly have those who this day honour me with their kindly expressions of attachment, cherished his rrifirrloiy by, in the hout of danger, mainUining the hoiiouf o* their country. And now, gentlemen, permit me to bid you farewell, and to once more assure you that individually and collectively I shall pray for your happiness and prosperity. J. Macdonell, Lt.-Gen'l. Sir James Macdonell had evidently, previous to his leaving Canada, been offered the command of the Forces or the Lieutenant- Governorship of the Upper Province, as I find the lollowing in one of his letters (December^ 1840) relating to family matters, "I have declined Upper Canada, as the brevet which I confidently look for Inust remove me from the Staff of North America ; and if even a brevet should not apjjear, I mean to return to England with thu brigade of Guards should they be called home in si)ring or summurt Which is more than probable." Sir James died unmarried in 1857; I 3aa CHAPTER 28. iK\MEN AND THE CathOLIC ChURCH— H,c r> co„s,!lct:': *™ i:'V*° '^^ '■"^ =° '°"8 P>ayed .o „o.abIe and but f ,0 oft d , H " ""' """' °' *= '=•>•"">' °f Glcngany o.. a ™. .0 Ca'n^i'orerhruiTiar ^' ■'"■*" -'= Loch Nes, I,nJ,Z !k ^ ' """ '""'" "" ""^ 1>°'*« of -pi.e., .h; t';rir;rir; !";^'' ;,'^; *'=, ^'-^ -»^- whom few were in r, K«ff • • ^"' J--^^-' ct ht. Raphaels, than -'■ice, in 7::z:^7^::'\::jt •™"-'--'-'^<>" '^^ place of his birth as Tn.hlf ^, ""^ '^'"'^ >80, gave the accords with .re t^: i, ' -roTe^gr^ H '"""." ^'"'^ '"'" Scottish College in Paris a„d J"''^'"''- , ""= ""^ 'educated at the Valladolid in ip,r„ whe' f ""''T™"'' "' "'= '''=°'^ College at and on lealg ,he;e returt/f' "/"T" °" "^""^'^ ■**• '7«7, missionary prilt fathrb™ of" LoTh '' ""." "" '"'""'^ '' ' several years. Lochaber, where he remained for con„e«L',r:v'u IhlttS tl^f ?T7.f»cible Regiment, his and While it cont! d „ fe Wc^S^d' h""! '^/™" ^="="'™ of Amiens in ,803 and in s,T *»'''-""ied durnig the Peace (») p. 134 et seq. 323 Arriving in Canada in 1804, for thirty six years he had been a notable figure in the Province. He possessed an influence over his Highland fellow-countrymen, which was exerted without stint for their temporal welfare and advancement, without distinction of creed, and for the furtherance of those sound and loyal principles which were so dear to his heart. With the maintenance of British connection in Canada the name of Bishop Macdonell must ever be indelibly associated. While he was 3 pillar of the Catholic Church— almost its pioneer in Upper Canada — he was a bulwark of the Throne. By precept and exam- ple, again and again he proved his stern, unfailing loyalty, and drew from the highest authorities repeated expressions of gratitude and thanks. While the nature of his sacred profession debarred him from taking part in the actual fighting, he nevertheless took good care to see that every man of his name was on hand to fight, and when there was fighting to be done he was always near by to see that it was well done. It was a favourite saying of his that " every man of his name should be either a priest or a soldier," and had he not been a priest he would have made a great soldier. He had all the attributes of one. His stature was immense and his frame her- culean. He stood six feet four and was built in proportion ; he had undaunted courage, calm, cool judgment, resolute will and a temper almost imperturbable, although it was best not to arouse it ; he had the endurance of his race, fatigue and privation were as nothing to him ; he was a man of great natural ability, great parts and of a personality which impressed all brought in contact with him ; he inspired confidence, admiration and respect, but above all he was a born leader of men. The gain to the Church was great, the loss to the Army correspond iiigly great when he was ordained at Valladolid. Of his services to the Catholic Church it is unnecessary here to speak at any length. In after life, he himself, in a letter to Sir Francis Bond Head, referring to an address in the House of Assembly in 1836, in which his character had been aspersed and his motives assailed by William Lyon Mackenzie and his radical con- freres, who hated the Bishop both on account of his religion and his loyalty, gave a statement of the hardships he was called upon to endure in the discharge of his sacred functions when he first came to the count. y, and of his efforts on behalf of religion subsequently : " * * Upon entering upon my pastoral duties, I had the 3*4 whole of the Province in charge, and