Chapter I: Preface

In the early part of last year, a box of manuscripts and the trunks belonging to Sir Isaac Brock, which had remained locked and unexamined for nearly thirty years, were at length opened, as the general's last surviving brother, Savery, in whose possession they had remained during that period, was then, from disease of the brain, unconscious of passing events. With that sensibility which shrinks from the sight of objects that remind us of a much-loved departed relative or friend, he had allowed the contents to remain untouched; and when they saw the light, the general's uniforms, including the one in which he fell, were much moth-eaten, but the manuscripts were happily uninjured. On the return of the Editor from South America in May last, he for the first time learnt the existence of these effects; and a few weeks after, having hastily perused and assorted the letters and other papers, he decided on their publication. Whether this decision was wise, the reader must determine. If, on the one hand, part of their interest be lost in the lapse of years; on the other, they, and the comments they have elicited, can now be published with less risk of wounding private feelings.

It has been the Editor's study to avoid all unnecessary remarks on the letters in this volume, so as to allow the writers to speak for themselves. But he has deemed it a sacred obligation due to the memory of Sir Isaac Brock, to withhold nothing descriptive of his energetic views and intentions, and of the obstacles he experienced in the vigorous prosecution of the contest--obstacles which his gallant spirit could not brook, and which necessarily exposed "his valuable life" much more than it would have been in offensive operations.[1] He regrets, however, that in the performance of this duty, he must necessarily give pain to the relatives of the late Sir George Prevost, of whose military government in Canada he would much rather have written in praise than in censure.

Brief memoirs are inserted, at the conclusion of the Appendix, of one of Sir Isaac Brock's brothers, the bailiff or chief magistrate of Guernsey, and of two of their nephews, Lieutenant E.W. Tupper, R.N., and Colonel W. De Vic Tupper, of the Chilian service. The premature fate of these two promising young officers is, to those who knew them best, still a source of unceasing regret and of embittering remembrance.

The notices of the celebrated Tecumseh interspersed throughout the volume, and the connected sketch of him near its close, can scarcely fail to interest the reader; that sketch is drawn from various and apparently authentic sources, and the Editor believes that it is more copious than any which has yet appeared of this distinguished Indian chief. A perusal will perhaps awaken sympathy in behalf of a much-injured people; it may also tend to remove the films of national prejudice, and prove that virtue and courage are not confined to any particular station or country, but that they may exist as well in the wilds of the forest, as in the cultivated regions of civilization.

GUERNSEY, January 15, 1845.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 1: See pages 275-280, 298, 304, 305, 315-317.]

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

Parentage and birth--Boyhood--Enters the King's
Regiment--Trait of determination of character--Becomes
Lieutenant-Colonel of the 49th--Campaign in Holland, in
1799--Russian troops in Guernsey--Battle of Copenhagen, in
1801--Notice of John Savery Brock, Esq.

CHAPTER II.

Proceeds to Canada with the 49th--Suppresses a mutiny at Fort
George--Returns to Europe, and recommends the formation of a
Veteran Battalion for Upper Canada--Re-embarks for Canada, and
succeeds Colonel Bowes in command of the troops there--Letters
to Lieut.-Colonel Gordon, Right Hon. W. Windham, the
Adjutant-General, Mr. President Dunn, and to Lord
Castlereagh--Arrival of Sir James Craig

CHAPTER III.

Is made a Brigadier--Letters to his family--Proceeds to Upper
Canada--Letters from Colonels Baynes and
Thornton--Lieut.-Colonel Murray--Baroness de Rottenburg

CHAPTER IV.

Letters to and from Lieut.-Governor Gore--from Colonels Kempt
and Baynes--to Sir James Craig and Major Taylor--from Colonel
Vesey--P. Carey Tupper, Esq.

CHAPTER V.

Is made a Major-General--Sir James Craig returns to England;
his character and administration--Letters from Major-General
Vesey and Colonel Baynes--Duke of Manchester--Arrival of Sir
George Prevost--Letters from Lieut.-General Drummond and
Lieut.-Colonel Torrens--to and from Sir George Prevost

CHAPTER VI.

