Chapter XIX: Section I: British Authors

No. 1. Page 15.

_Lieut.-General Lord Aylmer, Governor-General of British North America, to J. Savery Brock, Esq_.

SOREL, Lower Canada, August 23, 1834.

I received yesterday your letter of the 19th March.... The
sight of your handwriting reminded me of old times, and brought
back the recollection of scenes which almost appear to have
taken place in another state of existence.... I made a tour in
Upper Canada last summer, and visited with a feeling of love
and reverence the monument at Queenstown, erected to the memory
of one who was as brave as he was good, and a better man never
breathed; to have enjoyed his friendship and good opinion, is
to me a source of pride and satisfaction.

Yours, my dear Savery, very sincerely,

AYLMER.

_Extract of a note from Lord Aylmer to the Editor_.--

"LONDON, August 5, 1844.

I am very glad to learn by your letter that a work is shortly
to appear, intituled 'The Life and Correspondence of Sir Isaac
Brock,' for sure I am that the more of him that is made known
to the public, the more highly will his valuable services be
appreciated."

No. 2. Page 206.

_From Captain Roberts to the Adjutant-General_.

Fort Michilimakinack, July 17, 1812.

On the 15th instant I received letters, by express, from
Major-General Brock, with orders to adopt the most prudent
measures either for offence or defence, which circumstances
might point out; and having received intelligence from the
best information, that large reinforcements were expected to
be thrown into this garrison, with the thorough conviction
that my situation at St. Joseph's was totally indefensible, I
determined to lose no time in making the meditated attack on
this fort.

On the 16th, at ten o'clock in the morning, I embarked my few
men, with about 180 Canadians, and two iron 6-pounders. The
boats arrived without the smallest accident at the port of
rendezvous, at three o'clock the following morning: by the
exertions of the Canadians, one of the guns was brought up a
height commanding the garrison, and ready to act about ten
o'clock. A summons was then sent in; a copy of the
capitulation which followed I have the honor to enclose. At
twelve o'clock, the American colours were hauled down, and
those of his majesty were hoisted. A committee has been
appointed to examine into the state of the public stores.

Enclosed also are the returns of the ordnance and military
stores found in the fort, and the strength of the garrison.
The greatest praise is due to every individual employed in the
expedition; to my own officers I am indebted, in particular,
for their active assistance in carrying all my orders into
effect.

No. 3. Page 275.

Extracts from "_The Letters of Veritas_;"[156] _containing a succinct Narrative of the Military Administration of Sir George Prevost during his command in the Canadas, whereby it will be manifest that the merit of preserving them from conquest belongs not to him_. 8vo. Montreal, July, 1815.

"_Then_ or _before_ was communicated to him (Major-General
Brock) the information of that _deadly armistice_ concluded
by Sir George Prevost with General Dearborn, which had so
fatal an effect upon all the future operations, and which tied
up the hands of the gallant Brock from executing his intended
plan of sweeping the American posts to Sackett's Harbour,
inclusive--an operation that most certainly would have been
then effected.

"This armistice, proposed by Sir George Prevost, merits
serious consideration, from its operation being so greatly in
favor of the enemy at that time, and so disadvantageous to us.
A period most precious to us, if we had profited by it with
vigour, was thereby lost in inaction, and the enemy in
consequence allowed to recover from the panic into which they
were thrown by Hull's capture.

"The transport of the American stores, ordnance, and
provisions, of each of which they were much in want, not being
prohibited by that armistice, was accordingly protected and
facilitated by it on Lake Ontario and along the Niagara
frontier beyond the enemy's most sanguine hopes, whilst their
then only disposable and invading force, under General Hull,
on the Detroit frontier, was left at full liberty to profit by
circumstances, the armistice as to him being at his option.

"Most fortunately, however, Hull's business was settled by
capitulation before the armistice was known to General Brock
or him; but had it reached him in time, he of course would
gladly have accepted it, to gain delay for the arrival of
reinforcements and a supply of provisions, from which would
have resulted the salvation of his army, the prejudicial
consequences whereof to us are incalculable; for, had a
knowledge of it reached the Indian nations at that time, such
a disgust and distrust would have been thereby excited as
could never have been removed; and the first effect of which
would have appeared in the immediate dispersion of the
Indians, whose powerful and indispensable aid at that early
period of the contest would have been totally lost to us.

