The Life and Correspondence of Sir Isaac Brock by Ferdinand Brock Tupper

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In the battle of Egmont-op-Zee, seven pieces of cannon, a great number
of tumbrils, and a few hundred prisoners, were taken, and the loss of
the enemy was estimated as exceeding 4,000 men. Major-General Moore, in
whose brigade was the 49th, although severely wounded through the thigh,
continued in action for nearly two hours, until a second wound in the
face obliged him to quit the field. In his dispatch relative to this
battle, the Duke of York observed, that "under Divine Providence this
signal victory obtained over the enemy, is to be attributed to the
animating and persevering exertions which have at all times been the
characteristics of the British soldier, and which on no occasion were
ever more eminently displayed." The following extract from this
dispatch, dated Alkmaar, 6th of October, will shew the part borne in the
engagement by Sir Ralph Abercromby's division, in which was
Major-General Moore's brigade.

"This was the last event which took place on the side of
Bergen; and, as the close of the day was fast approaching,
Colonel Macdonald with two battalions was sent to the support
of General Sir Ralph Abercromby. The heights of the sand hills,
surrounding Bergen for about three miles, remained crowned and
possessed by about eleven British battalions. General Sir
Ralph Abercromby had marched, according to the disposition,
along the beach, with Major-General D'Oyley's, Major-General
Moore's, and Major General Lord Cavan's brigades, the cavalry
and horse artillery, (the reserve under Colonel Macdonald not
having been able, owing to the great extent of the sand hills,
to rejoin him, after turning to the left at Campe.) The main
body of Sir Ralph Abercromby's column had proceeded, without
meeting with much resistance, in the early part of the day, but
was nevertheless much inconvenienced, and his troops harassed,
by the necessity of detaching continually into the sand hills
to his left, to cover that flank against the troops whom the
enemy had placed in the sand hills. The admirable disposition,
however, which he made of his troops, and their determined
spirit and gallantry, enabled him to arrive within a mile of
Egmont. Here he was seriously opposed by a very considerable
corps of French infantry, which occupied Egmont-op-Zee, and the
high sand hills in its front, and who had formed a very strong
corps of cavalry and artillery to their left. The engagement
was maintained during several hours with the greatest
obstinacy; and in no instance were the abilities of a
commander, or the heroic perseverance of troops in so difficult
and trying a situation, more highly conspicuous. Animated by
the example of General Sir Ralph Abercromby, and the generals
and officers under him, the troops sustained every effort made
upon them by an enemy then superior in numbers, and much
favoured by the strength of his position. Late in the evening,
the enemy's cavalry, having been defeated in an attempt which
they made upon the British horse artillery on the beach, and
having been charged by the cavalry under Colonel Lord Paget,
was driven, with considerable loss, nearly to Egmont-op-Zee;
his efforts then relaxed considerably on the right; and General
Sir Ralph Abercromby, having soon after been joined by the
reinforcements under Colonel Macdonald, took post upon the
sand hills and the beach, within a very short distance of
Egmont-op-Zee, where the troops lay upon their arms during the
night."

