Quebec Historical Corps

Artist/Artiste: John Kuna "Islington Mosaic Heritage Mural Project, mural #21, acrylic latex on concrete, 19 x 19 feet, commissioned by the Historic Village of Islington BIA in partnership with Heritage Etobicoke and the City of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Col. Francis Battersby marches his light infantry from Fort York to Burlington along Dundas Street. This piece was painted to celebrate the bicentennial of the war of 1812. The image was chosen to give the viewer an i...mpression of what such a troop movement would look like when Dundas Street still consisted of primary forest. Battersby’s column also consisted of Upper Canadian, French and New Brunswick infantrymen, as well as African American pioneers, providing us with a comprehensive cross section of Canadian culture at the time." Information courtesy of/Information fournie par: https://johnkuna.com/filter/toronto

Today in History: December 27th 1813 - British raid on Derby, Vermont. A detachment of British troops, under Capt. Barker of the Frontier Light Infantry, crosse...d the line into Vermont and destroyed some public storehouses and barracks which had been erected at Derby. The Frontier Light Infantry was formed of two companies drawn from the six Battalions townships Militia. (General Order, 13th August, 1813) and attached to the Canadian Voltigeurs, where they became Numbers 9 and 10 Companies. Most of its men were English-speaking volunteers from the Eastern townships, unlike the French-speaking main body of the Voltigeurs. They were to be stationed in the Richelieu River area, freeing part of the Canadian Voltigeurs for service in Upper Canada. In the spring and summer, they recruited and then supported individuals in Vermont who smuggled horses, cattle, sheep, and other foodstuffs into Lower Canada. They served from May, 1813, to its disbandment on the 24th of March, 1815. The major job assigned to the Vermont militia was to stop the wholesale smuggling of goods across the border, so the likely, but unstated purpose of the raid was to continue the free flow of supplies into Canada. This section of the border was usually quiet, with most of the bloodshed and violence occurring between Vermont factions who were either for or against smuggling. Captain Johnson Taplin (3rd Battalion, The Townships, Lower Canadian Militia) had friends and relations across the border in Derby, including Timothy Hinman, who had donated the land that the militia barracks and supply depot was built on, so it was probably due more to good planning than luck that there were no Vermont militia anywhere near the barracks when the British raiding party showed up. Quote: "[Johnson] Taplin at once joined the Militia and eventually became a Captain of Cavalry. Not much is known of his military service; instead of fighting he, along with most everyone else here, probably kept right on trading with our American relatives, leaving the fighting to some other places along the border although there is record of some minor skirmishes locally. Someone was even unkind enough to say that the mean old Canadians burned down the barracks at Derby." Joseph Maheux, Taplin, Stanstead County Historical Society Journal 5 (1973): 27. Taplin, born and raised in Vermont, had moved to Stanstead, Upper Canada, just across the border from Derby. Like many other Vermonters, Taplin had been attracted to Upper Canada by the cheap land and low taxes.

Today in History: October 24th 1813. Lieutenant Colonel Charles-Michel de Salaberry orders his Voltigeurs and militia to fell trees and create abatis to block ...access along the north shore of the Chateauguay River; he anticipates correctly that US Major General Wade Hampton will have to pass that way en route to Montreal. De Salaberry had many informants among the farmers in the area who provided accurate information about the strength of Hampton's force and its movements, while Hampton had very poor intelligence about de Salaberry's force. The road along which Hampton was advancing followed the north bank of the Chateauguay. Facing a ravine where a creek (the English River) joined the Chateauguay, de Salaberry ordered abatis (obstacles made of felled trees) to be constructed. Quote: "Praemonitus, praemunitus", in English, forewarned, forearmed. The old Roman proverb was possibly translated into English by the early 1500's; or the two sayings could easily have originated independently.

Today in History: May 17th 1813. Captain Jacques Viger and his men of the Voltigeurs canadiens start construction of the first Fort Henry at Kingston, Upper Ca...nada. The local Frontenac Militia had cleared the trees and brush, but not the tree stumps from the site. The first job the Voltigeurs had was levelling the camp ground so they could establish a proper encampment. They then constructed a blockhouse and dug entrenchments. The blockhouse mounted a 6 and a 9-pounder. Quote: "...we were ordered by General Prevost on the 17th of May to cross over to Point Henry, where we now occupy tents which we again once more put up in a wilderness of stumps, fallen trees, boulders, and rocks of all sizes and shapes; sharing our blanket with reptiles of varied species; carrying out the precepts of the most self-sacrificing charity towards ten million insects and crawling abominations, the ones more voracious and disgusting than the others. Phlebotomized by the muskitoes, cut and dissected by gnats, blistered by the sand flies, on the point of being eaten alive by the hungry wood rats as soon as they shall have disposed of our provisions. Pray for us! Pray for us! ye pious souls." Captain Jacques Viger, Voltigeurs canadiens (1787 - 1858), newspaperman, author, militia officer, office holder, politician, historian, and collector. Reminiscences of the War of 1812-14: Being Portions of the Diary of a Captain of the "Voltigeurs Canadiens" While in Garrison at Kingston, Etc. translated from French and published in 1895 by Hubert Neilson.

It is with a very heavy heart I let you all know that Dave McMeekin was diagnosed with ALS last month. We are still in shock. I will be at the Napoleonic Tact...ique at Fort George, June 9th and 10th to raise funds towards his care. This will be the only event I will be able to attend this summer due to the circumstances. All funds raised at my sutlery will go towards Dave. This includes all of my regular items available for sale. I will also have a large amount of his Napoleonic gear, including tents, bagpipes, Brown Bess, framed artwork, books, tarltan, clothing, fireirons, cast iron kitchenware and much more. Details to follow once we assemble and price items. Thanking you in advance for your support.