March 1812 - The Threat of War - The Glengarry collective

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pud
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March 1812 - The Threat of War - The Glengarry collective

Post by pud » Wed Apr 11, 2007 10:32 pm

Source: Documentary History of the Campaign on the Niagara Frontier in 1812. Major E. Cruikshank, Fort Erie. WELLAND: Printed at the Tribune. Pp. 45-46

"Colonel Baynes to Major General Brock.
Québec, March 10, 1812.

SIR,-I regret to find by your late letters to Sir George Prevost that your expectations from your Legislature have not been realized to the extent of your well grounded hopes. Sir George, who is well versed in the fickle and intractable disposition of public assemblies, feels more regret than disappointment. He has a very delicate card to play with his House of Assembly here, who would fain keep up the farce of being highly charmed and delighted with his amiable disposition and affable manners.,…

Sir George has directed me to inform you that he will be ready to render you any assistance in his power to strengthen the Upper Province, but that unless reinforcements arrive from England, (in which case you may depend upon having a due proportion put under your immediate command) his means of doing so are very limited. His Excellency is not sanguine in his expectations of receiving reinforcements this summer; on the contrary, the appearance of hostilities beginning to abate at Washington, and the pledge held out in the Prince Regent’s speech, of supporting with energy the contest in Spain and Portugal, are likely to prevent more troops being seen in this quarter unless a more urgent necessity of doing so should appear. I will not comment on American politics, in which we all appear to agree, that the deep-rooted jealousy and hatred of that people must in the end lead to hostilities, and that it behooves us not to lose sight of an event which if not prepared to meet we shall find more difficult to repel. Under this impression, Sir George is disposed to promote the several plans you have recommended to him relating to the general line of conduct you would wish to adopt in defence of the important Province committed to your charge. If no additional force be sent out he will send up the strong detachment of the 41st, composed of uncommonly fine young men and in very good order. The General has it also in view to send you a strong detachment of the Newfoundland Regiment, selecting their seamen and marine artificers who will be most useful in the proposed works to be carried on at York, and here I am apprehensive that the means of augmenting your strength must be bounded unless the Glengarry Levy can be rapidly formed; and Sir George is sanguine in his expectations of its being speedily placed upon a respectable footing; in that case it could occupy Kingston and that line of communication between the Provinces which you deem so essential to be guarded. This corps will have the very great advantage of starting with a better selected body of officers of any Fencible regiment in Canada. I hope you will feel inclined to bring forward Shaw as one of your captains, as without your countenance I fear he will find it an arduous task to provide for himself and his brother. The uniform of the corps is to be green, like that of the 95th Rifles."

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