. L°) LJ33 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS E 356 .L9 L93 Copy 1 -^ JULY 25. 1899 I OCT. 13. ^ * * * * * ^ * LuNDY's Lane. ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ 4 ^ ^ 4 ^ ^ ^ 4 ^ I A BRIEF ACCOUNT I I 4 ^ OF A THIRD MILITARY RE-INTERMENT AT J ^ LUNDY'S LANE, OCT. 13th. 1899. ^ ^ WITH NOTES, &c. ^ ^ LUNDY'S Lane Historicai SogIety. ^ ^ PRICE, 10 CENTS. ^ PREFACE. UNDY'S Lane is very famous in Cana- dian history, made famous by the fierce battle fought on July 25, 18 14. It is on rising ground one mile west from Niagara Falls, a high point between Lakes Erie and Ontario. A thin belt of chestnut forest surrounded the hill which had been donated in 1800 as a village burial ground, but after the battle the hill became a military cemetery of necessity, and adjacent fields were also used as burial places, where- ever the fallen killed were found. , !5?. ^^-■■ ^:X(''k L ■mu^^ f/ ' ■Whepe the Hepoes ape Bupied. Honors lor tlie Brav6 Dead. Re-Interment of the Remains of the Heroes of Lundy's Lane — A Military Funeral Attended by the Heads of the Local Militia and Upwards of 3000 Citizens — Speeches by Col. Cruikshank, W. McCleary, M. P!, and Hon. J. G. Currie. HISTORICAL SKETCH OF EVENTS AT THE TIME OF THE BATTLE. A general holiday was observed in the town and village of Niagara Falls on Oct. 13th, when the impressive ceremony of re-interring the remains of the Bri- tish soldiers was observed. It was an ideal Indian summer day and thousands of people from far and near went out to do honor to the dead, who had fought and died for this fair Canada of ours. Soon after noon the crowd began to as- semble and by the hour appointed for the ceremony there were thousands lin- e4 up on main street and along Lundy's Lane to the cemetery. At three o'clock the funeral procession was marshalled by Messrs. R. Garner and Wm. Dalton, and left Morse's un- dertaking establishment. The route was up Main to Barker street, up Barker street to Victoria Ave., thence down to Gulp street, down Gulp to Main, and up Lundy's Lane to the cemetery. The order ol the procession was as follows,— 44tb Battalion Band. Military Escort, No. 1 Company 44th Battalion, In command of Capt. Vaudersluys. Veterans' Association, Represented by Col. W. M. Parker. Hearse. Pallbearers. Major Bvirch and Capt. StuU, 2nd Dragoons. Capt. Kennedy and Lieut. Chatterton, 19tli Battalion. Lieut. C. H. Mitchell and Surgeou-Lleut. Thompson, 44th Battalion. Military Officers. Major Sheppard, Lieut. Sheppard and Chap- lain Kov. K. H. M. Innes, 2nd Dragoons; Major Campbell. Capt. W. T. GlbS' n and Chaplain, Rev. K. Ker. 19th Battalion; Lieut-Col. Cruikshank, Major Cohoe, Capt. and Adjutant Hill, ("apt. Greenwood, Capt. Rose and Chaplain Rev. G. Johnstone, 44th Battalion ; Also Col. O'Malley, Major Day, Major Bender and Capt. Strother, un- attached. Welland County Council. Warden Henderson and Councillors Lieut. -Col. Cruikshank, G. F. House, E Morden, J. Harrison Pew an 1 Walter LTpper. Pupils of the Stamford High School, Pupils of Village Public School, Pupils of the Niagara Falls Collegiate Institute, Pupils of the Niagara Falls Public School. Lundy's Lane Hisiorlcal Society. Clergymen— Ven. Archdeacon Houston, Niagara Falls; Rev. Canon McKeuzle, Chippawa; Kev. Henry Softley, Toronto. It is estimated that there were about eight hundred in the procession, includ- ing six hundred children. On the arrival at the cemetery, Rev. Canon Bull, president of the Lundy's Lane Historical Society, ascended the steps of the soldiers' monument and call- ed for the presentation of wreaths and flowers. Wreaths of maple leaves were pre- sented by representatives of the Stam- ford High School, the village school, the Niagara Falls collegiate institute ; also the public school. There were also bou- quets from St. Catharines and one from an American lady, a Mrs. Cameron, of Washington, D. C. Thejn the caskets covered with the British flag, as was also the hearse, was carried to the mon- ument, and Rev. Canon Bull read a por- tion of the solemn burial service of the Church of England. After the tisual scriptural sentences had been pronounc- ed, he said these words of committal,— Forasmuch as it has pleased Almighty God, in His great meTcy,to allot to His people here on r .earth that a faithful service and acts of piety should be ren- dered by thera for His name sake, we therefore commit these mortal re- mains of British soldiers to this burial vault, to await the resurrection in the last day, through Jesus Christ, our Lord." He concluded with the follow- ing prayer,— "We beseech Thee, Lord, to save and defend all Christian Kings, Princes and Governors, and specially Thy servant, Victoria, our Queen, that under her the whole empire may be godly