In the battle of the 6th of October, in which the 49th was not engaged,
the English and Russians, after gaining some advantage, were suddenly
charged by the enemy's cavalry and separated, so that they could neither
support each other nor retain the ground which they had gained. The
allied armies were repulsed beyond Baccum, after having sustained a very
severe loss; and as they were unable either to advance or to draw any
resources from the country in their possession, their supplies were
necessarily obtained from the fleet. The Duke of York, therefore,
assembled a council of war, whose decision was, that the allied forces
should fall back and wait the instructions of the British Government. As
the season was so far advanced, as the approach of winter was daily
making the navigation of the coast more dangerous, and as there was no
time to effect diversions or to change the plan of operations, the Duke
of York was ordered to evacuate the country. In the meanwhile, as the
English and Russians concentrated themselves behind their entrenchments
at the Zyp, the enemy pressed upon them, and the Duke of York sent a
flag of truce to General Brune, proposing a capitulation on the basis of
an armistice, or of the free embarkation of his army. This was agreed to
at Alkmaar, on the 18th of October, and thus ended this memorable
expedition, the most considerable that had been attempted in modern
times up to that period. As the introduction of foreign troops into
England was prohibited by the Bill of Rights, the Russians were sent to
the islands of Jersey and Guernsey, the season not admitting of their
return home. About 6,000 were quartered in the latter island, where a
disease, contracted by exposure to the marshy grounds of Holland,
carried off some hundreds, who were buried at the foot of the hill on
which stands Vale Castle, and where their graves are still to be seen.
Their conduct in Guernsey was at first peaceable and orderly;--the
inhabitants were surprised at seeing them eat the grease from the cart
wheels, and they were also excessively fond of ardent spirits; and,
having plenty of money, they indulged in them freely, swallowing large
draughts in a raw state. But in June, 1800, while the transports were in
the roads to convey them to Russia, a soldier, who was robbing
vegetables on a small farm, which had been frequently plundered by his
comrades before, was fired at and wounded by the proprietor. This so
exasperated the whole body, that fears were entertained of their
revenging themselves on the inhabitants generally; and as the British
garrison was very small, it required all the tact and conciliation of
the lieutenant-governor, Sir Hew Dalrymple, to prevent an outbreak. The
Russians embarked, but the guns at Castle Cornet were kept shotted to
prevent their relanding.[13] The 49th, on the return of the expedition
from Holland, after remaining a short time in England, was again
quartered in Jersey, where the fine person and manly bearing of
Lieut.-Colonel Brock are still favorably remembered. In return for the
many attentions which he and his officers received in that island, he
obtained an ensigncy in his own regiment for a young man resident there,
whom he afterwards pushed forward in the service, and who died recently
a major-general and a companion of the bath. Early in the year 1801, the
49th was embarked in the fleet destined for the Baltic, under Sir Hyde
Parker; and Lieut.-Colonel Brock was second in command of the land
forces at the memorable attack of Copenhagen, by Lord Nelson, on the 2d
of April. He was appointed to lead the 49th in storming the principal of
the Treckroner batteries, in conjunction with five hundred seamen, under
Captain Fremantle,[14] of the Ganges, of 74 guns; but the protracted and
heroic defence of the Danes rendering the attempt impracticable, Colonel
Brock, during the hard-fought battle, remained on board the Ganges; and
at its close he accompanied Captain Fremantle to the Elephant, 74,
Nelson's flag ship, where he saw the hero[15] write his celebrated
letter to the Crown Prince of Denmark. Savery Brock was also on board
the Ganges, and while in the act of pointing one of her quarter deck
guns, his cocked hat was torn from his head by a grape shot: a naval
officer, who was present, afterwards described the scene which followed
this narrow escape in these words: "I now hear Sir Isaac exclaim, 'Ah!
poor Savery is dead!' But Savery was not an instant on his back; in the
same moment he rubbed his head, assured his brother that he was not
injured, and fired the gun with as much coolness as if nothing had
happened." The effect of the shot passing so near him was such that,
although a remarkably powerful young man, six feet two inches in height,
he was knocked down and stunned for the moment. Of the 49th, Captain
Sharp was badly wounded on board of the Bellona, and Lieutenant Dennis
was wounded on board of the Monarch, which ship had 55 killed and 155
wounded, exclusive of officers, but including 8 soldiers of the 49th
killed, and 20 wounded. In addition to the 49th was a detachment of the
95th, rifles--consisting, we believe, of two companies--under
Lieut.-Colonel the Honorable William Stewart,[16] who was senior officer
of the troops embarked. As such his name was included in the thanks of
Parliament; but we cannot understand why a lieutenant-colonel, with only
two companies, was placed over the head of an officer of equal rank with
his entire regiment, unless indeed the cause was that Lieut.-Colonel
Brock was not an "honorable!" We are not aware that he ever complained
of what appears to us to have been an act of injustice to him, and we
may therefore be wrong in our view of the subject. The British loss, in
killed and wounded, was 953, or 58 more than fell at the battle of the
Nile. In mentioning the loss at Copenhagen, Southey, in his admirable
Life of Nelson, says, on what authority we know not: "Part of this
slaughter might have been spared. The commanding officer of the troops
on board one of our ships, asked where his men should be stationed? He
was told that they could be of no use; that they were not near enough
for musquetry, and were not wanted at the guns; they had, therefore,
better go below. This, he said, was impossible--it would be a disgrace
that could never be wiped away. They were, therefore, drawn up upon the
gangway, to satisfy this cruel point of honor; and there, without the
possibility of annoying the enemy, they were mowed down! The loss of the
Danes, including prisoners, amounted to about 6,000."

