Title

Chapter 4

Identifier

http://www.nflibrary.ca/nfplindex/show.asp?b=1&ref=oo&id=297988

page

88-101

Bibliographic Citation

Recollections of the War of 1812 / William Dunlop.

10168363

Recollections of the War of 1812 / William Dunlop.

Type

Text

extracted text

88

THE AMERICAN WAR

RECOLLECTIONS OF

CHAPTER IV.

We took up our ground on the left bank of the
Chippa.wa, in the hope that we would be attacked in that strong position ; but nothing was
further from the intention of the enemy than
such a flagrant absurdity. They, from time to
time, sent small parties to look at us; and there
was some very distant skirmishing, which proved very harmless amusement ; but they withdrew at last, and we were ordered into winter
quarters.
Our regiment, with the Tooth, took up their
quarters at Queenston, where we were soon
strengthened by the recovered wounded and sick
from the different hospitals. We were particularly happy in a commanding officer. The then
young and handsome Marquis of Tweeddale, who
was Lieutenant Colonel of the booth, commanded
our brigade : he had been educated in a good
school, under the "Great Duke;" and, like his
master, with an unceasing regard to the essentials of the service, he had a most sovereign
contempt for those adventitious parts of it, which
weaker minds are apt to consider as of the highest importance. Should his lordship, in the present high and responsible situation which he occupies, have an opportunity of displaying his tal-

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ents, I am much deceived if he will not add one
more to the numerous band of soldiers who have
raised their own and their country's name in the
fields of Hindostan ; therefore, God send him a
I have no great faith in him as a
good war !
politician : he is too honest a man !
But whatever he may be, as a soldier or a
statesman, he was a wretched bad patient; for he
was wounded, in a way that I had every fear
would result in a permanent lameness ; and nothing could save him but rest. I recommended
him, therefore, to spend most of his time on a
bed—for sofas were rather scarce in Queenston at
that time ;—but he persisted in riding a pony,
with a crutch over his shoulder. Whether his mode
of management has induced lameness or not, I do
not know, for I have never seen him since ; but
if he is lame, it is no fault of mine.
Queenston, though in ruins, having, like all the
rest of the frontier, been wantonly destroyed by
the enemy, was then, as it is now, a very prettily-situated village ; and the rest our men obtained, after their severe fatigues, began to have
a most salutary effect upon therni. so , as my
senior colleague had recovered to such an extent as to attend to the diminished duties of the
regimental hospital there, I was despatched to
York—now Toronto—to take charge of about
thirty of my own men, who were in general hospital iu that garrison.
Toronto was then a dirty straggling village,
containing about sixty houses. The church—the
only one—was converted into a general hospital,

9 0RECOLLECTIONS

OF

and I formed my lodge in the wing of the Parliament buildings, which had escaped, when the
Americans had burnt the rest of that fabric.
Our accommodations were comfortable, by
comparison with what we had lately been obliged
to put up with. At all events, we had a tight
roof over our heads, a clean floor under our feet,
and the means of fire enough to keep us warm ;
and a soldier who is not content with this, on a
campaign, deserves to want. My own regiment
soon came down to form a part of the garrison
of Toronto ; and there I remained till the month
of December, 1814.
At this time, it was proposed to build a large
ship on Lake Huron—we having then so many on
Lake Erie—that would be able, from her size,
and the weight of her metal, to cope with the
small vessels that composed the American flotilla
on Lake Erie. As there is a channel through
Lake Saint Clair, and the Rivers Detroit and
Saint Clair, by which she could pass from the
one lake into the other, an inlet, called Penetanguishene, was selected as the proper site of a
new dock-yard, and a better sight could hardly
have been selected, in this, or any other, part of
the world. It was a narrow-mouthed, deep bay,
with plenty of water for any size of craft, and a
fine bold shore, easily defensible against any
ships that could approach ; but unluckily, at this
time, Penetanguishene was in the woods, thirty
miles from Lake Simcoe ; and before a ship of
the line could be built, a road must be cut, and
stones broke along it.