"Madison's rejection of this armistice was followed by that
_chilling defensive system_ which General Brock was instructed
by Sir George to follow, and which palsied his operations
until his country had to mourn over his fatal loss at the
battle of Queenstown, on the 13th of October, 1812.

"Such, however, was the impulse he had given, and the valour
and zeal wherewith the regular troops, militia and Indians,
had been inspired, that the valuable effects thereof survived
him; and gave a brilliant victory on that day to his
successor, General Sheaffe, a lover of armistices also, who,
in proof thereof, made _one of his own_, which threw away most
of the advantages of that victory; for he neglected (although
strongly urged thereto) to take Fort Niagara, which could have
been done on the afternoon of the day of the Queenstown
battle, without loss, as the enemy had entirely, or almost
entirely, then evacuated it: had he done this, and at the same
time crossed over a part of his force to Lewistown, as he was
urged to do, and as Brock would have done had he survived, the
whole Niagara line would have been cleared of the enemy, and
all our after disasters in that quarter prevented.

"It has been urged in favor of Sir George's timid defensive
system, that it was proper in order to avoid irritating the
enemy, and thereby uniting them; as also, that his force was
inadequate to offensive warfare. Now, no positions were ever
more untenable, for to think of conciliating an enemy by
leaving to him the full benefit of maturing in security all
his means of annoyance against you, and at the same time
muzzling yourself, is a most extraordinary doctrine; surely,
to do so must ensure success to that enemy, as we know that
success will unite discordant parties and interests, whilst
defeats promote disunion, and would have strengthened the
anti-war party in the States, by furnishing to them
unanswerable arguments when depicting the folly and impolicy
of the war, which had been so wantonly declared by the
Madisonian party.

"Were facts in support of this view of the subject necessary,
they would be found in the effects upon the public mind in
that country, produced by the capture of Michilimakinack and
Detroit, with Hull's army. Did these events irritate and unite
the enemy against us? No, they increased irritation, it is
true, but against their own government."

(In his tenth or concluding letter, Veritas recapitulated his
preceding arguments, and observed:) "That to General Brock's
zeal and energy, left as he was without orders, along with
other causes independent of Sir George, the preservation of
Upper Canada, in the first instance, and of Lower Canada as a
consequence, are mainly to be ascribed."

No. 4. Page 277.

_Extract from Sir George Prevost's General Order, Montreal, August 31, 1812, in announcing the refusal of the American President to continue the armistice._

"The invasion of the Upper Province, undertaken so immediately
after the declaration of war, shews in the strongest manner how
fully they had prepared themselves for that event, and how
highly they had flattered themselves with finding it an easy
conquest, from the supposed weakness of the force opposed to
them, and the spirit of disaffection which they had previously
endeavoured to excite amongst its inhabitants. Foiled as they
have been in this attempt by the brave and united efforts of
the regular forces, militia, and Indians of that province,
under the command of their distinguished leader, their whole
army with its general captured, and their only remaining
fortress and post in the adjoining territory wrested from them,
it is not to be doubted but that the American government will
keenly feel this disappointment of their hopes, and
consequently endeavour to avail themselves of the surrender of
Detroit, to term it an invasion of their country, and to make
it a ground for calling upon the militia to march to the
frontiers for the conquest of the Canadas. A pretext so weak
and unfounded, though it may deceive some, will not fail to be
received in its proper light by others; and it will be
immediately perceived by those who will give themselves the
trouble to reflect on the subject, that the pursuit of an
invading army into their own territory, is but a natural
consequence of the first invasion; and the capture of the
place, to which they may retire for safety, a measure
indispensably necessary for the security and protection of the
country originally attacked."

No. 5. Page 333.

"To Colonel Brock, of the 49th, who commanded at the fort, I am
particularly indebted for his kindness to me during the
fortnight I remained at Niagara. Among many pleasant days which
I passed with him and his brother officers, that of our visit
to the Tuscorora Indians was not the least interesting. They
received us in all their ancient costume; the young men
exhibited for our amusement in the race, the bat game, &c,
while the old and the women sat in groups under the surrounding
trees, and the picture altogether was as beautiful as it was
new to me."--_Note in Moore's Epistles, Odes, &c_.

