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.
* * * * *
SECTION II.--AMERICAN AUTHORS.
No. 1.--Page 233.
_Extract from Jefferson's Correspondence_.--_Monticello_, _October_ 1,
1812.
"I fear that Hull's surrender has been more than the mere loss
of a year to us. Besides bringing on us the whole mass of
savage nations, whom fear, and not affection, had kept in
quiet, there is danger, that in giving time to an enemy who can
send reinforcements of regulars faster than we can raise them,
they may strengthen Canada and Halifax beyond the assailment of
our lax and divided powers. Perhaps, however, the patriotic
efforts from Kentucky and Ohio, by recalling the British force
to its upper posts, may yet give time to Dearborn to strike a
blow below. Effectual possession of the river from Montreal to
the Chaudière, which is practicable would give us the upper
country at our leisure, and close for ever the scenes of the
tomahawk and scalping knife."
No. 2.--Page 240.
_Revolutionary Services of General Hull, as taken from his Defence
before the Court Martial_, _in March_, 1814.
"For more than half a century I supported a character without
reproach. My youth was devoted to the service of my country; I
fought her battles in that war which achieved her liberty and
independence, and which was ended before many of you,
gentlemen, who are my judges, were born. If upon any occasion a
man may speak of his own merits, it is at such a time as this;
and I hope I may be permitted to present to you, in very few
words, a narration of my life, while I was engaged in scenes
which were calculated to prove a man's firmness and courage. I
shall do it with less reluctance, because the testimony I have
offered of the venerable men who served with me in the
revolutionary war, will vouch for all I have to say. In the
year 1775, at the age of about twenty-one years, I was
appointed a captain in one of the Connecticut regiments; during
that campaign, and until March, 1776, when the enemy evacuated
Boston, I served with the army at Cambridge and Roxbury, and in
the immediate command of General Washington. I was with that
part of the army, in March, 1776, which took possession of
Dorchester heights--the movement which compelled the enemy to
evacuate Boston. The next day, the regiment to which I belonged
marched for New York. I was on Long Island when the enemy
landed, and remained until the night the whole army retreated.
I was in several small skirmishes, both on Long Island and York
Island, before the army retired to the White Plains. I then
belonged to Colonel Charles Webb's regiment, of Connecticut.
"This regiment was in the severest part of the action on
Chatterdon's Hill, a little advanced of the White Plains, a few
days after the main body of the army abandoned New York. This
battle is memorable in the history of our country; and the
regiment to which I belonged received the particular thanks of
General Washington, in his public orders, for its bravery and
good conduct on the occasion. It was particularly distinguished
from all the other troops engaged in the action. I received a
slight wound by a musket ball in my side, but it did not
prevent me from remaining at the head of my company.
"I was in the battle of Trenton, when the Hessians were taken,
in December, 1776; and, being one of the youngest captains in
the army, was promoted by General Washington the day after the
battle, to a majority, for my conduct on that occasion. The 1st
of January, 1777, I was in the battle of Princeton. In the
campaign of the same year, the regiment to which I belonged
served in the northern army. I was early in the spring ordered
to Ticonderoga, and commanded the regiment (being the senior
officer present) under General St. Clair, and I was with that
officer in his retreat from that post.
"After General St. Clair's army formed a junction with General
Schuyler's army on the North River, at Fort Edward, the
regiment to which I belonged was detached, and marched to Fort
Schuyler, and relieved that post, which was besieged by General
St. Leger.
"On the retreat of General Schuyler's army from Fort Edward, I
commanded the rear guard of the army; and, being two miles in
the rear, was attacked by a large body of British troops and
Indians at daylight in the morning, in which action were killed
and wounded between thirty and forty of my guard. And I
received the particular thanks of General Schuyler for my
conduct on the occasion.
"I was in the two memorable battles, on the 19th of September
and the 7th of October, on Bemis' heights, against General
Burgoyne's army, previous to its surrender. In the action of
the 19th of September, I commanded a detachment of three
hundred men, who fought the principal part of the afternoon,
and more than one half of them were killed or wounded.
"On the 7th of October, I likewise commanded a detachment from
the brigade which assisted in attacking the enemy on the left
of our position, defeated him, followed him to the right of his
lines, stormed his entrenchments, and took and held possession
of the right of his position, which compelled him to retreat to
Saratoga, and there to capitulate.
"After the memorable event of the capitulation of General
Burgoyne's army, the regiment to which I belonged was ordered
to Pennsylvania, to join the army under the command of General
Washington. I remained with the army the winter of 1777, at
Valley Forge; and in the spring of 1778, when the British army
evacuated Philadelphia, I was in the battle of Monmouth.
"From December, 1778, to May, 1779, I commanded the American
posts in advance of the White Plains, near Kingsbridge, during
which time I had various skirmishes with the enemy. In May,
1779, the principal part of the British army advanced up the
North River to Verplank's and Stoney Point, and I was ordered
to retreat before them to West Point.
"I then joined the light infantry, under the command of General
Wayne, and was in the memorable attack on Stoney Point, with a
separate command of four hundred light infantry.
"For my conduct on this occasion I received the particular
thanks of General Wayne, General Washington, and congress.
"In the summer and autumn of 1780, I commanded the advanced
posts of the army; and in December of that year, I commanded an
expedition against the enemy, stationed at Morrissina, which
was successful, and for which I received the thanks of General
Washington, in his general orders to the army, and likewise the
thanks of congress. General Washington, in his orders, I well
remember, made use of these words: 'He thanked me for my
judicious arrangements in the plan of operations, and for my
intrepidity and valour in the execution.'
"From the conclusion of the revolutionary war I have lived
with the respect of my countrymen, and have enjoyed repeated
marks of their confidence in the offices which have been
bestowed upon me. When I found that the independence, for which
I had so often fought, was assailed,--that again my country
must appeal to arms to avenge her wrongs, and to protect her
rights,--I felt that I might yet do her some service. For
though many years had passed since I had fought under her
standard, and though my own arm might not have had its wonted
strength, yet my spirit was unbroken, and my devotion to her
unimpaired. I thought in the field, where there could be but
few who had any military experience, what I had learned in the
most active scenes of a seven years' war, might be useful. I
fondly hoped that in my age, as well as in my youth, I might
render services that should deserve the gratitude of my
country--that if I fell by the sword of her enemies, my grave
would be moistened with the tears of my countrymen; that my
descendants would be proud of my name and fame. But how vain is
anticipation! I am now accused of crimes which would blast my
former honors, and transmit my memory with infamy to posterity.
And in that hideous catalogue, there is none from the
imputation of which my nature and my feelings have more
recoiled than from that of cowardice, to which I am to answer."
"The appearance of General Hull was venerable and
prepossessing. Beneath snowy locks, of nearly sixty winters'
bleaching, he exhibited a countenance as fresh and blooming as
a youth of eighteen. His eloquence was perspicuous and
graceful."--_American History._
No. 3.--Page 322.
_Letter from Captain Wool to Colonel Van Rensselaer._
"BUFFALOE, October 23, 1812.
"I have the honor to communicate to you the circumstances
attending the storming of Queenstown battery, on the 13th
instant; with those which happened previously you are already
well acquainted.
