Page images
PDF
EPUB

Knight of the Most Hon. Order of the Bath, Provisional LieutenantGovernor, and Major-General commanding the Forces in this Province, whose remains are deposited in the vault beneath. Having expelled the North Western Army of the United States, achieved its capture, received the surrender of Fort Detorit, and the territory of Michigan, under circumstances which have rendered his name illustrious, he returned to the protection of this frontier; and advancing with his small force to repel a second invasion of the enemy, then in possession of these heights, he fell in action, on the 13th of October, 1812, in the forty-third year of his age, honoured and beloved by the people whom he governed, and deplored by his Sovereign, to whose service his life had been devoted."

REMARKS.

"By the best computation we could make, and avoiding all exaggeration, at the time the procession reached the monument there could not be less than five thousand persons present, many of whom were from the United States. General Brock, indeed, was a man no less esteemed by the enemy than he was admired and almost adored by his friends and soldiery; and we heard several Americans say, who had served against him and saw him fall, that they lamented his death as much as they would have done that of any of their own generals, on account of his humanity, and the great attention he had uniformly shewn to his prisoners.

The

"His excellency the lieutenant-governor (Major-General Sir Perigrine Maitland, K. C. B.) was in full dress, and, we are happy to say, appeared in good health after his late fatiguing journey of inspection to the Lower Province. two M'Donells and Captain Wilkinson, of the 2d Glengary regiment, relatives of the deceased Lieut.-Colonel M'Donell, in the highland costume, appeared in the procession to great advantage, and seemed to excite much attention.

"But among the assembled warriors and civilians, none excited a more lively interest than the chiefs of the Indian nations from the Grand River, whose warlike appearance, intrepid aspect, picturesque dress and ornaments, and majestic demeanour, accorded well with the solemn pomp and general character of a military procession-amongst these, young Brant, Bears Foot, and Henry, were distinguished. In our mind we never saw a dress more elegant in its kind, and fit for active service in the woods, than that worn by young Brant, who, with his tomahawk in hand, was a perfect resemblance of all that could be imagined of the accomplished Indian warrior.

"Amongst the numerous gentlemen in the procession, we observed that old veteran, Lieutenant M'Dougall, of his majesty's 8th (the king's) regiment, who, like a brave and loyal man, came from Sandwich to attend the re-interment." - Upper Canada Gazette, October, 1824.

S

"We had the melancholy pleasure of attending, on Wednesday last, the removal of the mortal remains of Major-General Sir Isaac Brock, and those of his deceased aide-de-camp, Lieut.Colonel M'Donell, from Fort George to the monument at Queenstown Heights.

"The day was remarkably fine-the persons who attended to pay this last tribute of respect to their memories were highly respectable and numerous. There could not be less than

10,000 persons present.

"His Excellency, Major Hillier, Ensign Maitland, Colonels Fosters, Coffin, and Fitzgibbon, appeared on the ground half an hour before the procession moved from Fort George.

[ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small]

"About the hour of 10 o'clock, the 1st and 4th regiments of Lincoln militia, were formed in lines 40 yards apart at Fort George. Within the lines was a guard of honor, consisting of a company of the 76th regiment. On the hearse being brought out of the fort, the guard presented arms, and the royal artillery fired a salute of nineteen guns.

"The procession moved in the following order:

Captain Brown, 37th Regiment.
Grenadiers of the 76th Regiment.
Band of do.

Right wing of 76th Regiment.
Isaac Swayze, Esq.

THE HEARSE,

Drawn by four Black Horses.

Chief Mourners: - Colonel Givens, of the West York Militia, and
Colonel Donald M'Donell.

Supporters to the Chief Mourners: - Lt.-Colonel Duncan M'Donell, and
Capt. Wilkinson, of the Glengary Regiment, in full uniform.
Commissioners for the Monument.
Gentlemen of the Press.
Barristers.

Medical Gentlemen.

Members of the House of Assembly.
Members of the Legislative Council.
Sheriffs, Coroners, and Magistrates.
Officers of the Army and Navy on half pay.
Heads of public Departments.

Judges of the Court of King's Bench.
Members of the Executive Council.

His Excellency Sir Peregrine Maitland and Suite.
Colonels Wardlaw and Leonard.

Left Wing of the 76th Regiment.

Officers of the West York Militia, under the command of
Lieut.-Col. Bakie.

Captain George Dennison, of the York Dragoons.
Officers of the East York Militia, under the command of
Lieut.-Colonel Heward.

Colonel John Beverley Robinson and Major Radenhurst, of the second
East York Militia.

Chiefs from each Tribe of the Five Nations:- - Captain Brant,
Ahyonwaeghs, Tehanagarene, Tewaserake, Skayentakaen,
Thalotatro, Kaghnitake, Teyothorewen.

Markham Cavalry :-Captain and Lieutenant Button.
Gore Militia: - Colonel James Crooks, Captain M. Crooks,
Lieutenant Findlay, and Dr. Hamilton.

Oxford Militia :-Colonel Horner and Dr. Cornish.
560 Gentlemen on horseback.

285 Carriages, Gigs, and pleasure Waggons, filled with well dressed Ladies and Gentlemen.

"The pedestrians were numerous.

"The procession ascended the mountain ten minutes after two o'clock, and marched through a lane formed by the 2d and 3d regiments of Lincoln militia, to the monument.