and quietly governed, and grant unto her whole couaicil, and to all that are put in authority under her, that they may truly and indifferently minis- ter justice to the punishment of wick- edness and vice, and to the maintenance of Thy true religion ajid virtue. Grant this, O Lord, for Jesus Christ's sake, our only mediator and advocate. Amen." Then, while the casket was being placed in the vault, the firing party fired three volleys, and the committal was con- cluded. LIEUT. COLONEL CRUIKSHANK Was the first speaker. He said,— We have met to-day to pay a tribute of respect to the memory of those sol- diers of the 89th and 103rd regiments, whose remains are now re-interred and also in a sense to reaffirm our devo- tion to the cause for which they died. They fell fighting for the integrity of the British Empire, while engaged in re- pelling a most formidable invasion of this province. This was in fact, not the least important chapter of the mortal struggle with the first Napoleon. In the beginning of the year 1812, that great soldier was at the summit of his power. He had triumphed repeatedly over the mightiest collections of European pow- ers. The frontiers of France had been extended by conquest to include Belgium, Switzerland, a large part of Italy and several German provinces. A French marshall had become King of Sweden. The Emperor had placed one of his bro- thers on the throne of Holland. An- other wore the crown of Spain and for a third he had carved a kingdom out of the heart of Germany. He had made his brother-in-law King of Naples and his stepson Viceroy of Italy. The Emper- or of Austria, the kings of Denmark, Prussia, Bavaria and Saxony had been reduced to the position of vassals, whose armies and revenues were at the com- mand of the conqueror. The Sultan of Turkey was his firm ally. French gar- risons were everywhere. Such a dream of empire had never been realized be- fore ; no power of the imagination can conjure back the prestige of resistless power and invincibility which was at- tached to his name at that moment. After twenty years of battle Great Britain alone continued the contest. Children had been born and grown to manhood since the conflict began and after all that bloodshed the power of "the Corsican tyrant" as our ancestors delighted to call him. was more firmly established than ever. It Is true that she was mistress of the sea, but in that whole vast coastline extending from Hammerfast to the Golden Horn there were but two ports— Cadiz and Lisbon —which her ships could enter in peace and these only because they were held by British garrisons. That gallant lit- tle army that had been fighting for three years in Portugal and Spain had lately been forced to retire to these famous lines at the gates of Lisbon, whence it was destined to march forth to victory on victory, but that result no one fore- saw or expected. ' ' Such was the time selected by the United States to declare war. The hgur of England's need would be their oppor- tunity they shrewdly argued. They would take Canada they proclaimed, and none dared gainsay them. Never since the days of Thermopylae had a contest seemed more hopeless. Beyond the At- lantic Britain found a continent in arms. Here a nation of eight millions was arrayed against these provinces with a population of less than five hun- dred thousand. In Upper Canada less than eighty thousand people occupied a narrow fringe of settled country, skirt- ing the lakes and rivers froml the Ot- tawa to Lake Huron, of whom probably one third were disaffected or apa- thetic. It was confidentially asserted that the militia of Kentucky alone would suffice to conquer them. The Governor- General frankly confessed that he scarcely hoped to retain anything out- side of the walls of Quebec. General Brock, on the whole much more hope- ful and sanguine, admitted that Upper Canada would probably be overrun. The British Naval Chronicle, referring to General Hull's proclam.ation on crossing the Detroit River, which it had just received, said,— "This may prove the forerunner of the fall of Canada, which once gone in all probability will never return to the British crown any more than Hanover." Had any one ventured then to pre- dict that not only would every attempt at invasion be ignominiously baffled, but that in less than three years; one British army would march in triumph into Paris and another into Washington, he would have been regarded as a mad- man. The battle fought here five and eighty years ago was remarkable and memor- able for several reasons. It was the turning point of the last and most for- midable campaign of invasion. After threatening the forts at the mouth of this river for some days the American army had retired to Chippawa with the intention, as its