"In pursuance of your order, we proceeded round the point and
ascended the rocks, which brought us partly in rear of the
battery. We took it without much resistance. I immediately
formed the troops in rear of the battery, and fronting the
village, when I observed General Brock with his troops formed,
consisting of four companies of the 49th regiment, and a few
militia, marching for our left flank. I immediately detached a
party of one hundred and fifty men, to take possession of the
heights above Queenstown battery, and to hold General Brock in
check; but in consequence of his superior force they retreated.
I sent a reinforcement; notwithstanding which, the enemy drove
us to the edge of the bank: when, with the greatest exertions,
we brought the troops to a stand, and ordered the officers to
bring their men to a charge as soon as the ammunition was
expended, which was executed with some confusion, and in a few
moments the enemy retreated. We pursued them to the edge of the
heights, when Colonel M'Donell had his horse shot from under
him, and himself was mortally wounded. In the interim, General
Brock, in attempting to rally his forces, was killed, when the
enemy dispersed in every direction. As soon as it was
practicable, I formed the troops in a line on the heights
fronting the village, and immediately detached flanking
parties, which consisted of Captain Machesney, of the 6th
regiment, Lieutenant Smith and Ensign Grosvenor, with a small
detachment of riflemen, who had that moment arrived; at the
same time, I ordered Lieutenant Ganesvoort and Lieutenant
Randolph, with a detachment of artillery, to drill out an
18-pounder which had been previously spiked, and, if possible,
to bring it to bear upon the village. The wounded and prisoners
I ordered to be collected, and sent to the guard-house. About
this time, which was about three or four o'clock in the
afternoon, Lieut.-Colonel Christie arrived, and took the
command. He ordered me across the river to get my wounds
dressed. I remained a short time. Our flanking parties had been
driven in by the Indians; but General Wadsworth and other
officers arriving, we had a short skirmish with them, and they
retreated, and I crossed the river."
[NOTE.--Captain Wool, in stating that he was opposed to four companies
of the 49th, _only_ doubled the number of companies; but this
exaggeration is a trifle compared with the following gross and
_hudibrastic_ mis-statements, relative to the battle of Queenstown in
"Ramsay's History of the United States," viz: "The 49th British
regiment, signalized in Egypt under Colonel, since Lieut.-General,
Brock, and usually called the 'Egyptian Invincibles,' was among the
prominent corps, and was led by its favorite commander. In the second
engagement, this regiment of British regulars, 600 strong, encountered a
body of 320 American regulars, supported by a few militia and
volunteers, the whole under Colonel Chrystie. They mutually resorted to
the bayonet, and after a bloody conflict, the famous invincibles yielded
to the superior energy of their antagonists, although the latter were so
far inferior in numbers. They were rallied by Lieut.-General Brock, who
was killed in conducting them a second time to the charge. The American
prisoners were kindly treated by this brave regiment, who, after the
battle was over, acknowledged they had never opposed more gallant
adversaries."--The 49th, not having been with the British army in Egypt,
could not be called the "Egyptian Invincibles;" and instead of this
regiment, 600 strong, being led by Major (not Lieutenant) General Brock,
only the flank companies were present, with a small body of militia,
together about 300 men. In fact, four companies of the 49th were at
Kingston, 160 miles distant, and the remaining four battalion companies
were, we believe, at Fort Erie, 27 or 28 miles from Queenstown; and
therefore, the assertion that the "famous invincibles" yielded to far
Inferior numbers, is something worse than ridiculous. Such, however, is
the correctness of this American historian on the subject, and with such
materials is history too often compiled.--ED.]
"REPORT OF THE BATTLE OF QUEENSTOWN."--(Extracts.)
"Captain Wool discovered the British troops forming at
Queenstown, and formed the troops under his command in line.
General Brock was at the head of the British troops, and led
them round about to the heights in the rear of the battery.
Captain Wool detached 160 men to meet the British; this
detachment was driven back, reinforced, and the whole driven
to the brink of the precipice, forming the bank of the Niagara
river, above Queenstown.
"At this moment some of the officers put a white handkerchief
on a bayonet to hoist as a flag, with intention to surrender.
Captain Wool inquired the object. It was answered that the
party were nearly without ammunition, and that it was useless
to sacrifice the lives of brave men. Captain Wool tore off the
flag, ordered the officers to rally the men, and bring them to
the charge. The order was executed, but in some confusion. The
boasted 49th could not stand the American bayonet. The British
troops were routed, and Major-General Brock, in gallantly
exerting himself to rally them, was killed. His aid, Colonel
M'Donell, fell mortally wounded at the same time.
"The British being completely driven from the heights about ten
o'clock, the line was reformed and flanking parties sent
out."--_Niles' Weekly Register, 1812._
_Extracts from Niles' Weekly Register, Baltimore, 1812._
"Extract of a letter from a gentleman at Detroit to his friend
in Pittsburg, dated July 7, 1812.--'General Hull is making
preparations to cross the river this evening or to-morrow, and
it is expected that an immediate attack is contemplated on
Maiden (Amherstburg). The army are all in health and good
spirits, and wait with anxiety to be put on the other shore:
they are certainly as fine looking men as I ever saw.'
"We have several reports of the capture of Fort Malden. General
Hull has sent expresses to the governors of Ohio and Kentucky
for further supplies of troops, supposed for the purpose of
maintaining the ground he may take, and to keep the allies in
check. We trust he may religiously adhere to his proclamation,
whatever General Brock may say, and give no quarters to the
white savages when found fighting by the side of the Indians,
for whose extensive murders the British should be made
responsible."
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 156: "The 'Letters of Veritas' were originally printed in a
weekly paper published at Montreal, in Lower Canada, and subsequently
collected into the little volume before us. Within a small compass,
these unpretending Letters contain a greater body of useful information
upon the campaigns in the Canadas than is any where else to be found.
They are, we believe, the production of a gentleman in Montreal, of
known respectability. Though not a military man, he enjoyed the best
opportunities for acquaintance with the circumstances of the war; and as
these letters, which excited great attention in the Canadas, appeared in
successive papers while Montreal was filled with almost all the officers
of rank who had served in the country, it may reasonably be presumed
that his errors, had he committed any, would not have escaped without
censure. Yet no reply was ever attempted to his statements, no doubt
ever expressed in the provinces, of the correctness of his
assertions."--_Quarterly Review, July_, 1822.]
[Footnote 157: Wampum is the current money among the Indians. It is of
two sorts, white and purple: the white is worked out of the insides of
the great Congues into the form of a bead, and perforated so as to be
strung on leather; the purple is worked out of the inside of the muscle
shell. They are wove as broad as one's hand, and about two feet long;
these they call belts, and give and receive them at their treaties, as
the seals of friendship. For lesser motives, a single string is given;
every bead is of a known value; and a belt of a less number is made to
equal one of a greater, by so many as is wanted being fastened to the
belt by a string.--_Buchanan's North American Indians._]
[Footnote 158: It is impossible here to forget (however different were
the circumstances and character of the two warriors) that fine passage
by the splendid historian of Rome, wherein he immortalizes the death and
funeral of the ferocious Attila, in language at once musical and
sublime, and which is probably without an equal in the whole range of
English literature: "His body was solemnly exposed in the midst of the
plain, under a silken pavilion; and the chosen squadrons of the Huns,
wheeling round in measured evolutions, chaunted a funeral song to the
memory of a hero, glorious in his life, invincible in his death, the
father of his people, the scourge of his enemies, and the terror of the
world."]
[Footnote 159: The monument itself is not yet finished; we shall
therefore defer our description of the edifice until it is completed.]
