Title

Part 2

Identifier

http://www.nflibrary.ca/nfplindex/show.asp?b=1&ref=oo&id=298030

page

52-91

Bibliographic Citation

History of the 12th Regiment, York Rangers, with some account of the different raisings of militia in the County of York, Ontario / by Capt. A.T. Hunter, G Company, 12th Regiment, York Rangers.

10186504

History of the 12th Regiment, York Rangers, with some account of the different raisings of militia in the County of York, Ontario / by Capt. A.T. Hunter, G Company, 12th Regiment, York Rangers.

Type

Text

extracted text

HISTORY OF THE 12TH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS

This led to his becoming Capt. Jarvis by being put in command of the service
company of the Queen's Own that was called out for the protection of the frontier
and on November 20th stationed at Sarnia.
This service company returned from Sarnia, April 4th, leaving behind twentysix men who had been transferred to a provisional battalion under Jarvis, who thus
now became provisional lieutenant-colonel. His transfer to the newly organized
12th York Battalion only confirmed him in a rank and duties already exercised
to the satisfaction of the authorities.
The Jarvis family having been taken, it would only have been in accord with the
fitness of things to have at once added to the word "York" the name of "Rangers"
which is reminiscent of another Jarvis battalion, the Queen's Rangers of Samuel
Peters Jarvis which in its turn took its designation as an heirloom from the famous
regiment of General Simcoe. This historic honor, however, was not accorded to
the regiment until May 10th, 1872, when Militia General Orders announced
"This Battalion will be designated in future `12th Battalion of Infantry or York
Rangers' and it is hereby permitted to adopt and use the following motto: Celer
et Audax.'"
Capt. Arthur Armstrong, of the Lloydtown Company was the son of Lieut.Col. Arthur Armstrong, who had some exciting experiences in the Rebellion of
1837. On one occasion he was taken prisoner by the Rebels who endeavoured
by threats to coerce him into joining their ranks. But baring his bosom he gave
them to understand that his life was at their disposal if they wished to take it,
but his loyalty to the Crown should never be questioned.' He gave valuable
assistance to the Government during these troublous times and being authorized
to raise a militia company did so within four days. When the headquarters of
the Lloydtown company was removed to Aurora,' Capt. Armstrong resigned and
was "permitted as a special case in consideration of his long service in the Active
Militia to retire with the rank of Honorary Major."
The name of Capt. Nathaniel Pearson, who succeeded Armstrong in the command of the company on its removal to Aurora, appears rather to point to a peaceful that a martial lineage. For when the Quakers residing on Yonge Street,
presented a characteristic address to Sir Francis Gore on September 30th, 1806, the
address was signed by order of the Quaker meeting by "Nathaniel Pearson, clerk."
Capt. Thomas Selby, of the Flank Company of Detroit and Queenston fame
and Capt. William Selby of the 6th North Yorks of 1838, were well represented
by John W. Selby and William Selby of the Sharon Company. John W. Selby
rose to become lieutenant-colonel of the battalion in 1875.
Capt. Crosby, of No. 9 Company (afterwards No. 8 when re-numbered in
1872) represents a family of which at least one member fought in the Yorks of
1812, namely James Crosby.
The first paymaster Joseph Cawthra represented a family with an honorable
war record. "In 1812, Mr. John Cawthra,' and his brother Jonathan were among
-

1. "History of York County," Vol. II, p. 379.
2. May 23rd, 1872.
3. Scadding, p. 483..
52

HISTORY OF THE 12TH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS

the volunteers who offered themselves for the defence of the country. At Detroit,
John assisted in conveying across the river in scows the heavy guns which were
expected to be wanted in the attack on the Fort. On the slopes of Queenston,
Jonathan had a hairbreadth escape. At the direction of his officer, he moved from
the rear to the front of his company giving place to a comrade, who the following
instant had a portion of his leg carried away by a shot from Fort Gray, on the opposite side of the river. Also at Queenston, John after personally cautioning
Col. Macdonell, against rashly exposing himself, as he seemed to be doing, was
called on a few minutes afterwards to aid in carrying that officer to the rear,
mortally wounded."' In 1838, another of the family, William Cawthra, was
gazetted a lieutenant in the 1st East York Regiment.
Space will not permit our minutely investigating also the rank and file, but
the more we study the personnel of the first battalion officers the more clearly
appears the chain of connection with the older organizations of the county.
1. Afterwards the first M.P.P. for Simcoe County after its separation from York.

53

HISTORY OF THE 12TH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS

CHAPTER XII
KEEPING THEIR ARMOR BRIGHT

FTER the expectancy and disappointment of 1866, the rural battalions
settled down for a score of years to the practice of the plain routine
work of camp-going regiments. Some excitement was caused it is true
by the passing storm clouds of the Fenian and Red River Troubles of
1870. In connection with this latter the expedition of Sir Garnet
Wolseley to the North West was in one respect a model for future expeditions,
in that instead of throwing the brunt on single corps an effort was made to give

Photo by Kennedy

Group taken in rear of Tents

From left to right—Capt. CLARKE, Major KNOX, Major ELLIOTT, and
Sergt. SMITH, with the genial visitor seated.

a representation in the experience and hazard of a campaign to officers and men
from various regiments.
Thus we note with effusive, if belated, gratitude that the 12th had a representative in its Adjutant Peebles, who thus became an ensign in the Ontario Battalion.'
1. Samuel Peters Jarvis, the second, commanded this battalion. He rose high in the regular army.
54

HISTORY OF THE RTH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS

There were two of this family in the expedition, the ensign and his father who,
under the designation of Control Officer, exercised the functions of a head quartermaster for both battalions and was exceedingly popular with the officers. This
elder Peebles afterwards became police magistrate in Winnipeg. We dilate
upon this tremendous appointment of Ensign Peebles, because outside of this and
of the career of Capt. Vidal, who commanded the Yorkville Company for a while
and then went into the Permanent Corps and rose to a high place, we are not
aware of any officer of the 12th who ever got anything.
Meanwhile during all the seventies and halfway into the eighties the usual
thing did not happen to the Militia of Canada. Their rifles,—of the converted
Snider Gas Pipe Model,—might be a little obsolescent, but they were not rusted
out. Their belts and knapsacks and ponderous rib-erasing cartridge pouches
might not be the last word in equipment, but they were all present to be counted
at the inspection. Thanks to the stability of organization that arose from composing the regiments of active companies and making them undergo periodical
battalion and brigade training there has since Confederation' always been a respectable body of militia with arms, uniforms, officers, sergeants and some knowledge of the duties of military service.
The drill viewed with our more modern eyes may have been too highly complicated, and more attention given than wise to what General Wolfe used to call
"the one-two" and to movements which are now recognized as niceties of ceremonial. Thus looking over our brigade and regimental orders of June, 1884, we
find that all the corps immediately upon arrival at camp were required to mount
their regimental guards; which they evidently did with great solemn observance
of parole and countersign. Also we find that the wearing of the old corrosive curbchain strap of the helmet under the chin where it could do the most harm was
seemingly more important than musketry instruction.
But " 'twas a wholesome rigour in the main" and even in those days the orders
show that some latitude was allowed the rank and file. For do not the camp
orders of that same year allow bathing in the lake; with the super-sage remark:
"men going beyond their depth do so at their own risk."
And so along the years from 1866 to 1885, the Nth went its way, having had
for its commanding officers in succession; Lieut.-Colonels Jarvis, Norris,' Selby,
Garden, and then Lieut.-Col. Wyndham, who was to take the regiment into
active service.
1. Or at any rate since 1868, when there was another of those Militia Acts.
2. Was Captain of Scarboro Company, Major and Lieut.-Col. of the 12th, a J.P. of twenty-two years standing in York County: an LL.D. of Oxford University. In 1866 was camped with the Scarboro Company at the
Mount Eagle House near the Suspension Bridge. He died suddenly of apoplexy, while in Toronto on military
service connected with the regiment, in 1878, and was buried with military honors.

55

Photo by Kennedy

Officers and N.C.O.'s of No. 7 Company York and Simcoe Regiment
Taken at Humboldt, June, 1885
The Tent is Capt. SMITH'S.

Reading from left to right:

Front row—Col. Sergt. W. H. TAYLOR (now Capt. of Aurora Co'y.), Capt. SMITH, Lieut. FLEURY, Quarter Master SMITH
Sergt. EGO, Corp. HAND, Sergt. FARR
Second row—Q.M. Sergt. COLLETT, L. Corp. TETLEY, Capt.'s Orderly PUGH,
Sergt. PRICE, Sgt. MONTGOMERY, Corp. LYONS

HISTORY OF THE 12TH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS

CHAPTER XIII
STEPPING OUT IN 1885
HE Second Rebellion of Louis Riel is a sermon on the words " Watch
therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour," and illustrates
the frightful rapidity with which peace ends and war begins. In an
opposition paper (The Globe) of March 20th, appeared this small
item :—
" Prince Albert, March 19th. Louis Riel, the hero of the ' Red River
Rebellion,' recently exiled from Manitoba, has created dissension among
the half-breeds and an outbreak is imminent. The situation is considered
critical."
The administration of the day went placidly on attending to other matters
and seeking to keep the public of eastern Canada from troubling about the North
West. Some of the government press rebuked the Globe, others ignored it. The
Canadian public was more interested in Afghanistan than Saskatchewan.
Suddenly on Saturday, March 28th, the government organ itself—The Mail—
sounded the alarm and proclaimed a call to arms giving the narrative of the defeat
of Crozier, and saying in its editorial: "Up to last evening the government had
reasonable grounds for believing that the disturbances fomented by Louis Riel
in the Saskatchewan region were of a comparatively insignificant character. That
view must now be abandoned."
On the morning of the same day eighty men of the infantry at the barracks
known as " C School," and two hundred and fifty each of the Queen's Own and
Royal Grenadiers were called out, and at 10 a.m. on Monday 30th marched out
from the armoury and entrained for the North West. General Middleton had
already started for Qu'Appelle with the 90th Battalion, the Winnipeg Battery, and
some cavalry.
The militia authorities of that time seemed of a mind not to do too much in
one day and kept calling out the battalions piece-meal instead of mobilizing a
strong force and at once forwarding it to General Middleton. That the men he
had to hand in the combats at Fish Creek and Batoche proved sufficient for the
work was part of the good fortune of that rugged old fighter. But there was no
margin of safety and not even complete success can justify the principle of campaigning by driblets.
The turn of the Nth came on March 30th, when Col. Denison, the D.A.G.,
having just got word from Ottawa, issued an after dinner order at 8 p.m., calling
out four companies of the Rangers along with four of the Simcoe Foresters. The
machinery for selecting this force is embodied in a regimental order which we give
in full:—
57

HISTORY OF THE 12TH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS

TORONTO,

March 30th, 1885.

Regimental orders by Lieut.-Col. Wyndham, commanding 12th Battalion.
No 1. Four companies of the battalion being ordered for active service the
officers commanding companies will at once assemble their companies at their
respective company headquarters for inspection.
No. 2. Each company will furnish twenty men and one Sergeant. Companies
1, 3, 5 and 7 will furnish two Sergeants: the men must be inspected by the Surgeon
or Assistant Surgeon and the Adjutant.
No. 3. Surgeon Hillary will be in attendance at the headquarters of the Newmarket Company, on the 31st, for the purpose of inspecting the men belonging to
the Newmarket and Sharon Companies, between the hours of 9 and 12, and at
the headquarters of the Aurora Company, between the hours of one and four.
No. 4. Assistant Surgeon Machell will inspect the Riverside, Parkdale,
Yorkville and Seaton Village Companies, during the evening of the 31st, at their
respective company headquarters.
No. 5. The Adjutant will attend at Newmarket, Aurora, Parkdale, Seaton
Village, Yorkville and Riverside on the same day, and at the same time as the
Surgeon and Assistant Surgeon for the purpose of selecting suitable men.
No. 6. The 12th Battalion will furnish Quarter-Master Sergeant, and Paymaster's Clerk.
No. 7. The following officers are detailed for active service in the North West.
Major Wayling, in command of Newmarket and Sharon.
Capt. Smith, in command of Aurora and Sutton.
Capt. Brooke, in command of Yorkville and Seaton Village.
Capt. Thompson, in command of Parkdale and Riverside.
Lieut. J. K. Leslie, of No. 8 Company.
Lieut. G. Vennell, of No. 5 Company.
Lieut. J. T. Symons, of No. 6 Company.
Lieut. T. W. Booth, of No. 5 Company.
Lieut. Fleury, of No. 7 Company.
Lieut. J. A. W. Allan, of No. 8 Company.
Lieut. Geo. Sutherland, of No. 7 Company.
Quarter-master Smith.
By order
JOHN T. THOMPSON, Captain and Adjutant.
So much for the formal order. The real message was by bugle. We copy
from a contemporary paper.'
1. The Globe, Wednesday, April 1st, 1885.
58

HISTORY OF THE 12TH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS
ROUSING THE RANGERS

A Midnight Assembly on the Bugle Call.
The Call Responded to Promptly.
"The resonant tones of a bugle sounding the assembly on Monday night,
roused many a slumbering citizen in the northern, western, and eastern parts of
the city, between midnight and dawn and !arge numbers of those acquainted with
the meaning of the call and who belonged to military organizations, hastily dressed
themselves and rushed out under the impression that
THE CALL TO ARMS

was intended to summon the remaining portions of the Queen's Own and Grenadiers together for service. Such, however, was not the case, the summons being
intended only for members of the 12th Battalion of York Rangers, companies of

Taking over Stores at Humboldt

which regiment have their headquarters in Parkdale, St. Paul's Ward, Seaton
Village and Riverside. Col. Wyndham, who commands the Rangers received
orders to draft four companies out of his command to form one wing of a battalion
for active service, the other half of which will be drawn from the 35th or Simcoe
Foresters."
As an example of how the Rangers responded to the call we give the following
pen sketch:—
" The Parkdale Platoon assembled at the company armoury, at eight o'clock
yesterday morning and having been provided with their outfit fell into line and were
addressed by Lieut. Booth, who thanked them for their prompt response to the
call of duty. No. 6, or the Parkdale Company have a brass band and headed by
it marched out through the village and afterwards returning to the armoury were
dismissed for the day."
59

HISTORY OF THE NTH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS
The companies being paraded and the selections or rather rejections being
made, for all were pressing to go, the understanding was that the companies
were to be drilled daily at their headquarters until Saturday, April 4th. On
this date it was expected the whole York-Simcoe Battalion would be assembled at the New Fort and dressed up and down prior to its departure for the scene
of war.
Here, however, this bi-county contingent received one of those spasmodic impulses to the front that characterized the campaign. On Thursday, April 2,nd,
the new provisional battalion found itself aboard of two trains bound for the North
West. This new order caught the men before they had time to affect that trimness
of appearance which in the eyes of many is the essence of soldierliness. An eyewitness reported; "It is much to be feared that the departure of this battalion has
been much too hurried. Of the Toronto contingent at least it may be positively
said that they were not in a fit state to take the field. The clothing in many instances is old and rotten, the knapsacks ill fitted and so badly packed that a day's
march in them would be sufficient to break down a Hercules." We shall see that
nevertheless the regiment could march and did.
THE GAPS
Now if it had been designed to specially inure troops to the extremes of comfort and hardship and accustom them to sudden transitions from the easiest to
the hardest modes of travel, a more appropriate route and season could not have
been selected than the then line of the Canadian Pacific Railway, in the early days
of April. The railway itself the men found comfortable and its officials considerate
and energetic. But the section north of Lake Superior, one of the bleakest regions
in the world, had formidable gaps where the railway ceased—the "End of Iron"
they called it in those days.
The surmounting of these gaps by the first regiment to be sent,—the Queen's
Own Rifles,—was the subject of much highly strained writing on the part of certain correspondents who appeared to prefer a picturesque luridosity of style to
the reputation of their regiment for manliness and endurance. The tender-souled
public of Toronto were tortured with pictures of the most frightful weather conditions and by representations of their sons, frostbitten, sun-blistered, snow-blind
and delirious. In reality the Queen's Own Rifles and the next comers, the 10th,
stood their marches well and as the saying is " stuck it out."
The effect of all this "scare writing" on the men of the York-Simcoe Battalion
was that they made up their minds that, when they came to the gaps that had to
be marched, they would crush through in quicker time than their predecessors, and
they did.
The first gap, which began at Dog Lake, was crossed with sleighs carrying
twelve men apiece. At the end of this ride our contingent found no train waiting
and took their first experience of a bivouac. One of them writes : " We had to
lie out on a cold night without tents or any covering except a blanket on eighteen
inches or two feet of snow and recommence our journey next morning without
60

HISTORY OF THE 12TH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS

breakfast on open construction cars." Another more fortunate got "a little bread
and coffee."'
Then came luxury and as the ancient histories would say, "the delights of
Capua": They got a good supper at Fort Monroe. One who was billetted with
Mr. Samuel Allison slept (for the first time after leaving Toronto) with some
seventy others on the bare boards "with the whole of that number in a room about
12 feet by 16 feet."'
Having thus reposed in close order, the troops were next day permitted to
extend themselves in a series of marches alternated with rides on sleighs and
flat cars. One of the 12th fortunately wrote down to his "chum" in Toronto, while
the impressions were fresh. We quote his words:
"On the morning of the 7th we had breakfast and proceeded to march on the
Lake (Superior) from Fort Munro to MacKellar's Harbour distant 25 miles. It
rained all the time and we were up to our ankles in ice water, but in spite of the
strong wind which also prevailed not a man fell out and we made the distance in
seven and a half hours. I can assure you I felt very tired and cold, being drenched
through. Here we had to cut wood and build fires in the open air and each man
was served with a biscuit.
" We remained for about six hours trying to dry our clothes, but it stopped
raining and commenced to freeze and while one's back was freezing he would be
burning in front. We left by flat cars about twelve o'clock to go fifteen miles
further to Jackfish Bay. Had supper about two a.m., hard tack and pork."
TREADING ON THE HEELS OF THE 65TH

"At Jackfish Bay we overtook the 65th, a Montreal Regiment,. and as a
consequence had a day to dry up and recruit ourselves." This deliberation of
the 65th caused some controversy as to whether that regiment "had balked at
the gaps." Whether that fine regiment was not a little influenced by racial reluctance to take part against the Metis, is one of the historic questions of the campaign that are not now worth solving. That the 65th could march and endure
was abundantly proved later on.
3

4

THE LAST GAP

Having crossed the third gap partly on foot and partly with the sleighs that
had returned from conveying the 65th, the York-Simcoes were huddled together on
flat cars and rode some sixty-five dismal miles to Nipegon, where they arrived at
10 p.m. of April 9th, to commence the march across the last, the shortest and the
1. He belonged to the 12th of course.
2. Checking the statements of veterans as to distances and intervals is the most ungrateful task of any historian.
In this instance taking a man's height at five feet five, he would have six inches width to lie in. They must have
"spooned."
3. April 8th.
4. They got the name of "Alligators" from their ability to "negotiate" streams. On June 23rd they marched
thirty-four miles, and marched next day too.
61

HISTORY OF THE 12TH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS
weariest of the gaps. The exquisite nature of the fatigue incurred was carefully
set down by one who seems to have ached with the very recollection. He says :
"And this though the shortest was the most trying march of the whole. We
started about ten o'clock at night and in the dark tramped about fifteen miles over
the lake on the ice. You may realize what these marches on the ice mean when
I tell you that there was from twelve to eighteen inches of snow covering it and
the track we had to walk in was simply gutters made by the runners of the transport sleighs. In daylight when you could see to place your feet there was a tendency in them to slide together all the time from the sloping sides of the gutter
and at night this tendency was increased ten fold. To add to the discomfort the
track in the first and last marches was partly filled with water from the melted
snow. In the first march during the prevailing rain it was from six to eight inches
deep."
The appearance of the regiment after it came through and arrived at Winnipeg
on the morning of April 1 1 th, was noted in the Winnipeg Times:

Crossing the Prairies—Regimental Transport of the York-Simcoes

" The experiences of the men have been similar to the other troops who came
by the Lake Superior division, but despite the discomforts attendant upon the
several fatiguing marches the battalion impresses one very creditably. The men
are a robust class and their demeanour and deportment are irreproachable. They
have been on the road nine days, having left Toronto a week ago Thursday last.
At Jackfish Bay, they overtook the 65th Battalion, but were delayed there by the
limited transport accommodation. The weather for many days was wet and cold,
and the roads almost impassable. Although sinking deep in the mud, one march
of twenty-six miles was made in eight hours, and not one of the men faltered, a
record which the battalion points to with pride. No sickness or accidents of any
kind occurred, and the entire body are in splendid spirits. Upon arrival here the
62

HISTORY OF THE 12TH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS

men were furnished breakfast at the C.P.R. dining hall. In the battalion are a
number of the old Mounted Police Force, who are to form a detachment for service as scouts. The battalion, in accordance with orders from Ottawa, are to go
into barracks here for several days, and at noon orders were issued for them to
go into camp on the west side of Main Street, just beyond the railway track."
EN ROUTE TO FORT QU'APPELLE

Any expectation that was forming in the men's minds of being allowed to relax
themselves in Winnipeg was rudely dispelled by the battalion being entrained on
the night of Sunday the 12th, and carried westerly over three hundred miles to
Qu'Appelle Station or Troy,' where they arrived on Tuesday the 14th. Here the
12th pitched camp and remained until Friday the 17th, when they were marched
to Fort Qu'Appelle, a distance of some eighteen miles, through the mud.
This march, mud and all, seemed so light compared to the gaps that the boys
found food for merriment in many trifling episodes on the way. For example,
Private Theobald in the military phrase "took on scarlet," or in other words left
off his overcoat. It is a rule among the military that this should be done on a set
day by order formally issued. This unauthorized action of Private Theobald
making himself conspicuous by his red coat among all the dark overcoats, incensed
one of the transport oxen, "and it caught Private Theobald in the bosom of his
pants with its horns and landed him in a pond of water yelling at the top of his voice."
On April 21st, the 35th rejoined the 12th at Fort Qu'Appelle, "and the 12th
gave them a hearty cheer and one of the boys had a fiddle and came in playing it
at the head of the battalion. The York Rangers pitched their tents for them."
From this time until the 13th day of May, "the Direction"' kept the YorkSimcoes eating their hearts out at Fort Qu'Appelle.
During this enforced stay at Fort Qu'Appelle the officers were not idle and
provided a sufficiency of drill and tactical work for those under their command.
Sergt. Bert Smith of the 12th, in a letter written April 27th, gives an idea of what
was going on. " We have had the Toronto Body Guards also the Winnipeg
and Quebec Body Guards with us for four or five days, but most of them have gone
on to the front. About 3 a.m. Saturday last, I heard Capt. Thompson trying
to wake me up. When I got awake he said he wanted four of the best men in my
tent to go on a march that we thought had been postponed. We sent ninety good
men and twenty cavalry, but the boys are back since Sunday noon, for they failed
to capture anything. It was some of Riel's supplies they were after. Everything
is quiet around here."
3

1. The 12th and 35th were separated for a time after this.
2. This is a German phrase which all must use who wish to be considered great strategical thinkers. It means
the people high up who are responsible for the conduct of the campaign. We hesitate to criticise anybody in this
campaign, and will try to think it sound strategy to have a good battalion down the lines all the while Middleton was
trying to hammer through at Fish Creek and Batoche, and then when the enemy was beaten rush the battalion up
by forced marches. Truly war is a puzzling science!
The battalion blamed Colonel O'Brien for not pressing the authorities for an early order to advance.
3. Afterwards Lieut.-Col. J. T. Thompson, a particularly troublesome man when there was some duty, to be
performed.
63

HISTORY OF THE 12TH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS
WHEN THE SENTRY FIRES

On May 6th the camp had an experience which is a necessary part of military
training. We may give it in the words of Capt. Campbell, of the Simcoe Foresters.'
"Last night (Wednesday) our camp had a genuine rouse. We had a picket
posted at a ford down the river about 800 yards from the camp, there being a sergeant's, guard at the place. About 11 o'clock the sentry saw or thought he saw
four men with some horses at a little distance from him. He gave the challenge,
but there was no answer and the parties attempted apparently to get under cover.
The sentry at once fired and called out the guard. This of course was heard in
camp and immediately the bugle sounded the Assembly and then there was a rushing to arms and mounting in hot haste. In about five minutes every available man
in the regiment was under arms and ready to fight. The companies were rapidly
placed in fighting order round our camp, some being sent out to assist the picket
and others to defend the bridge."
"This was all done without noise or confusion.' After the first shot some of
the other pickets and sentries answered and for a short time the firing was pretty
lively and everything had the sound and appearance of a genuine attack."
THE BIG FORCED MARCH

On May 13th, acting under urgent orders, Lieut.-Colonel O'Brien set his
battalion to a forced march to Humboldt.
The distances given in the line of march for troops as arranged by Capt.
Bedson in charge of the transport were as follows :
Fort Qu'Appelle to Stoughton (otherwise called Howden
and Houston ...................................... 241 Miles
Stoughton
to Touchwood ............................................ 24-1
Touchwood
to Bedson ..................................................... 20........
Bedson
to Salt Plains (otherwise called Swinford) ...................................................... 20-.......
Salt Plains
211 ,
to Wise
Wise
to Humboldt ............................................... 211,

CC

CC

CC

C4

Total ..................................................... 132 miles
This distance the York-Simcoes devoured in seven days. When we figure that
this makes practically an average daily march of 19 miles and compare it with
3

1. Published in the Mail of May 16th, 1885.
2. Other than that caused by two or three men loading their rifles and blazing off before they even got out of
the tents. The experience of a general assembly was repeated next night when a sentry fired at a teamster who failed to answer when challenged. The teamster when brought in a prisoner looked very white and depressed.
3. The marches were of unequal length. Friday and Saturday being short days. On Sunday, on the other hand,
they marched twenty-two miles beside attending Divine Service, which by the way the battalion never neglected
any Sunday while it was in the North West. Sergt. Brown of the 12th records a particularly impressive sermon
preached on May 10th by a Presbyterian Missionary, Mr. Matthewson.
64

HISTORY OF THE 12TH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS

the normal 131 miles of European infantry it is borne in on us that these volunteers were in haste to get to the front.
The first day's march is described in the diary of a Simcoe Forester:
"May 13th, we left Fort Qu'Appelle at six a.m. under command of Col.
O'Brien, M.P. On climbing the hill at Fort York, we halted and the troops were
photographed. We marched about 13 miles when we halted for dinner, and took
up a company that was stationed here under command of Major Wayling.
Here was erected a very nice fort which we christened Fort Wayling. We arrived
at Howden, at seven p.m., distant from Qu'Appelle about 28 miles."