THE AMERICAN WAR

91

This, at mid-winter, in one of the northernmost points of Canada, was no easy matter. But
when Government, in the time of war, determine
on a measure, the word impossible, as we used to
say in the army, is not to be found in Dundasand done it must be.
Accordingly,in the early part of December, I
volunteered my services, and, as nobody else
envied the job, they were accepted ; and a company of the Canadian Fencibles, with about the
same number of militia, under the direction of
Colonel Cockburn, of the Quarter Master General's Department, was despatched up to the north,
with instructions to have the road cut at all hazards.
When we arrived on the banks of Lake Simcoe,
we found it just in such a state that it could not
possibly be crossed ; for the ice was formed, so
that a boat could not get through it, but not
strong enough to bear a man's weight. But, as
there was a keen frost, we knew that this obstacle would soon be overcome ; so we took up our
quarters in farm-houses along the margin of the
lake.
In two days it was considered practicable to
cross, and I volunteered to try it. I equipped
myself with a long pole, with a chisel at the end
of it, to try the ice with, and an axe slung across
my shoulder, and skated across, about twelve
miles.
The ice, though not very thick, was good, and
quite sufficient to bear men at extended order ;
so, on my return, I reported it practicable. Next

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RECOLLECTIONS

or

morning the men were drawn out at the point
at which it was considered the most eligible for
getting on the ice ; but the moment we were
ready to start, a noise, like that of very loud
thunder, was heard, which ran round the lake,
and across it ; and, in an inconceivably short
time, the whole ice was broken into fragments,
some of some acres in extent, others of only a
few yards. What the cause of this phenomenon
could be, I never could form even a probable conjecture of, for there was no visible rise or fall of
the water ; but I was told, by the inhabitants of
the neighborhood, that they had more than once
seen the same thing before.
The question now arose what was to be done
next? The country people recommended that
we should wait till next day, when not only
would the broken ice be re-united, but the water
which had risen upon it would be frozen into one
solid mass, rendering the whole twice as strong
as on the day previous, when I had passed it.
All this was undeniable, but the season was so
far advanced, and heavy snow storms might be
expected, so that even one day was of consequence. After due deliberation, it was resolved,
that having a coil of rope with us, it should be
stretched along, and each take hold of it, and
drag his hand sleigh., on which was his knapsack
and provisions, as well as divers tools, implements, and stores, requisite for the expedition.
In this guise we proceeded across the lake ; the
disasters were numerous but none of them serious. A fellow in stepping on a fracture of ice in

THE AMERICAN WAR

93

the shape of the letter V, would plump in and
then be dragged out again by his comrades,
amidst shouts of laughter. In this mode we progressed for upwards of six hours, until we reached the opposite side, where a huge pile of logs
was kindled ; a space swept clear of snow, and
we sat down to a late dinner. As the night appeared clear, we scattered some hemlock boughs,
and raised a few of them to keep us from the
wind, but upon learning that the militia, who,
being from the neighborhood, had got over three
weeks before us, had left a regular shanty, within a mile, we broke up our camp, and, deep as
the snow was, and late the hour, we proceeded
till we arrived at the spot, where trees were cut
down, a fire lighted, and we betook ourselves to
rest ; our previous fatigue securing us from any
apprehension of a sleepless night.
Next day we started along the road the militia
had cut, and in two hours came up with them.
As they were sufficiently numerous for one party,
it was resolved that we should get on some
miles in advance of them, and commence further
up the line. The snow was about three feet deep,
and made the marching, heavy-laden as we were,
toilsome ; but like Columbus' egg, everything is
comparatively easy when people know how to go
about it. One mode of proceeding was this: six
or seven men led on snow shoes in Indian file,
taking care to tread down the snow equally;
then followed the column, also in Indian file.
At about every thirty yards, the leader of the
column stepped aside, and letting the rest pass

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RECOLLECTIONS OF

THE AMERICAN WAR

him, fell into the rear. By this means, after the
fatigue of first breaking the snow, he could
march on a beaten path, and thus, alternating
labor and rest, the thing was comparatively
easy. By sun-set we had made about five miles
beyond the militia camp, and it was counted,
considering the road, a very fair day's journey.
It would be tiresome to detail (even if at this
distance of time I was able to do so), the journal of a three months' residence in the woods,
one day being an exact counterpart of another.
I shall, therefore, only mention the mode in
which we got on.
Our first care, on coming to our ground, was
to shovel away the snow, which latterly was six
feet deep; we then cut down as many bass-wood
trees (a species of the pine), as we required, and
then proceeded to erect our shanty, (chantiê).
This was done by fixing four forked sticks in the
ground, the higher in front, from which we constructed our roof. The bass-wood bark was peeled and placed upon the roof, one layer lying in
the trough of the other, after the manner of a
tile. The trees were then split into rough boards,
which formed the back and sides of the mansion,
the front being open. The snow was then shovelled up so as to render all secure. Hemlock
boughs were then strewed on the frozen ground,
and blankets and buffalo skins over that. In
front was a long fire, composed of six large logs,
three at the bottom, two upon these, and one on
the top, on the principle on which shot is piled
in a battery ; in front, and within a yard of the