without any assistance for the space ot ten years. During that period I had to travel over the country from Lake Superior to the Province line of Lower Canada, carrying the sacred vestments sometimes on horseback, sometimes on my back, and sometimes in Indian birch canoes, living with savages — without any other shelter or comfort but what their fires and their fares and the branches of the trees afforded ; crossing the great lakes and rivers, and even descending the rapids of the St. Lawrence in their dangerous and wretched craft. Nor were the hardships and privations which I endured among the new setders and emigrants less than those I had to encounter among the savages themselves, in their miserable shanties, exposed on all sides to the weather and destitute of every comfort. In this way I have been spending my time and my health year after year since I have been in Upper Canada, and not clinging to a seat in the Legislative Council and devoting my time to political strife, as my accusers are pleased to assert. The erection of five-and-thirty churches and chapels, great and small, although many of them are in an unfinished state, built by my exertion, and the zealous services of two-and-twenty clergy- men, the major part of whom have been educated at my own ex- pense, afford a substantial proof that I have not neglected my spiritual functions, nor the care of the souls under my charge ; and if that be not suflUcient, I can produce satisfactory documents to prove that I have expended, since I have been in this Province, no less than thirteen thousand pounds of my own private means, besides what I received from other quarters, in building churches, chapels, presbyteries and school houses, in rearing young men for the Church and in promoting general education." Upper Canada was erected into a Bishopric by Leo XIL on 14th February, 1826, and Bishop M;i :donell appointed first Bishop under the title of Bishop ot Resma, i.p.i., the Home authorities not at the time wishing that Bishops of the Catholic Church should be recognized as Titulars. His appointment was made on the recom- mendation of the British Government.(i) His Diocese comprised the present Province of Ontavio, and has since been subdivided into the Dioceses of Kingston. Toronto, Hamilton, London, Ottawa, Pembroke, Peterborough and Alexandria. (i) His episcopal ring was given to him by His Majesty Georee IV. It is a very beautiful •nieth^st, surrounded by diamonds, and is now worthily worn by his namesake, the Bishop of the Diocese of Alexandria. 3»S Advancing age and increased responsibility forced the Bishop to apply for a coadjutor, and Mr. Weld, of Lulworth Castle, a descendant and representative of one of the oldest Catholic families of England, who, on the death of his wife — like another eminent Cardinal of a very recent day — had taken orders, was selected and consecrated Bishop of Amycla and Coadjutor of Upper Canada, on the 6th of August, 1826. By the advice of his friends and medical advisers, Bishop Weld remained some years in England and after- wards went to Rome, where, in March, 1830, he was nomina ed Cardinal by Pius VIII. The P-esbytery (abandoned in 1889 on the erection of the one built on the west side of the Church) and the present Church at St. Raphael's were built in anticipation of the arrival of Bishop Weld, b.u cilthough always full]' intending to go to Canada, he closed his fia^b.vt Rome on the loth of April, 1837. ^'^ funeral discourse v . J. .;oanced by Doctor (afterward Cardinal) Wiseman, Rector o2 the E vj;i;5h College at Rome. Bishop Macdonell obtained many avjurs fro; 'v >'7ie through the influence of his intended coadjutor. u I ."-?•. . ••- "*riking instances of the Bishop's services to his countrymen ii. ijleng.irry. " I had not," he wrote in an address to them, " been long in this Province when I found that few or none of even those ot you who were longest settled in the country had legal tenures of your properties. Aware that if trouble or confusion took place in the Province your properties would become uncertain and precarious, and under this impression I proceeded to the seat of Government, where, after some months' hard and unremitting labour through the public offices, I procured for the inhabitants of the Counties of Glengarry and Stormont patent deeds for one hundred and twenty six thousand acres of land." That may be taken as a fair indication of the magnitude upon which he was able to conduct affairs, of the extent of his business capacity, and of the