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

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Two hundred volunteers for Colonel Zouch, from other veteran
battalions, have just arrived and landed: the regiment is to
be completed in this manner to one thousand.

_Colonel Baynes to Brigadier Brock._

QUEBEC, October 11, 1810.

Sir James has conversed with me fully on the subject of your
wish for leave, and prefaced it by declaring himself very
desirous on his part to forward your views as far as he could
do so with propriety, but that he had written in such strong
terms, urging the necessity of a third general officer being
kept constantly on the staff of the Canadas, and assigned as a
principal reason the advantage of an officer of that rank
being stationed in the Upper Province, that he does not
conceive himself at liberty to overset an arrangement which he
has been two years soliciting the means to carry into effect,
and the absolute necessity of which he is highly impressed
with. In reply to an observation of mine, that you regretted
the inactive prospect before you, and looked with envy on
those employed in Spain and Portugal, he said: "I make no
doubt of it, but I can in no shape aid his plans in that
respect; I would not, however, be the means of preventing
them, and although from his local knowledge I should regret
losing him in this country, yet I would not oppose it if he
could obtain an appointment to the staff on service; but in
that case I would ask for another general officer being seat
in his place immediately to Upper Canada." I tell you this, my
dear general, without reserve, and give you, as far as I can
recollect, Sir James' words. If he liked you less, he might
perhaps be more readily induced to let you go; as matters
stand, I do not think he will, although I am convinced that he
will feel very sincere regret in refusing you on a subject
upon which you appear to be so anxious.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 22: In some book of Travels in Canada, Duncan's we think, it
is stated that the highest battery in Quebec is called Brock's Battery:
we know not whether it is that erected by Sir Isaac Brock.]

[Footnote 23: "The young and gallant" Captain Henry Lambert, mentioned
above, was mortally wounded in December, 1812, in command of H.M.S.
Java, when she was captured by the American frigate Constitution, of
greatly superior force.]

[Footnote 24: The present General Vincent, colonel of the 69th foot. He
was then major of the 49th.]

[Footnote 25: His niece.]

[Footnote 26: It has been remarked, that men with very small heads are
seldom clever, and certainly the Brocks of this family had large but
well shaped heads, with full foreheads.]

[Footnote 27: The mother of Lady William Paget.]

[Footnote 28: Whatever may have been Colonel Murray's indiscretion on
this occasion, he proved himself one of the most gallant and
enterprising officers in Canada during the war, and particularly
distinguished himself in the assault and capture of Fort Niagara, in
December, 1813, where he was severely wounded. If Colonel Murray admired
Cobbett's writings he was not singular, as he was perhaps the most
forcible political writer in the English language.]

[Footnote 29: Afterwards Lieut.-General Sir William Thornton, K.C.B.,
&c.]

[Footnote 30: Sir Isaac Brock was several years in the 8th regiment, but
this old man had probably served with his brother, Lieut.-Colonel John
Brock, who was many years in the 8th, in Upper Canada.]

CHAPTER IV.

_Brigadier Brock to Lieut.-Governor Gore_.

FORT GEORGE, Jan. 6, 1811.

Having lately received a letter from Colonel Vesey, in which
he urges me to ascertain whether it be possible to secure to
his family some benefit from the grant of five thousand acres
he has so long unprofitably held, I am encouraged by the
disposition your excellency has uniformly evinced to serve
him, to renew my earnest request that your influence may be
now exerted in his behalf.

I am given to understand that there are extensive tracts of
excellent land at the disposal of the crown on Lake Erie, and
that a new township is undergoing a survey near the head of
Lake Ontario. Were it possible to ensure Colonel Vesey
eligible situations in those districts, he no longer would
hesitate in incurring the necessary expense.

Your excellency having signified your intention of visiting
England in the course of next summer, I am impelled to the
present application by the consideration that before your
return the land, which I have taken the liberty to point out,
may be disposed of, and Colonel Vesey thereby lose the fair
opportunity of acquiring property upon which he can
confidently place some value.

