ENTRY 58 — War of 1812: Canadian Bicentennial Travels
COMING SOON HOUSE ADVERTISING ads_leader
Saved: September 6th 2022
ENTRY 58 —
War of 1812 (1812–1815)
The
War of 1812 was a conflict fought between Canada and the United States (along with their respective allies). With the majority of the British military fighting Napoleon in Europe, Upper and Lower Canada looked defenceless. America believed their conquest would “be a mere matter of marching” as the population was largely American born and the colonies had little defence capability. On June 1, 1812 the United States declared war.
However, the American President was overconfident and greatly underestimated his intended victims. Our rapid advance on Fort Mackinac caught the Yanks off guard (the fort had not even been notified that they were at war). About 600
Aboriginal and Canadian solders landed on the night of July 17, 1812. We placed artillery on the high ground above the fort and knowing that the American soldiers were clueless about the "state of war", demanded their surrender; the American commander complied. This victory, gave us control of the Northwest and left the President Madison stunned!
The commander of Fort Mackinac was taken to Detroit and charged with cowardice. Before the court martial could begin, a cannonball ripped through the
room where the coward was standing, cutting him in half; Detroit was now under attack! The great
">Shawnee Chief Tecumseh knowing that the Americans were terrified of Indians, marched his warriors in circles making as much noise as possible around the fort, which made it appear that there were many thousands "of bloodthirsty savages" about to ravage the fort. Then Chief Tecumseh and Sir Issac Brock audaciously demanded that the commander of Detroit surrender, which the general ( who was now drunk) did on August 16th, in effect giving the us control of the northern Mississippi and Michigan.
The Americans suffered another humiliating defeat at
Queenston Heights after their militia (terrified of Tecumseh) refused to cross into Canada, citing the constitutional guarantee that it would not have to fight on foreign soil. Having lost one army at Mackinac, another at Detroit, and a third at Queenston Heights; the Americans were again badly defeated at Frenchtown (January 1813). Further plans of invasion were hastily discarded. The only enemy soldiers in Canada in the winter of 1813 were prisoners of war.
Niagara
There were many events being planned to celebrate the Bicentennial. Miranda and I thought it would be a good
No doubt left here
Miranda poses with a strongly worded sign!time to explore "Upper and Lower Canada". Of all the places we traveled one of the most beautiful was Niagara on the Lake. It is an area that has a unique feel about it; great wines, stunning vistas, and many memorials to our Canadian Heritage. We found the Prince of Wales Hotel to be both historic and luxurious. Miranda and I went on a tour that explored the town's history. We spent another day exploring Fort George; this outpost served as the headquarters for the Colonial Army under General Sir Isaac Brock during the War of 1812. Our forces included First Nations warriors, regulars, local militia, and freed slaves. (My great great grandfather was a regular in
HMAF; settling in Canada after the war). From Fort George we traveled along the Niagara River viewing historic sites along the way.
Julie and Kendra joined us (K was our designated driver), so it became something of a wine-tasting tour. This area is the birthplace of Canada’s world class wine industry. The Niagara region blends rural pleasures with former glory; traditional food paired with extraordinary vintage wines. We found each winery had its own unique story and as we explored the many
Prince of Wales Hotel, Niagara on the Lake
This historic three storey hotel went by several names: Long's Hotel, Arcade Hotel and Niagara House. It received its present name in 1901 after a stay by their royal Highnesses The Prince and Princess of Wales. wineries we found friendly staff, beautiful vineyards and relaxed tasting rooms . There were some very old rare vintages. By the time we reached Niagara Falls we all had a healthy afterglow from the wine tasting!
To commemorate the War of 1812, the residents of Niagara Falls set up a special task force to renovate the Niagara Falls History Museum for the Bicentennial. The museum showed the War was a defining moment for our Canadian identity. After a few more days of exploring Niagara, Miranda and I also mustered up the courage to cross over into enemy territory.
Winning the battle; but losing the war!