influence he alv/ays possessed with the Colonial as well as with the Home Government. Another example of his exertions on behalf of the temporal welfare of the people of Glengarry is given in the same address, which was published by him in a time of great public excitement, when he felt called upon to warn the people of the county against those whom he designated as " wicked, hypocritical radicals, who are endeavouring to drive the 336 .Province into rebellion, and cut off every connection between Canada and Great Britain, your Mother Country, and subject you to the domination of Yankee rulers and Lynch law " : " I cannot pass over in silence one opportunity I gave you of acquiring property which would have put a large proportion of you at ease for many years — -I mean the transport of war-like stores from Lower Canada to the forts and military posts of this Province, which the Governer-in-Chief, Sir George Prevost, and the Quartermaster- General, Sir Sidney Beckwith, offered you at my request. " After you refused that offer it was given to two gentlemen who cleared from thirty to forty thousand pounds by the bargain." In 1818 he procured from the Duke of York, President of the Highland Society, a commission to establish a brarich of that insti- tution in Canada. It was addressed to William MacGillivray and Angus Shaw, esquires, the Rev. Alexander Macdonell, John Mac- donell (of Gart) and Henry Mackenzie, esquires. The institutional meeting took place at St. Raphaels on the loth November, 18 18, over which Mr. Simon MacGillivray, one of the Vice-Presidents of the Highland Society of London, presided, and at which were pre- sent, among others, three of the best and finest Highland gentlemen this Province ever saw : the late Honourable William MacGillivray, Bishop Macdonell and the late Honourable Neil MacLean — all of whom, though long since dead, still live in the hearts of their coun- trymen. The following officers were elected and, with the exception of the President, immediately installed into their respective offices : President, Sir Peregrine Maitland, K.C.B., etc.; Vice-Presidents, the Rev. Alexander Macdonell, Colonel the Honourable Neil Mac- Lean, Lieutenant-Colonel Donald Greenfield Macdonell ; Treasurer, Alexander Fraser, esquire; Secretary, Archibald MacLean, esquire; Directors, Roderick MacLeod, Alexander MacLean, Alexander Wilkinson, esquires. The Society continued in active operations for several years, and contributed largely to the objects for which it was formed, drawing upon itself the blessing of many distressed Highlanders, whom it relieved at a distance from their native home ; leveral liberal contributions in money were given to assist gentlemen engaged in the publication of works in the Gaelic language, and a succession of premiums to Gaelic scholars, performers on the bag- pipes and the best dressed Highlanders ; nor were the remains of 3«7 Celtic literature neglected, while some collection of Gaelic poetry was made. Owing, however, to the death of some and the removal of others of the master spirits who guided it, from this part of the country, to the frequency of the meetings, and the high rate at which the yearly subscription was fixed, and deprived of the fostering care and imme- diate superintendence of Bishop Macdonell by his removal to Kings- ton, the Society, after some years of usefulness, struggled for some time under all these difficulties (added to which were those imposed upon it by political excitement and the private dissensions of some of its members) and then sank into the sleep from which the exer- tions of Mr. Macdonald of Gart subsequently awakened it for a time. It has long since ceased to exist, having passed away with the men of the last generation. The respect entertained for Bishop Macdonell by all classes of the community is well illustrated by the following address, which was presented to him by the Orangemen of Toronto a few years before his death, and which was recently re-published in the Chicago " Canadian- American " of March 25th, 1892, which well remarked in commenting upon it, that a continuation of the spirit shown in the address is essential to the prosperity, if not the existence, of the Do- minion : Address of the Orange Body of the City of Toronto to the Right Reverend Alexander Macdonell, D.D., Bishop of Regiopolis, etc., etc. May it please Your Lordship, — We, the Orangemen of the City of Toronto, beg to approach your Lordship with sentiments of unfeigned respect for your pious and loyal labour