[Footnote 160: It is remarkable that, on inspecting the remains, the
body of Colonel M'Donell was found to be almost entirely
decomposed,--whilst that of the general was still firm and nearly
entire; some of the flesh and lineaments of his martial countenance
being yet visible.]
APPENDIX B.
DANIEL DE LISLE BROCK, ESQ.
BAILIFF OF GUERNSEY.
This able magistrate, the third son of John Brock, Esq., was born in
Guernsey on the 10th December, 1762, and closed a long and useful career
on Saturday evening, the 24th September, 1842, at the age of 79 years
and nearly 10 months. After receiving such rudiments of education as the
island could furnish in those days, he was placed at Alderney, to learn
the French language, under M. Vallatt, a Swiss protestant clergyman, and
a man of talent, who was afterwards rector of St. Peter-in-the-Wood, in
Guernsey. From Alderney he was sent to a school at Richmond, in Surrey,
where he remained only two years, as at the early age of fourteen he
went to Dinan with his father, who died there. The early death of his
parent was an irreparable loss to the son, as it was the cause of his
not returning to school, where he had already shown that he possessed a
vigour of intellect much beyond his years. His two elder brothers were
in the army, and the pardonable fondness of his mother induced her to
retain at home the only one of her sons, who could in some measure
replace the counsels of her husband.
In 1785, he went by sea to the Mediterranean, and spent upwards of a
year in visiting Spain, Malta, Sicily, Italy, Switzerland, and France.
In 1798, he was elected jurat of the Royal Court; and the greater part,
if not the whole, of the public documents of that body, were from that
period written by him. In 1821, he obtained the high and responsible
appointment of bailiff, or chief magistrate of Guernsey.
"It has been truly said that the history of Guernsey, for the last fifty
years, was, in fact, the history of Daniel De Lisle Brock. So
exclusively has the better part of Mr. Brock's life been devoted to the
service of his country--so completely have his affections been wrapped
up in her welfare--so ardently, so zealously, and so unceasingly has he
laboured to promote her prosperity and to protect her privileges--and so
intimately has he been connected with all the important occurrences of
the period alluded to--that in reading the history of the island, we
read the history of this the most able and devoted of its friends."
Between the years 1804 and 1810, Mr. Brock was deputed by the States and
Royal Court of Guernsey no less than four times, as their representative
to government, in matters connected with the trade and privileges of the
island; and he also went once to Jersey, to confer with the Royal Court
there on the same subject. In these missions, Mr. Brock distinguished
himself by his luminous and argumentative papers,[161] and the authority
of the Royal Court was happily preserved intact by his representations
and unremitting exertions.
"In 1821, an act of parliament having been passed prohibiting the
importation of foreign corn into the Channel Islands, whenever its entry
for consumption was prohibited in England, to wit, until it reached the
price of 80s. per quarter, Mr. Brock was again deputed to London to
contend against a measure fraught with such fatal consequences to the
islands, and at the same time to obtain some modifications in the
navigation laws. Mr. Brock, who was essentially assisted in this
business by Mr. James Carey, jurat, succeeded in both these objects. The
obnoxious corn law was repealed so far as the Channel Islands were
concerned, and some important privileges conceded to their trade and
navigation, especially in granting them free intercourse with the
British colonies, and the American continent and islands. So highly were
these last services appreciated, that when Mr. Brock returned to
Guernsey, on the 24th July, 1822, he was received with unexampled
enthusiasm. On landing in the morning, he was saluted with deafening
cries of "_Brock for ever!_" "_Long may he live!_" &c. The public joy
was manifested on this occasion in many different ways. The shipping in
the harbour hoisted their flags; crowns and garlands of flowers, flags,
loaves of bread, with ears of corn, were tastefully arranged, and
suspended in almost every street; mottos and devices, expressive of
unbounded gratitude, were exhibited in every direction, and in the
greatest variety; and the church bells throughout the island rang merry
peals during the day. Bands of music paraded the town, followed by
crowds, on whose happy countenances "Mirth, admit me of thy crew," was
expressed. The musicians wore various coloured bands round their hats,
with the motto of "_Long live Bailiff Brock!_" They surrounded a banner
crowned with flowers, bearing the following inscription:
"The grateful inhabitants of Guernsey, to the worthy Bailiff,
DANIEL DE LISLE BROCK.
Happy is he who labours to promote the happiness of his fellow
citizens.
He will secure their eternal gratitude. They will unceasingly
exclaim: 'May God preserve oar friend, our benefactor, and our
parent.'"
"This inscription having been borne in triumph in every part of the
town, was presented to the object of well-merited praise, and accepted.
Preparations had been made by the militia bands to receive this
distinguished patriot at the landing place; but their good intentions
were thwarted, in consequence of the early hour at which the arrival
took place. At a public meeting of the inhabitants, it was determined to
present a piece of plate to Mr. Brock, as a testimony of the value
attached to his public services, and in the hope that this faint
evidence of their attachment might serve to stimulate others to follow
his steps, and might descend as a memorial to his posterity. Upwards of
£300 were quickly raised for this purpose, and other less valuable, but
not less gratifying, testimonials were presented to him. Nor was Jersey
less grateful, as a public meeting was held in the town of St. Helier,
when the thanks of the island and a handsome piece of plate were
unanimously voted to him."
In 1826, General Sir John Doyle, Bart, and G.C.B., for many years
lieutenant-governor of Guernsey, visited the island, and at a public
dinner, given to him on the 29th August, at the Assembly Rooms, he rose
and spoke as follows:
Gentlemen,--Having received permission from the chair, I rise
to propose a toast which would be well received in any society
where the enlightened individual is known. But here I
anticipate it will be met by acclamation and enthusiasm. I do
not propose his health, merely because he is my friend,
although I feel truly honored by his friendship; and the more
so, as I know that it originated and was cemented by his
conviction of my honest zeal for the public good, and the deep
interest I took in the welfare of his native land. But I give
him as a public man, who, to a sound, vigorous, and cultivated
understanding, joins a liberal and enlightened mind--an innate
love of justice, and hatred of oppression--an inflexible
adherence to that which appears to him to be right--a man too
wise to be cunning. Armed with the '_mens conscia recti_,' he
marches straightforward to his object, nor turns into the
devious path of crooked policy, and left-handed wisdom. To
these qualities are added indefatigable industry, and a
patience not to be exhausted. This is the man, who, as a
public magistrate in high station, I offer for your
acceptance. Of his private worth, I dare not say all that I
feel. He is present. You know him, and can duly appreciate his
value. You will have anticipated that I mean the bailiff of
Guernsey. I now propose to you 'The health of the bailiff, and
unalloyed happiness to the island of Guernsey.'"
"In 1832, one of the most ancient and vital privileges of Guernsey--the
right of the inhabitants to be tried in their own local court--was
placed in peril, it being assailed by no less a character than Lord
Chief Justice Tenderden, who sought to extend the power of the writ of
_habeas corpus_ to this island. The history of this event would occupy
much more space than we can now devote to it. Suffice it here to say,
that after much correspondence on the subject, Mr. Brock and Mr. Charles
De Jersey, the king's procureur, were deputed to London, to act in
conjunction with the bailiff and procureur of Jersey in opposing the
measure. The mission was successful, and the independence of the insular
jurisdictions was maintained.
