Title

Chapter 3

Identifier

http://www.nflibrary.ca/nfplindex/show.asp?b=1&ref=oo&id=297939

page

103-131

Bibliographic Citation

Richardson's War of 1812.

10168041

Richardson's War of 1812.

Type

Text

extracted text

VI
BATTLE OF QUEENSTON HEIGHTS

The month of October was marked by an event of the
most melancholy and disastrous nature—the death of the
noble Brock, who fell a victim to the daring and intrepidity of his character, and in the performance of a duty
which should have been executed by a captain of a company.
On his arrival at Fort George, which he reached in
eight days from the surrender of Detroit, the General
found, to his great dismay, that an armistice had been
entered into and concluded, during his absence, between
Sir George Prevost and General Dearborn, Commander-in:
Chief of the American Army, so that the whole of his
plans of operation were deranged, and instead of carrying
the American fort of Niagara by an instant coup de main
as he had proposed, and which was to have been a preliminary to more extended offensive demonstrations, he
found himself compelled to sit quietly down in presence
of his enemy, and watch, without being enabled to interrupt them, his unremitting preparations for defence.
From this state of supineness and mortification he was
only first actively aroused on the early morning of the
i3th of October by an alarm given by the sentinel stationed at the point above Fort George, that he had seen
and heard firing in the direction of Queenstown. In a
few minutes the General was on his horse, and, unattended even by an Aid-de-Camp, galloped onward to
Queenstown to ascertain the cause of the alarm. On arriving about half-way to Brown's Point, he was met by
Lieut. Jarvis, of Captain Cameron's Flank Company of
York Militia, which, with Captain Heward's, was staioi

QUEENSTON ATTACKED BY AMERICANS

I05

tioned there. This officer had been on guard at what
was called the half-moon battery, about mid-way between
Queenstown and Niagara, and observing on the water,
opposite to the former place, numerous and rapid flashes
of fire-arms, had alarmed the officer commanding the detachment, who immediately ordered the two companies
under arms. An officer was at the same time despatched
to Queenstown, to obtain information. Scarcely had the
men been turned out, when an officer, who had passed their
own messenger on the road, arrived from Queenstown
with intelligence that the Americans were crossing in
force, and an order for the detachment at Brown's Point
to march up immediately, and assist in opposing their
landing. He was moreover directed to desire that the
officer commanding should instantly despatch a messenger to Fort George, to apprize General Brock of the
movement of the enemy. Lieut. Jarvis, who happened
to be the only person mounted, was ordered on this service, and he had galloped about half-way to Fort George,
when he met General Brock, wholly unattended, cantering
his charger up the Queenstown road. As the day had
begun to dawn, Lieut. Jarvis had no difficulty in recognizing the General, but such was the spirit of his horse
that he could not rein him in, but was borne past, shouting out to his Chief to stop, as he had most important
news to communicate. But the General was too impatient to reach the scene of danger to delay a moment,
and beckoning the officer to follow him, he still continued his course. After the lapse of a few minutes
Lieut. Jarvis succeeded in reining in, and wheeling his
restive horse, and soon gaining the General's side, communicated his information. Without in the slightest degree abating his speed even for an instant, the General
listened, and then gave his orders. These were that
Lieutenant Jarvis should go with all speed to Fort George,
and order up General Sheaffe with the whole of the reserve. He moreover particularly directed that the In-

BATTLE OF QUEENSTON HEIGHTS

BRITISH OPPOSITION

dians, a small party of whom were encamped near Fort
George, should be thrown out upon the right, to occupy
the woods, during the advance of the reserve to his support.
Scarcely had Lieut. Jarvis lost sight of the General, on
his way to execute the order he had received, when he
was met by Col. Macdonell, who was following after his
Chief, and who, in his hurry to overtake him, had left
Fort George without even recollecting that he was unprovided with his sword. Having satisfied himself that the
General was not far in advance, he begged Lieut. Jarvis
to supply the deficiency, stating at the same time where
he would find his own sabre, in his quarters at Fort
George, and desiring him to appropriate it to his use for
the day. The young officer complied with his request,
and hurriedly parted with the gallant Colonel, as he had
with the General, for ever.
Having given these brief yet interesting particulars, in
regard to the two brave men whose ashes now repose
under the same monumental stone, on the heights near
which they fell, only a few hours later, it is time to pass
to the scene of action to which they were hastening.
The Americans, availing themselves of the armistice
entered into by Sir George Prevost, had contrived to push
forward a large force to their camp at Lewiston, under
General Van Rensselaer, with the view of an invasion of
Canada, similar to that of General Hull. Their force was
a powerful one, and their plan of operation highly judicious, but fortunately it failed, from want of unanimity
and ardor in the irregular portion of their troops. General Van Rensselaer having concerted his mode of attack,
caused thirteen boats to be collected in the course of the
12th of October, for the purpose of crossing over his army
long before the dawn of the following day. James, who
seems to be good authority in this matter, states" The embarkation was to have taken place as follows:
Col. Van Rensselaer, who commanded, with 3 00 militia

and Lieut.-Col. Chrystie with 30o regulars ; Lieut.-Col.
Fenwick and Major Mullany to follow with about 55o
regular troops ; and some pieces of flying Artillery ; and
then the militia. It was intended that the embarkation
of the regulars and militia should be simultaneous, as far
as the boats would suffice to receive them ; but having to
descend the bank by a narrow path which had been cut
out of it, the regular troops got possession of the boats
to the exclusion of the militia ; and the latter were
ordered to follow in the return boats.
"The only British batteries, from which the troops
could be annoyed in the passage, were one, mounting an
18 pounder, upon Queenstown Heights (about half way
up), and another mounting a 24-pound carronade, situate
a little below the town. The river at Queenstown is
scarcely a quarter of a mile in width, and the part chosen
for crossing was not fully exposed to either of the British
batteries ; while the American batteries of two 18, and
two 6 pounders, and the two 6 pounder field pieces,
brought up by Lieutenant-Colonel Scott, completely
commanded every part of the opposite shore, from which
musketry could be effectual in opposing a landing. With
these important advantages the troops embarked ; but a
grape-shot striking the boat in which Lieutenant-Colonel
Chrystie was, and wounding him in the hand, the pilot
and the boatmen became so alarmed, that they suffered
the boat to fall below the point of landing, and were
obliged in consequence to put back. Two other boats
did the same. The remaining ten with the 225 regulars,
besides officers, including the commander of the detachment, Colonel Van Rensselaer, struck the shore ; and,
after disembarking the men, returned for more troops.
"The only force at Queenstown (at the landing of the
enemy) consisted of the two flank companies of the 49th
Regiment and a small detachment of militia ; amounting
in all to about 30o rank and file. Of these about 6o,
taken from the 49th Grenadiers, and Captain Hatt's
company of militia, having in charge a 3 pounder,
advanced at four o'clock in the morning, with Captain
Dennis of the 49th at their head, towards the river, near
to which Colonel Van Rensselaer had formed his men, to
await the arrival of the next boats. A well-directed and
warmly-continued fire killed and wounded several American officers and privates, including, among the wounded

I06

107

1o8

BATTLE OF QUEENSTON HEIGHTS

Colonel Van Rensselaer and three Captains, and drove
the Americans close to the water's edge. In the meantime a fresh supply of troops had effected a landing ; and
remained with the others sheltered behind the bank ;
whence they returned the fire of the British, killing one
man, and wounding four. The remaining sub-divisions
of the 49th Grenadiers and of the militia company had
now joined Captain Dennis' ; and the 49th Light Infantry
under Captain Williams, with Captain Chisholm's company of militia, stationed on the brow of the hill, were
firing down upon the invaders.
"Of five or six boats that attempted to land a body of
American regulars under Major Mullany, one was
destroyed by a shot from the hill-battery commanded by
Lieutenant Crowther of the 41st Regiment ; two others
were captured, and the remainder, foiled in their object,
returned to the American side. Daylight appeared, and
at the same instant General Brock arrived at the hillbattery from Fort George. Observing the strong reinforcements that were crossing over, the General instantly
ordered Captain Williams to descend the hill and support
Captain Dennis. No sooner were Captain Williams and
his men seen to depart, than the Americans formed the
resolution of gaining the heights. Accordingly 6o American regulars, headed by Captain Wool, and accompanied
by Major Lush, a volunteer, also by a Captain, six
Lieutenants and an Ensign of the 13th Regiment, ascended
a fisherman's path up the rocks, which had been reported
to General Brock as impassable, and therefore was not
guarded. The Americans were thus enabled, unseen by
our troops, to arrive at a brow, about 3o yards in rear of
the hill-battery. Reinforcements kept rapidly arriving
by the concealed path ; and the whole formed on the
brow, with their front towards the Village of Queenstown.
' Major-General Sir James Dennis, K.C.B., son of John Dennis, an
Attorney, was born 1778. He served in the navy as a midshipman,
but afterwards joined the 49th Re t. as an ensign, Sept. 2nd, 1796,
and rose by promotion through all the grades to a majority in the
same regiment on Dec. 1st, 1812. On June 4th, 1833, he was
appointed Lieut.-Col: of the 3rd Regiment, and commanded a
division of Infantry at the battle of Maharajpore on Dec. 29th,
1843. For his gallantry on this occasion he was made a K.C.B. on
Oct. 30th, 1844 ; and was promoted to the rank of Major-General,
Nov. 11th, 1851. His death took place at Pall Mall, London, on
Jan. 14th, 1855.

From a Silhouette in possession of John Alexander Macdonell, K.C., Alexandria.

LIEUTENANT-COLONEL JOHN MACDONELL.
Provincial Aid-de-Camp to Major-General Sir Isaac Brock ; M.P. for Glengarry ;
Attorney-General of Upper Canada.

BROCK AND MACDONELL MORTALLY WOUNDED 109

"The moment General Brock discovered the unexpected
advance of the American troops, he, with the 12 men stationed at the battery, retired ; and Captain Wool advancing from the rear with his more than tenfold force, took
possession of it. Captain Williams and his detachment
of regulars and militia were now recalled ; and General
Brock putting himself at the head of this force, amounting in all to about 90 men, advanced to meet a detachment of 150 picked American regulars, which Captain
Wool had sent forward to attack him. While animating
his little band of regulars and militia to a charge up the
heights, General Brock received a mortal wound in the
breast, and immediately fell.
"At this moment the two flank companies of the York
militia, with Lieutenant-Colonel Macdonell, the General's
Provincial Aid-de-Camp at their head, arrived from
Brown's Point, three miles distant. By this time also
Captain Wool had sent additional reinforcements to
Captain Ogilvie ; making the latter's force '320 regulars,
supported by a few militia and volunteers,' or on the
whole, full 500 men. Colonel Macdonell and his 90 men
—more than two-thirds Canadian militia—rushed boldly
up the hill, in defiance of the continued stream of musketry pouring down upon them ; compelled the Americans
to spike the 18 pounder ; and would have again driven
them to the rocks, had not the Colonel and Captain Williams been wounded almost at the same instant ; the
former mortally. The loss of their commanders created
confusion among the men, and they again retreated.
Hearing of the fall of General Brock, Captain Dennis proceeded from the valley, towards the foot of the heights,
and mounting the General's horse, rode up, and tried to
rally the troops. He succeeded in forming a few ; but
the number was so inconsiderable that to persist in a contest would have been madness. A retreat was accord- .
ingly ordered, by the ground in the rear of the town ;
and the men of the 49th, accompanied by many of the
militia, formed in front of Vrooman's battery, there to
await the expected reinforcement from Fort George.
"While we had at this period not above Zoo unwounded
men at Queenstown, the Americans, by their own account, had upwards of 800 and General Van Rensselaer
tells us that ' a number of boats now crossed over, unannoyed except by one unsilenced gun,' or that at Vroo-

I 1 0 BATTLE OF QUEENSTON HEIGHTS

man's battery ; consequently more troops were hourly
arriving. Brigadier-General Wadsworth was left as commanding officer of the Americans on the Queenstown hill;
and General Van Rensselaer, considering the victory as
complete, had himself crossed over, in order to give directions about fortifying the camp, which he intended to
occupy in the British territory."
Thus far, then is, lucidly and accurately enough, explained the nature of the contest, and the relative positions of the two forces, up to the moment of the arrival
of the reserve from Fort George. It may not, however,
be unimportant to add, that among the officers wounded
in the repulse, and of whom no mention- is made by
James, were Captain Dennis of the 49th Grenadiers, and
the present Mr. Justice McLean= of Toronto, who was
then a brother subaltern with Mr. Jarvis, in Captain
Cameron's flank company of militia. The latter was
very severely wounded, yet brought off by the retreating
party. The former had received a ball in his thigh, yet
i mpatient of the delay of a regular treatment, he, with
characteristic sang froid, stopped the effusion of blood by
thrusting his finger into the wound, and in that manner
supported his share in the action to the last. The fall of
so many brave officers had naturally the effect of dispiriting the men, and the remains of the detachment continued
their retreat to Durham's farm, about two miles and a
half below Queenstown, where Colonel Macdonell's almost lifeless body was deposited, preparatory to its final
removal to the Government House at Fort George, in
' Lieut. Archibald McLean, the second son of the Hon. Neil
McLean, was born at St. Andrew's, County of Stormont, in 1791.
He was present at Ogdensburg in 1813, and at the capture of York
carried to a place of safety the colors of the York Volunteers. At
the Battle of Lundy's Lane he was taken prisoner and detained
until the close of the war. After the war he continued his legal
studies, and in 1820 was elected a member of the Legislative
Assembly for Stormont, being re-elected on five other occasions,
once for the town of Cornwall. For two Parliaments, the eleventh
and thirteenth, he was honored by being elected Speaker. He
subsequently was appointed Chief Justice of Upper Canada, and
afterwards President of the Court of Error and Appeal, an office he
d at his death in 1865.