commander stated, of sending away his surplus baggage and making a rapid advance across the coun- try against Burlington Heights, where he hoped to be joined by* the American fleet on Lake Ontario. An urgent sum- mons had that morning been issued to the Indians in the U. S. service to re- join him in tima to take part in this movement. The advance guards of the two armies came into collision quite un- expectedly at this place shortly before night, I5th July, 1814, and drew the re- mainder of the forces on both sides that were within marching distance into a prolonged and bloody struggle, which neither of their commanders had intend- ed to bring on at that moment. The battle consequently was mainly fought in darkness and disorder, beginning near sunset and lasting nearly until mid- night. On both sides the soldiers dis- played great discipline, courage and tenacity in very trying circumstances, and the number of killed and wounded was unusually large. Neither at Au- sterlitz or "Waterloo, at Gettysburg or Gravelotte was the loss proportionate- ly so great in respect to the numbers en- gaged. Of ^809 British soldiers 878, or almost one third, were reported killed. wounded or missing. The losses of in- dividual corps were in some cases even larger. The 89th regiment brought 403 officers and men into action and lost £54, or five out of every eight. The incor- porated militia lost 142 out of less than 303. Quite one third of the British troops engaged were Canadians. The 104th regiment, the Glengarry Light Infan- try and Incorporated militia had all been enlisted and mainly officered from these provinces. Besides these corps, which were practically regular soldiers, there were detachments of the Lincoln, Mid- dlesex, Norfolk, Oxford and York mil- itia and the Provincial Light Dragoons. Their aggregate loss was 209 officers and men. The spot where we now stand was the scene of the hardest fighting. Here the 89th regiment, to which most of these dead soldiers belonged, fought and fell around their colors which we are told formed a rallying point for all the other corps. Here, where the victory was won, the survivors slept beside the guns they had regained and retained at such terrific cost. Here, too, the dead were huddled into a trench with scant ceremony. You do well to cherish the inemory of the men who died here for the Em- pire. To the patriotic efforts of the Lundy's Lane Historical Society mainly is' due the handsome monument that commemorates them. But to my mind it is yet incomplete. A tablet should be affixed to it, recording the names of those who fell. (This is being done). You will find that some American his- torians of repute deny that the battle was a British victory. If the concur- rent testimony of all British authorities fail to convince, the evidence of Gen- erals Ripley, Porter, Major Hindsman and other American officers of rank which has lately been printed ought to be sufficient. But in this case deeds are more eloquent than words. A vic- torious army does not abandon the field of battle, leaving its dead and wounded and. part of its artillery in the hands of a beaten enemy. A victorious army does not relinquish its designs of aggres- sion and retreat twenty miles in a single day. A victorious army does not destroy its baggage and burn bridges behind it to check pursuit. It may be said that by commemorat- ing these events we are trying to open old sores ; that is quite untrue. No self- respecting people can afford to ignore the memorable events of its history. The great and noble deeds of the past when opportunity offers, will inspire great and noble deeds in the future. Those whose corps belong to the brood of Little Eng- landers, who say "ye must not speak of Trafalgar or Waterloo, least ye give offence," were they Swiss, they would doubtless consult their countrymen to forget the glories of Sempach and Mor- ga'rten. Were they Greeks they would strive to blot out the memoryf of Mara- thon and Salamis. There is no thought of hostility or boastfulness in our hearts to-day. We sincerely desire to be friends with our neighbors— allies if they will,- but they must not expect that we can altcgether forget the past or the cause that in- cited the heroic deeds of our forefathers, or forego the course sanctified by the blood of our ancestors. WILLIAM McCLEARY, M. P., Followed with a short patriotic speech, which stirred the loyalty of the thou- sands in his hearing. He said he was glad to meet with the loyal and pat- riotic men, women, girls and boys who have gathered here and believed that this great assembly is attributable first and foremost to the fact that the mar- tial spirit is abroad in Canada to-day. Loyal sentiment has never been so deep- ly stirred as it is at present, when