CHAPTER LXIV.
Contents—The Six Nations in 1812—American Animus—“Manifest Destiny”—Mohawk Indians—A right to defend their homes—Inconsistency—American Savages—Extract from Playter—Brock’s proclamation—Indian character, conduct, eloquence—Deserters in 1812—Few of them—Court-martials—The attempts at conquest by the Americans—The numbers—Result of war—Canadians saved the country—And can do so—Fraternal kindness.
THE SIX NATIONS AS CANADIANS IN 1812.
Maintaining their wonted hostile attitude to the Mohawks, and continuing to charge, upon the British and Canadian Governments, an uncivilized procedure, the Americans have attempted to create a belief that we waged not a warfare according to civilized ideas. Civilization consists, in the minds of Americans, in just those views, theories, beliefs, and proceedings, which belong to the Great United States, and nothing can emanate from their government that is not in strict accordance with civilization,—their civilization. It so happens that one of their beliefs is that destiny manifestly intends that they shall possess all of North America. In 1812, a pretext was formed under the question of the right to search American vessels for deserters from British service, to declare war against England. This was regarded by Madison and the Government at Washington, a fitting opportunity to make the already cherished attempt to obtain the British Provinces. It was not in accordance with their ideas of liberty and civilization, to give the slightest heed to the wishes of the loyalists whom they had, years before, forced away, and who had already done much to convert the wilderness into a noble Province; the British subjects who had emigrated to America, and preferred the yet infant colony of Canada, to the more advanced, but distasteful, United States. And still more, the Mohawk Indians, whom they had so cruelly treated, who had found homes under a benign and fatherly government, were not only disregarded, but their very right to defend their homes was denied by the very civilized government which longed to get Canada. And hence we find attempts made to cast obloquy, upon the Canadians, in connection with the war of 1812. The people who strove, but vainly, to enlist the Mohawks in their service in 1776, with wonderful inconsistency, in 1812, issue proclamations that no quarter will be given to Indians, nor the Canadians who were found fighting side by side. Yet, in the same war they had all the Indians they could get to assist in their invasion of a peaceful Province, who actually assisted in the hellish work of plunder in the Niagara region. The Senecas took sides with them. The Indians who had found a home in Canada, had a right to defend their country, and willingly did they march to the field. They rendered important service at Detroit when the immortal Brock hurled back the braggart foe, took General Hull and his army prisoners, and conquered the territory of Michigan. They likewise did good service at Queenston Heights.
A few instances occurred where individual Indians did lapse into the warfare nature had implanted into their breasts. But let it be distinctly and emphatically stated that they were exceptions. “But the savage conduct of the white United States troops, was worse than the employment of savages. In civilized wars, or the wars of Christian people with each other, (alas! that Christians and war should be associated!) the usual rule is to harm only those who aim to harm, and to pass by the peaceable and unarmed. Considering, too, that the Canadian people were not enemies, but had always friendly dispositions towards the United States, that the war was merely for remote and abstract questions, that the British Canadians never set the example, that marauding was not the rule of the British officers and armies (as evinced before the world in the wars with Bonaparte),—the United States Government selecting the province as a battle field, should have treated the inhabitants without arms as mere spectators of the conflict. Shame on President Madison, and his cabinet of Christian “(?)” gentlemen, for ordering their General, McClure (under the name and seal of John Armstrong, Secretary of War), to burn up the Town of Niagara, and turn 400 women and children into the snow and icy streets, on a December day of a rigid Canadian winter! Had the cruelty been accomplished by a tribe of Indians, no astonishment would have been felt; but for Christians thus to treat Christians, and for people of the same ancestry, to show such barbarity, shows that the bad passions of the human heart are the same in the civilized as in the savage. The war might have been carried on, so that friendship might soon be resumed; but the dreadful aggravation, left in the bosoms of the Canadian settlers, such hatred as remains to the present day. The writer has even heard women say, on the banks of the St. Lawrence, that if the Americans ever invaded Canada again, they would shoulder muskets with their husbands. The democracy of the United States, like the democracy of the French Revolution, proffered liberty with the left hand, and scattered the fire-brands of savage war with the right.”—(Playtor.)
The invading general having issued a proclamation, declaring that Canadians found fighting beside the Indians should have no quarter. Major-General Brock, in an address, issued to the Canadians at Fort George, July 22nd, 1812, referring to this matter, says:—
“Be not dismayed at the unjustifiable threat of the Commander of the enemy’s forces to refuse quarter, should an Indian appear in the ranks.
“The brave bands of the Aborigines which inhabit this colony were like His Majesty’s other subjects punished for their zeal and fidelity, by the loss of their possessions in the late colonies, and rewarded by His Majesty with lands of superior value in the Province. The faith of the British Government has never yet been violated by the Indians, who feel that the soil they inherit is to them and their prosperity, protected from the base arts so frequently devised to over-reach their simplicity.
“By what new principle are they to be prohibited from defending their property? If their warfare from being different to that of the white people, be more terrific than that of the enemy, let him retrace his steps, they seek him not, and cannot expect to find women and children in an invading army.
“But they are men, and have equal rights with all other men to defend themselves and their property when invaded, more especially when they find in the enemy’s camp a ferocious and mortal foe, using the same warfare which the American commander affects to reprobate.”
“This inconsistent and unjustifiable threat of refusing quarter, for such a cause as being found in arms with a brother sufferer, in defense of invaded rights, must be exercised with the certain assurance of retaliation, not only in the limited operations of war in this part of the King’s dominion, but in every quarter of the globe; for the national character of Britain is not less distinguished for humanity than strict retributive justice, which will consider the execution of this inhuman threat as deliberate murder, for which every subject of the offending power must make expiation.”—(Signed, Isaac Brock.)