fire, was placed a log to prevent our feet being
scorched by the intense heat, and if, during the
night, our feet got cold, we had only to place
our heels on the top of the log, and in a few seconds they were often more than comfortably
warm.
Two shanties were always placed opposite each
other, and this had a double advantage ; they
sheltered the wind from each other, and one fire
did for both. In the case of the officers of the
party, their servants occupied the opposite one,
so they were always within call.
ecuttinge the r o a d in deep esnnoorw
m was
labor
a
great, and tthe expense
tt rn
ab e er ni e db ro i ke on, n s onmen's
be 0 carried
ebns
h0
a te
nrauToe ki esprovisions
h or at hdet tnhad
snow had not
backs, for
broken in
that
admit d horses or reven oxen,
enough
one half of our men were employed in carrying,
or, as it is technically termed, packing provisions
for the other. The want of oxen produced an.
other enormous source of expenditure ; when a
log was cut it had to be drawn by drag ropes
out of the way, and thirty men could not perform, in the deep snow, what a yoke of oxen
could easily have performed in light snow or
none at all. When the snow got very deep, too,
we had, before felling a tree, to dig a pit round
it of sufficient diameter to allow a man to stand
in it and swing his axe. The expense of a war
surprises John Bull, and he only grumbles; were
he to enquire into the causes, it is to be hoped
he would be shy of so expensive an amusement,
where after all he does not get his fun for his

'

t
I

,

-410'

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RECOLLECTIONS OF

THE AMERICAN WAR

money. I would undertake to-morrow to cut a
better road than we could possibly do, for forty
pounds a mile, and make money by it,—give me
timely warning and a proper season of the year,
whereas I am convinced that 42,500 to ,3,000
did not pay for the one we cut.
Our amusements consisted in shooting partridges and snaring the Canadian hare, which, as
it comes out of its hiding place chiefly at night,
can only be apprehended, as the game laws style
it, in that manner. The mode of so doing, being
caused by the necessities of the country, is
worthy of remark. These animals inhabit the
swamps, and make roads through the snow for
the purpose of coming out to where they can
browse. In these roads a spring is set, by bending down a young sapling, and two pegs are
driven into the ground on each side of the path,
and notches are cut, in which a yoke is neatly
set, from which the noose hangs down, much on
the principle of a mole trap. The hare jerking
the wire, relieves the yoke, and the sapling resumes its erect position, carrying the hare eight
or ten feet above the surface of the snow, and
this secures him from becoming the prey of the
wolf or the fox, who, if he was within their
reach, would inevitably secure him before his legitimate captor arrived in the morning.
In this manner passed the winter, monotonously enough it must be owned, but as we had full
employment we had no time to weary. When
we were about six or seven miles from the end
of our task, I started along the line to view the

harbour. In Canada, the line is marked through
the forest by what is termed a Surveyor's blaze,
(a corruption of the French balise,) seeing that
boughs are stuck in the snow to guide travellers.
The blaze consists in marking the trees on the
line of the road with an axe, and except to a
practised eye, it is easily lost. I had proceeded
along it some miles, when a covey of partridges
crossed my path ; I immediately followed them,
and after shooting several and losing sight of the
rest, I took off in the direction in which I thought
I should again cross the blaze. All my efforts
to find it, however, were unavailing, and as the
sun was fast declining, I had no other shift than
to go back on my own steps in the snow. I had
every motive to exertion, and about sun-set I
found myself about a mile and a quarter front
the camp ; but it soon grew so dark that I could
trace my way no further. I therefore halted,
and having beat a path of about twenty yards
in length in the snow, I walked backward and
forward, determined to keep moving all night.
This resolution I kept for some hours, I believe,
but at last I got so sleepy that I could persevere
no longer, besides I felt that stupor coming over
me which makes men indifferent as to their fate.
I therefore determined to use my remaining energies in giving myself every chance of life that
circumstances would admit of.
I took off my snow shoes, and poured a quantity of rum into my moccasins ; I buttoned my
jacket, secured my fur cap about my ears, drew
on my fur gloves, and calling a little dog I had

