CHAPTER II.

UPPER CANADA.

GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION-HISTORY-PHYSICAL ASPECT-LAKES, RIVERS, AND CANALS-GEOLOGY-CLIMATE-ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE KINGDOMS -POPULATION AND TERRITORIAL DIVISIONS— GOVERNMENT-REVENUE-STAPLE PRODUCTS—PROPERTY — COMMERCE-STATE OF reLIGION-EDUCATION AND THE PRESS-SOCIAL STATE AND FUTURE

PROSPECTS.

GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION.-The boundary line between Lower and Upper Canada, has been stated in the preceding chapter; the province of Upper Canada is bounded on the S.W. by a line drawn through the centre of the great lakes, and separating it from the U. States, on the N. by the Hudson Bay territory, on the E. by the Ottawa and Lower Canada, and on the N.W. by the undefined boundaries, or, it may be said, by the Pacific Ocean, comprising in round numbers about 100,000 square miles.

GENERAL HISTORY.-The early accounts of Canada, so far as is necessary to the general reader, are embraced in the preceding chapter: the French, as the allies of the Hurons and Algonquins, penetrated into Upper Canada, and the conquest of the lower province in 1759 made the British, by one campaign, masters of the whole of Upper Canada; the main features in whose history is, the contest with N. America in 1812, alluded to in the preceding chapter, a brief account of which is thus given.*

On the breaking out of the war Upper Canada was partly peopled, by emigrants from the United States, who might be supposed unwilling to shed the blood of their kindred; the people of Lower Canada had but recently been represented by authority as seditious, or so easily turned away from their allegiance as to endanger the government. There were but

* In order to avoid partiality or the charge of such, I give the account of this contest as written in Canada at the time, and never controverted.

188

DEFENCELESS STATE OF UPPER CANADA IN 1811.

about 4000 British troops in both provinces, scattered along a frontier of 1300 miles; and the St. Lawrence, an immense military highway, open to the United States, and leading into the heart of Canada, undefended, thus endangering the existence of the British forces stationed on its borders. With the view of keeping up the price of bills of exchange, of which the military government was the chief vender, the specie of the country had been suffered to be carried into the United States. Since the war of 1775 there had existed in the Canadas a militia merely in name, serving chiefly to drain, annually, a few thousand dollars from the public coffers. Accordingly, on the arrival of the news of the declaration of war, at Montreal and Quebec, the first thought of many individuals in those cities, was that of packing up. The governor, Sir George Prevost, and the people at large, thought differently. It was determined to defend both provinces; the Legislature was assembled; and government paper, bearing interest, and payable in bills of exchange on England, was substituted for specie.

Two batallions arriving in the country, to relieve two others under orders for their departure, added to the regular force. At the instance of the government, a law had passed during the preceding winter, for drafting the militia for actual service, and four weak batallions had been assembled before the war. Every description of force was now put in activity; the citadel of Quebec was guarded by the inhabitants of the town, proud of the duty, and of the confidence of the government, and extending the same feelings throughout the country. In a month after the declaration of war, the lower province seemed to be prepared to become the assailant. The Americans had collected, in the summer of 1811, their principal regular force on their north-western frontier, against the Indians, whom they attacked. This force, joined by militia and volunteers, had set out on its march for Upper Canada, long before the declaration of war. It made roads through immense forests, depending on these roads for its communications and supplies, and arrived at

COMMENCEMENT OF THE AMERICAN WAR.

189

Detroit, on the 5th July, about 2500 strong. The British force on the frontier was nearly nominal. On the 12th July, the enemy's general passed over into Upper Canada, and issued a proclamation to the apparently defenceless inhabitants, inviting them to join his standard, or at least to remain inactive, assuring them of the protection of the United States. After some trifling affairs with the handful of British troops stationed at Amherstburg, and hearing of the surrender of Michilimacinack on the 17th of July, to a few soldiers, voyageurs and Indians, he became alarmed for his own safety, and returned to Detroit on the 7th of August. Sir George Prevost had entrusted the government and command of Upper Canada to General Brock, a downright politician, an able, active, and spirited soldier, who infused an excellent spirit into the loyal inhabitants. The command of Lake Erie still remained with the British. On the 5th August, Brock prorogued the parliament at York, on the 12th he was at Amherstburg, and on the 16th General Hull, and his whole army, surrendered to a force of 330 regulars, 400 militia, and 600 Indians. People could hardly believe their own eyes, when they saw so considerable a part of the American regular force marched captive into Montreal and Quebec, within two months after they heard of the war. Within less than two months after the surrender of Hull, the enemy had collected a large force on the Niagara frontier. On the 13th of October this force crossed over into Upper Canada, at Queenston, overpowering the small detachment stationed there. Brock was stationed at Fort George. His ardour hastened him to the spot before his army. He put himself at the head of a small party, which was still resisting the enemy, and his country was too early deprived of his talents and his services. The enemy obtained possession of the heights, but was soon dislodged, and in great part made prisoners by General Sheaffe, on whom the command had devolved. A temporary truce ensued in this quarter, till it was interrupted by a ridiculous gasconade and impudent attempt at invasion, on the 20th and 28th November, near

190

AMERICAN capture of york, upper canada.

Fort Erie, by the American General Smith. Another nearly parallel attempt was made about the same time by the British naval force on Lake Ontario, against Sacket's Harbour. The rest of the winter passed away without any military event excepting on the 22nd January, General Proctor, after a smart action, captured forty-nine prisoners, with the American General Winchester, on the Detroit frontier, and an attack on Ogdensburg, which, in reality, meant nothing, unless it had been a prelude to an attack on Sacket's Harbour. From the time of the surrender of Hull the Americans, however much they blamed the officer, seem to have been fully aware of the true cause of his disaster; they strained every nerve to obtain the mastery of the lakes. The ice no sooner disappeared on Lake Ontario, than they were out with a superior naval force from Sacket's Harbour.

On the 27th April they landed and took possession of York, the capital of Upper Canada, destroyed the public buildings, wreaked their vengeance on a printing press, and destroyed the frame of a ship, building for the British service, on the Lake; General Sheaffe retiring, after some resistance, towards Kingston. The enemy's fleet proceeded to Niagara, where it landed troops, and then returned to Sacket's Harbour, from whence it conveyed additional forces to the same quarter. On the 28th May, General Vincent was driven from the position of Fort George, and the place captured; the British retiring along the Lake, towards Burlington Bay, leaving the whole Niagara frontier, containing a very large proportion of the whole population of Upper Canada, in the power of the enemy. General Proctor had at this time returned from the rapids of the Miami, where he had captured 467 American soldiers, and killed or wounded as many more; but the enemy was still collecting, and his communications threatened. From Fort George, the American army proceeded in pursuit of General Vincent, depending on the Lake for its supplies, and determined to take possession of Burlington heights, which would have left no common communication for General Proctor. General Vin