By the spring of 1813, notwithstanding our string of
">victories, the people of Upper and Lower Canada knew they were in trouble. We were greatly outnumbered as President Madison assembled a massive invasion force! (Remember, much of our population were American expats with little or no loyalty; a large fifth column within our borders.) However the brutal excesses of the American army did the impossible; they united English, French, former American slaves, First Nations, even American expats into one nation. Madison did not know it yet, but he had lost the war. Historic Building.
Bryan basks in the beautiful sunshine. Niagara on the Lake
After seeing all the historic sties Miranda takes a break. Sanctuary brought back memories of our days in Africa; great care was taken to recreate the African landscape. It was like stepping into another world. The only difference: we saw more animals here than we did back in Kenya. Fort George
Fort George consists of a stone powder magazine, administrative offices, blockhouses to accommodate soldiers, and officer’s quarters. The City of York (now Toronto), is the capital of the province. It is also where the battle of Battle of York was fought on April 27, 1813. Today it is Canada's largest city and is an international hub of finance, communications, business, arts, culture, etc. It is recognized as one of the world’s most cosmopolitan and multicultural cities. Fort George
This shows the layout of the fort which was made of strategic earthworks and palisades (walls constructed from wooden stakes). the forces of Upper Canada consisted of 100 Ojibway warriors along with 300 regulars and 300 militia. We faced an American invasion force of over 1,700 regulars accompanied by 14 armed vessels. As the City of York had little military or strategic importance, the decision was made to retreat to Kingston. Fort Henry was located here and guarded the outlet to the St Lawrence River along with the Navy Yards. Throughout the war, Kingston remained impenetrable and was home to Fort George.
Miranda reads the plaque: she has to study every word! to resume their attack the next day. However, an approaching storm forced the American fleet to flee. Niagara on the Lake
If you look closely you can see the enemy fortifications in the background on the other side of the water. was preparing to meet the Yankee invaders and stop Montreal from falling into enemy hands. This French Canadian Commander had only a few hundred men from his regiment plus three hundred Mohawk warriors from Kahnawake. Great place for a coffee
Bryan and Miranda's favourite coffee shop. and opened fire. In response, there was return fire and a deadly exchange of 'friendly-fire' took place. The Kahnawake warriors took full advantage of the American folly. From the surrounding woods they made it appear that over 500 warriors were also attacking. Then all the Americans ran away with the Indian war cry ringing in their ears. Soldiers threw away their muskets and pikes so they could run faster. Some of the prisoners taken were fellow Americans! The Montreal Herald named the American misfortune “The Suicidal Battle of River Lacolle." During the course of the War of 1812, Madison would make several more attempts at taking Montreal but was never successful. Niagara River
American forces crossed the Niagara River into Canada on October 12th, 1812. Montreal is ranked the 12th most liveable city in the world but it is the number 1 place to be a university student (see QS World University Rankings). Floral Clock at Queenston Heights.
It was here that volleys of fire and a Canadian charge with bayonets took the American forces by surprise. A US Lieutenant Colonel took charge from the wounded commander. He waved a white hankie to signal the American surrender. House instructing that there be retaliation against the United States of America for violating the laws of war. By late August a bold strategy was agreed upon: capture the U.S. capital and burn it. It was a brilliant plan as very little had been done to defend Washington in case of attack. The Royal Navy sailed up the Patuxent River then marched 4500 men toward the capital. President Madison came up with an interesting strategy for defending his capital…run away. Niagara Falls, Ontario
Miranda takes in the full power of the Falls! only the US Patent Office was spared by Cockburn during the burning of Washington. Niagara Falls, Ontario
The 'Maid of the Mist' took us through the Falls poking a bear cub, pulling its tail and kicking it, when he looks up and sees Mama Bear! Madison now faced the full might of the British Empire. With his hope for conquest and glory dashed, the American President sued for peace and the Treaty of Ghent was eventually signed. Tot: 0.342s; Tpl: 0.016s; cc: 9; qc: 56; dbt: 0.0925s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb
Susie Hill
non-member comment
Loved the "Song" LOL
Loved the "Song" LOL