1

2

THE ASTRINGENT QUALITIES OF THE COLONEL

This strenuous stepping out was also a test of discipline and enabled the
battalion to rid itself of one or two weak characters with a taste for malingering.
On the second day, one Private Fontaine incurred courtmartial by a difference
with Col. O'Brien, as to the magnitude and importance of the blisters on
Fontaine's legs. The colonel was a tall grim man who might have sat for a portrait of one of Wellington's generals. He could and generally did walk all day;
and inaccessible to fatigue himself wasted no pity on others and was the very
man to make a young battalion kick the miles out behind it. In addition he was
a fluent and convincing public speaker with great powers of expression. The
diarist records that "he spoke to the officers in a very harsh manner while on the
march." His manner to the privates may, therefore, have appeared to lack sympathy. When Fontaine appealed to the colonel to allow him to ride he said that
if Fontaine asked him again he would flog him. The upshot was that Fontaine
was sentenced for insubordination and deserted during the night along with another malingering rascal.
Next morning Col. O'Brien addressed the whole battalion on the subject
of desertion and his listeners vouch that if his words were not exactly a privilege
to hear they were at least not difficult to remember.
Twice during the seven days the battalion was overtaken by terrific thunder
storms accompanied by hail-stones of a size unknown in Ontario. As their great
coats and oil sheets were on the wagons behind, the men were soaked to the skin,
but seem to have taken no hurt. On the 19th, they made Humboldt, and met an
escort of the Body Guard with White Cap and his band of prisoners, Mrs. White
Cap riding astride of Lieut. Fleming's horse.
The appearance of the battalion when it struck Humboldt was described by
a newspaper correspondent.'
"The 35th and 12th have just reached camp, Col. O'Brien in command.
They marched—actually marched—from Fort Qu'Appelle, doing the 127 miles
3

I. Major Wayling afterwards Lieut.-Col., and now Honorary Lieut.-Col. of the 12th.
2. Otherwise known as Stoughton. The names given for places in this journey are somewhat arbitrary. The
same diarist says: "Strange to say that although there are names of places given above we only saw two or three
houses at Touchwood and one at Touchwood Hills."
3. Now Lieut.-Col. Fleming of the Governor GeneraPs Body. Guard.
4. Globe, May 30th, 1885.
65

HISTORY OF THE 12TH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS
since Wednesday morning last,—seven days in all. The men came in as lively
as crickets and are now resting half a mile along the trail south of the Body Guard.
Col. Tyrwhitt, senior Major in command, marched the entire distance permitting his servant to ride his horse."
THE MEANDERINGS OF SERGT. BROWN'
Among the members of the 12th, there was none on (and more often off)
the strength who saw more than Staff-Sergt. Brown. Originally picked to go with
the contingent he was deemed medically unfit and on his way to the station was
ordered by Capt. Thompson to fall to the rear. He obeyed, but smuggled aboard

Lieut.-Col. F. W. Brown

the train and after various vicissitudes and making himself useful in various capacities he reached Winnipeg. Here he got himself attached to the Brigade Staff,
from April 13th to the 30th, when he rejoined the battalion at Fort Qu'Appelle.
Here for a time his presence was ignored, but on May 11th, he was made sergeant
of a guard of twelve men, one corporal and one mounted soldier. This guard was
1. Afterwards an officer in the 12th, Capt. of No. 6 Company, Junior Major, retiring in 1911, with rank of
Lieut.-Col.
66

HISTORY OF THE 12TH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS
kept on duty for forty-eight hours without relief and then without sleep compelled
to undergo the march that began on May 13th, with the result that three men of
the guard collapsed. On May 20th, Brown was again taken off the strength and
attached to the Supply Officer in Humboldt, a quaint inebriate familiarly known
as "Micky Free." In this capacity he remained at Humboldt, enjoying the
festivities that celebrated the Queen's birthday,' and making the highest score
in the battalion rifle match, until hearing on June 30th that a telegram had arrived to hold the troops in readiness for home he applied for leave of absence.
Under leave, Brown proceeded as far as Regina, where by the favor of an acquaintance in the North West Mounted Police, he was permitted to see Louis Riel marching up and down taking exercise in the jail paddock and carrying a ball and chain
in his arms. His picture of Riel, jotted down at the time is not that of the shifty
and loquacious demagogue he was sometimes painted :
"Riel is a big burly fellow and stands about five feet ten inches high; very
broad shouldered; 190 pounds; dark complexion, black long hair and beard;
high cheek bones and very large nose. With a down and sullen look; very polite
to guards, and looked like a farm labourer returning from work without a coat on."
Having accomplished what no other of the 12th for all their marching succeeded in doing, namely, having a look at the Rebel Leader, Brown got back to Qu'Appelle in time to see the York-Simcoes march in, which they did, having adhered
throughout the distance from Humboldt to Qu'Appelle to the Body Guard and
earned from Col. Dension the name of his "Foot Cavalry."
,

THE RECEPTIONS
The journey home of the regiments from the North West was a series of receptions. At Port Arthur the troops embarked for Collingwood and entrained
for Toronto. At Barrie the good feeling that prevailed between the 35th and the
12th was evidenced by the presentation of a sword and belts to Lieut.-Col. Trywhitt of the 35th, on behalf of the 12th officers. The celebrations held in Toronto on July 22nd and 23rd will long be remembered and the York-Simcoe
Battalion received its official order to "Dismiss " on July 24th, 1885. It had not
got into action; like Wellington's Sixth Division which was nicknamed "the
Marching Division," because of its continuous marching up and down without
the fortune of a battle. But for the Sixth Division, there came at last the opportunity of Salamanca, and who knows what the future holds.'
1. The 24th being a Sunday was celebrated on the 23rd and 25th, with games, dances and a concert at which
Col. G. T. Denison recited "The Yankee Militia Officer." The colonel being the Senior at Humboldt, reviewed
the troops on June 26th.
2. It is not true that militia officers ever desire a war; just as it is untrue that the Senior Captain chuckles when
the Junior Major's shot.

67

Photo by Kennedy

The 12th Regiment on its own Parade Ground
Standing in Quarter Column

HISTORY OF THE NTH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS

CHAPTER XIV
ANNALS OF THE 12TH SINCE

1885

INCE 1885, the Nth has steadily fulfilled its periodical trainings which
have been ordered biennially or annually or otherwise according to
the caprice or poverty of the administration.'
During the earlier years of this last quarter century of militia
soldiering, the organization of our forces was depressingly modest.
There used to be officials called D.A.A G's and D.O.C's., and a modest brigade
and a modest lieutenant-colonel brigadiering; and also some machinery which
resulted in the company commanders of any rural corps (even as the company
commanders of the older Flank Companies and Volunteer Companies) each
bringing over to camp about two lieutenants, three sergeants, three corporals, one bugler, who could not bugle and twenty or thirty private citizens of
leisure, but not means. Since then we have undergone tremendous changes of
an almost revolutionary character by which we have read of not only brigades,
but divisions and then the Canadian Army,' and back to the Canadian Militia.
The " battalions " have become "regiments," while the gentlemen whose function
is that of beneficially interfering with the regimental officers have been variously
enlarged to colonels, brigadiers and generals.
And the complete and total result to the rural infantry,' at any rate to the 12th,
has been that at our annual camp the captains bring over to Niagara about two
lieutenants, three sergeants, three corporals, the indispensible and inharmonious
bugler and the twenty or thirty private citizens of the Empire.
THE SOUTH AFRICAN WAR
There was some little mild excitement when on September 16th, 1899, Lieut.Col. Lloyd, the then commanding officer offered the services of the battalion
under his command in aid of the Imperial Government in the Transvaal.
The characteristic reply of the authorities wavers between flattery and irony.
We give it in full as a model of official correspondence, in cases where the correspondent has no intention of taking any action. :—
1. In June of '86, '88, '90, '92, '95, Sept. '96, June, '98, '99, '00, '01; and Oct. '01, in Sept.-Oct., '02, and in June
annually from '03, to date.
2. This was Gen. Hutton's'idea.
3. Some of the rural corps have not been able to bring full companies. Possibly too many have been drafted
to become colonels.
69

HISTORY OF THE 12TH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS
A.G. 084.500

TORONTO,

29th September, 1899.

From D.O.C., M.D., No. 2
To
The Officer Commanding 12th Battalion.
12th Battalion
Referring to your letter of the 16th inst., upon the subject
Offer of Sernamed in the margin, I am instructed to forward for your inforvices for
South Africa. mation and action, a copy of the remarks of the General Officer
Commanding, viz.:
2. The Major General Commanding will have much pleasure
in forwarding the letter of the Officer Commanding 12th Battalion,
in which he offers the battalion under his command in aid of the
Imperial Government in the Transvaal.
3. The Major General Commanding cannot refrain from expressing his satisfaction at the patriotic feeling shown by Lieut.Col. Lloyd and those under his command.
4. I am desired to request that Lieut.-Col. Lloyd will be good
enough to state more specifically the names of the officers and
to give the exact numbers of the non-commissioned officers
and men who are actually prepared to volunteer for service.
It appears to the Major General Commanding that the statement that the whole regiment is prepared to volunteer may not
be in accordance with the feeling of every individual connected
with the battalion.
By order
(Sgd) H. FOSTER, COL., C. S. 0.
(2)
The further information called for in paragraph four you will
please furnish with the least possible delay.'
W. D. OTTER, Lieut.-Col.,
Commanding M.D., No. 2.
3
( )
You will be good enough to furnish the Adjutant at once with
the information asked for in paragraph four for your company.
T. H. LLOYD, Lieut.-Col.,
Commanding 12th Battalion.

While the response of the officers, non-coms. and men was hearty and practically unan:mous the Government was not moved. The fact is the administration was stepping into the waters of Imperialism one toe at a time like a small
boy going in for the first swim of the season. The recruiting for South Africa was
1. In military correspondence each officer through whose hands a letter passes adds a new number and gives his
comment below it.
70

HISTORY OF THE NTH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS

at first merely permissive. It is only by degrees that the principle of Canadians
taking part as a matter of course in Imperial wars has established itself; and there
are even yet public men in Canada who repudiate the principle. In any event
when the Government of Canada sends a cont ngent of active militia abroad,
whether for service or ceremonial, there is only one proper system of making up
the expeditionary force, namely by proportional representat on as far as possible
of the various regiments. To select one corps would give the temporary advantage of regimental unity at the expense of the permanent disadvantage of
slighting every other corps.
The offer of Lloyd raised some waspish criticism. One very unjust slander
of that day was that the ranks of the 12th were filled during camp with members
of the city regiments. Time has given the 12th its revenge. For during the camps
of 1912, the city regiments having to undergo a camp found great difficulty in
making a decent representation; while the 12th, as usual, was up to strength. The
fact is that the night drilling population and the camp going population are two
rather distinct classes and hitherto the 12th has organized the latter and the city
regiments the former.
The regiment was not unrepresented by non-coms. and privates in the Boer
War. The following were granted leave of absence for the purpose of such service:
B Company, Corp. T. H. Graham, Ptes. H. G. Brunton, H. Machin.
C Company Sergt. Jno. Fawcett,
E Company, Pte. Brettingham,
F Company, Ptes. Geo. Simpson, Jas. Davidson.
In addition to these the Quartermaster (now Major Gillies) folded up his own
tent and stole away with Strathcona's Horse; returning with a decoration. Our
present Adjutant, Capt. Dunham, joined the 12th after his war experience which
included Paardeburg.
HIS MAJESTY'S FIRST VISIT
In 1901 the authorities in addition to the annual training called out the militia
to give a reception to his present Majesty the King, then Duke of Cornwall and
York. The streets of Toronto were lined with troops who stood for some hours
amid a gentle but persistent drizzle which, however, could not damp their spirits.
A review of ten thousand men in the Exhibition grounds gave the then Duke a
fair idea of our military efficiency.'
Apparently this output of 1901 exhausted the military resources of the nation
for we had to be contented in 1902 with a "skeleton" camp in September, composed of officers and non-coms. Lord Dundonald introduced some novelties on
this occasion. He made the officers hang their swords up in their tents and substituted picks and shovels. The redoubt built under his orders by officers and noncoms. would have been a good place to herd an enemy into and shoot their heads
1. He said the usual stock thing on these occasions; something about our "soldier like appearance." This
phrase ought to be called in. It makes one wonder what is suspected of lying behind the appearance. A militia
man would feel safer if told that like the proverbial singed cat he is "better than he looks."
71

HISTORY OF THE NTH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS
off as they showed above the sky line. The blisters on our hands inculcated a
great lesson against building unnecessary fortifications.
Another profound lesson was that skeleton camps and other economic evasions
of annual training will not serve; it took two years to get the regiments back to
strength.'
HIS MAJESTY'S SECOND VISIT
An extra parade,—the Tercentenary Celebration,—varied the monotony of
annual training in 1908, when a selected company of the 12th took part in the
review of 12,000 militia on the Plains of Abraham. This composite company was
captained by Major Allan now lieutenant-colonel, and under him were Major
Curran and Lieut. Curran. The troops were reviewed by the present King, then
Prince of Wales,' and sympathetically scrutinized by Lord Roberts.' The City
of Quebec was much crowded with visitors during this celebration and the officers
responsible for supply and transport were much worried. However, among the
advantages accruing to a regiment that goes to camp regularly is that the officers
and non-coms. know how to see that their men both get rations and make the most
of the rations they get. Whatever discomfort other battalions may have endured,
the 12th came back smiling.
MIGRATIONS OF THE COMPANIES
The companies of the 12th have migrated a good deal; have pulled up their
headquarters from time to time and taken other fields. Recruiting apparently
has exhausted the soil of the county like a strong crop. Thus No. 1 has come in
from Scarboro to Riverside, No. 3, which once was at King came in to Seaton
Village, No. 5 successively occupied Keswick, Sutton, Richmond Hill and finally
West Toronto Junction. No. 6 moved to Parkdale and No. 8 to Yorkville. No.
7 moved from Sharon to Sutton; thence it recruited one year in Scarboro and
afterwards had its nominal headquarters removed to Weston.
They do not of late years appear in any instance to fly outwards, but rather
to gravitate inwards to Toronto.
Toronto was made a city in 1834, and for military purposes appears to have
been distinguished from the rest of the county—as a battalion division—in 1846.
The 12th has never recognized any exclusion of the city from the county and has
never ostracised a recruit because he is a Toronto man. As the city has absorbed
the young men of the county and also absorbed the neighboring towns and villages,
the regiment has followed its human material even as the shepherd follows his
flock. It is true that the Militia List still carries Riverside, Seaton Village, To4

,

1. The strength required next year was only twenty men per company outside of officers and non-coms. Even
that was hard to make up after the disturbance caused by losing one annual camp.
2. Usual phrase, "soldier-like bearing," used in congratulation of troops.
3. "12,000 men under arms and no hitch anywhere. Canada appears to me to be dealing adequately with the
problems affecting her Militia" says "Bobs."
4. The companies were renumbered in 1872, four becoming three, five becoming four and so on.
72

HISTORY OF THE NTH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS
ronto Junction, Parkdale, Yorkville, Weston and Newmarket as the homes of
seven of the eight companies. But Riverside, Seaton Village, Toronto Junction,
Parkdale and Yorkville are now in Toronto, Weston is rubbing elbows with the
city and the Newmarket Company has moved down Yonge Street, and is now
recruited in the district which is shortly to be annexed.
The Aurora Company still stands as a creditable example of what can be done
in a country town by an enthusiastic captain. But of the bulk of the regiment
we may say that it has filled a want in the community by organizing the campgoing population of Toronto into soldierly material.
OUR SPLENDID ARMOURIES
This restless itinerancy of the companies has its penalties; the vagrants are
homeless. The Armouries of the 12th have the merits of variety and improvisation. Outside of the buildings at Aurora used by No. 2 Company, the company

Photo by Kennedy

A Young Section of the 12th in Drill Order
Niagara Common, June 1912

commanders in selecting or accepting their quarters have for consolation the ancient maxim "better the worst shelter than the best bivouac." The county authorities take refuge behind a profound mistrust of militarism and contribute nothing
to the militia. The City of Toronto is more good natured and has granted the
temporary use of various odd corners in its buildings where the captains can store
their forty-two rifles and their stocks of coats, overcoats, canteens, water bottles,
and all other the pomp of glorious war entrusted to their charge. This does not
• help recruiting and makes it cruelly difficult for the zealous officer to keep his
73

HISTORY OF THE 12TH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS

men together between camps. For it is not easy to enjoy club and gymnasium
privileges in a room without heating or lighting, and through whose flooring comes
up the reek of horse manure from the city stables below. Can nothing be done?
THE 12TH

As IT Now Is

Of its present state as a camp-going regiment we may say that the 12th was
never in better fettle. At Niagara this year (1912) the regiment was not a noncom. or man short of strength. On a few minutes notice it furnished headquarters
with a guard of honor of one hundred men who went through the ceremonies like
regulars. Since the camp, on short notice, it sent to the Thanksgiving manoeuvres
two good companies. Whatever part or duty may be assigned to it, this regiment
is willing to undertake. To what extent it is capable of performance we shall let
others say. Not ourselves, but the Military Gazette, has written concerning the
Niagara Camps of 1911 :—
"In the first camp there was but, one regiment in really satisfactory shape,
the Nth York Rangers.
"Now this regiment is recruited almost exclusively from the large population
of Toronto, and is a rural corps in little more than name. It is a shining example
of what a city corps, for this it is, to all intents and purposes, can do, when given
its training in camp instead of in and near an armoury. With all the smartness
and exactness of the city corps it has also the practical knowledge of field work
which comes of many year's training in the open, with the resultant well experienced officers and non-coms. We believe that this corps, enjoying as it does
such special advantages, is the best working aggregation of militia men in Canada."

74

HISTORY OF THE 12TH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS

APPENDIX A
THE OFFICERS OF THE REGIMENT AS PRINTED IN THE
QUARTERLY MILITIA LIST

(1st July, 1912)
12TH REGIMENT "YORK RANGERS."
2nd Divisional Area.
(Organized G. 0. 14 Sept., 66).
Regimental Headquarters—Aurora, Ont.
1 Battalion (8 Companies).
Company Headquarters.
A Co.—Riverside.
E Co.—Toronto, June.
B Co.—Aurora.
F Co.—Parkdale.
C Co.—Seaton Village.
G Co.—Weston.
D Co.—Newmarket.
H Co.—Yorkville.
Honorary Lieut.-Colonel—(1) Wayling, Lt.-Col., J., ret., 21 Nov., 06.
Lieut.-Colonel
(D) (1) Allan, J. A. W. .................................... 8 Sept. 09
Majors (2)
(D) Nicol, A. G ..................................................

1 July 07
15 Aug.05
(D) (1) Curran, A ............................................. 5 Oct. 11
1 June 05
Captains (8)
c Elliott, A ......................................................... 25 May 98
(maj. 25 May 08)
g Hunter, A. T .................................................. 23 May 03
d Clarke, F. F .................................................... 4 Jan. 04
a Hamilton, W. B ............................................. 19 May 06
Brown, B. H ................................................... 14 Dec. 07
(1) Dunham, F. H. ...................................... 1 June 08
7 Apr. 11
b (1) Taylor, W. H. ..
h Curran, S. E ................................................... 30 Sept. 11

Adjutant

6unham, F. H. (capt.) .......

1 June 08

Instructor of Musketry
Elliott, A. (bt. major) ........................................ 10 May 12
Signalling Officer
Quartermaster
(1) Gillies, A. ................................................... 27 Aug. 06
(hon maj. 27 Aug. 06)
Medical Officer
( D) Hillary, R. M. (maj.)

18 May 94
(hon. lc 18 May 04)

Paymaster
Knox, J. E

............................................... 13 Nov. 06

(hon. maj 22 Apr. 12)
Chaplain

Lieutenants (16).
21 June 07
e Glover, W. R
....................... 27 Mar. 08
c (1) Fowler, W. G.
c Walker, R ....................................................... 16 Apr. 08
27 Mar. 08
f Brown, F. F. M ............................................. 30 May 08
h Darlington, F. G. L. ................................ 30 May 08
d Baillie, W (s m) ............................................ 30 May 08
d Brann, H ......................................................... 1 June 08
g Holdsworth, T. H ......................................... 24 July 09
e Fletcher, A. G. A .......................................... 18 Apr. 10
g Rogers, W. T .................................................. 31 May 10
a *Williamson, J. L .......................................... 19 June 11
23 Dec. 11
b *Proctor, J. H
h *Tomlin, H. U. .............................................. 10 Feb. 12
f *Pink, W G ................................................... 8 Apr. 12
c *Reesor, R. J, ............................................. 14 Apr. 11

CORPS RESERVE

Majors (2)
(D) (1) Wayling, J. ........................................ 6 July 11
23 June 03
Captains (8)
(1) Agnew, J.
..............
.. 19 May 06
21 Dec. 99
Hobbs, J. H ........................................................ 30 Sept.11
22 Mar. 10
Lieutenants (16)
Nicholls, E. M ................................................... 31 May 10
21 June 07
(1) Dayton, B. J. (s s.) .................................. 15 May 12
15 Dec. 09

(1) Active Service. The abbreviation (D) before a name means Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officers Decoration.
75

Photo by Kennedy
Officers Group taken at the Camp, 1912
Front row reading from left to right—Lieut. PINK, Lieut. WILLIAMSON, Lieut. FLETCHER, Lieut. PROCTOR, Lieut. DARLINGTON
Second Row—Capt. HUNTER, Major GILLIES, Brigade Major COWAN, The Beigadier Lieut. Col. HENDERSON,
Lieut. Col. ALLAN. Lieut. Col. HILLARY, Major NICOL, Major KNOX, Major ELLIOTT
Third Row—Capt. BROWN, Lieut. ROGERS, Lieut. BAILLIE, An Attached Officer, Lieut. WALKER, Capt. FOWLER, Lieut. BRANN,
Capt. HAMILTON, Capt. DUNHAM, Capt. TAYLOR

HISTORY OF THE 12TH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS

APPENDIX B
RECORD OF OFFICERS' SERVICES
HE following is a partial list of officers' services since the gazetting of
the Volunteer Companies. The record of active service does not go
beyond 1885. No systematic Regimental Records appear to have
been attempted prior to those commenced by Lieut.-Col. John T.
Thompson when Adjutant:
_

. ..... ......

....._
Ensign
2nd Lieut.
or Prov.
Lieut.

Name

Sc ARBOR° CO'Y.
Ferguson, J. R
Norris, W. II
Taber, .i. R ...............
Rush, G •
Stobo, It. H .................
Stobo, Isaac ................

Lieut.

GAZETTED

Major.

Capt.

Lt.-

1.

4-9-62
4-9-62
4-9-62
6-1-65
66

Retired

4-9-62

... 19-12-61

.................................................