in the service of your Church and country, and during a long protracted life for the Christian liberality which you have ever evinced towards those of a different creed. We beg to reciprocate the charitable feelings breathing through- out your Lordship's address to the electors of Stormont and Glen- garry ; sentiments which bear deeply the impress of a mind noble and virtuous, raised alike above the mean and grovelling distinctions of party feeling or political rancour ; such feelings when disseminated, we trust, in the approaching contest for the mamtenance of the British Constitution, may array Catholics and Orangemen side by sido, and hand in hand, to achieve a victory more bloodless than, yet as glorious as, that which they won on the empurpled field of Waterloo. We take leave of your Lordship, with a fervent wish that Providence may gild the setting sun of your declining days with 328 every blessing, and that Catholics and Orangemen all over the world may live united in the bonds of Christian fellowship, such as will tend to prevent the crafty agitator and the renegade apostate from ever being able to sever that bond of union which we trust may ever exist between us, not only in our attachment to each other, but also in our attachment to our Mother Country. The Bishop, in his reply, stated that no cause of difference or misunderstanding existed between Catholics and Orangemen in Canada, that as fellow subjects they should stand shoulder to should- er in defence of the British Constitution and British liberty against the crafty an.i designing enemies who expected to achieve by cun ning what they dare not attempt by force, and that he trusted they would unitedly prove an impenetrable bulwark of their adopted country and the strong chain of connection with the Parent State. In 1839 Bishop Macdonell paid his last visit to Great Britain, from which he was fated never to return alive. Previous to his departure a dmner was given to him at Carmino's Hotel, Kingston, by the Celtic Society of Upper Canada, which was attended by all the leading townspeople as well as by the principal officers of the garrison, with whom the Bishop always Hved on terms of great inti- macy and friendship, (r) and by many influential gentlemen from a distance. Some days afterwards the Bishop commenced his jour- ney, and was accompanied to the steamboat " Dolphin " by a large number of his personal friends, the old bell of St. Joseph's Church pealing forth a parting salute. The Bishop and his party landed at Liverpool on the ist of August, 1839. Soon after his arrival the Bishop went to London, where he communicated personally with the Colonial Office regarding his plan of emigration from the Highlands as a measure of relief to his suffering fellow-countrymen in Scotland, and as a security and benefit to his fellow-countrymen in Canada ; as well as with regard to the establishing of the College for the domestic education of the priesthood and other matters. He then visited the scenes of his nativity and childhood, and was present at the great northern meet- ing at Inverness in October. In the same month he passed over to Ireland, intending to be present at a great dinner given to the Catholic Prelates in the City of Cork, but a dense fog in the Clyde and adverse winds prevented him from arriving in time for the festi- val. Nevertheless, he visited the Bishops, and being unable to (i) It is stated that during a time in 1837-8, when the regular troops were absent from Kingston, Bishop Macdonell had charge of the garrison. 3*9 obtain, in the West of Ireland, any other conveyance than a jaunting car, he was exposed during the entire day to one of the drizzling rains so common to thai region. The ex\ osure brought on inflamma- tion of the lungs, accompanied by a severe cough ; and although he placed himself under the care of the President of Carlow College, and afterwards with the Jesuits of Clongowes Wood, and received much benefit and every attention, he still continued so indisposed on arriving in Dublin as to be obliged to keep to his bed for nearly a fortnight. From Dublin he went to Armagh, and remained a short time with the Catholic Primate. He then accepted the invitation of his friend the Earl of Gosford, to Gosford Castle, near Market Hilb Armagh, where, under the roof of that kind-hearted nobleman.who had been Governor-General of Canada from 1835 to 1838 (immediately preceding the Earl of Durham), he appeared to have completely recovered. He then returned to Scotland, a great