Britain is at war with the South Afri- can Republics. He had heard the words "old sores" mentioned to-day and agreed with the colonel that there are now no old sores. There is a different feeling across the line, and it is nothing but the great heart of England that has brought all this about. Lord Curzon rose in ills place in the House of Commons and declared the neutrality of Britain in the Spanish American War, but at the same time stated that if any nation attempted to side with Spain the British navy would protect the American coasts and join forces with the United States navy. This settled the matter, and he thought Americans do not forget it. But to-day British soldiers are fighting for the freedom of South Africa. He did not want to make political capital out of this, but was ashamed that Canada has not before this sent out a contingent of volunteers. There is a minister in the Canadian Cabinet who has the auda- city to ask, "What right has Canada to send help to South Africa?" He then denounced the disloyalty of Mr. Tarte and his paper. La Patrie, also the re- solutions passed by the Ancient Order of Hibernians in Montreal. British Im- perialism should be upheld regardless oC politics, and he appealed to them as Bii- itsh Canadians to stand fast to their principles. He felt sure of the ultlmalc success of the British forces in this con- flict, for behind them is the great arm of Almighty God. The English rnce must not only control Africa but the whole world. HON. J. G. CURRIE, Of St. Catharines, was given a hoarly welcome. He complimented Mr. Mc- Cleary, who now represented in Parlia- ment the same county that he once had the honor to represent. Speaking of old sores, they had been healed long Jigo, and he was happy to state that never before during his residence of three score years and ten along the border had such a good feeling existed as there now is. As was said in Chicago, "If the flags of the United States and Eng- land are ever to be seen on the battle field, let them wave together." In re- gard to the achievements in 1812-14, he reminded his hearers that, while not wishing to belittle the services of the Canadian volunteers, it was the regular army that had done most of the heavy fighting.and hence deserved the greatest credit. At' this stage Rev. Canon Bull took occasion to thank Messrs. W. Dalton, M. Morse, R. W. Geary, R. Garner and all others who assisted in collecting the re- mains and relics. THE LAURA SECORD FUND. Mrs. Thompson, of Toronto, represent- ing the Ontario Historical Society, spoke briefly on behalf of the Laura Secord monument fund. The society required $1,000, and of the amount $G00 had al- ready been raised. Nothing had yet been collected from the Niagara District and she .asked for 10 cent subscriptions from the loyal Canadian men and women, and one cent each from the children. It was hoped to have the monument erected by the 23rd of June, next year, the anniversary of the brave deed of a brave and loyal woman. HISTORICAL. A brief resume is here added of the discovery of a third British military burial trench near Lundy's Lane, where (lie remains of five British soldiers kill- ed at the Batt'le of July< 25, 1814, were found Sept. 12, 1899. The discovery was made by Austin Morse and fellow workmen on the north margin of Morse's large sand pit. This trench was on line (east) with the trench found eight years ago under similar cir- cumstances—widening the sand pit to obtain a new course of sand. These remains were found about two feet be- low the surface and were identified by numerous buttons marked with the fig- ures 89 and 103, and a few smaller but- tons marked with a crown. Undertaker Morse was then instruct- ed to take charge of the remains, plac- ing them in a casket with plate bear- ing the figures 89th and 103rd, to be, de- posited with military honors in the vault of the monument. On the day appointed 8 13th. October (the anniversary of an- other great battle— Queenston Heights) the re-interment took place. On the casket were placed three colours, old and tattered, but precious, of the Lincoln militia^ of 1812-14 and two beautiful wreaths of tinted oak and maple leaves. Within were figures 89 and 103. The remains were enclosed in a plain, black coffin, with a plate bearing the fcllow- ing inscription,— Kemalns of Five Soldiers of the 89tli and 103rd Regiments who fell near this spot July 25th, 1814. Re- interred with Milltai-y Honors October 13th, 1899. After the solemn words of committal to the vault, pronounced by Rev. Canon Bull, the firing party discharged the us- ual volleys, under the command of Capt. Vandersluys, 44th regiment. Amid the great concourse of people at the re-interment, stoDd a detachment of the 44th batt, Welland, with firing