Gc M. L
971.37501
C87d
1315325
GENEAUDGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY
3 1833 00892 6435
Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2010 with funding from
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MIDAS;
OR,
A SKETCH OF CANADIAN HISTORY,
AND MORE PARTICULAELY OF
THE COUNTY OF DUNDAS,
®nt at il]^ mlM utik^ &m\im k ip^r Canate.
BY
JAMES CROIL.
(y ^ " ©uoti potuf, perfeci."
^i/.sn^o-i
B. DAWSON & SON, 23 GREAT ST. JAMES STREET.
1861.
Entered according to the Act of the Provincial Parliament, in the year
one thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, by James Croil, in the
office of the Register in the Province of Canada.
John Lovell, Printer,
St. Nicholas Street, Montreal.
1315325
l^csitiins in tfje
jFormcrIg
W^t ®fo Eastern listrid,
D
o
Sfeis \vixMz ieffort
^ Co ^resct&e a wcorb of t^c ^^Itlem^nt ai au of tlj^ olb^e^t ^ottrtti-es
*- in ^per Canaba, is bcbicateb, m testimong of tz^zd to tlje m^mo-
^ m of Ik Unitcb @mpm ^ogalists l^^mscl&es, anb foitfe htd kih\z^
- for t^e prospcritg of f^^ir kse^nbants, Iig
PREFACE.
Gentle Reader, be entreated to revert to a
custom somewhat obsolete and read my Preface.
The author trusts that no labored apology is
required at his hands, for the present humble
attempt to gather together, and to present to the
inhabitants of Dundas County, a variety of details
chiefly connected with its history, many of which
are more familiar to individual residents of the
district than they are to himself. Yet a word
or two of explanation may reasonably be sought
for, as to the motives which prompted the attempt,
and as to the data upon which the statements
are founded. In respect to the motives, it may
be asked what has induced a farmer to forsake
his plough and to venture, an unknown wanderer,
into the luckless paths of literature ? Eeader,
6 PEErACE.
a variety of circnmstances have induced him for
a time to relinquish the arduous but honorable
labors of the farm ; in prosecuting these, while
unfortunately for himself he has lost much that
he now ardently wishes he could have retained,
he has yet acquired the valuable habit of industry
and application. Having been relieved from the
toils of farming, and finding time at his disposal,
he has looked around him to see how both time
and opportunities might be most profitably em-
ployed, not however in the vulgar acceptation of
Dollars and Cents — he looks for no such remu-
neration, and certainly he will be none the richer
for having written a book — ^but for the public
good. For this an opportunity soon offered.
The Board of Agriculture for Upper Canada
having urgently requested the directors of County
Societies, to transmit to them more copious and
detailed reports of the several counties in the
Upper Province than they had been in the habit of
doing, and by way of inducement having offered
a prize for the best report that should reach them
for the year 1859, the author volunteered to
report upon Dundas, and this was the origin of
the present book. A great deal of what is here
submitted in connection with the County was
PEEFACE. 7
embodied in tliat report, and the following extract
from its introduction is equally applicable here :
" A correct and reliable description of each
County, its history, capabilities, and progress, and,
as a consequence the comparative inducements
which each holds out to emigrants, and others
who desire to engage in agricultural pursuits, is a
desideratum which even the elaborate Directory
of Canada by Mr. Lovell, and the copious and
painstaking Census of 1851-3 have not fully
supplied. A great deal relating to the several
Counties may be gleaned from these sources, but
it is a work of time and difficulty to separate
what is wanted from the mass of information
which they contain. "We have long desired to
see a full report of each County complete in it-
self, and we think we cannot better respond to
the expressed wish of the Board, than by collect-
ing from reliable public sources all that is known
of our County, and adding from local informa-
tion matters of interest not to be found in the
works referred to. The belief that such a report
would be particularly acceptable to the inhabi-
tants generally of the County, has induced us
to enter freely upon many subjects which would
not necessarily have been embraced in a strictly
8 PEEPACE.
agricultural report." A variety of other matters
attracted the attention of the writer in preparing
that report, which the limited time did, not per-
mit him to include in it. At the solicitation of
some esteemed friends, the whole was revised and
enlarged, and is now presented to the reader as
a history of the County. He has further been
induced to prosecute the work from the convic-
tion, that many of the incidents connected with
the early history of Dundas would otherwise have
been lost, as those from whom authentic infor-
mation can be had are now few in number, and
are one by one in rapid succession disappearing
from our midst. This much for the motives.
