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GENERAL BROCK
GENERAL BROCK
BY LADY (Matilda Ridout) EDGAR EDITION DE LUXE TORONTO MORANG & CO., LIMITED 1904 Entered according to Act of the Parliament of Canada in the year 1904, by Morang & Co., Limited, in the Department of Agriculture PREFACE Among the men of action who are entitled to be called makers of Canada, Sir Isaac Brock may well take a prominent place. He came to Canada in 1802, and gave ten years of his life to the country in which he was called to serve. Both in a civil and a military capaci
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CHAPTER I HIS BIRTHPLACE
CHAPTER I HIS BIRTHPLACE
"Thou Guernsey! bravely crowned With rough embattled rocks ...." — Drayton. "Sévère et douce."— Victor Hugo. "In that corner of the old Norman land where live the little people of the sea, in that island of Guernsey, stern yet mild," Isaac Brock was born. It was a rough cradle, yet not an unkind one. Though for countless ages its shores have been beaten about and broken by its relentless enemy the ocean, yet behind that bold and serried front l
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CHAPTER II SERVICE ABROAD—HOLLAND
CHAPTER II SERVICE ABROAD—HOLLAND
Isaac Brock had now been thirteen years in the army, but, although his promotion had been rapid, he had as yet seen but little of active service. In 1798 his regiment was quartered in Jersey. In 1799 it was ordered to England to be in readiness to take part in an expedition against Holland, then occupied by the forces of the French republic. It was at the breaking out of the war in 1793 that the first expedition to that country had taken place under the command of the Duke of York. At that time
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CHAPTER III SERVICE ABROAD—THE BALTIC
CHAPTER III SERVICE ABROAD—THE BALTIC
"Of Nelson and the North sing the day." — Campbell. Europe was now engaged in a death struggle with her great foe who was everywhere victorious. After the battle of Hohenlinden on December 3rd, 1800, Austria consented to peace with France, and England was left without an ally. Paul, the half-mad emperor of Russia, had quarrelled with her, partly on account of the ill-starred expedition to Holland, partly because she would not gi
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CHAPTER IV IN CANADA
CHAPTER IV IN CANADA
Regarde, me disait mon père Ce drapeau vaillamment porté; Il a fait ton pays prospère Et respecte ta liberté. Un jour, notre bannière auguste Devant lui dut se replier; Mais alors, s'il nous fut injuste, Il a su le faire oublier. Et si maintenant son pli vibre A nos remparts jadis gaulois, C'est an moins sur un peuple libre Qui n'a rien perdu de sea droits. Oublions les jours de tempêtes. Et, mon enfaut, puisqu' aujourd'hui Ce drapeau flotte sur nos têtes, Il faut s'incliner devant lui.
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CHAPTER V UPPER AND LOWER CANADA 1802
CHAPTER V UPPER AND LOWER CANADA 1802
The year 1802 was a critical time in Canada, and so it was felt to be by the few who were there to guard it. If Bonaparte had succeeded in his plans on the American continent, and had occupied Louisiana with an army of twenty thousand men, Canada would probably have been immediately the scene of war between Great Britain and France. Another enemy, however, was nearer her borders, although ten years passed before hostilities broke out. When Brock arrived, Sir Robert Shore Milnes, formerly governo
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CHAPTER VI MILITARY POSTS
CHAPTER VI MILITARY POSTS
It was in the year 1796 that England had given up possession to the Americans of Forts Michilimackinac, Miami, Detroit, Niagara, and Oswego, and now at the beginning of the nineteenth century Kingston, York, Fort George, Fort Chippawa, Fort Erie, and Amherstburg were the chief military posts. The very names of the forts take one back to very stirring days in the country, and a glance at their history shows that this new province of Upper Canada had been once the scene of many a struggle for supr
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CHAPTER VII PREPARATIONS FOR WAR
CHAPTER VII PREPARATIONS FOR WAR
In 1805 Brock was again quartered in Quebec. In August of that year, General Hunter, the acting lieutenant-governor of Upper Canada and commander-in-chief was taken ill and died at Quebec, just after the departure on leave of Sir Robert Millies. His death placed both provinces in a peculiar position. There was neither a governor, commander-in-chief, nor lieutenant-governor in the Canadas. Nor was there a chief justice, for Chief Justice Elmsley, who had succeeded Osgoode at Quebec, had died rath