John Savery Brock, of whose gallantry mention is made in the preceding
pages, was the next younger brother of Lieut.-Colonel Brock, and had
been in the navy; but it being supposed that he was influential, in the
year 1790, in inducing his brother midshipmen, of the fleet at Spithead,
to sign a round robin against their being subjected to the practice of
mast-heading--one having been hoisted up to the gaff end in an
ignominous manner, because he refused to go to the mast head as a
punishment--he was recommended privately to retire from the service.[17]
Being at this time a tall and high spirited young man of eighteen, it is
not surprising that he deemed such a punishment unnecessarily degrading
to the feelings of an officer, and which has since been very properly
abolished. Had it not been for this circumstance, it is the opinion of a
naval officer of high rank, that Savery Brock would have distinguished
himself and risen to eminence in the navy during the late revolutionary
wars. Some little time after this affair, being in Guernsey, he wished
to go to England, and was offered a passage in the Amazon, frigate,
Captain Reynolds, afterwards Rear-Admiral Reynolds, who perished in the
St. George, of 98 guns, on her return from the Baltic, in 1811. The
Amazon, bound to Portsmouth, left the roadstead late in the afternoon,
and before she was clear of the small Russel--a dangerous passage--night
overtook her. By some accident the pilot mistook the bearings, owing to
the darkness and thick weather. Savery Brock, being acquainted with the
intricate course, was on the fore yard looking out, when he suddenly
espied some rocks towards which the frigate was steering. There was no
time for communication, and, without hesitating an instant, he cried
out in true nautical style: "H-a-r-d up, h-a-r-d up." "H-a-r-d up it
is," replied the helmsman. "H-a-r-d up," repeated Savery in a louder
key. "Gently, young man," said the captain, who was standing forward.
The ship fortunately bore away just in time to clear the rocks, and was
thus saved by the prompt interference of her passenger. We have often
heard him in his latter days tell the story with excusable pride, and he
especially remembered how the crew pointed him out the next morning to
each other, as the young man who had got the ship out of her danger. As
he was without employment, his brother Isaac subsequently procured him
the paymastership of the 49th, which he retained only three or four
years, the office being one quite unfitted to his previous education and
active mind. In 1808, his military zeal induced him to serve for a short
time as an amateur aide-de-camp to Sir John Moore, on the Peninsula. He
married and settled in Guernsey; and whether as a militia colonel, or in
the exercise of a generous hospitality, or, above all, as a projector
and zealous promoter of many public improvements in his native island,
his memory will long live in the recollection of its inhabitants.

When Kean performed in Guernsey, two or three years before his
appearance on the London boards, Savery Brock was enthusiastic in his
admiration, and predicted the future eminence of that celebrated
tragedian, in whose memoirs his name is gratefully mentioned.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 2: With a slight variation, the field being gules instead of
azure. Motto, Vincit Veritas.]

[Footnote 3: Translation from the French by Lord Berners, vol. 2, chap.
39, 40. London Edition, 1815.]

[Footnote 4: The name of this ancient family, second to none in wealth
and station, became extinct in Guernsey, in 1810, on the death of Osmond
De Beauvoir, Esq., when his large property was inherited by distant
relatives.--_Duncan's History of Guernsey_.]

[Footnote 5: Major-General Le Marchant and his eldest son, a captain in
the Foot Guards, who both fell in Spain during the late war, and Captain
Philip Saumarez, who was Lord Anson's first lieutenant in the Centurion,
and was slain in 1747, while commanding the Nottingham, of 64 guns, were
members of those families.]

[Footnote 6: Brock street, at Bath, was named after him by the
projector, in testimony of friendship.]

[Footnote 7: New Annual Register for 1799, page 395.]

[Footnote 8: See the returns in the New Annual Register, for 1799,
Principal Occurrences, page 143. Singularly enough, the loss of the
non-commissioned officers and privates in each corps is not given, but
the casualties among the officers of the 49th exceeded those of any
other regiment engaged on this day, with the exception of the 25th and
92d.]

[Footnote 9: Afterwards Sir John Moore, who fell at Corunna.]

