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cessful, with a loss of five or six killed and forty-two
wounded. After this was over, I returned to my
home in Brockville, having served two months
beyond my allotted time. That winter, the Parlia¬
ment of Upper Canada passed a law to raise a
Provincial Regiment, to serve during the war.
Unsolicited and unexpected, I received recruiting
orders from the commanding officer at Prescott, to
enlist a certain number of men, and get a commis¬
sion in the new Battalion. In this I succeeded, and
received an ensign’s commision in Captain Thomas
Fraser's company, the first one organized of the
regiment. I was soon appointed to act as quarter¬
master, with pay and allowances increased to that
grade. In this capacity I served until the month of
March following, when the regiment was ordered to
York, to be more perfectly drilled and disciplined,
when, having received a new set of staff officers
from the 41st Regiment, and a new Colonel (Robin¬
son, from the 8th, or Queen’s Own), I was relieved
as quarter-master, and placed in Captain Hamilton
Walker’s company as ensign. We remained in
York, being drilled and disciplined, until the inva¬
sion of Canada by the American army, on the 4th
of July, 1814, which crossed the Niagara River from
Black Rock, and, after a slight skirmish with the
few troops there (merely a guard), took possession
of Fort Erie, which they soon commenced fortifying,
making it the base of operations for the campaign.
The day following, our regiment had orders to pre¬
pare to embark for the frontier, and sailed from
York on the 6th of July, by a brig of war and four
schooners, arriving at Niagara on the afternoon of
the same day. All our surplus and baggage being
placed in store at Fort George, we immediately
marched for Queenston, arriving there about Io P.M.
The American army had moved down the river the
day after crossing, and was met the following day
by such force as could be mustered, commanded by
General Riol (mainly Militia, with a few broken
detachments of regulars, and a few Indians), above
Chippewa, where the battle of "Streets Farm " took
place, and was hotly contested a good part of
the day. Finding it hopeless, with his small force,
either to capture or drive them back to Fort Erie,
our forces were withdrawn, leaving numbers killed
and wounded, and the Americans masters of the
field. Among the killed and wounded were several
prominent and valuable citizens and officers of
Militia. Our troops fell back on Chippewa Creek,
about two miles above Niagara Falls, where we had
some battalions and military works. Our regiment
lay, the night we arrived, at Queenston, expecting
to join our friends at Chippewa Creek next day, but
received orders to remain there the next day, during
which time numbers of our wounded men and
officers from the battle-field passed down for Fort
George. The next day we marched for Chippewa.
The day being hot, on reaching the Falls, we
stocked arms, and rested for half-an-hour, when,
again starting for our destination, we were soon
met by our troops from Chippewa, they having
destroyed and abandoned our works there, bringing
draw, accompanied by hundreds of women and
children, besides men on foot and in vehicles,
making their way to Fort George, as a place of
safety, the enemy being in pursuit, and not far
behind. Our regiment, having had a slow and
fatiguing march already, wheeled about, and was
given a special privilege and benefit of marching
in front. Ketracing our steps as fast as possible,
we reached the foot of the mountain, at Queenston,
a little after dark, where a short halt was made, and
where we gotia drink of muddy sulphur water that
crossed the road, and had served to each man and
officer about half-a-pound of bread that had been
brought in an open wagon, and was pretty well
filled with dust and gravel, gladly eating and
drinking such as could be got. ‘Having rested
awhile, the march was continued for Fort George,
seven miles distant. During the halt at Queenston,
the guns were dismantled and, with the stores,
hauled out of a small fort built on the side of the
mountain at Queenston, just above the town. It
had but lately been finished, and appeared sufficient
to stand a siege. After the guns and stores had
been removed, the block house was set on fire and
destroyed, so that it could not be used by the
enemy, who reached there next morning. After
starting for Fort George, we were halted at Mc¬
Farland’s, a large deserted brick house, about a
mile outside the fort, as a piquet guard, until
morning, the remainder of our force passing on
to the fort. After placing sentries, all found a
resting place on the floor of the house and ground
of the orchard near by, until daylight, from whence
we could see the tents of the enemy, established on
the mountain, six miles from us. After daylight
we were marched to Niagara, and encamped within
range of the fort, remaining there several days,
During that time, the Americans had advanced to
McFarland’s, and placed guards and piquets, nearly
surrounding us with sentries. We, of course did
the same, which brought them and our sentries
On several
occasions, attempts were made, particularly at night,
within speaking distance of each other.
to capture our sentries and guards. I recollect, one
night, a party, accompanied by one of their generals
(Swift), partly succeeded, but lost their general, who