Piracy has ever been held to be one of the
blackest of crimes. Literary piracy is even more
despicable still. He who would pawn off the
studied compositions of others as his own, may
rest assured that in due time " his sin will find
him out." In preparing the following pages the
author lays very little claim to originality, further
than in the selection and arrangement of such
subjects as seemed suited to his purpose. This
remark applies particularly to the first three chap-
ters. The events therein narrated are presented
simply as extracts from the more complete his-
PEEFACE. 9
tories of others. " Eussel's History of America,"
a voluminous work published in 1776, and replete
with authentic references, has furnished the largest
part of that which relates to the discovery of
America, and the early history of Canada; " Hali-
burton's Nova Scotia," all that refers to that Pro-
vince. Erom " Hough's History of St. Lawrence
County," several interesting statements have been
gleaned. The author of that work (a volume of 750
pages) in commenting upon the affairs of Canada,
notices us with good feeling, and his remarks are
usually characterized by candor and accuracy.
From " Allison " and " Montgomery Martin," we
are enabled at times to look upon American his-
tory, as viewed by British historians, while " Chris-
tie," " Smith " and " Morris " have posted us up
in local matters. The information respecting the
battle of " Crysler's Farm" has been derived
chiefly from parties residing in the County or
neighborhood, who were eye witnesses of every
thing related. It is but justice also to mention,
that in comparing their statements with the his-
torical accounts of the above cited authorities,
there exists no material discrepancy. Some of
the other incidents of the war of 1812 are taken
from a history of that war published in the
10 PEEPACE.
" Anglo American " Magazine. The " Montreal
Gazette" of 1837-8-9 furnished many of the
incidents connected with the Rebellion, and a
pamphlet published in Prescott, immediately after
the battle of the Wind-mill, supplied the facts
that transpired there. The narrative of the
Prince of Wales' visit is chiefly original, with
occasional extracts from the correspondence of
the " Montreal Gazette."
These acknowledgements, the author trusts, will j
be deemed sufiicient without havins^ recourse to a
display of references altogether inconsistent with
the unpretending character of these pages. A
host of friends, too numerous to mention, have
laid him under particular obligations by the ready
manner in which they put themselves to conside-
rable inconvenience to assist in reproducing the
details given. Amongst these are Judge Jarvis
of Cornwall, Major Clark of Edwardsburgh, Jacob
Brouse, Esq., of Matilda, Peter Erouse, Messrs.
George Merckley, and Peter Loucks of Williams-
burgh ; nor should he omit to name the Rev.
Herman Hayunga, who rendered valuable assist-
ance in the ecclesiastical department, and the
Rev. Alex. E, Kemp of Montreal, to whom the
reader is indebted for the notes on Geology and
PEEPACE. 11
Natural History contained in tlie eightli chapter.
From him also the author has received much
valuable assistance in preparing for the press,
which he hereby acknowledges.
If after these frank admissions there be yet
room for apology, it can only be in reference to
the plan of the work, and the feebleness of its
execution. To whatever charges the reader may
prefer against him in these respects, the author
will unhesitatingly plead " guilty." If at times
he has wandered wide of his subject, it has gene-
rally been to notice circumstances afPecting the
Province at large, all of which have a local and
particular, as well as a national and general
interest ; sometimes too the digression has been
made in order that prominent events in the his-
tory of our whole country may reach those for
whose use the narrative has been mainly penned,
and who have not access to the historical works
in which they are detailed.
If the actions of " Crysler's Farm " and the
"Windmill" seem to be too prominently brought
out, it is because the one was fought in the
County of Dundas, and that in the other the
mihtia of Dundas took a prominent part.
In thus endeavoring to preserve a record of the
12 PREI'ACE.
history of the County, the author has spared no
labour or cost in procuring accurate information,
and in making the book worthy of the subject. If
this, his first, and in all probability his last lite-
rary attempt, be recognized as in any measure an
atonement, for thirteen years of his life spent in
the County with little or no public benefit to his
fellow subjects, his object will have been fully
attained, and the time he has devoted to it amply
recompensed.
" If ouglit of error or intemperate truth,
Should meet thine ear, think thou that riper age
Will calm it down, and let thy love forgive it !"
