The Astonishing General by Wesley B. Turner

Author:Wesley B. Turner
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Dundurn
Published: 2011-06-20T04:00:00+00:00

If it enable me to contribute to your comfort and happiness, I shall esteem it my highest reward. When I returned Heaven thanks for may amazing success, I thought of you all…. Let me know my dearest brothers, that you are all again united. The want of union was nearly losing this province without even a struggle, and be assured it operates in the same degree in regard to families.

He thanked his brothers for their letters, which had been brought to him by Major Smelt and Captain Brown of the 103rd regiment at Quebec. He was gratified to receive a letter from Richard Potenger, son of his sister Marie, and urged him to continue to study for the priesthood. He had previously received a letter from a relative by marriage, Sir Thomas Saumarez at Halifax. He mentioned the loss of “two valuable military friends, lamenting, “I begin to be too old to form new friendships, and those of my youth are dropping off fast.” In spite of the heavy burdens of command and political responsibility in wartime, he remained a warm-hearted person with strong interest in his family and friends.

In this letter he also mentioned some movements of officers. Lieutenant-Colonel John Vincent was put in command of Kingston and Brock had sent Major Charles Plenderleath from Niagara to assist Vincent. Brock’s cousin, James Brock, was remaining there with the 49th rather than acting as Brock’s private secretary, probably because the latter’s “salary [was] a mere pittance.” He mentioned Sheaffe being sent to the upper province and continued, “There never was an individual so miserably off for the necessary assistance. Sir George Prevost has kindly hearkened to my remonstrances, and in some measure supplied the deficiency.” Fryer believes Brock’s attitude to Sheaffe “had softened,” although Brock had long been supportive of Sheaffe and there seems no reason that his view would have changed at this time.[57]

Brock was aware of the wider and immediate effects of his victory at Detroit. Upper Canada was saved from conquest, at least for the time being. All the captured weapons and supplies made invaluable additions to the province’s military stores. As one group of militiamen succinctly put it, “Here, for the first time, we got a supply of good arms.”[58] Perhaps they exaggerated but they were reflecting an attitude of increased confidence.

Many Upper Canadians could scarcely believe that General Hull and his imposing army had been so easily defeated. Some imagined that Hull had been bribed by the British to give up Detroit. Brock saw morale in Upper Canada improved; for example, he wrote that the militia had been “inspired” and “the disaffected are silenced.”[59] There began an important change of attitude toward the government. Michael Smith observed, “After this event, the people of Canada became fearful of disobeying the government; some that had fled to the wilderness returned home; and the friends of the United States were discouraged, and those of the King encouraged … The people now saw that it was as much as

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