"At Queenstown the battle was fought in which General Brock
fell, and the inhabitants point out a thorn bush at the bottom
of the heights, where it is said that he received his mortal
wound. His career was a short but a brilliant one; and had the
direction of the affairs of the Upper Province, after his
death, been characterized by an equal degree of courage,
prudence, and humanity, a very different series of subsequent
events would have claimed the attention of the
historian."--_Duncan's Travels in the United States and Canada,
in 1818 and 1819_.

"Close to the spot where we landed in Canada, there stands a
monument to the gallant General Brock, who was killed during
the battle of Queenstown, in the act of repelling an invasion
of the frontier by the Americans, during the late war.... The
view from the top of the monument extended far over Lake
Ontario, and showed us the windings of the Niagara, through the
low and woody country which hangs like a rich green fringe
along the southern skirts of that great sheet of
water,"--_Captain Basil Hall's Travels in North America, in
1827 and 1828_.

Travelling in the state of New York, the author observes: "The late Sir Isaac Brock was, by some accident, mentioned. The canal agent spoke of him in terms of great respect, as the best commander the British had ever sent to Canada--equally regretted on both sides of the St. Lawrence...."

"From Niagara Falls we proceeded by the stage first to
Queenstown, (seven miles,) near which a monument has been
erected to the memory of Sir Isaac Brock, from the top of
which, about 120 feet high, there is a noble view of Lake
Ontario and the adjoining country, and thence to the village of
Newark, (seven miles,) formerly called Fort George, on the
Niagara river."--_Stuart's Three Years in America._

"Immediately above Queenstown stands Brock's monument, on the
heights where the battle was fought in which that hero was
killed. His body was removed to it from Fort George, in 1824.
The view from this fine column is probably the most beautiful
in Upper Canada."--_M'Gregor's British America_, vol. ii.

"Seven miles south of Fort George, and at the foot of the
romantic heights of the same name, which have become famous in
Canadian history as the scene of a battle wherein General Brock
fell, is the village of Queenstown, pleasantly situated on the
Niagara, and opposite to the American village of Lewistown. The
monument, built to the memory of the gallant general and his
companions, on the loftiest part of these heights, forms a
prominent object to the numerous _voyageurs_ who are constantly
arriving at this portage, in elegantly fitted up steam boats,
from York and Kingston, to view the neighbouring falls of the
Niagara. The village contains a church, court house, large
government stores, and a population of between 400 and 500
inhabitants."--_The Canadas, by Andrew Pichen._

"Leaving a garrison in Detroit sufficiently strong to keep the
inhabitants in awe, General Brock lost no time in quitting the
conquered post and hastening to Niagara--a command he had only
relinquished for the purpose of undertaking an achievement
which the gallantry and determination of his character could
alone have crowned with such unqualified success....

"The month of October was marked by an event of the most
melancholy nature--the death of General Brock, who fell a
victim to the intrepidity and daring of his character.... The
loss of their leader, however, cast a gloom over every English
brow, and an advantage thus purchased was deemed at too high a
price. General Brock was beloved by the soldiery, particularly
the 49th, of which he had long been lieutenant-colonel, and the
indignation of their grief for his loss cost the Americans many
a life on that day, that had otherwise been spared. At
Amherstburg, the account of his death was received with
heartfelt concern, and not a man was there of those he had
lately led to victory who failed to pay that tribute to his
memory, which the gallantry and magnanimity of this glorious
chief were so every way calculated to awaken in the breast of
the soldier."--'_A Canadian Campaign_,' _by a British Officer,
in the New Monthly Magazine for December, 1826, and February,
1827._

"Immediately opposite the town of Prescott, on the shore of the
United States, is the town of Ogdensburg; and twelve miles
higher up, on the Canadian shore, stands the delightful village
of Brockville, so called in honor of the late lamented Sir
Isaac Brock. This enchanting little spot unites in its
situation every beauty of nature. In front of it flows the
river St. Lawrence, interspersed with numerous islands,
variously formed and thickly wooded; behind it is an assemblage
of small hills, rising one above another in 'gay theatric
pride;' and on each side are a number of well cleared farms, in
an advanced state of cultivation. Every thing combines to
render it pre-eminently beautiful. The dwellings are built of
wood, and tastefully painted; and the court house, in an
elevated situation at the back of the village, seems, from its
superior size, to be the guardian of the villagers--an idea of
my fancy, which I did not seek to confirm by entering within
its doors. Brockville contains 450 souls. It has a parsonage
house, but no church has hitherto been erected."--_Five Years
in Canada, by E.A. Talbot._

"We remained an hour or two at Brockville, the village of
palaces; and few villages have I seen more attractive than this
one. It is situated on a shelving bank, with a southern aspect,
and groves of trees round it. The houses and churches are built
of grey stones, and, being covered with tin, have a light and
pleasant appearance." _Alexander's Transatlantic Sketches._
London, 1833.