Coleridge.
J. OEOIL.
Archerfield, 1st May, 1861.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I
(From 1492 to 1549.)
History — Portuguese Mariners — Columbus sails to the West — Land ho !
Shipwreck — Return to Spain — Rejoicings — His second voyage —
Massacre of Spaniards — Natives rebel, and are reduced to slavery —
Third voyage — Further discoveries — Insurrection of colonists-
Columbus impeached at Court — Is bound in irons and sent to
Spain — His defence — His death — Americus visits the New World —
Named America — His death — Discoveries of Cabot and Jacques
Cartier Page 17
CHAPTER II.
(From 1598 to 1713.)
Settlement of the French and English in N. A. — Gilbert occupies New-
foundland—Expedition to Roanoke — Named Virginia — Sir R.
Grenville's first settlement — A failure — Sir Walter Raleigh — Dis-
astrous results — Colony abandoned — English Chartered Compan-
ies — Smith and Pocahontas. — The Puritans in New England —
French occupy Nova Scotia — Dispossessed — N. S. granted to a
Scotchman — Ceded to France — Sir David Kirk's exploit — Halifax
founded — French in Canada — Quebec founded — War with the
Indians 37
CHAPTER III.
(From 1745 to 1763.)
The Mississippi discovered — La Salle — Louisiana settled — French claims
— ^Fruitless negociations — French war in N. A,— Siege of Louisbourg
— Peace — Hostilities between France and England—The fall of
Quebec — Amherst descends the St. Lawrence— Sir William John-
ston — Conquest of Canada completed 53
14 CONTENTS.
CHAPTER IV.
(From 1763 to 1815.)
The Revolutionary War — Its origin and results — Character of Wash
ington — Reflections on the war— Causes of the war of 1812 — Hull
invades Canada — Battle of Queenston — Fall of General Brock-
Engagements by sea and land — Wilkinson's Expedition— Battle of
Crysler's Farm — Peace concluded — Incidents — Medals and Monu-
ments — Battle of Matilda — The affair at Mariatown — Salmon River
raid — The tried Sergeant 69
CHAPTER V.
(From 1815 to 1860.)
Union of the Provinces — The Rebellion in Lower and Upper Canada — â–
The Hunter's oath — Steamers Caroline and Sir Robert Peel — Bill
Johnston — Battle of the Windmill — The sympathizers — Militia of
Dundas — Volunteer movement in Canada — The rifleman's song. 105
CHAPTER VI.
The County of Dundas — Situation, extent, population, and first settle-
ment of — The Primeval' forest — The U. E. Loyalists — The log
shanty — Government grants of lands and implements — Difficulties
encountered by first settlers — Hard times — Employments of first
settlers — Their character — Dawn of improvement — The first school-
master — Brant and his Mohawks — Laws of the early settlers —
Captain Duncan — Sir John Johnson — Steichmann — Reflections. 126
CHAPTER VII.
Intermediate History — The soil of Dundas — Cranberry Marshes — Stand-
ing timber and building materials — Climate — Meteorological Record
— Oldest inhabitant — Eclipse — Earth-quake — Hail Storm — Irriga-
tion — Statute labor and roads of Dundas 151
CHAPTER VIII.
Geology and Natural Histoet.
General Geological features — Laurentian formation — Huronian — ^Lower
Silurian — Potsdam Sandstone — Chazy — Trenton Group — Tertiary
formation — ^Post-Tertiary — Composition of surface soil— Forest
Trees — shrubs — fruit bearing plants — wild flowers. Animals-mam-,
malia — Birds — Fishes 165
CONTENTS. 15
CHAPTER IX.
Canadian agriculture — Rotation of crops — Systems of farming — Dutch,
Scotch, Irish systems — Breeds of domestic animals — Of renting
lands — Of the shares system — Of tile draining — Of laborers —
Implements of husbandry — &c., &c 192
CHAPTER X.
Social aspect — Character of inhabitants — Territorial divisions — Muni-
cipal and legal institutions — Judge Jarvis — Educational statistics
—Benevolent and literary societies — Agricultural societies... 215
CHAPTER XI.
Population of Dundas and adjacent Counties — Exports and Imports of
the County — Manufactures — Progress 239
CHAPTER XII.
