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TO

Ube Militia of Canaba
AND TO

Entered, according to the Act of the Parliament of Canada, in the year one
thousand eight hundred and ninety-four, by WILLIAM BRIGGS, Toronto, in
the office of the Minister of Agriculture, at Ottawa.

Ube TescenOants of the Mot of 1S12v14,
THIS BOOK

IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED

BY THE AUTHOR.

PREFACE.
THE collection of notes for the life story of "A Veteran
of 1812 " was suggested to me some three years ago by
the enquiries of Mr. Edwards, late editor of the Dominion
Illustrated, who was then anxious to devote a portion of
the columns of that paper to the record of men who had
been more or less prominent in Canadian history.
I began with a handful of private letters, a brief epitome of his services, and the cherished recollections of my
childhood—stories, told us in the nursery, of the soldier
and his early life in Canada. After spending some months
in Ireland, visiting what my friends called " the cradle of
the race," I devoted long hours to patient research in the
Archives at Ottawa, and with the kind help of friends
who had valued FitzGibbon's correspondence sufficiently
to preserve his letters, I have not only been enabled to
verify these early traditions, but have accumulated sufficient material to put together a fairly consecutive biography of a man who lived through one of the most
interesting periods of our history.
He was one whose personality was sufficiently pronounced, and whose courage, integrity and singleness of
purpose were strong enough to leave an impression on
his time. " One," to quote from a letter addressed to Lord
Stanley, then Secretary for the Colonies (July 2nd, 1842),

PREFACE.

PREFACE.

by Sir Augustus d'Este, " whose happy destiny it was to
have the opportunity of rendering important services to
his adopted country, which services will cause his name to
be remembered with respect and admiration by the loyal
inhabitants of Upper Canada as long as devotion to the
parent state, manly valor and clear-sighted intelligence
are admitted to be entitled to places in the catalogue of
estimable qualities."
The fac-simile of FitzGibbon's handwriting given on the
page facing the frontispiece is taken from- a postscript to
one of his many letters to his young nephew Gerald
FitzGibbon.
Whether the sentiment it expresses is original or from
one or other of his favorite authors, I have no means of
ascertaining. It is, however, so indicative of his life and
character, so evidently one of which he had proved the
value, that it is worth preserving and reproducing as the
text of his faith.
My thanks are due to the Right Honorable Gerald FitzGibbon, Lord Justice of the Court of Appeal in Ireland ;
to D. B. Read, Esq., Q.C., author of the " Lives of the
Judges," and other works ; to Ernest Cruikshank, Esq.,
author of "Butler's Rangers," the "Battle of the Beechwoods," etc., etc. ; to E. B. Biggar, Esq., whose graphic
account of the battle of Stony Creek led to my applying
to him ; to Charles Lindsey, Esq., William Lyon Mackenzie's able biographer, and to J. H. Land, Esq., the
secretary of the Wentworth Historical Society, for the
kindly assistance they have given me, either personally or
through their works, in accomplishing the "labor of love"
have undertaken,

I am indebted also to J. Ross Robertson, Esq., the
enthusiastic Past Grand Master of the Freemasons of
Ontario, for much of that portion of the book relating to
FitzGibbon's life as a Mason ; also to the kindness of
Murray Jarvis, Esq., of Ottawa, for valuable extracts
from unedited letters now in his possession, as well as to
many friends and well-wishers for aid and encouragement
in prosecuting the researches necessary in order to find
what one of them aptly designated, " the hinges of my
narrative."
If, owing to inferior workmanship, these " hinges "
creak, may I hope that an indulgent public will, in their
interest in the man, overlook the faults of his biographer.
For the rest, I may add that I have had the book
published in Canada rather than in England, preferring
it should first see the light in the city whose loyalty and
homes he had guarded with so jealous an arm in life, and
to which his last conscious thoughts turned in the hour
of death.
M. A. F.G.

11

.

TORONTO, May 24th, 1894.