[NOTE.--Brockville was originally named Elizabeth Town, in compliment to the general's mother, and the township or county, in which the village is situated, is still called Elizabeth. There is a large township bordering the river St. Clair and Lake Huron, in about latitude 43° and longitude 82°, in the western district of Upper Canada, named Sarnia, the ancient name of Guernsey. This township was probably so named by Sir Isaac Brock.]

No. 6. Page 338.

_At a General Council of Condolence, held at the Council House, Fort George, 6th November, 1842,_

Present--The Six Nations, Hurons, Potawatitimies, and
Chippawas. William Claus, Deputy Superintendent-General.
Captain Norton. Captain J.B. Rosscaux, and several others of
the Indian Department. Kasencayont Cayonga Chief, Speaker.

"_Brothers_,--The Americans have long threatened to strike us,
and in the beginning of the summer they declared war against
us, and lately they recommenced hostility by invading the
country at Queenstown. In this contest, which, with the help
of God, terminated in our favor, your much lamented commander
and friend, General Brock, his aide-de-camp, Colonel M'Donell,
and several warriors, have fallen.

"_Brothers_,--We therefore now, seeing you darkened with
grief, your eyes dim with tears, and your throats stopped with
the force of your affliction, with these strings of wampum we
wipe away your tears, that you may view clearly the
surrounding objects. We clear the passage in your throats that
you may have free utterance for your thoughts, and we wipe
clean from blood the place of your abode, that you may sit
there in comfort, without having renewed the remembrance of
your loss by the remaining stains of blood.

Delivered eight strings of white wampum.[157]

"_Brothers_,--That the remains of our late beloved friend and
commander, General Brock, shall receive no injury, we cover it
with this belt of wampum, which we do from the grateful
sensations which his kindness towards us continually inspired,
as also in conformity with the customs of our ancestors; and
we now express, with the unanimous voice of the chiefs and
warriors of our respective bands, the great respect in which
we hold his memory, and the sorrow and deep regret with which
his loss has filled our breasts, although he has taken his
departure for a better abode, where his many virtues will be
rewarded by the great Dispenser of good, who has led us on the
road to victory.

A large white belt.

"_Brothers_,--We now address the successor of our departed
friend, to express the confidence we feel that his heart is
warmed with similar sentiments of affection and regard towards
us. We also assure him of our readiness to support him to the
last, and therefore take the liberty to speak strong to all
his people to co-operate with vigour, and, trusting in the
powerful arm of God, not to doubt of victory.

"Although our numbers are small, yet, counting Him on our
side, who ever decides on the day of battle, we look for
victory whenever we shall come in contact with our enemy.

Five strings of white wampum.

(Signed) "W. CLAUS, D.S.G."

No. 7. Page 343.

_Extract from a Description of St. Paul's Cathedral_.

"In the western ambulatory of the south transept is a tabular
monument to the memory of Sir Isaac Brock, by the same artist
(Westmacott).

"A military monument, on which are placed the sword and helmet
of the deceased; a votive record, supposed to have been
raised by his companions to their honored commander.

"His corpse reclines in the arms of a British soldier, whilst
an Indian pays the tribute of regret his bravery and humanity
elicited.

ERECTED AT THE PUBLIC EXPENSE
TO THE MEMORY OF
MAJOR-GENERAL
SIR ISAAC BROCK,
WHO GLORIOUSLY FELL
ON THE 13th OF OCTOBER,
M.DCCC.XII.
IN RESISTING AN ATTACK
ON
QUEENSTOWN,
IN UPPER CANADA."

No. 8. Page 343.

