The Role of the Editor: Guest Post by Sue Barnard

April 10, 2015 by Roland Clarke

Fascinating and insightful interview with Sue Barnard, the editor that I’ve just used for “Storms Compass”.

Author and editor, Sue Barnard

I’m delighted to welcome my friend and fellow Crooked Cat author, Sue Barnard, to the chaise longue this week. Not only is Sue an author in her own right, but she’s also an editor. More precisely, she is my editor. And a cracking job she did, too, of The House at Zaronza. She saved me from many a howler and smartened up my prose no end.

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E is for Erie

April 6, 2015 by Roland Clarke

The Battle of Lake Erie, sometimes called the Battle of Put-in-Bay, was fought on 10 September 1813, in Lake Erie off the coast of Ohio during the War of 1812. In the first unqualified defeat of a British naval squadron in history, U.S. Captain Oliver Hazard Perry led nine vessels of the United States Navy to victory, capturing six vessels of the Royal Navy.

However, six of the American vessels were gunboats, small vessels that mounted only a single gun. Only two, the Lawrence and the Niagara, were full-size ships with an armament of two long guns and 18 carronades each.

One of the biggest naval battles of the War, it was closely contested for hours, and early in the battle, the British were taking a heavy toll on the American ships, principally because the British cannons were much more accurate at long distances. Perry’s flagship Lawrence was reduced to a defenceless wreck.

Perry's Victory, painted by William Henry Powell of Cincinnati in 1865, illustrates Oliver Hazard Perry's decisive victory over the British fleet in the Battle of Lake Erie (September 10, 1813). This victory ensured American control of the Great Lakes. The painting is currently hanging in the rotunda of the Ohio Statehouse.

Perry’s Victory, painted by William Henry Powell of Cincinnati in 1865, illustrates Oliver Hazard Perry making his way from his severely damaged flagship, the Lawrence , in a rowboat through enemy fire to the Niagara The painting is currently hanging in the rotunda of the Ohio Statehouse.

He then transferred to the Niagara, which before Perry’s arrival had hardly engaged the British fleet. Now, Perry sailed the Niagara directly into the British lines, inflicting heavy cannon fire on the enemy ships. The commander of every British ship was killed or wounded, leaving the British ships under the command of junior officers with limited experience.

Perry took advantage of this situation. The Niagara rammed the British lead ship while the sailors fired rifles at the British seamen. By nightfall, the British had surrendered to Perry, who was only twenty-seven years old. Perry had won a complete victory at the cost of 27 Americans killed and 96 wounded; British casualties were 40 dead and 94 wounded. The surviving British crews, including the wounded, numbered 306.

After the battle, Perry sent a famous dispatch, written in pencil on the back of an old envelope, to U.S. General William Henry Harrison that read, “We have met the enemy, and they are ours.”

The Battle of Lake Erie cut off the British supply lines and forced the British to abandon Detroit, ensuring U.S. control over Lake Erie and the territorial northwest. It also paved the way for General Harrison’s attack on the British and Native American forces at the Battle of the Thames.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Lake_Erie

http://www.battleoflakeerieart.com/battle.php

http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Battle_of_Lake_Erie?rec=476

http://battleoflakeerie-bicentennial.com/history/the-battle/

PREVIOUS A TO Z POSTS:

A is for Anishinaabe ~ B is for Brock ~ C is for Coloured Corps ~ D is for Detroit

The brainchild of Arlee Bird, at Tossing it Out, the A to Z Challenge is posting every day in April except Sundays (we get those off for good behaviour.) And since there are 26 days, that matches the 26 letters of the alphabet. On April 1, we blog about something that begins with the letter “A.” April 2 is “B,” April 3 is “C,” and so on. Please visit other challenge writers.

My theme is ‘The War of 1812’, a military conflict, lasting for two-and-a-half years, fought by the United States of America against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, its North American colonies, and its American Indian allies. The Memoirs of a British naval officer from the war is central to my novel “Seeking A Knife” – part of the Snowdon Shadows series.

