Title

Chapter 12

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http://www.nflibrary.ca/nfplindex/show.asp?b=1&ref=oo&id=298168

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132-141

Bibliographic Citation

1812; the war and its moral : a Canadian chronicle / William Foster Coffin.

10167813

1812; the war and its moral : a Canadian chronicle / William Foster Coffin.

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Text

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132CHRONICLE OF THE WAILpletion of an additional vessel of war, the Wolfe, of 20 guns, justi-fied the hope that the chances of war had at length turned infavour of the British.These chances appeared to the popular eye to be reduced to acertainty when it became known that Chauncey and his fleet, andDearborn with his soldiers, were in front of Niagara; that to supplythe means of attack they had dismantled and disarmed Sackett'sHarbour, and that the stores and ships in course of construction,and the arsenal, naval and military, had been left to the protectionof the militia of the country.Expectation, too, rose to the highest pitch when it was an-nounced that the Commander-in-Chief was himself in Kingston;that an attack upon Sackett's Harbour had been planned ; and thatthe combined forces would be commanded by Sir George Provostand Commodore Sir James Yeo, in person. The preparationsmade under the circumstances were such as to reassure the leastsanguine. Sir George Provost, surrounded by able officers, hadunder his command 750 men, detailed from the following regi-ments : the 100th, the Royal Scots, the 8th, the 104th, the New-foundland regiment, one company of the Glengarries, two companiesof Canadian Voltigeurs, and two six-pounders, with their gunners.This force was conveyed in the Wolfe, 20 guns, the flag-ship ofSir James Yeo ; the Royal George, 20 guns ; Moira, 16 guns ;Melville Brig, 16 guns ; Netley schooner ; and smaller vessels.The expedition sailed from Kingston early on the morning of the27th May, at the hour when, the first echoes of the American gunsreverberated on the shores of Niagara, and Chauncey and Scottwere engaged, hand-to-hand, with Myer and Harvey. The weatherbeing favourable, and the wind fair, the flotilla arrived off Sackett'sHarbour about 10 a.m.The accounts of the subsequent occurrences, both American andBritish, differ in all but the result. The Americans exaggerateATTEMPT ON SACKETT'S HARBOUR—DR. RICHARDSON, D.D. 133an irresolute resistance crowned by an undeserved success. TheBritish, blind with rage and mortification, prove but blind guidesto the confused enquirer. Sir George Provost, though an adeptwith his pen, upon this occasion, did not write his own commentaries;and the letter of his adjutant-general, Colonel Baines, affords butan imperfect explanation of this inexplicable transaction.But the difficulty which clouded this page of the narrative, hasbeen, to a great extent, dispelled, by an unexpected and friendlyhand ; and a light has been cast upon the movements and the menof this expedition, by private memoranda, which we have been mostkindly permitted to use, and which command at once our respectand acknowledgments.The witness, on this occasion, is well known to most men inCanada. To those who have attended, of late years, the numerousmilitary gatherings on Queenston Heights, it is easy to recall onefamiliar face and figure. It is a tall and venerable form, of gentleaspect, but soldierly port—of grave costume, becoming the years ofone—Whose age is like a lusty winter—Frosty, but kindly—and whose left breast is decorated by a Canada medal* and an• Since the above was in print, the writer has been informed that heis in error. There is no Canada medal ; but let the error stand. If Dr.Richardson has no such medal, he ought to have one. And it would be wellto know why this great boon has been withheld from the Militia soldier ofCanada. Medals have been granted for services on the Ganges, and Sutlej, inChina and in Kaffirland. A pod-obit decoration has been tardily bestowed onthe heroes of the Peninsula. Medals were given for Chateauguay, where therewas some fighting, and for Detroit, where there was no fighting at all. Why isit that the men who fought and bled at Queenston Heights, on the Niagara andDetroit frontiers ; at Frenchtown and Fort Meigs ; at Schlosser and BlackRock; at Ogdensburg ; at Lacolle mill ; on the St. Lawrence and the lakes ;should have been denied a guerdon, so highly prited,,. for services whichcannot be ignored?