_Lieut.-Governor Gore to Brigadier Brock_.

YORK, January 21, 1811.

Your letter of the 6th instant should have been earlier
acknowledged, but that I was desirous to render my answer as
satisfactory as possible, and it was necessary to refer to the
offices, on the subject of the grant of land ordered for
Colonel Vesey.

I am very sorry now to be constrained to tell you, that it is
not in my power to comply with Colonel Vesey's wish in respect
of the location, without a special order from the king, as in
the case of Colonel Talbot.

The diagram by which the crown and clergy reserves are
recorded, cannot be dispensed with, so that it is now
impracticable to obtain in any township five thousand acres in
a block.

The townships lately surveyed are partial exceptions to the
general rule, for the express purpose of establishing roads
through the province, and the locations in that exception are
by an act of government expressly reserved for actual
settlers.

The utmost in my power to do for Colonel Vesey is to adopt the
latitude directed by his majesty in favor of General Arnold,
which is to permit his representative to locate his land in
any open township, and to pass the patent without his personal
attendance.

Exclusive of my very strong desire to serve Colonel Vesey, I
beg you will believe that I should have had a very particular
gratification in promoting the success of any measure for
which you are pleased to express an interest.

_Brigadier Brock to his brother Irving._

NIAGARA, January 10, 1811.

I cannot sufficiently thank you for your constant attention to
me; you contribute largely to render my present sequestered
abode tolerable, and let me entreat you to continue the
practice you have lately adopted of sending me a letter every
fortnight. In addition to the last daily paper, send me
likewise the _Observer_, or any other weekly depository of
domestic news. You, who have passed all your days in the
bustle of London, can scarcely conceive the uninteresting and
insipid life I am doomed to lead in this retirement. My
situation obliges me to maintain some sort of establishment,
otherwise I should, from inclination, confine my intercourse
to a very limited circle. I have been for some days projecting
a jaunt into the interior of the States, and I may probably
visit New York before I return, but I shall weigh passing
events well, ere I hazard so long a journey. The heavy rains
which have fallen for the last ten days have delayed my
progress, as I did not choose to undertake the journey on
horseback. I by no means admire travelling alone in so
comfortless a manner, in which the gratification would not
repay the inconvenience.

I purpose directing my steps in the first instance to
Ballstown, a medicinal water of great celebrity, about twenty
miles north of Albany. I then expect to be joined by James
Brock, and probably by some others of the 49th. I shall wait
ten days, not only to give him full time to come up, but
likewise to try the efficacy of the waters, as I have an idea
that they will be serviceable to me. I feel at this moment
infinitely better, but am not quite the thing, without knowing
what ails me. A sound jolting and change of air will produce
wonders, and make me look once more upon a beefsteak with
appetite. At present I live very abstemiously, and scarcely
ever touch wine.

I mentioned in a former letter that the new arrangements
deprived me of the comfort of a companion. Expecting to obtain
leave to visit England, I thought it of little consequence,
but now that such an indulgence is denied me, I feel sadly the
want of a lively, communicative associate. I hardly ever stir
out, and, unless I have company at home, my evenings are
passed solus. I read much, but good books are scarce, and I
hate borrowing. I like to read a book quickly, and afterwards
revert to such passages as have made the deepest impression,
and which appear to me most important to remember--a practice
I cannot conveniently pursue unless the book be mine. Should
you find that I am likely to remain here, I wish you to send
me some choice authors in history, particularly ancient, with
maps, and the best translations of ancient works. I read in
my youth Pope's Translation of Homer, but till lately never
discovered its exquisite beauties. As I grow old, I acquire a
taste for study. I firmly believe that the same propensity was
always inherent in me, but, strange to tell, although many
were paid extravagantly, I never had the advantage of a master
to guide and encourage me. But it is now too late to repine. I
rejoice that my nephews are more fortunate.