Further reading on The War of 1812:

http://www.eighteentwelve.ca/?q=eng

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/the-war-of-1812-stupid-but-important/article547554/

D is for Detroit

April 4, 2015 by Roland Clarke

On July 12, 1812, General William Hull led an invading American force of about 1,000 untrained, poorly equipped militia across the Detroit River and occupied the Canadian town of Sandwich (now a neighbourhood of Windsor, Ontario).

During the War of 1812, the Detroit River served as a major barrier between the American Michigan Territory and British Upper Canada, especially during the Battle of Fort Detroit in August 1812, when Detroit briefly fell to the British.

The Siege of Detroit, also known as the Surrender of Detroit, or the Battle of Fort Detroit, was an early engagement in the War of 1812. A British force under Major General Isaac Brock with Native American allies under the Shawnee leader, Tecumseh, used bluff and deception to intimidate the American Brigadier General William Hull into surrendering the fort and town of Detroit, Michigan, and a dispirited army (numbering 2,500 with the addition of 500 Canadians), although they outnumbered the victorious British and Native Americans (330 regulars, 400 militia, and 600 First Nations).

‘Bombardment Of Fort Detroit, 1812 by Peter Rindlisbacher.’

The American loss was considerable: some 2188 men, 39 guns, and a large store of shot, flint, and powder. The surrender not only cost the United States the village of Detroit, but control over most of the Michigan Territory.

The British victory reinvigorated the militia and civil authorities of Upper Canada, who had previously been pessimistic and affected by pro-American agitators. Many Native American people in the Northwest Territory were inspired to take arms against American outposts and settlers.

The British held Detroit for more than a year before their small fleet on Lake Erie was defeated, which forced them to abandon the western frontier of Upper Canada,

But that will be my Monday post, as E is for Erie.

http://www.eighteentwelve.ca/?q=eng/Topic/14

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Detroit

http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_detroit.html

http://www.warof1812.ca/batdetroit.html

PREVIOUS A TO Z POSTS:

A is for Anishinaabe ~ B is for Brock ~ C is for Coloured Corps

Further reading on The War of 1812:

http://www.eighteentwelve.ca/?q=eng

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/the-war-of-1812-stupid-but-important/article547554/

C is for Coloured Corps

April 3, 2015 by Roland Clarke

Shortly after the Americans declared war on the British in June 1812, a 68 year old West African named Richard Pierpoint proposed the formation of a Black fighting unit, a “Corps of men of Colour.” A small militia unit was formed and became known as the Coloured Corps. Pierpoint, who had fought for the British in the American Revolutionary War, was one of over 50 who served in that unit throughout the war. While the commanding officers were white, six of the enlisted Black men served as sergeants or corporals and the rest served as privates. The number strength of the unit varied throughout the war due to fatalities, illness, desertions and the occasional addition of Black soldiers from other militias. There were usually between 25-30 men. The Coloured Corps saw action in some of best-known battles of the War of 1812. At the Battle of Queenston Heights, they participated in the recapture of the Redan Battery after the death of Major General Brock.

Coloured Corps Painting
“Runchey’s Coloured Corps” by Cameron Porteous.
Image courtesy of canadianartcards.com. 1812 1 20N.

The Black population throughout British North America had much to fear, should the Americans win the war: those who were free men might find themselves sold into slavery. Those who were enslaved might have hoped that their service to the King as soldiers would win them their freedom.

There were both free and enslaved men in the Coloured Corps’ ranks. While Pierpoint gained his freedom for his service in a British provincial regiment, Butler’s Rangers, he was one of many who were free men when the Corps was founded. Robert Scott, a free man and farmer living in the town of York, joined up. George Martin, another Coloured Corps enlistee, had been a slave as a child, until his freedom was purchased by his own father who, like Pierpoint, had served in Butler’s Rangers.

