SIR ISAAC BROCK

Sir Isaac Brock, military commander, administrator of Upper Canada (b

at St Peter Port, Guernsey 6 Oct 1769; d at Queenston Heights, UC 13
Oct 1812). Isaac Brock was educated in Guernsey, Southampton
(England) and Rotterdam. At age 15 he entered the army by buying a
commission in the 8th (King's) Regiment of Foot. He transferred to the
49th Regiment in 1791 and soon after demonstrated his willingness to
take a calculated risk. Another officer who was both "a confirmed
duelist" and a dead shot challenged him. Being tall, Brock knew that
he would present an easy target at the usual distance of 12 paces
apart. As they prepared for the duel, he demanded that they meet on
equal terms. For this purpose he produced a handkerchief and insisted
they fire at each other, not from the usual distance apart, but across
the handkerchief. His antagonist declined and soon after left the
regiment. Brock seemed to possess almost uncanny insight into what
others - particularly opponents - were thinking and how they might
respond to determined action.
Brock's military career advanced another step in 1797 when he bought a commission as
lieutenant colonel and became the regiment's commanding officer. His brother, William,
loaned him the money to buy commissionsa common practice in the British army of that
timeand later, when William went bankrupt, Brock was faced with the problem of paying off
his debt. He arrived in Canada in 1802 with the 49th and was promoted to major general in
1811. With the forthcoming departure of Francis Gore, he was appointed president of the
executive council of Upper Canada (administrator) and commander of the forces there. At the
outset of the War of 1812, he took the bold initiative of ordering the capture of the American
Fort Michilimackinac.

Brock in the War of 1812

Major General William Hull had invaded Upper Canada in July, but withdrew to Fort Detroit
upon learning that Brock was leading troops to that front. Brock arrived at Fort Amherstburg
and knew from captured correspondence about serious dissension among Hull's officers and
his increasing fear of defeat. Brock met Tecumseh and the two became firm allies. Brock
decided to act quickly before Hull received reinforcements. On the night of 15-16 August,
Tecumseh and his warriors crossed the Detroit River to be followed early the next morning by
Brock and his troops. Brock's intention was to form up his troops and hope Hull would come
out of his strong, well-armed fort to fight in the open. But, on hearing of American troops at

his rear, Brock decided on immediate attack. He led his troops forward even though all they
could see facing them as they approached were two 24-pounder guns, their gunners standing
by with their matches burning.
Brock was urged to let his officers precede him and he refused because he would never ask his
men to go where he would not lead them. He was counting on Hull to back down and he was
right. Without consulting anyone, the American general ordered the gunners not to fire, had a
white flag raised in the fort, and sent two officers to ask for terms. Brock sent his aides
Colonel John Macdonell and Captain John Glegg into the fort, where they negotiated Hull's
total surrender. Afterwards, there was some criticism that Brock had acted rashly but in a
letter to his brothers, he asserted that he had proceeded "from a cool calculation of the pours
and contres." His calculated risk produced a completely unexpected victory with the capture
of an American army, fort, and territory (Michigan), as well as great quantities of war
materiel. A mood of defeatism in Upper Canada changed to optimism that the troops, militia
and Aboriginal allies could defend the province.

The Fallen Hero

When the Americans invaded again at Queenston Heights, Brock was awakened from sleep at
Fort George and rode hastily to the village. Almost as soon as he arrived, the Americans seized
a gun battery on the heights. Brock decided a direct attack was needed immediately without
time to wait for reinforcements. His calculated risk proved to be rash, for as he led his troops
he was hit in the chest by a shot from an American soldier. Brock died instantly without
delivering any of the final words (such as "Push on brave York Volunteers") that have been
attributed to him.
The memory of Brock, the saviour of Upper Canada, remains extraordinarily strong in
Ontario history. His body, interred at Fort George, was moved in 1824 to the summit of
Queenston Heights under an imposing monument, which was destroyed in 1840, but replaced
in 1853. Today, the stately Brock's Monument dominates the battlefield.
Author: Wes Turner

q=eng/Topic/16

http://www.eighteentwelve.ca/?

TECUMSEH
Tecumseh, Shawnee chief, leader of a First Nations confederacy,
military leader in the War of 1812 (born c 1768 in south-central Ohio; d
5 October 1813 near Moraviantown [Thamesville, Ont]). Tecumsehs
parents were Shawnees who lived among the Creek in what is now
Alabama and Georgia. The Shawnee were a fragmented wandering
people who spoke Algonquian. They had been dislodged from Ohio in
the late 17th century by the Iroquois. In 1759 Tecumsehs parents
moved north as part of an attempt to reunite the tribe on the Ohio
River. The Shawnee believed that they were the Great Spirits special
people, that He had given them a portion of His heart. Tecumsehs
father Pukeshinwau was a Shawnee chief that He had given them a
portion of His heart. Tecumsehs Father Pukeshinwau was a Shawnee
Chief.