party and band under Capt. Vandersluys, and another of the 19th batt., Lincoln, under Capt.Kennedy. Hundreds of young col- lege students and public school children were well arranged under their respect- ive principals. The warden of the coun- ty of Welland, the mayor of Niagara, the reeves and their respective councils of adjacent municipalities were in full at- tendance. TowTispeople and others un- ited in the procession, with the Lundy's Lane Historical Society and other sim- ilar societies of the Niagara River Dis- trict ; Ralph Garner acted as marshall. At the conclusion all voices united, in singing the National Anthem,— God save our gracious Queen, Long live our noble Queen, God save the Queen ; Send her victorious, Happy and glorious. Long to reign over ua God save our Queen. Thy choicest gifts in store. On her be pleased to pour, God save the Queen ; May she defend our laws. And ever give us cause. To sing with heart and voice, God save the Queen. Far from the Mother land. Nobly we'll fall or stand By England's Queen ; Through towns and forests free, Britons undaunted we Sing with true loyalty, God save the Queen. It is a principle of loyalty and patriot- ism to honor the memory of the brave soldier, the wise statesman and the christian benefactor, and others like them, good and true men and women who have well served their generation. The Canadian Parliament four years ago testified its sense of gratitude in mem- ory of the brave men killed at Lundy's Lane in 1814, by erecting a fine monu- ment. It is built of light grey granite and stands full forty feet high. On' the north side of the inscription appears,— "Erected by the Canadian Parliament in honor of the victory gained by the British and Canadian forces on this field, on the 25th July. 1814, and In grate- ful remembrance of the brave men who died here on that day fighting for the unity of the Empire, 1893." On the south side is the vault. As on former similar occasions this funereal scene was deeply solemn and im- pressive; it spoke of the successful de- fence of this country, 85 years ago, by British regulars, Canadian militia and Indian allies, against an enemy far sup- erior in numbers ; it spoke of the brave dead, killed in battle, and of the terrible sufferings of families during the three years of that war. Most happily it is now a period of peace ; it has been so for m^ny years. Enemies have become friends, and we forgive them and respect them, but we may never forget the men and women who defended their Canadian homes.and aided in preserving the integrity of this part of the British Empire, eighty- five years ago. Major-General Porter of the U. S. Army, in a letter to Governor Tomp- 9 kins, N. T., July 29th, 1814, wrote asi fol- lows of the fierceness of the battle,— "Our Canadian Campaign seems draw- ing to a close, or must, at any rate, be suspended for want of reinforcements. After a month spent in marching and counter-marching we have got back to the point from which we set out, much Impaired in strength, but I hope not disheartened." Referring then to Lundy's Lane en- gagements. General Porter added,— "In the last (Lundy's Lane) we were most unlucky both as to time and| place, the action having been commenced 3 miles from camp about sundown, with one- third of our army against a greatly superior force occupying a commanding position.* But no disadvantage of time, place or circumstance could resist the desperate bravery of the American sol- diery." "Our victory was complete, but, alas, this victory gained by exhibitions of bravery never surpassed in this country, was converted into a defeat by a precipitate retreat, leaving the dead, the wounded, the captured artillery and our hard earned honor to the enemy. I entered my remonstrance against this measure and I confess at the time I al- most wished that fate had swept an- other general from the combat."** The awful scene of Lundy's Lane bat- tle ground on July 26, 1814, is thus de- cribed by an U. S. army' surgeon. Dr. Bull, Buffalo, July 31, 1814,-"The dead had not been removed during the night and such a scene of carnage, I never beheld, particularly at Lundy's Lane, blue and grey were promiscuously inter- mingled, in mainy places three deep, and around the hill where the enemy's ar- tillery was carried by Col. Miller, the carcasses of 60 or 70 horses disfigured the scene." These extracts are enough to show * The United States forces were .5000 at 6 p. m ; British forces were 1800 at 6 p. m. and 1600 added at 9 p. m. ** Generals Scott and Brown were wounded. that the British-Canadian forces, which were much less than those of the enemy, must also have fought with a desperate courage to defend their country and new homes ; that the men of the British re- giments, young