Orders To De Gaugreben

Select British documents of the Canadian War of 1812, from Lt.-Col. Bruyeres at Kingston, to Prevost at Kingston, 19th January 1813:

Dear Sir:

"I left Prescott on Friday last after having given the necessary directions to Lieut. de Gaugreben to proceed with the Survey of that Post, and to erect without delay a Block House on a small commanding spot in the rear of the present Battery which it will completely protect; it is also intended to improve, and close this Battery as soon as it is possible to break ground. — I slept that night at Brockville, twelve Miles from Prescott...".

Pre-War To The News Of War.

Guide to the materials in London archives for the history of the United ...:

Prevost Across The Ice

British Soldier [Source]

From 1812: The War, and Its Moral: a Canadian Chronicle, by William Foster Coffin:

The achievements of 1812 were the household words of my childish days. For three years, I grew up among  the men, and almost among the incidents of the time. In the Spring of 1815, from the Grand Battery at Quebec, I had watched the slow cavalcade which bore Sir George Prevost across the ice of the St. Lawrence, on his return to England.


The Coffin family chronicled here.

Prelude To The Battle of Châteauguay

An account of the Battle of Châteauguay: ...(published in Montreal):

Not reflecting--for he seems to have had the information--that the wood was only fifteen miles or so in depth, the Canadians few in number, and that a short press forward would have brought him into the open country of L'Acadie leading towards Montreal, the American General [Hampton] in two days withdrew along the border towards Châteauguay Four Corners, alleging the great drought of that year as a reason for wishing to descend by the River Châteauguay. At the Corners he rested his army for many days.

When Hampton moved to Four Corners, Lieut.-Colonel De Salaberry, with the Canadian Voltigeurs, moved in like manner westward to the region of the Châteauguay and English Rivers.

De Salaberry was now ordered by him [Sir George Prevost] on the Quixotic errand of attacking with about 200 Voltigeurs and some Indians the large camp of Hampton at Four Corners.

On the 1st of October he [De Salaberry] crept up with his force to the edge of the American camp.  One of his Indians indiscreetly discharged his musket. The [American] camp was in alarm in an instant.

He...withdrew to Chateauguay... taking the precaution...to destroy and obstruct as much as possible in the path of the enemy.

 Acquainting himself also with the ground over which Hampton was expected to make his way into the Province he [De Salaberry] finally stopped selected and took up the position where the battle afterwards took place.

How Brock First Learned Of War

Source

(Hint....it was not through Official Channels):

[Robert] Nichol, himself, stated that the first intelligence of the actual declaration of war by the United States was communicated to Brock in seven days from Washington through mercantile connections of his own, and that the government dispatches, announcing that important event, were not received until fourteen days later. [Source]

Source

Voltigeurs

As seen in The Plaindealer:

"The Canadians are well armed, hardy, inured to fatigue, abstemious in their habits, and thorough republicans in principle, as well as by the French laws of division of wealth. Guns are to be found in every house."

"As marksmen they are infinitely superiour to British soldiers, for (thanks to the absence of game laws) they are accustomed from infancy to the use of fire-arms. Their courage was well proved in the war of 1812, in which the chasseurs, voltigeurs, and battalions of militia of Lower Canada, were as gallant, fine looking, bold and effective troops a any in the service."


From Historic Canada, the Voltigeurs of the War of 1812:

"On 15 April, Lieutenant General Sir George Prevost, governor of British North America and commander of its armed forces, raised a Provincial Corps of Light Infantry in Lower Canada known as the Voltigeurs de Québec."

See what the uniform looks like here.

Portrait Of Sir George Prevost

The Canadian magazine, Volume 20:

George Prevost, Pre-War

The Annual register   By Edmund Burke (1800)

Per Wikipedia:

He is best known to history for serving as both the civilian Governor General and the military Commander in Chief in British North America (now part of Canada) during the War of 1812 between Britain and the United States of America.

A Political Attack On Sir George Prevost

The Letters Of Veritas, .... (thought to be written by Major John Richardson*):

*Relentlessly, the English party in the province kept up its attacks. Samuel Gale and “Veritas” each printed a malevolent series of letters in the Montreal Herald and subsequently published them as pamphlets. A diligent investigation ensued to unmask “Veritas.” John Richardson, a Montreal merchant and executive councillor, has been suspected, but the author was Solicitor General Stephen Sewell, Jonathan’s brother, whom Prevost suspended for his involvement in the campaign against him. [Source]

Sir George Prevost

Source

Lieutenant General Sir George Prevost, who, after having devoted to his country thirty-five of the best years of his life; after having distinguished himself in many gallant actions; and after having preserved to the crown of Great Britain some of its most valuable foreign possessions, was called upon, at the close of his honourable career, to answer charges which vitally affected his reputation, and which he was prevented by death from fully and clearly refuting. [Source]

The "bare bones" biography, according to Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online:

PREVOST, Sir GEORGE, army officer and colonial administrator; b. 19 May 1767, in New Jersey, the eldest son of Augustin Prévost and Nanette (Ann) Grand; m. 19 May 1789, Catherine Anne Phipps, and they had five children, one of whom died in infancy; d. 5 Jan. 1816 in London, England, and was buried in East Barnet (London).

George Prevost received his first commission in the 60th regiment in the British Army.  After transfers back and forth he was severely wounded at St. Vincent's and went to England to recover.

On January 1, 1798, he became a colonel and a brigadier-general on March 8.  1798 was a big year for Prevost; he was nominated as military governor of St. Lucia; ill health caused him to return to England.  He was made a baronet in 1805 and was now a major-general.  In 1808 Prevost became a lieutenant-general, and also lieutenant-governor and commander in chief in Nova Scotia.

February 14, 1811, he was, "at a critical juncture," chosen to be governor of Lower Canada [Quebec], and governor-general of British North America.

"He found the Canadians suspicious and untractable, while the United States were threatening war, of which Canada was to bear the brunt."  "Prevost's first action was to undertake a tour of military observation...".

Source

"Provost's intervention in the military operations of the campaigns of 1812-14 was most unfortunate. Though nominally commander-in-chief, he left the chief conduct of the war to others, and his own appearance in the field on two occasions was followed by the humiliation of the British arms." [Source]

An obituary for Sir George Prevost here.

The Captain Who Failed To Perform Impossibilities

Heading towards the Battle of Plattsburg:

Captain Downie was ordered to act in conjunction with the land forces under Sir George Prevost; but the general suffered the brunt of the work to fall on the flotilla, which, unhappily, was barely in a condition to protect itself.


Finding his letters and messages to fail in making Captain Downie perform impossibilities, Sir George had the assurance to cast a slur upon his exertions [and]..."hoped Captain Downie allowed himself to be delayed by nothing but the wind." The insinuation was felt, and ...the Confiance and squadron got underweigh from Isle aux Noirs... .

Source:  Battles of the British Navy