"The last occasion on which Mr. Brock went to England in the service of
his native island, was in the year 1835, when the channel islands were
menaced with being deprived of the privilege of sending their corn into
England, duty free. An idea had obtained ground that this privilege was
abused; and, in consequence, a bill was brought into parliament to
deprive the islands of this important branch of their trade. Deputies
were therefore appointed by the islands to proceed to London, for the
purpose of advocating their rights, and Mr. Brock was again fixed on as
the representative of Guernsey. Owing to the remonstrances of this
deputation, a select committee of the House of Commons was appointed to
inquire into the matter, and the result was that the bill was withdrawn.
So highly were Mr. Brock's services on this occasion valued by both
islands, that the States of Jersey voted him a piece of plate of the
value of £100, whilst the States of Guernsey voted that portrait which
now adorns the interior of the court-house, and which will afford to
succeeding generations the means of contemplating the intellectual
countenance and venerable form of one whom they will ever remember as
the firmest friend, and ablest administrator of his country.
"From the period here alluded to, until within a few days of his death,
Mr. Brock was unremittingly engaged in labouring for the public good.
The records of the island will show how indefatigably be devoted himself
to its service; and it may be truly said of him, that to his latest
moment the desire to secure its welfare was the reigning impulse of his
heart."
Mr. Brock left one son, Eugene, a captain in the 20th regiment, since
deceased, unmarried; and one daughter, now also unmarried. In
countenance and robustness of frame, although not so tall, as well as in
vigour of intellect and decision of character, the bailiff strongly
resembled his brother, Sir Isaac Brock; and when a friend of the latter,
Sir James Kempt, visited Guernsey, in his official capacity as
master-general of the ordnance, he was struck with the personal
resemblance, notwithstanding that Mr. Brock was then in his 71st year.
The Royal Court, having met on the 26th September, to appoint a judge
delegate to replace _pro tempore_ the late bailiff, unanimously
requested the family of the deceased to allow him to be buried at the
expense of the States of Guernsey, and the funeral was in consequence a
public one. "For though Mr. Brock had enriched his country with numerous
and inappreciable benefits--though he bequeathed to it an inestimable
heritage in his deeds and in his example--he died in honorable and
ennobling poverty, resulting from his disinterestedness, his integrity,
and his patriotism.[162] The public, we say, were pleased, were
gratified, were proud in seeing that their representatives and rulers so
promptly and so handsomely anticipated and fulfilled their wishes, and
they looked forward to the moment of paying to their departed
benefactor the last mournful honors with feelings in which complacency
was not unmingled with their grief.
"Some hours before the time appointed for the ceremony, the inhabitants
of the country parishes, mostly clothed in respectable mourning, were
seen thronging into town; and by eleven o'clock a considerable crowd was
collected in the front of Mr. Savery Brock's house, from whence the
procession was to issue. Punctually at the time appointed, (twelve
o'clock,) the authorities and other gentlemen invited to take part in
the ceremony, together with a large number of persons who attended
spontaneously to pay the last mark of respect to the deceased, were
assembled; and having been marshalled by the deputy sheriffs and the
special constables, in the manner laid down in the programme, the
mournful _cortège_, comprising nearly 500 persons, issued into the
Grange Road in the following order of procession:
Four Assistant Constables,
(each with his Staff of office.)
Two Deputy Sheriffs.--Deputy Greffier.--Deputy Sergeant.
Deputy, Harbour Master.--Postmaster.--Surveyor of
Works.
Receiver of Impost.--Assistant Supervisor.--Harbour Master.
The Principal Officer and the Comptroller of
Her Majesty's Customs.
Deputy Judge Advocate.--Barrack Master.--Ordnance
Storekeeper.
Fort Major.--Government Secretary.
Officers of the five Regiments of Guernsey Militia.
Officers of the 48th Depot.
Officers of the Royal Artillery.--Colonel Moody.
Clerk of the Town Parish and Clerk of St. Martin's Parish.
Rev. W. Le Mottée. Rev. Henry Benwell.
Rev. E. Guille. Rev. George Guille.
Rev. F. Jeremie. Rev. Peter Carey.
Rev. Daniel Dobrée. Rev. W.L. Davies.
Rev. William Guille. Rev. W.J. Chepmell.
Rev. Thomas Brock. The Very Rev. the Dean.
Frederick Mansell, Jurat. Hilary O. Carré, Jurat.
John Hubert, Jurat. John Le Messurier, Jurat.
James Carey, Jurat. John Guille, Jurat.
Rev. R. Potenger.} Mourners. { F.B. Tupper.
John Carey, jun. } { Henry Tupper.
Lieut.-General Sir James Douglas.--His Excellency Major-General
W.F.P. Napier, Lieut.-Governor.--Lieut.-General Ross.
Peter B. Dobrée. } Jurats. { T.W. Gosselin.
Thomas Le Retilley. } { H. Dobrée, jun.
The Queen's Procureur.--The Queen's Comptroller.--Her Majesty's
Receiver-General.--Greffier.--Sheriff.
The Advocates of the Royal Court.
The late Bailiff's Medical Attendants.
The Douzeniers of each parish, headed by their respective
Constables, four abreast.
Relatives, with Hat Bands, four abreast.
The Order of Rechabites in full procession.
A Deputation of the Total Abstinence Society,
headed by Mr. Edmund Richards.
"The procession proceeded in solemn order down the Grange Road, until it
reached the College, when it turned to the left, and passed on to the
eastern entrance of the new burying ground, and from thence proceeded to
the grave, near the opposite extremity of the cemetery, which was
destined to be the final resting place of the aged patriot. The persons
who composed the _cortège_ having been formed in order round the grave,
the sublime and solemn ritual of the Church of England was read in a
feeling and impressive manner by the Very Reverend the Dean, the coffin
being at the proper period of the service committed to the bosom of the
earth in profound and solemn silence. When the service was concluded, a
great many persons approached the border of the grave to take a farewell
look at the narrow tenement which now contained the remains of a man
who, but a few short hours back, had occupied so prominent a position in
his native land. Many a sigh was breathed, many a tear was shed upon
that grave; and many and various were the expressions of affection and
regret which there found utterance, and which seemed to say
'We ne'er shall look upon his like again.'
"On no similar occasion had there ever been collected so large a
concourse of persons in this island. Some pains were taken to ascertain
the number of those who entered the burial ground, and it is believed
that they considerably exceeded 4,000. An equal, or perhaps a larger
number, were dispersed, as spectators, in the Grange Road and adjacent
parts. Every house that commanded a glimpse of the procession, or the
interment, was crowded. The windows, even, to the attics, were peopled;
whilst walls, gardens, and every spot from which any thing could be
seen, were in like manner occupied. Notwithstanding the extraordinary
number of persons collected, a very creditable degree of order and
decorum was maintained throughout the whole of the proceedings."[163]
The union jack was hoisted half mast at Fort George and Castle Cornet
from the day succeeding the bailiff's death to that of his funeral, on
which days also the bells of the parish church of St. Peter-Port were
tolled, and the flags of the vessels in the two harbours and roadstead
were hoisted half mast. On the day of the interment, the shops in St.
Peter-Port were entirely closed until the mournful ceremony was
completed.
The lieutenant-governor of the island, Major-General Napier, the
celebrated historian of the Peninsular war, evinced, in a manner as
creditable to his feelings as it was gratifying to those of the family,
an anxious desire to pay every respect to the memory of the deceased,
his excellency, with the officers of his staff, and Lieut.-General
Ross, and Lieut.-General Sir James Douglas, ex-lieutenant-governors,
attending the funeral in full uniform, as did all the officers of the
garrison, and the officers of the five regiments of militia. All the
civil and military authorities, as well as the whole of the clergy of
the island, were present.