[Footnote 10: Lieut.-Colonel Smith, commanding the 20th, a native of
Guernsey, afterwards Colonel Sir George Smith, aide-de-camp to the king.
He died at Cadiz, in 1809, and was a distinguished officer.]

[Footnote 11: The present General Lord Aylmer, G.C.B., formerly
governor-general of British North America. He was then a captain in the
49th. See Appendix A, Sec. 1, No. 1.]

[Footnote 12: In this engagement, the gallant Lieut.-Colonel Bainbrigge,
of the 20th, was killed. He married Miss Dobree, of Beauregard,
Guernsey.]

[Footnote 13: Duncan's History of Guernsey.]

[Footnote 14: The late Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas Fremantle, G.C.B.]

[Footnote 15: It is worthy of remark, that Lieut.-Colonel Brock's almost
immediate superiors, during his active service in Europe, fell like
himself in action, as knights of the bath, viz. Sir Ralph Abereromby,
Lord Nelson, and Sir John Moore.]

[Footnote 16: Afterwards Sir W. Stewart, G.C.B., who commanded a
division in the Peninsular war.]

[Footnote 17: While the above was in type, the Duke of Rutland visited
Guernsey in his yacht, and wrote the following note at Detroit, the
residence of the once outcast middy, on whom, while we write this, the
hand of death is but too apparent: "The Duke of Rutland called to pay
his respects to Mr. Savery Brock, and sincerely regrets to find that he
is so unwell. Saturday, July 13, 1844."]

CHAPTER II.

The 49th, on its return from Copenhagen to England, was collected at
Colchester, and in the spring following, (1802,) the regiment sailed for
Canada, which country was destined to bestow on it many additional
laurels, as well as to be the scene of the fame and death of its
commanding officer. In less than eighteen months after the arrival of
the 49th in Canada, and while it was quartered in the upper province, a
serious conspiracy was on the point of breaking out in that part of the
regiment which was in garrison at Fort George, on the Niagara, under the
command of the junior lieutenant-colonel, the head quarters being, we
believe, at York, the capital. This officer, it seems, more by useless
annoyance than by actual severity, had exasperated the men under his
command to that degree that they formed a plot to murder all the
officers present, with the exception of a young man who had recently
joined; and then to cross over to the United States. Far be it from us
to justify the intention, which indeed was highly criminal; but in all
such extreme cases we hold that a sad abuse of power, or a gross want of
tact, must be the exciting cause, and that even in the passive obedience
of a military life, there may be a limit to human endurance. The
proximity of the United States rendered this plot a very feasible one,
as the men in a body could have crossed the river Niagara without
molestation or difficulty. The suspicions of the officer in command
having been aroused, he hastily wrote to Lieut.-Colonel Brock on the
subject, and sent his letter by one of the men, who delivered it as the
latter officer was shooting, or on his return from a shooting excursion.
On reading the letter, and knowing from the character of the man that he
must be engaged in the conspiracy, if there were any, he threatened to
shoot him on the spot, if he did not instantly divulge the names of the
ringleaders. The man, thus taken by surprise, did as he was ordered, and
Lieut.-Colonel Brock hurried off to Fort George. On his arrival he found
the men at dinner, and placing the officers with their drawn swords at
the doors, he went into the rooms with handcuffs, and secured the most
culpable, among whom was a sergeant, none offering the slightest
resistance. The ringleaders were immediately embarked, so as to prevent
any attempt at their rescue.[18] On being tried by a court martial, four
were condemned to suffer death, and, with three deserters, were shot at
Quebec, in presence of the garrison, early in the month of March, 1804.
A most awful and affecting sight it was: the wind was easterly, strong,
and cold,--a thick drift of snow added to the gloom,--and, as if to
increase the horror of the scene, a few of the firing party, fifty-six
in number, instead of advancing to within eight yards of the prisoners,
as was intended, owing to some mistake commenced firing at the distance
of at least fifty yards. The consequence was, that the unhappy wretches
were only partially wounded, and dropped one after another. Nearly forty
shots were fired before one poor fellow in the centre fell, although he
was wounded through the abdomen at the first discharge. The men who had
reserved their fire, were at length ordered up, and, lodging the
contents of their muskets in the breasts of the culprits, by that means
put them out of torture. The unfortunate sufferers declared publicly
that, had they continued under the command of Colonel Brock, they would
have escaped their melancholy end; and, as may be easily conceived, he
felt no little anguish that they, who had so recently and so bravely
fought under him in Holland and at Copenhagen, were thus doomed to end
their lives, the victims of unruly passions inflamed by vexatious
authority. He was now directed to assume the command at Fort George, and
all complaint and desertion instantly ceased.