"This chief of the branch of the once great tribe of the Hurons visited England some time ago. I afterwards saw him in Quebec, and had a good deal of conversation with him. When asked what had struck him most of all that he had seen in England, he replied, without hesitation, that it was the monument erected in St. Paul's to the memory of General Brock. It seemed to have impressed him with a high idea of the considerate beneficence of his great father, the king of England, that he not only had remembered the exploits and death of his white child, who had fallen beyond the big salt lake, but that he had even deigned to record, on the marble sepulchre, the sorrows of the poor Indian weeping over his chief untimely slain."--_Hon. F.F. De Roos' Travels in North America, in_ 1826.

No. 9. Page 343.

To His Royal Highness the Prince Regent of the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland,

The humble address of the Commons of Upper Canada, in
Parliament assembled,

May it please your Royal Highness,

We, his majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects the Commons
of Upper Canada, in Provincial Parliament assembled, beg leave
to offer to your Royal Highness the homage of our unfeigned
attachment to his Majesty's sacred person and government, and
of our filial reverence for the great and magnanimous nation
of which we have the honor to form a part.

While we pray your Royal Highness to accept of our most
cordial congratulations on the splendid achievements of his
Majesty's forces, and of those of his allies in various parts
of the globe, and in particular on the extraordinary successes
which, under Divine Providence, have attended his Majesty's
arms in this portion of his dominions; we should do injustice
to the memory of our late truly illustrious president,
Major-General Brock, under whose auspices the latter were
during his lifetime principally achieved, did we omit to
accompany them with feelings of the most poignant sorrow for
his fall.

He had endeared himself to us by his able, virtuous, and
disinterested administration of the civil government, and by
the zeal, military talent, and bravery, which characterized
and marked his conduct in the field.

To his energy, his promptitude, and his decision, do we feel
ourselves in a great degree indebted, for having at this
moment the happiness of enjoying the privileges of his
Majesty's subjects. His disinterested and manly conduct
aroused the spirit of the country, and called it forth for
self-defence against a most insidious foe.

In appreciating, as we do, his talents and eminent services,
most deeply do we lament our inability to bestow on them any
other reward than our praise. Without revenue for even the
ordinary purposes of the government, we have no funds from
whence to reward merit, however exalted and deserving.

We derive, however, much pleasure from beholding that the
services of our ever-to-be-lamented president and general have
been appreciated by your Royal Highness; and while we
feelingly regret that he did not survive to enjoy the high
honors conferred upon him by your Royal Highness in his
Majesty's name, we, with all humility, would beg to suggest
that a grant to his family of a portion of his Majesty's most
valuable waste lands in this province would be most gratifying
to us. It would, we doubt not, be acceptable to them, and it
would be the means of perpetuating the connection that had
taken place between us, as well as the name of Brock, in a
country in defence of which the general so nobly fell!!! and
which his exertions had so eminently contributed to save.

That your Royal Highness may long be preserved to fill the
exalted station to which you have been called for the
advancement of the happiness, honor and glory, of the British
nation, is the fervent prayer of his Majesty's faithful
subjects, the Commons of Upper Canada.

(Signed) A. M'LEAN, Speaker.

Passed the Commons House of Assembly, the Sixth Day of March, One Thousand Eight Hundred and Thirteen.

No. 10. Page 344.

_Anniversary of the Battle of Queenstown, and the re-interment of the late much-lamented Major-General Sir Isaac Brock_.

"There is something so grand and imposing in the spectacle of
a nation's homage to departed worth, which calls for the
exercise of so many interesting feelings, and which awakens
so many sublime contemplations, that we naturally seek to
perpetuate the memory of an event so pregnant with
instruction, and so honorable to our species. It is a subject
that in other and in older countries has frequently exercised
the pens, and has called forth all the descriptive powers of
the ablest writers.[158] But here it is new; and for the first
time, since we became a separate province, have we seen a
great public funeral procession of all ranks of people, to the
amount of several thousands, bearing the remains of two
lamented heroes to their last dwelling on earth, in the vaults
of a grand national monument, overtopping the loftiest heights
of the most magnificent section of one of the most magnificent
countries in the world.

