THE PRINCE OF WALES REGIMENT AND THE CANADIAN MILITIA H. R. H. THE PRINCE OF WALES. THE ORIGIN AND SERVICES OF THE PRINCE OF WALES REGIMENT INCLUDING A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE MILITIA OF FRENCH CANADA AND OF THE CANADIAN MILITIA SINCE CANADA BECAME A BRITISH COLONY WITH AN ACCOUNT OF THE DIFFERENT ACTIONS IN WHICH THEY HAVE ENGAGED, INCLUDING THE NORTHWEST REBELLION OF 1885 EDITED BY CAPTAIN ERNEST J. CHAMBERS IVj \ MONTREAL E. L. RUDDY, 79 ST. JAMES STREET PUBLISHER 1897 Entered, according to Act of the Parliament of Canada, in the year Eighteen hundred and ninety-seven, for the Prince of Wales Regiment, by Thomas Page Butler, Lieut. -Col. commanding, at the Department of Agriculture. N. F. 4 V. GUEKTIN, PRINTERS, MONTREAL To HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS ALBERT EDWARD, PRINCE OF WALES who, by graciously allowing the corps to bear his honoured name, by the kindly interest he has always evinced in its welfare, has contrib uted so largely to its esprit de corps and loyal devotion to duty, the following pages are gratefully inscribed by the Officers and members of His Royal Highness Regiment of the Active Militia of Canada. Contents CHAPTER PAGE I The Militia of the French Regime 1 1 II The First British Canadian Militia 16 III The Militia of 1812 28 IV The Volunteers of 1837 35 V The Montreal Volunteer Militia Rifles .... 43 VI A Friendly Invasion 51 VII The Prince of Wales Regiment 55 VIII The "Trent Affair . 59 IX The Fenian Raids ... 63 X Service in Aid of the Civic Power ..... 73 XI Another F riendly Invasion 79 XII The Northwest Rebellion 81 XIII After the Rebellion 89 Roll of Honor .... 96 List of Officers .... 97 C~ " War is honourable " In those who do their native maintain rights ; " In those whose swords and iron barrier are " Between the lawless spoiler and the weak." JOHANNA BAILLIE. The history of the Prince of Wales Regiment has more than a mere regimental or local interest. It embraces the story of the development of a great national force which discharges a high and most useful function in the Canadian community the Active Militia a loyal bod}- which has not only protected the altars and hearths of Canada from the foreign invader and the internal disturber, but has left the blood-stained imprint of its gallant deeds stamped in imperishable characters upon the glorious pages of the heroic history of the noblest empire the world has ever known. The work of compiling the accompanying pages has been a source both of pleasure and regret to me of satisfaction because it enabled me to do something, even in a modest way, towards filling the want which unquestionably exists for a connected story of the Canadian Militia of because the did not of a ; regret opportunities presented permit more thorough treatment of this prolific subject. It seems only natural that the history of the oldest existing militia regiment should lead back to the origin of Canada s constitutional force, and I trust that the information given respecting the old military organizations of this country, fragmentary and incomplete though the}- of necessity are, will prove not merely interesting, but even useful. To reveal to the men of a particular corps, or to the corps of any military service as a whole, the honourable traditions to which are is they the heirs, to increase their efficiency and practical military value. As Lord has " Historical Wolseley put it, traditions affect the character of regiments more than might be imagined. Make a man proud of himself and of his corps, and he can be of always depended upon." The records the splendid services of the Canadian Militia as a and the whole, Prince of Wales Regiment in particular, contained in the accompanying the of are pages, despite imperfections arrangement, such as to inspire the military spirit of the gallant regiment in question. In of view the undeniable practical value of that quality, which for want of a better " term we call de it a that esprit corps," appears pity some systematic effort has not been made to trace out the lines of descent from the war-tried military bodies of the war of 1812-15, which some of our and battalions could city county fairly claim, on the established principle that a exists as one and the same regiment corps through numerous phases of reorganization, and even with of absolute periods disorganization intervening. As Captain Otley L. Perry, in his interesting work, and Dates in Her s "Rank, Badges Majesty Army and Navy" (p. 145) says: "Some Regimental numbers (in the regular army) represent a series of regiments, with, in certain cases, considerable intervals between the establishment of a new regiment and the disbandment