meeting of noble- men and proprietors having in the meantime been held (on the loth of January, 1840) at the Hoi^etown Room, Edinburgh, at which the Bishop's measure of emigration was discussed, the Bishop's travelling companion. Dr. Rolph, attending it as his representative. From Port Patrick to Dumfries he was obliged to drive all the way on the outside of the coach, a cold Scotch rain frilling upon him all the time of his slow journey of nearly eighty miles. On the morning after his arrival (Sunday), he vvas with a great effort able to leave his hotel to say Mass at the Mission House, but it was a last effort. On the following Tuesday he was dead, passing away so (juietly, in perfect pepce, that Vicar-General Dawson, who was pre- sent with hira at the time, states that they who were in attendance could not tell whether the vital spark had flown until Dr. Blacklock arrived, and, after due examination, pronounced. There was no funeral in Dumfries; the remains were conveyed at once to Edin- burgh. Bishop Gillies, with the full consent of the Senior Bishop, had everything arranged in the grandest style. Since the days of Scotland's Royalty so magnificent a funeral had not been seen in Scotland. All that was mortal of him was deposited in the crypt of St. Margaret's Convent Chapel, where his body rested until brought to Canada in 1861. Upon the arrival of the melancholy intelligence at Kingston, his See, a solemn Requiem High Mass was sung by Rishcp Gaulin, on Passion Sunday, 1840, which was attended by all the clergy of the Diocese and a vast concourse of people. 330 In r86i Bishop Horan went to Edinburgli to bring Bishop Macdonell's body to Canada. The funeral cortege, which drov*" through Glengarry, resting at the well-loved St. Rai-haels, arrived in . Kingston on the 2Sth September, and the earthly remains of the much-loved and venerated Prelate were consigned to their last resting- place, with suitable honours, in the Cathedral Church of his Diocese in the land of his adoption. In the Parish Churcii of St. Rajjhaels a tablet was erected in his memory by the Highland Society of Canada, in pursuance of the following resolution, which was moved by the Rev. Mr. Urquhart, the Presbyterian Minister of Cornwall, seconded by the Rev. George Alexander Hay, Parish Priest of St. Andrews : " Resolved, that the Highland Society of Canada do erect on the i8th of June next, in the Parish Church of St. Raphael's a tablet to the memory of the late Bishop Alexander Macdonell ; that the said Society meet on that day, which is the day of the festival an- niversary meeting, at eleven o'clock at Macdonell's in Williamstown, and proceed thence at twelve o'clock in procession to the Parish Church, where the Reverend John Macdonald be requested to read pnayers, to erect the tablet; and that George S. Jarvis, Esquire, Guy C. Wood, Esquire, and Alexander MacMartin, Esquire, be a com- mittee to procure such tablet." The day was advisedly chosen, as one which trie Bishop gloried in— the anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo. The tablet bears the following inscription : "On the i8th of June, 1841, "THE HIGHLAND SOCIETY OF CANADA " Erected this Tablet to the memory of "THE HONOURABLE AND RIGHT REVEREND " ALEXANDER MACDONELL, " Bishop of Kingston, " Born 1760. Died 1840; " Though dead, he still lives in the hearts of his countrymen." ^ The Kingston " British Whig," thus refers to Bishop Macdonell in its obituary article : "Of the individuals who have passed away from us during the last twenty-five years, and who Iiave taken an interest in the advance- ment and prosperity of Canada West, no one probably has won foi h|msolf m so great a degree the esteem of all classes of his fellow citizens as has Bishop Macdonell. 33» "Arriving in Canada at an early period of the present century, at a time when toil, jjrivations and difficulties inseparable from life in a new country awaited the zealous Missionary as well as the hardy immigrant, he devoted himself in a noble spirit of self- sacrifice, and with untiring energy, to the duties of his sacred calling and the amelioration of the condition of those entrusted to his spiritual care. In him they found a friend and counsellor ; to them he endeared himself through his unbounded benevolence ' greatness of soul. Moving among all classes and creeds, w mind unbiassed by religious i)rejiidices, taking an interest in all mat tended to develop the resources, or aided the general prosperity of the country, he acquired a popularity still