However, others were not so lucky. “Jack” was a slave who had enlisted in the Coloured Corps, perhaps believing that by doing so he might gain his freedom. He was owned by a white slaveholder, W. A. Nelles, who requested that the military return “Jack” to him in March 1814. Prince Henry was the legal property of William Jarvis, the Provincial Secretary of Upper Canada. He appears on the muster roll in 1813. Was he signed up by Jarvis, or was he a ‘run-away,’ hoping his military service would gain him his freedom?

The Coloured Corps was a unique fighting unit within the British military, consisting of men who valued freedom and who were willing to fight to ensure freedom for themselves, their families and their country.

In 1813, the company was transformed into a unit of the Provincial Corps of Artificers and attached to the Royal Sappers and Miners. It served on the Niagara front during the war, and was disbanded a few months after the war ended.

1814 Corps of Artificiers. Image courtesy of Parks Canada.

The Coloured Corps was dismissed in March of 1815, a few months after the signing of the Treaty of Ghent. In the years following the war, Coloured Corps veterans worked hard at getting back pay and their pensions. The records indicate that these claims were still being settled well into the 1820s and early 1830s. In fact, getting what was owed was often left to their widows and children, as many Coloured Corps veterans died before receiving what was due to them.

The unit’s history and heritage is perpetuated in the modern Canadian Army by the Lincoln and Welland Regiment.

Further Information:

http://tubman.info.yorku.ca/educational-resources/war-of-1812/richard-pierpoint/coloured-corps/

http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/the-coloured-corps-african-canadians-and-the-war-of-1812/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_Runchey%27s_Company_of_Coloured_Men

http://www.eighteentwelve.ca/?q=eng/Topic/25

http://www.pbs.org/wned/war-of-1812/essays/black-soldier-and-sailors-war/

Further reading on The War of 1812:

http://www.eighteentwelve.ca/?q=eng

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/the-war-of-1812-stupid-but-important/article547554/

B is for Brock

April 2, 2015 by Roland Clarke

Major-General Sir Isaac Brock KB (6 October 1769 – 13 October 1812) was a British Army officer and administrator, who was assigned to Lower Canada in 1802. Despite facing desertions and near-mutinies, he commanded his regiment in Upper Canada (present-day Ontario) successfully for many years. He was promoted to major general, and became responsible for defending Upper Canada against the United States. While many in Canada and Britain believed war could be averted, Brock began to ready the army and militia for what was to come. To this end he oversaw improvements to the fortifications at Quebec and improved the Provincial Marine which was responsible for transporting troops and supplies on the Great Lakes. Though appointed brigadier general in 1807 by Governor General Sir James Henry Craig, Brock was frustrated by a lack of supplies and support.

However, he worked to alter the militia act to expand his forces and began building relationships with Native American leaders such as the Shawnee chief Tecumseh, and nations such as the Anishinaabe. Brock felt that British military fortunes were bleak. In Upper Canada, he possessed only 1,200 regulars which were supported by around 11,000 militia. As he doubted the loyalty of many Canadians, he believed only around 4,000 of the latter group would be willing to fight. Despite this outlook, when the War broke out, the populace was prepared, and quick victories at Fort Michilimackinac and Detroit defeated American invasion efforts.

Brock’s actions, particularly his success at Detroit, earned him a knighthood, membership in the Order of the Bath, accolades and the sobriquet “The Hero of Upper Canada”.

Brock died at the Battle of Queenston Heights. Leading two companies of the 49th Regiment and two companies of York militia, he charged up the heights assisted by aide-de-camp Lieutenant Colonel John Macdonell. In the attack, Brock was struck in the chest and killed, as was his aide who died in a second charge. However the battle was eventually a British victory. [Q will be for Queenston]

Twelve years after Brock’s death, a 130 foot stone monument was erected in his honour on the heights near the spot where he was killed. His remains, as well as those of Macdonell, were reburied beneath the monument in an elaborate ceremony attended by many of his contemporaries. In 1840, the monument was destroyed by a massive blast of gunpowder, ignited by an American sympathizer. The monument was subsequently rebuilt in 1856, 52 feet taller than before. Today, the monument, which now straddles the longest undefended border in the world, remains one of the most imposing historical landmarks in Canada. Relics of Brock’s career can be seen at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa, where his bullet-pierced tunic is prominently on display.

