by Gillian Chan
Philadelphia. There I will fulfil my dream, a dream started by Surgeon Dunlop — although I doubt that he will ever know that — to train as a doctor. I have laboured long and hard for this, saving all the money that I could earn by day labouring to pay for my schooling. Father did purchase more land for “his boys,” but not for me. Instead, knowing how determined I was to do this and what I am like when I set my mind to something, he gave me the money he would have spent on it.
I am not as headstrong as I was, but I am still stubborn.
I must not forget my teacher, Callum Murdoch. He schooled me in all that he knew, teaching me in the evenings when my work prevented me from attending during the day, and then when we were matched in knowledge, he became my friend — a fellow seeker of knowledge, encouraging me to follow my dream.
Once, just a few years ago, I was flushed with hatred, and dreamed of a glorious war, feeling that I was called to battle. Now I am changed by what I saw, by meeting a boy not very different from me, by seeing the sorrow that war brought to my family and to so many others, American, British and Canadian. Now, I have a different calling — the calling to save lives if I can.
Historical Note
The fighting between British and American forces, which we call the War of 1812, actually took place from 1812 to 1815. For the three years that the war continued, Upper and Lower Canada became the principal battleground for a conflict whose main causes were related to events far from their lands.
The relationship between Great Britain and the new American Republic was a tense one in many ways. The United States of America had gained its freedom from British rule in a bloody revolution only thirty years before. Then in 1803, Britain and France again became embroiled in war. The United States tried to remain neutral, but soon suffered economically when both Britain and France tried to enforce trade embargoes to stop other nations from trading with their enemy. American ships were routinely stopped and searched by both the French and British navies and prevented from reaching their destinations. The British navy, facing a shortage of men, also had the habit of “pressing” American sailors into service on their own ships, taking advantage of the sailors’ lack of official paperwork establishing their American nationality.
This action caused huge outrage in the United States, a young country still very conscious of what it had suffered to break free from Great Britain. With anti-British feeling rising, the time was ripe for a group of younger American politicians, the so-called War Hawks, to press for action against Great Britain. They also accused Britain of stirring up trouble among and supporting American Native tribes in their disputes with the American government. American expansionism also played a part, as the rich and tempting British colonies of Upper and Lower Canada lay just to the north, garrisoned only lightly by British troops. It was little wonder that James Madison won the American presidential election in 1812, campaigning on a promise of war with Great Britain. He fulfilled that promise by declaring war on June 19, 1812.
Geographical distance and the comparative strength of the British and American navies meant that the war was never going to be brought directly to Great Britain itself. Instead the war was fought in the British colonies of Upper and Lower Canada, on the Great Lakes and on the sea. American forces invaded both Upper and Lower Canada several times during the war, trying to gain a foothold there. The British made no attempt to invade the United States, although a daring attack was made on Washington, D.C. in the latter stages of the war — burning down the White House in retaliation for the burning of York (now Toronto) the previous year by American forces.
Great Britain had troops stationed in its Canadian colonies. These soldiers, called regulars, would be the main defence against any American incursions. All able-bodied Canadian men between the ages of sixteen and sixty were expected to be enrolled in the colonial militia, ready to be called to arms should they be needed. Not all, however, would abide by this. For some, it was because their loyalties were divided. The British government, seeking to populate its colonies, had made generous land grants available to attract new settlers. Many of those who received such grants were from the United States and their loyalty lay primarily with their former home. Others did not want to leave their families, and feared the economic repercussions their absence would have on family farms or businesses, or their ability to protect what was theirs should an American invasion occur. Most men had almost no military experience apart from the yearly muster of their militia units. For those who did, it was likely to have been more than thirty years prior in the American War of Independence. Such officers and non-commissioned officers were the backbone of the militia.
Present-day readers are used to learning the events of a war almost as they happen. In the early 1800s it took days — even weeks — for news of battles or troop movements to reach communities or families. Once men marched with the militia, their families would have no means of knowing where they were, or whether they were actively fighting — or worst of all, whether they had been wounded or killed. The most striking example of this lack of communication is that a naval battle took place off New Orleans in early January 1815, two weeks after the Treaty of Ghent had been signed in December 1814 to end the war.
Property, often carved with great effort out of the wilderness, was under constant threat. It could be destroyed or badly damaged if a battle were fought near it, as was the case of the Gage farms in Stoney Creek. Not only were the Americans a threat, but British forces could have a negative impact, too, as supplies were commandeered to feed or supply troops. Many landowners’ claims for compensation can be found in both the Archives of Ontario and the Archives of Canada.
With more food and supplies required for the British troops, there were shortages for the civilian population. Some civilians, however, did prosper, earning new income from setting up as merchants to supply the British garrisons.
Fear of the outcome of the war was very real for many. A large number of the settlers in Upper Canada in particular had fled there after the American Revolution. Known as United Empire Loyalists because they had remained loyal to the British Crown, many had fought on the British side during the revolution.