memorable, and obtained over the minds of his fellow-citizens an influence only equalled by their esteem and respect for him. The ripe scholar, the polished gentleman, the learned divine, his many estimable qualities recom- mended him to the notice of the Court of Rome ; and he was elevated to the dignity of a Bishop of the Catholic Church. The position made no change in the man ; he remained still the zealous Missionary, the indefatigable Pastor. His loyalty to the British Crown was never surpassed ; when the interests of the Emi)ire were either assailed or jeopardized on this continent, he stood forth their bold advocate ; by word and deed he proved how sincere was his attachment to British Institutions ; and infused into the hearts of his fellow-countrymen and others an equal enthusiasm for their pre- servation and maintenance. Indeed, his noble conduct on sev ' occasions tended so much to the preservation of loyalty that it from the highest authority repeated ex])ressions of thanks gratitude. As a member ot the Legislative Council of Upper Canada (to which he was called by Sir John Colborne on October i2th, 1831), his active mind, strengthened by experience acquired by constant associations with all classes, enabled him to suggest many things most beneficial to the best interests of the country, and the peace and harmony of its inhabitants." Mr. Morgan thus concludes his notice of the Bishop in his useful work, " Celebrated Canadians :" " In every relation of life, as subject. Prelate, relative and friend, he was a model of everything valuable. To his Sovereign he brought the warm and hearty homage of a sincere, enthusiastic, unconilitional allegiance, and the most invincible, uncompromising loyalty; as Prelate, he was kind, attentive and devoted to the interests, •velfare qnd happiness of his Clergy; as a relative, his attachment was imbounded, and his death created an aching void to hundreds of sorrowing relatives whom he counselled by his advice, assisted with his means and protected by his influence ; as a friend, he was sincere, enthusiastic and unchangeable in his attachments. Such, indeed, was the liberality of his views and the inexpressible benignity ,\ farewell a 1 e t- U ,c I m i a ,d co„grep,eJ togc.her to bid him Chron.clo"at the tin,e of the liishop's funeral services there DIRGE OF THE LATE BISHOP MACDONELL. BY ROBERT GILFILLAN. The temple was wrapt in deepest gloom. As they laid out the dead for the silent lomb. And the tapers were lighted dim— A soft and solemn shadowy light— And the book was opened for Holy Rite When they woke this funeral hymn • ' He s gone ! he's gone 1 the spirit is fled. And now we mourn the honi red dead ! " The coffin before the Altar stood, With purple pall and silken shroud, And tassels sal*)..- hung, And as they bore it slow along They chanted forth i • burial song, By hundred voices sung— "He's gone ! he's gone I the spirit is fled. And now we mourn the honoured dead ! " And many a Priest with mitred brow Before the Holy Cross did bow, ..-r, ^."^ J0'"ed the mournful strain, riie livmg once !— the lifeless now ! All, all, to Death's fell grasp must bow, Nor come they back again ' The tide gives back its ebbing wave, But there's no return from the darksome grave I Frail mortals of the passing day, Is this your home ? Is this your stay ? Attend the lesson given ; Tis dust to dust and clay to clay. The friend we mourn from earth away, They welcome now in Heaven I" T^vas thus they bore him slow along. With Holy chant and mournful song. 33i The/ spoke of his deeds well done on earti'i, His Holy life, and active worth, Relieving others' woe ; The poor in him they found a friend. Whose like again they will not find, In this cold world below ! Did good where good was to be done, But his race is o'er, and the prize is won ! They chanted the Requiem in cadence deep— The good may grieve, but the dead shall sleep. When life's dull round is o'er — Rest, Pilgrim, from a distant land, A peaceful home is now at hand, Where troubles come no more ! Like a shock of corn he ripely fell, His days were long, but he used them well I Chorus, Raise the crosier o'er the dead, Chants are sung, and Mass is said ; Bear him to the dwelling low Where all sons of Adam go. Sisters, brothers, onward come. Earth is but a living tomb. Full of sorrow, full of sadness, Little joy, and little gladness ; Listen what the Scripture saith, " In midst of life we walk in death I" 334 CHAPTER 29. The Old Northwest Company.— Partners who Subsequently Resided in Glengarry.