"Upon the bodies being taken from the hearse and deposited in the vault within the monument, the guard presented arms, and the artillery, posted on the heights, fired a salute of nineteen guns."-York Observer, October 18, 1824.

No. 14.- Page 415.

It

"Queenstown, at which place the steam boats start for Toronto, is situated in a delicious valley, through which the Niagara river, in colour a deep green, pursues its course. is approached by a road that takes its winding way among the heights by which the town is sheltered, and, seen from this point, is extremely beautiful and picturesque. On the most conspicuous of these heights stood a monument, erected by the provincial legislature in memory of General Brock, who was slain in a battle with the American forces, after having won the victory. Some vagabond, supposed to be a fellow of the name of Lett, who is now, or who lately was, in prison as a felon, blew up this monument two years ago; and it is now a melancholy ruin, with a long fragment of iron railing hanging dejectedly from its top, and waving to and fro like a wild ivy branch or broken vine stem. It is of much higher importance than it may seem that this statue should be repaired at the public cost, as it ought to have been long ago; first, because it is beneath the dignity of England to allow a memorial, raised in honor of one of her defenders, to remain in this condition, on the very spot where he died; secondly, because the sight of it in its present state, and the recollection of the unpunished outrage which brought it to this pass, are not very likely to soothe down border feelings among English subjects here, or compose their border quarrels and dislikes."-Dickens' American Notes, vol. ii., pp. 187, 188.

W

SECTION II.-AMERICAN AUTHORS.

No. 1.-Page 248.

Extract from Jefferson's Correspondence.— Monticello, October 1, 1812.

"I fear that Hull's surrender has been more than the mere loss of a year to us. Besides bringing on us the whole mass of savage nations, whom fear, and not affection, had kept in quiet, there is danger that, in giving time to an enemy who can send reinforcements of regulars faster than we can raise them, they may strengthen Canada and Halifax beyond the assailment of our lax and divided powers. Perhaps, however, the patriotic efforts from Kentucky and Ohio, by recalling the British force to its upper posts, may yet give time to Dearborn to strike a blow below. Effectual possession of the river from Montreal to Chaudière, which is practicable, would give us the upper country at our leisure, and close for ever the scenes of the tomahawk and scalping knife."

No. 2.-Page 254.

"Revolutionary Services of General Hull, as taken from his Defence before the Court Martial, in March, 1814.

"For more than half a century I supported a character without reproach. My youth was devoted to the service of my country; I fought her battles in that war which achieved her liberty and independence, and which was ended before many of you, gentlemen, who are my judges, were born. If upon any occasion a man may speak of his own merits, it is at such a time as this: and I hope I may be permitted to present to you, in very few words, a narration of my life, while I was engaged in scenes which were calculated to prove a man's firmness and courage, I shall do it with less reluctance, because the testimony I have offered of the venerable men who served with me in the revolutionary war, will vouch for all I have to say. In the year 1775, at the age of about twenty-one years, I was appointed a captain in one of the Connecticut regiments; during that campaign, and until March, 1776, when the enemy evacuated Boston, I served with the army at Cambridge and Roxbury, and in the immediate command of General Washington. I was with that part of the army, in March, 1776, which took possession of Dorchester heights- the movement which compelled the enemy to evacuate Boston. The next day, the regiment to

which I belonged marched for New York. I was on Long Island when the enemy landed, and remained until the night the whole army retreated. I was in several small skirmishes, both on Long Island and York Island, before the army retired to the White Plains. I then belonged to Colonel Charles Webb's regiment, of Connecticut.

"This regiment was in the severest part of the action on Chatterdon's Hill, a little advanced of the White Plains, a few days after the main body of the army abandoned New York. This battle is memorable in the history of our country; and the regiment to which I belonged received the particular thanks of General Washington, in his public orders, for its bravery and good conduct on the occasion. It was particularly distinguished from all the other troops engaged in the action. I received a slight wound by a musket ball in my side, but it did not prevent me from remaining at the head of my company.

"I was in the battle of Trenton, when the Hessians were taken, in December, 1776; and, being one of the youngest captains in the army, was promoted by General Washington the day after the battle, to a majority, for my conduct on that occasion. The 1st of January, 1777, I was in the battle of Princeton. In the campaign of the same year, the regiment to which I belonged served in the northern army. I was early in the spring ordered to Ticonderoga, and commanded the regiment (being the senior officer present) under General St. Clair, and I was with that officer in his retreat from that post. "After General St. Clair's army formed a junction with General Schuyler's army on the North River, at Fort Edward, the regiment to which I belonged was detached, and marched to Fort Schuyler, and relieved that post, which was besieged by General St. Leger.

"On the retreat of General Schuyler's army from Fort Edward, I commanded the rear guard of the army; and, being two miles in the rear, was attacked by a large body of British troops and Indians at daylight in the morning, in which action were killed and wounded between thirty and forty of my guard. And I received the particular thanks of General Schuyler for my conduct on the occasion.

"I was in the two memorable battles, on the 19th of September and the 7th of October, on Bemis' heights, against General Burgoyne's army, previous to its surrender. In the action of the 19th of September, I commanded a detachment of three hundred men, who fought the principal part of the afternoon, and more than one half of them were killed or wounded.

"On the 7th of October, I likewise commanded a detachment from the Brigade which assisted in attacking the enemy on the left of our position, defeated him, followed him to the

« PreviousContinue »