* * * * *
The following remarks are extracted from a long and ably written article
of nearly two columns, in the Guernsey _Star_ of Monday, September 26,
1842, in which the last moments and character of Mr. Brock were
feelingly portrayed by the editor, an English gentleman:
"Mr. Brock's career, his talents, his services, and his
amiable qualities, are so familiar to every native and
inhabitant of Guernsey--they have, as it were, become so much
the common property of the community--they have been so much
the objects of their study--so constantly the theme of their
praise and admiration--that it may seem almost a work of
supererogation in us to make any observation on them on the
present melancholy occasion. We cannot, however, allow the
grave to close upon him without strewing it with some of those
offerings of respect and praise which spontaneously spring to
our hand as we pen the notice of his death. We feel that we
enjoy considerable latitude on this occasion, because, from
having been for years the political antagonists of Mr. Brock,
and having braved his hostility when living, our tribute to
his memory cannot be looked on as other than the genuine
offspring of our feeling and our judgment.
"Mr. Brock was not an ordinary man. He was constituted of
materials which would have led their owner to distinction in
whatever sphere he might have been placed. Indebted but little
to early education, he possessed within himself a faculty of
extracting knowledge from every thing that came within his
observation; and, gifted with a powerful memory, a reflecting
mind, and the art of methodizing and arranging the ideas and
information which he acquired, he was enabled at all times to
bring a mass of well digested and pertinent knowledge to bear
upon and illustrate any subject which he was required to
discuss. He had a singular talent for comprehending principles
and for seizing information, and arranging and applying it; so
that there were few subjects upon which he entered on which he
could not lay down sound principles, and illustrate and
maintain them by sound arguments. Too confident of his
strength, and perhaps over-elated with his many victories, he
would sometimes venture on untenable ground, and expose
himself to the inroads of an able enemy; but these
indiscretions were of rare occurrence, and the memory of his
temporary checks was generally cancelled by the skilfulness of
his retreats.
"If Mr. Brock was thus distinguished for his mental powers, he
was no less so by the strength and felicity of his style of
writing. He had the rare talent of putting proper words in
their proper places. He wrote English with English plainness
and English force. There was nothing affected or _modish_ in
his manner. He gave his readers an impression that he was
clear in the conception of his own meaning, and he made it
equally so to them. He aimed at no ornament: the beauty of his
writings consisted in their perspicuity and strength. A verbal
critic might discover inaccuracies in his compositions, but
the man of sense would find in them nothing unmeaning---
nothing useless--nothing vapid. He was not a turner of fine
periods--he was not a _fine writer_--but he wrote with
strength, precision, and lucidity; and his compositions, even
where they failed to produce conviction, could never be read
without creating respect for the masculine talents of their
author......
"But the main ground on which the memory of Daniel De Lisle
Brock must rest its claims on the affection, the respect, and
the gratitude of his fellow countrymen, is the devoted--the
engrossing love which, during his whole life, he bore to his
native land. Every thought, every wish, every feeling of pride
or ambition, centered in his beloved Guernsey. She was the
idol of his affections--the object of all his solicitude--the
glory of his inmost heart. His endeavours for her welfare may
occasionally have been misdirected--his objections to change
in her institutions may have been ill-founded--but his motives
have ever been beyond the reach of suspicion or reproach. They
were concentrated in the desire for her good. Her people, her
soil, her laws, her customs, nay, even her prejudices, were
dear to him--they were his household gods. He worshipped them,
he lived for them, and he would have died for them......
"The private character of Mr. Brock presents an embellishing
and graceful adjunct to his public qualities. Bold even to
temerity in his acts; firm even to obstinacy in his opinions;
entertaining an exalted estimate of the office that he filled,
and of the interests that he embodied or represented in his
person, he was, at the same time, simple, courteous, and
benevolent in his private manner, to a degree that was as
honorable to himself, as it was gratifying to those who came
in contact with him. Mr. Brock on the bench, and Mr. Brock in
private, were distinct characters. In the former position,
conscious, probably, of his talents and his authority, he was
firm, and sometimes, though rarely, in appearance even
imperious; in the latter, resigning himself to the feelings
of the gentleman, he was affable, kind, and even diffident. In
his privacy he displayed all the attributes of a superior
mind. He was entirely devoid of pride and ostentation: his
mind was superior to the weakness they denote. He disdained
the conventional habits of society, for nature had created him
a gentleman, and he needed not the aid of art. He mingled not
in that society where he might have received the homage to
which his talents were entitled. He spent his time in study,
or in working for the public welfare; his relaxations being in
his fields and garden, or in the conversation of casual
visitors who, uninvited, occasionally resorted to his
unceremonious and hospitable roof. Ardent as he was in
political discussions, prone as he was to enter into
controversy, the feelings of animosity which he expressed died
in their utterance. The adversary of to-day was the welcome
guest of the morrow. The hand which had distilled the gall of
disputation at one moment, was readily extended in kind
fellowship the next. Mr. Brock was probably not exempt from
failings, but he had certainly nothing of littleness about
him. He respected an honorable and open adversary, more than a
flattering and servile friend. His hostility was strong, but
it was shortlived: his enmity was vigorous, but it had no
memory. In other respects, too, he evinced a generous and
benevolent heart. At all seasons and under all circumstances,
his time and attention were willingly devoted to those who
sought his assistance or advice. He was the friend and
counsellor of all. Many is the angry feeling he has
allayed--many the lawsuit he has prevented--many the family
division he has closed. His kind offices were at the command
of all. No labour was too great for him, when called on for
his assistance; but if at any time he found himself obliged to
reject a claim which was made on him, he so softened his
refusal with courtesy and kindness, that the disappointed
seldom left him without experiencing a sense of obligation.
"Possessing these characteristics, which are hastily sketched
by the pen of a political opponent, Mr. Brock, it must be
admitted, was a distinguished man. His sphere of action was
limited, but within that sphere he acted an honorable, a
useful, and a noble part. Had he been cast upon a wider stage,
there can be little doubt that his talents and his resolution
would have acquired for him a more extensive reputation; but,
even as it is, his fate is enviable. He sought the welfare of
his country, and desired its respect and gratitude as his
reward. Both objects have been attained; and he now sleeps, at
the close of a long and honorable life, regarded by all his
country men as the most able, the most useful, the most
disinterested, and the most patriotic of the rulers to which
its destinies have ever been committed. No man has been more
beloved and respected in his life, and none more regretted at
his death. _Peace to his manes!_"
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 161: There are some of the public papers written by Mr. Brock
which may be profitably studied as models of this kind of
composition.--_Guernsey Star, September 26, 1842._]
[Footnote 162: Mr. Brock was no doubt ambitious, but his ambition was
gratified in beholding the advancement of his country. Personal
advantage--individual distinction--were things that never occurred to
his imagination, or occurred only to be contemned. He might have had an
augmentation of salary--he might have received the honor of
knighthood--he might have had the sources of fortune opened to him--but
these would have brought no advantages to Guernsey, and he rejected
them.--_Guernsey Star, September 26, 1842._]
[Footnote 163: The extracts in inverted commas are from the Guernsey
_Star_ of Thursday, 29th September, 1842.]
APPENDIX C.
