The Civil War of 1812

BOOK REVIEWS The Civil War of 1812: American Thus British strategy, at least until 13 October 1812, is Citizens, British Subjects, Irish presented as a struggle between the dashing and powerfully- built Major-General Isaac Brock and the cautious Captain Rebels and Indian Allies General and Governor-in-Chief of British North America, by Alan Taylor Lieutenant-General Sir George Prevost, while the rationale of New York: Alfred Knopf, 2010 the massive reinforcement sent by Britain to North America 620 pages, $25.50 HC in 1814 is never fully explained. On the other hand, the war Reviewed by John R. Grodzinski in Europe against Bonaparte is hardly described. The Prince Regent’s instructions to Prevost, written in 1811, were clear he Civil War of 1812 presents the Anglo- in that he was to avoid any situation that would cause a large- American conflict fought between 1812 and scale diversion of resources from Europe. However, when the 1815 as a series of civil clashes along the fron- circumstances dictating that strategy changed, Britain did tier of Upper Canada. According to Alan Taylor, send substantial reinforcements to North America in 1814, who teaches American and Canadian history at not so much to humble the Americans, but to secure the fron- Tthe University of California, the War of 1812 has four dimen- tier of the Canadas in anticipation of the coming peace talks. sions, each a contest in its own right. The first was the contin- ued struggle between Loyalists and Americans for the control While Upper Canada was certainly the cockpit of the of Upper Canada; next was the political partisanship in the North American war, the author’s decision to restrict the United States that nearly ignited a war discussion to that province ignores the between the states; the third was the remainder of British North America. importation of the struggle for Irish Little consideration is made of Lower independence from Britain to the fron- Canada’s largely French population, tier of British North America; and the which totalled approximately half of final contest was between the native British North America’s 600,000 peo- peoples living on either side of the bor- ple. Lower Canada is described curi- der. At 620 pages, the book is a hefty ously as “… a Catholic country occu- and sometimes dense study that seems pied by British troops” that “… resem- not as deeply researched or as clearly bled Ireland with a French twist.” Yet, written as the jacket notes suggest. that province played an important role in the war effort. In the Maritimes, To demonstrate his case, Taylor Nova Scotia and New Brunswick concentrates upon events along the shared strong cultural and economic borderlands of Upper Canada. He ties with New England, so why is believes that throughout the three cam- there no consideration of the republi- paign seasons, neither Britain nor the can-imperial dynamic that occurred in United States was capable of asserting that region? their vision of North America, either imperial or republican, over the other, The Native peoples factor promi- and both decided to co-exist. This nently in the text, and, as the author argument assumes that Britain’s ulti- acknowledges, they were instrumental mate goal was to smash the new repub- in successfully challenging American lic, which is false. Because the author plans during 1812 and 1813. With the limits the British perspective of the war to events around peace, many of Britain’s native allies found themselves in Upper Canada, much of the British context of the war is lost. American territory, and the author contends that the For example, British political leaders are reduced to an anon- Americans exploited the “ambiguous” peace treaty to con- ymous group known as the “Imperial Lords,” (this term is solidate their dominion over natives within their territory, used frequently, and examples appear at pp. 78, 150, 172, ending British influence over them, thereby allowing the 403, and 435). George III, who was ill at the time and had no Americans to gain continental predominance. The apparent direct bearing on the war, is mentioned four times, while the abandonment by Britain of their native allies is a common Prince Regent, who assumed many of the monarch’s respon- theme in War of 1812 historiography. However, little sibilities in 1811, is only mentioned in passing. Prime acknowledgement is given to British efforts to secure native Minister the Earl of Liverpool is ignored, while Earl Bathurst, rights in the ninth article of the treaty, and the American the Secretary of State for War and the Colonies, and the decision to ignore these clauses. cabinet official responsible for the conduct of the war, is only mentioned once. Unlike their nameless British counter- There exists a nagging host of minor errors