September 1814 Stories

First Edition Published May 14, 2016

Second Edition Published August 1, 2017

Third Edition Published August 29, 2020

Copyright by Fred Blair

 

Additions are in blue text.

 

September 1, 1814

 

Near Oxford

 

            Andrew Westbrook’s American raiders were ambuscaded by Middlesex militia under the command of Lieutenant Daniel Rapelje.  Several of the marauders were killed including one of the leaders.  Westbrook and the remainder escaped into the woods but had to abandon the horses and cattle that they had captured.  They would attack again 4 days later.[1]

 

September 3, 1814

 

On Lake Huron

 

            The British captured the American schooner Tigress off Drummond Island.  The Tigress and Scorpion had helped destroy the British ship Nancy in August.  Four boatloads of British and Indians stealthily approached the Tigress during the night.  The British used the Tigress to capture the Scorpion.

            Chief Jean Baptiste Assiginack and his warriors had taken part in the capture of both American vessels.  The warriors had quietly snuck on board the Tigress before the Americans were aware that they were under attack.[2]

 

In Kingston

 

            Daniel Davern received title to two lots of land on Missassauga Point in the Town of Kingston.  When the property was later surveyed, it was discovered that the Missassauga Battery had previously been constructed on part of his waterfront lots.  Mr. Davern requested another parcel of land of equal value.[3]

 

At Fort Erie

 

            Colonel Joseph Willcock’s, the traitor and commander of the American Canadian Volunteers, was killed while placing men on guard at Fort Erie, while it was occupied by the Americans.[4]

 

September 5, 1814

 

At Port Talbot

 

            Andrew Westbrook and the American raiders burned mills and a number of houses in the port and for 15 miles down the Talbot Road.

            Prominent members of the Western District petitioned Brigadier General McArthur who commanded the American troops at Detroit and Amherstburg to stop the American raids in their area.  They reminded him of the September, 1813 proclamation by General Harrison and Commodore Perry promising to protect the lives and property of Upper Canadians.[5]

 

On the Niagara Frontier

 

            Although prices were inflated, it was announced that the commissariat would pay only $14.00 per barrel of flour and $10.00 per barrel of beef.  Residents who were deemed to have a surplus would have their flour and beef requisitioned at these fixed prices.  Upper Canadians holding back this surplus would be punished.

            An examination of the “back townships” revealed that there was no expected surplus in that area.[6]

            How many residents received prompt payment for their “surplus?”

 

In the Newcastle District

 

            A Court of Oyer and Terminer and General Gaol Delivery was held in Hamilton Township by Justice William Dummer Powell.  Duncan Campbell was found guilty of forgery.  On the 7th, he was sentenced to be hanged by the neck until dead on the 19th.

            In October, 1813, Duncan had entered the shop of Henry Jones and paid his account with a $25.00 bill and exchanged a second bill.  After Duncan, left Henry observed that the two bills Duncan had given him did not match others he had on hand.  Henry pursued Duncan and found him in another shop where he was paying for a purchase with another $25.00 bill.  Henry spoke to the shopkeeper and they discovered that that bill was counterfeit as well.  Duncan was arrested but claimed that he had received the bills from someone else and that he himself was not aware that they were forgeries.  Duncan petitioned for clemency and 800 residents from the Johnstown District signed petitions for him.   Before he could be paroled, Duncan escaped from the Brockville jail.[7]

 

September 6, 1814

 

On Lake Ontario

 

            Henry Beasley, the son of Richard Beasley of Barton Township, was travelling with a ship load of goods for his father when the ship was captured by the Americans at Presqu’ile Point near Trenton.  Among the many trunks, bundles, cases, boxes, crates, casks, and kegs were soap, sugar, pepper, tea, mustard, snuff, putty, iron, wines, gun powder, shot, cavalry steel, window glass, nails, and numerous other articles.[8]

            Richard was the lieutenant colonel of the 2nd York Militia where Henry served as an ensign.