FLANK ATTACK OF GENERAL SHEAFFE I 1•I

which the gallant officer breathed his last, soon after his
arrival. The body of the Hero of Canada had been left
behind, in one of the houses in Queenstown, hurriedly
covered with a pile of old blankets in order to prevent
any recognition by the enemy.
It was about 2 o'clock in the afternoon, when the
anxiously-expected reserve, under General Sheaffe, consisting principally of the 41st Regiment, made its appearance at Durham's farm. The whole then moved
forward in a westerly direction towards the village of
St. David's, for the purpose of gaining the rear of the
mountain. Here, as might have been expected, the military tact and prevoyance of the fallen leader, in urgently
desiring the advance of the Indians, to clear a passage for
the troops in their ascent of the heights, was made manifest. The column had been halted at the base of the
mountain far to the right of the Queenstown road, and
inclining towards that which traverses it from St. David's.
Profiting by the suggestion of his late superior, General
Sheaffe sent forward the Indians, who rapidly ascended
the heights, and so well and so gallantly occupied the
American pickets, which had been thrown out in that
direction, that the little army. was enabled to gain the
summit of the mountain, by an oblique movement to the
right, almost without opposition, and wholly without
loss.
And now had arrived the crisis which was to decide,
for a brief season at least, the destinies of Canada, and
the honor of the British arms.
The height gained on the flank of the enemy, who
were discovered drawn up in preparation for the attack,
the British line, not exceeding Soo men, was instantly
formed. On the extreme left, and resting on the brow
of the hill, were the Indians, and next to these the companies of militia who had already borne so honorable a
share in the contest of the morning, and a few others just
arrived, with General Sheaffe, from Fort George. The

II2

BATTLE OF QUEENSTON HEIGHTS

centre was composed of the remnant of the 49th flank
companies, and the right of the main body of the 41st
Regiment—about 35o bayonets—commanded by Captain
Derenzy. At this critical moment, and just as the
action was about to commence, Captain Bullock, with the
principal portion of the 4ist Grenadiers, suddenly made
his appearance from Chippawa, followed by Lieut Bullock, of the same company, who hastened from his station opposite Navy Island, with the few men he had
under his command, partly grenadiers and partly battalion men. The opportune arrival of these little detachments (numbering together too bayonets) which
immediately took their proper stations in the line, the
extreme right of the grenadiers resting on the road leading to the Falls, was hailed as an earnest of success by
the little band, who were animated by the most eager
desitt to encounter the enemy, and avenge the fall of
their noble and lamented Chief. The moment of their
triumph at length arrived. Between the extreme flank
of the 4ist, and the bold precipice of Queenstown
Heights, there was a space covered with small trees and
stunted pines. Under cover of these, the American left
attempted to turn the outer flank of the 41st, but were
met by such a warm and destructive fire that they were
checked and thrown into confusion. Almost simultaneously with this movement of the enemy, commenced an
attack upon their centre, by the light company of the
4ist under Lieut. McIntyre, and on their extreme right
by the Indians, who were led into action by their Chief
Norton'—or Teyoninhokorawen—as he is .named in the
British Army Lists even of the present day. Both these
=Captain John Norton, along with Captain John Brant, had com-

cE

mand of the Indians at Queenston Heights. He was a native of
Scotland, his Indian name meaning Pale-faced warrior, or Sadcountenanced warrior. Some time after the war he quarrelled
with the Indians, went to the State of Georgia and thence to Mississippi, and finally returned to Scotland with his Indian wife
Catharine, to whom he was married at Niagara on July 27th, 1813,
by Rev. Robert Addison.
-

MONUMENT TO BROCK, QUEENSTON HEIGHTS.

DEFEAT AND SURRENDER OF THE AMERICAN ARMY I 13

parties commenced the action with great spirit, driving
the Americans before them, and when it was perceived
that the attempt of the enemy to turn our right had so
signally failed, a tremendous shout arose from the British troops, which, mingling with the war whoop of the
Indians, staggered the wavering assailants still more. At
that instant the advance was sounded, and the whole line
rushed eagerly forward upon the enemy, who made little
or no resistance, but broke and fled in the utmost consternation, closely followed by the immolating bayonet
and tomahawk. Many, in their panic, threw themselves
over the precipice, and were of course dashed to pieces in
their descent. But quarter having at length been demanded by the American commander, this was given, and
goo prisoners, including one General and 72 inferior
officers, in some degree atoned for—it was impossible to
repay—the grievous loss the country had sustained in the
. morning of that otherwise glorious day.
The British loss' at Queenstown was I I killed and 6o
=Return of killed, wounded and missing of the army under the
command of Major-General Isaac Brock, in an action at Queenstown, Niagara, on the 13th October, 1812 :
General staff-2 killed.
Royal Artillery-2 rank and file wounded.
Detachment 41st Regiment-1 sergeant, 1 rank and file killed ; 1
sergeant, 9 rank and file wounded.
Flank Companies, 49th Regiment-8 rank and file killed ; 2 captains, 3 sergeants, 27 rank and file, 1 volunteer wounded ; 5 rank
and file, 1 volunteer missing.
Lincoln Artillery-1 rank and file wounded.
Lincoln Militia-1 adjutant, 1 sergeant, 12 rank and file wounded;
10 rank and file missing.
York Militia-2 rank and file killed ; 1 lieutenant, 1 sergeant, 15
rank and file wounded ; 5 rank and file missing.
Total Loss-1 Major-General, 1 aid-de-camp, 1 sergeant, 9 rank
and file, line, 2 rank and fi'e, militia, killed ; 2 captains, line ; 1
adjutant, 1 lieutenant, militia ; 4 sergeants, line ; 2 sergeants, militia ; 2 rank and file, artillery ; 1 do., militia artillery ; 36 rank
and file, 1 volunteer, line ; 27 rank and file, militia, wounded ; 5
rank and file, 1 volunteer, line ; 15 rank and file, militia, missing.
General Total —2 general staff, 1 sergeant, 11 rank and file.
killed ; 2 captains, 1 lieutenant, 1 adjutant, 6 sergeants, 66 rank
and file, 1 volunteer, wounded ; 20 rank and file, 1 volunteer, missing.
Officers Killed — Major-General Isaac Brock, commanding ;

I

14

BATTLE OF QUEENSTON HEIGHTS

wounded of the line and militia ; and 5 killed' and 9
wounded of the brave Indians. The number2 of killed
and wounded of the Americans is not precisely known.
The former has however been admitted by themselves to
have been between 90 and too. Independently of those
killed upon the field, and dashed over the precipice, a
great number perished in two or three boats sunk by the
fire from our batteries.
Again, on this occasion, was the present Chief Justice
conspicuous for his zeal and his gallantry. In the absence
Lieut.-Colonel Macdonell, Provincial Aid-de-Camp.
Wounded—Captains Dennis and Williams, 49th Regiment, volunteer Shaw, do.; Lieut. McLean, York Light Infantry ; Adjutant
McIntyre, Lincoln Militia.
Fort George, 15th October, 1812.
THOMAS EVANS, Major of Brigade.
(Canadian Archives.)
Return of killed, wounded and prisoners of war in the action at
Queenstown, Niagara, on the 13th October, 1812 :
Prisoners of War-1 Brigadier-General, l major, aid-de-camp, 5
lieutenant-colonels, 3 majors, 19 captains, 32 lieutenants, 10
ensigns, 1 adjutant, 1 surgeon, 852 non-commissioned officers and
privates. Total, 925.
Regulars—Officers, 19 ; non-commissioned officers and privates,
417.
Militia—Officers, 54 ; non-commissioned officers and privates,
435. Total, 925.
Estimated loss of the enemy in officers and men killed and
wounded, and in wounded sent over during the engagement, 500 ;
supposed total loss, 1,425 ; acknowledged force engaged, 1,600.
Total British force engaged—Regulars and militia, 800 ; Indians,
200-1,000.
Fort George, 15th October, 1812.
THOMAS EVANS, Major of Brigade.
(Canadian Archives. )
'The names of the Indians killed at Queenston wereAyanete and Kayentatirhon, Cayuga Chiefs, Ta Kanentye, an
Onondaga Warrior, Kayarawagor and Sakangonguquate, Oneida
' Warriors.
From Documentary History of the Campaign by Lieut.-Col.
Cruikshank.
2The number of Americans killed and wounded in this battle
has never been very accurately ascertained. The most authentic
American sources put the number of killed at 90, the wounded at
82, and 764 prisoners, composed of 386 regulars and 378 militia.

OFFICERS OF THE YORK MILITIA ENGAGED I15

of his Captain (Heward) who was upon leave, he commanded the 2nd flank company during the whole of the
day. He consequently bore a prominent part in the engagement, from the moment when he arrived at early
dawn from Brown's Point where, it has been seen, he was
stationed with No. 1, or Captain Cameron's company, to
the late hour in the afternoon, when victory finally
perched on the British standard. The officers attached
to Lieut. Robinson, were Lieut. Stanton,' and Lieut.
Samuel P. Jarvis. The subalterns of Captain Cameron's •
company were Lieut. Jarvie,2 Lieut. Archibald McLean,
and Lieut. Geo. Ridout.3 Captain Hatt's, and Captain
=Lieutenant Robert Stanton was the son of a British Naval officer,
who saw a great deal of active service at the memorable defence of
Gibraltar by General Elliot, and with the fleet on the coast of
North America and in the West Indies. About the beginning of
the last century he came to York with his father, who held several
military and civil offices. On the breaking out of the war he was
a Lieut. in Captain Stephen Reward's company of York militia,
and took part in the battle of Queenston Heights and in the
defence of York in 1813. At the latter engagement he was taken
prisoner, but released on parole.
In 1825 he became editor and publisher of the Gazette and
King's Printer, and in 1843 gave up the publishing business to
become Collector of Customs for the port of Toronto, an office he
resigned Nov. 10th, 1849. For a time he was manager of the
Western Insurance Company, and latterly Clerk of the Process at
Osgoode Hall. His death took place in 1866 at the age of 72.
2This is the spelling that is given in the original edition of
Richardson. It would be considered merely a typographical error
for Lieut. Jarvis but for the fact that in Vol. 1 of the report of the
Ontario Historical Society, the roll of Captain Cameron's company
of York Militia in 1812 is given ; and the name appears as it does
here, Lieut. Jarvie. I am inclined to think that the name should
be Jarvis, but which one I am not certain. It is neither Lieut. S. P.
Jarvis nor Volunteer G. S. Jarvis who were with other companies.
I have not been able to find the name " Jarvie " in any published
work on the early history of Toronto.
3Lieut. George Ridout was the son of Thomas Ridout, sometime
Surveyor-General of Upper Canada. His brother John, who met
his death in a duel in 1817, was a midshipman on the Royal
George during the war. Another brother, Thomas G. Ridout,
was also a Lieutenant and afterwards Deputy Assistant Commissary• General. The part taken during the war by this family is fully
set forth by Lady Edgar, a descendant, in " Ten Years of Upper
Canada in Peace and War."

116

BATTLE OF QUEENSTON HEIGHTS

SHEAFFE'S OFFICIAL ACCOUNT

Chisholm's companies were the first to oppose the landing
of the enemy.
The victory of Queenstown Heights, although fought
at a distance from the principal theatre of their service,
the Right Division distinctly claim as their own. The
main body of the 4ist, who later composed that Division,
principally sustained the action, and among these were
the grenadiers who had already assisted at the capture of
Detroit. Moreover there were there the York volunteers
who also had participated in that memorable triumph.
True, the 49th flank companies, and especially their
leaders, had gallantly done their duty in the morning,
but nevertheless they were defeated, and driven back, and
the Queenstown Heights had been so completely gained
that no impediment was offered to the passage of the
American troops who, at the moment when the 41st,
under Captain Derenzy, and the detachments of the same
corps from Chippawa, made their appearance, numbered
not less than 1,400 men. Under these circumstances it
is that the Right Division claim, and justly, the laurels
won on this day.
As no portrait, public or private, of General Brock,
seems to have been preserved in the country, it may not
be unimportant here to give a slight written sketch of the
hero. In person he was tall, stout and inclining to corpulency : he was of fair and florid complexion, had a
large forehead, full face, but not prominent features,
rather small, greyish-blue eyes, with a very slight cast in
one of them—small mouth, with a pleasing smile, and
good teeth. In manner he was exceedingly affable and
gentlemanly, of a cheerful and social habit, partial to
dancing, and although never married, extremely devoted
to female society. Of the chivalry of his nature, and the
soundness of his judgment, evidence enough has been
given in the foregoing pages to render all comment
thereon a matter of supererogation.

The following is the Official account of the Action.
From Major General Sheaffe to Sir George Prevost.
Fort George, 13th October, 1812.
have the honor of informing Your Excellency,
that the enemy made an attack, with a considerable
force this morning, before day-light, on the position of
Queenstown. On receiving intelligence of it, MajorGeneral Brock immediately proceeded to that post ; and
I am excessively grieved in having to add, that he fell
whilst gallantly cheering his troops to an exertion for
maintaining it. With him the position was lost : but the
enemy was not allowed to retain it long; reinforcements
having been sent up from this post, composed of regular
troops, militia, and Indians, a movement was made to turn
his left, while some artillery, under the able direction of
Captain Holcroft, supported by a body of infantry, engaged his attention in front. This operation was aided,
too, by the judicious position which Norton and the Indians with him had taken on the woody brow of the
high ground above Queenstown. A- communication
being thus opened with Chippawa, a junction was formed
with succours that had been ordered from that post. The
enemy was then attacked, and after a short but spirited
conflict, was completely defeated. I had the satisfaction
of receiving the sword of their commander BrigadierGeneral Wadsworth, on the field of battle, and many
Officers, with 90o men, were made prisoners, and more
may yet be expected. A stand of colors and one 6pounder, were also taken. The action did not terminate
till nearly three o'clock in the afternoon, and their loss, in
killed and wounded, must have been considerable. Ours,
I believe to have been comparatively small in numbers :
no officer was killed besides Major-General Brock, one of
the most gallant and zealous officers in His Majesty's
service whose loss cannot be too much deplored, and
Lieutenant-Colonel Macdonell, Provincial Aide-de-Camp,
whose gallantry and merit render him worthy of his
chief.
Captains Dennis and Williams, commanding the flank
companies of the 49th Regiment, who were stationed at
Queenstown, were wounded, bravely contending at the
head of their men against superior numbers ; but I am
glad to have it in my power to add, that Captain Dennis

,

117

I18

BATTLE OF QUEENSTON HEIGHTS

fortunately was able to keep the field, though it was with
pain and difficulty ; and Captain Williams's wound is not
likely long to deprive me of his services.
I am particularly indebted to Captain Holcroft of the
Royal Artillery, for his judicious and skilful co-operation
with the guns and howitzers under his immediate superintendence. Their well-directed fire contributed materially to the fortunate result of the day.
Captain Derenzy of the 41st Regiment, brought up the
reinforcement of that corps from Fort George, and
Captain Bullock led that of the same regiment from
Chippawa ; and under their commands those detachments
acquitted themselves in such a manner, as to sustain the
reputation which the 41st Regiment had already acquired
in the vicinity of Detroit.
Major-General Brock, soon after his arrival at Queenstown, had sent down orders for battering the American
Fort Niagara. Brigade-Major Evans, who was left in
charge of Fort George, directed the operations against it
with so much effect, as to silence its fire, and to force the
troops to abandon it, and by his prudent precautions, he
prevented mischief of a most serious nature, which
otherwise might have been effected, the enemy having
used heated shot in firing at Fort George. In these services he was most effectually aided by Colonel Clause
(who remained in the fort, at my desire) and by Captain
Vigoreux, of the Royal Engineers. Brigade-Major
Evans also mentions the conduct of Captains Powell and
Cameron, of the Militia artillery, in terms of commendation.
Lieutenant Crowther, of the 41st Regiment, had charge
'Lieut.-Col. William Claus, of the 1st Lincoln Militia, was the
son of Col. Daniel Claus, who married a daughter of Sir William
Johnson, Bart., and who served his country over thirty years in
the Military and Indian Departments. From his youth Lieut.-Col.
William Claus was an officer in the Indian Department, and at the
death of Col. Alexander McKee rose to be Deputy SuperintendentGeneral and Deputy Inspector-General of Indian Affairs. The
Indians had an affection for him equal to that which they had for
his father and grandfather, and his thorough knowledge of their
language and customs made him a valuable public officer. He was
Lieut.-Col. of the 1st Lincoln Militia, and on the breaking out of
the war was in command of the militia from Niagara to Queenston.
His services to his country, particularly his management of the
Indians, were highly commended by every officer commanding in
Upper Canada. His descendants reside at Niagara.

