"Chicago to the Sea." Eastern Excursionist / A complete guide to the principal eastern summer resorts, including: Niagara Falls, the White Mountains, Saint Lawrence and Saguenay Rivers, Montreal and Quebec, the New England sea beaches, etc., and how and when to enjoy them.

by William C. Gage

NAVY ISLAND,

Lying in the channel which sweeps around Grand Island on the Canada side, has an area of over three hundred acres, and is associated with Fort Schlosser in the annals of border history, having been made the rendezvous of the “Patriots” in the “Rebellion” of 1837, under the leadership of McKenzie, who, with about twenty-five or thirty followers, became disaffected with the Canadian authorities, and planted their standard here as a rallying-point. The American steamer Caroline, a small boat supposed to be in the service of the “Rebels,” was chartered to run between the islands and the American shore. Friday, Dec. 29, 1837, she entered upon her work of “ferriage,” and after a profitable day’s work was moved to the wharf at Schlosser’s Landing. The same night, a detachment of British soldiers, under command of Capt. Drew, seized her, set her on fire, and the little steamer went down the stream in flames, and plunged over the Canadian Fall. The crew, and some of the “patriots” who were on board, escaped to the shore, with the exception of one man, Durfee, who was killed by a pistol shot in attempting to escape.