"The 13th of October, being the anniversary of the battle of
Queenstown, and of the death of Brock, was judiciously chosen
as the most proper day for the removal of the remains of the
general, together with those of his gallant aide-de-camp,
Lieutenant-Colonel M'Donell, to the vaults prepared for their
reception on Queenstown heights.[159]

"The weather was remarkably fine, and before ten o'clock a
very large concourse of people, from all parts of the country,
had assembled on the plains of Niagara, in front of Fort
George, in a bastion of which the bodies had been deposited
for twelve years.[160]

"One hearse, covered with black cloth, and drawn by four
black horses, each with a leader, contained both the bodies.
Soon after ten, a lane was formed by the 1st and 4th regiments
of Lincoln militia, with their right on the gate of Fort
George, and their left extending along the road towards
Queenstown, the ranks being about forty paces distant from
each other: within this line was formed, a guard of honor of
the 76th regiment, in parade order, having its left on the
fort. As the hearse moved slowly from the fort, to the sound
of solemn music, a detachment of royal artillery began to fire
the salute of nineteen guns, and the guard of honor presented
arms.

"On moving forwards in ordinary time, the guard of honor broke
into a column of eight divisions, with the right in front, and
the procession took the following order:

A Staff Officer.
Subdivision of Grenadiers.
Band of Music.
Right Wing of 76th Regiment.
THE BODY.
Aide-de-Camp to the late Major General Sir ISAAC BROCK.
Chief Mourners.
Relatives of the late Colonel M'DONELL.
Commissioners for the Monument.
Heads of Public Departments of the Civil Government.
Judges.
Members of the Executive Council.
His Excellency and Suite.
Left Wing of the 76th Regiment.
Indian Chiefs of the Five Nations.
Officers of Militia not on duty--junior ranks--First forward,
Four deep.
Magistrates and Civilians,
With a long Cavalcade of Horsemen, and Carriages of every
description.

"As the procession passed along the lane of militia, the
latter wheeled inwards by subdivisions in succession, as soon
as its own front was clear, and followed the procession. At a
certain distance from Fort George the quick march was taken
up, and arms were sloped; the members of the procession then
took their carriages, preserving as nearly as possible the
order abovementioned, and the whole proceeded on the road to
Queenstown. The 2d and 3d regiments of Lincoln militia, in
like manner, formed a lane, its left resting on the heights,
near the entrance to the monument, and extending along the
road towards the village of Queenstown. On reaching the
commencement of this lane, the procession resumed its
formation, all horses, carriages, &c., keeping in the rear;
and when the head of the column approached the monument, it
inclined to the right, to allow the body to proceed direct to
the entrance. The guard of honor then halted and formed in
parade order; the 2d and 3d Lincoln regiments following the
procession in like manner as the 1st and 4th.

"The time occupied in moving from the fort to Queenstown, a
distance of nearly seven miles, was about three hours,
including stoppages. Being arrived opposite the spot where the
lamented hero received his mortal wound, the whole procession
halted, and remained for a few minutes in solemn pause. It
then ascended the heights, and to the spectator who had his
station on the summit near the monument, nothing could be
finer than the effect of the lengthened column winding slowly
up the steep ascent in regular order, surrounded by scenery no
where surpassed for romantic beauty. On the bodies being
removed from the hearse and deposited in the vault, the guard
of honor presented arms, whilst the artillery, (which had been
taken from the enemy during the last war,) posted on the
heights, fired a salute of nineteen guns. The troops then
marched in ordinary time round the monument, and immediately
separated to their respective parades.

"All those who were inclined to visit the interior of the
vault were then permitted to enter in small parties. The
remains of the brave M'Donell lie to the left of those of the
general. On the general's coffin, which is otherwise quite
plain and covered with black cloth, are two oval plates of
silver, each six inches by four, one above the other. On the
first is the following inscription:

"Here lie the earthly remains of a brave
and virtuous hero,
MAJOR-GENERAL SIR ISAAC BROCK:,
Commander of the British Forces,
and President administering
the Government of Upper Canada,
who fell, when gloriously engaging the enemies
of his country,
at the head of the Flank Companies
of the 49th Regiment,
in the town of Queenstown,
on the morning of the 13th of October, 1812,
Aged 42 years."

J.B. GLEGG, A.D.C.

And on the second plate the following additional inscription is engraved:

The remains of the late
MAJOR-GENERAL SIR ISAAC BROCK, K.B.
removed from Fort George to this vault,
on the 13th of October, 1824.