The common ancestor of the Guernsey family of this name was John Tupper,
who settled in the island about the year 1592. He was an English
gentleman, of German, extraction, his forefather, it appears, having,
about the year 1525, fled from Cassel during the religious persecution
in the reign of Charles the Fifth. The elder son of this John Tupper
married Elizabeth, daughter of Hilary Gosselin,[164] procureur du roi,
or attorney-general--the younger removed to England.
In the memorable year of 1692, John Tupper, Esq., (the grandson of the
said John Tupper and Elizabeth Gosselin,) at some expense and risk of
capture, conveyed to Admiral Russell, who commanded the combined English
and Dutch fleets lying at St. Helen's, the intelligence that the French
fleet, under Admiral Tourville, was in the channel. This intelligence
led to the battle of La Hogue; and as a reward for this patriotic
service, Mr. Tupper was presented by his sovereigns, William and Mary,
with a massive gold chain and medal, which are now in possession of his
heir male; his descendants being permitted to bear them as an honorable
augmentation to their arms and crest.
The elder son of John Tupper, who acquired the medal, by his wife,
Elizabeth Dobrée, of Beauregard, had three sons, of whom the eldest died
without issue; the second was Elisha, a much-respected jurat of the
Royal Court, who died in 1802, leaving five surviving children;[165]
and the youngest was John, who obtained, in 1747, a commission, by
purchase, in General Churchill's regiment of marines, that corps being
then differently constituted to what it is now. He served as a captain
at the celebrated defeat of the French fleet in Quiberon bay, by Sir
Edward Hawke, in 1759; as a major and commandant of a battalion at
Bunker's Hill, in 1775,[166] where he was slightly wounded, and where
the marines, having greatly distinguished themselves, won the laurel
which now encircles their device; and as a lieutenant-colonel in
Rodney's victory of the 12th of April, 1782, having been especially sent
from England to command the marines in the fleet, about 4,000 men, in
the event of their being landed on any of the enemy's West India
islands. At his decease, in January, 1795, he was a major-general in the
army, and commandant-in-chief of the marines. Had the honors of the Bath
been extended in those days to three degrees of knighthood as they have
been since, he would probably have been a knight commander of that
order.
The fatality which has attended the descendants of the two brothers just
named, will appear in the following brief summary:
1.--Lieutenant Carré Tupper, of his majesty's ship Victory, only son of
Major-General Tupper, slain at the siege of Bastia, on the 24th of
April, 1794.
2.--William De Vic Tupper, (son of E. Tupper, Esq.) mortally wounded in
1798, in a duel in Guernsey, with an officer in the army, and died the
day following.
3.--John E. Tupper, aged twenty, perished at sea, in 1812, in the
Mediterranean, the vessel in which he was a passenger, from Catalonia
to Gibraltar, having never been heard of since.
4.--Charles James Tupper,[167] aged sixteen, captain's midshipman of his
majesty's 18-gun brig Primrose, drowned on the 17th August, 1815, at
Spithead, by the upsetting of the boat in which he was accompanying his
commander, Captain Phillott, to the ship.
5.--Lieutenant E. William Tupper, of his majesty's ship Sybille, aged
twenty-eight, mortally wounded in her boats, June 18, 1826, in action
with a strong band of Greek pirates, near the island of Candia.
6.--Colonel William De Vic Tupper, Chilian service, aged twenty-nine,
slain in action near Talca, in Chile, April 17, 1830. The four last sons
of John E. Tupper, Esq., and Elizabeth Brock, his wife; and nephews of
William De Vic Tupper, Esq., already named, and also of Major-General
Sir Isaac Brock, K.B.; of Lieut.-Colonel John Brock, and of Lieutenant
Ferdinand Brock, who all fell by the bullet.
7.--Colonel William Le Mesurier Tupper, of the British Auxiliary Legion
in Spain, and a captain in the 23d, or Royal Welsh Fusiliers, mortally
wounded near San Sebastian, May 5, 1836, aged thirty-two. Colonel Tupper
was also nephew of W. De Vic Tupper, Esq., and first cousin of the four
brothers last named.
* * * * *
LIEUT. E. WILLIAM TUPPER, R.N.
This promising young officer, third son of John E. Tupper, Esq., by
Elizabeth Brock, his wife, was educated at Harrow, and commenced his
naval career in 1810, in the Victory, of 110 guns, under the care and
patronage of the late Lord de Saumarez, with whom he continued some
time in the Baltic. He served on the American coast during the latter
part of the war, in the Asia, 74; and was present at the disastrous
attack of New Orleans, in January, 1815, forming one of a party landed
from the fleet, to co-operate with the army. On the night of the storm,
this party, in conjunction with the 85th light infantry, under Colonel
Thornton,[168] attacked some fortified works on the right bank of the
Mississippi, and were completely successful; but the failure of the main
assault rendered this success unavailing. In the same year he joined the
flag ship of Sir Thomas Fremantle, who, having been an intimate friend
of his late uncle, Sir Isaac Brock, kindly assured him of his influence
and support; but peace taking place before he had attained the requisite
age for promotion, all the bright prospects with which he entered the
service were blighted. In November, 1817, on his return in the Active
frigate, Captain Philip Carteret, from the Jamaica station, he passed at
the naval college at Portsmouth, and was one of four midshipmen
complimented as having undergone a superior examination. In 1823, he was
appointed to the Revenge, Sir Harry Neale's flag ship, in the
Mediterranean, and placed on the admiralty list for advancement. Early
in 1826, he was at length promoted into the Seringapatam frigate; but
Sir John Pechell, under whom he had previously served for a short time,
prevailed upon the admiral to transfer him to his own ship, the Sybille,
of 48 guns, "a crack frigate," in a high state of discipline, the crew
of which was remarkable for its skill in gunnery.
The Sybille was at Alexandria, when intelligence arrived there of the
plunder of a Maltese vessel, under atrocious circumstances, by a nest of
Greek pirates, on the southern coast of Candia. Sir John Pechell set
sail immediately in quest of these lawless and desperate men. On Sunday,
the 18th of June, 1826, at daylight, two misticoes were observed under
sail, near Cape Matala, standing towards the frigate; but on discovering
their mistake, they made for the land, and were followed by the Sybille,
into a narrow creek formed by a rocky islet and the mainland of Candia.