Spectre of War
On 22 June 1807 a distant event cast a shadow on Tecumsehs attempts to protect his land.
The Chesapeake Affair raised the spectre of war between the US and Britain. The British in
Canada still traded with the First Nations south of the Great Lakes, and distributed presents
to them. The redcoats wanted to secure favour among the First Nations but did not want to be
seen by the Americans as inciting them. These fraternizations aroused deep suspicion in the
US, and American officials eagerly embraced a convenient paranoia as Tecumsehs
biographer John Sugden put it.
With the threat of war, Tecumseh moved his band to the headwaters of the Mississinewa, five
kilometres from Tippecanoe. The move was resented by the local Miamis and Delawares. The
impressive new Shawnee village, with 200 houses, was called Prophetstown by the Whites for
Tecumsehs brother, who continued preaching and who changed his name to Tenskwatawa,
meaning Open Door.

Uncommon Genius
Tecumsehs task of building an Aboriginal confederacy was enormous given the forbidding
geographical distances, the sense of powerlessness of many of the tribes, the jealousy of the

older chiefs, tribal rivalries, and communication in different languages. Even the different
Algonquian groups could not understand one another without interpreters.
In summer 1810 Tecumseh undertook a strenuous journey west to the upper Mississippi,
down the Illinois River to Peoria to present-day Wisconsin then to Missouri. In October he set
out for Fort Malden, arriving about 12 November. By now he was certain there would be war
and asked for supplies. Tecumsehs efforts did not go unnoticed. William Henry Harrison
wrote a tribute in 1811: The implicit obedience and respect which the followers of Tecumseh
pay to him is really astonishing, and more than any other circumstance bespeaks him one of
those uncommon geniuses which spring up occasionally to produce revolutions and overturn
the established order of things.
Harrison met Tecumseh at Vincennes in July 1811. Tecumseh erred by telling Harrison that
he would be absent until spring. In Tecumsehs absence Harrison moved a force near
Prophetstown at the confluence of the Tippecanoe and Wabash Rivers. The Prophet was
unable to restrain his warriors and sniping between sentries escalated into a full-scale battle.
The warriors held their own but were forced to withdraw when they ran out of ammunition.
Harrison followed the retreat and entered Prophetstown, finding it deserted. His men burned
the town and destroyed the food supplies.
Tecumsehs absence took him some 5000 kilometres and when he returned to Prophetstown
he saw the grim reality of the destruction. As he told the British later the bodies of my friends
laying in the dust, and our villages burnt to the ground, and all our kettles carried off.
Tecumseh was furious with his brother for falling for Harrisons trap and threatened to kill
him. It was a devastating blow to the confederacy.

Tecumseh Meets Isaac Brock

On 13 August 1812 General Isaac Brock arrived at Amherstburg and the famous meeting took
place between him and the Shawnee chief. Brocks aid Captain John Glegg described
Tecumseh with bright eyes beaming cheerfulness, energy and decision. Brocks bold
decision to attack Detroit was opposed by all his advisors but deeply impressed Tecumseh
who was said to declare of Brock, This is a man!
On the night of 15 August hundreds of canoes glided across the river to land near Detroit, led
by Tecumseh, Roundhead and others. The British followed at daylight on the 16 th south of the
town. Brock marched directly on the town while Tecumsehs men swept north through the
forest. Hull had no idea how many First Nations warriors were present, but he feared
thousands. British ships shelled the fort with more psychological impact than real.
Unbelievably, Hull surrendered without a shot.
Hulls ignominious surrender certainly caused him and his nation grief. Unquestionably
Tecumsehs harassment of his supply lines and his fear of a savage massacre at the hands of
the First Nations (learned from his captured letters) played a big part in his decision. It was a

great victory for the allies, seen by many as the saving of Upper Canada, and a demoralizing
defeat for the Americans. Tecumseh played a major role and gained the admiration of Brock,
who called him the Wellington of the Indians. In a letter to Prime Minister Lord Liverpool,
Brock wrote: A more sagacious or more gallant warrior does not, I believe, exist.
It needs to be made clear, however, in this process of making Tecumseh into a Canadian hero,
that he himself did not care, as one historian has put it a spent pistol ball for the king or the
colony of Upper Canada. Tecumsehs obsession was the plight of his people and his own
ambition to unite all the First Nations.