SHEAFFE'S OFFICIAL ACCOUNT

119

of two 3-pounders that had accompanied the movement
of our little corps, and they were employed with good
effect.
Captain Glegg, of the 49th Regiment, Aide-de-Camp to
our lamented friend and general, afforded me the most
essential assistance ; and I found the services of Lieutenant Fowler, of the 41st Regiment, Assistant-DeputyQuarter-Master-General, very useful. I derived much
aid, too, from the activity and intelligence of Lieutenant
Kerr, of the Glengarry Fencibles, whom I employed in
communicating with the Indians and other flanking
parties.
I was unfortunately deprived of the aid, experience,
and ability of Lieutenant-Colonel Myers, Deputy-Quarter-Master-General, who had been sent up to Fort Erie a
few days before on duty, which detained him there.
Lieutenant-Colonels Butler' and Clark2of the Militia; and
'Lieut.-Col. Thomas Butler first saw active service as a
Lieutenant in the corps of Rangers commanded by his father,
Colonel John Butler. His service in the war was cut short by his
death from disease in Dec., 1812.
.Lieut.-Col. Thomas Clark, of the 2nd Lincoln Militia, was
appointed at the beginning of the war to command the militia that
were guarding the border from Queenston to Fort Erie. He took
part in the battle of Queenston Heights, and was an active and
energetic officer. At the defence of Fort Erie, Nov. 28th, 1812, he
had command of the right wing, and on the 11th of July, 1813,
was second in command to Lieut.-Col. Bisshopp in the attack on
Black Rock, when the block houses, barracks and navy yard and
a schooner were burnt, and valuable stores and ordnance captured.
While conducting the retreat he was slightly wounded.
In the despatches describing the engagements in which he took
part he was highly commended for the able manner that he led
the troops under his command. He was a member of the Legislative Council of Upper Canada for many years.
Another officer of this name, that served throughout the war, was
Colonel John Clark, son of a soldier of the 8th (King's) Regt.
He was born at Kingston in 1783. His father came to Niagara,
and was appointed barrack-master and also Sheriff of Lincoln, an
office he held till 1803, when he was succeeded by Major Thomas
Merritt. When the war commenced the son was appointed Lieut.
and Adjutant of the 1st and 4th Lincoln flank companies. In
March, 1813, he was promoted to the rank of Captain and Assistant Adjutant-General of Militia by Gen. Sheaffe, and retained in
that office till the end of the war. He took part in several engagements, the principal one being Queenston Heights. He was for
many years Collector of Customs at Port Dalhousie, but resigned
some years before his death, which took place in 1862. For two
terms he represented Lincoln in the Legislative Assembly of Upper
Canada, being elected in 1820 and again in 1825.

I20

BATTLE OF QUEENSTON HEIGHTS

Captains Hatt, Durand, Rowe, Applegarth , James Crooks,
2

12I

SHEAFFE'S OFFICIAL ACCOUNT
3

Cooper,I Robert Hamilton McEwen, Duncan Cameron; 4
and Lieutenants Richardson and Thomas Butler, commanding flank companies of the Lincoln and York Militia,
led their men into action with great spirit. Major Merritt,
,

'

3

5

=Captain James Durand, who was in command of a flank company of the 5th Lincoln Militia at Queenston Heights, was born in
Monmouthshire, Wales, in 1775, and in 1800 came to Upper
Canada. During the war he lived on a farm now the site of the
city of Hamilton. In 1814 he was elected a member of the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada for Niagara, and in 1817 for
Wentworth. He died at Hamilton, March 22nd, 1833.
James Durand, who was elected for the County of Halton to the
Legislative Assembly in 1835, was Captain Durand's son. Another
son, Mr. Charles Durand, Barrister, is at present living in Toronto
at an advanced age, having been born on April 9th, 1811. Miss
Laura B. Durand, a well-known writer on the editorial staff of the
Toronto Globe, is a daughter of thelatter.
2Captain John Rowe was in command of a company of the 2nd
Lincoln. He was an officer in that famous corps, Butler's
Rangers, and had seen a great deal of active service in the Revolutionary War. He was killed at the head of his company while
gallantly contending against a more numerous force at the Battle
of Chippawa, July 5th, 1814.
3Captain James Crooks, who commanded a company of the 1st
Lincoln Militia at Queenston Heights, was born in Kilmarnock,
Scotland, in 1778, and immigrated to Canada in 1791. He engaged
in trade and farming, and, soon, by his energy and intelligence
combined with his excellence of character, became one of the foremost men of the community. After the war he removed to West
Flamboro, and there engaged in milling. Here he built and operated the first paper mill in Upper Canada. In 1820 he was elected
to the Legislative Assembly, and afterwards was appointed to the
Legislative Council, an office he held till his death in 1860. He
married in 1808 Jane Cummings, daughter of Thomas Cummings,
a soldier in Butler's Rangers, and raised a large family. The
Hon. Adam Crooks, for several years a member of the Ontario
Cabinet, was his son. His eldest daughter became the wife of
A. N. Bethune, Bishop of Toronto. Two of his grandchildren,
Miss Jane Crooks, of the Education Department Library, and
Lieut. A. D. Crooks, Barrister, are residents of Toronto.
He wrote a " Reminiscence of the Last War" that appeared in
the Niagara Reporter, and afterwards, about the first of the year
1841, in the British Colonist.
Captain William Crooks, although three years older than the
preceding, did not come to Upper Canada till a year after his
brother. He commanded a company of the 4th Lincoln at Queenston Heights. In 1808 he married Mary Butler, daughter of Colonel
John Butler, the celebrated commander of Butler's Rangers.
A younger sister of these two officers, Jean Crooks, was the wife
of Lieut. William Procter of the 41st Regt., brother of Gen. Henry
Procter ; and another sister, Jane, was the wife of Lieut.-Col.
William C. Short of the 41st Regt., who was killed at the assault on
Fort Stephenson.
It may be interesting to observe here that in the same year that

6

these two brothers were defending their adopted country from invasion another brother, Ramsay Crooks, was making a difficult
and perilous journey overland to Astoria at the mouth of the Columbia river, as a partner in the American Fur Company, of which
he became the head after the withdrawal of John Jacob Astor.
Mr. Crooks wrote a journal of the trip, which appears in the
travels of John Bradbury, an English botanist who accompanied
the Crooks party to the head waters of the Missouri. A graphic
description of the dangers and hardships encountered by these
adventurous traders may be found in Washington Irving's Astoria.
In 1814 when the Americans sent an expedition to retake Fort
Mackinac, Mr. Crooks accompanied the fleet to watch the interests
of Mr. Astor. It is said that he concentrated, in his reminiscences,
the history of the fur trade in America for forty years. He died
in New York in 1859.
=Captain Cooper, who commanded a company at this battle, is
probably an ancestor of the Coopers now living along the river
road in the township of Niagara.
2Captain Robert Hamilton was the son of Hon. Robert Hamilton,
of Queenston, and was born at Fort Niagara in 1787. He was in
command of a company of the 2nd Lincoln during the war,. and
took part in several engagements, among them Queenston Heights
and the defence of Fort Erie, Nov. 28th, 1812. He was elected to
the Legislature of Upper Canada by the County of Lincoln in 1820.
3Captain John McEwen commanded a flank company of the 1st
Lincoln Militia at Queenston Heights,
4Captain Duncan Cameron, who commanded a company of the
York Militia at Queenston Heights, was for many years a prominent
citizen of Toronto. He was appointed a member of the Legislative
Council, and for a time was Provincial Secretary of Upper Canada.
5Lieut. Thomas Butler was the son of Lieut.-Col. Thomas Butler.
6
Major Thomas Merritt, who raised the Niagara Dragoons and
commanded them at the Battle of Queenston Heights, was born in
1759 inWestchester County, New York. He was educated at Harvard
College, and on the breaking out of the Revolution was appointed
Cornet in the Queen's Rangers, a corps raised by Major Robert
Rogers, and afterward commanded by Colonel John Graves Simcoe
—the first Lient.-Governor of Upper Canada. At the peace he
went to New Brunswick, but returned to New York, and eventually took up his residence in the Niagara Peninsula, where he died
on May 12th, 1842. His son, William Hamilton Merritt, who
served as a Captain in his father's corps, and who was taken prisoner at Lundy's Lane, July 25th, 1814, was well known as a parliamentarian and as the projector of the Welland Canal.
The present representative of the family is the grandson and
namesake of the latter, Major William Hamilton Merritt, who

I22

BATTLE OF QUERNSTON HEIGHTS

commanding the Niagara Dragoons, accompanied me,
and gave much assistance with part of his corps. Captain
A. Hamilton, belonging to it, was disabled from riding, and attached himself to the guns under Captain Holcroft, who speaks highly of his activity and usefulness. I
beg leave to add that Volunteers Shaw,' Thompson ' and
Jarvis,3 attached to the flank companies of the 49th
served in the Boer war as a Major in Brabant's Horse, and is now
second in command of the Second Canadian Mounted Rifles.
Four generations of this family have seen active service in
North America in a mounted corps: Thomas, in the command of
the Niagara Dragoons in 1812; William Hamilton, a Captain in
the same corps; Jedediah, with McGrath's Lancers in 1837 ; and
William Hamilton with the Governor-General's Body Guard in
the North West Rebellion in 1885.
' Volunteer Richard Shaw was the son of Major-General lEneas
Shaw, so well known in connection with the early history of
Upper Canada. Major-General Shaw served as a Captain in the
Queen's Rangers during the Revolutionary War. In the winter
of 1791-2 he performed the unparalleled feat of marching a
detachment of a new corps, also called the Queen's Rangers, from
New Brunswick to Montreal on snowshoes. At the beginning of
the War of 1812 he proffered his services to Major-General Brock
in any capacity that he might be found useful. He was consequently appointed to command the First Division of Militia, with
the rank of Colonel, and afterwards served as Adjutant-General
of Militia. The hard work and fatigue proved too much for the
General at his age, and caused his death in 1815.
All of his sons served in the army. The eldest, Alexander, was
a Captain in the 35th and 69th Regiments, and was present at
Alexandria, Maida, Calabria, Naples, Corunna, Walchern, Flushing
and Waterloo. Charles was a Lieutenant in the 52nd, John a
Captain in the 49th, and lEneas a Lieutenant in the Glengarry
Fencibles. Richard and George were Captains in the Militia.
The grandson of Captain Alexander Shaw, Lieut. -Col. George
A. Shaw, who was in command of the 10th or Royal
Regiment, now Royal Grenadiers, is at present a resident of
Toronto.
It may be of some interest to note in this connection that Miss
Sophia, daughter of Major-General Shaw, was the fiancee of
Major-General Brock.
'I have not been able to learn much regarding Volunteer
Augustus Thompson. He was well known to, and evidently was
a companion of, Volunteer George S. Jarvis, as they were together
in the daring affairs with the enemy at Stoney Creek, at Black
Rock and at Beaver Dam.
GGeorge S. Jarvis was born in Fredericton, N.B., April 21st,
1797, and removed to York (Toronto) in 1808 with his father's
family. At Queenston Heights he was attached to the 49th Regt.,
and at the taking of York was attached to the 8th (King's) Regt.
He was present at the battles of Stoney Creek, Beaver Dam and
Black Rock, and at the unsuccessful assault of Fort Erie. At

From an original photograph in possession of Miss Ellen F. Sheathe,
Lausanne, Switzerland, grandniece of Sir Roger.

SIR ROGER HALE SHEAFFE, BART.

SHEAFFE'S OFFICIAL ACCOUNT

123

Regiment, conducted themselves with great spirit ; the
first having been wounded, and the last having been
taken prisoner. I beg leave to recommend these young
men to Your Excellency's notice. Norton is wounded,
but not badly ; he and the Indians particularly distinguished themselves, and I have very great satisfaction in
assuring Your Excellency, that the spirit and good conduct of His Majesty's troops, of the militia, and of the
other provincial corps, were eminently conspicuous on
this occasion.
I have not been able to ascertain yet the number of our
troops, or of those of the enemy engaged ; ours, I believe
did not exceed the number of the prisoners we have
taken : and their advance, which effected a landing,
probably amounted to 1,300 or 1,400 men.
I shall do myself the honor of transmitting to Your
Excellency further details,' when I shall have received
the several reports of the occurrences which did not pass
under my own observation, with the return of the casualties, and those of the killed and wounded, and of the ordnance taken.
I have the honor to be, &c.
(Signed) R. H. Sheaffe, Maj.-Gen.
To His Excellency Sir George Prevost, Bart., &c.
Lundy's Lane he was a Lieut. of the 8th, and went to England
with the second battalion of that regiment in 1815. After the
defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo several regiments were disbanded,
and among them the second battalion of the 8th. Lieut. Jarvis
was then after a short interval of five months appointed to the
104th Regiment. Shortly after, he returned to Canada, took up the
study of law, and was sworn in as an Attorney in 1820, called to the
bar in 1823. In 1820 he went to Cornwall to practice, and in 1842
was appointed County Judge, and in that year organized the
Division Courts of the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and
Glengarry. During the troubles of 1837 he raised and commanded
three troops of lancers. His death occurred in 1878. The Rev.
Arthur Jarvis, of Napanee, is his son.
=In this report Major-General Sheaffe mentions every officer in
command but two. In his letter to Sir George Prevost of November 3rd, 1812, the following passage occurs :
I am much mortified to find that I omitted the names of Captain
Chisholm commanding a flank company of the York Militia,
and of Lieutenant Ball commanding the Militia Artillery attached
to the post of Queenstown ; Captain Dennis's report, since transmitted, has partly supplied that omission ; he commends highly
both those officers, and in justice to them I have issued an order
acknowledging my omission and their merit.