AURORA CO'Y.

.

...........

.............

.............
.............

,

...

.....24-7-63

Ashton, Seth ................
, 11-12-62
Hutchinson, W. B.
11-12-62 ................
Goode, C ..................... 11-12-62 .............
Peel, E. M
24-7-63
Campbell, R ...............
4-9-63 .............
,
...... 1-12-65
Pearson, Nath.
.
•

• .

LIOYDTOWN CO'Y.

Budd, E ....................
....19-12-62
Ramsay, G
19-12-62 .............
Hunter, R
....... 10-12-62 .............
Armstrong, A
26-8-63
Peebles, A. J. L. .........
7-4-65 .............

$
.............

KING CO'Y.

Garden, G. L
Dennis, Isaac .........
..... 23-1-63
Norman, Chas. ........... 23-1-63 .............

23-1-63

.............

.............

12TH REG'T.

Jarvis, W. D ................
Norris, W. H
Peel, E. M... ..............
Garden, G. L ........

......14-9-66

14 9 66
14-9-66

9-2-72

.............
......18-4-78

77

9-2-72
18-4-78
28-5-75
17-3-82

Service.

HISTORY OF THE 1 2TH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS

GAZETTED
Ensign
2nd Lieut.
or Prov.
Lieut.

Name

Lieut.

Capt.

..... 26-8-63
Armstrong, A. ,
Peebles, A. J. L. , '
7-4-65 14-9-66
3-4-61 14-12-66
4 .............
Bovell, Jas
4-9-62 14-12-66
Taber, J. R
Stobo, R. H. ........... 14-9-62 14-9-66
Norman, Chas.. ... .. 23-1-63 14-12-66 10-5-72
......1-12-65 14-9-66
Pearson, N ........
......15-6-66
Boultbee, A
..... 28-9-66
Wyndham, A.
Huxtable, J .... ...; ... 14-9-66 ............. 16-10-69
5-10-56
Boucher, W. ................
Stevenson, J. R...... 5-10-66 14-6-72
19-10-66
Milne, T. A
Robinson, J ................
19-10-66 .............
Canning, S ......
19-10-66 .............
19-10-66
Selby, W
Selby, J. W
19-10-66 28-6-72
Wayling, J. ............... 19-10-66 19-6-67 28-5-75
6-11-66
Eekhardt, S ..................
Eaken, W ..................... 6-11-66
... 16-11-66
Crosby, H. P.
Spencer, W .. . . ...... 14-12-66
... 14-12-66
Armstrong, W. T.
16-11-66
Crosby, L. W. N .....
Thompson, J ............... 14-12-66 .............
... 21-12-66
Cawthra, J.
Trent, W ...................... 21-12-66
McFaydden, C...... .. ..... 21-12-66
..... 5-23-67 .............
Hillary, R. W.....
7-6-67 .............
Gamble, M. C. - .
11-10-67
2-6-71
Rolph, W
'
..... 18-6-69
Wood, J. W
Graham, G ..... ..... 18-6-69
Dudley, W. H....... 18-6-69
Robinson. J ................. 10-6-69
7-6-72
16-10-69
Chester, H
Hartman, F. B ........... 16-10-69 23-5-72
Parkhill, W .................. 14-10-70
Lloyd, T. H ................. 12-6-71 ............. 10-5-72
Bentley, T. H ............. 2-6-71 .............
2-6-71 25-10-72
Reesor, R. ................
Whitney, F. L ......
4-8-71 .............
5-2-75
7-6-72
Lee, C. W .................... 23-3-72
10-5-72 ................
Robinson, T
Braithwaite, W .......... 10-5-72 12-7-72
Wills, L ........................ 10-5-72 .............
10-5-72 16-5-73
Garden, E. G ..........
Bruce, W ...................... 10-5-72 ............. 11-9-74
23-5-72
Pearson, N
23-5-72 .............
Andrews, A. Y ........
..... 23-5Eckhardt, T ..........
.
•

Major

23-5-73

.............

10-5-75

Lt. Cot

Retired

23-5-73
10-5-72
2-6-71
16-10-69
11-9-74
16-10-69
10-5-72
%, ............. 7-6-72
17-3-82 23-5-86
14-6-72
2-6-71
31-6-74
2-6-71

Service.

.............

N.W. Rebellion, 1885

... 11-10-07

28-6-72
17-3-82

2-6-71

:

27-6-84
.............
.............

78

4-8-71
28-6-67
28-5-75 17-3-82
21-5-86 5-16-98
12-6-72
23-5-72
12-7-72
18-6-69
16-10-69
12-7-72
... 16-10-69
23-10-74
7-6-67
29-10-69
10-5-94
...........
... 14-10-70
25-10-72
23-5-72
23-5-72
10-5-72
1-8-79
12-2-75
28-5-75
20-6-73
16-5-98 16-5-03
...... 11-9-74
...... 12-7-12
..... 23-5-72
..... 31-3-82
5-5-74
28-5-75
...... 11-9-74
5-11-75
27-6-84
28-5-75
... 23-10-74
..... 20-4-77

N.W. Rebellion, 1885, Medal
.

Fenian Raid, 1866

HISTORY OF THE 12TH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS
GAZETTED
Ensign
2nd Lieut.
Name ................... or Prov.
Lieut.

Reesor, F. A ..... ... .
Botsford, J. A .............
Busk, J
Pagent, C. B. .............
Campbell, L. C..
Tomlinson, C ..............
Bowden, W. H .......
Stewart, W
Stevenson, J. R
Richardson, S. R.
Strange, F. W

23-5-72 25-10-72
23-5-72 .......
7-6-72 .............
14-6-72 .............
...... 12-7-74
4-3-73 10-7-74
20-6-73 11-9-74
11-9-74
31-9-74
9-10-74

Capt.

Major

Lt. Col.

..

..... ..

.

23-4-80
23-4-80

.............
.........

.............

.

.

.

41'

28-5-75

Baker, H
Macdonald, F ..... .. 28-5-75
Smith, J. F
Woods, R
25-6-75
Clelland, E
Lewis, J. W. ............

Vidal, B. H ..................
Strathy, J. R.....
Saunders, B... ......
Irwin, M. B
Flintoff, J. T .
Machel, T. H..... . . .
Smith, J. F
King, G. S...........
Montgomery, J. T...
Bennett, C. C ..............
Macdonald, F.
'
Addison, J ...................
Stevenson, J. R.
Ardagh, A. S. ...... .
Tremayne, F. G.
McKay, A. S ................
Vennell. G ...................
Leslie, j. K .............
Brooke, G ....................
Symons, J. T
Douglas, M. B ............
Brooke, C. E.. ... . ..
Stevenson, J. R.
Moncrief, F. E. . , . .
Cooper, W. M
McNaught, W. K . —
Flintoff, G. ...........
Ashworth G. J ........
McSpadden, W.........
Booth T. W ............

Lieut.

.............

18-6-75
2-7-80
2-7-75

.

.. ......

. .....

5-11-75 10-11-76

.......

.

.

11-3-8 9

24-8-77

. . .... .

..... 24-8-77
5-7-78 • .............

1-8-79

. . ..

.

1-8-79
1-8-79
7-5-80
5-5-76

..

... .

5-3-81
5-3-81
5-3-81

30-4-81
,,

..... 20-8-80

26-2-81
12-5-82 14-6-89 .............
20-3-85 14-6-89 25-5-98
30-4-81 17-3-82
17-3-82
4-6-86
3-2-82
..... 31=3-82 29-11-89
..... 31-3-82 .............
..... 31-3-82

12-5-82
11-8-82
, .....

N.W. Rebellion, 1885, Medal,
transferred to Q.O.R.

1-9-82
9-11-83

1-8-79
1-4-82
1-8-79
1-12-83

21-12-83
5-3-81
2-5-79
. ..
31-3-82
27-6-84
18-6-86
. ....
1-6-88
11-8-82
20-3-85
. .
10 4 80

N.W. Rebellion, 1885, Medal
Brigade-Major, Abyssinian
Expedition, 1867-68, action at Ardghie and Magdala Medal

....................

N.W. Rebellion, 1885, Medal

..... 31-3-87

31-3-82
.............

Service.

30-6-84

..... 29-5-75

9-4-80
, ...........

====.::=

..... 24-7-77

25-5-77

28-5-75

-

...

..... 20-4-77

.............

Retired

10-7-74
....
9-5-75
.. 23-10-74
.. 30-7-80
9-11-83
.. . . 9-11-83
18-6-75
1-8-79
28-5-75
5-6-78
,.•••
. 24-8-77

28-5-75

20-1-77

1-8-79
.. ....

....._.,--=z=o=m,,,■

27-6-84
9-11-83 30-8-89

79

23-4-80
18-6-86
28-9-82
... 11-30-97
11-1-07
8-9-09
4-6-86
..... 28-7-93
1-6-88
-6
25-1-84
............. 21-8-97
..... 27-6-84
14-6-89
23-3-87
18-4-84
20-6-90
.............
21-1-93
23-12-87

N.W. Rebellion, 1885, Medal
N.W. Rebellion, 1885, Medal
N.W. Rebellion, 1885, Medal
N.W. Rebellion, 1885, Medal

N.W. Rebellion, 1885, Medal
N.W. Rebellion, 1885, Medal

HISTORY OF THE 12TH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS

GAZETTED
Ensign
2nd Lieut.
Name ................... or Prov. Lieut.
Lieut.

Wismer, J. A ...............
Lanskail, J ...................
Thompson, J. T.
Furnival, G. M
McCarty, J. C
Smith, L. L. F
Chapman, M. S.
Allan, J. A. W ............
Fleury, W. J ...............
Croatwaite, W. J.
Verral, J. E .................
McConnell, J ..............
Hillary, R. M
Wayling, J., Jr. .........

Gower, J
Bentley, W. H
Williamson, A. E.....
McSpadden, G. ..........
Brown, F. W ...............

Capt.

9-11-83
25-1-84
3-7-86.

Major

21-1-93

.............

20-6-90

16-5-03

..... 18-6-86

18-6-86 18-4-90
18-6-86
16-12-86

1-6--88

28-7-93
15-6-88
23-6-93

.............

18 6 86
5-8-87
9-3-88
31-1-90

30-8-89
28-7-94

1-7-07
18-4-90
18-4-90
18-6-86
...... 1-16-88
9-8-09 .............
18-6-86
1-6-88
6-1—
9-3-88
18-5-04 .............
16-5-03

B.M.
6-23-03 .............
M21-3-10 .............

18-6-86
9-3-88

Service.

18-6-86
27-6-84
27-6-84
18 4 84

30-5-84
20-3-85

Retired

..... 24-5-86

.............

..... 29-2-84

30-5-84
9-3-88

Lt. Col.

N.W. Rebellion, 1885, Medal
N.W. Rebellion, 1885, Medal
N.W. Rebellion, 1885, Medal
N.W. Rebellion, 1885, Medal

Became Surgeon

Seconded W. Africa, 01-2; W. Africa,
04-5; W. Africa, 06-6
14-10-01
Trans. CR
6-7-11 Medal, 3 clasps
18-4-90
-89
23-3-88
28-6-94

B.M.

10-5-11 10-5-11 N.W. Rebellion, 1885, Medal
..... 31-1-90
Cooper, H. B .............. 23-3-88 .............
Elliott, S. B ................. 20-4-88
20-6-90
Orr; R. B
20-6-90
.............
1-6-88 .............'
Noble, T. A
19-2-92
1-6-88
Holmes, C. A .............. 15-6-88 ............. 20-6-90
29-9-94
Nicol, A. G
31-10-89 20-5-94
B.M.
15-8-04
M 1-7-07 .............
28-10-92
Macdonald, A. E.
..... 31-1-90
Elliott, A ...................... 31-1-90 16-3-94 25-5-98
B.M.
25-5-08 .............
..... Actions at Fish Creek and
Curran, A .................... 19-4-90 25-11-92
1-6-95
B.M.
Batoche, N.W. Rebellion,
1-6-05
1885, Medal with clasp
M 5- 0- 1
Gower J .......................
18-4-90 11 ............. 20-4-94
Unitt,' F. W.
20-4-94
20 6 90
22-4-92
Dunlop, J. A. C....... 31-1-91
4-2-93 N.W. Rebellion, 1885, Medal
Sloane, W. S ............... 20-3-91
Lailey, F. T. ............... 17-7-91
16-3-94
Scott, C. S. W ........
23-4-92 16-3-94
13-4-98
17-3-94 N.W. Rebellion, 1885, Medal
Douglas, G. 11 ............ 23-4-92
4-6-92
Marsh, S. S ................. 25-6-92
23-6-97 Died
Verral, E. H ................ 23-7-92 16-3-94
14-12-07
6-1-00
Lennox, T. H .............. 4-6-92 21-10-99
2 6 04 Transfererd to G.G.B.G.,
Actions at Fish Creek, BaMitchell, T.
23-4-94 15-6-95 30-11-97
21-12-99
toche, N.W. Rebellion,
1885, Medal with clasp
22-3-10

80

HISTORY OF THE NTH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS

Name

McDonagh, T 0
Ward, J. J ...................
Unitt, F. W
Grantham, J. S ..........
Gillies, A
Riches, C. H ...............
Symons, J. T
Vance, T
Fawke, E. J .................
Clark, J. J ....................
Shunk, S ......................
Knox, J. E ...................
Agnew, J ......................

Ensign
2nd Lieut.
or Prov.
Lieut.

Lieut.

Capt.

Major

16-3-94
16-3-94

Lt.-Co!.

Gray, F. A ................... 21-12-95
Baldwin, S. Y ............. 18-1-96
McLean, J. C ..... ... 16-5-96 24-4-99 .............
Gillies, A ......................
..... 28-8-96
..
Fotheringham, J. T
22- -76
Clarke, F. F ................ 23-6-97 26-10-98
1-4-04
McCracken, J. A...... 7-8-97
Anderson, H. B ........
9-8-97
9-8-97 .............
Brunton, T. H
13-10-97
Port, E. H ................... 22-1-98 10-10-98
Lindsay, W. L ........
7-3-98 .............
Hunter, A. T. ......... 14-3-98 28-4-99 23-5-03
Verral, A. S .................
7-7-98
Hamilton, W. B ......... 13-9-98 21-12-99 19-5-06
Frankland, H. R ........- 10-9-98 .............
Thompson, W. H.... 15-11-98 12-12-97 .............
Douglas, R. Y ....... 21-11-98
Mussen, Rev.
E. H., M.A .. 8-3-99 .............
Howard, W. C ............ 17-4-99
Brown, B. H ............... 12-7-99
8-8-02 14-12-07
Radcliffe, D. H ..........
8-9-99
5-5-04 .............
Oliver, W. M ........
22-4-01 7-11-01 ...............
Isaacs, G. W ............... 12-12-99
Douglas, W. E ........... 29-12-99 .............
Knox, J. E ................. 21-4-10 ............... Hon. Capt
12-8-03
Murray, A. G ............
1 6 00
MacGillivray,
Rev. A. a . 12-4-01
Brunton, H. G ........... 16-9-01
Brace, A. J
29-8-02
Dunham, F. H.... ... 8-6-03

25-4-04
20-4-04
1-6-08
5-5-04

Mitchell, G. A ............ 23-12-03

20-4-04

.

Service.

15-3-98
15-6-95
... 19-11-97
9-2-95
28-8-96
..... 23-5-03
7-4-96
........
..... 24-8-95
..... 21-4-96
22-1-98
1-5-99
18-6-98
...... 19-5-06

.

.
20 4 99
20-5-94
2-6-94
2-6-94 28-8-96 19-11-97
22-6-94
12-1-95
12-1-95
9-2-95
15-6-95
15-6-95
21-12-95 15-12-97 21-12-99

Retired

.

...

.

.

N.W. Rebellion, 1885, Medal

See below
Transferred to Corps. Res.
N. W. Rebellion 1885 Medal

21-9-96
15-5-99
Hon.
27-8-06

..... S. Africa, 1900-1, Medal, 3

15-8-97

clasps (D.S.M.)
Transferred to Q.O.R.
R.C.R., III. Batt., Halifax

10-9-98
Hon.

......12-8-03

25-4-99
18-12-07
.
..

.

.

.
.

. .

,
.
. ...
...

15-4-01
16-4-08
22-4-01
12-4-01
23-7-01

Transferred
Fenian Raid, 1866, Ridgeway

.............

25-5-05
22-7-03
14-12-06
10-3-05

Transferred to 30th Regt.

Hon. M.
22-4-12
..

.

23-7-03

Reverts to retired list of
captains

..... 25-5-10

.............

26-10-06
10-5-05
10-3-05
81

2nd C.M .R., Hart River, S.A.
2nd R.C.R., S.A., Medal, 3
clasps

HISTORY OF THE 12TH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS

GAZETTED
Ensign
2nd Lieut.
Name ................... or Prov.
Lieut.

McCormack, E ........... 27-19-03
Hobbs, J. H ................
Wright, J. G ...............
Richey, H. B.. ......
Ross, J. C ....................
Lea, H ..........................
Nicholls, B. F .............
Jefferies, W. G ............
Noble, A. F. .............
Nicholls, E. M ............
Curran, S. E ...............
Brann, H.. , ..... , .
Ross, A. C .............
Glover, W. R... „,....
Fowler, W. G ..............

---__

Major

Lieut.

Capt.

20-4-04

.............

Lt. Col.

,

4-5-04 31-3-05 22-3-10
18-5-04 30-6-05 .............
30-11-02 .............
8-10-02
5-8-02
23-5-03 20-4-04 .......
18-10-04 14--12-06 .............
2-10-05 30-11-05 Sig. Lt.
3-5-07
25-6-06 21-6-07 .............
10-7-06 13-12-06 30-9-11
14-12-06
1 6 08 .............
28-3-07 21-6-07
3-4-07 21 6 07 .............
16-7-07 27-3-08 12-8-12

Retired

Service.

Strathcona, Horse and 2nd
C.M.R.
. .. 30-9-11 Transferred Corps Reserve
18-4-10 Coronation Medal
..... Trasnferred to A.S.C.
26-9-03
5-8-03
14-12-06
14-12-06
-12-08 Died

. ,...

.....

14-11-06

..... 31-5-10

Transferred Corps Reserve

.............

17-5-10
..... N.W. Rebellion, 1885, Medal,

.............

clasp, Fish Creek, Batoche
Brown, F. F. M.....
... ..
Walker, R
Darlington, F. G.....
Scott, W. R ......
Baillie, W
Hawkin, A. J. S .......
Taylor, W. H .... . ..
Collins, M. C ..............
Holdsworth, T. H....
Rogers, W. T
... .
Dayton, B. J. ...........
Bolt, F. P .....................
Fletcher, A. G. A....
Orr, H. ...................
Williamson, J. L.....
Reesor, R. J ................
Pink, W. G ..................
Proctor, J. H. .........
Tomlin, H. N .............

25-7-07 14-12-07
18-11-07 27-3-08
18-12-07 30-5-08
13-1-08 .............
1-4-08 30-5-08
16-4-08
9-4-10
3-6-08
4 6 08 27 6 08
8-6-08 27-6-09
29-10-09 31-5-10
29-11-09 15-12-09
16-3-10 .............
... .... 18-4-10
27-5-10
8-6-10
19-6-11 .............
14-4-11
8-4-12 .............
23-12-11 .............
10-2-12, .............
1

.............
.............
... 14-11-08

. .

18-9-09
..... N.W. Rebellion, 1885, Medal

7-4-11

30-9-11
.............
..... S. Africa

.............

2-8-11

.... ,
.............

+4 •

.

I ..........................

..

..... Transferred

'

. .........

..
,

82

HISTORY OF THE 12TH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS

APPENDIX C
M.D. No. 13

LETTER OF COL. CRUIKSHANK

S.O. File.
HEAD-QUARTERS, MILITARY DISTRICT NO.

13.,

CALGARY, ALTA.,

11th November, 1911.

From,
THE DISTRICT OFFICER COMMANDING, MILITARY DISTRICT

No. 13.

To,
CAPTAIN

F. H.

DUNHAM,

Adjutant, 12th Regt. York Rangers.

re York Volunteers :
Sir,—With reference to your letter on the marginally noted subject dated
the 4th instant, and received this day I have the honour to inform you that in 1812
the County of York in Upper Canada, in addition to its present limits, included
the present Counties of Peel and Halton and portions of Simcoe and Wentworth.
There were three regiments of York Militia, the 1st, 2nd and 3rd. On the creation
of the Gore District and the County of Wentworth in 1816, the 2nd Regiment of
York Militia became the 1st Gore Regiment.
At the action of Queenston, 13th October, 1912, Captain Thomas Selby's
flank company of the 1st York, under Lieutenant Reuben Richardson; Captain
John Chisholm's and Captain William Applegarth's flank companies of the 2nd
York and Captain Duncan Cameron's and Captain Stephen Heward's flank companies of the 3rd York, the latter commanded by Lieutenant John Beverley Robinson, afterwards Chief Justice, were present.
Selby's company was recruited along Yonge Street north of the present City
of Toronto: Chisholm's and Applegarth's were recruited from the vicinity of
Burlington Bay in the present County of Wentworth, and Cameron's and Heward's
from the town of York and surrounding country.
Captain Applegarth and Duncan Cameron and Lieutenant Richardson are
named in Major-General Sheaffe's dispatch to Sir George Prevost, dated October
13th, 1812; a copy of which is in the Dominion Archives (Series Q, Vol. 118, p. 281)
as having "led their men into action with great spirit." The name of Captain
Chisholm was mentioned in a subsequent despatch from Sheaffe to Prevost,
November 3rd, 1912, Dominion Archives (Series C, Vol. 677, p. 106) as having
been omitted. The names of the above officers with the exception of Captain
Chisholm also appear in the General Order by the Adjutant General dated at
Montreal, 21st October, 1812.
83

HISTORY OF THE 12TH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS

In my opinion the evidence is conclusive that your Corps represent the 1st
York Regiment of Militia of which Selby's flank company was present at Queenston
on the 13th October, 1812, and Selby's flank company and Captain Peter Robinson's rifle company were present at the surrender of Detroit on the 16th August,
1812.
I may add that I will at any time be most pleased to furnish any further information in my power that you may require to substantiate your claim.
I have the honour to be, Sir,
Your obedient servant,
E. A. CRUIKSHANK, Lieut.-Colonel,
Commanding Military District No. 13.

APPENDIX D
MEMO

re

THE YORK VOLUNTEERS AT THE BATTLE OF QUEENSTON HEIGHTS

(Furnished by Dr. Doughty, Dominion Archivist)
He fell (Lieut.-Col. McDonnell), while gallantly charging up the hill with
one hundred and ninety men, chiefly of the York Volunteers, by which charge
the enemy was compelled to spike the eighteen pounder in the battery there.—
(From Tupper's " Life of Brock.")
"On the morning of the battle of Queenston, Hatt's Company, 5th Lincoln,
was the only force at Queenston; Chisholm's 2nd York was stationed on the
brow of the Heights; Cameron's and Heward's were at Brown's Point, arriving
at Queenston as Brock was wounded."—(Irving's " War of 1812-1815.")
3rd Regiment, York Militia—This regiment's designation was changed to
"2nd Regiment of York Militia," the former 2nd York being called the "1st
Gore," (Militia General Order, 10 July, 1816).
2nd Regiment, York Militia—On the creation of the District of Gore and
the County of Wentworth in 1816, this Corps became the "1st Gore Regiment."
1st Regiment, York Militia—According to the return of September 24th,
1813, in the Archives, the regiment consisted of the North and South Divisions.
The former was composed of Tyler's (No. 2), Traver's (No. 8), Robinson's (No.
6), Selby's (No. 4), and Richardson's (No. 7); the latter included Willson's (No.
1), Arnold's (No. 3), Fenwick's (No. 9), Mustard's (No. 5), Button's (No. 11),
and No. 10, under Lieut. Miles.
84

HISTORY OF THE 12TH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS

APPENDIX E
A PARTIAL LIST OR RIFLE SHOOTING RECORD, SHOWING SOME OF THE HIGHER
PLACES WON BY TEAMS OR INDIVIDUALS OF THE 12TH FROM 1885-1910
DOMINION RIFLE ASSOCIATION MATCHES
Bisley Team (to represent Canada in 1894)—Staff
Sergt. Simpson, 1; Private Bayles, 2; Lieut. A. Curran,
4; Lieut. T. Mitchell, 5; Staff Sergt. Bell, 9. (It is
worthy of remark that three men of the above five were
in the final one hundred of the Queen's Prize at Bisley,
Lieut. Mitchell, third place; Staff Sergt. Davidson,
thirty-second place, and Staff Sergt. Bell, fifty-fourth
place. This team won the Ranelagh Match carrying
off the Ranelagh Cups from the picked regimental
teams of the British Volunteer forces of the Empire.
Two of the above team won grand aggregate scores at
Bisley, Staff Sergt. Simpson and Lieut. T. Mitchell).