The conduct of the war itself may well seem strange to modern readers. Unlike our “instant” wars, those of this time period were long, drawn-out, fragmented affairs. It took time to get troops into position when their only means of getting into place to face off against the enemy was to march there, if it was impossible to travel by boat. Troops and militia carried their own equipment, such as their musket and shot, but heavy artillery would have to be dragged by horses or, if possible, transported by boat. This meant that military campaigns were often spaced far apart. Campaigns were also hampered by weather, with active fighting seldom taking place in winter. Such gaps meant that the militia often returned to their homes for long periods of time. Even in the summer, men from the militia might be released to attend to their harvests. For the 5th Lincoln, 1813 was a quiet year mainly spent close to home, with some being called upon for small duties such as guarding the inn on Burlington Bay against an American naval attack. In fact, such peripheral duties were the usual employment of the militia even in battles, as the British officers did not think highly of the militia’s fighting abilities. Colonel Bradt of the 5th Lincoln did indeed complain that he was nearly killed by the wild shooting and poor aim of his own men.
The War of 1812 is sometimes described as one in which both sides claim victory, but this is not really the case. With the battle of Lundy’s Lane in July of 1814, it became clear that an American invasion and occupation of Upper Canada was unlikely to be successful, in part because the Americans had squandered some prior opportunities, but also because the conflict between Britain and France was now over in Europe, leaving Britain with more troops and ships to bolster its efforts against the United States. Fighting continued sporadically for several months, with losses and victories for both sides, but on November 5, 1814, the American forces finally with
drew from the Niagara Peninsula in Upper Canada.
Neither side had gained any territory. The trade grievances and the issue of American sailors being press-ganged into the British navy had for the most part been resolved. The settlers in the Canadian colonies felt more secure with there no longer being an immediate threat of invasion from the United States. Although the war undoubtedly created hardship, both in economic and human terms, one of its effects was that the colonists of Upper and Lower Canada perhaps began to see themselves as more of a nation than a collection of settlers. In the years that followed the war, the role the militia played may have been inflated, but it certainly did contribute to the defense of their colonies.
Timeline of Events Pertaining to this Story
1812
June 18: U.S. Senate passes House bill; U.S. President Madison signs War Bill
June 19: Madison declares war on Great Britain
August 16: Americans surrender Fort Detroit
October 13: General Isaac Brock killed at Battle of Queenston Heights
1813
April 27: Americans capture York
May 27: Americans capture Fort George; British abandon the whole Niagara region including Fort Erie, and retreat to Burlington
June 6: Battle of Stoney Creek
July 31: second occupation of York
December 10: Burning of Newark (now called Niagara-on-the-Lake)
December 18–19: Fort Niagara, across from Fort George, captured by British
1814
July 5: Battle of Chippawa
July 25: Battle of Lundy’s Lane
November 5: Americans destroy Fort Erie
December 24: Treaty of Ghent signed
1815
January 8: Battle of New Orleans
Images and Documents
Images 1 and 2: One of the muskets carried by British soldiers in the War of 1812 was nicknamed the Brown Bess. This example is called a Pattern 1793 Ordnance Musket by experts. It could be fired two to three times per minute.
Image 3: John David Kelly’s famous painting, Battle of Queenston Heights, depicts the death of General Isaac Brock.
Image 4: American forces under Brigadier General Zebulon Pike attacked York (now Toronto) on April 27, 1813.
Image 5: After the Americans crossed the Niagara River and captured Fort Erie, they overpowered a force of British regulars under General Riall. The British retreated to Queenston Heights. This image shows American soldiers under Colonel Miller.
Image 6: American General Jacob Brown met the British regulars and local militias at Lundy’s Lane on July 25, 1814, in one of the bloodiest battles of the war.
Image 7: The struggle for the cannons was one of the fiercest of the Battle of Lundy’s Lane. Both sides claimed to have won the day, but suffered heavy losses.
Image 8: This detailed map of the battlegrounds at Lundy’s Lane shows where the American forces squared off against the British regulars and Canadian militia.
Image 9: The Niagara Peninsula, showing key battle sites such as Stoney Creek, Queenston Heights, Newark, Chippawa and Lundy’s Lane.
Acknowledgments
Every effort has been made to trace ownership of visual and written material used in this book. Errors and omissions will be corrected in subsequent updates or editions.
Cover cameo (detail): Portrait of a Young Man (oil on canvas) by John Opie (1761–1807) San Diego Museum of Art, USA/ Gift of Bella Mabury in memory of Paul R. Mabury/ The Bridgeman Art Library SD316415
Cover scene (detail) and Image 3: John David Kelly, Battle of Queenston Heights, 13 October 1812, 1896, National Archives of Canada, C-000273.
Images 1 and 2: Brown Bess musket and detail, from The Brown Bess by Erik Goldstein and Stuart Mowbray.
