First Edition Published October 7, 2015
Second Edition Published August 29, 2016
Third Edition Published September 22, 2018
Copyright by Fred Blair
December 1,
1812
On the
Niagara Frontier
Captain William H. Merritt later
reported that this month was excessively cold and severe. Due to the hardships of the winter, poor
diet, and other factors a large number of militia men died during the
month. There was a constant expectation
of attack until Christmas.[1]
Lieutenant Alexander McKee resigned
his position in Captain Powell’s Artillery Company. Two days later, Lieutenant Daniel Spilman
was appointed to that position. [2]
In
Kingston
The Kingston Gazette reported that
many young men from the countryside were in the town on militia duty but were
not fully employed in that service. The
public-school board proposed that a school house be furnished with desks,
benches, a stove, and teaching materials so that these young men could be
instructed in reading, grammar, writing, bookkeeping, geography, and
mathematics. Only the first fifty
applicants would be accepted. As well as
relieving the toil of militia service, the learning would prevent them from acquiring
habits of idleness, improve their understanding and life after service, and
render them happier and more useful members of their communities.[3]
Blanket
Coats in Prescott
Oliver
Everts of Augusta Township made and delivered twelve blanket coats for the
piquet guards in Prescott. He charged 3
shillings and 9 pence each.[4]
December 4,
1812
On the
Niagara Frontier
A high desertion rate was reported
in the 1st Lincoln Militia and it was suspected that the officers
were not pursuing the missing men. A
circular warned that if any officers were found to have neglected their duty in
bringing the absent men back to their duty, those officers would be replaced.[5]
Captain James Crook commanded a 1st
Lincoln Militia Company of eighty-one men between November 30th and
December 11th. The number of
men actively serving during this time period dropped from thirty-two to fifteen
while the desertion rate climbed from thirty-one to fifty-one. The number of those too ill to serve was high
as well with eighteen men ill on the 30th to fifteen on the 11th.
Captain James Macklem reported
similar results from his 2nd Lincoln Militia company of fifty-four
men. The number of active men dropped
from forty to fifteen while desertion climbed from eight to thirty-two.[6]
The 1st Lincoln Militia
was mustered from the Townships of Niagara, Grantham, and Louth which bordered
the south shore of Lake Ontario west from the Town of Niagara and the Niagara
River. The 2nd Lincoln
Militia mustered from the Townships of Stamford, Thorold, and Pelham with
Pelham bordered on the Niagara River and all three townships just south of the
1st Lincoln muster area.
A shortage of wood was reported and
officers were urged to use their supplies sparingly.[7] This was another hardship to be endured.
Private Jacob Leopard died of an
illness while serving in Captain John Chisholm’s Flank Company of the 2nd
York Militia.[8]
December 5,
1812
Militia officers were reminded to
send men to the Commissariat Department to cut wood and thrash straw.[9]
December 8,
1812
William Hamilton Merritt wrote that
women were scarce on the Niagara Frontier and that many men were ill. Many young men had died of fatigue and fifty
people from the Ten and Twelve Mile Creeks had died of a fever. These conditions probably further contributed
to the rate of desertion.[10]
Captain Henry Buchner and his
company of twenty-eight other men of the 3rd Lincoln Militia served
on the Niagara River at Black Creek from October 13th to December 8th. He paid 16 pounds-currency to have 32 cords
of wood cut and delivered to them and another 2 pounds for 32-pounds weight of
candles.[11]
December 10,
1812
Private Isaac Brown, who was serving
with Captain William Applegarth’s 2nd York Flank Company died of
disease brought on by seasonable weather and a lack of proper clothing.[12]
A year end Return of the Flank
Companies of the 5th Lincoln Militia reported that Privates David
Vannicle, Archen Lykings, and Mathias Smith died while serving on the Niagara
Frontier in December. Sergeant William
Markle died in St. David’s in January, 1813.[13]
December 11,
1812
The flank companies of the 2nd
York Militia, were mustered from the townships at the western end of Lake
Ontario and had travelled further to reach their positions along the Niagara
River. Captain William Applegarth’s
Company was down to three men fit for duty on the 11th.[14]
Captain Applegarth’s company payroll
from November 25th to December 20th reported that he had
only twelve men left under his command.
