Canada and the War of 1812
James Fitzgibbon
Major General Robert Ross’ expedition to
the Chesapeake Bay in 1814 proved to be a critical moment in the War
of 1812, leading to his famous victory at the Battle of Bladensburg
and the infamous burning of the public buildings in Washington,
including the ‘White House’ and the Capitol. For a time after the
raid the future of Washington as the capital
of the American union, and indeed the union itself, seemed uncertain
as rumours were rife of secession and possibly civil war. Less well
appreciated, perhaps, is the impact of his mission on the history of Canada, or British North America as it was then known. Ross was
ordered ‘to effect a diversion on the coasts of the United States of America in favour
of the army employed in the defence of Upper and
Lower Canada’. Instead he inflicted a stunning defeat on
the Americans at the Battle of Bladensburg and mortified the
American public by the capture of the capital, Washington. Such was the
bloody nose he inflicted on the
USA
that it was arguably instrumental in putting an end to American
ambitions to conquer
Canada. (In that context it is
perhaps fitting that General Ross is buried on Canadian soil, in
Halifax, Nova Scotia). And in turn, the American
counter-punch delivered by Andrew Jackson at the Battle of New
Orleans in January 1815 put paid to any lingering hopes by the
British that they might one day recolonise America.
The manner
in which events in Canada were interwoven with Ross’ expedition is
particularly apparent in the long running debate about the decision
to burn the public buildings in Washington, with many arguing that
it was carried out in revenge for the Americans burning the
‘parliament house’ in York, modern day Toronto, or as a result of an
accumulation of outrages which the Americans were accused of,
including the burning of Newark. In the nature of such accusations,
of course, they can be tit for tat as the British were condemned for
burning not only Buffalo but for putting the torch to countless
homes as well as villages and towns, not least in the Chesapeake
Bay.
Major General Ross’ expedition to the Chesapeake Bay area reveals large numbers of Irishmen
fighting with him - and against him. This was mirrored in the war on
the frontier. Alan Taylor's recent book on The Civil War of 1812
(New York, 2010), p.9, notes that 'Irish republicans waged a
civil war within the British empire, renewing in Canada their
rebellion, which the British had suppressed in Ireland in 1798.
Invading Canada,
Irish American soldiers faced British regiments primarily recruited
in Ireland'. Not
only did United Irishmen from New York volunteer in large numbers to
fight the British, particularly the Republican Greens, but the
‘Canadian Volunteers’, who controversially fought for the Americans,
included a substantial proportion of Irish malcontents and were led
by an Irishman, Joseph Wilcox. Fighting on the British side, one of
the main figures was also an Irishman, James Fitzgibbon, (of Bloody
Boys and Glengarry Light Infantry fame) who became a popular war
hero for his exploits at the Battle of Stoney Creek, the Battle of
Beaver Dams and at the Battle of Lundy’s Lane. (It was Fitzgibbon
whom Laura Secord warned following her famous walk of an American
advance on Beaver Dams). In general, Irishmen were heavily
represented in all British army regiments defending Canada but there were a number of
identifiably ‘Irish’ regiments serving in the British army there.
Most famously, the 89th regiment distinguished itself at
the Battle of Chryslers Farm and later fought at the Battle of
Lundy’s Lane (also known as the Battle of Niagara). Meanwhile the
100th regiment was active throughout the war, including
at the Battle of Sackett’s Harbour and again at the Battle of
Chippawa. Isaac Brock described them as having been ‘principally
raised in the north of
Ireland, and are nearly all
Protestants; they are robust, active, and good looking’.[1]
And when large-scale reinforcements were sent to Canada in the summer of 1814 they
included the famous 88th regiment, the Connaught Rangers,
who claimed they were the real ‘United Irishmen’.[2]
[2]
William Grattan, Adventures with the Connaught Rangers, from 1808 to 1814, vol.ii
(London,
1847), p.229.