TABLE OF CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
PACK

Birthplace—Its associations—Early recollections—His first
salmon—Religious impressions—Enrolment in the Yeomanry—Hated Englishmen—The Devon and Cornwall
Fencibles—The Knight of Glin—A bold step—Unexpected promotion—The Tarbert Fencibles—Leaving
9
home—A mother's anxiety—A promise
CHAPTER II.
Major-General Whitelock—An extravagant speech—An important step—Bareham Downs—Embarkation for Holland—The Helder—Youthful ideas of battle—A gap in
the narrative—Egmont-op-Zee—Taken prisoner—French
" ruffles and rags "—Distressing march—Improving the
time—Exchange of prisoners—Military discipline—Re21
cruiting—A providential find
CHAPTER III.
Hcrsham Barracks—Sudden orders—Conflicting rumors
—Arrival at Spithead—The St. George—The MonarchCopenhagen—Lord Nelson—The battle—The Vice-Admiral's flag—Unjust rebuke—An angry officer—Service
in the ranks—Return to England—Colonel Brock—An
explanation—A soldier's opinion
36
CHAPTER IV.
Winter-quarters—An alarming deficiency—A romantic application—The Duke of York—An interview with Colonel

vi

PAGE

Brownrigg—The theatre—John Kemble and Mrs. Siddons—Colonel Brock's kindness—Ordered to Canada—A
studious soldier—Brock's " favorite Sergeant-Major"Deserters—Midnight chase—Inhuman treatment—The
mutiny—A dramatic arrest—A court-martial—A barrack-room university--Fears of invasion—" Did you
try ? "—The Glengarry Fencibles—Colonel Brock's letter
—A request

46

PAGE

Campaign of 1814--The Glengarry Fencibles at Oswego—
Weakened forts—Reconnoitring—The battle of Lundy's
Lane—A request for leave—Personal courage—A roman
tic marriage—The camp before Fort Erie—A sortie—
Glengarry men to the front—Hard fighting—A change
of camp—Advance of the enemy—Cook's Mills—Retreat
of the enemy—Evacuation of Fort Erie—Close of the
war—Sir John Harvey's letter

119

CHAPTER VIII.

63

CHAPTER VI.
A meagre reward—Attack on Fort Schlosser—Black Rock—
An indignant officer—Imprudent delay—A gallant rescue—Death of Colonel Bisshopp—Suffering soldiers—
Defective commissariat—Projected attack on Fort Niagara—The pickets at Fort George driven in—Tidings of
General Proctor's defeat—A retreat—Close of the campaign—Departure of the 49th

CHAPTER VII.

,

CHAPTER V.
Declaration of war—By bateaux up the St. Lawrence—Attempt to intercept—Defeat of the Americans—A winter
drive—An advance post—A daring capture—Carrying
despatches—Fall of Fort George—Retreat—An excited
Irishman—A spy—The battle of Stony Creek—A separate command—The " Green Tigers "—A bold stratagem
—A struggle—A brave woman—Desultory warfare—An
unsatisfactory check—Orders from American headquarters—Beaver Dam—Chief Kerr's letter--Laura Secord" Big Knives "—Indian tactics—A bold summons—
Negotiations — An unwelcome arrival — A bombastic
speech—A soldier's courtesy—Articles of capitulation—
Official despatches—Lieut.-Col. Bisshopp's letter—A
wrong impression—Return of prisoners taken—Letter
from Colonel Dzerstler to General Dearborn—Effect of
the capture

VD.

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

Disbanding of the Glengarry Regiment—A hopeful outlook—
Civil appointments—Assistant Adjutant-General—Masonic honors—A manly letter—A good character—Presentation of colors—Irish riots—An influential mediator
—Address to the Orangemen—Extracts from the Times
—Lord Castlereagh's opinion—A sad quarrel—Press riot
—A subscription list—Colonel of 2nd West York Regiment—Incipient rebellion—A stormy meeting—Extract
from Mr. Lindsey's "Life of W. L. Mackenzie "—Street
riots—A summary arrest—Quiet restored—Reminiscences
of an old U. C. College boy—Toronto in 1832—The
cholera—A faithful soldier—Orange processions—More
riots—Mrs. Jamieson's recollections—A race to college—
Definition of a gentleman—Toronto's first Mayor—Meeting in the market-place—An accident—Parental sorrow
and counsels—Disturbances near Cornwall—The house
on Queen Street—Sir John Colborne's letter . . . . 139
CHAPTER IX.

104

An eventful year—Reform—A nation of liars—An obstinate
governor—Military cadets—Threatened rebellion—FitzGibbon vs. Sir Francis—An offer—Precautionary measures — The Chief-Justice—A generous letter— Secret
information—A tardy order—An irrepressible defender
—Vice-regal slumbers disturbed—The outbreak—A wellarmed governor—Pickets on Yonge Street—Arrival of