He did not list the number of men who had deserted.[15]
Captain John Chisholm, who commanded
the other 2nd York Flank Company, had thirty-one men serving under
him. Private Jacob Leopard and
Lieutenant George King both died of illnesses in December and he reported
another three men ill.[16]
Sheaffe dismissed the regular militia
and on the 16th sent most of the flank companies home as well.[17]
December 13,
1812
Fire consumed two of Thomas
Cumming’s buildings which were occupied by the 2nd and 4th
Lincoln Militia.[18]
The Lincoln Militias were allowed to
send one flank company home until the 28th at which time they could
send their second company home.[19]
To relieve the discontent in the
militia ranks, the York regiments were allowed to return home for three
weeks. An alarm gun was to be placed at
the entrance to Lundy’s Lane to recall the local Lincoln Militias.[20]
December 14,
1812
Captain Nelle’s 4th
Lincoln and Captain William Applegarth’s 2nd York Flank Companies
were to march to Fort Erie.[21]
December 15,
1812
In York
The Loyal and Patriotic Society of
Upper Canada was formed to provide care and some relief to soldiers, their
families, and the poor.[22]
On the
Niagara Frontier
Lieutenant George King of the 2nd
York Militia died of an illness. [23]
December 16,
1812
The 2nd York Flank
Companies were to serve until January 4th.[24]
December 28,
1812
Ensign Joseph Burney of the 5th
Lincoln Militia was on duty with a detachment at the whirlpool below Niagara
Falls until “all his men left him” on January 5th.[25]
December 31,
1812
On the November 25th to December
16th payroll for Captain John Smith’s Company, Benjamin and forty-seven other
men were recorded as deserted or absent without leave. Only fourteen men received pay.[26]
In
Ancaster Township
Benjamin Smith was still serving in
Captain John Smith’s Company of the 5th Lincoln Militia. He wrote that many had been sick and that
some had died. On December 9th,
he started for home with five others and stayed the night at B. Burkum’s. He recorded the five other men as S.S., S.G.,
J.B., C.G., and G.C.[27]
In his
diary, Benjamin recorded that he left the militia company with five other men,
three of them may have been Privates Stephen Smith, Samuel Garden, and Jacob
Bowman, who also deserted and whose initials matched three of the men’s that
Benjamin was travelling with.
On the
10th Benjamin and the other deserters travelled to Andrew Pettit’s and stayed
the night there. Benjamin arrived home
the following night and was lame with rheumatism. He remained lame until the 14th. He missed the Sunday quarterly meeting at P.
Bowman’s. He was feeling better by the
15th and he and his boys thrashed, cut and hauled wood, hulled corn, and killed
a cow with Jones. It snowed on the
18th. Work on the farm continued and
they cut up the slaughtered cow and salted the meat. Benjamin read his Book on Sundays. John Kelley and Jones helped him kill his
hogs. The meat was cut up and salted the
following day and more corn was hulled.
He took three hogs to Hatt’s and sold them and then visited the still
house. On Christmas day Syd came home to
visit and David went to the mill with Jones.
Corn was hauled in and more wheat thrashed. Benjamin helped Chambers bring in his corn
and he and his boys hulled corn at Bennajah Smith’s. Foreman Secord came and bought an ox from
Benjamin at the end of the month.
Benjamin
was recorded as Benajah Smith on some of the 5th Lincoln Militia payrolls and
his diary for this month indicated that there was another man with the same
name. Did they both serve in the 5th
Lincoln?[28]
Sources:
[1] Capt. Wm. H. Merritt, of the Provincial Light
Dragoons, Journal of Events, Principally on the Detroit and Niagara Frontiers,
during the War of 1812, The Historical Society, B.N.A., St. Catharines, C.W.,
1863, pages 21-22.
[2] Earnest Alexander Cruikshank, The Documentary History
of the Campaign upon the Niagara Frontier, Part 4, Lundy’s Lane Historical
Society, printed at the Tribune Office, Welland, 1900, pages 257 and 275, at
www.ourroots.ca, accessed Jan. 16, 2014.