124

BATTLE OF QUEENSTON HEIGHTS

The American accounts of the action have been so
much altered from General Van Rensselaer's original
despatch, that it is difficult to know which is the correct
one. At this moment I have two before me, one by
Captain Fay, of the United States Artillery, the other by
James. There is evidently so much of the suppressio yen'
if not of the assertio falsi, in the former, evidently to cloak
the national humiliation, that there can be no hesitation
in adopting that given by the latter,' who seems to have
been at some pains to obtain the correct despatch.
From General Van Rensselaer, to General Dearborn.
Head Quarters, Lewiston, Oct. 14th, 1812.
SIR,—As the movements of this Army under my command, since I had last the honor to address you on the
8th, have been of a very important character, producing
consequences serious to many individuals ; establishing
facts actually connected with the interest of the service
and the safety of the army ; and as I stand prominently
responsible for some of these consequences, I beg leave to
explain to you, sir, and through you to my country, the
situation and circumstances in which I have had to act,
and the reasons and motives which governed me, and if
the result is not all that might have been wished, it is
such that, when the whole ground shall be viewed, I
shall cheerfully submit myself to the judgment of my
country.
In my letter of the 8th instant, I apprised you that the
crisis in this campaign was rapidly advancing ; and that
(to repeat the same words) " the blow must be soon
struck, or all the toil and expense of the campaign go for
nothing and worse than nothing, for the whole will be
, tinged with dishonor."
= Richardson has unfortunately selected the most imperfect copy.
I do not know from what source James obtained his copy, but
whole paragraphs are missing, and names, as usual with him,
incorrectly spelled and otherwise disguised—as Fleming for Fenwick and Christie for Chrystie. James makes the error of saying
that Van Rensselaer addressed the letter to the American Secretary'
of War, when every authority within reach says it was addressed
to Gen. Dearborn and by him transmitted to the Secretary of War.
I have corrected the whole letter and added the omissions of James
without making any reference to them in foot notes.

VAN RENSSELAER' S OFFICIAL ACCOUNT

I 25

Under such impressions, I had, on the 5th instant,
written to Brig.-General Smyth, of the United States
forces, requesting an interview with him, Major-General
Hall, and the commandants of the United States regiments, for the purpose of conferring upon the subject of
future operations. I wrote Major-General Hall to the
same purport. On the I 1 th I had received no answer
from General Smyth ; but in a note to me on the ioth,
General Hall mentioned that General Smyth had not yet
then agreed upon any day for the consultation.
In the meantime, the partial success of Lieutenant
Elliott at Black Rock (of which however, I have received
no official information) began to excite a strong disposition in the troops to act. This was expressed to me
through various channels, in the shape of an alternative;
that they must have orders to act, or at all hazards they
would go home. I forbear here commenting upon the
obvious consequences, to me personally, of longer withholding my orders under such circumstances.
I had a conference with Lieutenant-Colonel
as to the possibility of getting some person to pass over
to Canada, and obtain correct information. On the morning of the 4th, he wrote to me that he had procured the
man, who bore his letter to go over. Instructions were
given him : he passed over, and obtained such information as warranted an immediate attack. This was confidentially communicated to several of my first officers,
and produced great zeal to act ; more especially as it
might have a controlling effect upon the movements at
Detroit, where it was supposed General Brock had gone
with all the force he dared spare from the Niagara frontier. The best preparations in my power were therefore
made to dislodge the enemy from the heights of Queenstown, and possess ourselves of the village ; where the
troops might be sheltered from the distressing inclemency
of the weather.
Lieutenant-Colonel Fenwick's flying artillery, and a
detachment of regular troops under his command, were
ordered to be up in season from Fort Niagara. Orders
were also sent General Smyth, to send down from Buffalo,
such detachments of his brigade as existing circumstances
in that vicinity might warrant. The attack was to have
been made at 4 o'clock on the morning of the II th, by

126

VAN RENSSELAER'S OFFICIAL ACCOUNT

I27

BATTLE OF QUEENSTON HEIGHTS

crossing over in boats at the old ferry opposite the heights.
To avoid any embarrassment in crossing the river, (which
is here a sheet of violent eddies,) experienced boatmen
were procured to take the boats from the landing below
to the place of embarkation. Lieutenant Sim was considered the man of greatest skill for this service ; he went
ahead, and, in the extreme darkness, passed the intended
place far up the river ; and there, in a most extraordinary
manner, fastened his boat to the shore, and abandoned
the detachment. In this front boat he had carried nearly
every oar, which was prepared for all the boats. In this
agonizing dilemma stood officers and men, whose ardor
had not been cooled by exposure through the night, to
one of the most tremendous north-east storms, which
continued unabated for 28 hours, and deluged the whole
camp. The approach of daylight extinguished every
prospect of success and the detachment returned to camp.
Colonel Van Rensselaer was to have commanded the detachment.
Af ter this result, I had hoped the patience of the troops
would have continued, until I could submit the plan suggested in my letter of the 8th, that I might act under, and
in conformity to, the opinion which might be then expressed. But my hope was idle ; the previously excited
ardor seemed to have gained new heat from the late miscarriage ; the brave were mortified to stop short of their
object, and the timid thought laurels half-won by an
attempt.
On the morning of the 12th, such was the pressure upon
me from all quarters, that I became satisfied that lily refusal to act might involve me in suspicion, and the service in disgrace.
Viewing affairs at Buffalo as yet unsettled, I had immediately countermanded the march of General Smyth's
brigade, upon the failure of the first expedition ; but having now determined to attack Queenstown, I sent new
orders to General Smyth to march ; not with the view of
• his aid in the attack, for I considered the force detached
sufficient, but to support the detachment should the conflict be obstinate and long continued.
Lieutenant-Colonel Chrystie, who had just arrived at
the Four Mile Creek, and had, late in the night of the first
contemplated attack, gallantly offered me his own and his
men's service : but he got my permission too late. He
now again came forward, had a conference with Colonel

Van Rensselaer,' and begged that he might have the honor
of a command in the expedition. The arrangement was
made, Colonel Van Rensselaer was to command one column of 30o militia; and Lieutenant-Colonel Chrystie a
column of the same number of regular troops.
Every precaution was now adopted as to boats, and
the most confidential and experienced men to manage
them. At an early hour in the night, Lieutenant-Colonel
Chrystie marched his detachment by the rear road from
Niagara to camp. At 7 in the evening Lieutenant-Colonel Stranahan's regiment moved from Niagara Palls ; at
8 o'clock Mead's, and at 9 o'clock Lieutenant-Colonel
Bloom's regiment marched from the same place. All were
in camp in good season. Agreeably to my orders issued
upon this occasion, the two columns were to pass over
together ; as soon as the heights should be carried Lieutenant-Colonel Fenwick's flying artillery was to pass over;
then Major Mullany's detachment of regulars ; and the
other troops to follow in order.
At dawn of day the boats were in readiness, and the
troops commenced embarking, under cover of a commanding battery, mounting two eighteen-pounders and two
sixes. The movements were soon discovered, and a brisk
fire of musketry was poured from the whole line of the
Canadian shore. Our battery then opened to sweep the
shore ; but it was, for some minutes, too dark to direct
much fire with safety. A brisk cannonade was now
opened upon the boats from three different batteries.
Our battery returned the fire, and occasionally threw
grape upon the shore, and was itself served with shells
from a small mortar of the enemy's. Colonel Scott, of
the Artillery, by hastening his march from Niagara Falls
in the night arrived in season to return the enemy's fire
with two six-pounders.
The boats were somewhat embarrassed with the eddies,
as well as with a shower of shot ; but Colonel Van Rensselaer, with about too men, soon effected his landing
=Colonel Solomon Van Rensselaer and Major-General Stephen
Van Rensselaer were cousins. The former wrote " A Narrative of
the Affair of Queenstown," in which he defends himself and the
General from the " strictures on that event in a book entitled
' Notices of the War of 1812,'" by General John Armstrong, who
was appointed Secretary of .War in January, 1813, but resigned in
September, 1814, after the capture of Washington.

128

BATTLE OF QUEENSTON HEIGHTS

amidst a tremendous fire directed upon him from every
point ; but to the astonishment of all who witnessed the
scene, this van of the column advanced slowly against the
fire. It was a serious misfortune to the van, and indeed
to the whole expedition, that in a few minutes after landing Colonel Van Rensselaer received four wounds. A
ball passed through his right thigh, entering just below
the hip bone ; another shot passed through the same thigh
a little below ; the third through the calf of the leg ; and
a fourth contused his heel. This was quite a crisis in the
expedition. Under so severe a fire it was difficult to form
raw troops. By some mismanagement of the boatmen,
Lieutenant-Colonel Chrystie did not arrive until some
time after this, and was wounded in the hand in passing
the river. Colonel Van Rensselaer was still able to stand
and with great presence of mind ordered his officers to
proceed with rapidity and storm the fort. This service
was gallantly performed and the enemy driven down the
hill in every direction. Soon after this, both parties were
considerably reinforced, and the conflict was renewed in
various places. Many of the enemy took shelter behind
a stone guard-house, where a piece of ordnance was now
briskly served. I ordered the fire of our battery to be
directed upon the guard-house ; and it was so effectually
done, that with eight or ten shot the fire was silenced.
The enemy then retreated behind a large store-house ; but
in a short time the rout became general, and the enemy's
fire was silenced, except from a one-gun battery, so far
down the river as to be out of the reach of our heavy ordnance ; and our light pieces could not silence it. A number of boats now passed over unannoyed, except from
the one unsilenced gun. For some time after I had
passed over, the victory seemed complete ; but in the expectation of further attacks, I was taking measures for
fortifying my camp immediately ; the direction of this
service I committed to Lieutenant Totten, of the Engineers. But very soon the enemy were reinforced, by a
detachment of several hundred Indians from Chippawa ;
they commenced a furious attack ; but were promptly met
and routed by the rifle and bayonet. By this time I perceived my troops were embarking very slowly. I passed
immediately over to accelerate their movements ; but, to
my utter astonishment, I found that at the very moment
when complete victory was in our hands, the ardor of the

MAJOR-GENERAL STEPHEN VAN RENSSELAER.

VAN RENSSELAER'S OFFICIAL ACCOUNT

I 29

unengaged troops had entirely subsided. I rode in all
directions ; urged the men by every consideration to pass
over, but in vain. Lieut.-Col. Bloom, who had been
wounded in action, returned, mounted his horse and rode
through the camp ; as did also Judge Peck, who happened
to be here, exhorting the companies to proceed, but all in
vain.
At this time a large reinforcement from Fort George
was discovered coming up the river. As the battery on
the hill was considered an important check against their
ascending the heights, measures were immediately taken
to send them a fresh supply of ammunition as I learnt
there were left only zo shot for the 18-pounders. The reinforcement, however, obliqued to the right from the
road, and formed a junction with the Indians in
the rear of the heights. Finding, to my infinite
mortification, that no reinforcement would pass over ;
seeing that another severe conflict must soon commence ;
and knowing that the brave men on the heights were
quite exhausted, and nearly out of ammunition ; all I
could do was to send them a fresh supply of cartridges.
At this critical moment I despatched a note to General
Wadsworth acquainting him with our situation ; leaving
the course to be pursued much to his own judgment ; with
assurance that if he thought best to retreat, I would
endeavor to send as many boats as I could command, and
cover his retreat by every fire I could safely make. But
the boats were dispersed ; many of the boatmen had fled
panic struck ; and but few got off. But my note could
but little more than have reached General Wadsworth
about 4 o'clock, when a most severe and obstinate conflict
commenced, and continued for about half an hour, with
a tremendous fire of cannon, flying artillery and musketry. The enemy succeeded in re-possessing their battery,
and gaining advantage on every side ; the brave men who
had gained the victory, exhausted of strength and ammunition, and grieved at the unpardonable neglect of their
fellow soldiers, gave up the conflict.
I can only add, that the victory was really won ; but
lost for the want of a small reinforcement ; one third part
of the idle men might have saved all.
I have been so pressed with the various duties of burying the dead, providing for the wounded, collecting the
public property, negotiating an exchange of prisoners,

130

BATTLE OF QUFENSTON HEIGHTS

and all The concerns consequent of such a battle that I
have not been able to forward this despatch at as early an
hour as I could have wished. I shall soon forward you
another despatch in which I shall endeavor to point out
to you the conduct of some most gallant and deserving
officers. But I cannot in justice close this without impressing the very great obligation I am under to Brigadier-General Wadsworth, Colonel Van Rensselaer, Colonel
Scott, Lieutenant-Colonels Chrystie and Fenwick and
Captain Gibson. Many others have also behaved most gallantly. As I have reason to believe that many of our
troops fled to the woods with the hope of crossing the
river, I have not been able to learn the probable number
of killed, wounded and prisoners. The slaughter of our
troops must have been very considerable and the enemy
have suffered severely.
General Brock is among their slain, and his Aid-deCamp mortally wounded.
I have the honor to be yours, &c., &c.,
Stephen Van Rensselaer,
Maj.-Gen. Dearborn.
Maj.-Gen.
The following is the report of the Officer commanding
the detachment (the present Colonel Wool) which obtained possession of the battery, by ascending the concealed fisherman's path, in the early part of the day.
From Captain Wool to Colonel Van Rensselaer.
Buffalo, Oct. 23, 1812.
Dear Sir,l
I have the honor to communicate to you the circumstances attending the storming of Queenstown battery on
the 13th inst.; with those which happened previously you
are already well acquainted.
In pursuance of your order, we proceeded round the
point and ascended the rocks, which brought us partly in
rear of the battery. We took it without much resistance.
I immediately formed the troops in rear of the battery,
and fronting the village, when I observed General Brock
with his troops formed, consisting of four companies of
the 49th Regiment, and a few militia, marching for our
left flank. I immediately detached a party of 15o men,
to take possession of the heights above Queenstown bat-

CAPTAIN WOOL'S REPORT

131

tery and to hold General Brock in check ; but in consequence of his superior force they retreated. I sent a reinforcement ; notwithstanding which the enemy drove us
to the edge of the bank, when with the greatest exertions
we brought the troops to a stand, and I ordered the
Officers to bring their men to a charge as soon as the ammunition was expended, which was executed with some
confusion, and in a few moments the enemy retreated.
We pursued them to the edge of the heights, when Col.
Macdonell had his horse shot from under him, and was
himself mortally wounded. In the interim, General
Brock, in attempting to rally his forces, was killed, when
the enemy dispersed in every direction. As soon as it
was practicable, I formed the troops in a line on the
heights fronting the village, and immediately detached
flanking parties, which consisted of Captain Machesney,
of the 6th Regiment, Lieutenant Smith, and Ensign
Grosvenor with a small detachment of riflemen, who had
that moment arrived ; at the same time, I ordered Lieutenant Gansevoort and Lieutenant Randolph, with a detachment of artillery, to drill out an i8-pounder which
had been previously spiked, and if possible to bring it to
bear upon the village. The wounded and prisoners I
ordered to be collected, and sent to the guard-house.
About this time, which was about three or four o'clock
in the afternoon, Lieutenant-Col. Chrystie arrived, and
took the command. He ordered me across the river to
get my wounds dressed. I remained a short time. Our
flanking parties had been driven in by the Indians but
General Wadsworth and other Officers arriving, we had a
short skirmish with them, and they retreated, and I
crossed the river.
The Officers engaged in storming the battery, were
Captains Wool and Ogilvie ; Lieutenants Kearney, Hugunin, Carr, and Sammons, of the 43rd Regiment ; Lieutenant Gansevoort and Randolph of the Light Artillery, and
Major Lush of the Militia.
I recommend to your particular notice Lieuts. Randolph, Carr, and Kearney, for their brave conduct exhibited during the whole of the action.
I have the honor to be,
Your most obedient humble Servant
John E. Wool, Capt. t3th Regt. Inft.
Colonel Van Rensselaer.