The president's address is sufficiently hostile, and if I
thought that he would be supported to the extent of his
wishes, I should consider war to be inevitable. Congress will
hesitate before consenting to go the length he proposes. The
taking forcible possession of West Florida may provoke a war
sooner than any other act, but it is impossible to foresee how
such a step may be viewed by the Cortes. We are at this moment
in awful suspense--the king's illness, the proximity of the
armies under Massena and Wellington, and the measures our
government may deem proper to adopt to meet the hostile
proceedings of the Americans, afford serious matter for
contemplation.

I have seen "Thoughts on Political Fanaticism," in answer to
your admirable pamphlet. The author appears to me to proclaim
his servile attachment to Bonaparte, without in any degree
refuting your arguments. When you tell me that Peter Tupper is
a son of the jurat, and a member of the Junta of Valencia, you
by no means satisfy my curiosity. Is he equal to fill the
situation? Has he discretion, and is he distinguished by a
strong mind and undaunted courage, as these are qualities that
can alone be serviceable at such a crisis? I observed his name
some little time back in the public prints, without knowing
who he could be, and I suppose that he is my junior in age by
several years.[31]

_Colonel Kempt[32] (Quartermaster-General) to Brigadier Brock._

QUEBEC, January 17, 1811.

Baynes tells me that he has written to you repeatedly, and
most fully and confidentially, on the subject of your
application for leave. The letters, which I have received from
home, explicitly state that the last brevet was made so
extensive with the view of doing away with the appointment of
brigadier, so that no general officer under the rank of
major-general will be in future employed; independent of this
circumstance, you have no reason, believe me, to dread being
unemployed in any rank while you have a wish to serve,--this
opinion, my dear general, is not given rashly or upon slight
grounds,--before I came to this country I had, you must know,
several opportunities of hearing your name mentioned at head
quarters, both by General Calvert and Colonel Gordon, who
unquestionably spoke the sentiments of the then
commander-in-chief, and in such a way as to impress me with a
thorough conviction that few officers of your rank stood
higher in their estimation. In short, I have no manner of
doubt whatever that you will readily obtain employment upon
active service the moment that _you do get home_, and with
this view I recommend you to express, through Baynes, your
sense of his excellency's good intentions and wishes towards
you in respect to leave of absence, and your hopes that when
the circumstances of the country are such as will permit him
to grant six months' leave to a general officer, that this
indulgence will be extended in the first instance to you. I am
very happy to find that you are pleased with Mrs. Murray: I
have just received a long letter from her, giving me an
account of a splendid ball given by you to the _beau monde_ of
Niagara and its vicinity, and the manner in which she speaks
of your liberality and hospitality reminds me of the many
pleasant hours I have passed under your roof. _We have no such
parties now_, and the indisposition of Sir James having
prevented the usual public days at the castle, nothing more
stupid than Quebec now is can be imagined.

_Colonel Baylies to Brigadier Brock, at Fort George_.

QUEBEC, February 14, 1811.

From the sincere and lively interest which I am sure you feel
for our worthy chief, I am happy to announce to you that an
important change has taken place in his disease, from which
his medical attendants augur, with great confidence, most
essential and permanent relief. On Sunday last I received a
summons to attend immediately at the castle, where Kempt was
also called, and to our extreme astonishment he informed us
that he was then about to undergo the operation of tapping, as
he fully coincided with his medical attendants who advised it.
Sir James (Craig) proceeded with great calmness to give me
some instructions as his executor, in the event of any fatal
consequence following, which he did with a degree of
composure, and even cheerfulness, which only a mind like his
can assume. We were present, at his request, at the operation,
which appeared to me painfully tedious--but not an expression,
or even a look of impatience, escaped Sir James, whose manner
absolutely inspired spirits and fortitude to those around. At
the close he stood up for several minutes to let the water
drain from the higher parts of the body, and thirty-six pints,
weighing nearly as many pounds, were altogether drawn off.