1885
Growski Cup, won by 12th.
1891
Winnen Manufacturers' Match, won by Lieut. A.
Elliott, with a possible of 35.
Minister of Militia Match—Eighth place, 12th
Regiment team 19 points behind winners.
British Challenge Shield—Sixth place, 12th Regiment.
Extra Series-500 yards, Lieut. A. Elliott, possible.
1892
Grand Aggregate (Bisley Team)—Staff Sergt. Simpson, 315 points.
Hamilton Powder Company Match—Second place,
Col. Sergt. Foreman, 34.
Growski Match—Seventh place, 12th Regiment.
British Challenge Shield—First place, 12th Regiment.
(Two members on Bisley team, Lieut. T. Mitchell,
and Staff Sergt. Mitchell.)

1894
The Hon. the Minister of Militia's Match, won by
Lieut. T. Mitchell, 12th Regiment.
Team Match—Third place, won by 12th Regiment.
The Lansdowne Aggregate won by 12th TeamLieut. T. Mitchell, Staff Sergt. Davidson, Staff Sergt.
Simpson, Sergt. Bayles, Sergt. Geo. Thompson;
score, 1,047.
Bankers' Grand Aggregate—Second place won by
Lieut. T. Mitchell.
Bisley Team for 1895—Three men, namely, Lieut.
Mitchell, Staff Sergt. Bell, and Staff Sergt. Simpson.
Extra Series-800 yards, second place, Staff Sergt.
Simpson.

1893
MacDougall Challenge Cup Match—Second place,
Private T. S. Bayles.
Dominion Canada Team Prize and Davis & Sons
Cup—Second place, 12th Regiment.
Walker Challenge Cup Match—First place, 12th
team composed of : Lieut. T. Mitchell, Lieut. A.
Elliott, Staff Sergt. J. H. Simpson, Staff Sergt. Geo.
Thompson, Private T. S. Bayles; score, 520.
Kirkpatrick Match—Fourth place, Lieut. A. Curran.
Renshaw Match—Second place, Staff Sergt. Simpson.
Growski Match—Eighth place, 12th Regiment team.
Lansdowne Aggregate—First place, 12th Regiment
team.
Bankers' Prize (Grand Aggregate)-12th Regiment;
first place, Staff Sergt. Simpson; second place, Staff
Sergt. Davidson, with seven members in all from first
to thirteenth places.
Governor General's Match—First, Staff Sergt.
Simpson; second, Lieut. T. Mitchell; third, Staff
Sergt. A. Bell.

1895
Hon. the Minister of Militia's Match—Fourth place,
Capt. Curran.
Extra Series-800 yards, won by Lieut. Mitchell.
1897
Grand Aggregate—Second place, Lieut. T. Mitchell
Extra Series Aggregate—Lieut. T. Mitchell.
1898
Capt. Mitchell won place, Bisley team for 1899.
18 99
Bankers' Match—Third place, Capt. A. Curran.
85

HISTORY OF THE NTH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS
1900
Dominion Canada Match—Fourth place, Capt.
Elliott
Capt. Elliott won place on Bisley team for 1901,
eleventh place.
1902
Capt. Elliott won eighth place Bisley team for 1903,
and at Bisley won Keystone Burgundy Cup, valued at
forty-two guineas at 1000 yards, and over $50.00 in
other prizes.
Extra Series-600 yards, first place, Capt. Curran.

1905
Bankers' Match—First place, Sergt. E. M. Nicholls.
Macdougall Match—First place, Sergt. W. G.
Fowler.
Henshaw Match—First place, 1,000 yards, Sergt.
W. G. Fowler.
Sergt. E. M. Nicholls won ninth place, Bisley Team.
Sergt. W. G. Fowler won fifteenth place, Bisley
Team for 1906.
(Sergt. Nicholls on team which won Kolapore Cup,
made score of 101).
1906
Tyro Match—Third place, Capt. A. T. Hunter.
Dominion Match—Fourth place, Sergt. W. Mitchell.

1903
Private W. G. Fowler won place on Bisley team for
1904.

1907
Macdougall Match won by Capt. A. T. Hunter.
Mitchell Sight Match—Second place, Sergt. W. G.
Fowler.
1908
Extra Series-800 yards, first prize, Major F. W.
Brown.

1904
Walker Match—Third place, Capt. F. W. Brown.
Dominion of Canada Match—Fourth place, Capt.
•
Elliott.
Ross Match—Fifth place, Sergt. E. M. Nicholls.
Bisley Aggregate—Capt. Elliott won tenth place in
Bisley team for 1905. (Shot on Canadian Bisley team
at Bisley in Kolapore Match, 200, 500, 600 yards,
making a record for the British Empire in this match,
which had been competed for forty-two years; score,
34, 35, 34,-103 points out of a possible 105).

1910
Burland Match-1,000 yards, second place, Major
Elliott, 34 points.

ONTARIO RIFLE ASSOCIATION MATCHES
1888
Gordon Match—Second place, Lieut. I. Lanskail.
Tait Brassey Match—First place, Lieut. Lanskail.
Tait Brassey—Battalion team, sixth place (nine
teams competed).
Growski Match (six man team)—First place won by
12th Regiment.
Volley Firing—Second place won by 12th Regiment.

Tait Brassey—Battalion team match, eight man
12th Regiment, second place.
Company Team Match (five men)—A Company
12th Regiment, first place.
Tait Brassey—Individual prizes—Lieut. A. Elliott,
second place.
Mulock Aggregate—Staff Sergt. Bell, second
place; Staff Sergt. Simpson, fourth place; Staff Sergt.
Thompson, tenth place; Lieut. Elliott, eleventh place;
Lieut. Curran, fifteenth place.
Gibson Match—Open to fifty highest scores in first
stage—Second place, Staff Sergt. Simpson; seventh
place, Lieut. F. W. Brown.
Growski Match—Third place, volley firing, 12th
Regiment.

1889
Walker (five man team) Match-12th Regiment
won sixth place. Thirty-one teams competed.
Tait Brassey Battalion Team Eight Men-12th
Regiment won second place. Eleven teams competed.
Company Teams—A Company, eighth place. Eleven
teams competed.
Growski Match—Skirmishing, second place, 12th
Regiment.
1890
MacDonald Match Standing—Lieut. Elliott, second
place; Staff Sergt. Graham, fourth place; Staff Sergt.
Bell, tenth place; Staff Sergt. Ronan, fifteenth place;
Lieut. Curran, nineteenth place.
Gilmore Match—Lieut. A. Curran, first place.
Walker Team Match (five man team)-12th Regiment, second. Twenty-nine teams competed.
Walker Individual Match—Staff Sergt. Bell, second
place.

1891
Gordon Match, 600 yards—Fifth place, Lieut. A.
Elliott.
McDonald Match Standing—Second place, Staff
Sergt. Bell.
Tait Brassey—Battalion team (six men), 12th Regiment, third place (twelve teams competed); company
team, third place won by A Company 12th Regiment
(twenty-three teams competed); twelfth place won by
C Company 12th Regiment.
Growgki Match—Skirmishing, second place won by
12th Regiment.
86

HISTORY OF THE 12TH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS

1898

Extra Series 500—Third prize won by Lieut. Elliott,
12th Regiment.
Time Match—One minute, first prize won by Lieut.
A. Elliott.

The Canadian Club Match, 600 Yards—Fourth
place won by Capt. A. Elliott, 48 points. Possible, 50.
Gordon Match, 600 Yards, 7 Shots—First place won
by Capt. A. Elliott, 35 points.
Corporation of the City of Toronto Match, 500
and 600 yards, 7 shots at 500, 10 shots at 600 yards.—
Second place won by Capt. A. Elliott, 83 points out of
a possible 85 points.
The Mulock Aggregate—Second place won by Capt.
T. Mitchell; third place won by Capt. A. Elliott.
The Nursery Aggregate—Seventh place won by
Private W. Latimer.
Extra Series, 200—Second place won by Capt. T.
Mitchell.
1899

1892
No meeting on account of new Range not being
completed.
1893
The Gilmore Match—First place won by Lieut. A.
Elliott, a possible.
Tait Brassey—Battalion teams (six men), fourth
place, 12th Regiment. (Twelve teams competed).
McDonald Standing—Eight place, Lieut. Elliott.
The Growski—Skirmishing, 12th Regiment, fifth
place.
Volley Firing-12th Regiment, first place.
Aggregate Q.O.R. and 12th Regiment, tie first
place.
Revolver Match—Second place, Sergt. Geo. Thompson; third place, Lieut. A. Elliott.

Canadian Club—Third place won by Capt. Mitchell.
Revolver Match—Second place won by Lieut Agnew.
200 Extra Series—Second place won by Capt.
Mitchell.
800 Extra Series—Second place won by Capt.
Mitchell.
1900

1894

Corporation of the City of Toronto—Fifth place
won by Capt. A. Elliott
Tait Brassey Match—Eighth place won by Capt.
A. Elliott.
Mulock Aggregate—Second place won by Capt. A.
Elliott.
Revolver Match—Fifth place won by Capt. Agnew.
800 Yards Extra Series—Third place, tie, won by
Capt. A. Elliott.
1901

Tait Brassey—Battalion team match, fourth place
won by 12th Regiment (sixteen teams competed);
Company Match, second place won by A Company,
12th Regiment (eighteen teams competed).
McDonald Match—First place won by Lieut . T.
Mitchell.
Gibson Match—Sixth place won by Lieut. T.
Mitchell.
The Mulock Aggregate—Fourth place won by Lieut.
T. Mitchell.
The Growski Match—Third place won by 12th
Regiment.
Extra Series 600 Yards—Seventh place won by Lieut.
A. Elliott.
,

.

MacDonald—Seventh place won by Capt. A.
Elliott.
1902
Tait Brassey Match—Third place, Capt. A. Elliott.
Mulock Aggregate—Sixth place won by Capt. A.
Elliott.
1903

1895
Revolver Match—Third place, Lieut. Mitchell.
Extra Series 200 Yards—First place, Lieut. Mitchell.
Extra Series 600 Yards—Fifth place, Lieut. Mitchell.

Canada Company Match—Seventh place won by
Lieut. F. F. Clarke.
Duke of Cornwall and York—Fourth place won by
Capt. F. W. Brown; seventh place won by Private
W. G. Fowler.
1904

1896
Revolver Match—Second place, Lieut. T. Mitchell.
Extra Series 500 Yards—First place, Lieut. T.
Mitchell.

McDonald Match—Second place won by Lieut. W.
H. Thompson.
Osler Match—Second place won by Lieut. W. H.
Thompson; eighth place won by Capt. Elliott.
Tait Brassey—Eighth place won by Sergt. W. J.
Cook.
Allcomers Aggregate—Seventh place won by Capt.
A. Elliott.
Revolver Match—Fourth place won by Sergt. W. J.
Cook.
The Wheeler & Wilson Match (200 yards)—Second
place won by Sergt. E. M. Nicholls.

1897
The Corporation of the City of Toronto Team Match
—Team, Capt. Curran, Lieut. Mitchell, Lieut. Elliott,
Col. Sergt. Mowat, Private Fairbairn, second place,
12th Regiment. (Thirty-four teams competed.)
Individual Prizes, Corporation of the City of Toronto—Fifth place, Private J. K. Fairbairn.
Mulock Aggregate—Fifth place, Lieut. T. Mitchell.
Toronto Railway Competition—Fourth place, Lieut.
A. Elliott.
87

HISTORY OF THE 12TH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS
1905

The Canadian Club Match—Third place won by
Sergt. Geo. Thompson.
The Corporation of the City of Toronto—Battalion
teams (five men), fifth place won by 12th Regiment.
The Bankers' Match—Second place won by Capt.
A. Elliott, 68 points; 12th place, Capt. Dunham, 65
points.
The Duke of Cornwall and York—Fifth place won
by Lieut. E. M. Nicholls.
Macdonald Match—Sixth place won by Sergt. W.
G. Fowler.
The Militia Aggregate—Second place won by Capt.
A. Elliott.
1908

Canada Company Match—Fifth prize won by
Lieut. F. H. Dunham; twelfth prize won by Col. Sergt.
R. J. Foord.
The Osler. Match—Second place won by Sergt. W.
G. Fowler.
The Mackenzie—Eighth place won by Capt. A.
Elliott.
Revolver Match—First place won by Lieut. W. G.
Jefferies.
The Wheeler & Wilson Match—Sixth prize won by
Sergt. E. M. Nicholls.
The El Padre Needle Cigar Match—Won by Capt.
A. Elliott.
The P. W. Ellis Match—Eighth place won by Lieut.
W. G. Jefferies.
Mitchell Rifle Sight Match—Fourth place won by
Capt. A. T. Hunter.
1906

Corporation of the City of Toronto—Sixth place
won by Lieut. E. M. Nicholls.
The Tait Brassey—Battalion teams (six men),
third place won by 12th Regiment.
1909

Canadian Club Match—Battalion teams of five men,
first place won by 12th Regiment; team—Major
Brown, Capt. A. Elliott, Lieut. Jefferies, Lieut. Nicholls, Sergt. W. G. Fowler. Individual prizes—third
prize, Lieut. W. G. Jefferies, 33 points; fifth prize,
Lieut. E. M. Nicholls, 33 points; sixth prize, Capt.
A. Elliott, 33 points.
City of Toronto—Regimental teams of five men,
fifth place won by 12th Regiment.
The Duke of Cornwall and York—Seventh place
won by Lieut. W. G. Jefferies.
The Tait Brassey Match—First place won by Capt.
A. Elliott, 99 points.

The Tyro Match—Tenth place won by Sergt.
Pringle.
1910
The P. W. Ellis, etc., Match—Ninth place won by
Major F. W. Brown.
1911
City Hamilton Match—Eighth place won by Private
W. J. Kester.
Bankers' Match—Seventh place won by Lieut. R. J.
Reesor.
The Tait Brassey Match—Company team (four
men), third place won by C Company, 12th Regiment.
Extra Series 200 Yards—Fifth place won by Major
A. Elliott.

1907
The Canada Company Match—Ninth place won by
Private R. J. Foord, jr.

RECAPITULATION O.R.A.
SPECIAL REGIMENTAL HONORS
THE GZOWSKI CUP
1882—Won by 12th Regiment.
1893—Won by 12th Regiment.

1898—Capt. T. Mitchell, 12th Regiment.
1900—Capt. A. Elliott, 12th Regiment.
1907—Capt. A. Elliott, 12th Regiment.

THE BRASSEY CUP TEAMS
R80 Won by 12th Regiment.
1890—Won by 12th Regiment. Tie with Q.O.R.

WINNERS OF GOVERNOR GENERAL'S BRONZE MEDALS

THE CANADIAN CLUB JUBILEE CHALLENGE TROPHY
1906—Won by 12th Regiment.

WINNERS OF DOMINION OF CANADA ASSOCIATION
SILVER MEDAL

—

1898—Capt. A. Elliott, 12th Regiment.

1894—Lieut. T. Mitchell, 12th Regiment.

WINNERS OF NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION MEDALS
1893—Staff Sergt. Simpson, 12th Regiment.
1900—Capt. Elliott. 12th Regiment.

WINNERS OF DOMINION OF CANADA RIFLE ASSOCIATION BRONZE MEDAL

WINNERS OF GOVERNOR GENERAL'S SILVER MEDALS
1884—Staff Sergt. A. Bell, 12th Regiment.

1897—Capt. T. Mitchell, 12th Regiment.
1902—Capt. A. Elliott, 12th Regiment.
88

HISTORY OF THE 12TH REGIMENT,. YORK RANGERS

RECAPITULATION D.R.A.
1894 (at Bisley)—The Ranelagh Cups for Battalion
teams six men.
WINNERS OF GOVERNOR GENERAL'S PRIZE, D.R.A.
1893—First prize, Staff Sergt. J. H. Simpson;
second prize, Lieut. T. Mitchell; third prize, Staff
Sergt. A. Bell.
WINNERS OF GRAND AGGREGATE FIRST AND SECOND
PLACE D.R.A.
1882—Private A. Bell, second place.
1893—First, Staff Sergt. J. H. Simpson, first place;
second, Staff Sergt. J. H. Davidson, second place.

1894—Second place, Lieut. T. Mitchell.
1897—Second place, Lieut. T. Mitchell.
MEMBERS OF WIMBLEDON AND BISLEY TEAMS
1894—Sergt. T. S. Bayles.
1886, 1894—Sergt. A. Bell.
1894—Lieut. A. Curran.
1894 Staff Sergt. W. J. Davidson.
1901, 1903, 1905—Capt. A. Elliott.
1904—Private W. G. Fowler.
1906—Sergt. E. M. Nicholls.
1892, 1893, 1894, 1895, 1898, 1899—Staff Sergt. J. H
Simpson.

APPENDIX F
THE STAFF OF THE YORK-SIMCOE PROVISIONAL BATTALION AND THE ROLLS OF
THE YORK RANGER'S COMPANIES
Lieut.-Col. W. E. O'Brien.
Senior Major, Lieut.-Col. R. Tyrwhitt.
Junior Major, Lieut.-Col. A. Wyndham.
Adjt. Capt. J. Ward.
Paymaster W. Hunter.
Qr. Master L. Smith.
Surgeon D. G. L. McCarthy.

Chaplain Gilmour.
Sergt. Major S. A. Dougall.
Q.M. Sergt. C. Collett.
Paymaster Sergt. F. McGreal.
Hosp. Sergt. R. W. McCankey.
O.R. Clerk Lang
Bugle Major Ward.

NO. 5 COMPANY
Capt. J. T. Thompson (1).
Lieut. G. Vennell (2).
Lieut. G. Sutherland
Col. Sergt. Rideout.
Sergt. Smith.
Sergt. Toote.
Corp. Beel.
Corp. T. W. Malcomb.
Corp. T. Gilmore.
Bugler Slaatherly.
Private A. Armstrong.
" Brown.
Brown.
Barry.
Coulter.
•
Cox.
•
Crawford.

Private Cairns.
" Donoghue.
Toote.
Felstead.
Foord.
4(
Gray.
Goodwin.
Graham
" • Gilmore.
" Gould.
" Hutton.
Hands.
Kirkpatrick.
Laird.
Lindsay.
Lucas.
Margach.
89

Private Oliver.
" • Patton.
Powers.
A. Potter.
G. Potter.
it
Phypers.
Rideout.
Stewart.
Shannon
Spaulding.
Shirton.
P. J. Smith.
W. Smith.
Theobald.
Woods.
Waterstone.

HISTORY OF THE 12TH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS

NO. 6 COMPANY.
Capt. G. H. C. Brooke.
Lieut. Symons.
Lieut. Ashworth.
Col. Sergt. Fraser.
Sergt. Rennington.
Sergt. Greatis.
Corp. Bell.
Corp. Greatis.
Corp. Greno.
Bugler McMullen.
Bugler Palmer.
Private Adams.
" Brady.
"
Bartlett.
Connors.
CC
Churchill.

Private Lansdell.
" Marshall
" McLean.
Oliver.
"
Pritchard.
Prior.
"
" Stewart.
Suart.
"
" Sutton.
" Studholme
" Torrance.
Tippins.
"
" Terry.
" Woodhouse.
" Ferrmantle.

Private Clumphitt.
Cracknell.
"
Cruickshank.
Crawford.
Dillon.
Dixon.
Dowling.
Enright.
Emerson.
Fontaine.
Hawarth.
Henry.
Hoodless.
Hogg.
Husband.
Lafferty.
if

i4

.

if

NO. 7 COMPANY.
Capt. Smith.
Lieut. Booth.
Lieut. Fleury.
Col. Sergt. Taylor (3).
Sergt. Price.
Sergt. Ego.
Corp. Farr.
Corp. Montgomery.
Corp. Hand.
Private Andrews.
" Bowser.
" Bellinger.
" Baldwin.
" Burns.
" Crockard.
"
Crosley.

Private Moore.
" McLeod.
" Mundell.
" Matt.
" Ough.
O'Brien.
"
" Pugh.
Pringle.
"
Smith.
Stonehouse.
Tetley.
Taylor.
Wooding.
J. Young.
T. Young.

Private Connell.
Cuttell.
"
" Cockburn.
Crawford.
"
"
Durich.
"
Dent.
" Ellison
" Ego.
" Grindley.
" Hewitt.
" Hand.
" Harman.
" Homer.
" Lyons.
" Long.
NO. 8 COMPANY.

Major Wayling (4).
Lieut. Leslie (5).
Lieut. Allan (6).
Col. Sergt. Kavanagh.
Sergt. Bogart.
Sergt. Wernharn.
Corp. Keith.
Corp. Piper.
Corp. Terry
Private Armstrong.
" Adamson.
"
Beller.
" Blencoe.
"
Flintoff.
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)

Private Pegg.
Rigsley.
"
Sloan.
"
" Taylor.
"
Tansley
" Thompson.
" M. Terry.
" C. Wernham.
" J. Wernham.
" J. West.
a
A. West.
CC
Waston.
“
Younge.

Private Fenton.
"
Gray.
"
Hewitt.
" Hollingshead.
King.
CC
" Kettle.
" Lowe.
" Longhurst.
" Lippard.
" Mitchell.
" Manners.
Miller.
"
" Peak.

Afterwards Lieut-Col. of the 12th.
Afterwards Capt. Vermeil.
Now Capt. W. H. Taylor of the Aurora Company.
Afterwards Lieut.-Col. and now Hon. Lieut.-Col. of the 12th
Afterwards Lieut.-Col. of the 12th.
Now Lieut.-Col. of the 12th.
90

.