— Mr. Duncan Cameron, the Hon- ouRAiiLE John MacGillivray, Ur. John Macdonald, iMr. Angus Macdonell, Mr. Alexander Macdonell, Laird McGlLLIS. I had hoped that the space at my command would have enabled me to notice at some length the Northwest Company, its objects and history, its partners and their services in connection with the fur trade and partial opening up of the illimitable country, which, after the absorption of the Company by or amalgation with the Hudson Bay Company, was practically monopolized by that Company until the enlightened statesmanship of Sir John Macdonald and his col- leagues in the Government of Canada threw it open to the people of Canada and the emigrants from the Old Country, and which is now traversed by that great highway to the Pacific Coast, the Canadian Pacific Railway, the most important, probably, of all the great works originated and consummated by that ablest of the Colonial statesmen of Britain, I am warned, however, that I have already exceeded the limits laid down with the printer of these sketches, and I can but refer to it incidentally. This is to be regretted, as many of those most intimately connected with that great pioneer enterprise were also closely associated by birth, family connection and residence with the County of Glengarry. The Company appears to have been formed almost immediately after the close of the Revolutionary M^-ir; additional partners were from time to time admitted, and agreements as to shares, governance, etc., entered into between them in 1802 and 1804, which are set out at length by the Honour- able L. R. Masson, formerly Lieutenant-Governor of the Province of Quebec, in his interesting work, " Les Bourgeois de la Compagnie du Nord Ouest." The officers or partners of the Company were almost entirely Scotchmen, as their names would indicate. Those in 1804 were John Gregory, William MacGillivray, Duncan Mac- Gillivray, William Hallowell and Roderick Mackenzie, composing the house of McTavish, Frobisher & Co., of Montreal; Angus 335 Shaw, Daniel Mackenzie, William McKay, John McDonald, Donald McTavish, John McDonell, Archibald Norman McLeod, Alexander McDougall, Charles Charboillez, John Sayer, Peter Grant, Alexan- der Fraser, ^neas Cameron, John Finlay, Duncan Cameron, James Hughes, Alexander McKay, Hugh McGillis, Alexander Henry, John McGillivray, James McKenzie, Simon Fraser, John Duncan Campbell, David Thompson, John Thompson (composing the com- pany or concern known as the Old Company); Sir Alexander Mac- kenzie, Thomas Forsyth, John Richardson and John Forsyth (com- posing the great Montreal house of Forsytli, Richardson & Co.); Alexander Ellice, John Inglis and James Forsyth, of London, Eng. (forming the firm of Phyn, Inglis & Co.); John Ogilvie, John Muir, Pierre Rocheblave, Alexander Mackenzie, John McDonald, James Leith, John Haldane and John Wills, wintering partners and the trustees of the estate of the firm of Leith, Jamieson & Co. and Thomas Tain. The voyagcurs and other employees of the Com- pany, of whom there were hundreds, were principally French-Cana- dians, and during the War of 1812 14 were formed into the Corps so distinguished during that war known as the Corps des Voyageurs Canadien, a list of the officers of which is given at page 185. It was largely those men who so gallantly defended Fort Michiiimac- kinac and captured the post of Prairie du Chien on the Mississippi, about 450 miles distant, and took ihe enemy's war vessels " Scor- pion "and "Tigress" in the closing days of that War.(i) The name of this Corps and its distinguished services will be found con- stantly referred to by all the historians who treat of the subject of the War. Great trouble eventually arose between this Company and Lord Selkirk's, which led to violence, illegal arrests, confisca- tions and robbery, and culminated in the total destruction of Fort Gibraltar, the headquarters of the Northwest Company, at the forks of the Red River, and in the tragedy of the 19th June, 18 16, by which Governor Semple, of Lord Selkirk's Company, lost his life, Fort Douglas was destroyed and Lord Selkirk's Company were dis- persed. One of the principal partners, Mr. Duncan Cameron, after wards member for Glengarry(2), was arrested in consequence of these occurrences, detained for mare than a year at York Factory, and taken prisoner to England, for which high handed arrest and (i) I had intended giving .in account of these occurrences, but throu(;h an unfortunate aversight, for which I am more to blame than