 

September 7, 1814

 

At Brockville

 

            A Court of Oyer and Terminer and General Gaol Delivery was held at Brockville in the Johnstown District by Justice William Dummer Powell.  John Brunner was found guilty of assault with the intent to commit a rape and was sentenced the following day to be confined for 6 months, to pay a fine of 10 pounds, and to find security for his good behaviour for one year.

            Jacob Morse was found guilty of riot and assault and was sentenced to a fine of 10 pounds, to be confined until the fine was paid, and to find security to keep the peace for 6 months.[9]

 

September 9, 1814

 

On Lake Erie

 

            The American, Captain McCormick, was raiding in the Port Talbot area.  One of Elizabeth Rapelje’s children warned her that a group of Americans was approaching the family farm.  Elizabeth knew that Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Talbot of the 1st Middlesex Militia had left important papers in her husband’s care.  She quickly grabbed the documents and hid them near the family’s bee hives in the hope that the Americans would be afraid to disturb the bees by searching too close to the hives.

            Elizabeth’s three daughters, Elsie, Aletta, and Catherine, were present during the raid.  Their ages ranged from about thirteen to seventeen years old.  One of the warriors travelling with Captain McCormick’s party tried to take one of the girl’s dresses from the house.  She grabbed hold of it and fought to take in away from the warrior.  One of the soldiers stepped in and saved the girl from being harmed.[10]

            Elizabeth’s husband, Captain Daniel Rapelje served under Thomas Talbot and was probably away at the time of the raid.  He later reported that the Americans had taken clothing, books, household furniture, and other articles.  The raiding party did not appear to have plundered the barn and other buildings on the property.  The hidden papers remained safe.

The family was raided again in November by General McArthur’s army.  During this second raid crops and livestock were taken or destroyed.  Daniel reported the loss of two of his bee hives on that occasion.[11]

 

September 10, 1814

 

On the Niagara Frontier

 

            James D. Secord of St. David’s had a number of his books taken by the Americans:  a large Bible, two volumes of Murry’s Geography, two volumes of the Life of Boneparte, two volumes of Gurthey’s Travels, two volumes of The History of England, and Thoughts on Law.  He lost articles in 1813, as well, which included clothing, two English watches, and two French watches.[12]

 

September 15, 1814

 

In Leeds Township

 

            Christopher Trickey’s mare was found “mortally wounded”, having been stabbed a number of times with a bayonet or other pointed weapon.  The residents of Lansdowne had been under the threat of a gang of horse thieves from across the St. Lawrence River.  Daniel McNeil and John Trickey were sure that the gang were responsible for killing the horse.[13]

 

September 19, 1814

 

At Niagara Falls

 

            Lieut. John Le Couteur, of the 104th Foot, and other British officers invited 13 American officers for dinner.  Afterwards he escorted 6 of them to Mrs. Willson’s tavern at the Falls where they were staying while under parole as prisoners.[14]

 

September 20, 1814

 

At Port Talbot

 

            Colonel Thomas Talbot reported that the Americans had returned to Port Talbot and burned his mills and buildings.  All his flour was burnt and sheep were killed.  The loss of the mills would hurt the farmers in the area as the closest mill was 120 miles away.

            The house and barns of Lieutenant Colonel Mahlon Burwell and others had been burned too.  The Americans proceeded 16 miles down the Talbot Road and took all the horses they could find, pillaged houses of clothing, and destroyed furniture that could not be carried off.  Both officers served in the 1st Middlesex Militia.

            Colonel Talbot presented the Loyal and Patriotic Society with a list of 27 families that needed assistance because of the American raids that summer.[15]

 

September 24, 1814

 

On the Niagara Frontier

 

            Obadiah Dennis of Point Abino in Bertie Township had his barn burnt by the British on May 28, 1813 in order to destroy their provisions stored there.  On this day his life was threatened by a party of men who declared that they were Americans.  They plundered his house of bedding, clothing, a saddle, 3 bridles, and other articles.  The following day a party of American Rifleman and others plundered his home again.  The second group of raiders were more interested in provisions but also took several geography books, 2 brass candle sticks, a brass kettle, and a dresser.[16]

 

September 25, 1814

 