97

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RECOLLECTIONS OF

THE AMERICAN WAR

with me, and laying my hands over my face, I
made him lie on the top of all.
I slept most intensely sound, nor did I awake
till the morning sun was at least an hour high.
After two or three attempts I managed to rise ;
my feet were frozen, and one of my hands slightly so, but both were so benumbed that I could
not fasten on my snow shoes ; I therefore had to
stick my toes in the holes of them, and shuffle
along as best I could. It had snowed about four
inches during the night, which was all in my favor. I managed to scramble on towards the
camp, but could not manage more than quarter
of a mile an hour. On my arrival there, some
old French Canadians undertook the medical
treatment of my case. They stripped off my
moccasins and stockings, and commenced rubbing my feet with snow. If there was any pain
in being frozen I was insensible to it, but of all
the tortures this world can devise, the resuscita. tion was the worst I ever experienced. It was
that abominable sensation called tingling, in an
extreme degree, to such an extent, indeed, that
it more than once produced fainting, which unpleasant symptom they combated by pouring
down my throat a tin cup full of rum. When
the pain abated, they enveloped my feet in poultices of boiled beech leaves, which they conceive
"the sovereignest thing in life" in such cases.
I was confined to my bed for three weeks, and
then was only able to go abroad by swathing my
feet in numerous folds of blanket. In a few weeks
more I was as well as ever. The poor little dog,

Moses, the companion of my sufferings, was not
so fortunate. He reached the camp with difficulty, and died the next day.

99

I thought at the time and since, that this was
the only instance of a white man sleeping out in
a Canadian winter night, without fire or covering of any kind, but whatever it might have been
then, we have had an instance here of a Canadian
French woman, who slept out under similar circumstances two consecutive nights this winter.
She, however, did not get off so cheap as I did,
for she has been confined to bed for four months
and lost both her feet, and from the extent of
the injury it is probable she will be some months
yet before she is out of the doctor's hands.
It might he supposed that this kind of life
would generate disease, but the very reverse was
the case. In this, as well as all my other doings
in the woods, I have always found that where it
is possible to take proper care of the man, and
not expose them to wet, they are more healthy
than in quarters. It is only on military duty,
or with men who cannot or will not take care of
themselves, that disease takes place. I have
slept in the woods more than a year, at one
time and another, in the course of my life, and
with the foregoing provisos, never was better in
health or spirits under any circumstances. Except casualties such as cutting feet, (a very common accident, even among experienced choppers,)
and bruises from falling trees, I had not a single
case worth noticing on this expedition. I ascribe
this mainly to the beneficial effects of the open

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RECOLLECTIONS OF

THE AMERICAN WAR

air on the constitution, a cause which, however
much has been said about it, seems yet not to be
practically understood by the generality of mankind. Things went on pretty much the same till
we had nearly completed our business ; no labour
had been spared in perfecting our work. Bridges
had been thrown across streams in the depth of
winter, when officers and men had to stand for
hours up the middle in ice-cold water : ravines
had to be bridged when the logs had to be dragged out of swamps through four feet of snow.
The month of March was far advanced when we
promised ourselves a pleasant summer in the
comfortable quarters that we meant to build for
ourselves at Penetanguishene, when all our anticipations were set aside by the arrival of the appalling intelligence that peace had been concluded
between His Majesty and the United States. This
showed us half pay staring us in the face ; however, soldiers have nothing to do but obey—we
were withdrawn—all the expenditure incurred
went for nothing ; we were marched to Toronto,
(then York,) and sent to join our respective regiments.

ern times, and his grace, the great Duke, would
have been none the worse of from 15,000 to 20,000 of his veteran troops on whom he could depend. It was fated otherwise, however ; thank
God he managed to do without us. We heard of
his victory at sea, and a frigate was sent out to
order us to Portsmouth instead of Antwerp. We
were some of its sent to augment the Army of
Occupation in France, others to various quarters
at home, where, after spending eighteen months
to my own great satisfaction, but of which a
narration might not interest my readers, I was
placed on half-pay, and as I only propose to
treat of Canada, I shall leave in oblivion the memorabilia of the next eleven and a half years,
and in my next chapter take up Canada as I
found it in 1826.

My regiment had marched down the country
on its way to embark for England ; I followed it,
and after remaining for two months at Sorel,
embarked in June, 1815, to go to Waterloo, but
so many unnecessary delays had taken place,
that though we did not sail till the sixth of June,
we might quite as well have left Quebec on the
sixth May, in which case we should unquestionably have figured in the greatest action of mod-

40.

* The Highlander is no equestrian—he can trot on his feet
fifty or sixty miles a day, with much greater ease to himself, and in
a shorter space of time, than he could ride the same distance. A
gentleman once sent his Highland servant a message on urgent
business, and to enable him to execute it sooner, gave him a horse.
Donald did not return at the time expected, nor for long after it ;
at last his master, who was watching anxiously for him, discerned
him at a long distance on the road on foot, creeping at a snail's
pace, and towing the reluctant quadruped by the bridle. On being
objurgated for his tardiness, he replied "he could have been here
twa three hours, but he has taight wi' to yeast," i.e. delayed, or
impeded by the horse.

NIAGARA FALLS PUBLIC !BEIM.