The coat worn by Major General Sir Isaac Brock at the time of his death at Queenston Heights on 13 October 1812. On display at the Canadian War Museum, the bullet hole is evident under the lapel (courtesy Archives of Ontario/S1427)

http://www.eighteentwelve.ca/?q=eng/Topic/16

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Brock

http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/1800sarmybiographies/p/War-Of-1812-Major-General-Sir-Isaac-Brock.htm

http://www.warof1812.ca/brock.htm

Further reading on The War of 1812:

http://www.eighteentwelve.ca/?q=eng

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/the-war-of-1812-stupid-but-important/article547554/

A is for Anishinaabe

April 1, 2015 by Roland Clarke

For the first day of my A to Z Challenge, I resisted choosing the arena for the War of 1812 – America. But first what caused the conflict? Unsettled issues between the British and the United States after the War of Independence were a factor, as was the Royal Navy attempting to press gang American sailors. However, the US also thought that American settlers in the territory that would become Canada would support their invasion across the border. Canada then consisted of the maritime colonies and parts of southern Quebec and Ontario. But let’s start with the First Nations, who were the other major players on both sides.

A is for the Anishinaabe (Ojibwe, Odawa, Potowatomi), who were among two dozen tribal nations that were involved in the conflict.

When war was declared, there were 8,410 warriors of the Western Confederacy, who included Ojibwe, Odawa, Potowatomi, Huron, Shawnee, Mississaugas, Nipissings and Algonkians. The Anishinaabe made up 7,410 of this number, an overwhelming majority. Although the Shawnee war chief Tecumseh is most associated with the war, it was the Anishinaabe that formed the majority.

The tribes met for military and political purposes and maintained relations with fellow Anishinaabeg nations (Mississauga, Algonquin, and Nipissing) from Michilimackinac, an island between Lake Huron and Lake Michigan, It’s always been revered, although opinion is divided whether it is because the island is the turtle of creation or the place of origin of the spirits now called Bgoji-anishnaabensag.

Mackinac Island, William Dashwood – A Painting Commissioned by Robert McDouall

Major General Brock, aware that there were not enough regular forces available to defend Upper Canada, suggested that capturing Michilimackinac and Detroit, from the US, would allay the suspicions of the natives who no longer trusted the British after the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1796. The chiefs constantly recalled when the Americans overpowered the Western Confederacy and the British abandoned the retreating Anishinaabeg to massacre, by locking the gates to Fort Miami.

When Brock’s forces fought alongside the Anishinaabe to secure Fort Michilimackinac, many more of the western nations joined the British.

Throughout the war, the Anishinaabe were repeatedly told that their interests would not be forgotten when peace was made. So much so that at the conclusion of the War of 1812, the Odawa suggested that the British negotiators offer the Americans a greater quantity of Anishinaabe land on the mainland in order to keep Michilimackinac in their possession.

The possibility was there, but in the end the British meekly vacated Michilimackinac to the United States. It is totally conceivable that at least a portion of upper Michigan or Wisconsin could have been set aside as an “Indian country” as the British had promised. The mechanisms were in place but not the honour. This is why the Anishinaabeg say that “we did not lose the war but we lost the peace”.

Further reading on the Anishinaabe and the War of 1812:

http://activehistory.ca/tag/anishinaabeg/

http://activehistory.ca/2014/09/anishnaabeg-in-the-war-of-1812-more-than-tecumseh-and-his-indians/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anishinaabe

http://www.theworldofgord.com/2012/11/heritage-toronto-talk-anishinaabe-first.html