Sir James lately received accounts of the 14th of November,
that his brother, General Peter Craig, was then so reduced
and weak from a long and severe illness, that no hopes were
entertained of him. You will conceive what a severe shock this
has been, the more so as Sir James never harboured a doubt
that his elder brother, from his apparently stronger
constitution, would have long survived him. Their mutual ties
of relationship were in a manner concentrated in each other,
for Sir James will have none left but of a very distant
degree.

I am happy to find by a long letter from Mrs. Murray to
Colonel Kempt, that you have found the means of enlivening the
solitary scene that has so long prevailed at Fort George. I
assure you that we miss you much here, and that the
fascinating Mrs. de Rottenburg, with all her charms, has not
effaced the very universal regret which your loss occasions in
Quebec.

_Brigadier Brock to his brother Irving_.

NIAGARA, February 19, 1811.

Nothing can be more considerate, nothing more friendly, than
your constancy in writing to me. Your last letter is dated the
26th November. What can I say from this remote corner in
return for the pleasure I experience at the receipt of your
letters? I have already described my sombre kind of life, but
I am sure you will rejoice to hear that my present quiet has
been productive of the essential good of restoring my health.
I now consider myself quite re-established; therefore, my good
Irving, dispel all your alarms on my account. I once thought
of visiting Ballstown, but, as a trial of the springs there
was my chief motive, I gave up the journey the moment I found
there was no medical occasion to undertake it. I do not admire
the manners of the American people. I have met with some whose
society was every thing one could desire, and at Boston and
New York such characters are, I believe, numerous, but these
are the exceptions. Politics run very high at this moment, but
the French faction have evidently the preponderance, and they
style themselves republicans! Was ever any thing more absurd?
A dreadful crash is not far off--I hope your friends have
withheld their confidence in their public stocks. There have
been many failures at New York, and the merchants there are in
a state of great confusion and dismay.

I returned recently from York, the capital of this province,
where I passed ten days with the governor, (Gore,) as generous
and as honest a being as ever existed. His lady is perfectly
well bred and very agreeable. I found ample recompense in
their society for the inconvenience of travelling over the
worst roads I ever met with. The governor was formerly
quartered with the 44th in Guernsey, and recollects vividly
the society of those days.

I seldom hear from James Brock, who dislikes writing to such a
degree, that he hazards the loss of a friend rather than
submit to the trouble; and what is strange, when he sets
about it he expresses himself happily, and is highly
entertaining.

Sir James Craig has triumphed completely over the French
faction in the Lower Province. By their conduct they have
fully exemplified the character of their ancestors. The moment
they found they could not intimidate by threats, they became
as obsequious as they had been violent. The house of assembly
passed every bill required of them, among others one
authorizing the governor-general and three councillors to
imprison any one without assigning a cause. The state of the
country makes such a measure highly necessary. Sir James has
been very ill, and it is supposed that he cannot long survive
the fierce and frequent attacks of his disorder. His death,
whenever it comes, will be bewailed by all who possess the
feelings of Englishmen in this country. He appears determined
to keep me near his person, and I hardly know how to
accomplish my grand object of visiting England in opposition
to his wishes. You may well imagine the regret I feel in being
obliged to submit to a life of such complete idleness--but
fate will have it so.

We are all impatience and anxiety to learn the ultimate result
of the king's indisposition, and the movements of the
contending armies in Portugal. If we are to be governed by a
regent, I trust that ambition, jealousy, or party interests,
will not conspire to diminish or circumscribe his regal
powers. These are not times to slacken the reins.

Colonel Murray, 100th, went home last year, married, and
brought out a charming little creature, full of good sense and
spirit. They dined with me yesterday, and she appeared a
little dejected in consequence of an idle report of the
regiment being destined for the West Indies.

Care ought to be taken to get William Potenger introduced into
a quiet, well-behaved corps; the 49th would do very well, but
I am not partial to Canada for a young soldier; the regiment
has, however, been in it so long, that it cannot be continued
many years. Throw him into the sea rather than allow him to
join a wild Irish regiment.