the printer, it was, although written out, omitted from its proper place. (1) Vide pages IS4-5- 336 Mlegal detention he obtained damages to the extent of £3,000 ster- ing. ( I ) Mr. Cameron remained but a short time in England, where he vas immediately set at liberty without even being brought to trial, and on his return to Canada he retired froai the Northwest Company and settled at Williamstown, in this County, where he led a quiet life in the genial company of several other old Nor'- Westers who had made Glengarry their home. One of his sons, Sir Roderick Cameron, is now residing in New York, and engaged in the Austra- lian trade. He retains a warm affection for Glengarry, as those who have been so fortunate as to partake of his princely hospitality arc aware. Another of the partners was the Honourable John MacGilli- vray, who also resided in the neighbourhood of Williamstown, and became a member of the Legislative Council of Upper Canada. He was the father of the late Neil MacGillivray, who succeeded to the estate of Dunmaglass in Scotland and the chieftainship of his clan, and of Mr. George H. MacGillivray, so well known to us in Glen- garry, who occupies the homestead of this highly respected family. John Macdonald of Gart, after retiring from the Company in which he had long been partner, settled on the property of the late Major Gray of the King's Royal Regiment of New York, known as the Gray's Creek estate on the River St. Lawrence. His father was a captain in the 84th Regiment, and after his death his grand-uncle, General Small, who had commanded one of the Battalions of the Highland Emigrant Regiment during the Revolutionary War( a), and an elder brother, bound Mr. Macdonald to Mr. Simon MacTavish as an apprenticed clerk in the Company, which he thus joined in 1791. A short but interesting account of his life, with his notes relating to his experience in the Northwest, is given -in Mr. Masson's book, volume 2, page 3 et seq. Mr. Masson describes him as being like most of his comrades in that adventuresome undertaking, brave, rash, reckless and domineering. Mr. Macdonald's arm was slightly deformed in consequence of an accident in childhood, and the old Canadian voyageurs, in order to distinguish him from the numerous other Macdonalds and Macdonells in the Company, called him Monsieur Macdonald le bras croche. Oa<- Scotch people, whose French was not quite perfect, rendered it Brock-rosh, and by the latter designation he is well and affectionately remembered. He (i ) Masson's Bourgeois du Nord Ousst, p. 335. (1) Vide page 53 et seq. 337 was the father of the late Judge Rolland Macdonald, of Welland, and of Mr. De Bellefeuille Macdonald, of Montreal. Angus Macdonell (Greenfield), a brother of Colonels John, Duncan and Donald Greenfield Macdonell, was also in the Com- pany, and was murdered in the Northwest in one of the many con- flicts there. His murderer was tried in Montreal but acquitted. His fate, however, after leaving the Court House, is unknown. Alexander Greenfield Macdonell, another brother of the latter, was also a partner in the later years of the Company's existence. He returned to Glengarry subsequently, and represented the County in the Legislature, as also Prescott and Russell. He was Sheriff of the Ottawa District. He did good service for the Company in its controversy with that of Lord Selkirk, and appears to have been the chief literary partizan of the former. His " Narrative of the tran- sactions in the Red River country, from the commencement of the operations of the Earl of Selkirk till the su'Timor of the year 1816," published in London, England, in 1819, is an exceedingly able pre- sentation of his Company's case. He died in Toronto while attend- ing to his legislative duties before the Union of the Provinces in 1841. Mr. Hugh McGillis, another partner, also settled at Williams- town on his retirement from the company, and acquired a great deal of property in the neighborhood. None of his family are now living there, and his property has now nassed into other hands. In fact, with the solitary exception of Mr. G. H. Mac^nliivray, not a descend- ant or representative of any of the above named gentlemen is now in the County to my knowledge . Another resident of Wiiliamstown, a former partner in the Northwest Company, and who had served as an Astronomer Royal on ihe Pacific Coast, was Mr. David Thompson. Mr. Thompson resided in the house (originally built by the Rev. Mr. Bethune), now occupied by Mr. Murdoch Farquhar McLennan . m