VI
BATTLE OF QUEENSTON HEIGHTS

The month of October was marked by an event of the
most melancholy and disastrous nature—the death of the
noble Brock, who fell a victim to the daring and intrepidity of his character, and in the performance of a duty
which should have been executed by a captain of a company.
On his arrival at Fort George, which he reached in
eight days from the surrender of Detroit, the General
found, to his great dismay, that an armistice had been
entered into and concluded, during his absence, between
Sir George Prevost and General Dearborn, Commander-in:
Chief of the American Army, so that the whole of his
plans of operation were deranged, and instead of carrying
the American fort of Niagara by an instant coup de main
as he had proposed, and which was to have been a preliminary to more extended offensive demonstrations, he
found himself compelled to sit quietly down in presence
of his enemy, and watch, without being enabled to interrupt them, his unremitting preparations for defence.
From this state of supineness and mortification he was
only first actively aroused on the early morning of the
i3th of October by an alarm given by the sentinel stationed at the point above Fort George, that he had seen
and heard firing in the direction of Queenstown. In a
few minutes the General was on his horse, and, unattended even by an Aid-de-Camp, galloped onward to
Queenstown to ascertain the cause of the alarm. On arriving about half-way to Brown's Point, he was met by
Lieut. Jarvis, of Captain Cameron's Flank Company of
York Militia, which, with Captain Heward's, was staioi

QUEENSTON ATTACKED BY AMERICANS

I05

tioned there. This officer had been on guard at what
was called the half-moon battery, about mid-way between
Queenstown and Niagara, and observing on the water,
opposite to the former place, numerous and rapid flashes
of fire-arms, had alarmed the officer commanding the detachment, who immediately ordered the two companies
under arms. An officer was at the same time despatched
to Queenstown, to obtain information. Scarcely had the
men been turned out, when an officer, who had passed their
own messenger on the road, arrived from Queenstown
with intelligence that the Americans were crossing in
force, and an order for the detachment at Brown's Point
to march up immediately, and assist in opposing their
landing. He was moreover directed to desire that the
officer commanding should instantly despatch a messenger to Fort George, to apprize General Brock of the
movement of the enemy. Lieut. Jarvis, who happened
to be the only person mounted, was ordered on this service, and he had galloped about half-way to Fort George,
when he met General Brock, wholly unattended, cantering
his charger up the Queenstown road. As the day had
begun to dawn, Lieut. Jarvis had no difficulty in recognizing the General, but such was the spirit of his horse
that he could not rein him in, but was borne past, shouting out to his Chief to stop, as he had most important
news to communicate. But the General was too impatient to reach the scene of danger to delay a moment,
and beckoning the officer to follow him, he still continued his course. After the lapse of a few minutes
Lieut. Jarvis succeeded in reining in, and wheeling his
restive horse, and soon gaining the General's side, communicated his information. Without in the slightest degree abating his speed even for an instant, the General
listened, and then gave his orders. These were that
Lieutenant Jarvis should go with all speed to Fort George,
and order up General Sheaffe with the whole of the reserve. He moreover particularly directed that the In-

BATTLE OF QUEENSTON HEIGHTS

BRITISH OPPOSITION

dians, a small party of whom were encamped near Fort
George, should be thrown out upon the right, to occupy
the woods, during the advance of the reserve to his support.
Scarcely had Lieut. Jarvis lost sight of the General, on
his way to execute the order he had received, when he
was met by Col. Macdonell, who was following after his
Chief, and who, in his hurry to overtake him, had left
Fort George without even recollecting that he was unprovided with his sword. Having satisfied himself that the
General was not far in advance, he begged Lieut. Jarvis
to supply the deficiency, stating at the same time where
he would find his own sabre, in his quarters at Fort
George, and desiring him to appropriate it to his use for
the day. The young officer complied with his request,
and hurriedly parted with the gallant Colonel, as he had
with the General, for ever.
Having given these brief yet interesting particulars, in
regard to the two brave men whose ashes now repose
under the same monumental stone, on the heights near
which they fell, only a few hours later, it is time to pass
to the scene of action to which they were hastening.
The Americans, availing themselves of the armistice
entered into by Sir George Prevost, had contrived to push
forward a large force to their camp at Lewiston, under
General Van Rensselaer, with the view of an invasion of
Canada, similar to that of General Hull. Their force was
a powerful one, and their plan of operation highly judicious, but fortunately it failed, from want of unanimity
and ardor in the irregular portion of their troops. General Van Rensselaer having concerted his mode of attack,
caused thirteen boats to be collected in the course of the
12th of October, for the purpose of crossing over his army
long before the dawn of the following day. James, who
seems to be good authority in this matter, states" The embarkation was to have taken place as follows:
Col. Van Rensselaer, who commanded, with 3 00 militia

and Lieut.-Col. Chrystie with 30o regulars ; Lieut.-Col.
Fenwick and Major Mullany to follow with about 55o
regular troops ; and some pieces of flying Artillery ; and
then the militia. It was intended that the embarkation
of the regulars and militia should be simultaneous, as far
as the boats would suffice to receive them ; but having to
descend the bank by a narrow path which had been cut
out of it, the regular troops got possession of the boats
to the exclusion of the militia ; and the latter were
ordered to follow in the return boats.
"The only British batteries, from which the troops
could be annoyed in the passage, were one, mounting an
18 pounder, upon Queenstown Heights (about half way
up), and another mounting a 24-pound carronade, situate
a little below the town. The river at Queenstown is
scarcely a quarter of a mile in width, and the part chosen
for crossing was not fully exposed to either of the British
batteries ; while the American batteries of two 18, and
two 6 pounders, and the two 6 pounder field pieces,
brought up by Lieutenant-Colonel Scott, completely
commanded every part of the opposite shore, from which
musketry could be effectual in opposing a landing. With
these important advantages the troops embarked ; but a
grape-shot striking the boat in which Lieutenant-Colonel
Chrystie was, and wounding him in the hand, the pilot
and the boatmen became so alarmed, that they suffered
the boat to fall below the point of landing, and were
obliged in consequence to put back. Two other boats
did the same. The remaining ten with the 225 regulars,
besides officers, including the commander of the detachment, Colonel Van Rensselaer, struck the shore ; and,
after disembarking the men, returned for more troops.
"The only force at Queenstown (at the landing of the
enemy) consisted of the two flank companies of the 49th
Regiment and a small detachment of militia ; amounting
in all to about 30o rank and file. Of these about 6o,
taken from the 49th Grenadiers, and Captain Hatt's
company of militia, having in charge a 3 pounder,
advanced at four o'clock in the morning, with Captain
Dennis of the 49th at their head, towards the river, near
to which Colonel Van Rensselaer had formed his men, to
await the arrival of the next boats. A well-directed and
warmly-continued fire killed and wounded several American officers and privates, including, among the wounded

I06

107

1o8

BATTLE OF QUEENSTON HEIGHTS

Colonel Van Rensselaer and three Captains, and drove
the Americans close to the water's edge. In the meantime a fresh supply of troops had effected a landing ; and
remained with the others sheltered behind the bank ;
whence they returned the fire of the British, killing one
man, and wounding four. The remaining sub-divisions
of the 49th Grenadiers and of the militia company had
now joined Captain Dennis' ; and the 49th Light Infantry
under Captain Williams, with Captain Chisholm's company of militia, stationed on the brow of the hill, were
firing down upon the invaders.
"Of five or six boats that attempted to land a body of
American regulars under Major Mullany, one was
destroyed by a shot from the hill-battery commanded by
Lieutenant Crowther of the 41st Regiment ; two others
were captured, and the remainder, foiled in their object,
returned to the American side. Daylight appeared, and
at the same instant General Brock arrived at the hillbattery from Fort George. Observing the strong reinforcements that were crossing over, the General instantly
ordered Captain Williams to descend the hill and support
Captain Dennis. No sooner were Captain Williams and
his men seen to depart, than the Americans formed the
resolution of gaining the heights. Accordingly 6o American regulars, headed by Captain Wool, and accompanied
by Major Lush, a volunteer, also by a Captain, six
Lieutenants and an Ensign of the 13th Regiment, ascended
a fisherman's path up the rocks, which had been reported
to General Brock as impassable, and therefore was not
guarded. The Americans were thus enabled, unseen by
our troops, to arrive at a brow, about 3o yards in rear of
the hill-battery. Reinforcements kept rapidly arriving
by the concealed path ; and the whole formed on the
brow, with their front towards the Village of Queenstown.
' Major-General Sir James Dennis, K.C.B., son of John Dennis, an
Attorney, was born 1778. He served in the navy as a midshipman,
but afterwards joined the 49th Re t. as an ensign, Sept. 2nd, 1796,
and rose by promotion through all the grades to a majority in the
same regiment on Dec. 1st, 1812. On June 4th, 1833, he was
appointed Lieut.-Col: of the 3rd Regiment, and commanded a
division of Infantry at the battle of Maharajpore on Dec. 29th,
1843. For his gallantry on this occasion he was made a K.C.B. on
Oct. 30th, 1844 ; and was promoted to the rank of Major-General,
Nov. 11th, 1851. His death took place at Pall Mall, London, on
Jan. 14th, 1855.

From a Silhouette in possession of John Alexander Macdonell, K.C., Alexandria.

LIEUTENANT-COLONEL JOHN MACDONELL.
Provincial Aid-de-Camp to Major-General Sir Isaac Brock ; M.P. for Glengarry ;
Attorney-General of Upper Canada.

BROCK AND MACDONELL MORTALLY WOUNDED 109

"The moment General Brock discovered the unexpected
advance of the American troops, he, with the 12 men stationed at the battery, retired ; and Captain Wool advancing from the rear with his more than tenfold force, took
possession of it. Captain Williams and his detachment
of regulars and militia were now recalled ; and General
Brock putting himself at the head of this force, amounting in all to about 90 men, advanced to meet a detachment of 150 picked American regulars, which Captain
Wool had sent forward to attack him. While animating
his little band of regulars and militia to a charge up the
heights, General Brock received a mortal wound in the
breast, and immediately fell.
"At this moment the two flank companies of the York
militia, with Lieutenant-Colonel Macdonell, the General's
Provincial Aid-de-Camp at their head, arrived from
Brown's Point, three miles distant. By this time also
Captain Wool had sent additional reinforcements to
Captain Ogilvie ; making the latter's force '320 regulars,
supported by a few militia and volunteers,' or on the
whole, full 500 men. Colonel Macdonell and his 90 men
—more than two-thirds Canadian militia—rushed boldly
up the hill, in defiance of the continued stream of musketry pouring down upon them ; compelled the Americans
to spike the 18 pounder ; and would have again driven
them to the rocks, had not the Colonel and Captain Williams been wounded almost at the same instant ; the
former mortally. The loss of their commanders created
confusion among the men, and they again retreated.
Hearing of the fall of General Brock, Captain Dennis proceeded from the valley, towards the foot of the heights,
and mounting the General's horse, rode up, and tried to
rally the troops. He succeeded in forming a few ; but
the number was so inconsiderable that to persist in a contest would have been madness. A retreat was accord- .
ingly ordered, by the ground in the rear of the town ;
and the men of the 49th, accompanied by many of the
militia, formed in front of Vrooman's battery, there to
await the expected reinforcement from Fort George.
"While we had at this period not above Zoo unwounded
men at Queenstown, the Americans, by their own account, had upwards of 800 and General Van Rensselaer
tells us that ' a number of boats now crossed over, unannoyed except by one unsilenced gun,' or that at Vroo-

I 1 0 BATTLE OF QUEENSTON HEIGHTS

man's battery ; consequently more troops were hourly
arriving. Brigadier-General Wadsworth was left as commanding officer of the Americans on the Queenstown hill;
and General Van Rensselaer, considering the victory as
complete, had himself crossed over, in order to give directions about fortifying the camp, which he intended to
occupy in the British territory."
Thus far, then is, lucidly and accurately enough, explained the nature of the contest, and the relative positions of the two forces, up to the moment of the arrival
of the reserve from Fort George. It may not, however,
be unimportant to add, that among the officers wounded
in the repulse, and of whom no mention- is made by
James, were Captain Dennis of the 49th Grenadiers, and
the present Mr. Justice McLean= of Toronto, who was
then a brother subaltern with Mr. Jarvis, in Captain
Cameron's flank company of militia. The latter was
very severely wounded, yet brought off by the retreating
party. The former had received a ball in his thigh, yet
i mpatient of the delay of a regular treatment, he, with
characteristic sang froid, stopped the effusion of blood by
thrusting his finger into the wound, and in that manner
supported his share in the action to the last. The fall of
so many brave officers had naturally the effect of dispiriting the men, and the remains of the detachment continued
their retreat to Durham's farm, about two miles and a
half below Queenstown, where Colonel Macdonell's almost lifeless body was deposited, preparatory to its final
removal to the Government House at Fort George, in
' Lieut. Archibald McLean, the second son of the Hon. Neil
McLean, was born at St. Andrew's, County of Stormont, in 1791.
He was present at Ogdensburg in 1813, and at the capture of York
carried to a place of safety the colors of the York Volunteers. At
the Battle of Lundy's Lane he was taken prisoner and detained
until the close of the war. After the war he continued his legal
studies, and in 1820 was elected a member of the Legislative
Assembly for Stormont, being re-elected on five other occasions,
once for the town of Cornwall. For two Parliaments, the eleventh
and thirteenth, he was honored by being elected Speaker. He
subsequently was appointed Chief Justice of Upper Canada, and
afterwards President of the Court of Error and Appeal, an office he
d at his death in 1865.