men, too, not veterans, must have bravely kept their ground ; that these sixteen men of the old 89th and 103rd regimen ts.whose remains have been placed im the vault.must have fallen together and were hastily buried where they fell. For long years their mortal frames have been mouldering in one field or another adjacent to the battle-hill. As comrades, their mortal remains will still rest together in the vault, erected by a grateful country for their recep- tion. Add to their number three others —men of the 1st Royal Scots, killed on the same "day in 1814, andi placed in, the vault six years ago. Total number in the vault at this date ia nineteen, with- in eight years. i A stranger now visiting Lundy's Lane hill, and viewing its peaceful surround- ings of comfortable residences, fine lawns, gardens and vineyards could not conceive the terrible scene of carnage that afflicted the land 85 years ago. Time has done very much to blot out all the sadness of destruction, desolation and woe. The scene now is changed ; it is now a land of peace and industry, of fruits and flowers, not of ashes. And so, loyal and patriotic British Can- adians trust that ever hereafter peace andi good will may prevail, between Great Britain and the U. S., and that contentment and prosperity may con- tinue far and near, throughout their vast territories. 10 HEROES OP LUNDY'S LANE. An Impromptu. Re-Interment of Oct. 13th. 1899. Take them) from out their unmarked grave, Where a hundred years before. Sad comrades of the battle-field Laid them all fresh in gore. Take the poor remnants of their mortal clay,— A few dry bones,— remains of valiant men; Shake from the mouldering skull, the ragged bullet gray; And from their sacred dust, the rusted button claim. Heroes of Lundy's Lane 1 Alas 1 Thy names forgotten, and thy grave unknovra ; Yet thine immortal memory shall last In patriotic fire,— by great example shown. Aye I Patriots hold thee in remem- brance still, And bear with solemn pomp and sym- pathetic tears. To rest forever on this blood-soaked hill. Beneath the stately tomb a grateful country rears. -R. W. G. Lundy's Lane, Oct. 13, 1899. LIST OP BUTTONS, COINS, BULLETS, &c, &c. Found Sept. 12, 1899, in the trench with British soldiers' remains, at Drum- mond Hill, (north side) Lundy's Lane. 1 Mexican silver dollar, date 1805. 1 United States half-dollar, dated 1809. 35 buttons, 89th regiment, British, (large.) 9 buttons, 89th Regt, British (small). 14 buttons, 103 Regt., British (large). 1 button, 103 Regt. British, (large). In Copper. 5 buttons, York volunteers (large). 3 buttons, York volunteers (small). 2 buttons, plain silvered, large. 7 buttons, cloth covered, large. 4 buttons, small brass. 17 buttons, broken, various. 10 bullets, lead. 1 pocket knife, parts. 1 iron ferrule. ' 1 iron buckle. 1 iron planchet, one inch diameter. Several pieces of cloth, leather soles, shoes, etc. The 89th '* Princess Victoria's" Regiment. The Following Panticulaps of the 89th Regiment are taken from an His- topical Record of the Regiment Published in 1888. The 89th "Princess Victoria's" Regi- ment was raised in Ireland in the year 1793, for service in consequence of the breaking out of the French Revolution- ary War and saw service in Holland in 1794, under the Duke of York, in Ireland during the rebellion of 1798, at the cap- ture of Malta in 1800, and greatly dis- tinguished itself in the campaign in Egypt under Sir Ralph Abercombie in 1801. After minor services in Ireland, South America and the Cape, the Regi- ment again won renown in Madras, Java and Sumatra for which it received spec- ial mention in the despatches of the Commander in Chief. In 1803, when Napoleon was meditat- ing the invasion of England, a 2nd Bat- talion was added to the 89th, this' Bat- talion appears to have been employed chiefly on home service until the break- ing out of the war with the United States in 1812, when it was embarked for North America and arrived at Halifax on 13th October, of that year, where it remained in garrison until the spring of 1813 and embarked for Quebec on 19th of May. Arriving at Quebec on the 5th June, the regiment was immediately landed and pushed on to the scene of hostilities in the Upper Province, march- ing the 400 miles to Kingston in nineteen days. Here the Light Company was de- tached for service under Major-General De Rottenberg, at that time encamped near Fort George, where the enemy had retired after the affair at Stoney Creek. This company had several severe engage- ments with the enemy and particuiariy distinguished itself at Black Rock on 30th December and at the River Thames on the 4th March, following. Chrysler's Farm, November 11th, 1813. — Lieut. -Coi. Morrison with the remain- ing companies of the 89th were