Religious aspects First Protestant Church in Canada — The Lutheran
Church, the Rev. H. Hayunga — Church of England, Rev. Mr. Lind-
say — Presbyterian Church, Rev. Mr. BroeflSe — The Free Church —
Methodist Church, Rev. Mr. Pope — Roman Catholic Church —
Religious Statistics — Clergy Reserves 247
CHAPTER XIII.
Constitutional changes — First Canadian Parliament — Dundas returns
two members — Changes at the Union — Franchise extended — Voter's
Qualification, Oath, Registration — Member's qualification and remu-
neration — Council rendered elective — Representatives of Dundas —
Political aspect — Biogra,phical sketches — Lying Campbell, &c. — Col.
Crysler — Peter Shaver — George Crawford — Reflections 271
CHAPTER XIV.
The St. Lawrence Canals. — The Elliots. — Steam Navigation, History of,
on River Lake, and Ocean. — Cunard, Collins, Canadian and other
steamers. — The Great Eastern. — Grand Trunk Railroad. — Victoria
Bridge. — Benjamin Chaffey 287
16 CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XT.
Reminiscences. — The mound of "Williamsburgli. — Early Methodist Mis-
sionaries. — The first Convert. — The luke-warm Lutheran. — Record
of the Grave-yard. — Eccentricities. — Perpetual motion. — Novel
Windmill. — Early mills in Dundas. — Auld acquaintance 306
CHAPTER XVI.
Visit of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales to Canada 319
Index 349
DUNDAS ;
OB,
A SKETCH OP CANADIAN HISTOET
Lives of great men all remind us,
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Foot prints on the sands of time."
LONGEELiO-W.
CHAPTER I.
History— Portuguese Mariners— Columbus sails to the West— Land ho!
Shipwreck — Return to Spain — Rejoicings — His second voyage
Massacre of Spaniards— Natives rebel, and are reduced to slavery-
Third voyage — Further discoreries — Insurrection of colonists-
Columbus impeached at Court — Is bound in irons and sent to
Spain — His defence — His death — Americus visits the New World-
Named America — His death — Discoveries of Cabot and Jacques
Cartier.
(From 1492 to 1549.)
" History is a record of facts and events, relating to the past
existence of nations and of the world, handed down from one
generation to another." During the first three thousand years
of man's existence in the world, little is known of the history of
nations, save the brief outline presented to us in the sacred
volume. The early history of Europe originates in mythology,
and the circumstances attending its first settlement are beyond
our knowledge. In tracing the history of any country, the starting-
B
18 DISCOVERY OF [CHAP.
point is usually the period in its existence wlien tlie liglit of
lettered civilization first dawns upon it. Beyond that, there may
he oral traditions more or less authentic, hut these furnish imper-
fect data for the pen of the historian, whose aim is to set forth
nought but the well ascertained facts of the past.
We speak of Europe as the " Old World," with its history
stretching into the past two thousand years ; we speak of America
as the " New World," the existence of which became known to
Europeans only three hundred and sixty-eight years ago. How
far short does history come of disclosing to us the past, and
it may be the stirring events that have transpired in our
country during a long series of ages ! Who is there amongst
the most learned that can with certainty determine the time
or the manner in which our aborigines first found their way
to this continent ? Who can tell how long the red man has held
in undisputed possession the territories from which he has been
ejected by the white ? This much only we do know, that, although
recently discovered by Europeans, the whole of this vast continent
has, during many ages, been ^he abode of human beings, endowed
with reason, intelligence, and passions like our own.
The Portuguese, who had long been noted as skilful mariners,
discovered the island of Madeira in the year 1420, and planted a
colony there. Their frequent voyages to this island, and the
introduction of the mariner's compass, then newly invented,
tended gradually to accustom them to a bolder navigation ; and
instead of creeping servilely along the shore, they ventured boldly
into the open ocean. In a few years the whole eastern coast of
Africa was explored, and in the year 1486 the southernmost point |
of that continent had been reached ; and King John, foreseeing
that it would lead to the discovery of a passage to India by sea,
the great object of all previous explorations, named the promon-
tory " The Cape of Good Hope," in preference to the name given
it by the navigator, " Tempestuous Cape."
The fame of the Portuguese discoveries allured into their
I.] AMERICA. 19
service adventurous navigators from all tlie maritime states of
Europe. Among these was Christoplier Columbus, a native of
Genoa, wlio liad already distinguished himself as a mariner and a
scholar. He repaired to Lisbon in the year 1459, and his repu-
tation secured him a favourable reception by the Portuguese.