FLANK ATTACK OF GENERAL SHEAFFE I 1•I

which the gallant officer breathed his last, soon after his
arrival. The body of the Hero of Canada had been left
behind, in one of the houses in Queenstown, hurriedly
covered with a pile of old blankets in order to prevent
any recognition by the enemy.
It was about 2 o'clock in the afternoon, when the
anxiously-expected reserve, under General Sheaffe, consisting principally of the 41st Regiment, made its appearance at Durham's farm. The whole then moved
forward in a westerly direction towards the village of
St. David's, for the purpose of gaining the rear of the
mountain. Here, as might have been expected, the military tact and prevoyance of the fallen leader, in urgently
desiring the advance of the Indians, to clear a passage for
the troops in their ascent of the heights, was made manifest. The column had been halted at the base of the
mountain far to the right of the Queenstown road, and
inclining towards that which traverses it from St. David's.
Profiting by the suggestion of his late superior, General
Sheaffe sent forward the Indians, who rapidly ascended
the heights, and so well and so gallantly occupied the
American pickets, which had been thrown out in that
direction, that the little army. was enabled to gain the
summit of the mountain, by an oblique movement to the
right, almost without opposition, and wholly without
loss.
And now had arrived the crisis which was to decide,
for a brief season at least, the destinies of Canada, and
the honor of the British arms.
The height gained on the flank of the enemy, who
were discovered drawn up in preparation for the attack,
the British line, not exceeding Soo men, was instantly
formed. On the extreme left, and resting on the brow
of the hill, were the Indians, and next to these the companies of militia who had already borne so honorable a
share in the contest of the morning, and a few others just
arrived, with General Sheaffe, from Fort George. The

II2

BATTLE OF QUEENSTON HEIGHTS

centre was composed of the remnant of the 49th flank
companies, and the right of the main body of the 41st
Regiment—about 35o bayonets—commanded by Captain
Derenzy. At this critical moment, and just as the
action was about to commence, Captain Bullock, with the
principal portion of the 4ist Grenadiers, suddenly made
his appearance from Chippawa, followed by Lieut Bullock, of the same company, who hastened from his station opposite Navy Island, with the few men he had
under his command, partly grenadiers and partly battalion men. The opportune arrival of these little detachments (numbering together too bayonets) which
immediately took their proper stations in the line, the
extreme right of the grenadiers resting on the road leading to the Falls, was hailed as an earnest of success by
the little band, who were animated by the most eager
desitt to encounter the enemy, and avenge the fall of
their noble and lamented Chief. The moment of their
triumph at length arrived. Between the extreme flank
of the 4ist, and the bold precipice of Queenstown
Heights, there was a space covered with small trees and
stunted pines. Under cover of these, the American left
attempted to turn the outer flank of the 41st, but were
met by such a warm and destructive fire that they were
checked and thrown into confusion. Almost simultaneously with this movement of the enemy, commenced an
attack upon their centre, by the light company of the
4ist under Lieut. McIntyre, and on their extreme right
by the Indians, who were led into action by their Chief
Norton'—or Teyoninhokorawen—as he is .named in the
British Army Lists even of the present day. Both these
=Captain John Norton, along with Captain John Brant, had com-

cE

mand of the Indians at Queenston Heights. He was a native of
Scotland, his Indian name meaning Pale-faced warrior, or Sadcountenanced warrior. Some time after the war he quarrelled
with the Indians, went to the State of Georgia and thence to Mississippi, and finally returned to Scotland with his Indian wife
Catharine, to whom he was married at Niagara on July 27th, 1813,
by Rev. Robert Addison.
-

MONUMENT TO BROCK, QUEENSTON HEIGHTS.

DEFEAT AND SURRENDER OF THE AMERICAN ARMY I 13

parties commenced the action with great spirit, driving
the Americans before them, and when it was perceived
that the attempt of the enemy to turn our right had so
signally failed, a tremendous shout arose from the British troops, which, mingling with the war whoop of the
Indians, staggered the wavering assailants still more. At
that instant the advance was sounded, and the whole line
rushed eagerly forward upon the enemy, who made little
or no resistance, but broke and fled in the utmost consternation, closely followed by the immolating bayonet
and tomahawk. Many, in their panic, threw themselves
over the precipice, and were of course dashed to pieces in
their descent. But quarter having at length been demanded by the American commander, this was given, and
goo prisoners, including one General and 72 inferior
officers, in some degree atoned for—it was impossible to
repay—the grievous loss the country had sustained in the
. morning of that otherwise glorious day.
The British loss' at Queenstown was I I killed and 6o
=Return of killed, wounded and missing of the army under the
command of Major-General Isaac Brock, in an action at Queenstown, Niagara, on the 13th October, 1812 :
General staff-2 killed.
Royal Artillery-2 rank and file wounded.
Detachment 41st Regiment-1 sergeant, 1 rank and file killed ; 1
sergeant, 9 rank and file wounded.
Flank Companies, 49th Regiment-8 rank and file killed ; 2 captains, 3 sergeants, 27 rank and file, 1 volunteer wounded ; 5 rank
and file, 1 volunteer missing.
Lincoln Artillery-1 rank and file wounded.
Lincoln Militia-1 adjutant, 1 sergeant, 12 rank and file wounded;
10 rank and file missing.
York Militia-2 rank and file killed ; 1 lieutenant, 1 sergeant, 15
rank and file wounded ; 5 rank and file missing.
Total Loss-1 Major-General, 1 aid-de-camp, 1 sergeant, 9 rank
and file, line, 2 rank and fi'e, militia, killed ; 2 captains, line ; 1
adjutant, 1 lieutenant, militia ; 4 sergeants, line ; 2 sergeants, militia ; 2 rank and file, artillery ; 1 do., militia artillery ; 36 rank
and file, 1 volunteer, line ; 27 rank and file, militia, wounded ; 5
rank and file, 1 volunteer, line ; 15 rank and file, militia, missing.
General Total —2 general staff, 1 sergeant, 11 rank and file.
killed ; 2 captains, 1 lieutenant, 1 adjutant, 6 sergeants, 66 rank
and file, 1 volunteer, wounded ; 20 rank and file, 1 volunteer, missing.
Officers Killed — Major-General Isaac Brock, commanding ;

I

14

BATTLE OF QUEENSTON HEIGHTS

wounded of the line and militia ; and 5 killed' and 9
wounded of the brave Indians. The number2 of killed
and wounded of the Americans is not precisely known.
The former has however been admitted by themselves to
have been between 90 and too. Independently of those
killed upon the field, and dashed over the precipice, a
great number perished in two or three boats sunk by the
fire from our batteries.
Again, on this occasion, was the present Chief Justice
conspicuous for his zeal and his gallantry. In the absence
Lieut.-Colonel Macdonell, Provincial Aid-de-Camp.
Wounded—Captains Dennis and Williams, 49th Regiment, volunteer Shaw, do.; Lieut. McLean, York Light Infantry ; Adjutant
McIntyre, Lincoln Militia.
Fort George, 15th October, 1812.
THOMAS EVANS, Major of Brigade.
(Canadian Archives.)
Return of killed, wounded and prisoners of war in the action at
Queenstown, Niagara, on the 13th October, 1812 :
Prisoners of War-1 Brigadier-General, l major, aid-de-camp, 5
lieutenant-colonels, 3 majors, 19 captains, 32 lieutenants, 10
ensigns, 1 adjutant, 1 surgeon, 852 non-commissioned officers and
privates. Total, 925.
Regulars—Officers, 19 ; non-commissioned officers and privates,
417.
Militia—Officers, 54 ; non-commissioned officers and privates,
435. Total, 925.
Estimated loss of the enemy in officers and men killed and
wounded, and in wounded sent over during the engagement, 500 ;
supposed total loss, 1,425 ; acknowledged force engaged, 1,600.
Total British force engaged—Regulars and militia, 800 ; Indians,
200-1,000.
Fort George, 15th October, 1812.
THOMAS EVANS, Major of Brigade.
(Canadian Archives. )
'The names of the Indians killed at Queenston wereAyanete and Kayentatirhon, Cayuga Chiefs, Ta Kanentye, an
Onondaga Warrior, Kayarawagor and Sakangonguquate, Oneida
' Warriors.
From Documentary History of the Campaign by Lieut.-Col.
Cruikshank.
2The number of Americans killed and wounded in this battle
has never been very accurately ascertained. The most authentic
American sources put the number of killed at 90, the wounded at
82, and 764 prisoners, composed of 386 regulars and 378 militia.

OFFICERS OF THE YORK MILITIA ENGAGED I15

of his Captain (Heward) who was upon leave, he commanded the 2nd flank company during the whole of the
day. He consequently bore a prominent part in the engagement, from the moment when he arrived at early
dawn from Brown's Point where, it has been seen, he was
stationed with No. 1, or Captain Cameron's company, to
the late hour in the afternoon, when victory finally
perched on the British standard. The officers attached
to Lieut. Robinson, were Lieut. Stanton,' and Lieut.
Samuel P. Jarvis. The subalterns of Captain Cameron's •
company were Lieut. Jarvie,2 Lieut. Archibald McLean,
and Lieut. Geo. Ridout.3 Captain Hatt's, and Captain
=Lieutenant Robert Stanton was the son of a British Naval officer,
who saw a great deal of active service at the memorable defence of
Gibraltar by General Elliot, and with the fleet on the coast of
North America and in the West Indies. About the beginning of
the last century he came to York with his father, who held several
military and civil offices. On the breaking out of the war he was
a Lieut. in Captain Stephen Reward's company of York militia,
and took part in the battle of Queenston Heights and in the
defence of York in 1813. At the latter engagement he was taken
prisoner, but released on parole.
In 1825 he became editor and publisher of the Gazette and
King's Printer, and in 1843 gave up the publishing business to
become Collector of Customs for the port of Toronto, an office he
resigned Nov. 10th, 1849. For a time he was manager of the
Western Insurance Company, and latterly Clerk of the Process at
Osgoode Hall. His death took place in 1866 at the age of 72.
2This is the spelling that is given in the original edition of
Richardson. It would be considered merely a typographical error
for Lieut. Jarvis but for the fact that in Vol. 1 of the report of the
Ontario Historical Society, the roll of Captain Cameron's company
of York Militia in 1812 is given ; and the name appears as it does
here, Lieut. Jarvie. I am inclined to think that the name should
be Jarvis, but which one I am not certain. It is neither Lieut. S. P.
Jarvis nor Volunteer G. S. Jarvis who were with other companies.
I have not been able to find the name " Jarvie " in any published
work on the early history of Toronto.
3Lieut. George Ridout was the son of Thomas Ridout, sometime
Surveyor-General of Upper Canada. His brother John, who met
his death in a duel in 1817, was a midshipman on the Royal
George during the war. Another brother, Thomas G. Ridout,
was also a Lieutenant and afterwards Deputy Assistant Commissary• General. The part taken during the war by this family is fully
set forth by Lady Edgar, a descendant, in " Ten Years of Upper
Canada in Peace and War."

116

BATTLE OF QUEENSTON HEIGHTS

SHEAFFE'S OFFICIAL ACCOUNT

Chisholm's companies were the first to oppose the landing
of the enemy.
The victory of Queenstown Heights, although fought
at a distance from the principal theatre of their service,
the Right Division distinctly claim as their own. The
main body of the 4ist, who later composed that Division,
principally sustained the action, and among these were
the grenadiers who had already assisted at the capture of
Detroit. Moreover there were there the York volunteers
who also had participated in that memorable triumph.
True, the 49th flank companies, and especially their
leaders, had gallantly done their duty in the morning,
but nevertheless they were defeated, and driven back, and
the Queenstown Heights had been so completely gained
that no impediment was offered to the passage of the
American troops who, at the moment when the 41st,
under Captain Derenzy, and the detachments of the same
corps from Chippawa, made their appearance, numbered
not less than 1,400 men. Under these circumstances it
is that the Right Division claim, and justly, the laurels
won on this day.
As no portrait, public or private, of General Brock,
seems to have been preserved in the country, it may not
be unimportant here to give a slight written sketch of the
hero. In person he was tall, stout and inclining to corpulency : he was of fair and florid complexion, had a
large forehead, full face, but not prominent features,
rather small, greyish-blue eyes, with a very slight cast in
one of them—small mouth, with a pleasing smile, and
good teeth. In manner he was exceedingly affable and
gentlemanly, of a cheerful and social habit, partial to
dancing, and although never married, extremely devoted
to female society. Of the chivalry of his nature, and the
soundness of his judgment, evidence enough has been
given in the foregoing pages to render all comment
thereon a matter of supererogation.

The following is the Official account of the Action.
From Major General Sheaffe to Sir George Prevost.
Fort George, 13th October, 1812.
have the honor of informing Your Excellency,
that the enemy made an attack, with a considerable
force this morning, before day-light, on the position of
Queenstown. On receiving intelligence of it, MajorGeneral Brock immediately proceeded to that post ; and
I am excessively grieved in having to add, that he fell
whilst gallantly cheering his troops to an exertion for
maintaining it. With him the position was lost : but the
enemy was not allowed to retain it long; reinforcements
having been sent up from this post, composed of regular
troops, militia, and Indians, a movement was made to turn
his left, while some artillery, under the able direction of
Captain Holcroft, supported by a body of infantry, engaged his attention in front. This operation was aided,
too, by the judicious position which Norton and the Indians with him had taken on the woody brow of the
high ground above Queenstown. A- communication
being thus opened with Chippawa, a junction was formed
with succours that had been ordered from that post. The
enemy was then attacked, and after a short but spirited
conflict, was completely defeated. I had the satisfaction
of receiving the sword of their commander BrigadierGeneral Wadsworth, on the field of battle, and many
Officers, with 90o men, were made prisoners, and more
may yet be expected. A stand of colors and one 6pounder, were also taken. The action did not terminate
till nearly three o'clock in the afternoon, and their loss, in
killed and wounded, must have been considerable. Ours,
I believe to have been comparatively small in numbers :
no officer was killed besides Major-General Brock, one of
the most gallant and zealous officers in His Majesty's
service whose loss cannot be too much deplored, and
Lieutenant-Colonel Macdonell, Provincial Aide-de-Camp,
whose gallantry and merit render him worthy of his
chief.
Captains Dennis and Williams, commanding the flank
companies of the 49th Regiment, who were stationed at
Queenstown, were wounded, bravely contending at the
head of their men against superior numbers ; but I am
glad to have it in my power to add, that Captain Dennis

,

117

I18

BATTLE OF QUEENSTON HEIGHTS

fortunately was able to keep the field, though it was with
pain and difficulty ; and Captain Williams's wound is not
likely long to deprive me of his services.
I am particularly indebted to Captain Holcroft of the
Royal Artillery, for his judicious and skilful co-operation
with the guns and howitzers under his immediate superintendence. Their well-directed fire contributed materially to the fortunate result of the day.
Captain Derenzy of the 41st Regiment, brought up the
reinforcement of that corps from Fort George, and
Captain Bullock led that of the same regiment from
Chippawa ; and under their commands those detachments
acquitted themselves in such a manner, as to sustain the
reputation which the 41st Regiment had already acquired
in the vicinity of Detroit.
Major-General Brock, soon after his arrival at Queenstown, had sent down orders for battering the American
Fort Niagara. Brigade-Major Evans, who was left in
charge of Fort George, directed the operations against it
with so much effect, as to silence its fire, and to force the
troops to abandon it, and by his prudent precautions, he
prevented mischief of a most serious nature, which
otherwise might have been effected, the enemy having
used heated shot in firing at Fort George. In these services he was most effectually aided by Colonel Clause
(who remained in the fort, at my desire) and by Captain
Vigoreux, of the Royal Engineers. Brigade-Major
Evans also mentions the conduct of Captains Powell and
Cameron, of the Militia artillery, in terms of commendation.
Lieutenant Crowther, of the 41st Regiment, had charge
'Lieut.-Col. William Claus, of the 1st Lincoln Militia, was the
son of Col. Daniel Claus, who married a daughter of Sir William
Johnson, Bart., and who served his country over thirty years in
the Military and Indian Departments. From his youth Lieut.-Col.
William Claus was an officer in the Indian Department, and at the
death of Col. Alexander McKee rose to be Deputy SuperintendentGeneral and Deputy Inspector-General of Indian Affairs. The
Indians had an affection for him equal to that which they had for
his father and grandfather, and his thorough knowledge of their
language and customs made him a valuable public officer. He was
Lieut.-Col. of the 1st Lincoln Militia, and on the breaking out of
the war was in command of the militia from Niagara to Queenston.
His services to his country, particularly his management of the
Indians, were highly commended by every officer commanding in
Upper Canada. His descendants reside at Niagara.