INDEX TO ADVERTISEMENTS

A
Page

Anglo-American Fire Insurance Co. .................
Allison, K. J. ...........................................................
Adams Furniture Co., Ltd., The... ..................
American Laundry Machine Co., Ltd. ...........
Ault & Wiborg Co. of Can., Ltd .....................

xxvi
xlii
xxxvi
xli
xl

B
Bank of Toronto, The
Barber Ellis, Ltd.. ...............................................
Brock, W. R. Co., Ltd., The ..............................
Bedell Furnishing Co., Ltd. ................................
Bell Bros. & Co. .....................................................
Boake Mfg. Co., The ............................................
Beverley Construction Co.. ................................
Burroughs, F. C., Furniture Co., Ltd., The ..
Beardmore & Co ...................................................

vii
xiii
xxiii
xxvi
xxix
xxxi
xxxviii
xxxix
xxxix

C
Crocker & LeDrew ................................................
Casey, James ...........................................................
Canadian Northern Railway ..............................
Canadian Northern Steamships, Ltd., The ..
Canadian Independent Telephone Co., Ltd...
Canada Life Assurance Co.. ..............................
Canada Permanent Mortgage Corporation...
Christie, Brown & Co., Ltd ................................
Conger Coal Co., The ..........................................
Coatsworth, Richardson & Coatsworth ...........
Clarke & Swabey ............................................
Canada Lumber Co., Ltd ....................................
Canadian Bank of Commerce, The ..................
Cane, Wm. & Sons Co., Ltd., The ...................
Clarke. A. R. & Co ...............................................
Chalkley, R. & Son, Ltd ....................................
Consumers' Gas Co. .............................................
Crescent Concrete Paving Co., The .................
Chambers & Simpson
Clarkson, E. R. C. & Sons ................................

xxxvii
xxvi
ii
iii
iv
viii
viii
xiii
xv
xv
xvii
xxi
xxv
xxvi
xxix
xxxiii
xxxviii
xxxvii
xli

D
Page

Dominion Bank, The ..........
Dominion Bond Co., Ltd ....................................
Dunlop Tire & Rubber Goods Co., Ltd. ......
Dominion of Canada Guarantee & Accident
Insurance Co., The .......................................
Department of Agriculture ..................................
Dominion Securities Corporation, Ltd .............
Dovercourt Land Building & Saving Co., Ltd ,
The ....................................................................
Dodds Medicine Co., Ltd., The .........................
Dale Furniture Co... ...........................................

xx
xxii
xxiii
xxx
xxxiii
xxviii
xxxix

E

Eagen, W. T. ..........................................................

xxxvii

F
R. W. Fletcher Co., Ltd., The ...........................
Featherstonhaugh & Co .......................................

iv
xlii

Gardner, A. Sr Co
Gillispie, W. Percy Co., Ltd. ..............................
German Potash Syndicate
General Accident Assurance Co., of Canada,
The ....................................................................

xl
xxxvi
xlii
xxxiv

H
Hilda Cigar Co., Ltd ............................................
Hepburn, John T ...................................................
Hendrie & Co., Ltd ...............................................
Healy, Michael .......................................................
Harris, W. & Co ....................................................
Home Bank of Canada, The ..............................
Hear-O-Phone Co .................................................
Ivey, John D. Co., Ltd ......................................

xli
xliii
xvii
xx
xxv
xxvi
'xxxix



HISTORY OF THE 12TH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS

This led to his becoming Capt. Jarvis by being put in command of the service
company of the Queen's Own that was called out for the protection of the frontier
and on November 20th stationed at Sarnia.
This service company returned from Sarnia, April 4th, leaving behind twentysix men who had been transferred to a provisional battalion under Jarvis, who thus
now became provisional lieutenant-colonel. His transfer to the newly organized
12th York Battalion only confirmed him in a rank and duties already exercised
to the satisfaction of the authorities.
The Jarvis family having been taken, it would only have been in accord with the
fitness of things to have at once added to the word "York" the name of "Rangers"
which is reminiscent of another Jarvis battalion, the Queen's Rangers of Samuel
Peters Jarvis which in its turn took its designation as an heirloom from the famous
regiment of General Simcoe. This historic honor, however, was not accorded to
the regiment until May 10th, 1872, when Militia General Orders announced
"This Battalion will be designated in future `12th Battalion of Infantry or York
Rangers' and it is hereby permitted to adopt and use the following motto: Celer
et Audax.'"
Capt. Arthur Armstrong, of the Lloydtown Company was the son of Lieut.Col. Arthur Armstrong, who had some exciting experiences in the Rebellion of
1837. On one occasion he was taken prisoner by the Rebels who endeavoured
by threats to coerce him into joining their ranks. But baring his bosom he gave
them to understand that his life was at their disposal if they wished to take it,
but his loyalty to the Crown should never be questioned.' He gave valuable
assistance to the Government during these troublous times and being authorized
to raise a militia company did so within four days. When the headquarters of
the Lloydtown company was removed to Aurora,' Capt. Armstrong resigned and
was "permitted as a special case in consideration of his long service in the Active
Militia to retire with the rank of Honorary Major."
The name of Capt. Nathaniel Pearson, who succeeded Armstrong in the command of the company on its removal to Aurora, appears rather to point to a peaceful that a martial lineage. For when the Quakers residing on Yonge Street,
presented a characteristic address to Sir Francis Gore on September 30th, 1806, the
address was signed by order of the Quaker meeting by "Nathaniel Pearson, clerk."
Capt. Thomas Selby, of the Flank Company of Detroit and Queenston fame
and Capt. William Selby of the 6th North Yorks of 1838, were well represented
by John W. Selby and William Selby of the Sharon Company. John W. Selby
rose to become lieutenant-colonel of the battalion in 1875.
Capt. Crosby, of No. 9 Company (afterwards No. 8 when re-numbered in
1872) represents a family of which at least one member fought in the Yorks of
1812, namely James Crosby.
The first paymaster Joseph Cawthra represented a family with an honorable
war record. "In 1812, Mr. John Cawthra,' and his brother Jonathan were among
-

1. "History of York County," Vol. II, p. 379.
2. May 23rd, 1872.
3. Scadding, p. 483..
52

HISTORY OF THE 12TH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS

the volunteers who offered themselves for the defence of the country. At Detroit,
John assisted in conveying across the river in scows the heavy guns which were
expected to be wanted in the attack on the Fort. On the slopes of Queenston,
Jonathan had a hairbreadth escape. At the direction of his officer, he moved from
the rear to the front of his company giving place to a comrade, who the following
instant had a portion of his leg carried away by a shot from Fort Gray, on the opposite side of the river. Also at Queenston, John after personally cautioning
Col. Macdonell, against rashly exposing himself, as he seemed to be doing, was
called on a few minutes afterwards to aid in carrying that officer to the rear,
mortally wounded."' In 1838, another of the family, William Cawthra, was
gazetted a lieutenant in the 1st East York Regiment.
Space will not permit our minutely investigating also the rank and file, but
the more we study the personnel of the first battalion officers the more clearly
appears the chain of connection with the older organizations of the county.
1. Afterwards the first M.P.P. for Simcoe County after its separation from York.

53

HISTORY OF THE 12TH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS

CHAPTER XII
KEEPING THEIR ARMOR BRIGHT

FTER the expectancy and disappointment of 1866, the rural battalions
settled down for a score of years to the practice of the plain routine
work of camp-going regiments. Some excitement was caused it is true
by the passing storm clouds of the Fenian and Red River Troubles of
1870. In connection with this latter the expedition of Sir Garnet
Wolseley to the North West was in one respect a model for future expeditions,
in that instead of throwing the brunt on single corps an effort was made to give

Photo by Kennedy

Group taken in rear of Tents

From left to right—Capt. CLARKE, Major KNOX, Major ELLIOTT, and
Sergt. SMITH, with the genial visitor seated.

a representation in the experience and hazard of a campaign to officers and men
from various regiments.
Thus we note with effusive, if belated, gratitude that the 12th had a representative in its Adjutant Peebles, who thus became an ensign in the Ontario Battalion.'
1. Samuel Peters Jarvis, the second, commanded this battalion. He rose high in the regular army.
54

HISTORY OF THE RTH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS

There were two of this family in the expedition, the ensign and his father who,
under the designation of Control Officer, exercised the functions of a head quartermaster for both battalions and was exceedingly popular with the officers. This
elder Peebles afterwards became police magistrate in Winnipeg. We dilate
upon this tremendous appointment of Ensign Peebles, because outside of this and
of the career of Capt. Vidal, who commanded the Yorkville Company for a while
and then went into the Permanent Corps and rose to a high place, we are not
aware of any officer of the 12th who ever got anything.
Meanwhile during all the seventies and halfway into the eighties the usual
thing did not happen to the Militia of Canada. Their rifles,—of the converted
Snider Gas Pipe Model,—might be a little obsolescent, but they were not rusted
out. Their belts and knapsacks and ponderous rib-erasing cartridge pouches
might not be the last word in equipment, but they were all present to be counted
at the inspection. Thanks to the stability of organization that arose from composing the regiments of active companies and making them undergo periodical
battalion and brigade training there has since Confederation' always been a respectable body of militia with arms, uniforms, officers, sergeants and some knowledge of the duties of military service.
The drill viewed with our more modern eyes may have been too highly complicated, and more attention given than wise to what General Wolfe used to call
"the one-two" and to movements which are now recognized as niceties of ceremonial. Thus looking over our brigade and regimental orders of June, 1884, we
find that all the corps immediately upon arrival at camp were required to mount
their regimental guards; which they evidently did with great solemn observance
of parole and countersign. Also we find that the wearing of the old corrosive curbchain strap of the helmet under the chin where it could do the most harm was
seemingly more important than musketry instruction.
But " 'twas a wholesome rigour in the main" and even in those days the orders
show that some latitude was allowed the rank and file. For do not the camp
orders of that same year allow bathing in the lake; with the super-sage remark:
"men going beyond their depth do so at their own risk."
And so along the years from 1866 to 1885, the Nth went its way, having had
for its commanding officers in succession; Lieut.-Colonels Jarvis, Norris,' Selby,
Garden, and then Lieut.-Col. Wyndham, who was to take the regiment into
active service.
1. Or at any rate since 1868, when there was another of those Militia Acts.
2. Was Captain of Scarboro Company, Major and Lieut.-Col. of the 12th, a J.P. of twenty-two years standing in York County: an LL.D. of Oxford University. In 1866 was camped with the Scarboro Company at the
Mount Eagle House near the Suspension Bridge. He died suddenly of apoplexy, while in Toronto on military
service connected with the regiment, in 1878, and was buried with military honors.

55

Photo by Kennedy

Officers and N.C.O.'s of No. 7 Company York and Simcoe Regiment
Taken at Humboldt, June, 1885
The Tent is Capt. SMITH'S.

Reading from left to right:

Front row—Col. Sergt. W. H. TAYLOR (now Capt. of Aurora Co'y.), Capt. SMITH, Lieut. FLEURY, Quarter Master SMITH
Sergt. EGO, Corp. HAND, Sergt. FARR
Second row—Q.M. Sergt. COLLETT, L. Corp. TETLEY, Capt.'s Orderly PUGH,
Sergt. PRICE, Sgt. MONTGOMERY, Corp. LYONS

HISTORY OF THE 12TH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS

CHAPTER XIII
STEPPING OUT IN 1885
HE Second Rebellion of Louis Riel is a sermon on the words " Watch
therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour," and illustrates
the frightful rapidity with which peace ends and war begins. In an
opposition paper (The Globe) of March 20th, appeared this small
item :—
" Prince Albert, March 19th. Louis Riel, the hero of the ' Red River
Rebellion,' recently exiled from Manitoba, has created dissension among
the half-breeds and an outbreak is imminent. The situation is considered
critical."
The administration of the day went placidly on attending to other matters
and seeking to keep the public of eastern Canada from troubling about the North
West. Some of the government press rebuked the Globe, others ignored it. The
Canadian public was more interested in Afghanistan than Saskatchewan.
Suddenly on Saturday, March 28th, the government organ itself—The Mail—
sounded the alarm and proclaimed a call to arms giving the narrative of the defeat
of Crozier, and saying in its editorial: "Up to last evening the government had
reasonable grounds for believing that the disturbances fomented by Louis Riel
in the Saskatchewan region were of a comparatively insignificant character. That
view must now be abandoned."
On the morning of the same day eighty men of the infantry at the barracks
known as " C School," and two hundred and fifty each of the Queen's Own and
Royal Grenadiers were called out, and at 10 a.m. on Monday 30th marched out
from the armoury and entrained for the North West. General Middleton had
already started for Qu'Appelle with the 90th Battalion, the Winnipeg Battery, and
some cavalry.
The militia authorities of that time seemed of a mind not to do too much in
one day and kept calling out the battalions piece-meal instead of mobilizing a
strong force and at once forwarding it to General Middleton. That the men he
had to hand in the combats at Fish Creek and Batoche proved sufficient for the
work was part of the good fortune of that rugged old fighter. But there was no
margin of safety and not even complete success can justify the principle of campaigning by driblets.
The turn of the Nth came on March 30th, when Col. Denison, the D.A.G.,
having just got word from Ottawa, issued an after dinner order at 8 p.m., calling
out four companies of the Rangers along with four of the Simcoe Foresters. The
machinery for selecting this force is embodied in a regimental order which we give
in full:—
57

HISTORY OF THE 12TH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS

TORONTO,

March 30th, 1885.

Regimental orders by Lieut.-Col. Wyndham, commanding 12th Battalion.
No 1. Four companies of the battalion being ordered for active service the
officers commanding companies will at once assemble their companies at their
respective company headquarters for inspection.
No. 2. Each company will furnish twenty men and one Sergeant. Companies
1, 3, 5 and 7 will furnish two Sergeants: the men must be inspected by the Surgeon
or Assistant Surgeon and the Adjutant.
No. 3. Surgeon Hillary will be in attendance at the headquarters of the Newmarket Company, on the 31st, for the purpose of inspecting the men belonging to
the Newmarket and Sharon Companies, between the hours of 9 and 12, and at
the headquarters of the Aurora Company, between the hours of one and four.
No. 4. Assistant Surgeon Machell will inspect the Riverside, Parkdale,
Yorkville and Seaton Village Companies, during the evening of the 31st, at their
respective company headquarters.
No. 5. The Adjutant will attend at Newmarket, Aurora, Parkdale, Seaton
Village, Yorkville and Riverside on the same day, and at the same time as the
Surgeon and Assistant Surgeon for the purpose of selecting suitable men.
No. 6. The 12th Battalion will furnish Quarter-Master Sergeant, and Paymaster's Clerk.
No. 7. The following officers are detailed for active service in the North West.
Major Wayling, in command of Newmarket and Sharon.
Capt. Smith, in command of Aurora and Sutton.
Capt. Brooke, in command of Yorkville and Seaton Village.
Capt. Thompson, in command of Parkdale and Riverside.
Lieut. J. K. Leslie, of No. 8 Company.
Lieut. G. Vennell, of No. 5 Company.
Lieut. J. T. Symons, of No. 6 Company.
Lieut. T. W. Booth, of No. 5 Company.
Lieut. Fleury, of No. 7 Company.
Lieut. J. A. W. Allan, of No. 8 Company.
Lieut. Geo. Sutherland, of No. 7 Company.
Quarter-master Smith.
By order
JOHN T. THOMPSON, Captain and Adjutant.
So much for the formal order. The real message was by bugle. We copy
from a contemporary paper.'
1. The Globe, Wednesday, April 1st, 1885.
58

HISTORY OF THE 12TH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS
ROUSING THE RANGERS

A Midnight Assembly on the Bugle Call.
The Call Responded to Promptly.
"The resonant tones of a bugle sounding the assembly on Monday night,
roused many a slumbering citizen in the northern, western, and eastern parts of
the city, between midnight and dawn and !arge numbers of those acquainted with
the meaning of the call and who belonged to military organizations, hastily dressed
themselves and rushed out under the impression that
THE CALL TO ARMS

was intended to summon the remaining portions of the Queen's Own and Grenadiers together for service. Such, however, was not the case, the summons being
intended only for members of the 12th Battalion of York Rangers, companies of

Taking over Stores at Humboldt

which regiment have their headquarters in Parkdale, St. Paul's Ward, Seaton
Village and Riverside. Col. Wyndham, who commands the Rangers received
orders to draft four companies out of his command to form one wing of a battalion
for active service, the other half of which will be drawn from the 35th or Simcoe
Foresters."
As an example of how the Rangers responded to the call we give the following
pen sketch:—
" The Parkdale Platoon assembled at the company armoury, at eight o'clock
yesterday morning and having been provided with their outfit fell into line and were
addressed by Lieut. Booth, who thanked them for their prompt response to the
call of duty. No. 6, or the Parkdale Company have a brass band and headed by
it marched out through the village and afterwards returning to the armoury were
dismissed for the day."
59

HISTORY OF THE NTH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS
The companies being paraded and the selections or rather rejections being
made, for all were pressing to go, the understanding was that the companies
were to be drilled daily at their headquarters until Saturday, April 4th. On
this date it was expected the whole York-Simcoe Battalion would be assembled at the New Fort and dressed up and down prior to its departure for the scene
of war.
Here, however, this bi-county contingent received one of those spasmodic impulses to the front that characterized the campaign. On Thursday, April 2,nd,
the new provisional battalion found itself aboard of two trains bound for the North
West. This new order caught the men before they had time to affect that trimness
of appearance which in the eyes of many is the essence of soldierliness. An eyewitness reported; "It is much to be feared that the departure of this battalion has
been much too hurried. Of the Toronto contingent at least it may be positively
said that they were not in a fit state to take the field. The clothing in many instances is old and rotten, the knapsacks ill fitted and so badly packed that a day's
march in them would be sufficient to break down a Hercules." We shall see that
nevertheless the regiment could march and did.
THE GAPS
Now if it had been designed to specially inure troops to the extremes of comfort and hardship and accustom them to sudden transitions from the easiest to
the hardest modes of travel, a more appropriate route and season could not have
been selected than the then line of the Canadian Pacific Railway, in the early days
of April. The railway itself the men found comfortable and its officials considerate
and energetic. But the section north of Lake Superior, one of the bleakest regions
in the world, had formidable gaps where the railway ceased—the "End of Iron"
they called it in those days.
The surmounting of these gaps by the first regiment to be sent,—the Queen's
Own Rifles,—was the subject of much highly strained writing on the part of certain correspondents who appeared to prefer a picturesque luridosity of style to
the reputation of their regiment for manliness and endurance. The tender-souled
public of Toronto were tortured with pictures of the most frightful weather conditions and by representations of their sons, frostbitten, sun-blistered, snow-blind
and delirious. In reality the Queen's Own Rifles and the next comers, the 10th,
stood their marches well and as the saying is " stuck it out."
The effect of all this "scare writing" on the men of the York-Simcoe Battalion
was that they made up their minds that, when they came to the gaps that had to
be marched, they would crush through in quicker time than their predecessors, and
they did.
The first gap, which began at Dog Lake, was crossed with sleighs carrying
twelve men apiece. At the end of this ride our contingent found no train waiting
and took their first experience of a bivouac. One of them writes : " We had to
lie out on a cold night without tents or any covering except a blanket on eighteen
inches or two feet of snow and recommence our journey next morning without
60

HISTORY OF THE 12TH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS

breakfast on open construction cars." Another more fortunate got "a little bread
and coffee."'
Then came luxury and as the ancient histories would say, "the delights of
Capua": They got a good supper at Fort Monroe. One who was billetted with
Mr. Samuel Allison slept (for the first time after leaving Toronto) with some
seventy others on the bare boards "with the whole of that number in a room about
12 feet by 16 feet."'
Having thus reposed in close order, the troops were next day permitted to
extend themselves in a series of marches alternated with rides on sleighs and
flat cars. One of the 12th fortunately wrote down to his "chum" in Toronto, while
the impressions were fresh. We quote his words:
"On the morning of the 7th we had breakfast and proceeded to march on the
Lake (Superior) from Fort Munro to MacKellar's Harbour distant 25 miles. It
rained all the time and we were up to our ankles in ice water, but in spite of the
strong wind which also prevailed not a man fell out and we made the distance in
seven and a half hours. I can assure you I felt very tired and cold, being drenched
through. Here we had to cut wood and build fires in the open air and each man
was served with a biscuit.
" We remained for about six hours trying to dry our clothes, but it stopped
raining and commenced to freeze and while one's back was freezing he would be
burning in front. We left by flat cars about twelve o'clock to go fifteen miles
further to Jackfish Bay. Had supper about two a.m., hard tack and pork."
TREADING ON THE HEELS OF THE 65TH

"At Jackfish Bay we overtook the 65th, a Montreal Regiment,. and as a
consequence had a day to dry up and recruit ourselves." This deliberation of
the 65th caused some controversy as to whether that regiment "had balked at
the gaps." Whether that fine regiment was not a little influenced by racial reluctance to take part against the Metis, is one of the historic questions of the campaign that are not now worth solving. That the 65th could march and endure
was abundantly proved later on.
3

4

THE LAST GAP

Having crossed the third gap partly on foot and partly with the sleighs that
had returned from conveying the 65th, the York-Simcoes were huddled together on
flat cars and rode some sixty-five dismal miles to Nipegon, where they arrived at
10 p.m. of April 9th, to commence the march across the last, the shortest and the
1. He belonged to the 12th of course.
2. Checking the statements of veterans as to distances and intervals is the most ungrateful task of any historian.
In this instance taking a man's height at five feet five, he would have six inches width to lie in. They must have
"spooned."
3. April 8th.
4. They got the name of "Alligators" from their ability to "negotiate" streams. On June 23rd they marched
thirty-four miles, and marched next day too.
61

HISTORY OF THE 12TH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS
weariest of the gaps. The exquisite nature of the fatigue incurred was carefully
set down by one who seems to have ached with the very recollection. He says :
"And this though the shortest was the most trying march of the whole. We
started about ten o'clock at night and in the dark tramped about fifteen miles over
the lake on the ice. You may realize what these marches on the ice mean when
I tell you that there was from twelve to eighteen inches of snow covering it and
the track we had to walk in was simply gutters made by the runners of the transport sleighs. In daylight when you could see to place your feet there was a tendency in them to slide together all the time from the sloping sides of the gutter
and at night this tendency was increased ten fold. To add to the discomfort the
track in the first and last marches was partly filled with water from the melted
snow. In the first march during the prevailing rain it was from six to eight inches
deep."
The appearance of the regiment after it came through and arrived at Winnipeg
on the morning of April 1 1 th, was noted in the Winnipeg Times:

Crossing the Prairies—Regimental Transport of the York-Simcoes

" The experiences of the men have been similar to the other troops who came
by the Lake Superior division, but despite the discomforts attendant upon the
several fatiguing marches the battalion impresses one very creditably. The men
are a robust class and their demeanour and deportment are irreproachable. They
have been on the road nine days, having left Toronto a week ago Thursday last.
At Jackfish Bay, they overtook the 65th Battalion, but were delayed there by the
limited transport accommodation. The weather for many days was wet and cold,
and the roads almost impassable. Although sinking deep in the mud, one march
of twenty-six miles was made in eight hours, and not one of the men faltered, a
record which the battalion points to with pride. No sickness or accidents of any
kind occurred, and the entire body are in splendid spirits. Upon arrival here the
62

HISTORY OF THE 12TH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS

men were furnished breakfast at the C.P.R. dining hall. In the battalion are a
number of the old Mounted Police Force, who are to form a detachment for service as scouts. The battalion, in accordance with orders from Ottawa, are to go
into barracks here for several days, and at noon orders were issued for them to
go into camp on the west side of Main Street, just beyond the railway track."
EN ROUTE TO FORT QU'APPELLE

Any expectation that was forming in the men's minds of being allowed to relax
themselves in Winnipeg was rudely dispelled by the battalion being entrained on
the night of Sunday the 12th, and carried westerly over three hundred miles to
Qu'Appelle Station or Troy,' where they arrived on Tuesday the 14th. Here the
12th pitched camp and remained until Friday the 17th, when they were marched
to Fort Qu'Appelle, a distance of some eighteen miles, through the mud.
This march, mud and all, seemed so light compared to the gaps that the boys
found food for merriment in many trifling episodes on the way. For example,
Private Theobald in the military phrase "took on scarlet," or in other words left
off his overcoat. It is a rule among the military that this should be done on a set
day by order formally issued. This unauthorized action of Private Theobald
making himself conspicuous by his red coat among all the dark overcoats, incensed
one of the transport oxen, "and it caught Private Theobald in the bosom of his
pants with its horns and landed him in a pond of water yelling at the top of his voice."
On April 21st, the 35th rejoined the 12th at Fort Qu'Appelle, "and the 12th
gave them a hearty cheer and one of the boys had a fiddle and came in playing it
at the head of the battalion. The York Rangers pitched their tents for them."
From this time until the 13th day of May, "the Direction"' kept the YorkSimcoes eating their hearts out at Fort Qu'Appelle.
During this enforced stay at Fort Qu'Appelle the officers were not idle and
provided a sufficiency of drill and tactical work for those under their command.
Sergt. Bert Smith of the 12th, in a letter written April 27th, gives an idea of what
was going on. " We have had the Toronto Body Guards also the Winnipeg
and Quebec Body Guards with us for four or five days, but most of them have gone
on to the front. About 3 a.m. Saturday last, I heard Capt. Thompson trying
to wake me up. When I got awake he said he wanted four of the best men in my
tent to go on a march that we thought had been postponed. We sent ninety good
men and twenty cavalry, but the boys are back since Sunday noon, for they failed
to capture anything. It was some of Riel's supplies they were after. Everything
is quiet around here."
3

1. The 12th and 35th were separated for a time after this.
2. This is a German phrase which all must use who wish to be considered great strategical thinkers. It means
the people high up who are responsible for the conduct of the campaign. We hesitate to criticise anybody in this
campaign, and will try to think it sound strategy to have a good battalion down the lines all the while Middleton was
trying to hammer through at Fish Creek and Batoche, and then when the enemy was beaten rush the battalion up
by forced marches. Truly war is a puzzling science!
The battalion blamed Colonel O'Brien for not pressing the authorities for an early order to advance.
3. Afterwards Lieut.-Col. J. T. Thompson, a particularly troublesome man when there was some duty, to be
performed.
63

HISTORY OF THE 12TH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS
WHEN THE SENTRY FIRES

On May 6th the camp had an experience which is a necessary part of military
training. We may give it in the words of Capt. Campbell, of the Simcoe Foresters.'
"Last night (Wednesday) our camp had a genuine rouse. We had a picket
posted at a ford down the river about 800 yards from the camp, there being a sergeant's, guard at the place. About 11 o'clock the sentry saw or thought he saw
four men with some horses at a little distance from him. He gave the challenge,
but there was no answer and the parties attempted apparently to get under cover.
The sentry at once fired and called out the guard. This of course was heard in
camp and immediately the bugle sounded the Assembly and then there was a rushing to arms and mounting in hot haste. In about five minutes every available man
in the regiment was under arms and ready to fight. The companies were rapidly
placed in fighting order round our camp, some being sent out to assist the picket
and others to defend the bridge."
"This was all done without noise or confusion.' After the first shot some of
the other pickets and sentries answered and for a short time the firing was pretty
lively and everything had the sound and appearance of a genuine attack."
THE BIG FORCED MARCH

On May 13th, acting under urgent orders, Lieut.-Colonel O'Brien set his
battalion to a forced march to Humboldt.
The distances given in the line of march for troops as arranged by Capt.
Bedson in charge of the transport were as follows :
Fort Qu'Appelle to Stoughton (otherwise called Howden
and Houston ...................................... 241 Miles
Stoughton
to Touchwood ............................................ 24-1
Touchwood
to Bedson ..................................................... 20........
Bedson
to Salt Plains (otherwise called Swinford) ...................................................... 20-.......
Salt Plains
211 ,
to Wise
Wise
to Humboldt ............................................... 211,

CC

CC

CC

C4

Total ..................................................... 132 miles
This distance the York-Simcoes devoured in seven days. When we figure that
this makes practically an average daily march of 19 miles and compare it with
3

1. Published in the Mail of May 16th, 1885.
2. Other than that caused by two or three men loading their rifles and blazing off before they even got out of
the tents. The experience of a general assembly was repeated next night when a sentry fired at a teamster who failed to answer when challenged. The teamster when brought in a prisoner looked very white and depressed.
3. The marches were of unequal length. Friday and Saturday being short days. On Sunday, on the other hand,
they marched twenty-two miles beside attending Divine Service, which by the way the battalion never neglected
any Sunday while it was in the North West. Sergt. Brown of the 12th records a particularly impressive sermon
preached on May 10th by a Presbyterian Missionary, Mr. Matthewson.
64

HISTORY OF THE 12TH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS

the normal 131 miles of European infantry it is borne in on us that these volunteers were in haste to get to the front.
The first day's march is described in the diary of a Simcoe Forester:
"May 13th, we left Fort Qu'Appelle at six a.m. under command of Col.
O'Brien, M.P. On climbing the hill at Fort York, we halted and the troops were
photographed. We marched about 13 miles when we halted for dinner, and took
up a company that was stationed here under command of Major Wayling.
Here was erected a very nice fort which we christened Fort Wayling. We arrived
at Howden, at seven p.m., distant from Qu'Appelle about 28 miles."