This country is getting very populous and rich. Great
emigration from the States; Quakers especially come in
numbers, and bring with them large sums. Assure William of my
eternal esteem.

_Brigadier Brock to Sir James Craig, K. B_.

NIAGARA, February 27, 1811.

I have this day been honored by the receipt of your
excellency's letter, dated the 4th instant. The subject to
which it refers has occasioned serious reflection in my mind.
If unfortunately the Indians be determined to commit acts of
hostility in the spring, they are at too great a distance for
us to succeed in any effort we may be disposed to make to
avert so great a calamity. Therefore, the next consideration
is the posture we are to assume in case of such an event;
whether we are to remain in a state of strict neutrality,
which doubtless the Americans will call upon us to observe,
and thereby sacrifice our influence over the Indians; or,
unmindful of the consequences, continue to them the accustomed
supplies of food, arms, and ammunition.

I lament to think that the Indians retired from the council,
in which they declared their resolution of going to war, with
a full conviction that, although they could not look for
active co-operation on our part, yet they might rely with
confidence upon receiving from us every requisite of war.

Our cold attempt to dissuade that much-injured people from
engaging in such a rash enterprise could scarcely be expected
to prevail, particularly after giving such manifest
indications of a contrary sentiment by the liberal quantity of
military stores with which they were dismissed.

I shall not fail in reporting every circumstance that may come
to my knowledge relative to our connections with the Indians,
which I think your excellency may desire to be acquainted
with: I must look to officers commanding at the outposts for
such information, as the lieut.-governor withholds from me all
communications on the subject.

Mr. Elliott, who has the management of the Indian department
at Amherstburg, is an exceedingly good man, and highly
respected by the Indians; but, having in his youth lived a
great deal with them, he naturally has imbibed their feelings
and prejudices, and partaking in the wrongs they continually
suffer, this sympathy made him neglect the considerations of
prudence, which ought to have regulated his conduct. If he had
delayed the issue of presents until he reported their mission
to Lieut.-Governor Gore, they would have returned to their
companions, carrying with them the positive sentiments of
government.

_Brigadier Brock to Major Taylor, 100th Regiment, commanding at
Amherstburg_.

NIAGARA, March 4, 1811.

You omitted to report to me the important resolution which the
Indians formally announced last autumn in council to have been
adopted by the different nations, of going to war with the
Americans. Having however received advice of the circumstance
through other channels, I was enabled to communicate the
interesting fact to head quarters, and now transcribe, for
_your individual_ information and future guidance, extracts of
his excellency's _secret_ and _confidential_ answer, dated 4th
ultimo:

"Although the conduct of our intercourse with the Indians is
by his majesty's command vested in the civil government of the
province of Canada, and consequently the interference of
military officers, otherwise than by being present at such
councils as may be held as they are directed to be, would be
improper, I nevertheless desire that you will instruct the
officers in command at the different posts, particularly at
Amherstburg, to report confidentially to you what may pass at
those councils, as well as any other transactions in which the
Indians are concerned, and which may come to their knowledge;
these reports you will forward to me occasionally, as you may
think them of importance."

The conduct which the military are expected to pursue in their
intercourse with the Indian department is so explicitly stated
in the above, that I need not say a word more on the subject.
But I think it highly necessary to put you in possession of
the policy which Sir James Craig is very anxious may be
observed in the present uncertain state of our political
affairs.

"I am decidedly of opinion, that upon every principle of
policy our interest should lead us to use all our endeavours
to prevent a rupture between the Indians and the subjects of
the United States. Upon these considerations, I think it would
be expedient to instruct the officers of the Indian department
to use all their influence to dissuade the Indians from their
projected plan of hostility, giving them clearly to understand
that they must not expect any assistance from us. The
officers, however, should be extremely cautious in pointing
out to them that it is for their own good only that this
advice is given to them, and not from any dereliction of that
regard with which we always view their interests; it will
perhaps require some management to avoid exciting their
jealousy or resentment; the doing so must be strongly
recommended."

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