SHEAFFE'S OFFICIAL ACCOUNT

119

of two 3-pounders that had accompanied the movement
of our little corps, and they were employed with good
effect.
Captain Glegg, of the 49th Regiment, Aide-de-Camp to
our lamented friend and general, afforded me the most
essential assistance ; and I found the services of Lieutenant Fowler, of the 41st Regiment, Assistant-DeputyQuarter-Master-General, very useful. I derived much
aid, too, from the activity and intelligence of Lieutenant
Kerr, of the Glengarry Fencibles, whom I employed in
communicating with the Indians and other flanking
parties.
I was unfortunately deprived of the aid, experience,
and ability of Lieutenant-Colonel Myers, Deputy-Quarter-Master-General, who had been sent up to Fort Erie a
few days before on duty, which detained him there.
Lieutenant-Colonels Butler' and Clark2of the Militia; and
'Lieut.-Col. Thomas Butler first saw active service as a
Lieutenant in the corps of Rangers commanded by his father,
Colonel John Butler. His service in the war was cut short by his
death from disease in Dec., 1812.
.Lieut.-Col. Thomas Clark, of the 2nd Lincoln Militia, was
appointed at the beginning of the war to command the militia that
were guarding the border from Queenston to Fort Erie. He took
part in the battle of Queenston Heights, and was an active and
energetic officer. At the defence of Fort Erie, Nov. 28th, 1812, he
had command of the right wing, and on the 11th of July, 1813,
was second in command to Lieut.-Col. Bisshopp in the attack on
Black Rock, when the block houses, barracks and navy yard and
a schooner were burnt, and valuable stores and ordnance captured.
While conducting the retreat he was slightly wounded.
In the despatches describing the engagements in which he took
part he was highly commended for the able manner that he led
the troops under his command. He was a member of the Legislative Council of Upper Canada for many years.
Another officer of this name, that served throughout the war, was
Colonel John Clark, son of a soldier of the 8th (King's) Regt.
He was born at Kingston in 1783. His father came to Niagara,
and was appointed barrack-master and also Sheriff of Lincoln, an
office he held till 1803, when he was succeeded by Major Thomas
Merritt. When the war commenced the son was appointed Lieut.
and Adjutant of the 1st and 4th Lincoln flank companies. In
March, 1813, he was promoted to the rank of Captain and Assistant Adjutant-General of Militia by Gen. Sheaffe, and retained in
that office till the end of the war. He took part in several engagements, the principal one being Queenston Heights. He was for
many years Collector of Customs at Port Dalhousie, but resigned
some years before his death, which took place in 1862. For two
terms he represented Lincoln in the Legislative Assembly of Upper
Canada, being elected in 1820 and again in 1825.

I20

BATTLE OF QUEENSTON HEIGHTS

Captains Hatt, Durand, Rowe, Applegarth , James Crooks,
2

12I

SHEAFFE'S OFFICIAL ACCOUNT
3

Cooper,I Robert Hamilton McEwen, Duncan Cameron; 4
and Lieutenants Richardson and Thomas Butler, commanding flank companies of the Lincoln and York Militia,
led their men into action with great spirit. Major Merritt,
,

'

3

5

=Captain James Durand, who was in command of a flank company of the 5th Lincoln Militia at Queenston Heights, was born in
Monmouthshire, Wales, in 1775, and in 1800 came to Upper
Canada. During the war he lived on a farm now the site of the
city of Hamilton. In 1814 he was elected a member of the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada for Niagara, and in 1817 for
Wentworth. He died at Hamilton, March 22nd, 1833.
James Durand, who was elected for the County of Halton to the
Legislative Assembly in 1835, was Captain Durand's son. Another
son, Mr. Charles Durand, Barrister, is at present living in Toronto
at an advanced age, having been born on April 9th, 1811. Miss
Laura B. Durand, a well-known writer on the editorial staff of the
Toronto Globe, is a daughter of thelatter.
2Captain John Rowe was in command of a company of the 2nd
Lincoln. He was an officer in that famous corps, Butler's
Rangers, and had seen a great deal of active service in the Revolutionary War. He was killed at the head of his company while
gallantly contending against a more numerous force at the Battle
of Chippawa, July 5th, 1814.
3Captain James Crooks, who commanded a company of the 1st
Lincoln Militia at Queenston Heights, was born in Kilmarnock,
Scotland, in 1778, and immigrated to Canada in 1791. He engaged
in trade and farming, and, soon, by his energy and intelligence
combined with his excellence of character, became one of the foremost men of the community. After the war he removed to West
Flamboro, and there engaged in milling. Here he built and operated the first paper mill in Upper Canada. In 1820 he was elected
to the Legislative Assembly, and afterwards was appointed to the
Legislative Council, an office he held till his death in 1860. He
married in 1808 Jane Cummings, daughter of Thomas Cummings,
a soldier in Butler's Rangers, and raised a large family. The
Hon. Adam Crooks, for several years a member of the Ontario
Cabinet, was his son. His eldest daughter became the wife of
A. N. Bethune, Bishop of Toronto. Two of his grandchildren,
Miss Jane Crooks, of the Education Department Library, and
Lieut. A. D. Crooks, Barrister, are residents of Toronto.
He wrote a " Reminiscence of the Last War" that appeared in
the Niagara Reporter, and afterwards, about the first of the year
1841, in the British Colonist.
Captain William Crooks, although three years older than the
preceding, did not come to Upper Canada till a year after his
brother. He commanded a company of the 4th Lincoln at Queenston Heights. In 1808 he married Mary Butler, daughter of Colonel
John Butler, the celebrated commander of Butler's Rangers.
A younger sister of these two officers, Jean Crooks, was the wife
of Lieut. William Procter of the 41st Regt., brother of Gen. Henry
Procter ; and another sister, Jane, was the wife of Lieut.-Col.
William C. Short of the 41st Regt., who was killed at the assault on
Fort Stephenson.
It may be interesting to observe here that in the same year that

6

these two brothers were defending their adopted country from invasion another brother, Ramsay Crooks, was making a difficult
and perilous journey overland to Astoria at the mouth of the Columbia river, as a partner in the American Fur Company, of which
he became the head after the withdrawal of John Jacob Astor.
Mr. Crooks wrote a journal of the trip, which appears in the
travels of John Bradbury, an English botanist who accompanied
the Crooks party to the head waters of the Missouri. A graphic
description of the dangers and hardships encountered by these
adventurous traders may be found in Washington Irving's Astoria.
In 1814 when the Americans sent an expedition to retake Fort
Mackinac, Mr. Crooks accompanied the fleet to watch the interests
of Mr. Astor. It is said that he concentrated, in his reminiscences,
the history of the fur trade in America for forty years. He died
in New York in 1859.
=Captain Cooper, who commanded a company at this battle, is
probably an ancestor of the Coopers now living along the river
road in the township of Niagara.
2Captain Robert Hamilton was the son of Hon. Robert Hamilton,
of Queenston, and was born at Fort Niagara in 1787. He was in
command of a company of the 2nd Lincoln during the war,. and
took part in several engagements, among them Queenston Heights
and the defence of Fort Erie, Nov. 28th, 1812. He was elected to
the Legislature of Upper Canada by the County of Lincoln in 1820.
3Captain John McEwen commanded a flank company of the 1st
Lincoln Militia at Queenston Heights,
4Captain Duncan Cameron, who commanded a company of the
York Militia at Queenston Heights, was for many years a prominent
citizen of Toronto. He was appointed a member of the Legislative
Council, and for a time was Provincial Secretary of Upper Canada.
5Lieut. Thomas Butler was the son of Lieut.-Col. Thomas Butler.
6
Major Thomas Merritt, who raised the Niagara Dragoons and
commanded them at the Battle of Queenston Heights, was born in
1759 inWestchester County, New York. He was educated at Harvard
College, and on the breaking out of the Revolution was appointed
Cornet in the Queen's Rangers, a corps raised by Major Robert
Rogers, and afterward commanded by Colonel John Graves Simcoe
—the first Lient.-Governor of Upper Canada. At the peace he
went to New Brunswick, but returned to New York, and eventually took up his residence in the Niagara Peninsula, where he died
on May 12th, 1842. His son, William Hamilton Merritt, who
served as a Captain in his father's corps, and who was taken prisoner at Lundy's Lane, July 25th, 1814, was well known as a parliamentarian and as the projector of the Welland Canal.
The present representative of the family is the grandson and
namesake of the latter, Major William Hamilton Merritt, who

I22

BATTLE OF QUERNSTON HEIGHTS

commanding the Niagara Dragoons, accompanied me,
and gave much assistance with part of his corps. Captain
A. Hamilton, belonging to it, was disabled from riding, and attached himself to the guns under Captain Holcroft, who speaks highly of his activity and usefulness. I
beg leave to add that Volunteers Shaw,' Thompson ' and
Jarvis,3 attached to the flank companies of the 49th
served in the Boer war as a Major in Brabant's Horse, and is now
second in command of the Second Canadian Mounted Rifles.
Four generations of this family have seen active service in
North America in a mounted corps: Thomas, in the command of
the Niagara Dragoons in 1812; William Hamilton, a Captain in
the same corps; Jedediah, with McGrath's Lancers in 1837 ; and
William Hamilton with the Governor-General's Body Guard in
the North West Rebellion in 1885.
' Volunteer Richard Shaw was the son of Major-General lEneas
Shaw, so well known in connection with the early history of
Upper Canada. Major-General Shaw served as a Captain in the
Queen's Rangers during the Revolutionary War. In the winter
of 1791-2 he performed the unparalleled feat of marching a
detachment of a new corps, also called the Queen's Rangers, from
New Brunswick to Montreal on snowshoes. At the beginning of
the War of 1812 he proffered his services to Major-General Brock
in any capacity that he might be found useful. He was consequently appointed to command the First Division of Militia, with
the rank of Colonel, and afterwards served as Adjutant-General
of Militia. The hard work and fatigue proved too much for the
General at his age, and caused his death in 1815.
All of his sons served in the army. The eldest, Alexander, was
a Captain in the 35th and 69th Regiments, and was present at
Alexandria, Maida, Calabria, Naples, Corunna, Walchern, Flushing
and Waterloo. Charles was a Lieutenant in the 52nd, John a
Captain in the 49th, and lEneas a Lieutenant in the Glengarry
Fencibles. Richard and George were Captains in the Militia.
The grandson of Captain Alexander Shaw, Lieut. -Col. George
A. Shaw, who was in command of the 10th or Royal
Regiment, now Royal Grenadiers, is at present a resident of
Toronto.
It may be of some interest to note in this connection that Miss
Sophia, daughter of Major-General Shaw, was the fiancee of
Major-General Brock.
'I have not been able to learn much regarding Volunteer
Augustus Thompson. He was well known to, and evidently was
a companion of, Volunteer George S. Jarvis, as they were together
in the daring affairs with the enemy at Stoney Creek, at Black
Rock and at Beaver Dam.
GGeorge S. Jarvis was born in Fredericton, N.B., April 21st,
1797, and removed to York (Toronto) in 1808 with his father's
family. At Queenston Heights he was attached to the 49th Regt.,
and at the taking of York was attached to the 8th (King's) Regt.
He was present at the battles of Stoney Creek, Beaver Dam and
Black Rock, and at the unsuccessful assault of Fort Erie. At

From an original photograph in possession of Miss Ellen F. Sheathe,
Lausanne, Switzerland, grandniece of Sir Roger.

SIR ROGER HALE SHEAFFE, BART.

SHEAFFE'S OFFICIAL ACCOUNT

123

Regiment, conducted themselves with great spirit ; the
first having been wounded, and the last having been
taken prisoner. I beg leave to recommend these young
men to Your Excellency's notice. Norton is wounded,
but not badly ; he and the Indians particularly distinguished themselves, and I have very great satisfaction in
assuring Your Excellency, that the spirit and good conduct of His Majesty's troops, of the militia, and of the
other provincial corps, were eminently conspicuous on
this occasion.
I have not been able to ascertain yet the number of our
troops, or of those of the enemy engaged ; ours, I believe
did not exceed the number of the prisoners we have
taken : and their advance, which effected a landing,
probably amounted to 1,300 or 1,400 men.
I shall do myself the honor of transmitting to Your
Excellency further details,' when I shall have received
the several reports of the occurrences which did not pass
under my own observation, with the return of the casualties, and those of the killed and wounded, and of the ordnance taken.
I have the honor to be, &c.
(Signed) R. H. Sheaffe, Maj.-Gen.
To His Excellency Sir George Prevost, Bart., &c.
Lundy's Lane he was a Lieut. of the 8th, and went to England
with the second battalion of that regiment in 1815. After the
defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo several regiments were disbanded,
and among them the second battalion of the 8th. Lieut. Jarvis
was then after a short interval of five months appointed to the
104th Regiment. Shortly after, he returned to Canada, took up the
study of law, and was sworn in as an Attorney in 1820, called to the
bar in 1823. In 1820 he went to Cornwall to practice, and in 1842
was appointed County Judge, and in that year organized the
Division Courts of the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and
Glengarry. During the troubles of 1837 he raised and commanded
three troops of lancers. His death occurred in 1878. The Rev.
Arthur Jarvis, of Napanee, is his son.
=In this report Major-General Sheaffe mentions every officer in
command but two. In his letter to Sir George Prevost of November 3rd, 1812, the following passage occurs :
I am much mortified to find that I omitted the names of Captain
Chisholm commanding a flank company of the York Militia,
and of Lieutenant Ball commanding the Militia Artillery attached
to the post of Queenstown ; Captain Dennis's report, since transmitted, has partly supplied that omission ; he commends highly
both those officers, and in justice to them I have issued an order
acknowledging my omission and their merit.

