Ernest Cruikshank

“ Some companies of militia were represented by officers without men; others by men without officers, while a few were almost or quite complete.
The sound of a heavy cannonade at the mouth of the river excited the worst apprehensions in the minds of the little band that continued to occupy Queenston village, until they were relieved by the arrival of Captain Derenzy, with several companies of the 41st and militia, a detachment of Royal Artillery with two field-guns under Captain Holeroft, and a party of Indians led by Captain John Norton and Lieut. ”

“ The river as it issues from the gorge at Queenston is barely six hundred feet in width, and flows at the rate of about four miles an hour. The cliffs which wall it in above are almost perpendicular, yet on the Canadian side, in many places, were so overgrown and almost concealed, by shrubs and trees, which struck their roots into the clefts and crannies of the rocks as to make it possible for an ordinarily active man to climb up with little difficulty from the water’s edge to the summit. ”

“ I transmit a return of casualties, which I regret should be so great, and I am much concerned to find that a valuable officer, Captain McMillan of the Glengary Regiment, is amongst the wounded. The loss of the enemy could not be ascertained, but I have every reason to believe it severe, his columns being under the fire of the six-pounder and the rockets. ”

“ Most of the Indians had dispersed to their hunting-grounds. The exigencies of the transport-service on the lakes had obliged the British general to send away the armed vessels which had formerly served the flank of his position, and to watch a frontier which practically extended from the Sugar Loaf on Lake Erie to Four Mile Creek on Lake Ontario, and to occupy the numerous posts and batteries between and maintain communication over a line of sixty miles, he had actually less than a thousand regular troops and six hundred militia, with a reserve of possibly six hundred militia and Indians. ”

“ General Van Rensselaer, who commanded the American forces on the Niagara, received the news with feelings of relief and satisfaction. Although refugees from Canada had assured him nearly a week before, that all the regular troops had been withdrawn from the posts opposite to meet General Hull, he still remained incredulous and apprehensive of an attack. Yet his force already exceeded two thousand men, of whom one-half were regulars. ”

“ This had no farther the desired effect than that he advanced to the skirts of the wood, and showed two columns on our left and one on our right, opening a heavy fire of small arms and which from the distance we sparingly returned, but the fire of the six-pounder and the rockets the enemy’s column on our left suffered severely. From my own observation and the reports I have received, I cannot estimate the force of the enemy at less than 1,500 to 2,000 men. ”

“ Batteries had been erected on the commanding ground opposite Fort George and at Lewiston, and armed with heavy guns. A large flotilla of boats, suitable for the transportation of troops, lay moored under the guns of the fort at the mouth of the river, and others had been taken up to Lewiston. Forty batteaux, each capable of carrying thirty men, were known to have been built in Tonawanda creek. Every day large bodies of men could be seen exercising and marching to and fro, attended by a numerous train of field artillery and detachments of cavalry. ”

“ Like the British, this force was made up of detachments from maay different battalions. Its ranks had been much diminished by desertions since the Indians had renewed the fight, numbers of men stealing down to the river and lurking there in the hope of finding means of escape. Perceiving that Sheaffe was preparing for a decisive attack upon his position, and probably having no desire to grace his triumph as a prisoner, General Van Rensselaer determined to return to Lewiston, with the lingering hope of enlisting a reinforcement from the large body of militia still congregated there. ”

“ Lieutenant-Colonel the Marquess of Tweeddale with the 100th, flank companies of the 104th, and those of the 82nd, with a six pounder and the rockets, in support, and Major Proctor with the remainder of the 82nd Regiment to move in reserve, the whole about seven hundred and fifty men. ”

“ Brock hoped to duplicate his exploit by the capture of Fort Niagara and the dispersal of the forces assembled on that frontier. That it would have been an easy task, there can now be no reasonable doubt, although superior in numbers, the American troops there were, by the admission of their commanders, in a very indifferent state of discipline, without any heavier ordnance than six pounders, and but few of them, and without artillerists. ”

“ To resist this formidable army, Brock had fifteen companies of regular infantry, which may have mustered sixty rank and file each; two officers and thirty men of the Royal artillery, with five field guns; a troop of militia drivers, and a troop of Provincial Cavalry, besides the flank companies of the five Lincoln and two York battalions of militia. The fourteen flank companies probably did not average more than thirty-five officers and men each, or less than five hundred in all. ”

“ A determination now prevails among the people to defend the country.”
No dread of impending disaster ever damped his spirits or abated his activity. Impressibly sanguine himself he possessed the rare faculty of imbuing all who came in contact with him with unbounded confidence in his abilities and respect for his character. To maintain his position in the force of the overwhelming numbers gathering in his front might at times have seemed well nigh hopeless, yet no sign of despondency ever appeared in his manner or conversation. ”