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CHAPTER VIII OLD QUEBEC
CHAPTER VIII OLD QUEBEC
Cape Diamond, or the rock of Quebec, rises sheer from the river St. Lawrence to a height of three hundred and forty-five feet. The citadel on its highest point presented in the beginning of the nineteenth century a formidable combination of powerful works, whence a strong wall, supported by small batteries in different places, ran to the edge of the precipice, along which it was continued to the gateway leading to the Lower Town. This gateway was defended by heavy cannon, and the approach to it,
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CHAPTER IX AFFAIRS IN EUROPE, 1808
CHAPTER IX AFFAIRS IN EUROPE, 1808
Early in 1808, Colonel Brock left Quebec to take command in Montreal. Shortly afterwards he was appointed acting brigadier-general by Sir James Craig, an appointment which was confirmed in September. In a letter to his brother, Brock wrote that, although General Ferguson had been newly appointed major-general, he thought he would not likely come, as was intended, to Canada, but that he (Brock) would succeed him both in rank and command at Quebec. Montreal, in 1808, was both a lively and a hospit
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CHAPTER X POLITICS IN QUEBEC
CHAPTER X POLITICS IN QUEBEC
In September, 1808, Brock was superseded in his command at Montreal by Major-General Drummond, and returned to Quebec. He did not like being separated from the 49th, but, as he remarks, "soldiers must accustom themselves to frequent movements, and as they have no choice it often happens they are placed in situations little agreeing with their inclinations." His appointment as brigadier was confirmed, but he writes, "if the 49th are ordered away my rank will not be an inducement to keep me in the
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CHAPTER XI QUEBEC AND NIAGARA
CHAPTER XI QUEBEC AND NIAGARA
In July, 1810, Brock was still in Quebec. He writes from there to his brother Irving, thanking him for executing some commissions for him in London. All had arrived safely with the exception of "a cocked hat," and not receiving it was a most distressing circumstance, "as," he added, "from the enormity of my head I find the utmost difficulty in getting a substitute in this country." General Brock was most anxious to go to England, but had almost given up the thought. Several events of a disturbin
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CHAPTER XII 1811 IN CANADA AND EUROPE
CHAPTER XII 1811 IN CANADA AND EUROPE
Early in 1811 there was some correspondence between Sir James Craig and General Brock as to the treatment of the Indians. The question was, whether in case of hostilities breaking out as threatened between the Americans and the Indians, the latter should be supplied, as usual, with arms and ammunition by the British. No doubt the Americans would expect a strict neutrality to be observed; but by stopping supplies, Brock thought the British might lose all their influence over the tribes. There had
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CHAPTER XIII THE NEW GOVERNOR
CHAPTER XIII THE NEW GOVERNOR
To be a major-general, and governor, and commander-in-chief of a province at the age of forty-two was no doubt an enviable position, but, with the irony of fate, just as he had reached it, an unlooked-for financial misfortune, involving his whole family, came upon Isaac Brock. Apart from the personal loss to himself, there was besides a threatened rupture of friendship between his brothers which touched his tender heart most keenly. The story of the misfortune is as follows: In June, 1811, a fir
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CHAPTER XIV GATHERING CLOUDS
CHAPTER XIV GATHERING CLOUDS
In 1811 the financial storm that had burst on England had spread to France. Quarrels had again arisen between the latter country and the two independent Baltic powers, Russia and Sweden, Denmark had taken to piracy and had seized more than fifty American ships, and Russia expected to fight France in order to protect neutral commerce in the Baltic. England had that year almost ceased to send ships there, and America swarmed in until the Russian market was glutted with its goods. The United States
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CHAPTER XV CANADA'S DEFENCE
CHAPTER XV CANADA'S DEFENCE