detain- ed at Kingston to assist in its defence from an 'expected attack in force by General Wilkinson, supported by a powerful squadron under Commodore Chauncey. About 1st Nov. Gen'l Wil- kinson embarked his force and dropped down the St. Lawrence with a view of capturing Montreal. Col. Morrison with detachments of the 89th and 49th, and two 6-pounders was ordered tb act as a corps of observation, and if possible to harrass the rear of Gen*l Wilkinson's army ; receiving a reinforcement of militia and one gun while en route, he landed his force of 803 men at Point Iroquois, and advancing rapidly came up with a division of the enemy consisting of two brigades of infantry and a regi- ment of cavalry— between 3,000 and 4,000 men, with six field pieces— at Chrysler's Farm. Notwithstanding the disparity of numbers Col. Morrison engaged the en- emy, and after a hotly contested fight, drove him from the field in confusion. With a force now reduced to about 620 rank and file Coi. Morrison again press- ed forvvara in pursuit. Gen'l Wilkinson did not await his coming, b'at on tithe m.orning of the ISth crossed the river vvith his vvhoie force and retired vvith- In his own territory, and in February destroyed his camp and abandoned the exDedition. 12 Lundy's Lane, July 25, I814.-Tbe 89th was at York (now Toronto) when tidings came that Major-General Brown had crossed the Niagara with an army of 5000 men, and had worsted Gen'l Riall at Chippawa. Sir Gordon Drummond at once ordered forward the89th,who isailed on the 24th and arrived off Fort George at daylight on the morning of the 25th, were disembarked and marched imme- diately to Queenston. After a short halt they were hastened forward to Lun- dy's Lane, where Riall was threatened with an attack. The 89th with General Drummond at its head, arrived just in time to meet the first advance in force of the enemy, and it formed the storm centre of the conflict, its conspicuous gallantry throughout ,this sanguinary engagement can best be described in the words of General Drummond in his of- ficial despatch,— "In the reiterated and determined at- " tacks which the enemy made on cur "centre, for the purpose of gaining, at "once, the crest of the position and our "guns, the steadiness and intrepidity "displayed by the troops allotted for the "defence of that post were never sur- "passed; they consisted of the 2nd Bat- "talion 89th Regiment, commanded by "Lieutenant-Colonel Morrison, and,after "the Lieutenant-Colonel had been toh- "liged to retire from the field by a sev- "ere wound, by Major Clifford; a de- "tachment of the Royal Scots funder "Lieutenant-Colonel Hemphill, and after "he was killed. Lieutenant Prazer ; a "detachment . of the 8th (or King's) "under Captain Campbell, Light com- "pany 41st Regiment under Captain "Glew, with some detachments of Mil- "itia under Lieutenant-Colonel Parry, 103 "Regiment. These troops repeatedly "when hard pressed formed round the "dolours of the 89th Regiment, and in- " variably repulsed the desperate efforts "made against them. On the right, the "steadiness and good countenance of the "1st BattaUon Royal Scots, under Lieut- "enant-Colonel Gordon, on som.e very "trying occasions, excited my admir- "ation." Colonel Cruikshank, a well known his- torical authority, has written,— "The losses of the 89th, engaged that day, were,— Two officers and 27 N. C. 'O. and men killed; eleven officers and 177 N.C.O. and men wounded, and 37 N.C.O. and men missing. The two officers kill- ed were Capt. Spooner and Lieut. Lath- am.— (Total,— 251 out of an aggregate of 40J of all ranks.) "The 89th, under Col. Morrison, were the heroes of 'Chrysler's Farm,' which put an end, the year before, to the for- midable invasion of Lower Canada ; they had arrived at York on the 21st July with Sir Gordon Drummond, from King- ston, and immediately (embarked for Niagara. Col. Cruikshank also says, "the 103rd were. Like the 4ist, a 'boy regiment,' and on this account were not permit- ted during the previous year to serve in the field, but kept on garrison duty. They were part of Scott's brigade, that made the famous march of more than '20 miles (part of the distance having been doubled on account of countermand- ing orders) from St. Catharines, then known as 'The Twelve,' bn the afternoon of the 25th, and readily engaged the enemy at 9 o'clock. "It was at such an evening service- held, not in the church, though in its very yard, and to which they were sum- moned, not by the vesper bell, but by the booming of cannon and the murderous rattle of musketry— that the lads of the 103rd received their 'baptism' of fire." LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 011 895 188 8 • LIE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 011 895 188 8 pH8^