ICHRONICLE OF THE •*14E.'emptyTO thi enquiring AA-0er it would be Milled; thitthe Veteran wrid" eithited his interest 'was the Rev. Dr; RichardsoV,D.D., now BishOP of the EpiS6ifiat Methodist Church in Canada--;yOuth; a gallant officer of the Provincial marine, wh6;in 1814-; had; in action with the enemy; arm the serviceof his country-;This gentletniii Was the soil Of the brave I utenant Richardson,*he'," hefdrS related;- carried the Simcoe into Kingston harboniiin despite of the fire of the whole Anthricaii squadron. Brought itiiFrom a' boy in thed the Iakekat the' *LOT htif011oWe'd his fithei'Svice. In 1812, being then twenty-one yeariedeiVeahis commission s 4eutei ai t. At thig time the ProViiieiitfNi4ir ontheRoyal George; 26' guiii t14Moira, of 143 the sehei:66i Duke Of GIblieeifei; of 8, ant' theAtetIey schooner; Of 12 going ; with numerous smaiil vessels; actingas gunboats and tranSpOrte. The services of theie vessels, in defaultof all other means of communication, were indispensable to thedivisions of the army; bCiti east and in the west of UpperCanada. •The ,dit'6iir of the iecelfedfrom the Commander-in-Chief in British North America, and thewhole force was attached to the department of the Quarter-Master-General. On the arrival of the first detachment of the Royal Navy,these gentlemen were informed that their commissions could not berecognized by the rules of a service, which subsequent intercourseWithand RuSitting, Naas retitieiedmore' cosmopolite. V^ith a very suggestive 48W of reticence,the greater part of these officers retired from the marine, and tookservice in the militia, where they were permitted to risk their liveswithoat offence to their feelings. While we appreciate the sensitive=ness which shrank WM in inaigniii, We admire the more theRELATIVE RANKING OF BRITISH AND CANADIAN OFFICERS. 135patriotism of those who cast aside every consideration which inter-fered with service to their• country. Two of the number, LieutenantsGeorge Smith and James Richardson, could not bring themselvesto abandon their more natural element, and, to the great satisfactionof the Commodore, accepted rating as " masters," which gave themrank in the gun-room with the commissioned officers, and enabledthem, as " masters and pilots," from their knowledge of their owninland seas, to render important services.*We may feel satisfied in Canada, however, that the reign of martinetpunctilio has long since passed away, and that a Canadian officer ofthe Queen, should occasion ever require his services, will receive atthe hands of the army and navy of England the same share ofrespect which is freely awarded, in military intercourse, to a German" Felt-wacht-meister," or to a Turkish " Bim Bashi."In the middle of May, Lieutenant Richardson had been des-patched by Captain Barclay—previous to his own departure for thewestern waters—to escort, in the gunboat " Black Snake," the reardetachment of Yeo's blue-jackets, under Capt. Mulcaster, up the St.Lawrence to Kingston. On their arrival, the men had been distri-buted on board of the ships of the squadron. Richardson himselfwas appointed to the Wolfe, and was thus present at head-quarterson occasion of the descent of the 27th May.The wind was fair, the weather favourable and propitious. About10 a. m., on the 27th May, the squadron approached Sackett'sHarbour. No enemy appeared at the landing place, and no osten-sible show of resistance. All preparations were completed ; themen embarked in the boats ; the anchors ready to be dropped. Thevery spot indicated as the point of disembarkation had been reached,when, instead of proceeding to land and taking the place, whichmight then undoubtedly have been effected almost without loss of*Mein. of Dr. James Richardson, D.D.
136CHRONICLE OF THE WAR.THE SQUADRON WITHDRAWS—GENERAL JACOB BROWN. 137life, the troops were ordered to re-embark, the ships hauled to theirwind, withdrew from the coast, and the enterprise was apparentlyabandoned.The general amazement was controlled by the instincts of dis-cipline, and by the belief that the retreat was a ruse—part of somepreconcerted plan ; and at this time an occurrence took place,which diverted attention, and caused some amusement. In theafternoon, as the Wolfe was working to windward, away from thelanding place, and about six miles in the offing, a boat was discoveredapproaching with a white flag, from a low wooded point of land,which forms the entrance to a deep bay known as Henderson'sHarbour. Commodore Yeo dispatched Lieut. Dobbs, in one of theship's boats, to meet the stranger, and ascertain his business. Aftera brief interview, Dobbs proceeded on to the shore. The Americanboat continued its course, and discharged upon the deck of theflag-ship a gentleman, ostentatiously arced, with a belt bristlingwith weapons, who announced himself to be a captain of dragoons.He reported to the officer of the deck that he was in command of adetachment, which had, on an uncongenial element, been attackedby Indians, and had " concluded" forthwith to surrender. A partof his men were in the boat alongside, and Dobbs had proceeded tothe shore for the remainder. It appeared that a party of ChippewaIndians, the occupants of about three canoes, had attacked the bolddragoon as he crept along