On this islet were posted from 200 to 300 armed Greeks, chiefly the
crews of three or four piratical misticoes at anchor in the creek; and
in a desperate attempt to cut out these misticoes, with the boats,
Midshipman J.M. Knox and twelve men were killed; and the first
lieutenant, Gordon, dangerously; Lieutenant Tupper, mortally; Midshipmen
William Edmonstone and Robert Lees, both very severely; and twenty-seven
men were wounded, of whom five died in a few days. Two of the misticoes
were afterwards sunk, and many of the pirates were killed and wounded by
the frigate's guns.[169]
Lieutenant Tupper commanded the launch, and although severely wounded in
three places, he stood up the whole time, and retained the command of
her until he returned to the ship. The bullet, which proved fatal,
entered his right breast, and was extracted from under the skin over the
false ribs. He lingered until the 26th June, when he breathed his last,
in a state of delirium, on board the Sybille, at Malta, where his
remains were interred, and a monument was erected to his memory by his
captain and messmates. In person he was rather above the middle height,
with a pleasing and intelligent countenance; and when his brother
Charles and he were midshipmen together in the Victory, in the Baltic,
they were designated on board as the handsome brothers.[170]
The surgeon of the Sybille, in a letter to the family in Guernsey, wrote
of Lieutenant Tupper:
"When I first saw him he was firm and cool. He asked me to
give my opinion without reserve, and knowing him to be
possessed of
great fortitude, I told him that the wound in the chest was of a
most _dangerous_ nature, but not _necessarily_ fatal. He had by
this time lost a great deal of blood, but the internal hemorrhage,
though the most alarming, was slight. He remained so low for three
days, that it was expected he would have sunk, though he still
continued collected and firm. On the fourth day he rallied, his
pulse became more distinct, and he evidently encouraged hopes. Need
I say that I felt myself incapable of destroying them--indeed I was
not altogether without hope myself. The principal danger was from
hemorrhage upon the separation of the sloughs, and my fears were
fatally verified, for on the 25th, at noon, it commenced and
increased internally, until his lungs could no longer perform their
functions, and he died at about three o'clock on the morning of the
26th. During the whole time he was resigned, evincing the greatest
strength of mind. As it was with unfeigned sorrow that I saw a fine
and gallant young man fall a victim to such a cause, so it was with
admiration that I witnessed his heroic bearing when the excitement
was past, and hope itself was almost fled. I have seen many support
their firmness amidst danger and death, but it belongs to few to
sustain it during protracted suffering, which is indeed a trial
often too severe for the bravest, but through which your lamented
brother came with a spirit and resignation which reflected lustre
upon himself and family, and endeared him to all his shipmates."
* * * * *
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 164: Eldest son of N. Gosselin, Esq., jurat, one of the clerks
of the council to Queen Elizabeth, by his wife, a daughter of Lewis
Lemprière, Esq., bailiff of Jersey--and grandson of Hilary Gosselin,
bailiff of Guernsey in four reigns, Henry the Eighth to Elizabeth.]
[Footnote 165: Viz. two sons--Daniel, married Catherine, daughter of
John Tupper, Esq., jurat; and John, married Elizabeth, daughter of John
Brock, Esq.--and three daughters, Emilia, wife of Sir P. De Havilland,
bailiff; Elizabeth, wife of W. Le Marchant, Esq.; and Margaret, wife of
I. Carey, Esq.]
[Footnote 166: Major Tupper succeeded to the command of the marines, of
whom there were two battalions at Bunker's Hill, after the fall of the
gallant Major Pitcairn, and was honorably mentioned in the general
orders of the day.]
[Footnote 167: The Primrose, while this young officer was serving in
her, was actively employed during the war, and in one engagement had
fifteen officers and men killed and wounded. In 1815, he accompanied
Captain Phillott in the boat expedition up the river St. Mary, in the
United States, in which that officer was wounded.]
[Footnote 168: The same officer whose letters have been given in this
volume.]
[Footnote 169: See _United Service Journal_, March, 1841, pp. 332-3.]
[Footnote 170: By a singular coincidence, the two brothers commenced
their career in the same ship, the Victory, to which their near
relative, Lieutenant Carré Tupper, belonged when he was killed in the
Mediterranean, in one of her boats, and all three lost their lives in
boats!]
APPENDIX D.
COLONEL WILLIAM DE VIC TUPPER.
... My beautiful, my brave!
* * * * *
Ah! who can tell how many a soul sublime
Has felt the influence of malignant star,
And waged with Fortune an unequal war!
This highly gifted young man was a brother of the subject of the
preceding memoir, their father having had ten sons and three daughters.
He received an excellent education in England, partly under a private
tutor in Warwickshire; and on the restoration of the Bourbons, in 1814,
he was sent to a college in Paris, in which he continued until the
arrival of Napoleon from Elba, when he was gratified by a glimpse of
that extraordinary man. When he landed in France, although he had barely
completed his fourteenth year, his stature was so tall and athletic as
to give him the appearance of a young giant; and on being asked his age
at the police office, that it might be inserted in his passport, his
reply was received with a smile of astonishment and incredulity, which
afforded much subsequent amusement to his elder fellow travellers. At
the age of sixteen his strength and activity were so great, that few men
could have stood up against him with any chance of success. On his
return to Guernsey, every interest the family possessed was anxiously
exerted to indulge his wish of entering the British army, but owing to
the great reductions made after the peace of 1815, he was unable to
obtain a commission, even by purchase. Those relatives, who could best
have forwarded his views, had been slain in the public service; and in
that day few claims were admitted, unless supported by strong
parliamentary influence. He attended the levee of the
commander-in-chief, who promised to take his memorial into early
consideration; and it was hoped by the family that his tall and
strikingly handsome person would have had some influence; but
unfortunately the youth, then under sixteen, waited alone on the Duke of
York, and had no one to plead his cause or to promote his wishes. He was
accompanied as far as the Horse Guards by the late Lieut.-Colonel Eliot,
(see page 399,) who there, or in the neighbourhood, introduced him to
Sir Roger Sheaffe, whom they met accidentally; but the general took
little or no notice of the nephew of one to whom he was under much
obligation, and whose fall had been his rise. It is true that Sir Roger
Sheaffe was also about to solicit an ensigncy for his own nephew; but
sure we are, that had Sir Isaac Brock met the nephew of a gallant
predecessor under similar circumstances, he would have presented him to
the commander-in-chief, and urged his claims with all the warmth of
companionship and gratitude. And is it not painful to think, that a
nephew of Sir Roger Sheaffe obtained that _without_ purchase, which was
withheld from the nephew of Sir Isaac Brock, even _by_ purchase--and
that nephew of as noble a spirit as ever breathed? Being thus cruelly
disappointed, young Tupper spent two or three years in Catalonia, of
which province a relative, P.C. Tupper, was British consul (see p. 73);
and "the young Englishman" received the public thanks of the
municipality of Barcelona, for having boldly exposed his life to
extinguish a conflagration which threatened to destroy a whole barrier
of the city. Here his vanity was constantly excited by exclamations in
the streets, on the manly beauty of his person. The profession of arms
continuing his ruling passion, he embarked at Guernsey late in 1821 for
Rio de Janeiro, whence he proceeded to Buenos Ayres, and thence over
land to Chile, then struggling for her independence of Spain. His family
was averse to his joining the patriot cause, as it was then termed, and
he arrived at Santiago a mere soldier of fortune--without, we believe, a
single letter of introduction to those in authority. But his appearance
and manners, and a perfect knowledge of three languages, English,
French, and Spanish, all of which he spoke fluently, soon procured him
friends and active military employment. He rose rapidly, and his deeds
have been compared to those of the far-famed Sir William Wallace.