Upon a similar plate, on the lid of the aide-de-camp's coffin, was engraved:

The remains of
LIEUT.-COL. JOHN M'DONELL,
Provincial Aide-de-Camp to the late
MAJOR-GENERAL BROCK,
who died on the 14th of October, 1812,
of wounds received in action the day before,
Aged 25 years.

"Several printed papers, having the following extract from the
government dispatches of the day, were handed about:

[See dispatch from Earl Bathurst to Sir George Prevost, page
328.--ED.] "Besides which, on large placards, to the number
of several hundreds, copies of the inscription to be placed on
the tablet, over the entrance of the monument, were
distributed amongst the assembled multitudes, and which is as
follows:

"The Legislature of Upper Canada has dedicated this Monument
to the very eminent civil and military services of the late
Sir Isaac Brock, Knight of the Most Hon. Order of the Bath,
Provisional Lieutenant-Governor, and Major-General commanding
the Forces in this Province, whose remains are deposited in
the vault beneath. Having expelled the North Western Army of
the United States, achieved its capture, received the
surrender of Fort Detroit, and the territory of Michigan,
under circumstances which have rendered his name illustrious,
he returned to the protection of this frontier; and advancing
with his small force to repel a second invasion of the enemy,
then in possession of these heights, he fell in action, on the
13th of October, 1812, in the forty-third year of his age,
honoured and beloved by the people whom he governed, and
deplored by his Sovereign, to whose service his life had been
devoted."

REMARKS.

"By the best computation we could make, and avoiding all
exaggeration, at the time the procession reached the monument
there could not be less than five thousand persons present,
many of whom were from the United States. General Brock,
indeed, was a man no less esteemed by the enemy than he was
admired and almost adored by his friends and soldiery; and we
heard several Americans say, who had served against him and saw
him fall, that they lamented his death as much as they would
have done that of any of their own generals, on account of his
humanity, and the great attention he had uniformly shewn to his
prisoners.

"His excellency the lieutenant-governor (Major-General Sir
Peregrine Maitland, K.C.B.) was in full dress, and, we are
happy to say, appeared in good health after his late fatiguing
journey of inspection to the Lower Province. The two M'Donells
and Captain Dickinson, of the 2d Glengary regiment, relatives
of the deceased Lieut. Colonel M'Donell, in the highland
costume, appeared in the procession to great advantage, and
seemed to excite much attention.

"But, amongst the assembled warriors and civilians, none
excited a more lively interest than the chiefs of the Indian
nations from the Grand River, whose warlike appearance,
intrepid aspect, picturesque dress and ornaments, and majestic
demeanour, accorded well with the solemn pomp and general
character of a military procession--amongst these, young Brant,
Bears Foot, and Henry, were distinguished. In our mind we never
saw a dress more elegant of its kind, and fit for active
service in the woods, than that worn by young Brant, who, with
his tomahawk in hand, was a perfect resemblance of all that
could be imagined of the accomplished Indian warrior.

"Amongst the numerous gentlemen in the procession, we observed
that old veteran, Lieutenant M'Dougall, of his majesty's 8th
(the king's) regiment, who, like a brave and loyal man, came
from Sandwich to attend the re-interment."--_Upper Canada
Gazette_, _October_, 1824.

No. 11.--Page 410.

"Queenstown, at which place the steam boats start for Toronto, is situated in a delicious valley, through which the Niagara river, in colour a deep green, pursues its course. It is approached by a road that takes its winding way among the heights by which the town is sheltered, and, seen from this point, is extremely beautiful and picturesque. On the most conspicuous of these heights stood a monument, erected by the provincial legislature in memory of General Brock, who was slain in a battle with the American forces, after having won the victory. Some vagabond, supposed to be a fellow of the name of Lett, who is now, or who lately was, in prison as a felon, blew up this monument two years ago; and it is now a melancholy ruin, with a long fragment of iron railing banging dejectedly from its top, and waving to and fro like a wild ivy branch or broken vine stem. It is of much higher importance than it may seem that this statue should be repaired at the public cost, as it ought to have been long ago; firstly, because it is beneath the dignity of England to allow a memorial, raised in honor of one of her defenders, to remain in this condition, on the very spot where he died; secondly, because the sight of it in its present state, and the recollection of the unpunished outrage which brought it to this pass, are not very likely to soothe down border feelings among English subjects here, or compose their border quarrels and dislikes."--_Dickens' American Notes_, vol. ii. pp. 187, 188.

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