In concluding this subject, we will quote the language of one who rose to sublime eloquence in connection with another event.
Seeing the on-coming moment of the extinction among the Americans—vainly resisting the inevitable fate, but still lofty and noble. Thus spoke a Seneca chief:—“Who is it causes this river to rise in the high mountains, and to empty itself in the ocean? Who is it that causes to blow the loud winds of winter, and that calms them again in summer? Who is it that rears up the shade of those lofty forests, and blasts them with the quick lightning at his pleasure? The same spirit, who gave you a country on the other side of the waters, gave this land to us, and we will defend it.”
We would fail in our whole task did we not refer to one more topic; that concerning Deserters. There were, during the time of war, a few instances of desertion. There is every reason to believe, that the wily Americans sent emissaries into the country with the object of tampering with the Canadians. The following, while having a local reference, will explain the steps taken by Government to meet the requirements of the day in this respect:
President’s Office, Upper Canada, Kingston, 24th March, 1814.
His Honor the President has been pleased to appoint by commission, bearing this date, the under-mentioned gentlemen to be commissioners, for carrying into effect the provisions of an Act passed in the last session of the Legislature of this Province, entitled “An Act to empower His Majesty, for a limited time, to secure and detain such persons as His Majesty shall suspect of treasonable adherence to the enemy, in the several districts of this Province respectively:—For Midland District—The Hon. K. Cartwright, Alexander McDonell, Alexander Fisher, Thomas Dorland, Timothy Thompson, Thomas Markland, Peter Smith, John Cumming, James McNabb, Ebenezer Washburn, Robert C. Wilkins, James Young, William Crawford.”
In every war there will be some desertions, and during the war of 1812, there were found a few, and a few indeed, who were base enough to desert from the ranks of the Canadian Militia.
The several attempts at conquest of Canada were:—
| 1st | Invasion | Gen. Hull | at Sandwich | with | 3,000 | men. |
| 2nd | Invasion | Gen. VanRansler | at Wodworth | with | 2,000 | men. |
| 3rd | Invasion | Gen. Smyth | at Fort Erie | with | 3,000 | men. |
| 4th | Invasion | Gen. Pike | at York | with | 2,500 | men. |
| 5th | Invasion | Gen. Dearborne | at Fort George | with | 3,000 | men. |
| 6th | Invasion | Gen. Winchester, for Montreal, | at Chryslers Farm | with | 3,000 | men. |
| 7th | Invasion | Gen. Hampden | at Chateauguay R. | with | 8,000 | men. |
| 8th | Invasion | Gen. Brown | at Fort Erie | with | 5,000 | men. |
| 9th | Invasion | Gen. Brown | at Lundy’s Lane | with | 5,000 | men. |
| 10th | Invasion | Gen. Izzard | at Fort Erie | with | 8,000 | men. |
| 11th | Invasion | Gen. Wilkinson | at Lacate Mills | with | 2,500 | men. |
| ——————— | ||||||
| Total number of men | 45,000. |
“The foregoing is an aggregate of the attempt to invade Canada by the United States forces when they sued for peace; and, when such was proclaimed, they did not find themselves in possession of one inch of Canadian Territory.”—(Clark.)
This glorious result was due, in a great measure, to the loyalty and bravery of the Canadian Militia. The first year, the Militia alone saved the Province.
The close of the war left no unpleasant remembrance. Called to arms for the most noble purpose, that of defending their homes, they discharged their duty bravely, but without unnecessary violence. There were no acts of cruelty to be laid to their charge. It was only the unprincipled foe that could be guilty of deeds of barbaric darkness. It remained for the American General Harrison to burn, contrary to the rules of civilized warfare, a peaceful village, and for General McClure to apply the torch to the building which protected the wounded men, women, and children, from the piercing cold of a December night, an outrage only equalled by their firing on a British flag of truce, under General Ross, before the capital Washington. These acts of villany met a just retribution. The former by destroying the frontier settlements from Lewiston to Buffalo, the latter by the destruction of the Capital. Canadians—Britons can deal out just retribution, as well as they can defend their homes. And the Americans ought to know, and remember, that no acts of cowardly villany toward us will for ever go unpunished. They incited rebellion among us in 1837–8. They have encouraged Fenianism, and assisted them as a people to invade our territory, and kill our young men. For this will come a day of judgment. It may not be this century, but it will come. Let but one more attempt be made to secure a footing on our soil, and the Americans will learn that Canadians can, and will, retaliate. The hardy honest Canadian goaded to seek justice, will play the raider also. Ours is a frontier, over which they may come and do much mischief; but their’s is equally lengthy, and exposed. A sheet of flame will burst along their frontier as well as ours, the destruction will not be all one side.
During the Crimean war, the Canadians took great pleasure in giving contributions for the relief of the soldiers, wives and children. But this was only returning a like kindness displayed by England at the time of the invasion and rapine in 1812. The wanton destruction of Canadian homes brought much distress. By the Kingston Gazette of 5th December, 1813, we see “that the total sum subscribed in the City of London for the relief of the sufferers in Canada (which has come to our knowledge), amounts to £10,419 10s. 0d.” And the same year “The General Assembly of Nova Scotia gave to the distressed of Upper Canada £2,500.” An act of fraternal kindness that Canadians have been ready to return during the last year.