[3] Kingston Gazette, accessed June 9, 2016 at http://vitacollections.ca/digital-kingston/96887/page/1
[5] Earnest Alexander Cruikshank, The Documentary History
of the Campaign upon the Niagara Frontier, Part 4, Lundy’s Lane Historical
Society, printed at the Tribune Office, Welland, 1900, pages 275-276, at
www.ourroots.ca, accessed Jan. 16, 2014.
[6] George Sheppard, Plunder, Profit, and Paroles: A Social History of the War of 1812 in Upper
Canada, McGill-Queen’s University Press, 1994, page 64.
[7] Earnest Alexander Cruikshank, The Documentary History
of the Campaign upon the Niagara Frontier, Part 4, Lundy’s Lane Historical
Society, printed at the Tribune Office, Welland, 1900, page 277, at
www.ourroots.ca, accessed Jan. 16, 2014.
[8] Collections
Canada, War of 1812: Upper Canada
Returns, Norminal Rolls and Paylists, RG9, Militia and Defence, Series 1-B-7,
Microfilm t-10384, pages 110-111.
[9] Earnest Alexander Cruikshank, The
Documentary History of the Campaign upon the Niagara Frontier, Part 4, Lundy’s
Lane Historical Society, printed at the Tribune Office, Welland, 1900, page
280, at www.ourroots.ca, accessed Jan. 16, 2014.
[10] George Sheppard, Plunder, Profit, and
Paroles: A Social History of the War of
1812 in Upper Canada, McGill-Queen’s University Press, 1994, page 65.
[12] Collections Canada, War of 1812: Upper Canada Returns, Norminal Rolls and
Paylists, RG9, Militia and Defence, Series 1-B-7, Microfilm t-10379, pages
287-289.
[13] Collections Canada, War of 1812: Upper Canada Returns, Norminal Rolls and
Paylists, RG9, Militia and Defence, Series 1-B-7, Microfilm t-10379, pages
137-142 & 252-257.
[14] George Sheppard, Plunder, Profit, and Paroles: A Social History of the War of 1812 in Upper
Canada, McGill-Queen’s University Press, 1994, page 64.
[15] Collections Canada, War of 1812: Upper Canada Returns, Norminal Rolls and
Paylists, RG9, Militia and Defence, Series 1-B-7, Microfilm t-10384, pages
159-160.
[16] Collections Canada, War of 1812: Upper Canada Returns, Norminal Rolls and
Paylists, RG9, Militia and Defence, Series 1-B-7, Microfilm t-10384, pages
110-112.
[17] George Sheppard, Plunder, Profit, and Paroles: A Social History of the War of 1812 in Upper
Canada, McGill-Queen’s University Press, 1994, page 65.
[18] Earnest Alexander Cruikshank, Documentary History of
the Campaign Upon the Niagara Frontier, Part 1 and 2, Lundy’s Lane Historical
Society, Printed at the Tribune Office, Welland, 1896 and 1897, page 329,
online at www.ourroots.ca,
accessed February 14, 2014.
[20] Earnest Alexander Cruikshank, Records of
Niagara: A Collection of Contemporary
Letters and Documents, 1812, Niagara Historical Society, Niagara, 1934, page
72.
[22] The Fife and Drum, The Newsletter of The Friends of
Fort York and Garrison Common, Volume 16, Number 4, September, 2012, page 7.
[23] Collections Canada, War of 1812: Upper Canada Returns, Norminal Rolls and
Paylists, RG9, Militia and Defence, Series 1-B-7, Microfilm t-10384, pages
110-111.
[24] Earnest Alexander Cruikshank, Records of Niagara: A Collection of Contemporary Letters and Documents,
1812, Niagara Historical Society, Niagara, 1934, page 73.
[25] Collections Canada, War of 1812: Upper Canada Returns, Norminal Rolls and
Paylists, RG9, Militia and Defence, Series 1-B-7, Microfilm t-10386, page 892.
[26] Collections Canada, War of 1812: Upper Canada Returns, Norminal Rolls and
Paylists, RG9, Militia and Defence, Series 1-B-7, Microfilm t-10386, pages
980-981.
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