Campaigns in the Northwest

After some failures of the allies on the Maumee and Forts Wayne, Madison and Harrison had
failed, there was a stalemate in the mid-West. Tecumseh decided that his priority was to
recruit as many warriors as he could for the defence of Canada. After a serious illness
Tecumseh returned to the Detroit area for an attack on Fort Meigs. The Americans had
greatly strengthened the fort with 1200 men, well engineered defences and powerful
armament. The British began a bombardment on 30 April but Tecumseh had serous doubts
about attacking the fort, made even more so with the arrival of 1400 reinforcements from
Kentucky. While the allies were preoccupied, Colonel John Miller slipped from the fort and
surprised the British guns. Tecumseh realized what happened and vigorously counterattacked
and recovered the guns. The siege was lifted 5 May.
The British loss of the Battle of Lake Erie (Put-in-Bay) on 10 September was a serious blow to
Tecumseh and the British in western Upper Canada. General Procter decided, without telling
Tecumseh, that his position at Amherstburg was untenable with his supply lines threatened
and that he would have to withdraw. Tecumseh was outraged and castigated Procter by
likening him to a fat animal that carries its tail upon its back; but when affrighted, it drops it
between its legs and runs off. Procters plan to withdraw along the lower Thames was sound
but his implementation was extremely incompetent. He dithered about where to make a
stand, changed his mind three times and when he chose the spot on the north bank of the
Thames, 1.6 kilometres from Moraviantown, his men were confused, dispirited and hungry.

Tecumsehs Death
Prior to the Battle of the Thames (Moraviantown), William Caldwell sat with Tecumseh and
the chief suddenly started as if shot. Tecumseh said that he could not exactly tell, but it was
an evil spirit which betokens no good. Procter lined up his men in the open with Tecumsehs
warriors in a thicker wood to the right. The redcoat line was broken in an instant. With 43
dead, the rest surrendered. Procter fled in a shameful display. When the Americans picked
their way through the swamp to charge the First Nations Tecumseh had no intention of
retreating without a fight, despite being outnumbered 3000-500. His warriors rose from

cover and delivered a volley. Tecumseh stood reassuringly tall firing his musket and yelling
encouragement. He sprinted forward at one of the Long Knives who raised his gun and fired.
The British lost 634 men killed or captured in the battle but the greatest loss was Tecumseh.
His body was discovered on the field, identified by Anthony Shane. Observers noted that his
body bore numerous injuries. American soldiers scalped the body and tore strips of skin to
make razor strops. Harrison and Shane admitted to being mortified by the abuse. No-one
knows where the body was buried. Some stories tell of his warriors spiriting it away to an
unmarked grave. Tecumsehs death was the end of serious resistance in the Northwest.
Ottawa Chief Naywash said it clearly that Since our Great Chief Tecumtha [sic] has been
killed we do not listen to one another, we do not rise together. Procter was disgraced and
court martialled.
When peace came at Ghent it did nothing for the First Nations; the redcoats had failed them
again.

Tecumsehs Legacy
Was it necessary for Tecumseh to die prematurely at Moraviantown for him to be made into a
hero? It seems unlikely for there were battles to be fought and the First Nations continued to
fight. He was perhaps the major figure of all three sides in the war and little has been said of
his impressive effect that was not said at the time. That is not to say that his life, character
and accomplishmentand ultimate failurehave not been fictionalized, exaggerated or
worse. But no reflection of his life can fail to evoke its tragedy and the calamity that befell his
people.
Author: James Marsh

http://www.eighteentwelve.ca/?q=eng/Topic/16

Laura Secord, Heroine of Beaver Dams

Laura Secords adventures started when her husband, James Secord, a sergeant in
the 1st Lincoln militia was wounded early on in the War of 1812. She managed to
rescue him from the battlefield during the battle of Queenston Heights. He was
lucky to survive this battle as others, such as Major-General Isaac Brock, did not.
In June of 1813, Queenston was still occupied by American troops when James and
Laura Secord were forced to host some American officers in their home. Thats
when she overheard the Americans plan to surprise the British outpost at Beaver
Dams and capture the officer in charge, Lieutenant James FitzGibbon. Her husband,
given his injuries, was unable to deliver this message to the British so she set out to
do it herself. The direct route to the outpost was 12 miles (about 20 kilometers), and
Laura was worried that she would encounter American guards on her way there.
She decided it would be better to travel through fields and forests; it wasnt easy
and when she finally arrived, she was exhausted.
After she crossed the Twelve Mile Creek on a fallen tree, Laura was surprised to
come upon a First Nations encampment. Once her mission was explained, the chief
took her directly to FitzGibbon. Two days later, American troops were ambushed
near Beaver Dams by First Nations warriors. FitzGibbon then persuaded the much
larger American forces to surrender.
Official reports of the victory make no mention of her. However, FitzGibbon later
recounted her contribution.
http://1812.gc.ca/eng

