Commemorating the battle that saved Canada
On July 9 and 10 at 1:30 p.m., the big, empty and well-kept fields of the provincially owned land that surrounds the now underwater battleground will resonate once more with the sound of musket fire and cannon shots. — supplied photo
FRANCIS RACINE francis.racine@eap.on.ca
up to it, we didn’t know what we were, but we certainly knew we didn’t want to be American.” Often compared to the Battle of Chateauguay, which saw the defeat of a group of American soldiers at the hands of an all-Canadian contingent, the battle of Crysler’s Farm is regarded as a David versus Goliath type of showdown. “They outnumbered us by quite a lot,” pointed out Irvine. “But our troops were well trained, whereas their American counterparts were often far fromhome and eager to get back.” The decisive land battle in the War of 1812 was fought on a farmer’s field along the shores of the St. Lawrence River. The Battle of Crysler’s Farmwas the Americans’ last attempt at capturing Montréal, and it was considered by many to be a disastrous defeat for their army. Under the command of AmericanGeneral James Wilkinson, a flotilla of well-armed
ships had been making their way down the St. Lawrence to combine forces with General Wade Hampton, who was marching toward Montréal from the south. Suffering illness and incapacitated by the heavy use of the medicine laudanum, Wilkinson remained on board his ship and delegated authority over cavalry, artillery and approximately 2,500 infantry to Brigadier-General John Parker Boyd, a senior but thinly respected officer fromMassachusetts. “After not being able to conquer much of the Niagara region, the Americans turned to the St. Lawrence River,” indicated Irvine. “If they controlled the Great Lakes, they could then turn toWestern Canada. By controlling the St. Lawrence River, they could access the lakes relatively easily. But during the battle, their commander wasn’t even on the field with them.” Tomakematters worse for the American army, Boyd’s troopswere constantly harassed by a small force of British regulars, Canadian
Voltigeurs and Tyendinaga Mohawks, all under Lieutenant-Colonel Joseph Wanton Morrison. Having had enough of these doggedly attacks, Boyd decided to confront the 900-strong force. The ground on which the two forces collided on was owned by John Crysler, a wealthy Loyalist and captain in the Dundas militia. Morrison had tactical advantage during the battle, the Americans forced to trudge through two large ravines to reach the field, which was itself inconveniently decorated with split-rail fences and wedged between a pine forest marsh and the St. Lawrence. On the river, a small flotilla of gunboats backed the British position. Meanwhile, Boyd’s contradictory and inconsistent leadership exacerbated the confusion and lack of discipline among the American infantry. By the time the American artillery and cavalry arrived, most of the soldiers had begun to retreat, their ammunition spent.
November 11, 1813 started like any other day for the close to 900-strong British regulars, Canadian militia and Native American allies who had taken refuge at Crysler’s Farm, an area located between Cornwall and Morrisburg. Yet, by the end of the snowy wet day, the group had fought off a 4,000-strong force of Americans hell bent on conquest, wanting to solidify their stronghold on the St. Lawrence River. “It’s a battle the Americans sometime forget,” explained the past president of The Friends of the Battle of Crysler, Bob Irvine. “It certainly is a hot-debated topic.” The organisation, whose sole purpose is to promote the importance of the battle and save its heritage, is operated by several hard working and dedicated volunteers. “It’s amatter of keeping it fresh,” said Irvine. “This is a battle that saved Canada. Leading
Le Journal, Cornwall
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Le mercredi 29 juin 2016
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