James FitzGibbon manuscript, Glenbow Archives (M-9718-57) In June 1812 being then Lieut. and Adjutant in the 49 th Rgt in Montreal, and War being then declared by the United States against Great Britain I requested of Col. Vincent then commanding the Rgt. to obtain leave for me to resign the Adjutantcy only and to give me the command of a company by order of the commander of the Forces, Sir George Prevost. With the company I escorted the first Brigade of Batteaux from Montreal to Kingston over the Rapids of the St. Lawrence, having the American frontier for more than 100 miles close on my left hand. In January following I was detached from Kingston with 45 sleighs with Military store to Kingston; and on arriving I was sent to an out Post on the shore of Lake Erie to find the Ice then firmly fixed from shore to shore. On the breaking up of the Ice I was withdrawn to the Niagara River in April, and posted at Frenchman’s Creek. Seeing a Party upon one of the Islands in the River at sunrise 6 April 1813 crossed in a Batteau with 12 Men, and succeeded in gaining the Island unobserved. When I made the Party Prisoners and with their Boat brought them over. They proved to be a Lieut. of the American Navy on Lake Erie, two friends of his and three seamen who had come upon the Island in a shooting excursion. This was a trifling affair, but under the then very unpromising circumstances of our affairs on the Frontier it had an animating effect upon our People. After the capture of Fort George by the Americans in May, the division of the Army on the frontier retreated to the Head of Lake Ontario, where Col. Harvey, now M. General, Sir John Harvey the Dept. Adgt. General advised Major John Vincent to countermarch and attack the Enemy at Stoney Creek. Which he did before day on the 6 June when the American Generals Chandler and Windsor with 7 other officers and 116 Men were taken Prisoners and brought off before day, with two Field [Pieces?]. The Enemy in the course of that Day fell back to the 40 Mile Creek, and I expected every hour to see Waggons brought to carry forward our troops in pursuit but we were not advanced for two days after when we were marched to the 40 Mile and there halted. This tarring suggested to me the idea of offering myself to serve in advance of the Army with 50 chosen Men to be employed where and how I might please. On the 12 th I applied to Col. Harvey, who readily accepted my offer and procured an order for my immediate departure. I marched forward that night at ten, having during the day, transferred the Company to another officer for my new man when chosen from this several companies by myself, and I know the men well. In 12 days after, namely on the 24. I captured, by a ruse de Guerre after the Indians had killed and wounded upwards of 50 of them, an American detachmt. consisting of 23 officers and 519 Non com. officers and Privates, of whom 50 were dragoons, 30 of them being Mounted Militia Men; with one Twelve Pounder, one Six Pounder, two Ammunition cars and the colors of the 14 th United States Regt. It would be curious, if it were not tedious to detail here the particulars of an attempt made by two of my commanders to deprive me of the credit of this capture. But a Field officer of the Militia who saw the dispatch which was written on the subject made know its purport to me, under a promise of concealing his name, and I was enabled to appeal to Col. Vincent, and in his presence and the presence of Sir James Yeo (who had arrived with his little Fleet) and Col. Harvey, I made the facts know to them. From motives, which I will not detail here, he did not insist on the Dispatch amended but he wrote a Private Letter to the commander of the Forces, Sir Geo. Prevost, which procured for me a letter of thanks from His Excellency himself, and a company from His Royal Highness the Prince Regent. Three days before this capture in attempting to take an American Dragoon Prisoner I fell into the hands of two soldiers, and after a personal struggle for more than five minutes, holding a Rifle and a Musket, which they also held, I succeeded by the help of a Woman in making them both Prisoners. This also made a great noise in the Province much more than it deserved running the round of the Newspapers in both Provinces, while in fact I acted indiscreetly by exposing myself and deserved blame. On the 4 th July I sent a small party across the River to Schlosser (the spot where the Caroline was lately cut out) who captured two officers and eight Men with four Boats, a six pounder, 57 stand of Arms and many other stores. Upon this Sir Geo. Prevost issued a general order. On the 11 th July I accompanied a Force which attacked Black Rock under Col [Bisshopp?]. I led the advance, and took possession the place, the enemy running off, before we came up. We destroyed Barracks and a Blank large enough to accommodate 5000 men – and a schooner. Brought away Eight large Boats and Scows with two 12 pounders and a six pounder, a quantity of Provisions and military stores to our own side of the River. We remained longer than was necessary and were in consequence attacked and driven off with the cost of 43 killed wound and taken Prisoners. Captn. Saunders of the 46 th was left behind, wounded, supposed dead, but he survived, altho’ shot through the lungs. During the remainder of the campaign the Enemy carefully confined himself to Fort George and afforded no opportunity of dealing further with him. In October the 49 th was sent down to Kingston and in November, after this Battle of Chrysler’s Farm, they were sent to Montreal. In the following winter, I joined the Glengarry Light Infantry Fencibles, a captain, and was sent to the Niagara Frontier in June following where we had the most active and severe campaign of any during the War, but it afforded no opportunity of doing anything individually. I was almost constantly employed in the advance, and the Glengarry Regiment, forming part of the small Brigade under Col. Pearson (now Sir Thomas Pearson) he was best acquainted with me that summer, and to him would I [gently?] refer for his opinion of me. A few months ago I sent to [His Excellency – deleted] now Sir John Harvey in New Brunswick a copy of a Paper written for my youngest son, now an Ensign in the 24 th Regt. being advise for his guidance in Woody warfare – and His Excellency was please too write me a Note in answer of which the following is a copy: Govt. House New Brunswick Oct. 29 – ‘40 My dear Sir, It will always afford me, as it has ever done, very sincere satisfaction to hear of your welfare and of the high degree of esteem and respect which your public and private worth appears to have obtained for you on the part not only of the authorities under which you have acted, but of the community in which you have lived. I have not forgotten, nor am I capable of forgetting how admirably you justified my selection of you for a difficult and hazardous service – one from the able and successful accomplishment of which both the country and yourself reaped Honor and advantage. I thank you for the Paper you have sent me – but more for the warm expression of your friendly good wishes – accept mine for yourself and all your family and believe me very faithfully yours J. Harvey Col. FitzGibbon Toronto The services which I have had the opportunity to render to the Provincial Government since 1815 in three several departments and in a justice of the Peace in several Districts of the Province I beg leave to state here as briefly as I can. Serious Riots having taken place below Perth in the new settlement of the Irish Emigrants in 1823, the Magistrates applied to Sir P Maitland for a Detachments of Troops to be sent thither to preserve the Peace. Instead of sending them His Excellency was pleased to send me alone speaking the Gaelic language as I did and being favorably know to my countrymen. After making such inquiries as I deemed necessary, reasoning with both Parties, and soothing the irritated feelings of all I returned and made a Report which was transmitted to the Colonial office. In the meantime Lord Bathurst had written to Rome to Bishop McDonnell of Upper Canada, who has recommended the sending out of these Irish Emigrants, communicating to him the first account received of the Riots, which was very unfavorable to the new settlers; and the Bishop afterwards called upon me in Upper Canada to thank me for the Report I made, adding that he was never more pleased in his life than on perusing it in the colonial office on receiving it from L. Bathurst. Fifteen years afterwards a Magistrate from near Perth expressed to me his surprise at the fact that since I had visited the Irishmen not a riot had afterwards occurred in that quarter. In 1831 the Party lead by Mr.