There he married Philippa Perestrello, daughter of an Italian
captain of that name, who had the good fortune to discover
Madeira. In this way he got possession of the journals and
the charts of that able navigator. From them he learned the
course which the Portuguese had held in making their discoveries ;
and he gratified his passion for the sea, by making frequent
voyages to Madeira, the Canaries, and Azores.
During the course of these voyages, Columbus formed the great
scheme of discovery, which he afterwards carried so happily into
execution. As the spherical form of the earth was then known,
and its magnitude ascertained with some degree of accuracy, he
had early concluded that the continent on the one side of the globe
must be balanced by an equal quantity of land on the other. He
had observed too, after violent westerly winds, that trees torn
up by the roots, were driven on the coasts of the Azores. Pieces
of wood artificially carved had also been found floating on the
sea to the westward of any known land, and suggested the idea of
a vast continent in that direction. From the accounts of travellers
from China and Japan, he argued that the further these countries
extended to the east, they must, as a matter of course, approach
nearer to the islands recently discovered in the west ; and that the
most direct course to the rich countries of the east might possibly
be found by sailing due west across the Atlantic Ocean, instead of
winding around the coasts of Africa. His mind was bent upon
testing, as soon as an opportunity should offer, the soundness of
his conjectures. He repaired to his native country, and laid his
scheme before the senate of Genoa. It was rejected as the dream
of a visionary projector. Next to his native land, he appealed to
the land of his adoption, and made an overture to the King of
20 COLUMBUS [CHAF.
Portugal. Unable himself to enter into the merits of the case,
the king referred the consideration of the plan to three eminent
cosmographers. These men, instead of encouraging, did all they
could to divert him from his purpose ; and, having extorted from
him full particulars of his proposed voyage of discovery, they
instigated the king secretly to dispatch a vessel to attempt the
discovery, in hopes that they might thus secure for themselves
the glory due to another. Full of indignation, Columbus instantly
quitted Portugal, and in the year 1484 landed in Spain. Ferdi-
nand and Isabella, being then engaged in war with the Moors of
Grenada, had no leisure to listen to the enthusiastic project of
the mariner. For five long years he was kept in suspense, and
then told, that, until the war was terminated, their majesties could
not engage in any new and expensive enterprise. His scheme
had in the meantime been submitted to Henry the Seventh of
England, and was so favourably received that Columbus resolved
to visit the court of England in person. As he was about to
start, he received an unexpected summons to the court of Spain,
and the conquest of Grenada being soon after completed, an
agreement with Columbus was signed on the 17th of April, 1492,
by which he was constituted admiral and viceroy over all the
lands and seas he should discover, and granting to him and his
heirs for ever the tenth part of the clear profits which should
Tesult to the crown from the success of his labours.
No time was lost in making preparations. The armament was
however ill in keeping with the importance of the service ; it
• consisted of only three vessels, named the Santa Maria, Pinta,
a.nd Nigna. The first named was a decked vessel, and was com-
manded by Columbus in person ; the others were open caravels.
With this small squadron, carrying only ninety men, and victualled
for twelve months, Columbus set sail from the port of Palos, in
the province of Andalusia, a little before sun-rising, on the third
day of August, 1492. He steered directly for the Canary Islands,
which he reached in ten days, without any material occurrence,
I,] AT SEA. 21
save the loss of the Pinta's rudder, which his crew regarded as a
bad omen, but which he considered only as a mark of unskilful-
ness on the part of the ship-builder. After refitting, he again
put to sea, and held his course due west, leaving at once the
usual track of navigation, and launching boldly into an ocean,
with whose extreme shores he was unacquainted and of which
he had no chart, in quest of countries which existed perhaps only
in his own imagination. No sooner had he lost sight of land, than
many of his sailors, already discouraged, began with violent
exclamations to beat their breasts and shed tears, notwithstanding
all his efforts to animate them. They regarded his enterprise as the
desperate project of a rash adventurer, who would soon hurry them
to destruction. Columbus happily possessed the courage and
presence of mind which triumphed amidst the greatest perils, and
never failed to inspire confidence. He appeared always cool and
collected, and comforted his crew with assurances of ultimate
success, and the prospect of vast wealth in those opulent regions