1

2

THE ASTRINGENT QUALITIES OF THE COLONEL

This strenuous stepping out was also a test of discipline and enabled the
battalion to rid itself of one or two weak characters with a taste for malingering.
On the second day, one Private Fontaine incurred courtmartial by a difference
with Col. O'Brien, as to the magnitude and importance of the blisters on
Fontaine's legs. The colonel was a tall grim man who might have sat for a portrait of one of Wellington's generals. He could and generally did walk all day;
and inaccessible to fatigue himself wasted no pity on others and was the very
man to make a young battalion kick the miles out behind it. In addition he was
a fluent and convincing public speaker with great powers of expression. The
diarist records that "he spoke to the officers in a very harsh manner while on the
march." His manner to the privates may, therefore, have appeared to lack sympathy. When Fontaine appealed to the colonel to allow him to ride he said that
if Fontaine asked him again he would flog him. The upshot was that Fontaine
was sentenced for insubordination and deserted during the night along with another malingering rascal.
Next morning Col. O'Brien addressed the whole battalion on the subject
of desertion and his listeners vouch that if his words were not exactly a privilege
to hear they were at least not difficult to remember.
Twice during the seven days the battalion was overtaken by terrific thunder
storms accompanied by hail-stones of a size unknown in Ontario. As their great
coats and oil sheets were on the wagons behind, the men were soaked to the skin,
but seem to have taken no hurt. On the 19th, they made Humboldt, and met an
escort of the Body Guard with White Cap and his band of prisoners, Mrs. White
Cap riding astride of Lieut. Fleming's horse.
The appearance of the battalion when it struck Humboldt was described by
a newspaper correspondent.'
"The 35th and 12th have just reached camp, Col. O'Brien in command.
They marched—actually marched—from Fort Qu'Appelle, doing the 127 miles
3

I. Major Wayling afterwards Lieut.-Col., and now Honorary Lieut.-Col. of the 12th.
2. Otherwise known as Stoughton. The names given for places in this journey are somewhat arbitrary. The
same diarist says: "Strange to say that although there are names of places given above we only saw two or three
houses at Touchwood and one at Touchwood Hills."
3. Now Lieut.-Col. Fleming of the Governor GeneraPs Body. Guard.
4. Globe, May 30th, 1885.
65

HISTORY OF THE 12TH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS
since Wednesday morning last,—seven days in all. The men came in as lively
as crickets and are now resting half a mile along the trail south of the Body Guard.
Col. Tyrwhitt, senior Major in command, marched the entire distance permitting his servant to ride his horse."
THE MEANDERINGS OF SERGT. BROWN'
Among the members of the 12th, there was none on (and more often off)
the strength who saw more than Staff-Sergt. Brown. Originally picked to go with
the contingent he was deemed medically unfit and on his way to the station was
ordered by Capt. Thompson to fall to the rear. He obeyed, but smuggled aboard

Lieut.-Col. F. W. Brown

the train and after various vicissitudes and making himself useful in various capacities he reached Winnipeg. Here he got himself attached to the Brigade Staff,
from April 13th to the 30th, when he rejoined the battalion at Fort Qu'Appelle.
Here for a time his presence was ignored, but on May 11th, he was made sergeant
of a guard of twelve men, one corporal and one mounted soldier. This guard was
1. Afterwards an officer in the 12th, Capt. of No. 6 Company, Junior Major, retiring in 1911, with rank of
Lieut.-Col.
66

HISTORY OF THE 12TH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS
kept on duty for forty-eight hours without relief and then without sleep compelled
to undergo the march that began on May 13th, with the result that three men of
the guard collapsed. On May 20th, Brown was again taken off the strength and
attached to the Supply Officer in Humboldt, a quaint inebriate familiarly known
as "Micky Free." In this capacity he remained at Humboldt, enjoying the
festivities that celebrated the Queen's birthday,' and making the highest score
in the battalion rifle match, until hearing on June 30th that a telegram had arrived to hold the troops in readiness for home he applied for leave of absence.
Under leave, Brown proceeded as far as Regina, where by the favor of an acquaintance in the North West Mounted Police, he was permitted to see Louis Riel marching up and down taking exercise in the jail paddock and carrying a ball and chain
in his arms. His picture of Riel, jotted down at the time is not that of the shifty
and loquacious demagogue he was sometimes painted :
"Riel is a big burly fellow and stands about five feet ten inches high; very
broad shouldered; 190 pounds; dark complexion, black long hair and beard;
high cheek bones and very large nose. With a down and sullen look; very polite
to guards, and looked like a farm labourer returning from work without a coat on."
Having accomplished what no other of the 12th for all their marching succeeded in doing, namely, having a look at the Rebel Leader, Brown got back to Qu'Appelle in time to see the York-Simcoes march in, which they did, having adhered
throughout the distance from Humboldt to Qu'Appelle to the Body Guard and
earned from Col. Dension the name of his "Foot Cavalry."
,

THE RECEPTIONS
The journey home of the regiments from the North West was a series of receptions. At Port Arthur the troops embarked for Collingwood and entrained
for Toronto. At Barrie the good feeling that prevailed between the 35th and the
12th was evidenced by the presentation of a sword and belts to Lieut.-Col. Trywhitt of the 35th, on behalf of the 12th officers. The celebrations held in Toronto on July 22nd and 23rd will long be remembered and the York-Simcoe
Battalion received its official order to "Dismiss " on July 24th, 1885. It had not
got into action; like Wellington's Sixth Division which was nicknamed "the
Marching Division," because of its continuous marching up and down without
the fortune of a battle. But for the Sixth Division, there came at last the opportunity of Salamanca, and who knows what the future holds.'
1. The 24th being a Sunday was celebrated on the 23rd and 25th, with games, dances and a concert at which
Col. G. T. Denison recited "The Yankee Militia Officer." The colonel being the Senior at Humboldt, reviewed
the troops on June 26th.
2. It is not true that militia officers ever desire a war; just as it is untrue that the Senior Captain chuckles when
the Junior Major's shot.

67

Photo by Kennedy

The 12th Regiment on its own Parade Ground
Standing in Quarter Column

HISTORY OF THE NTH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS

CHAPTER XIV
ANNALS OF THE 12TH SINCE

1885

INCE 1885, the Nth has steadily fulfilled its periodical trainings which
have been ordered biennially or annually or otherwise according to
the caprice or poverty of the administration.'
During the earlier years of this last quarter century of militia
soldiering, the organization of our forces was depressingly modest.
There used to be officials called D.A.A G's and D.O.C's., and a modest brigade
and a modest lieutenant-colonel brigadiering; and also some machinery which
resulted in the company commanders of any rural corps (even as the company
commanders of the older Flank Companies and Volunteer Companies) each
bringing over to camp about two lieutenants, three sergeants, three corporals, one bugler, who could not bugle and twenty or thirty private citizens of
leisure, but not means. Since then we have undergone tremendous changes of
an almost revolutionary character by which we have read of not only brigades,
but divisions and then the Canadian Army,' and back to the Canadian Militia.
The " battalions " have become "regiments," while the gentlemen whose function
is that of beneficially interfering with the regimental officers have been variously
enlarged to colonels, brigadiers and generals.
And the complete and total result to the rural infantry,' at any rate to the 12th,
has been that at our annual camp the captains bring over to Niagara about two
lieutenants, three sergeants, three corporals, the indispensible and inharmonious
bugler and the twenty or thirty private citizens of the Empire.
THE SOUTH AFRICAN WAR
There was some little mild excitement when on September 16th, 1899, Lieut.Col. Lloyd, the then commanding officer offered the services of the battalion
under his command in aid of the Imperial Government in the Transvaal.
The characteristic reply of the authorities wavers between flattery and irony.
We give it in full as a model of official correspondence, in cases where the correspondent has no intention of taking any action. :—
1. In June of '86, '88, '90, '92, '95, Sept. '96, June, '98, '99, '00, '01; and Oct. '01, in Sept.-Oct., '02, and in June
annually from '03, to date.
2. This was Gen. Hutton's'idea.
3. Some of the rural corps have not been able to bring full companies. Possibly too many have been drafted
to become colonels.
69

HISTORY OF THE 12TH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS
A.G. 084.500

TORONTO,

29th September, 1899.

From D.O.C., M.D., No. 2
To
The Officer Commanding 12th Battalion.
12th Battalion
Referring to your letter of the 16th inst., upon the subject
Offer of Sernamed in the margin, I am instructed to forward for your inforvices for
South Africa. mation and action, a copy of the remarks of the General Officer
Commanding, viz.:
2. The Major General Commanding will have much pleasure
in forwarding the letter of the Officer Commanding 12th Battalion,
in which he offers the battalion under his command in aid of the
Imperial Government in the Transvaal.
3. The Major General Commanding cannot refrain from expressing his satisfaction at the patriotic feeling shown by Lieut.Col. Lloyd and those under his command.
4. I am desired to request that Lieut.-Col. Lloyd will be good
enough to state more specifically the names of the officers and
to give the exact numbers of the non-commissioned officers
and men who are actually prepared to volunteer for service.
It appears to the Major General Commanding that the statement that the whole regiment is prepared to volunteer may not
be in accordance with the feeling of every individual connected
with the battalion.
By order
(Sgd) H. FOSTER, COL., C. S. 0.
(2)
The further information called for in paragraph four you will
please furnish with the least possible delay.'
W. D. OTTER, Lieut.-Col.,
Commanding M.D., No. 2.
3
( )
You will be good enough to furnish the Adjutant at once with
the information asked for in paragraph four for your company.
T. H. LLOYD, Lieut.-Col.,
Commanding 12th Battalion.

While the response of the officers, non-coms. and men was hearty and practically unan:mous the Government was not moved. The fact is the administration was stepping into the waters of Imperialism one toe at a time like a small
boy going in for the first swim of the season. The recruiting for South Africa was
1. In military correspondence each officer through whose hands a letter passes adds a new number and gives his
comment below it.
70

HISTORY OF THE NTH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS

at first merely permissive. It is only by degrees that the principle of Canadians
taking part as a matter of course in Imperial wars has established itself; and there
are even yet public men in Canada who repudiate the principle. In any event
when the Government of Canada sends a cont ngent of active militia abroad,
whether for service or ceremonial, there is only one proper system of making up
the expeditionary force, namely by proportional representat on as far as possible
of the various regiments. To select one corps would give the temporary advantage of regimental unity at the expense of the permanent disadvantage of
slighting every other corps.
The offer of Lloyd raised some waspish criticism. One very unjust slander
of that day was that the ranks of the 12th were filled during camp with members
of the city regiments. Time has given the 12th its revenge. For during the camps
of 1912, the city regiments having to undergo a camp found great difficulty in
making a decent representation; while the 12th, as usual, was up to strength. The
fact is that the night drilling population and the camp going population are two
rather distinct classes and hitherto the 12th has organized the latter and the city
regiments the former.
The regiment was not unrepresented by non-coms. and privates in the Boer
War. The following were granted leave of absence for the purpose of such service:
B Company, Corp. T. H. Graham, Ptes. H. G. Brunton, H. Machin.
C Company Sergt. Jno. Fawcett,
E Company, Pte. Brettingham,
F Company, Ptes. Geo. Simpson, Jas. Davidson.
In addition to these the Quartermaster (now Major Gillies) folded up his own
tent and stole away with Strathcona's Horse; returning with a decoration. Our
present Adjutant, Capt. Dunham, joined the 12th after his war experience which
included Paardeburg.
HIS MAJESTY'S FIRST VISIT
In 1901 the authorities in addition to the annual training called out the militia
to give a reception to his present Majesty the King, then Duke of Cornwall and
York. The streets of Toronto were lined with troops who stood for some hours
amid a gentle but persistent drizzle which, however, could not damp their spirits.
A review of ten thousand men in the Exhibition grounds gave the then Duke a
fair idea of our military efficiency.'
Apparently this output of 1901 exhausted the military resources of the nation
for we had to be contented in 1902 with a "skeleton" camp in September, composed of officers and non-coms. Lord Dundonald introduced some novelties on
this occasion. He made the officers hang their swords up in their tents and substituted picks and shovels. The redoubt built under his orders by officers and noncoms. would have been a good place to herd an enemy into and shoot their heads
1. He said the usual stock thing on these occasions; something about our "soldier like appearance." This
phrase ought to be called in. It makes one wonder what is suspected of lying behind the appearance. A militia
man would feel safer if told that like the proverbial singed cat he is "better than he looks."
71

HISTORY OF THE NTH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS
off as they showed above the sky line. The blisters on our hands inculcated a
great lesson against building unnecessary fortifications.
Another profound lesson was that skeleton camps and other economic evasions
of annual training will not serve; it took two years to get the regiments back to
strength.'
HIS MAJESTY'S SECOND VISIT
An extra parade,—the Tercentenary Celebration,—varied the monotony of
annual training in 1908, when a selected company of the 12th took part in the
review of 12,000 militia on the Plains of Abraham. This composite company was
captained by Major Allan now lieutenant-colonel, and under him were Major
Curran and Lieut. Curran. The troops were reviewed by the present King, then
Prince of Wales,' and sympathetically scrutinized by Lord Roberts.' The City
of Quebec was much crowded with visitors during this celebration and the officers
responsible for supply and transport were much worried. However, among the
advantages accruing to a regiment that goes to camp regularly is that the officers
and non-coms. know how to see that their men both get rations and make the most
of the rations they get. Whatever discomfort other battalions may have endured,
the 12th came back smiling.
MIGRATIONS OF THE COMPANIES
The companies of the 12th have migrated a good deal; have pulled up their
headquarters from time to time and taken other fields. Recruiting apparently
has exhausted the soil of the county like a strong crop. Thus No. 1 has come in
from Scarboro to Riverside, No. 3, which once was at King came in to Seaton
Village, No. 5 successively occupied Keswick, Sutton, Richmond Hill and finally
West Toronto Junction. No. 6 moved to Parkdale and No. 8 to Yorkville. No.
7 moved from Sharon to Sutton; thence it recruited one year in Scarboro and
afterwards had its nominal headquarters removed to Weston.
They do not of late years appear in any instance to fly outwards, but rather
to gravitate inwards to Toronto.
Toronto was made a city in 1834, and for military purposes appears to have
been distinguished from the rest of the county—as a battalion division—in 1846.
The 12th has never recognized any exclusion of the city from the county and has
never ostracised a recruit because he is a Toronto man. As the city has absorbed
the young men of the county and also absorbed the neighboring towns and villages,
the regiment has followed its human material even as the shepherd follows his
flock. It is true that the Militia List still carries Riverside, Seaton Village, To4

,

1. The strength required next year was only twenty men per company outside of officers and non-coms. Even
that was hard to make up after the disturbance caused by losing one annual camp.
2. Usual phrase, "soldier-like bearing," used in congratulation of troops.
3. "12,000 men under arms and no hitch anywhere. Canada appears to me to be dealing adequately with the
problems affecting her Militia" says "Bobs."
4. The companies were renumbered in 1872, four becoming three, five becoming four and so on.
72

HISTORY OF THE NTH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS
ronto Junction, Parkdale, Yorkville, Weston and Newmarket as the homes of
seven of the eight companies. But Riverside, Seaton Village, Toronto Junction,
Parkdale and Yorkville are now in Toronto, Weston is rubbing elbows with the
city and the Newmarket Company has moved down Yonge Street, and is now
recruited in the district which is shortly to be annexed.
The Aurora Company still stands as a creditable example of what can be done
in a country town by an enthusiastic captain. But of the bulk of the regiment
we may say that it has filled a want in the community by organizing the campgoing population of Toronto into soldierly material.
OUR SPLENDID ARMOURIES
This restless itinerancy of the companies has its penalties; the vagrants are
homeless. The Armouries of the 12th have the merits of variety and improvisation. Outside of the buildings at Aurora used by No. 2 Company, the company

Photo by Kennedy

A Young Section of the 12th in Drill Order
Niagara Common, June 1912

commanders in selecting or accepting their quarters have for consolation the ancient maxim "better the worst shelter than the best bivouac." The county authorities take refuge behind a profound mistrust of militarism and contribute nothing
to the militia. The City of Toronto is more good natured and has granted the
temporary use of various odd corners in its buildings where the captains can store
their forty-two rifles and their stocks of coats, overcoats, canteens, water bottles,
and all other the pomp of glorious war entrusted to their charge. This does not
• help recruiting and makes it cruelly difficult for the zealous officer to keep his
73

HISTORY OF THE 12TH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS

men together between camps. For it is not easy to enjoy club and gymnasium
privileges in a room without heating or lighting, and through whose flooring comes
up the reek of horse manure from the city stables below. Can nothing be done?
THE 12TH

As IT Now Is

Of its present state as a camp-going regiment we may say that the 12th was
never in better fettle. At Niagara this year (1912) the regiment was not a noncom. or man short of strength. On a few minutes notice it furnished headquarters
with a guard of honor of one hundred men who went through the ceremonies like
regulars. Since the camp, on short notice, it sent to the Thanksgiving manoeuvres
two good companies. Whatever part or duty may be assigned to it, this regiment
is willing to undertake. To what extent it is capable of performance we shall let
others say. Not ourselves, but the Military Gazette, has written concerning the
Niagara Camps of 1911 :—
"In the first camp there was but, one regiment in really satisfactory shape,
the Nth York Rangers.
"Now this regiment is recruited almost exclusively from the large population
of Toronto, and is a rural corps in little more than name. It is a shining example
of what a city corps, for this it is, to all intents and purposes, can do, when given
its training in camp instead of in and near an armoury. With all the smartness
and exactness of the city corps it has also the practical knowledge of field work
which comes of many year's training in the open, with the resultant well experienced officers and non-coms. We believe that this corps, enjoying as it does
such special advantages, is the best working aggregation of militia men in Canada."

74

HISTORY OF THE 12TH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS

APPENDIX A
THE OFFICERS OF THE REGIMENT AS PRINTED IN THE
QUARTERLY MILITIA LIST

(1st July, 1912)
12TH REGIMENT "YORK RANGERS."
2nd Divisional Area.
(Organized G. 0. 14 Sept., 66).
Regimental Headquarters—Aurora, Ont.
1 Battalion (8 Companies).
Company Headquarters.
A Co.—Riverside.
E Co.—Toronto, June.
B Co.—Aurora.
F Co.—Parkdale.
C Co.—Seaton Village.
G Co.—Weston.
D Co.—Newmarket.
H Co.—Yorkville.
Honorary Lieut.-Colonel—(1) Wayling, Lt.-Col., J., ret., 21 Nov., 06.
Lieut.-Colonel
(D) (1) Allan, J. A. W. .................................... 8 Sept. 09
Majors (2)
(D) Nicol, A. G ..................................................

1 July 07
15 Aug.05
(D) (1) Curran, A ............................................. 5 Oct. 11
1 June 05
Captains (8)
c Elliott, A ......................................................... 25 May 98
(maj. 25 May 08)
g Hunter, A. T .................................................. 23 May 03
d Clarke, F. F .................................................... 4 Jan. 04
a Hamilton, W. B ............................................. 19 May 06
Brown, B. H ................................................... 14 Dec. 07
(1) Dunham, F. H. ...................................... 1 June 08
7 Apr. 11
b (1) Taylor, W. H. ..
h Curran, S. E ................................................... 30 Sept. 11

Adjutant

6unham, F. H. (capt.) .......

1 June 08

Instructor of Musketry
Elliott, A. (bt. major) ........................................ 10 May 12
Signalling Officer
Quartermaster
(1) Gillies, A. ................................................... 27 Aug. 06
(hon maj. 27 Aug. 06)
Medical Officer
( D) Hillary, R. M. (maj.)

18 May 94
(hon. lc 18 May 04)

Paymaster
Knox, J. E

............................................... 13 Nov. 06

(hon. maj 22 Apr. 12)
Chaplain

Lieutenants (16).
21 June 07
e Glover, W. R
....................... 27 Mar. 08
c (1) Fowler, W. G.
c Walker, R ....................................................... 16 Apr. 08
27 Mar. 08
f Brown, F. F. M ............................................. 30 May 08
h Darlington, F. G. L. ................................ 30 May 08
d Baillie, W (s m) ............................................ 30 May 08
d Brann, H ......................................................... 1 June 08
g Holdsworth, T. H ......................................... 24 July 09
e Fletcher, A. G. A .......................................... 18 Apr. 10
g Rogers, W. T .................................................. 31 May 10
a *Williamson, J. L .......................................... 19 June 11
23 Dec. 11
b *Proctor, J. H
h *Tomlin, H. U. .............................................. 10 Feb. 12
f *Pink, W G ................................................... 8 Apr. 12
c *Reesor, R. J, ............................................. 14 Apr. 11

CORPS RESERVE

Majors (2)
(D) (1) Wayling, J. ........................................ 6 July 11
23 June 03
Captains (8)
(1) Agnew, J.
..............
.. 19 May 06
21 Dec. 99
Hobbs, J. H ........................................................ 30 Sept.11
22 Mar. 10
Lieutenants (16)
Nicholls, E. M ................................................... 31 May 10
21 June 07
(1) Dayton, B. J. (s s.) .................................. 15 May 12
15 Dec. 09

(1) Active Service. The abbreviation (D) before a name means Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officers Decoration.
75

Photo by Kennedy
Officers Group taken at the Camp, 1912
Front row reading from left to right—Lieut. PINK, Lieut. WILLIAMSON, Lieut. FLETCHER, Lieut. PROCTOR, Lieut. DARLINGTON
Second Row—Capt. HUNTER, Major GILLIES, Brigade Major COWAN, The Beigadier Lieut. Col. HENDERSON,
Lieut. Col. ALLAN. Lieut. Col. HILLARY, Major NICOL, Major KNOX, Major ELLIOTT
Third Row—Capt. BROWN, Lieut. ROGERS, Lieut. BAILLIE, An Attached Officer, Lieut. WALKER, Capt. FOWLER, Lieut. BRANN,
Capt. HAMILTON, Capt. DUNHAM, Capt. TAYLOR

HISTORY OF THE 12TH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS

APPENDIX B
RECORD OF OFFICERS' SERVICES
HE following is a partial list of officers' services since the gazetting of
the Volunteer Companies. The record of active service does not go
beyond 1885. No systematic Regimental Records appear to have
been attempted prior to those commenced by Lieut.-Col. John T.
Thompson when Adjutant:
_

. ..... ......

....._
Ensign
2nd Lieut.
or Prov.
Lieut.

Name

Sc ARBOR° CO'Y.
Ferguson, J. R
Norris, W. II
Taber, .i. R ...............
Rush, G •
Stobo, It. H .................
Stobo, Isaac ................

Lieut.

GAZETTED

Major.

Capt.

Lt.-

1.

4-9-62
4-9-62
4-9-62
6-1-65
66

Retired

4-9-62

... 19-12-61

.................................................

AURORA CO'Y.

.

...........

.............

.............
.............

,

...

.....24-7-63

Ashton, Seth ................
, 11-12-62
Hutchinson, W. B.
11-12-62 ................
Goode, C ..................... 11-12-62 .............
Peel, E. M
24-7-63
Campbell, R ...............
4-9-63 .............
,
...... 1-12-65
Pearson, Nath.
.
•

• .