In the fall of 1805, in October of which year he was made a full
colonel, Colonel Brock returned to Europe on leave; and early in the
following year, he laid before his royal highness the
commander-in-chief the outlines of a plan for the formation of a
veteran battalion, to serve in the Canadas. In support of the plan he
wrote:

"The advantages which may attend the establishment of a corps
such as is here recommended, will be perhaps more clearly
understood by first adverting to some of the causes that
produce the inconvenience to which the troops occupying the
frontier posts of that country are continually exposed.

"A regiment quartered in Upper Canada is generally divided into
eight different parts, several hundred miles asunder, and in
this situation it remains at least three years. Great as is the
evil incidental to a state of separation, even where the mind
is in no danger of being debauched, what may not be apprehended
in a country where both the divided state of the regiment, and
the artifices employed to wean the soldier from his duty,
conspire to render almost ineffectual every effort of the
officers to maintain the usual degree of order and discipline.
The lures to desertion continually thrown out by the Americans,
and the facility with which it can be accomplished, exacting a
more than ordinary precaution on the part of the officers,
insensibly produce mistrust between them and the men, highly
prejudicial to the service.

"Experience has taught me that no regular regiment, however
high its claim to discipline, can occupy the frontier posts of
Lower and Upper Canada without suffering materially in its
numbers. It might have been otherwise some years ago; but now
that the country, particularly the opposite shore, is chiefly
inhabited by the vilest characters, who have an interest in
debauching the soldier from his duty; since roads are opened
into the interior of the States, which facilitate desertion, it
is impossible to avoid the contagion. A total change must be
effected in the minds and views of those who may hereafter be
sent on this duty, before the evil can be surmounted."

In a letter from Lieut.-Colonel Gordon, dated Horse Guards, January 17,
1806, Colonel Brock received the Duke of York's "thanks for the
communication of his very sensible observations respecting the
distribution of the troops in Canada, which his royal highness will not
fail to take into consideration at a seasonable opportunity."[19]

While on a visit to his family and friends in Guernsey, Colonel Brock
deemed the intelligence from the United States to be of so warlike a
character, that he resolved on returning to Canada before his leave was
expired; and such was his anxiety to be at his post, that he overtook at
Cork the Lady Saumarez, a Guernsey vessel, well manned and armed as a
letter of marque, bound to Quebec. He left London on the 26th June,
1806, and hurried away from Europe never to return--never to revisit
those who fondly loved him, not only from ties of kindred, but for his
many endearing qualities; but he had the satisfaction of knowing that
the commander-in-chief was much pleased with the zeal and devotion
evinced by him on this occasion.

Soon after his arrival in Canada, Colonel Brock succeeded, on the 27th
September, 1806, to the command of the troops in the two provinces,
Colonel Bowes[20] having resigned that command on his departure for
England. At this time, the civil government of the lower province was
administered by Mr. President Dunn, and Colonel Brock resided at Quebec,
in command of the forces, until the arrival of the governor-general, Sir
James Craig, in October, 1807, who appointed him to act as a brigadier,
which appointment was confirmed by the king, to date from the 2d of
July, 1808.

_Colonel Brock to Lieut.-Colonel J.W. Gordon._

QUEBEC, September 28, 1806.

I have the honor to acquaint you, for the information of the
commander-in-chief, that Colonel Bowes, preparatory to his
departure for England, has resigned the command of his
majesty's forces in this country, which, as the next senior
officer, devolves on me.

I find great pleasure in reporting to his royal highness the
good order and discipline which, much to the credit of
Lieut.-Colonel Sheaffe, I found on my arrival to prevail
among the eight companies of the 49th regiment, quartered in
this garrison.

It has been the fate of the 49th to be divided, for the last
four years and a half, several hundred miles apart, and
however anxious I must be to assemble the whole together, I
have not, considering the youth of the 100th regiment, which
alone affords me the means of effecting that measure, thought
it prudent to withdraw the company stationed at St. John's and
the other frontier posts of this province, but the one at
Montreal will be relieved this autumn.

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