the shore, seeking to reinforce the gar-rison at Sackett's Harbour, and had been, in reality, repulsed. One ofthe savages, badly wounded, had been taken on board of the Wolfesome short time before ; but dread of the Indians had blinded thegallant officer to his own success, and, without further molestation,he had thrown himself upon the protection of the fleet. Theremainder of his men were soon brought on board. At this timethe commanders were at dinner The officer was invited to the table,and, on being introduced, perceiving some twinklings of fun on thefaces of the juniors, remarked : " Gentlemen, I confess that myappearance is uncouth, but my heart is as square as any man's."Whether the information given by this officer restored confidence,or that his deportment gave occasion for reflection, Sir George, ina few hours, made fresh dispositions. At midnight, in the dark—heavy rain had come on—at a distance of some miles from thelanding, which they had all but gained some hours before, the menwere put into the boats, and directed to the shore. Colonel Bainesrelates that the boats were assembled at 1 a. m., in compact andregular order, intending to effect a landing before the enemy couldline the woods with troops ; but the darkness of the night, ignoranceof the coast, and a strong current had drifted the boats from theirproper station. When day dawned they pulled for the proper pointof disembarkation.*In the meantime the enemy had not been idle. On the firstapproach of the British flotilla, the scant garrison of Sackett'sHarbour consisted of a few American regulars, a small force ofAlbany volunteers, and the local militia. They mustered two field-pieces, and a long 32-pounder, on a pivot, surmounting FortTompkins. Colonel Baccus, of the United States army, was incommand of the place. The general commanding the district,Jacob Brown, a respectable farmer, resided at a distance of abouttwelve miles from the harbour. He was immediately notified, andproved to be a man not unequal to the emergency. He took instantmeasures, alarmed the country, summoned the militia, and rouseda spirit of resistance, which was not diminished by the abruptdeparture of the British, fleet. By daybreak, on the followingmorning, all his arrangements had been made.The troops landed with little opposition. They first encountered*Mem. of Dr. James Richardson, D.D.• Report of Colonel Baines, Adjutant-General, May 30, 1813.
THE ARMY ORDERED TO RETIRE—RETURN TO KINGSTON. 139a body of militia, supported by a field-piece. This force wasattacked and routed, their commander killed, and the field-piececaptured. The advance, however, was enfiladed by the gun onFort Tompkins, which inflicted loss ; but the landing having beenmade, the front was forthwith cleared of skirmishers ; and, dividedinto two detachments, under Colonel Young, of the King's, andMajor Gordon, of the 100th, the troops, in excellent order andwith perfect confidence, advanced to carry the place.The works at Sackett's Harbour then consisted of two stockadedbarracks, with block-houses and defences constructed. of logs andcedar pickets ; of Fort Tompkins, with its solitary gun ; Fort Pyke,and the dockyard defences, denuded of artillery, employed in theattack on Niagara. The American garrison, in addition to theforce first enumerated, consisted now of a swarm of militia, hurriedlyassembled from all quarters, who, over-exultant the night before,were not a little disconcerted by the changed aspect of affairs inthe morning. Little, had they thought—That upon night so sweet, such awful morn should rise.The British advance was an uninterrupted success. The militia,in despite of appeal, remonstrance and objurgation, took to flight.The American regulars were broken and destroyed. The braveColonel Baccus, their commander, was killed. General Brown re-solutely, but hopelessly, struggled to retrieve the disaster. Dismayspread on every side. The officer in command of the dockyard setfire to the Pyke, a frigate on the stocks, two ships of war in the har-bour, and the naval store-house, filled with the spoils of York. Thestockaded barracks had been fired by our troops. General Brown,without disparagement to his personal conduct, was prepared tocapitulate. The rough farmer, fresh from the plough, had displayedqualities which brave men admire, and older soldiers may haveenvied.At this moment of undisputed triumph, came an order to retreat,issued by Sir George Provost himself. It is idle now to speculateon motives, to invent arguments, or discuss theories. The greatfact is indisputable and irresistible. By all accounts, both Britishand American, the place was at our mercy, when, with the effect ofa stunning and stupefying blow, the order to re-embark fell uponall hearts. The men sullenly and mechanically fell in, formed, andretired unmolested,- frbni before a dispersed and demoralized foe.One of the brave colonels in command exclaimed, indignantly, inthe hearing of Mr. Richardson, as he can up the ship's side : " Ifhe would but give me my own regiment, I would yet land again,and have the place."The expedition returned to Kix/0bn, oterwhelmed with indignantmortification. Brave Men and gallant officers had fallen ; life andreputation had been saerificed—honour itself imperilled, in thevery wantonness of irresolution. The story told requires nofurther comment.