LIOYDTOWN CO'Y.

Budd, E ....................
....19-12-62
Ramsay, G
19-12-62 .............
Hunter, R
....... 10-12-62 .............
Armstrong, A
26-8-63
Peebles, A. J. L. .........
7-4-65 .............

$
.............

KING CO'Y.

Garden, G. L
Dennis, Isaac .........
..... 23-1-63
Norman, Chas. ........... 23-1-63 .............

23-1-63

.............

.............

12TH REG'T.

Jarvis, W. D ................
Norris, W. H
Peel, E. M... ..............
Garden, G. L ........

......14-9-66

14 9 66
14-9-66

9-2-72

.............
......18-4-78

77

9-2-72
18-4-78
28-5-75
17-3-82

Service.

HISTORY OF THE 1 2TH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS

GAZETTED
Ensign
2nd Lieut.
or Prov.
Lieut.

Name

Lieut.

Capt.

..... 26-8-63
Armstrong, A. ,
Peebles, A. J. L. , '
7-4-65 14-9-66
3-4-61 14-12-66
4 .............
Bovell, Jas
4-9-62 14-12-66
Taber, J. R
Stobo, R. H. ........... 14-9-62 14-9-66
Norman, Chas.. ... .. 23-1-63 14-12-66 10-5-72
......1-12-65 14-9-66
Pearson, N ........
......15-6-66
Boultbee, A
..... 28-9-66
Wyndham, A.
Huxtable, J .... ...; ... 14-9-66 ............. 16-10-69
5-10-56
Boucher, W. ................
Stevenson, J. R...... 5-10-66 14-6-72
19-10-66
Milne, T. A
Robinson, J ................
19-10-66 .............
Canning, S ......
19-10-66 .............
19-10-66
Selby, W
Selby, J. W
19-10-66 28-6-72
Wayling, J. ............... 19-10-66 19-6-67 28-5-75
6-11-66
Eekhardt, S ..................
Eaken, W ..................... 6-11-66
... 16-11-66
Crosby, H. P.
Spencer, W .. . . ...... 14-12-66
... 14-12-66
Armstrong, W. T.
16-11-66
Crosby, L. W. N .....
Thompson, J ............... 14-12-66 .............
... 21-12-66
Cawthra, J.
Trent, W ...................... 21-12-66
McFaydden, C...... .. ..... 21-12-66
..... 5-23-67 .............
Hillary, R. W.....
7-6-67 .............
Gamble, M. C. - .
11-10-67
2-6-71
Rolph, W
'
..... 18-6-69
Wood, J. W
Graham, G ..... ..... 18-6-69
Dudley, W. H....... 18-6-69
Robinson. J ................. 10-6-69
7-6-72
16-10-69
Chester, H
Hartman, F. B ........... 16-10-69 23-5-72
Parkhill, W .................. 14-10-70
Lloyd, T. H ................. 12-6-71 ............. 10-5-72
Bentley, T. H ............. 2-6-71 .............
2-6-71 25-10-72
Reesor, R. ................
Whitney, F. L ......
4-8-71 .............
5-2-75
7-6-72
Lee, C. W .................... 23-3-72
10-5-72 ................
Robinson, T
Braithwaite, W .......... 10-5-72 12-7-72
Wills, L ........................ 10-5-72 .............
10-5-72 16-5-73
Garden, E. G ..........
Bruce, W ...................... 10-5-72 ............. 11-9-74
23-5-72
Pearson, N
23-5-72 .............
Andrews, A. Y ........
..... 23-5Eckhardt, T ..........
.
•

Major

23-5-73

.............

10-5-75

Lt. Cot

Retired

23-5-73
10-5-72
2-6-71
16-10-69
11-9-74
16-10-69
10-5-72
%, ............. 7-6-72
17-3-82 23-5-86
14-6-72
2-6-71
31-6-74
2-6-71

Service.

.............

N.W. Rebellion, 1885

... 11-10-07

28-6-72
17-3-82

2-6-71

:

27-6-84
.............
.............

78

4-8-71
28-6-67
28-5-75 17-3-82
21-5-86 5-16-98
12-6-72
23-5-72
12-7-72
18-6-69
16-10-69
12-7-72
... 16-10-69
23-10-74
7-6-67
29-10-69
10-5-94
...........
... 14-10-70
25-10-72
23-5-72
23-5-72
10-5-72
1-8-79
12-2-75
28-5-75
20-6-73
16-5-98 16-5-03
...... 11-9-74
...... 12-7-12
..... 23-5-72
..... 31-3-82
5-5-74
28-5-75
...... 11-9-74
5-11-75
27-6-84
28-5-75
... 23-10-74
..... 20-4-77

N.W. Rebellion, 1885, Medal
.

Fenian Raid, 1866

HISTORY OF THE 12TH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS
GAZETTED
Ensign
2nd Lieut.
Name ................... or Prov.
Lieut.

Reesor, F. A ..... ... .
Botsford, J. A .............
Busk, J
Pagent, C. B. .............
Campbell, L. C..
Tomlinson, C ..............
Bowden, W. H .......
Stewart, W
Stevenson, J. R
Richardson, S. R.
Strange, F. W

23-5-72 25-10-72
23-5-72 .......
7-6-72 .............
14-6-72 .............
...... 12-7-74
4-3-73 10-7-74
20-6-73 11-9-74
11-9-74
31-9-74
9-10-74

Capt.

Major

Lt. Col.

..

..... ..

.

23-4-80
23-4-80

.............
.........

.............

.

.

.

41'

28-5-75

Baker, H
Macdonald, F ..... .. 28-5-75
Smith, J. F
Woods, R
25-6-75
Clelland, E
Lewis, J. W. ............

Vidal, B. H ..................
Strathy, J. R.....
Saunders, B... ......
Irwin, M. B
Flintoff, J. T .
Machel, T. H..... . . .
Smith, J. F
King, G. S...........
Montgomery, J. T...
Bennett, C. C ..............
Macdonald, F.
'
Addison, J ...................
Stevenson, J. R.
Ardagh, A. S. ...... .
Tremayne, F. G.
McKay, A. S ................
Vennell. G ...................
Leslie, j. K .............
Brooke, G ....................
Symons, J. T
Douglas, M. B ............
Brooke, C. E.. ... . ..
Stevenson, J. R.
Moncrief, F. E. . , . .
Cooper, W. M
McNaught, W. K . —
Flintoff, G. ...........
Ashworth G. J ........
McSpadden, W.........
Booth T. W ............

Lieut.

.............

18-6-75
2-7-80
2-7-75

.

.. ......

. .....

5-11-75 10-11-76

.......

.

.

11-3-8 9

24-8-77

. . .... .

..... 24-8-77
5-7-78 • .............

1-8-79

. . ..

.

1-8-79
1-8-79
7-5-80
5-5-76

..

... .

5-3-81
5-3-81
5-3-81

30-4-81
,,

..... 20-8-80

26-2-81
12-5-82 14-6-89 .............
20-3-85 14-6-89 25-5-98
30-4-81 17-3-82
17-3-82
4-6-86
3-2-82
..... 31=3-82 29-11-89
..... 31-3-82 .............
..... 31-3-82

12-5-82
11-8-82
, .....

N.W. Rebellion, 1885, Medal,
transferred to Q.O.R.

1-9-82
9-11-83

1-8-79
1-4-82
1-8-79
1-12-83

21-12-83
5-3-81
2-5-79
. ..
31-3-82
27-6-84
18-6-86
. ....
1-6-88
11-8-82
20-3-85
. .
10 4 80

N.W. Rebellion, 1885, Medal
Brigade-Major, Abyssinian
Expedition, 1867-68, action at Ardghie and Magdala Medal

....................

N.W. Rebellion, 1885, Medal

..... 31-3-87

31-3-82
.............

Service.

30-6-84

..... 29-5-75

9-4-80
, ...........

====.::=

..... 24-7-77

25-5-77

28-5-75

-

...

..... 20-4-77

.............

Retired

10-7-74
....
9-5-75
.. 23-10-74
.. 30-7-80
9-11-83
.. . . 9-11-83
18-6-75
1-8-79
28-5-75
5-6-78
,.•••
. 24-8-77

28-5-75

20-1-77

1-8-79
.. ....

....._.,--=z=o=m,,,■

27-6-84
9-11-83 30-8-89

79

23-4-80
18-6-86
28-9-82
... 11-30-97
11-1-07
8-9-09
4-6-86
..... 28-7-93
1-6-88
-6
25-1-84
............. 21-8-97
..... 27-6-84
14-6-89
23-3-87
18-4-84
20-6-90
.............
21-1-93
23-12-87

N.W. Rebellion, 1885, Medal
N.W. Rebellion, 1885, Medal
N.W. Rebellion, 1885, Medal
N.W. Rebellion, 1885, Medal

N.W. Rebellion, 1885, Medal
N.W. Rebellion, 1885, Medal

HISTORY OF THE 12TH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS

GAZETTED
Ensign
2nd Lieut.
Name ................... or Prov. Lieut.
Lieut.

Wismer, J. A ...............
Lanskail, J ...................
Thompson, J. T.
Furnival, G. M
McCarty, J. C
Smith, L. L. F
Chapman, M. S.
Allan, J. A. W ............
Fleury, W. J ...............
Croatwaite, W. J.
Verral, J. E .................
McConnell, J ..............
Hillary, R. M
Wayling, J., Jr. .........

Gower, J
Bentley, W. H
Williamson, A. E.....
McSpadden, G. ..........
Brown, F. W ...............

Capt.

9-11-83
25-1-84
3-7-86.

Major

21-1-93

.............

20-6-90

16-5-03

..... 18-6-86

18-6-86 18-4-90
18-6-86
16-12-86

1-6--88

28-7-93
15-6-88
23-6-93

.............

18 6 86
5-8-87
9-3-88
31-1-90

30-8-89
28-7-94

1-7-07
18-4-90
18-4-90
18-6-86
...... 1-16-88
9-8-09 .............
18-6-86
1-6-88
6-1—
9-3-88
18-5-04 .............
16-5-03

B.M.
6-23-03 .............
M21-3-10 .............

18-6-86
9-3-88

Service.

18-6-86
27-6-84
27-6-84
18 4 84

30-5-84
20-3-85

Retired

..... 24-5-86

.............

..... 29-2-84

30-5-84
9-3-88

Lt. Col.

N.W. Rebellion, 1885, Medal
N.W. Rebellion, 1885, Medal
N.W. Rebellion, 1885, Medal
N.W. Rebellion, 1885, Medal

Became Surgeon

Seconded W. Africa, 01-2; W. Africa,
04-5; W. Africa, 06-6
14-10-01
Trans. CR
6-7-11 Medal, 3 clasps
18-4-90
-89
23-3-88
28-6-94

B.M.

10-5-11 10-5-11 N.W. Rebellion, 1885, Medal
..... 31-1-90
Cooper, H. B .............. 23-3-88 .............
Elliott, S. B ................. 20-4-88
20-6-90
Orr; R. B
20-6-90
.............
1-6-88 .............'
Noble, T. A
19-2-92
1-6-88
Holmes, C. A .............. 15-6-88 ............. 20-6-90
29-9-94
Nicol, A. G
31-10-89 20-5-94
B.M.
15-8-04
M 1-7-07 .............
28-10-92
Macdonald, A. E.
..... 31-1-90
Elliott, A ...................... 31-1-90 16-3-94 25-5-98
B.M.
25-5-08 .............
..... Actions at Fish Creek and
Curran, A .................... 19-4-90 25-11-92
1-6-95
B.M.
Batoche, N.W. Rebellion,
1-6-05
1885, Medal with clasp
M 5- 0- 1
Gower J .......................
18-4-90 11 ............. 20-4-94
Unitt,' F. W.
20-4-94
20 6 90
22-4-92
Dunlop, J. A. C....... 31-1-91
4-2-93 N.W. Rebellion, 1885, Medal
Sloane, W. S ............... 20-3-91
Lailey, F. T. ............... 17-7-91
16-3-94
Scott, C. S. W ........
23-4-92 16-3-94
13-4-98
17-3-94 N.W. Rebellion, 1885, Medal
Douglas, G. 11 ............ 23-4-92
4-6-92
Marsh, S. S ................. 25-6-92
23-6-97 Died
Verral, E. H ................ 23-7-92 16-3-94
14-12-07
6-1-00
Lennox, T. H .............. 4-6-92 21-10-99
2 6 04 Transfererd to G.G.B.G.,
Actions at Fish Creek, BaMitchell, T.
23-4-94 15-6-95 30-11-97
21-12-99
toche, N.W. Rebellion,
1885, Medal with clasp
22-3-10

80

HISTORY OF THE NTH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS

Name

McDonagh, T 0
Ward, J. J ...................
Unitt, F. W
Grantham, J. S ..........
Gillies, A
Riches, C. H ...............
Symons, J. T
Vance, T
Fawke, E. J .................
Clark, J. J ....................
Shunk, S ......................
Knox, J. E ...................
Agnew, J ......................

Ensign
2nd Lieut.
or Prov.
Lieut.

Lieut.

Capt.

Major

16-3-94
16-3-94

Lt.-Co!.

Gray, F. A ................... 21-12-95
Baldwin, S. Y ............. 18-1-96
McLean, J. C ..... ... 16-5-96 24-4-99 .............
Gillies, A ......................
..... 28-8-96
..
Fotheringham, J. T
22- -76
Clarke, F. F ................ 23-6-97 26-10-98
1-4-04
McCracken, J. A...... 7-8-97
Anderson, H. B ........
9-8-97
9-8-97 .............
Brunton, T. H
13-10-97
Port, E. H ................... 22-1-98 10-10-98
Lindsay, W. L ........
7-3-98 .............
Hunter, A. T. ......... 14-3-98 28-4-99 23-5-03
Verral, A. S .................
7-7-98
Hamilton, W. B ......... 13-9-98 21-12-99 19-5-06
Frankland, H. R ........- 10-9-98 .............
Thompson, W. H.... 15-11-98 12-12-97 .............
Douglas, R. Y ....... 21-11-98
Mussen, Rev.
E. H., M.A .. 8-3-99 .............
Howard, W. C ............ 17-4-99
Brown, B. H ............... 12-7-99
8-8-02 14-12-07
Radcliffe, D. H ..........
8-9-99
5-5-04 .............
Oliver, W. M ........
22-4-01 7-11-01 ...............
Isaacs, G. W ............... 12-12-99
Douglas, W. E ........... 29-12-99 .............
Knox, J. E ................. 21-4-10 ............... Hon. Capt
12-8-03
Murray, A. G ............
1 6 00
MacGillivray,
Rev. A. a . 12-4-01
Brunton, H. G ........... 16-9-01
Brace, A. J
29-8-02
Dunham, F. H.... ... 8-6-03

25-4-04
20-4-04
1-6-08
5-5-04

Mitchell, G. A ............ 23-12-03

20-4-04

.

Service.

15-3-98
15-6-95
... 19-11-97
9-2-95
28-8-96
..... 23-5-03
7-4-96
........
..... 24-8-95
..... 21-4-96
22-1-98
1-5-99
18-6-98
...... 19-5-06

.

.
20 4 99
20-5-94
2-6-94
2-6-94 28-8-96 19-11-97
22-6-94
12-1-95
12-1-95
9-2-95
15-6-95
15-6-95
21-12-95 15-12-97 21-12-99

Retired

.

...

.

.

N.W. Rebellion, 1885, Medal

See below
Transferred to Corps. Res.
N. W. Rebellion 1885 Medal

21-9-96
15-5-99
Hon.
27-8-06

..... S. Africa, 1900-1, Medal, 3

15-8-97

clasps (D.S.M.)
Transferred to Q.O.R.
R.C.R., III. Batt., Halifax

10-9-98
Hon.

......12-8-03

25-4-99
18-12-07
.
..

.

.

.
.

. .

,
.
. ...
...

15-4-01
16-4-08
22-4-01
12-4-01
23-7-01

Transferred
Fenian Raid, 1866, Ridgeway

.............

25-5-05
22-7-03
14-12-06
10-3-05

Transferred to 30th Regt.

Hon. M.
22-4-12
..

.

23-7-03

Reverts to retired list of
captains

..... 25-5-10

.............

26-10-06
10-5-05
10-3-05
81

2nd C.M .R., Hart River, S.A.
2nd R.C.R., S.A., Medal, 3
clasps

HISTORY OF THE 12TH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS

GAZETTED
Ensign
2nd Lieut.
Name ................... or Prov.
Lieut.

McCormack, E ........... 27-19-03
Hobbs, J. H ................
Wright, J. G ...............
Richey, H. B.. ......
Ross, J. C ....................
Lea, H ..........................
Nicholls, B. F .............
Jefferies, W. G ............
Noble, A. F. .............
Nicholls, E. M ............
Curran, S. E ...............
Brann, H.. , ..... , .
Ross, A. C .............
Glover, W. R... „,....
Fowler, W. G ..............

---__

Major

Lieut.

Capt.

20-4-04

.............

Lt. Col.

,

4-5-04 31-3-05 22-3-10
18-5-04 30-6-05 .............
30-11-02 .............
8-10-02
5-8-02
23-5-03 20-4-04 .......
18-10-04 14--12-06 .............
2-10-05 30-11-05 Sig. Lt.
3-5-07
25-6-06 21-6-07 .............
10-7-06 13-12-06 30-9-11
14-12-06
1 6 08 .............
28-3-07 21-6-07
3-4-07 21 6 07 .............
16-7-07 27-3-08 12-8-12

Retired

Service.

Strathcona, Horse and 2nd
C.M.R.
. .. 30-9-11 Transferred Corps Reserve
18-4-10 Coronation Medal
..... Trasnferred to A.S.C.
26-9-03
5-8-03
14-12-06
14-12-06
-12-08 Died

. ,...

.....

14-11-06

..... 31-5-10

Transferred Corps Reserve

.............

17-5-10
..... N.W. Rebellion, 1885, Medal,

.............

clasp, Fish Creek, Batoche
Brown, F. F. M.....
... ..
Walker, R
Darlington, F. G.....
Scott, W. R ......
Baillie, W
Hawkin, A. J. S .......
Taylor, W. H .... . ..
Collins, M. C ..............
Holdsworth, T. H....
Rogers, W. T
... .
Dayton, B. J. ...........
Bolt, F. P .....................
Fletcher, A. G. A....
Orr, H. ...................
Williamson, J. L.....
Reesor, R. J ................
Pink, W. G ..................
Proctor, J. H. .........
Tomlin, H. N .............

25-7-07 14-12-07
18-11-07 27-3-08
18-12-07 30-5-08
13-1-08 .............
1-4-08 30-5-08
16-4-08
9-4-10
3-6-08
4 6 08 27 6 08
8-6-08 27-6-09
29-10-09 31-5-10
29-11-09 15-12-09
16-3-10 .............
... .... 18-4-10
27-5-10
8-6-10
19-6-11 .............
14-4-11
8-4-12 .............
23-12-11 .............
10-2-12, .............
1

.............
.............
... 14-11-08

. .

18-9-09
..... N.W. Rebellion, 1885, Medal

7-4-11

30-9-11
.............
..... S. Africa

.............

2-8-11

.... ,
.............

+4 •

.

I ..........................

..

..... Transferred

'

. .........

..
,

82

HISTORY OF THE 12TH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS

APPENDIX C
M.D. No. 13

LETTER OF COL. CRUIKSHANK

S.O. File.
HEAD-QUARTERS, MILITARY DISTRICT NO.

13.,

CALGARY, ALTA.,

11th November, 1911.

From,
THE DISTRICT OFFICER COMMANDING, MILITARY DISTRICT

No. 13.

To,
CAPTAIN

F. H.

DUNHAM,

Adjutant, 12th Regt. York Rangers.

re York Volunteers :
Sir,—With reference to your letter on the marginally noted subject dated
the 4th instant, and received this day I have the honour to inform you that in 1812
the County of York in Upper Canada, in addition to its present limits, included
the present Counties of Peel and Halton and portions of Simcoe and Wentworth.
There were three regiments of York Militia, the 1st, 2nd and 3rd. On the creation
of the Gore District and the County of Wentworth in 1816, the 2nd Regiment of
York Militia became the 1st Gore Regiment.
At the action of Queenston, 13th October, 1912, Captain Thomas Selby's
flank company of the 1st York, under Lieutenant Reuben Richardson; Captain
John Chisholm's and Captain William Applegarth's flank companies of the 2nd
York and Captain Duncan Cameron's and Captain Stephen Heward's flank companies of the 3rd York, the latter commanded by Lieutenant John Beverley Robinson, afterwards Chief Justice, were present.
Selby's company was recruited along Yonge Street north of the present City
of Toronto: Chisholm's and Applegarth's were recruited from the vicinity of
Burlington Bay in the present County of Wentworth, and Cameron's and Heward's
from the town of York and surrounding country.
Captain Applegarth and Duncan Cameron and Lieutenant Richardson are
named in Major-General Sheaffe's dispatch to Sir George Prevost, dated October
13th, 1812; a copy of which is in the Dominion Archives (Series Q, Vol. 118, p. 281)
as having "led their men into action with great spirit." The name of Captain
Chisholm was mentioned in a subsequent despatch from Sheaffe to Prevost,
November 3rd, 1912, Dominion Archives (Series C, Vol. 677, p. 106) as having
been omitted. The names of the above officers with the exception of Captain
Chisholm also appear in the General Order by the Adjutant General dated at
Montreal, 21st October, 1812.
83

HISTORY OF THE 12TH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS

In my opinion the evidence is conclusive that your Corps represent the 1st
York Regiment of Militia of which Selby's flank company was present at Queenston
on the 13th October, 1812, and Selby's flank company and Captain Peter Robinson's rifle company were present at the surrender of Detroit on the 16th August,
1812.
I may add that I will at any time be most pleased to furnish any further information in my power that you may require to substantiate your claim.
I have the honour to be, Sir,
Your obedient servant,
E. A. CRUIKSHANK, Lieut.-Colonel,
Commanding Military District No. 13.

APPENDIX D
MEMO

re

THE YORK VOLUNTEERS AT THE BATTLE OF QUEENSTON HEIGHTS

(Furnished by Dr. Doughty, Dominion Archivist)
He fell (Lieut.-Col. McDonnell), while gallantly charging up the hill with
one hundred and ninety men, chiefly of the York Volunteers, by which charge
the enemy was compelled to spike the eighteen pounder in the battery there.—
(From Tupper's " Life of Brock.")
"On the morning of the battle of Queenston, Hatt's Company, 5th Lincoln,
was the only force at Queenston; Chisholm's 2nd York was stationed on the
brow of the Heights; Cameron's and Heward's were at Brown's Point, arriving
at Queenston as Brock was wounded."—(Irving's " War of 1812-1815.")
3rd Regiment, York Militia—This regiment's designation was changed to
"2nd Regiment of York Militia," the former 2nd York being called the "1st
Gore," (Militia General Order, 10 July, 1816).
2nd Regiment, York Militia—On the creation of the District of Gore and
the County of Wentworth in 1816, this Corps became the "1st Gore Regiment."
1st Regiment, York Militia—According to the return of September 24th,
1813, in the Archives, the regiment consisted of the North and South Divisions.
The former was composed of Tyler's (No. 2), Traver's (No. 8), Robinson's (No.
6), Selby's (No. 4), and Richardson's (No. 7); the latter included Willson's (No.
1), Arnold's (No. 3), Fenwick's (No. 9), Mustard's (No. 5), Button's (No. 11),
and No. 10, under Lieut. Miles.
84

HISTORY OF THE 12TH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS

APPENDIX E
A PARTIAL LIST OR RIFLE SHOOTING RECORD, SHOWING SOME OF THE HIGHER
PLACES WON BY TEAMS OR INDIVIDUALS OF THE 12TH FROM 1885-1910
DOMINION RIFLE ASSOCIATION MATCHES
Bisley Team (to represent Canada in 1894)—Staff
Sergt. Simpson, 1; Private Bayles, 2; Lieut. A. Curran,
4; Lieut. T. Mitchell, 5; Staff Sergt. Bell, 9. (It is
worthy of remark that three men of the above five were
in the final one hundred of the Queen's Prize at Bisley,
Lieut. Mitchell, third place; Staff Sergt. Davidson,
thirty-second place, and Staff Sergt. Bell, fifty-fourth
place. This team won the Ranelagh Match carrying
off the Ranelagh Cups from the picked regimental
teams of the British Volunteer forces of the Empire.
Two of the above team won grand aggregate scores at
Bisley, Staff Sergt. Simpson and Lieut. T. Mitchell).