throughout parts, American political and military leaders, such as James the book. None are terribly serious, but they are enough to Madison, James Monroe, James Wilkinson, Jacob Brown, distract the reader’s attention, and to question the author’s Thomas Jefferson and even George Washington, appear understanding of the British perspective of the war. Quebec’s throughout the text. defences did not include a citadel in 1785; Guy Carleton Vol. 12, No. 4, Autumn 2012 • Canadian Military Journal 87 BOOK REVIEWS would certainly not have described himself a “loyal Irishman;” ing examples of contrasts between Upper Canada and the the number of British subjects in “Canada” in 1785 is said to American republic before the war, such as the lower tax bur- be 100,000 people, but the geographic extent of this territory den carried by Upper Canadians as compared to that borne by is undefined. Why not use census data from the early-1800s? the Americans. Taylor’s descriptions of the interactions Peter Hunter is wrongly identified as the Governor-General of between soldiers and civilians are vivid, and in contrast to Canada, when he was, in fact, Lieutenant-Governor of Upper other works. For example, the operations of the two fine Canada between 1799 and 1805; the wrong date is given for American divisions in the Niagara Peninsula during the sum- the repeal of the Orders in Council in 1812; and it was the mer and fall of 1814, while valiant, did little towards securing Prince Regent, and not Parliament, who ratified the Treaty of American victory, and they actually “… wasted the nation’s Ghent on 27 December 1814. finest troops in futile battles.” Tactical successes cannot make up for strategic failure, and this appears to be the author’s les- While this book is disappointing from the British per- son of the war, that, superficially at least, the post-war spective, it offers several interesting insights: a population that American idea of victory was a crafted mirage. had not been completely separated by the American War of Independence became more distinctive in the aftermath of the War of 1812; and the only quantifiable outcome of the conflict Major John R. Grodzinski, CD, PhD, an armoured officer, teaches his- was the confirmation of the existing border between America tory at the Royal Military College of Canada. He is a subject matter and British North America. The author also provides interest- expert on the War of 1812. A Bard of Wolfe’s Army: Unfortunately, his patron Baillie was killed on the James Thompson, Gentleman beaches near Louisbourg in 1758, ending any hope of prefer- ment. Thereafter, Sergeant Thompson enjoyed a charmed Volunteer, 1733-1830 existence as he survived every major action in which his regi- Earl John Chapman and Ian Macpherson (eds.) ment participated without receiving a scratch. His adventures, Montreal: Robin Brass Studio, 2010 left to posterity in 44 anecdotes covering his exploits with the 361 pages, $34.95 PB Fraser’s, also include his reminiscences as Overseer of Works Reviewed by John R. Grodzinski for Quebec, and experiences during the siege of Quebec during the American War of Independence. These ‘anecdotes’ his book is based upon a owe their existence to Thompson’s son remarkable collection of per- James, who began transcribing his father’s sonal anecdotes found in an war stories in 1830, providing the ration- old letter book held by the ale for the book’s title, for the senior Bibliothèque et Archives Thompson was a bard, which, in old Tnationales du Québec, and a similar docu- Scottish culture, was a collector of history ment that was acquired by the Stewart and genealogy in the form of oral history. Museum of Montreal in 2009. Accounts by members of the army rank and file The book is organized in three parts. from the Seven Years’ War are rare, and The first is a detailed biographical essay thus, the publication of anecdotes from a on James Thompson, and it is followed by veteran of the siege of Louisbourg and the the centrepiece of the book containing all 1759 and 1760 sieges of Québec is an the anecdotes, collated from the two pre- important addition to the published litera- viously mentioned letter books, and two ture of this period. other sources. The final section provides more than 70 pages of biographical notes Sergeant James Thompson enjoyed a pertaining to the key individuals from the long life that included military service period, or those mentioned in the text. with the 78th Regiment of Foot, the The anecdotes touch upon many aspects famous Fraser Highlanders of the Seven of the life of an 18thCcentury soldier-too Years’ War. When that regiment was being many to describe here, so what follows is raised in 1757, Thompson, a member of a taste of what is offered.

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