124

BATTLE OF QUEENSTON HEIGHTS

The American accounts of the action have been so
much altered from General Van Rensselaer's original
despatch, that it is difficult to know which is the correct
one. At this moment I have two before me, one by
Captain Fay, of the United States Artillery, the other by
James. There is evidently so much of the suppressio yen'
if not of the assertio falsi, in the former, evidently to cloak
the national humiliation, that there can be no hesitation
in adopting that given by the latter,' who seems to have
been at some pains to obtain the correct despatch.
From General Van Rensselaer, to General Dearborn.
Head Quarters, Lewiston, Oct. 14th, 1812.
SIR,—As the movements of this Army under my command, since I had last the honor to address you on the
8th, have been of a very important character, producing
consequences serious to many individuals ; establishing
facts actually connected with the interest of the service
and the safety of the army ; and as I stand prominently
responsible for some of these consequences, I beg leave to
explain to you, sir, and through you to my country, the
situation and circumstances in which I have had to act,
and the reasons and motives which governed me, and if
the result is not all that might have been wished, it is
such that, when the whole ground shall be viewed, I
shall cheerfully submit myself to the judgment of my
country.
In my letter of the 8th instant, I apprised you that the
crisis in this campaign was rapidly advancing ; and that
(to repeat the same words) " the blow must be soon
struck, or all the toil and expense of the campaign go for
nothing and worse than nothing, for the whole will be
, tinged with dishonor."
= Richardson has unfortunately selected the most imperfect copy.
I do not know from what source James obtained his copy, but
whole paragraphs are missing, and names, as usual with him,
incorrectly spelled and otherwise disguised—as Fleming for Fenwick and Christie for Chrystie. James makes the error of saying
that Van Rensselaer addressed the letter to the American Secretary'
of War, when every authority within reach says it was addressed
to Gen. Dearborn and by him transmitted to the Secretary of War.
I have corrected the whole letter and added the omissions of James
without making any reference to them in foot notes.

VAN RENSSELAER' S OFFICIAL ACCOUNT

I 25

Under such impressions, I had, on the 5th instant,
written to Brig.-General Smyth, of the United States
forces, requesting an interview with him, Major-General
Hall, and the commandants of the United States regiments, for the purpose of conferring upon the subject of
future operations. I wrote Major-General Hall to the
same purport. On the I 1 th I had received no answer
from General Smyth ; but in a note to me on the ioth,
General Hall mentioned that General Smyth had not yet
then agreed upon any day for the consultation.
In the meantime, the partial success of Lieutenant
Elliott at Black Rock (of which however, I have received
no official information) began to excite a strong disposition in the troops to act. This was expressed to me
through various channels, in the shape of an alternative;
that they must have orders to act, or at all hazards they
would go home. I forbear here commenting upon the
obvious consequences, to me personally, of longer withholding my orders under such circumstances.
I had a conference with Lieutenant-Colonel
as to the possibility of getting some person to pass over
to Canada, and obtain correct information. On the morning of the 4th, he wrote to me that he had procured the
man, who bore his letter to go over. Instructions were
given him : he passed over, and obtained such information as warranted an immediate attack. This was confidentially communicated to several of my first officers,
and produced great zeal to act ; more especially as it
might have a controlling effect upon the movements at
Detroit, where it was supposed General Brock had gone
with all the force he dared spare from the Niagara frontier. The best preparations in my power were therefore
made to dislodge the enemy from the heights of Queenstown, and possess ourselves of the village ; where the
troops might be sheltered from the distressing inclemency
of the weather.
Lieutenant-Colonel Fenwick's flying artillery, and a
detachment of regular troops under his command, were
ordered to be up in season from Fort Niagara. Orders
were also sent General Smyth, to send down from Buffalo,
such detachments of his brigade as existing circumstances
in that vicinity might warrant. The attack was to have
been made at 4 o'clock on the morning of the II th, by

126

VAN RENSSELAER'S OFFICIAL ACCOUNT

I27

BATTLE OF QUEENSTON HEIGHTS

crossing over in boats at the old ferry opposite the heights.
To avoid any embarrassment in crossing the river, (which
is here a sheet of violent eddies,) experienced boatmen
were procured to take the boats from the landing below
to the place of embarkation. Lieutenant Sim was considered the man of greatest skill for this service ; he went
ahead, and, in the extreme darkness, passed the intended
place far up the river ; and there, in a most extraordinary
manner, fastened his boat to the shore, and abandoned
the detachment. In this front boat he had carried nearly
every oar, which was prepared for all the boats. In this
agonizing dilemma stood officers and men, whose ardor
had not been cooled by exposure through the night, to
one of the most tremendous north-east storms, which
continued unabated for 28 hours, and deluged the whole
camp. The approach of daylight extinguished every
prospect of success and the detachment returned to camp.
Colonel Van Rensselaer was to have commanded the detachment.
Af ter this result, I had hoped the patience of the troops
would have continued, until I could submit the plan suggested in my letter of the 8th, that I might act under, and
in conformity to, the opinion which might be then expressed. But my hope was idle ; the previously excited
ardor seemed to have gained new heat from the late miscarriage ; the brave were mortified to stop short of their
object, and the timid thought laurels half-won by an
attempt.
On the morning of the 12th, such was the pressure upon
me from all quarters, that I became satisfied that lily refusal to act might involve me in suspicion, and the service in disgrace.
Viewing affairs at Buffalo as yet unsettled, I had immediately countermanded the march of General Smyth's
brigade, upon the failure of the first expedition ; but having now determined to attack Queenstown, I sent new
orders to General Smyth to march ; not with the view of
• his aid in the attack, for I considered the force detached
sufficient, but to support the detachment should the conflict be obstinate and long continued.
Lieutenant-Colonel Chrystie, who had just arrived at
the Four Mile Creek, and had, late in the night of the first
contemplated attack, gallantly offered me his own and his
men's service : but he got my permission too late. He
now again came forward, had a conference with Colonel

Van Rensselaer,' and begged that he might have the honor
of a command in the expedition. The arrangement was
made, Colonel Van Rensselaer was to command one column of 30o militia; and Lieutenant-Colonel Chrystie a
column of the same number of regular troops.
Every precaution was now adopted as to boats, and
the most confidential and experienced men to manage
them. At an early hour in the night, Lieutenant-Colonel
Chrystie marched his detachment by the rear road from
Niagara to camp. At 7 in the evening Lieutenant-Colonel Stranahan's regiment moved from Niagara Palls ; at
8 o'clock Mead's, and at 9 o'clock Lieutenant-Colonel
Bloom's regiment marched from the same place. All were
in camp in good season. Agreeably to my orders issued
upon this occasion, the two columns were to pass over
together ; as soon as the heights should be carried Lieutenant-Colonel Fenwick's flying artillery was to pass over;
then Major Mullany's detachment of regulars ; and the
other troops to follow in order.
At dawn of day the boats were in readiness, and the
troops commenced embarking, under cover of a commanding battery, mounting two eighteen-pounders and two
sixes. The movements were soon discovered, and a brisk
fire of musketry was poured from the whole line of the
Canadian shore. Our battery then opened to sweep the
shore ; but it was, for some minutes, too dark to direct
much fire with safety. A brisk cannonade was now
opened upon the boats from three different batteries.
Our battery returned the fire, and occasionally threw
grape upon the shore, and was itself served with shells
from a small mortar of the enemy's. Colonel Scott, of
the Artillery, by hastening his march from Niagara Falls
in the night arrived in season to return the enemy's fire
with two six-pounders.
The boats were somewhat embarrassed with the eddies,
as well as with a shower of shot ; but Colonel Van Rensselaer, with about too men, soon effected his landing
=Colonel Solomon Van Rensselaer and Major-General Stephen
Van Rensselaer were cousins. The former wrote " A Narrative of
the Affair of Queenstown," in which he defends himself and the
General from the " strictures on that event in a book entitled
' Notices of the War of 1812,'" by General John Armstrong, who
was appointed Secretary of .War in January, 1813, but resigned in
September, 1814, after the capture of Washington.

128

BATTLE OF QUEENSTON HEIGHTS

amidst a tremendous fire directed upon him from every
point ; but to the astonishment of all who witnessed the
scene, this van of the column advanced slowly against the
fire. It was a serious misfortune to the van, and indeed
to the whole expedition, that in a few minutes after landing Colonel Van Rensselaer received four wounds. A
ball passed through his right thigh, entering just below
the hip bone ; another shot passed through the same thigh
a little below ; the third through the calf of the leg ; and
a fourth contused his heel. This was quite a crisis in the
expedition. Under so severe a fire it was difficult to form
raw troops. By some mismanagement of the boatmen,
Lieutenant-Colonel Chrystie did not arrive until some
time after this, and was wounded in the hand in passing
the river. Colonel Van Rensselaer was still able to stand
and with great presence of mind ordered his officers to
proceed with rapidity and storm the fort. This service
was gallantly performed and the enemy driven down the
hill in every direction. Soon after this, both parties were
considerably reinforced, and the conflict was renewed in
various places. Many of the enemy took shelter behind
a stone guard-house, where a piece of ordnance was now
briskly served. I ordered the fire of our battery to be
directed upon the guard-house ; and it was so effectually
done, that with eight or ten shot the fire was silenced.
The enemy then retreated behind a large store-house ; but
in a short time the rout became general, and the enemy's
fire was silenced, except from a one-gun battery, so far
down the river as to be out of the reach of our heavy ordnance ; and our light pieces could not silence it. A number of boats now passed over unannoyed, except from
the one unsilenced gun. For some time after I had
passed over, the victory seemed complete ; but in the expectation of further attacks, I was taking measures for
fortifying my camp immediately ; the direction of this
service I committed to Lieutenant Totten, of the Engineers. But very soon the enemy were reinforced, by a
detachment of several hundred Indians from Chippawa ;
they commenced a furious attack ; but were promptly met
and routed by the rifle and bayonet. By this time I perceived my troops were embarking very slowly. I passed
immediately over to accelerate their movements ; but, to
my utter astonishment, I found that at the very moment
when complete victory was in our hands, the ardor of the

MAJOR-GENERAL STEPHEN VAN RENSSELAER.

VAN RENSSELAER'S OFFICIAL ACCOUNT

I 29

unengaged troops had entirely subsided. I rode in all
directions ; urged the men by every consideration to pass
over, but in vain. Lieut.-Col. Bloom, who had been
wounded in action, returned, mounted his horse and rode
through the camp ; as did also Judge Peck, who happened
to be here, exhorting the companies to proceed, but all in
vain.
At this time a large reinforcement from Fort George
was discovered coming up the river. As the battery on
the hill was considered an important check against their
ascending the heights, measures were immediately taken
to send them a fresh supply of ammunition as I learnt
there were left only zo shot for the 18-pounders. The reinforcement, however, obliqued to the right from the
road, and formed a junction with the Indians in
the rear of the heights. Finding, to my infinite
mortification, that no reinforcement would pass over ;
seeing that another severe conflict must soon commence ;
and knowing that the brave men on the heights were
quite exhausted, and nearly out of ammunition ; all I
could do was to send them a fresh supply of cartridges.
At this critical moment I despatched a note to General
Wadsworth acquainting him with our situation ; leaving
the course to be pursued much to his own judgment ; with
assurance that if he thought best to retreat, I would
endeavor to send as many boats as I could command, and
cover his retreat by every fire I could safely make. But
the boats were dispersed ; many of the boatmen had fled
panic struck ; and but few got off. But my note could
but little more than have reached General Wadsworth
about 4 o'clock, when a most severe and obstinate conflict
commenced, and continued for about half an hour, with
a tremendous fire of cannon, flying artillery and musketry. The enemy succeeded in re-possessing their battery,
and gaining advantage on every side ; the brave men who
had gained the victory, exhausted of strength and ammunition, and grieved at the unpardonable neglect of their
fellow soldiers, gave up the conflict.
I can only add, that the victory was really won ; but
lost for the want of a small reinforcement ; one third part
of the idle men might have saved all.
I have been so pressed with the various duties of burying the dead, providing for the wounded, collecting the
public property, negotiating an exchange of prisoners,

130

BATTLE OF QUFENSTON HEIGHTS

and all The concerns consequent of such a battle that I
have not been able to forward this despatch at as early an
hour as I could have wished. I shall soon forward you
another despatch in which I shall endeavor to point out
to you the conduct of some most gallant and deserving
officers. But I cannot in justice close this without impressing the very great obligation I am under to Brigadier-General Wadsworth, Colonel Van Rensselaer, Colonel
Scott, Lieutenant-Colonels Chrystie and Fenwick and
Captain Gibson. Many others have also behaved most gallantly. As I have reason to believe that many of our
troops fled to the woods with the hope of crossing the
river, I have not been able to learn the probable number
of killed, wounded and prisoners. The slaughter of our
troops must have been very considerable and the enemy
have suffered severely.
General Brock is among their slain, and his Aid-deCamp mortally wounded.
I have the honor to be yours, &c., &c.,
Stephen Van Rensselaer,
Maj.-Gen. Dearborn.
Maj.-Gen.
The following is the report of the Officer commanding
the detachment (the present Colonel Wool) which obtained possession of the battery, by ascending the concealed fisherman's path, in the early part of the day.
From Captain Wool to Colonel Van Rensselaer.
Buffalo, Oct. 23, 1812.
Dear Sir,l
I have the honor to communicate to you the circumstances attending the storming of Queenstown battery on
the 13th inst.; with those which happened previously you
are already well acquainted.
In pursuance of your order, we proceeded round the
point and ascended the rocks, which brought us partly in
rear of the battery. We took it without much resistance.
I immediately formed the troops in rear of the battery,
and fronting the village, when I observed General Brock
with his troops formed, consisting of four companies of
the 49th Regiment, and a few militia, marching for our
left flank. I immediately detached a party of 15o men,
to take possession of the heights above Queenstown bat-

CAPTAIN WOOL'S REPORT

131

tery and to hold General Brock in check ; but in consequence of his superior force they retreated. I sent a reinforcement ; notwithstanding which the enemy drove us
to the edge of the bank, when with the greatest exertions
we brought the troops to a stand, and I ordered the
Officers to bring their men to a charge as soon as the ammunition was expended, which was executed with some
confusion, and in a few moments the enemy retreated.
We pursued them to the edge of the heights, when Col.
Macdonell had his horse shot from under him, and was
himself mortally wounded. In the interim, General
Brock, in attempting to rally his forces, was killed, when
the enemy dispersed in every direction. As soon as it
was practicable, I formed the troops in a line on the
heights fronting the village, and immediately detached
flanking parties, which consisted of Captain Machesney,
of the 6th Regiment, Lieutenant Smith, and Ensign
Grosvenor with a small detachment of riflemen, who had
that moment arrived ; at the same time, I ordered Lieutenant Gansevoort and Lieutenant Randolph, with a detachment of artillery, to drill out an i8-pounder which
had been previously spiked, and if possible to bring it to
bear upon the village. The wounded and prisoners I
ordered to be collected, and sent to the guard-house.
About this time, which was about three or four o'clock
in the afternoon, Lieutenant-Col. Chrystie arrived, and
took the command. He ordered me across the river to
get my wounds dressed. I remained a short time. Our
flanking parties had been driven in by the Indians but
General Wadsworth and other Officers arriving, we had a
short skirmish with them, and they retreated, and I
crossed the river.
The Officers engaged in storming the battery, were
Captains Wool and Ogilvie ; Lieutenants Kearney, Hugunin, Carr, and Sammons, of the 43rd Regiment ; Lieutenant Gansevoort and Randolph of the Light Artillery, and
Major Lush of the Militia.
I recommend to your particular notice Lieuts. Randolph, Carr, and Kearney, for their brave conduct exhibited during the whole of the action.
I have the honor to be,
Your most obedient humble Servant
John E. Wool, Capt. t3th Regt. Inft.
Colonel Van Rensselaer.