1885
Growski Cup, won by 12th.
1891
Winnen Manufacturers' Match, won by Lieut. A.
Elliott, with a possible of 35.
Minister of Militia Match—Eighth place, 12th
Regiment team 19 points behind winners.
British Challenge Shield—Sixth place, 12th Regiment.
Extra Series-500 yards, Lieut. A. Elliott, possible.
1892
Grand Aggregate (Bisley Team)—Staff Sergt. Simpson, 315 points.
Hamilton Powder Company Match—Second place,
Col. Sergt. Foreman, 34.
Growski Match—Seventh place, 12th Regiment.
British Challenge Shield—First place, 12th Regiment.
(Two members on Bisley team, Lieut. T. Mitchell,
and Staff Sergt. Mitchell.)

1894
The Hon. the Minister of Militia's Match, won by
Lieut. T. Mitchell, 12th Regiment.
Team Match—Third place, won by 12th Regiment.
The Lansdowne Aggregate won by 12th TeamLieut. T. Mitchell, Staff Sergt. Davidson, Staff Sergt.
Simpson, Sergt. Bayles, Sergt. Geo. Thompson;
score, 1,047.
Bankers' Grand Aggregate—Second place won by
Lieut. T. Mitchell.
Bisley Team for 1895—Three men, namely, Lieut.
Mitchell, Staff Sergt. Bell, and Staff Sergt. Simpson.
Extra Series-800 yards, second place, Staff Sergt.
Simpson.

1893
MacDougall Challenge Cup Match—Second place,
Private T. S. Bayles.
Dominion Canada Team Prize and Davis & Sons
Cup—Second place, 12th Regiment.
Walker Challenge Cup Match—First place, 12th
team composed of : Lieut. T. Mitchell, Lieut. A.
Elliott, Staff Sergt. J. H. Simpson, Staff Sergt. Geo.
Thompson, Private T. S. Bayles; score, 520.
Kirkpatrick Match—Fourth place, Lieut. A. Curran.
Renshaw Match—Second place, Staff Sergt. Simpson.
Growski Match—Eighth place, 12th Regiment team.
Lansdowne Aggregate—First place, 12th Regiment
team.
Bankers' Prize (Grand Aggregate)-12th Regiment;
first place, Staff Sergt. Simpson; second place, Staff
Sergt. Davidson, with seven members in all from first
to thirteenth places.
Governor General's Match—First, Staff Sergt.
Simpson; second, Lieut. T. Mitchell; third, Staff
Sergt. A. Bell.

1895
Hon. the Minister of Militia's Match—Fourth place,
Capt. Curran.
Extra Series-800 yards, won by Lieut. Mitchell.
1897
Grand Aggregate—Second place, Lieut. T. Mitchell
Extra Series Aggregate—Lieut. T. Mitchell.
1898
Capt. Mitchell won place, Bisley team for 1899.
18 99
Bankers' Match—Third place, Capt. A. Curran.
85

HISTORY OF THE NTH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS
1900
Dominion Canada Match—Fourth place, Capt.
Elliott
Capt. Elliott won place on Bisley team for 1901,
eleventh place.
1902
Capt. Elliott won eighth place Bisley team for 1903,
and at Bisley won Keystone Burgundy Cup, valued at
forty-two guineas at 1000 yards, and over $50.00 in
other prizes.
Extra Series-600 yards, first place, Capt. Curran.

1905
Bankers' Match—First place, Sergt. E. M. Nicholls.
Macdougall Match—First place, Sergt. W. G.
Fowler.
Henshaw Match—First place, 1,000 yards, Sergt.
W. G. Fowler.
Sergt. E. M. Nicholls won ninth place, Bisley Team.
Sergt. W. G. Fowler won fifteenth place, Bisley
Team for 1906.
(Sergt. Nicholls on team which won Kolapore Cup,
made score of 101).
1906
Tyro Match—Third place, Capt. A. T. Hunter.
Dominion Match—Fourth place, Sergt. W. Mitchell.

1903
Private W. G. Fowler won place on Bisley team for
1904.

1907
Macdougall Match won by Capt. A. T. Hunter.
Mitchell Sight Match—Second place, Sergt. W. G.
Fowler.
1908
Extra Series-800 yards, first prize, Major F. W.
Brown.

1904
Walker Match—Third place, Capt. F. W. Brown.
Dominion of Canada Match—Fourth place, Capt.
•
Elliott.
Ross Match—Fifth place, Sergt. E. M. Nicholls.
Bisley Aggregate—Capt. Elliott won tenth place in
Bisley team for 1905. (Shot on Canadian Bisley team
at Bisley in Kolapore Match, 200, 500, 600 yards,
making a record for the British Empire in this match,
which had been competed for forty-two years; score,
34, 35, 34,-103 points out of a possible 105).

1910
Burland Match-1,000 yards, second place, Major
Elliott, 34 points.

ONTARIO RIFLE ASSOCIATION MATCHES
1888
Gordon Match—Second place, Lieut. I. Lanskail.
Tait Brassey Match—First place, Lieut. Lanskail.
Tait Brassey—Battalion team, sixth place (nine
teams competed).
Growski Match (six man team)—First place won by
12th Regiment.
Volley Firing—Second place won by 12th Regiment.

Tait Brassey—Battalion team match, eight man
12th Regiment, second place.
Company Team Match (five men)—A Company
12th Regiment, first place.
Tait Brassey—Individual prizes—Lieut. A. Elliott,
second place.
Mulock Aggregate—Staff Sergt. Bell, second
place; Staff Sergt. Simpson, fourth place; Staff Sergt.
Thompson, tenth place; Lieut. Elliott, eleventh place;
Lieut. Curran, fifteenth place.
Gibson Match—Open to fifty highest scores in first
stage—Second place, Staff Sergt. Simpson; seventh
place, Lieut. F. W. Brown.
Growski Match—Third place, volley firing, 12th
Regiment.

1889
Walker (five man team) Match-12th Regiment
won sixth place. Thirty-one teams competed.
Tait Brassey Battalion Team Eight Men-12th
Regiment won second place. Eleven teams competed.
Company Teams—A Company, eighth place. Eleven
teams competed.
Growski Match—Skirmishing, second place, 12th
Regiment.
1890
MacDonald Match Standing—Lieut. Elliott, second
place; Staff Sergt. Graham, fourth place; Staff Sergt.
Bell, tenth place; Staff Sergt. Ronan, fifteenth place;
Lieut. Curran, nineteenth place.
Gilmore Match—Lieut. A. Curran, first place.
Walker Team Match (five man team)-12th Regiment, second. Twenty-nine teams competed.
Walker Individual Match—Staff Sergt. Bell, second
place.

1891
Gordon Match, 600 yards—Fifth place, Lieut. A.
Elliott.
McDonald Match Standing—Second place, Staff
Sergt. Bell.
Tait Brassey—Battalion team (six men), 12th Regiment, third place (twelve teams competed); company
team, third place won by A Company 12th Regiment
(twenty-three teams competed); twelfth place won by
C Company 12th Regiment.
Growgki Match—Skirmishing, second place won by
12th Regiment.
86

HISTORY OF THE 12TH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS

1898

Extra Series 500—Third prize won by Lieut. Elliott,
12th Regiment.
Time Match—One minute, first prize won by Lieut.
A. Elliott.

The Canadian Club Match, 600 Yards—Fourth
place won by Capt. A. Elliott, 48 points. Possible, 50.
Gordon Match, 600 Yards, 7 Shots—First place won
by Capt. A. Elliott, 35 points.
Corporation of the City of Toronto Match, 500
and 600 yards, 7 shots at 500, 10 shots at 600 yards.—
Second place won by Capt. A. Elliott, 83 points out of
a possible 85 points.
The Mulock Aggregate—Second place won by Capt.
T. Mitchell; third place won by Capt. A. Elliott.
The Nursery Aggregate—Seventh place won by
Private W. Latimer.
Extra Series, 200—Second place won by Capt. T.
Mitchell.
1899

1892
No meeting on account of new Range not being
completed.
1893
The Gilmore Match—First place won by Lieut. A.
Elliott, a possible.
Tait Brassey—Battalion teams (six men), fourth
place, 12th Regiment. (Twelve teams competed).
McDonald Standing—Eight place, Lieut. Elliott.
The Growski—Skirmishing, 12th Regiment, fifth
place.
Volley Firing-12th Regiment, first place.
Aggregate Q.O.R. and 12th Regiment, tie first
place.
Revolver Match—Second place, Sergt. Geo. Thompson; third place, Lieut. A. Elliott.

Canadian Club—Third place won by Capt. Mitchell.
Revolver Match—Second place won by Lieut Agnew.
200 Extra Series—Second place won by Capt.
Mitchell.
800 Extra Series—Second place won by Capt.
Mitchell.
1900

1894

Corporation of the City of Toronto—Fifth place
won by Capt. A. Elliott
Tait Brassey Match—Eighth place won by Capt.
A. Elliott.
Mulock Aggregate—Second place won by Capt. A.
Elliott.
Revolver Match—Fifth place won by Capt. Agnew.
800 Yards Extra Series—Third place, tie, won by
Capt. A. Elliott.
1901

Tait Brassey—Battalion team match, fourth place
won by 12th Regiment (sixteen teams competed);
Company Match, second place won by A Company,
12th Regiment (eighteen teams competed).
McDonald Match—First place won by Lieut . T.
Mitchell.
Gibson Match—Sixth place won by Lieut. T.
Mitchell.
The Mulock Aggregate—Fourth place won by Lieut.
T. Mitchell.
The Growski Match—Third place won by 12th
Regiment.
Extra Series 600 Yards—Seventh place won by Lieut.
A. Elliott.
,

.

MacDonald—Seventh place won by Capt. A.
Elliott.
1902
Tait Brassey Match—Third place, Capt. A. Elliott.
Mulock Aggregate—Sixth place won by Capt. A.
Elliott.
1903

1895
Revolver Match—Third place, Lieut. Mitchell.
Extra Series 200 Yards—First place, Lieut. Mitchell.
Extra Series 600 Yards—Fifth place, Lieut. Mitchell.

Canada Company Match—Seventh place won by
Lieut. F. F. Clarke.
Duke of Cornwall and York—Fourth place won by
Capt. F. W. Brown; seventh place won by Private
W. G. Fowler.
1904

1896
Revolver Match—Second place, Lieut. T. Mitchell.
Extra Series 500 Yards—First place, Lieut. T.
Mitchell.

McDonald Match—Second place won by Lieut. W.
H. Thompson.
Osler Match—Second place won by Lieut. W. H.
Thompson; eighth place won by Capt. Elliott.
Tait Brassey—Eighth place won by Sergt. W. J.
Cook.
Allcomers Aggregate—Seventh place won by Capt.
A. Elliott.
Revolver Match—Fourth place won by Sergt. W. J.
Cook.
The Wheeler & Wilson Match (200 yards)—Second
place won by Sergt. E. M. Nicholls.

1897
The Corporation of the City of Toronto Team Match
—Team, Capt. Curran, Lieut. Mitchell, Lieut. Elliott,
Col. Sergt. Mowat, Private Fairbairn, second place,
12th Regiment. (Thirty-four teams competed.)
Individual Prizes, Corporation of the City of Toronto—Fifth place, Private J. K. Fairbairn.
Mulock Aggregate—Fifth place, Lieut. T. Mitchell.
Toronto Railway Competition—Fourth place, Lieut.
A. Elliott.
87

HISTORY OF THE 12TH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS
1905

The Canadian Club Match—Third place won by
Sergt. Geo. Thompson.
The Corporation of the City of Toronto—Battalion
teams (five men), fifth place won by 12th Regiment.
The Bankers' Match—Second place won by Capt.
A. Elliott, 68 points; 12th place, Capt. Dunham, 65
points.
The Duke of Cornwall and York—Fifth place won
by Lieut. E. M. Nicholls.
Macdonald Match—Sixth place won by Sergt. W.
G. Fowler.
The Militia Aggregate—Second place won by Capt.
A. Elliott.
1908

Canada Company Match—Fifth prize won by
Lieut. F. H. Dunham; twelfth prize won by Col. Sergt.
R. J. Foord.
The Osler. Match—Second place won by Sergt. W.
G. Fowler.
The Mackenzie—Eighth place won by Capt. A.
Elliott.
Revolver Match—First place won by Lieut. W. G.
Jefferies.
The Wheeler & Wilson Match—Sixth prize won by
Sergt. E. M. Nicholls.
The El Padre Needle Cigar Match—Won by Capt.
A. Elliott.
The P. W. Ellis Match—Eighth place won by Lieut.
W. G. Jefferies.
Mitchell Rifle Sight Match—Fourth place won by
Capt. A. T. Hunter.
1906

Corporation of the City of Toronto—Sixth place
won by Lieut. E. M. Nicholls.
The Tait Brassey—Battalion teams (six men),
third place won by 12th Regiment.
1909

Canadian Club Match—Battalion teams of five men,
first place won by 12th Regiment; team—Major
Brown, Capt. A. Elliott, Lieut. Jefferies, Lieut. Nicholls, Sergt. W. G. Fowler. Individual prizes—third
prize, Lieut. W. G. Jefferies, 33 points; fifth prize,
Lieut. E. M. Nicholls, 33 points; sixth prize, Capt.
A. Elliott, 33 points.
City of Toronto—Regimental teams of five men,
fifth place won by 12th Regiment.
The Duke of Cornwall and York—Seventh place
won by Lieut. W. G. Jefferies.
The Tait Brassey Match—First place won by Capt.
A. Elliott, 99 points.

The Tyro Match—Tenth place won by Sergt.
Pringle.
1910
The P. W. Ellis, etc., Match—Ninth place won by
Major F. W. Brown.
1911
City Hamilton Match—Eighth place won by Private
W. J. Kester.
Bankers' Match—Seventh place won by Lieut. R. J.
Reesor.
The Tait Brassey Match—Company team (four
men), third place won by C Company, 12th Regiment.
Extra Series 200 Yards—Fifth place won by Major
A. Elliott.

1907
The Canada Company Match—Ninth place won by
Private R. J. Foord, jr.

RECAPITULATION O.R.A.
SPECIAL REGIMENTAL HONORS
THE GZOWSKI CUP
1882—Won by 12th Regiment.
1893—Won by 12th Regiment.

1898—Capt. T. Mitchell, 12th Regiment.
1900—Capt. A. Elliott, 12th Regiment.
1907—Capt. A. Elliott, 12th Regiment.

THE BRASSEY CUP TEAMS
R80 Won by 12th Regiment.
1890—Won by 12th Regiment. Tie with Q.O.R.

WINNERS OF GOVERNOR GENERAL'S BRONZE MEDALS

THE CANADIAN CLUB JUBILEE CHALLENGE TROPHY
1906—Won by 12th Regiment.

WINNERS OF DOMINION OF CANADA ASSOCIATION
SILVER MEDAL

—

1898—Capt. A. Elliott, 12th Regiment.

1894—Lieut. T. Mitchell, 12th Regiment.

WINNERS OF NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION MEDALS
1893—Staff Sergt. Simpson, 12th Regiment.
1900—Capt. Elliott. 12th Regiment.

WINNERS OF DOMINION OF CANADA RIFLE ASSOCIATION BRONZE MEDAL

WINNERS OF GOVERNOR GENERAL'S SILVER MEDALS
1884—Staff Sergt. A. Bell, 12th Regiment.

1897—Capt. T. Mitchell, 12th Regiment.
1902—Capt. A. Elliott, 12th Regiment.
88

HISTORY OF THE 12TH REGIMENT,. YORK RANGERS

RECAPITULATION D.R.A.
1894 (at Bisley)—The Ranelagh Cups for Battalion
teams six men.
WINNERS OF GOVERNOR GENERAL'S PRIZE, D.R.A.
1893—First prize, Staff Sergt. J. H. Simpson;
second prize, Lieut. T. Mitchell; third prize, Staff
Sergt. A. Bell.
WINNERS OF GRAND AGGREGATE FIRST AND SECOND
PLACE D.R.A.
1882—Private A. Bell, second place.
1893—First, Staff Sergt. J. H. Simpson, first place;
second, Staff Sergt. J. H. Davidson, second place.

1894—Second place, Lieut. T. Mitchell.
1897—Second place, Lieut. T. Mitchell.
MEMBERS OF WIMBLEDON AND BISLEY TEAMS
1894—Sergt. T. S. Bayles.
1886, 1894—Sergt. A. Bell.
1894—Lieut. A. Curran.
1894 Staff Sergt. W. J. Davidson.
1901, 1903, 1905—Capt. A. Elliott.
1904—Private W. G. Fowler.
1906—Sergt. E. M. Nicholls.
1892, 1893, 1894, 1895, 1898, 1899—Staff Sergt. J. H
Simpson.

APPENDIX F
THE STAFF OF THE YORK-SIMCOE PROVISIONAL BATTALION AND THE ROLLS OF
THE YORK RANGER'S COMPANIES
Lieut.-Col. W. E. O'Brien.
Senior Major, Lieut.-Col. R. Tyrwhitt.
Junior Major, Lieut.-Col. A. Wyndham.
Adjt. Capt. J. Ward.
Paymaster W. Hunter.
Qr. Master L. Smith.
Surgeon D. G. L. McCarthy.

Chaplain Gilmour.
Sergt. Major S. A. Dougall.
Q.M. Sergt. C. Collett.
Paymaster Sergt. F. McGreal.
Hosp. Sergt. R. W. McCankey.
O.R. Clerk Lang
Bugle Major Ward.

NO. 5 COMPANY
Capt. J. T. Thompson (1).
Lieut. G. Vennell (2).
Lieut. G. Sutherland
Col. Sergt. Rideout.
Sergt. Smith.
Sergt. Toote.
Corp. Beel.
Corp. T. W. Malcomb.
Corp. T. Gilmore.
Bugler Slaatherly.
Private A. Armstrong.
" Brown.
Brown.
Barry.
Coulter.
•
Cox.
•
Crawford.

Private Cairns.
" Donoghue.
Toote.
Felstead.
Foord.
4(
Gray.
Goodwin.
Graham
" • Gilmore.
" Gould.
" Hutton.
Hands.
Kirkpatrick.
Laird.
Lindsay.
Lucas.
Margach.
89

Private Oliver.
" • Patton.
Powers.
A. Potter.
G. Potter.
it
Phypers.
Rideout.
Stewart.
Shannon
Spaulding.
Shirton.
P. J. Smith.
W. Smith.
Theobald.
Woods.
Waterstone.

HISTORY OF THE 12TH REGIMENT, YORK RANGERS

NO. 6 COMPANY.
Capt. G. H. C. Brooke.
Lieut. Symons.
Lieut. Ashworth.
Col. Sergt. Fraser.
Sergt. Rennington.
Sergt. Greatis.
Corp. Bell.
Corp. Greatis.
Corp. Greno.
Bugler McMullen.
Bugler Palmer.
Private Adams.
" Brady.
"
Bartlett.
Connors.
CC
Churchill.

Private Lansdell.
" Marshall
" McLean.
Oliver.
"
Pritchard.
Prior.
"
" Stewart.
Suart.
"
" Sutton.
" Studholme
" Torrance.
Tippins.
"
" Terry.
" Woodhouse.
" Ferrmantle.

Private Clumphitt.
Cracknell.
"
Cruickshank.
Crawford.
Dillon.
Dixon.
Dowling.
Enright.
Emerson.
Fontaine.
Hawarth.
Henry.
Hoodless.
Hogg.
Husband.
Lafferty.
if

i4

.

if

NO. 7 COMPANY.
Capt. Smith.
Lieut. Booth.
Lieut. Fleury.
Col. Sergt. Taylor (3).
Sergt. Price.
Sergt. Ego.
Corp. Farr.
Corp. Montgomery.
Corp. Hand.
Private Andrews.
" Bowser.
" Bellinger.
" Baldwin.
" Burns.
" Crockard.
"
Crosley.

Private Moore.
" McLeod.
" Mundell.
" Matt.
" Ough.
O'Brien.
"
" Pugh.
Pringle.
"
Smith.
Stonehouse.
Tetley.
Taylor.
Wooding.
J. Young.
T. Young.

Private Connell.
Cuttell.
"
" Cockburn.
Crawford.
"
"
Durich.
"
Dent.
" Ellison
" Ego.
" Grindley.
" Hewitt.
" Hand.
" Harman.
" Homer.
" Lyons.
" Long.
NO. 8 COMPANY.

Major Wayling (4).
Lieut. Leslie (5).
Lieut. Allan (6).
Col. Sergt. Kavanagh.
Sergt. Bogart.
Sergt. Wernharn.
Corp. Keith.
Corp. Piper.
Corp. Terry
Private Armstrong.
" Adamson.
"
Beller.
" Blencoe.
"
Flintoff.
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)

Private Pegg.
Rigsley.
"
Sloan.
"
" Taylor.
"
Tansley
" Thompson.
" M. Terry.
" C. Wernham.
" J. Wernham.
" J. West.
a
A. West.
CC
Waston.
“
Younge.

Private Fenton.
"
Gray.
"
Hewitt.
" Hollingshead.
King.
CC
" Kettle.
" Lowe.
" Longhurst.
" Lippard.
" Mitchell.
" Manners.
Miller.
"
" Peak.

Afterwards Lieut-Col. of the 12th.
Afterwards Capt. Vermeil.
Now Capt. W. H. Taylor of the Aurora Company.
Afterwards Lieut.-Col. and now Hon. Lieut.-Col. of the 12th
Afterwards Lieut.-Col. of the 12th.
Now Lieut.-Col. of the 12th.
90

.

INDEX TO ADVERTISEMENTS

A
Page

Anglo-American Fire Insurance Co. .................
Allison, K. J. ...........................................................
Adams Furniture Co., Ltd., The... ..................
American Laundry Machine Co., Ltd. ...........
Ault & Wiborg Co. of Can., Ltd .....................

xxvi
xlii
xxxvi
xli
xl

B
Bank of Toronto, The
Barber Ellis, Ltd.. ...............................................
Brock, W. R. Co., Ltd., The ..............................
Bedell Furnishing Co., Ltd. ................................
Bell Bros. & Co. .....................................................
Boake Mfg. Co., The ............................................
Beverley Construction Co.. ................................
Burroughs, F. C., Furniture Co., Ltd., The ..
Beardmore & Co ...................................................

vii
xiii
xxiii
xxvi
xxix
xxxi
xxxviii
xxxix
xxxix

C
Crocker & LeDrew ................................................
Casey, James ...........................................................
Canadian Northern Railway ..............................
Canadian Northern Steamships, Ltd., The ..
Canadian Independent Telephone Co., Ltd...
Canada Life Assurance Co.. ..............................
Canada Permanent Mortgage Corporation...
Christie, Brown & Co., Ltd ................................
Conger Coal Co., The ..........................................
Coatsworth, Richardson & Coatsworth ...........
Clarke & Swabey ............................................
Canada Lumber Co., Ltd ....................................
Canadian Bank of Commerce, The ..................
Cane, Wm. & Sons Co., Ltd., The ...................
Clarke. A. R. & Co ...............................................
Chalkley, R. & Son, Ltd ....................................
Consumers' Gas Co. .............................................
Crescent Concrete Paving Co., The .................
Chambers & Simpson
Clarkson, E. R. C. & Sons ................................

xxxvii
xxvi
ii
iii
iv
viii
viii
xiii
xv
xv
xvii
xxi
xxv
xxvi
xxix
xxxiii
xxxviii
xxxvii
xli

D
Page

Dominion Bank, The ..........
Dominion Bond Co., Ltd ....................................
Dunlop Tire & Rubber Goods Co., Ltd. ......
Dominion of Canada Guarantee & Accident
Insurance Co., The .......................................
Department of Agriculture ..................................
Dominion Securities Corporation, Ltd .............
Dovercourt Land Building & Saving Co., Ltd ,
The ....................................................................
Dodds Medicine Co., Ltd., The .........................
Dale Furniture Co... ...........................................

xx
xxii
xxiii
xxx
xxxiii
xxviii
xxxix

E

Eagen, W. T. ..........................................................

xxxvii

F
R. W. Fletcher Co., Ltd., The ...........................
Featherstonhaugh & Co .......................................

iv
xlii

Gardner, A. Sr Co
Gillispie, W. Percy Co., Ltd. ..............................
German Potash Syndicate
General Accident Assurance Co., of Canada,
The ....................................................................

xl
xxxvi
xlii
xxxiv

H
Hilda Cigar Co., Ltd ............................................
Hepburn, John T ...................................................
Hendrie & Co., Ltd ...............................................
Healy, Michael .......................................................
Harris, W. & Co ....................................................
Home Bank of Canada, The ..............................
Hear-O-Phone Co .................................................
Ivey, John D. Co., Ltd ......................................

xli
xliii
xvii
xx
xxv
xxvi
'xxxix