Most Canadians know the name of Laura Secord, although they

may be a bit fuzzy on the subject of her heroic trek that saved the
British and Canadian forces at the Battle of Beaver Dams during
the War of 1812.

Laura Ingersoll Secord was the young wife of James Secord, a

settler in Queenston, Upper Canada. The War of 1812 was very
personal to Laura. Like her husband and many others in Upper
Canada, Laura had been born in the United States and had
relatives across the line. But she was fiercely loyal to the British
Crown, and was committed to the defence of the colony.
The story of Laura Secord's famous act of patriotism begins on the
evening of June 21, 1813. Several American officers forced their
way into the Secord home and ordered Laura to serve them
dinner. The food was plentiful, the wine flowed, and as the evening
wore on, the officers grew boisterous and carefree, boasting of
their plans to crush the remaining British resistance in the area. As
Laura quietly washed the dishes, she listened to the voices of the
American officers through the thin partition.
"We'll make a surprise move against FitzGibbon at Beaver Dams."
It was the voice of Colonel Boerstter. "We will destroy his
headquarters and take the whole detachment captive." Laura
stood motionless with a warm plate in her hands, realizing that
unless Lieutenant FitzGibbon was warned, the entire Niagara
peninsula would be lost. She glanced at her husband, who had
been wounded six months earlier at the Battle of Queenston
Heights and was still barely able to walk. Then, in a tone of quiet
determination, Laura told her husband that she was going to take
the message to FitzGibbon herself.
At dawn the next morning Laura began her journey dressed in her
regular attire of a settler's wife. In some versions of the story,
Laura carries a milking pail and leads her cow along the road, as a
cover for inquiring American sentries, although there is no hard
evidence to support these details. In any case, Laura Secord had
to be very careful not to be captured. The traditional punishment
for spies was death by firing squad.
Avoiding the main roads, Laura chose a difficult and circuitous 19
mile route to the stone house where FitzGibbon was stationed.
She began by walking along the road to her brother-in-law's farm.

At one point her niece Elizabeth joined her, but gave up in

exhaustion three hours later, just as they neared Black Swamp.
Alone, Laura entered the most difficult part of her journey. The
heat of the June sun was beating down on her, and the brambles
tore at her clothing. Whether or not she was barefoot, as some
versions of the story claim, the damp bog soon soaked her to the
skin. Yet, determined more than ever to accomplish her dangerous
undertaking, Laura drove herself on, always listening for the
fearsome cry of wolves.
As darkness fell, Laura reached the edge of the swamp. Haunted
by the feeling that she was being watched, she climbed the steep
escarpment and began moving through the thick undergrowth.
When she finally reached a clearing, she found herself surrounded
by a band of Iroquois. Though paralysed by fear, she somehow
forced herself to speak, managing to make the chief understand
the urgency of her mission. Impressed by her courage and
sympathetic to her cause, he ordered one of his men to escort
Laura to FitzGibbon's headquarters.
An hour later, Laura Secord arrived at the British garrison just in
time to warn FitzGibbon of the impending American attack before
she collapsed from exhaustion. Here Laura's heroic adventure
ends, and the controversy begins.
Was FitzGibbon already braced for the attack, as some assert?
Why did he make no mention of Laura's effort in his official
reports? It was not until 1827 that he finally referred to Laura in a
letter, writing:
"The weather on the 22nd day of June, 1813 was very hot, and
Mrs. Secord, whose person was slight and delicate, appeared to
have been and no doubt was very much exhausted by the exertion
she made in coming to me, and I have ever since held myself
personally indebted to her for her conduct upon that occasion..."
Laura did not publicly record her story for many years, and it was
not until 1860, when she was 85 years old, that she received any
formal recognition. The Prince of Wales, upon a visit to Canada,

read Laura's account of her wartime adventure, and sent her a gift
of 100 pounds for her efforts. From that time on, however, the
bravery of Laura Secord has been part of our national folklore.

https://www.historicacanada.ca/content/heritage-minutes/laura-secord