Image 4: A rare prize in this long history of the British Empire …, Library and Archives Canada, Acc. No. 1993-334-47; copyright: Estate of Gordon Johnston.
Image 5: Colonel Miller at the Battle of Chippewa; July 1814, Copy of engraving by W. Ridgway after F.O.C. Darley, circa 1860, ca 1900–1982, National Archives 111-SC-96967.
Image 6: Battle of Lundy’s Lane, oil on card by Alonzo Chappel, image courtesy of RiverBrink Art Museum.
Image 7: The Battle of Lundy’s Lane, C.W. Jefferys, [ca. 1921], pen and ink heightened with Chinese white, Archives of Ontario, OSA accession number 621234.
Image 8: Map of Lundy’s Lane Battle Grounds, 25 July 1814, Time 9 p.m., Library and Archives Canada/Alfred Sandham, C-096530.
Image 9: Map by Paul Heersink/Paperglpyhs.
The publisher wishes to thank Barbara Hehner for her attention to the factual details, and Dr. Ross Fair, Ryerson University, for sharing his historical expertise.
About the Author
Gillian Chan has lived for over twenty years in the area where many of the decisive battles of the War of 1812 were fought, but her childhood was spent moving around England and Europe as her father, a Royal Air Force officer, was posted to a different base every few years. She’s keenly interested in history, and says that if she hadn’t become a writer, she’d have been an archaeologist. Being part Celt herself, she is drawn to histories of Scottish and Irish emigrants and is fascinated by their fortitude and sense of adventure.
Stories of the War of 1812 linger throughout the Niagara peninsula — many of them drawing more attention during the bicentennial of the war in 2012. It is impossible to drive through the area without coming across dozens of place names that show up in War of 1812 battle history: Stoney Creek, Lundy’s Lane, Queenston Heights, Burlington Bay, Newark, Fort George. Gillian was fortunate to find not only histories of such famous battles, but also the diary of a settler in Ancaster, to give her the flavour of a typical person’s life in that era.
She says: “When doing the research, little things moved me — so much so that I had to incorporate them into the book. I was lucky enough to find in the Ontario Archives the diary of Benjamin Smith, who had settled in Ancaster and wrote something every day for many years, even if it was only one line, such as: Threshed oats in the barn. His diary gave me an insight into how hard the daily life of a farmer was at that time, and how there was little time — or, indeed, taste — for reacting emotionally, however tragic an event might be. When he and his wife have a child, he records it very matter-of-factly, along the lines of: Nancy had a son. No name is given, and then a few days later the brief comment: Child has fever. This is followed by: Child died at 4 o’clock in the morning, and then: Buried child at 11:00, Neal [presumably his brother] preached.
“I found myself haunted by these entries.”
One of the novel’s most graphic scenes is that of the famous surgeon, William “Tiger” Dunlop, sawing off the limbs of wounded soldiers with only spirits for anaesthetic and strong men to hold the patients down. Gillian says she was mesmerized by stories of his prowess. “He is outrageous, larger than life — the sort of man who would be amusing to be with but impossible to live with. Dunlop went to India during the 1820s, but then settled with a lot of his siblings in Upper Canada in the Goderich area. He lived with his brother (also unmarried) and a widow who acted as their housekeeper. When it was suggested that this was not a seemly arrangement, the brothers tossed a coin to see who should marry the woman. The brother lost … and married her! The story also goes that Dunlop tricked this brother by using a two-headed coin.
“When Dunlop died in the winter of 1848, the story is that his body was kept in the ice house at Hamilton’s Dundurn Castle until he could be buried in the spring when the ground thawed.”
Gillian Chan is the author of half a dozen books. Her first, Golden Girl and Other Stories, was shortlisted for the Mr. Christie’s Book Award. A companion collection, Glory Days and Other Stories, was also a Christie nominee, and shortlisted for the Governor General’s Award. Her first novel was historical fantasy, The Carved Box, followed by A Foreign Field, about a World War II pilot. Gillian has written the award-winning Dear Canada title, An Ocean Apart, about a girl in Vanc
ouver’s Chinatown helping her father try to earn enough money to pay the head tax that will bring her mother and younger brother from China to Canada. An Ocean Apart was shortlisted for the Canadian Library Association Book of the Year Award, and won the Arts Hamilton Award for Children’s Book. Her most recent novel is The Turning. Gillian is currently researching another book for the I Am Canada series, about the siege of Hong Kong during World War II.
What’s next for Gillian Chan? Given the topics of her prior books, it’s hard to anticipate what will intrigue her. But she has promised her son that at some time in the future, she will write a book about baseball.
Other books in the I AM CANADA series
Prisoner of Dieppe
World War II
Hugh Brewster
Blood and Iron
Building the Railway
Paul Yee
Shot at Dawn
World War I
John Wilson
Deadly Voyage
RMS Titanic
Hugh Brewster
Behind Enemy Lines
World War II
Carol Matas
For more information please see the I AM CANADA website: www.scholastic.ca/iamcanada