*Odii.01) 11i"The personal courage of Sir George Provost in the field has always beenextolled by those who were around his person, and who knew him best, andWhom he inspired wflai strong affection. CcOnel Miednnald, an officer whohad served with great distin&iiii•ka. tt3i lithsequently acquired still moreon the Upper Lakes in 1814, writes thus,' on this headi dated Kingston, 29thMay, 1813. "Sir George landed with the troops, accompanied by Mr. Brentonand myself. His Excellency was in the thickest of the fire, and of course hadsome narrow escapes in an action, the musketry of which was heavier thananything I ever saw, except the irst knichtgipt."138CHRONICLE OF TIM WAR.•
.101(rreocolls. tyr.1a0ltortet-tgrio rto grow.)r.“-4,79g1nat inwaw aid) .,,,i4110GOip 03•`rCHAPTER XIII.Return to Vincent at the Beaver Dam—Retires on Burlington Heights—Colonel Harvey—Stoney Creek—British retire from, and the Americans occupy their position—Harvey'splan for night attack—The Americans surprised—Desperate fighting—Americans dis-persed—Generals Chandler and Winder taken prisoners—Present aspect of the ground—Old Lutherian Chapel—Burial place of the slain—No memorial stone—Why not?Americans fall back on Niagara—Abandon camps and supplies.It is with a grateful sense of relief, that, following the naturalcourse of events, we are now transported to the upper end of LakeOntario—to General Vincent and the retreating garrison of Nia-gara—there to record how one resolute, thoughtful man, maycontrol fate and restore fortune.Vincent had withdrawn deliberately to the position of the BeaverDam. Here his outlying detachments had joined him from thesouth. Bishopp, on evacuating Fort Erie, had blown up that work ;and now the General, with the same deliberation, fell back uponthe strong position of Burlington Heights.Burlington Heights, situated about two miles to the west of thepresent city of Hamilton, was, in those days, a strong position.Modern artillery, however, has been very destructive to this sortof reputation. The area is too contracted to be of any value now.It is a peninsula, elevated about one hundred feet above the waterof Burlington Bay on one side, and the extensive Desjardins marshon the other. It was unassailable, except by the neck of the isth-mus, which was defended by field works. Here the generalcovered and maintained his communications, with York on his leftrear, and with Proctor and the western division of his army on hisright.GENERAL VINCENT—SIR JOHN HARVEY—STONEY CREEK. 141General Vincent had the merit of appreciating merit in others.He discovered talent, made use of it, and did it ample justice.His despatches do honour to his soldierly honesty. He had by hisside a man of rare military qualities—Lieut.-Colonel Harvey—in.after years, Sir John Harvey, K.C.B., a general officer, andgovernor of Nova Scotia. He was at this time Adjutant-Generalto the forces in the field on the Niagara frontier. He had con-ducted the retreat of the troops from Fort George with markedskill and energy, and had aided his chief in taking up his presentstrong position. The force, however, was weak in one importantparticular. The ammunition was reduced to about 90 rounds perman, without resource or means of supply.On the 5th June the American army, in pursuit, amounting to2500 men, including 250 cavalry and eight guns, under commandof generals Chandler and Winder, had reached Forty Mile Creek,one of the numerous streamlets which descend from the plateau ofNiagara into Lake Ontario, and which, in popular parlance, indi-cate rather than define the distances between Niagara and Hamil-ton. The British advanced posts at Stoney Creek fell back beforethem, and the enemy occupied for the night ground well known tothe late defenders. Vincent despatched Harvey with a small forceto reconnoitre their position and strength. There is a tradition inthe neighbourhood that Harvey himself, having borrowed the garband the waggon of a Quaker, penetrated into the American lines,selling potatoes and " taking notes." Those who can recall thecommanding stature and bearing of the gallant officer, maintainthat this was the very last disguise in which he was likely to suc-ceed. It is not impossible that some patriotic " friend " reallyfound a good market for his produce, and valuable information forHarvey, who rapidly matured his plans, and laid them before thegeneral, who approved of them at once, and promptly resolved on anight attack.