Miscellaneous Documents and Papers, Extracted from Manuscripts Respecting the U.E. Loyalists in the Dominion Library at Ottawa.

"CHARACTER OF THE MILITIA." ETC., ETC.

I. "Amongst the first settlers on the frontier of Upper Canada were those faithful and loyal men, the United Empire Loyalists, with the Six Nations of Indians, who, at the sacrifice of their all, were steadfast to the British Crown during the revolutionary struggle of the old British colonies, now the United States, for independence, and other United States citizens who had adopted Canada as a home for themselves and their children. That struggle ended by the treaty of 1783.

"Those faithful men, the U.E. Loyalists and their associates, sought an asylum under Britain's Crown in this, the then wilderness of Canada, which now stands as one of the most flourishing provinces of our beloved Sovereign. In that then wilderness the flag of England was unfurled, and after the lapse of one century, and on the commencement of another, that flag floats triumphantly over this loyal Canadian land. Those first settlers were our first militiamen, under our first and venerated Governor, Sir John Graves Simcoe, in the year 1791.

"The descendants of those faithful men, with some soldiers and sailors and others, the sons of Britain who had adopted Canada, were our first militiamen in the war of 1812; and those who are left of them are therefore the veteran soldiers of 1812. The war was declared by the United States Government against Great Britain, June 18th, 1812—involving Imperial interests alone, and not those of the colonies.[224] This declaration of war against Britain was the signal for the loyal inhabitants of Canada to rush en masse to the frontier of their country to repel invasion. In this momentous crisis we met our beloved Governor and Commander-in-Chief, the late Major-General Sir Isaac Brock, on the Niagara frontier, whose monument stands on the battle ground of Queenston Heights. That monument stands in remembrance of him who sacrificed his valuable life in duty to his King and in defence of our Canadian homes; in memory of him who caused the youthful part of the Militia of Upper Canada to be embodied in the Militia Flank Companies, to be trained for actual service in their country's defence; in remembrance of him in whom their entire confidence was placed—for where he led they were sure to follow."

II. The invasions of Canada by the Americans during the war were as follows:

Men.
1.General Hull, at Sandwich3,000
2.General Van Rensellaer, at Queenston 2,000
3.General Smyth, at Fort Erie3,000
4.General Pike, Toronto2,500
5.General Dearborn, Fort George3,000
6.General Winchester, Chrystler's Farm, for Montreal3,000
7.General Hampton, Chateauguay river, L.C., for Montreal8,000
8.General Brown, Fort Erie5,000
9.General Brown, Lundy's Lane5,000
10.General Izzard, Fort Erie8,000
11.General Wilkinson, Lacolle Mills, L.C.2,500
———
Total number of invaders45,000

The foregoing is an aggregate of the United States forces employed in the attempt to invade and take Canada, when they desired peace; and when peace was proclaimed, they did not find themselves in possession of an inch of Canadian territory.

"Thus it may be said as the opinion of all, that if the loyal inhabitants of Canada had not, in those days of trial and privation, stood to their arms under General Brock and other generals, Canada might not at this day be a continued appendage of the British Crown. In corroboration of this opinion, I here insert General Brock's answer to an address of the magistrates at Niagara after Hull's surrender of Detroit. General Brock said—

"That had not Western Canada rose in their might as one man, in defence of their rights, and in support of the constitution of Great Britain, his hands would have been as if tied, being without the aid of the regular British troops, who were all then engaged in the European war.