“ Four boats filled with men were then seen to push off Lewiston, and at the same instant the head of a column of troops appeared above the bank at the Queenston landing. Dennis hastily called down the light company by sound of the bugle from the heights to his support, and concentrated his fire on this force, which very soon retired again under cover of the bank, where their movements were almost entirely screened from view, although they had lost a few men by the random fire of the light company during the morning. ”

“ Having been told repeatedly by your agents to remain neutral, we were very much surprised at the council held at Buffalo Creek, at being invited to take up the tomahawk. We are not unfriendly to the United States but are few in number, and can do but little, but are willing to do what we can, and if you say so we will go with your people to battle. ”

“ Everything pointed to an immediate attack, while Brock found himself at once greatly in want of officers, men, and artillery, and wrote to Prevost that he must have a thousand more regular soldiers to defend that frontier, and the latter replied, that not another man could be spared for Upper Canada under any circumstances. Without delay the British commander set to work to supply his lack of men and means with his wonted energy. Detachments of troops were ordered up from Kingston and down from Amherstburg. Batteries were built and mounted with cannon taken from the fortifications of Detroit. ”

“ He found Dearborn in a favorable humor. He had indeed been vaguely instructed to make a diversion in favor of General Hull upon the Niagara, but was in no position to assume the offensive there or elsewhere at that moment. Most of the American merchant vessels on Lake Ontario were blockaded at Ogdensburg. Sackett’s Harbor, his principal naval station on that lake, was nearly defenceless, and had been threatened with an attack; the forces assembled on the Niagara were unprovided with artillery and necessary munitions of war. ”

“ The militia law is modified as much as possible to suit the circumstances of the people, and measures taken to prevent them feeling the burden of the war. The women work in the fields, encouragement being given for that purpose. When Hull’s proclamation appeared it had its effect, there being security promised for private property, and the people would willingly have submitted, but when it was found that private property was seized without compensation the public sentiment entirely changed. The success of General Brock established the general sentiment ”

“ It is thought that without aid of the sword, the American people may be brought to a due sense of their interests. I firmly believe that at this moment I could sweep everything before me from Fort Niagara to Buffalo, but my success would be transient.”
In fact the arrival of his reinforcements had almost produced a panic in the American camp. Party strife raged among the officers with unabated fury. Porter and his friends styled the commanding general a traitor, while Soloman Van Rensselaer announced his intention of publishing Porter as ‘‘a poltroon, coward, and scoundrel. ”

“ John McDonnell, the attorney-general of the province and M. P. P. for Glengarry, and James Givins, of the Indian departiment, a man thoroughly familiar with the language and customs of the Indians of the province, were appointed provincial aides-de-camp. Robert Nichol, a millionaire of Port Dover, who knew intimately every part of the country between the Niagara and Detroit and almost every man in it, was made assistant quertermaster-general. ”

“ Van Rensselaer had originally been selected to command the advance-guard, but when Chrystie arrived, he stubbornly refused to waive his rank and it was then agreed that he should lead a column of three hundred regular troops, while Van Rensselaer headed an equal number of militia. The militia composing this detachment were accordingly chosen with great care from among the best drilled men, and by their commander at least, were believed to be superior to the United States troops in point of discipline. Forty picked men of the regular artillery conducted by Lieut. ”

“ We are anxious to know your wishes as soon as possible, because we are afraid some of our young men may disperse among distant tribes and be hostile to you.” By the beginning of October it is certain that about 300 warriors joined Van Rensselaer’s army, but they seemed to have sent some apologetic message to the allied tribes in the British service, for these assured Brock that they would not act against him with any spirit. ”

“ It was now evident that the principal and probably the only attack was to be made here, and Brock despatched a hurried message to Sheaffe at Fort George to turn every gun that would bear upon the American batteries opposite, and send forward the battalion companies of the 41st and flank companies of militia. Then mounting his horse he rode at a gallop to the farther end of the village, where the light company of the 49th was drawn up in line awaiting orders. ”

“ His departure left Colonel Scott in command, having under him Colonel Chrystie and Brigadier-General Wadsworth. Sheafie’s movements obliged him to abandon his uncompleted fieldworks, and take up a new position on the crown of the heights, where a slight barricade was hastily extemporized with fence-rails, logs and brushwood, with the left flank resting on the edge of the cliff, and the riflemen on the other, facing the Indians from among the brush-huts, formerly occupied by the 49th light company. ”

“ When the assembly was prorogued an address to the people of the province had been prepared and signed by nearly the whole of the members, urging them to defend their country and pledging their aid and advice in the cause, and most of them had now taken the field in some capacity. Many of the surviving loyalists, too old and feeble to bear the fatigue of a campaign, tendered their services to perform garrison duty. ”