Brock Centenary, 1812-1912

by Unknown

"The Major-General calls the serious attention of every militiaman to the efforts making by the enemy to destroy and lay waste this flourishing country; they must be sensible of the great stake they have to contend for and will, by their conduct, convince the enemy that they are not desirous of bowing their necks to a foreign yoke. The Major-General is determined to devote his best energies to the defence of the country, and has no doubt that, supported by the zeal, activity and determination of the loyal inhabitants of this Province, he will successfully repel every hostile attack, and preserve to them inviolate all that they hold dear."

The result of the war proves how well Brock himself lived up to these sentiments.

Let us always remember that the War of 1812 was not of our making. On the 18th of June, 1812, President Madison declared war against Great Britain, with Canada as the point of attack. The "Right of Search," the power to search for contraband or for deserters on board of American ships, was claimed by Britain, but was resisted by the United States. Strange to say, this claim was abandoned by Great Britain the very day before war was declared by President Madison, yet the war was declared and went on. It will be readily seen that Canada had absolutely nothing to do with this war or its alleged cause, the "Right of Search"; and yet, in making this war on Canada, the United States placed itself on record as approving a forcible invasion of a neighbouring peaceful country and of involving it in all the horrors of war. At that time the United States had eight million people, Upper Canada had barely eighty thousand. At the very outset the Americans placed upon a war footing one hundred and seventy-five thousand men, whereas there were less than ten thousand men of all kinds capable of bearing arms in Upper Canada. These figures give us an idea of the very great disparity both in numbers and fighting strength between the two peoples so far as we in Upper Canada were concerned. During the two and a half years of the war there were no less than twelve separate and distinct invasions of Canada, and fifty-six military and naval engagements, the great majority of which were won by our forces. While Brock lived his genius and spirit guided and inspired the defence of the country, and after his death his noble example and the preparations he had made for war during his life encouraged and enabled the people to repel the invader.

Under the guise of strict discipline and the grim visage of a soldier and fighting man, Isaac Brock possessed a warm human heart; he was ever solicitous for the comfort and well-being of his people and especially of his militia soldiers, and on every occasion consistent with the safety of the Province he relaxed the rigours of war and would permit the militia to return to their homes and farms. This is evidenced by many of his Militia General Orders. An extract from Militia General Orders of 26th of August, 1812, immediately after the capture of Detroit, reads as follows:

"Major-General Brock has ever felt anxious to study the comforts and conveniences of the militia, but the conduct of the detachments which lately accompanied him to Detroit has if possible increased his anxiety on this subject. The present cessation of hostilities enables him to dispense with the services of a large proportion of them for a short period."

We very naturally ask ourselves who these troops were for whose welfare General Brock was always so solicitous. There were of course some British regular troops in Canada, noticeably the Forty-ninth, Brock's own regiment, but during the earlier stages of the war, and while Brock lived, the men of the Province, militia and yeomanry, had to be relied upon mainly; these chiefly were the men of the York, Glengarry, Norfolk and other militia regiments; every loyal man capable of bearing arms in the Province turned out to fight, or to help those who fought. The York and Glengarry militia served with great distinction, and I may perhaps be permitted to refer to the fact that forty-three gentlemen of my own name and family connection held commissions in the various regiments in that war. In connection with this I might further mention a somewhat curious incident. My own grandfather, Colonel Alexander Macdonell, was taken prisoner by the Americans at the Battle of Niagara, and was confined as a prisoner at Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in the very same prison in which his own father, Captain Allan Macdonell, had been confined by the Revolutionary States as a prisoner of war during the Revolutionary War, 1776-83.

Now, happily, all is peace; we have enjoyed one hundred years of peace and we thank Divine Providence for it. We have had preserved to us by Brock and those who fought and fell with him a rich kingdom; we possess it in peace and happiness and great prosperity. This is an age of peace, and in this age and generation it is fit that we should advance all the works and arts of peace; a very great trust in this respect has been handed down to us and confided to our safe keeping. In these days of our prosperity we must protect and defend and develop this great country, this rich heritage which the heroism of our forefathers has preserved to us. We must not only conserve it, but we must better it and develop it, and make useful to man all these possessions which have been given us. Our ideals and ambitions must always be high, and if we find ourselves faltering let us look upon this splendid monument and think of the hero in honour of whom it was raised; and let us at all times remember that now as in 1812 in unity we possess our strength; we must become one people if we are to be a great people, with one great common country. We have many Provinces but only one Canada.

It has been well said by one of Brock's biographers that "it remains for the youth of Canada to profoundly cherish the memory of Isaac Brock and to never lose an opportunity to follow the example set for them by his splendid deeds." It has also been truly said that "he fell ere he saw the star of his country rise," and, although the sky over this battlefield upon which his eyes closed forever one hundred years ago was cloudy and overcast, yet because he lived and died those who came after him enjoy the cloudless sunshine of peace and happiness.

Brock's family motto was "He who guards never sleeps." We know how faithfully he guarded and safeguarded his country in life, and let us pray that in death under this monument he sleeps well.