In a necessarily brief notice, it is, however, quite impossible to
detail the services of young Tupper in the land of his unhappy adoption;
and it must, therefore, suffice to say that he displayed the greatest
talent and bravery, first against the Spaniards, and, after their
subjugation, in the civil wars which ensued. He was drawn into the
latter, when, in 1829, part of the troops, under General Prieto,
attempted to subvert the existing authorities, because, as he wrote, he
"considered that no free government or orderly state could exist an
hour, if the military were once allowed to throw the sword into the
scale, and decide points of legislation by the force of arms." In a
battle fought near the capital, Santiago, the rebel troops were
defeated, but Prieto gained that by treachery, which he could not effect
by the sword; and when Colonel Tupper resigned in disgust, the earnest
entreaties of his old commander, General Freire unfortunately induced
him to accept the government of Coquimbo, which step soon after
compelled him to resume the command of his regiment. Freire was deceived
by some of Prieto's chiefs, who, probably at the instigation of that
faithless general, had promised to pass over to him with their troops at
the first convenient opportunity; and he allowed himself to be forced
into a battle on a vast plain at Lircay, near Talca, on the 17th April,
1830. Nothing could be more ill-judged or imprudent, as his army, which
consisted of about 1,700 men, had only two weak squadrons of regular
cavalry and four pieces of artillery, while that of Prieto, amounting to
fully 2,200 men, had 800 veteran cavalry, and eleven or twelve pieces of
artillery. The Chile cavalry is very formidable, the men being most
expert riders, mounted on active and powerful horses, and generally
armed with long lances, which they use with great dexterity. After a
long engagement, Freire's cavalry, consisting of about 600 men,
including militia and Indians, fled completely discomfited, and
abandoned the infantry, composed of three weak battalions, to its fate.
Their situation was now indeed desperate, as the ground was so favorable
to cavalry, and the neighbourhood offered them no accessible place of
defence or refuge. When they formed into squares to resist the hostile
cavalry, they were mowed down by artillery; and, when they deployed into
line, the cavalry was upon them. In this dreadful emergency they
maintained the conflict for nearly an hour, with all the obstinacy of
despair; and at length, in attempting to charge in column, they were
completely broken. The loss in Freire's army fell chiefly on the
devoted infantry, and included eighteen officers among the killed. The
only officers mentioned as slain, in Prieto's hurried dispatch of the
17th of April, are Colonel Elizalde, chief of the staff; Colonel Tupper,
and his gallant Major Varela, a young man of five or six and twenty.
Colonel Tupper is said to have exhibited the most reckless valour during
the day, and to have rallied his battalion several times. Having
dismounted to encourage his men, he was unable, in the _mêlée_ when all
was lost, to find his horse; and the accounts of the manner of his death
are so contradictory, that it is impossible to reconcile them. All
agree, however, in stating that he was particularly sought after, and
that orders were given to shew him no quarter. Certain it is that he was
overtaken, and "sacrificed to the fears of Prieto, who justly considered
him the sword and buckler of the irresolute and vacillating Freire." He
was pronounced by an English traveller, as "the handsomest man he had
ever seen in either hemisphere," and undoubtedly his tall, athletic, and
beautifully proportioned person, his almost Herculean strength, the
elegance of his manners, and his impetuous valour in battle, gave the
impression rather of a royal knight of chivalry, than of a republican
soldier.[171] The influence and popularity which in a few short years he
acquired in his adopted country, by his own unaided exertions, and under
the many disadvantages of being a stranger in a strange land, best prove
that his talents were of the first order, and that he was no common
character. And that fraternal affection may not be supposed to have
dictated this eulogium, the following impartial testimonies of its
correctness are appended, in justice to the memory of one whom a
combination of cruel circumstances drove to a distant land to shed that
blood, and to yield that life, winch he had in vain sought to devote to
his own country.
An English gentleman, of ancient family, and author of travels in South
America, who knew Colonel Tupper intimately, thus wrote of him:
"He was certainly one of the finest fellows I ever knew--one
of those beings whose meteor-like flame traverses our path,
and leaves an imperishable recollection of its brilliancy....
I have often held him up as an example to be followed of
scrupulous exactness, and of a probity, I fear, alas! too
uncompromising in these corrupt times."
The American _chargé d'affaires_ and consul-general in Chile, said, in a
letter to Captain P.P. King, then of his majesty's ship Adventure, both
strangers to the family:
"The heroism displayed by Tupper surpassed the prowess of any
individual that I ever heard of in battle; but, poor fellow!
he was horribly dealt with after getting away with another
officer. A party of cavalry and Indians was sent in pursuit,
and they boast that poor Tupper was cut to pieces. They seemed
to be more in terror of him, on account of his personal
bravery and popularity, than of all the others. Guernsey has
cause to be proud of so great a hero--a hero he truly was, for
nature made him one."
And one of the British consuls in Chile wrote:
"I trust you will believe that any member of the family of
Colonel Tupper, who may require such services as I am at
liberty to offer, will be always esteemed by one who, for many
years, has looked upon his gallant and honorable conduct as
reflecting lustre upon the English name in these new and
distant states."
An anonymous French traveller, who published in a Paris newspaper, _Le
Semeur_, of the 4th April, 1832, his "Souvenir d'un Séjour au Chili,"
thus expressed himself:
"Les Chiliens sont jaloux des étrangers qui prennent du service
chez eux, et il est assez naturel qu'ils le soient, quoiqu'on ne
puisse nier qu'ils aient de grandes obligations à plusieurs de
ceux qui ont fait Chili leur patrie adoptive. Depuis mon retour
en Europe, un de ces hommes, digne d'une haute estime, a cessé de
vivre. Je veux parler du Colonel Tupper, qui a été fait
prisonnier à la tête de son regiment; et qui, après avoir été
tenu, pendant une heure, dans l'incertitude sur son sort, fut
cruellement mis à mort par les ennemis. Le Colonel Tupper était
un homme d'une grande bravoure et d'un esprit éclairé; ses formes
étaient athlétiques, et l'expression de sa physionomie pleine de
franchise. II se serait distingué partout où il aurait été
employé, et dans quelque situation qu'il eût été placé. N'est-il
pas déplorable que de tels hommes en soient réduits à se
consacrer à une cause étrangère?
"J'espère que le temps n'est pas éloigné où l'on saura apprécier
au Chili le patriotisme et l'énergie, dont le Colonel Tupper a
donné l'exemple."
And in a pamphlet published at Lima, in, 1831, by General Freire, in
exposition of his conduct during the civil war in Chile, 1829-30, is the
following extract translated from the Spanish:
"It does not enter into my plan to justify the strategic
movements which preceded the battle of Lircay. The
disproportion between the contending forces was excessive.
Neither tactics nor prodigies of valour could avail against
this immense disadvantage. The liberals were routed. Would
that I could throw a veil, not over a Conquest which proves
neither courage nor talent in the conqueror, but over the
horrid cruelties which succeeded the battle. The most furious
savages, the most unprincipled bandits, would have been
ashamed to execute the orders which the rebel army received
from Prieto, and yet which were executed with mournful
fidelity. Tupper--illustrious shade of the bravest of
soldiers, of the most estimable of men; shade of a hero to
whom Greece and Rome would have erected statues--your dreadful
assassination will be avenged. If there be no visible
punishment for your murderer, Divine vengeance will overtake
him. It will demand an account of that infamous sentence
pronounced against all strangers by a man[172] who at that
time was the pupil and the tool of a vagabond stranger,[173]
indebted for his elevation and his bread to the generosity of
Chile."
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 171: From his earliest youth he gave indications of that
fearless and daring spirit which marked his after-life; and when he left
Europe in 1821, he was generally thought to bear a striking resemblance
to his late uncle, Major-General Brock, at the same age. This similarity
extended in some degree even to their deaths, as the Indians of either
continent were employed as auxiliaries in the actions in which they
fell, and both were killed in the months that gave them birth. Like his
uncle also, he swam occasionally to Castle Cornet and back, (see foot
note, page 337,) and he was equally tall, being in height six feet two
inches, while his figure was a perfect model of strength and symmetry.]
[Footnote 172: General Prieto.]
[Footnote 173: Garrido, a Spanish renegade.]