On February 3rd, 1812, the House of Assembly at York was opened with all due state and ceremony, and a brilliant suite attended the acting governor. In his speech General Brock deplored the treatment of England by the United States, from whose harbours English vessels were interdicted, while they were open to those of her foes. Although he still hoped that war would be averted, he recommended measures that would defeat the aggressions of the enemy and secure internal peace. He appealed to the so
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CHAPTER XVI ON THE FRONTIER
CHAPTER XVI ON THE FRONTIER
Let every man who swings an axe, Or follows at the plough, Abandon farm and homestead, And grasp a rifle now! We'll trust the God of Battles Although our force be small; Arouse ye, brave Canadians, And answer to my call! Let mothers, though with breaking hearts, Give up their gallant sons; Let maidens bid their lovers go, And wives their dearer ones! Then rally to the frontier And form a living wall; Arouse ye, brave Canadians, And answer to my call! — J. D. Edgar , "This Canada of O
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CHAPTER XVII A VIGOROUS COMMANDER
CHAPTER XVII A VIGOROUS COMMANDER
On July 29th news arrived at York of the successful capture of Michilimackinac, and General Brock immediately sent a despatch announcing it to Sir George Prevost. He also informed him that the militia at York had volunteered for service to any part of the province, and he had selected a hundred to proceed at once to Long Point, Lake Erie. He thought that unless the enemy could be driven from Sandwich it would be impossible to avert the ruin of the country. He intended leaving himself on the 30th
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CHAPTER XVIII BROWNSTOWN AND MAGUAGA
CHAPTER XVIII BROWNSTOWN AND MAGUAGA
The garrison at Amherstburg consisted of a subaltern detachment of the Royal Artillery, three hundred men of the 41st, and about the same number of militia. Captain Chambers, with fifty men of the 41st, had been sent to the Moravian town on the river Thames for the purpose of collecting the militia and Indians there, and advancing on the left flank of the enemy. Forty more had been sent to Long Point to collect the militia in that neighbourhood. Sixty of the 41st had just arrived with Colonel Pr
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CHAPTER XIX DETROIT
CHAPTER XIX DETROIT
Que faut-il pour vaincre les ennemis de la patrie? De l'audace, encore de l'audace, et toujours de l'audace.—Danton. The events described in the last chapter show the condition of affairs when General Brock arrived at Amherstburg. He immediately summoned a council of war to meet at Colonel Elliott's quarters. It was here that he first met his Indian ally, Tecumseh, and both seem to have been favourably impressed with each other. After hearing what had happened at Brownstown and Maguaga, the gene
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CHAPTER XX THE ARMISTICE
CHAPTER XX THE ARMISTICE
General Brock lost no time in making preparations to return to the Niagara frontier, where he hoped to strike another sudden blow. He dismissed the militia of Michigan to their homes, placed the volunteers on parole, and sent General Hull with a thousand of his regular troops in boats to Fort Erie, en route to Montreal as prisoners of war. After issuing a proclamation to the inhabitants of the Michigan territory, by which their private property was secured and their laws and religion confirmed,
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CHAPTER XXI CONSEQUENCES OF ARMISTICE
CHAPTER XXI CONSEQUENCES OF ARMISTICE
The month of September had seen the arrival at Montreal of the wretched prisoners from Detroit. Colonel Baynes wrote that they had reached there in a very miserable state, having travelled without halt. They had been sent to Fort William Henry on their way to Quebec. The officers were to be on parole and the men confined in the transports on the river. General Hull had been allowed to return home on parole, and also most of the officers who had families with them. "General Hull," Colonel Baynes
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CHAPTER XXII QUEENSTON HEIGHTS
CHAPTER XXII QUEENSTON HEIGHTS
It was on October 6th, 1812, General Brock's forty-third birthday, when the despatches announcing the victory of Detroit and the colours taken there, arrived in London. It was a time when England waited breathless for news of her arms abroad. She was in the midst of her life and death struggle with her arch-foe in Europe, and blood and treasure were being poured on the fields of Spain. No wonder, then, that news of a victory even in distant Canada was hailed with acclaim, and bells were set ring
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