            William Bitner, of Willoughby Township, had his smithy tools impressed by the British 19th Light Dragoons and some of his coal impressed by the Royal Artillery.  They took 2 hammers, 3 pair of tongs, chisels, punches, 40 pounds of iron, and 200 bushels of coal.[17]

 



 

At York

 

            Captain Stephen Heward of the 3rd York Militia commanded a large detachment of men who were employed in the Engineer Department at York until October 24, 1814.  The men were mustered from the 1st and 3rd York Militias.[18]

 

September 30, 1814

 

On Lake Ontario

 

            Sometime during the month, Andrew Heron of Niagara was shipping merchandise from Presqu’ile to York when his boat was attacked by the Americans.  Mr. Franceoux who was aboard was wounded and died within a few hours.[19]

 

In Ancaster Township

 

            Most of Benjamin Smith’s diary entries for this month were too faint to read.  On the farm in Ancaster Township they appeared to have “picked” brush, plowed, delivered flax to Burlington, hauled wood, and thrashed wheat.[20]

 

Upper Canadian Service Deaths

 

Sergeant George Marlat, 2nd York, disease, Sept. 1, 1814,

orphaned child to Rebecca Kenny

Private John McGrath, Incorporated Militia, at Fort Erie, Sept. 24, 1814,

orphaned child to Catherine McGrath [21]

 

Sources:



[2] Alan Corbiere, Jean Baptiste Assiginack/The Starling (aka Blackbird):  Anishnaabeg in the War of 1812, accessed Feb. 7, 2017, at https://earlycanadianhistory.ca/2017/02/06/jean-baptiste-assiginack-the-starling-aka-blackbird-anishnaabeg-in-the-war-of-1812/

[3] Collections Canada, War of 1812, Board of Claims and Losses, Microfilm t-1126, pages 406-415.

[4] Dorothy Duncan, Hoping for the Best, Preparing for the Worst, Dundurn, Toronto, 2012, page 196.

[5] Colonel E.A. Cruikshank, A Study of Disaffection in Upper Canada in 1812-15, The Royal Society of Canada, Ottawa, 1913, Pages 53-54.

[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 115.

[7] Linda Corupe, U.E., Upper Canada Justice, Early Assize Court Records of Ontario, Vol. 2, 1810-1818, transcribed and indexed 2008, pages 135-136 & 393.

[8] Collections Canada, War of 1812, Board of Claims and Losses, Microfilm t-1127, pages 351, 357, & 278.

[9] Linda Corupe, U.E., Upper Canada Justice, Early Assize Court Records of Ontario, Vol. 2, 1810-1818, transcribed and indexed 2008, pages 137-138.

[10] Susan Graves, personal family history, from correspondence in April, 2016.

[11] Collections Canada, War of 1812, Board of Claims and Losses, Microfilm t-1130, page 767.

[12] Collections Canada, War of 1812, Board of Claims and Losses, Microfilm t-1135, page 692.

[13] Collections Canada, War of 1812, Board of Claims and Losses, Microfilm t-1137, page 811.

[14] Donald E. Graves, Merry Hearts Make Light Days, The War of 1812 Journal of Lieutenant John Le Couteur, 104th Foot, Carleton University Press, Ottawa, 1994, page 202.

[16] Collections Canada, War of 1812, Board of Claims and Losses, Microfilm t-1138, page 339.

[17] Collections Canada, War of 1812, Board of Claims and Losses, Microfilm t-1136, pages 402-414.

[18] Collections Canada, War of 1812:  Upper Canada Returns, Norminal Rolls and Paylists, RG9, Militia and Defence, Series 1-B-7, Microfilm t-10384, pages 417-420.

[19] The Report of the Loyal and Patriotic Society of Upper Canada, with an appendix and a list of subscribers and benefactors, William Gray, Montreal, 1817, page 254-255, accessed on Dec. 14, 2018 at https://dr.library.brocku.ca/handle/10464/4754

[20] Benjamin Smith’s Diary, Benjamin Smith Fonds F582, Ontario Archives, Toronto, Ontario.

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