Origin of the American war--Letters to and from Sir G. Prevost
and Colonel Baynes--Meeting of the Legislature--Letter to
Colonel Baynes relative to Detroit and Michilimakinack,
&c.--Letters to Lieut.-Colonel Nichol--from Sir James
Saumarez, Major-General Le Couteur, and Sir John Dumaresq

CHAPTER VII.

Description of the boundaries, military posts, and lakes of
Upper Canada--of the Michigan territory, Detroit, and
Michilimakinack

CHAPTER VIII.

War declared--Major-General Brock's proceedings--Force under
his command--Letters from Colonel Baynes, and to and from Sir
George Prevost--American newspaper.

CHAPTER IX.

General Hull invades Upper Canada--His proclamation, and that
of Major-General Brock in reply--Letters to Sir G. Prevost and
from Sir T. Saumarez--Meeting of the Legislature--Critical
state of the Province

CHAPTER X.

Capture of Michilimakinack--Letters to and from Sir G.
Prevost, from Colonels Baynes and Bruyeres

CHAPTER XI.

Occurrences in the Western District--Tecumseh--Major-General
Brock proceeds to Amherstburg--Voyage described--General
Order--Indians, and notice of Tecumseh--Summons to General
Hull, and his answer--Surrender of Detroit, and its
consequences--Anecdotes of Tecumseh--Country about
Detroit--Indian war in 1763.

CHAPTER XII.

Letters relative to Detroit, to and from Sir G. Prevost, to
Earl Bathurst, from W.D. Powell, Esq., Chief Justice Sewell,
General Maitland, Major-General Burnet, from Major-General
Brock to his brothers, and from Lieut.-Colonel Nichol--General
Hull's reception at Montreal

CHAPTER XIII.

Major-General Brock returus to the Niagara
frontier--Armistice--Proposed attack on Sackett's Harbour
prevented--Letters to and from Sir G. Prevost and
Major-General Van Rensselaer--from Colonel Baynes--to Colonel
Proctor and to J.S. Brock--Wrongs of the Indians, and speech
of Tecumseh

CHAPTER XIV.

Rival forces on the Niagara frontier--Capture of brigs Detroit
and Caledonia--Letters to Sir G. Prevost and Colonel
Proctor--Battle of Queenstown, and death of Sir Isaac Brock,
with remarks on his funeral and character--Description of
Queenstown Heights, &c

CHAPTER XV.

Sir R. Sheaffe and armistice--Further remarks on Sir Isaac
Brock--Americans obtain the command of Lake Ontario--Capture
of York--Attack on Sackett's Harbour--Colonel Proctor's
proceedings near Detroit--Defeat of British squadron on Lake
Erie--Retreat and surrender of Major-General Proctor's
army--Capture of Fort George, and surprise of the American
troops at Stoney Creek--Attack on Michilimakinack--23 British
deserters--Peace--Sir G. Prevost's death and
character--Inscription on monument to--Colonel
Tupper--Connected notice of Tecumseh

CHAPTER XVI.

Servant--Letters from the Duke of York--J. Savery and Irving
Brock, Esqrs. and Mrs. Eliot--Introduction of four Indian
chiefs to George the Fourth, at Windsor--Destruction of
Monument, and "gathering" on Queenstown Heights--Intended
obelisk--Notice of Sir Isaac Brock's brothers, sisters, and
nephews

APPENDIX A.

SECTION I.--BRITISH AUTHORS.

1. Letter from Lord Aylmer--2. Dispatch from Captain
Roberts--3. Extracts from Letters of Veritas--4. Sir G.
Prevost's general order--5. Brief extracts from various
authors--6. Council of condolence--7. Monument in St. Paul's
cathedral--8. A Huron chief's surprise on seeing this
monument--9. Address of the Commons of Upper Canada to the
Prince Regent--10. Re-interment described--11. Dickens'
American notes

SECTION II.--AMERICAN AUTHORS.

1. Jefferson's correspondence--General Hull's revolutionary
services--Letter from Captain Wool--Battle of
Queenstown--Hull's army at Detroit

APPENDIX B.

Daniel De lisle Brock, Esq

APPENDIX C.

Lieutenant E. William Tupper, R.N.

APPENDIX D.

Colonel W. De Vic Tupper, Chilian service

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