of its immediate predecessor bearing the same number. A perusal of Cannon s or Trimen s records of regiments shows that this principle has been universally adopted in the Army." The Prince of Wales Regiment makes no claim to continuous existence further back than the establishment of the Rifle Rangers, but in the light of army precedent there appears " " no reason why it should not, having been known as the Montreal Rifle Battalion at the " " time it received its present designation, claim descent from Montreal Rifles of the rebellion. No other rifle companies existed in Montreal during the intervening period, and when the Rifle Rangers were organized several former members of the Rifles of 1837-38 joined the company, including its first captain. Similarly, why should not the regiment, being and " " always having been the First Regiment of the present militia force, claim descent from " the First" Militia Battalion of 1812, with which it could claim personal connection through at least one of its officers, the Adjutant? If a modest and imperfect record of the services of the Canadian Militia and a particular in I it of interest regiment of it, be of interest the service, trust may also prove some general throughout the Dominion and assist to draw the attention of the Canadian public to the value of the militia. Fortunately, since the ugly menaces of the neighbouring, and not always neighbourly, republic a year ago, the militia has come to be treated seriously again, but, in the piping times of peace it is hard to keep vip that public interest in the force necessary to produce the required sinews of war. We are told that Canada is a commercial and a peace able country, as if the mere love of peace by the Canadian people, and the flourishing condition of the commerce of the Dominion constituted a protection against war instead of being an actual temptation to attack us. In the iSth century there was much repugnance to war by our forefathers because they regarded it as fatal to constitutional liberty. Our age has been much occupied with a general progress of humanity, and it has accordingly looked eagerly for signs of the disappearance of war and of an approaching millenium of peace. As we want peace to develop this fair young country of ours it is necessary that we should be prepared to insure it. If threatened, it will avail little to say that we most sincerely love peace, and that the very idea of war shocks us. As the Hon. Dr. Borden, the present popular Minister of Militia and Defence, recently " said : Trouble is much less likely to come to a people who are well prepared to meet it." The record of the services of the militia is the most eloquent plea that could be made for the maintenance of the force on the most efficient basis possible. The lack of time and space have united to prevent the record from being as complete as I to stimulate the of the I would have desired, but such as it is, it will, trust, serve pride members of the Prince of Wales Regiment in their corps, help to encourage the militia as a whole to live up to the splendid traditions of the service, and at a time when a practical manifestation of popular sympathy with the force is desirable, draw public attention to the importance of those services which have made the people of Canada proud of, and grateful to, their citizen soldiery. ERNKST J. CHAMBERS, Montreal. February 22nd, 1897. (Efycmks of ttye (Eommanbmg (Officer. As the Officer Commanding the First or Prince of Wales Regiment I beg in this public its kind friends whose manner to express the thanks of the Regiment to many by subscrip time to tions and assistance we have been enabled to publish this history, and at the same of the Volunteer in benefit our Regimental Fund, which, as all who know anything System Canada are aware, is always insufficient for ordinary Regimental expenses. has been in mind for and The idea of publishing -a history of the Corps my many years, to it ever since I took over the command I have been waiting a convenient opportunity carry decided to enter the task, into effect. When, last spring, the officers of the Regiment upon from his connection we were much pleased to find that Capt. Ernest J. Chambers, who, long of the Montreal "Star" the Xorth- with the force, and his experience as correspondent during able to undertake the of West Rebellion, was peculiarly fitted for the task, was duty writing his and its with it. The public will, we feel certain, appreciate work, peruse pages pleasure is connected with the Volunteers or not, and will join and profit whether the reader actively a work of more than mere with us in thanking him for the pains he has taken to produce Regimental interest.