A narrative of the capture and destruction of the steamer ‘Caroline’
Her descent over the Falls of Niagara on the night or the 29th oF December, 1837
By Rear-Admiral Drew.
[For private circulation.]
London: Printed by Spottiswoode & Co, New-Street Square, E.C. 1864
The steamer ‘CAROLINE.’
Introduction
In laying before the public a narrative of events which occurred more than twenty-five years ago, I can hardly make sure it will be acceptable to any reader, as the interest must more or less have passed away; but it has this in its favour, that it is not a hacknied subject, nor am I aware that anyone has attempted a description of the capture and destruction of the steamer ‘Caroline’ except Sir Francis Bond Head, and then only cursorily, in his narrative of events during his administration as Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada. Now, as the ‘ Caroline’ will live in history, it seems a duty on my part to give a faithful and authentic account of an event which has been much exaggerated and misrepresented.
When the account first reached England, it was reported that a vessel had been sent over the Falls of Niagara burning, and with 160 human beings on board. This remaining uncontradicted, was believed for some time, and I, of course, looked upon as a monster in human shape; whilst the truth was, in my anxiety to ascertain there was not a living soul on board before we turned the vessel adrift, that I very nearly sacrificed my own life in the endeavour to prove this, as will be seen hereafter.
I shall, therefore, take upon myself to draw up an account of the transaction in its true colours, which coming from me, the principal actor in the drama, will carry with it a stamp of authenticity which will perhaps be its greatest value. I shall also embrace this opportunity of making public a correspondence which I have carried on with the heads of departments of Her Majesty’s Government, with the hope of obtaining some indemnity for the very severe pecuniary losses I have sustained in being obliged to abandon a country which contained all my wealth and all my hopes; for, had I remained in Canada up to the present time, the value of my property would have been more than double what it was when I left in 1842.
I may be asked what object I have in view in publishing this narrative at the present time. This I scarcely know myself. There may be two or three reasons. One is a desire that a faithful and correct record of so remarkable an event as the sending the ‘Caroline’ over the Falls of Niagara may be handed down to posterity in an authentic shape. I cannot be accused of vanity, for had I been vain of the exploit I should have published an account of it twenty-five years ago, when the event was fresh in everyone’s memory, and when the value of the service might have been properly appreciated; but I cannot deny that there may be a lurking desire within me for the sympathy of the public when they come to know the hardship of the case, and also a hope (but a very faint one) that Her Majesty’s Government, when they are more fully acquainted with the facts which this record will contain, may be induced to come to a different decision from that they have done.
I have been refused redress principally upon the ground that so long a time had elapsed since the losses were sustained. There is no denial of the equity of my claim—no other reason for denying me justice than that I ought to have made the claim earlier. In making my appeal to the Admiralty, who are my legitimate masters, I expected their Lordships would have told me I was not serving under their orders when the ‘Caroline’ was destroyed; but their refusal was simply for the reason that they had no funds at their disposal to meet such a case. This I thought not unreasonable, and it induced me to apply to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, who I thought might have funds available for such a purpose; but there I was met with the objection that I had suffered too long a time to elapse before making my claim, and also that there were no funds to meet the case.
This led me, as a last resource, to address the Prime Minister upon the subject; and, though only a sort of forlorn hope, I had such confidence in the known goodness of his Lordship’s heart, that I really did expect something, and I pictured to myself the pleasure it might be for his Lordship to reflect, when he was relieved from the cares of office, that one of the last acts of a long political life was doing an act of justice to an old officer of nearly sixty years’ standing in the Navy, who had suffered from having served his country too well. The reply which came from the Lords of the Treasury was, that their Lordships saw no reason for departing from the decision already come to by the Secretary of State for the Colonies. Thus ended all my hopes of redress.
Leave England for Upper Canada; settle at Woodstock
I will not trouble the reader with an account of my services in the Royal Navy previous to my going to Canada, as they may be found in ‘O’Byrne’s Naval Biography,’ but at once commence my story.
The year 1832 found me a Commander on half-pay of eight years’ standing, during the whole of which time I had been trying for employment; but from the want of interest I found I had no chance, so I gave it up, and in the spring of that year set sail for Canada with my wife, intending to make that country our permanent home. We arrived there in the month of June, and, after looking about, finally decided upon settling at Woodstock, in the county of Oxford, about fifty miles from Hamilton, a town situated at the western extremity of Lake Ontario. We had the advantage of being on the high road which leads from Lake Ontario to Lake Huron, a fine healthy part of the country. I soon commenced clearing, for the land Thad selected was nearly all forest, and built myself a capital house, with barns, stables, and every other convenience, and soon got 200 acres of land into cultivation, which I turned into a beautiful farm, and used to look upon it with as much satisfaction as if it had been in England; – in fact, so satisfied was I with it, that I made up my mind there to spend the remainder of my days. But the sequel will prove what poor short-sighted mortals we are when we attempt to plan for futurity.
Whilst residing there I had the honour and the very great pleasure of a visit from His Grace the present Duke of Northumberland, then travelling through the country, who was pleased to say that mine was the prettiest place he had seen in the colony, and if I should be thought partial in my description of it I am sure His Grace will bear me out in what I have stated.
Rebellion breaks out – join Colonel Sir Allan MacNab
I there enjoyed the most uninterrupted happiness for more than five years, when, in the month of December 1837, the rebellion broke out. As an officer under Government, I felt I could do no less than volunteer to come forward and assist to put down the rebellion; and accordingly, about the middle of December, I shouldered a musket and started off to join Colonel Sir Allan Macnab, who had the command of the whole militia force in that part of the colony, and was then on his march from Hamilton to Scotland, a district where the rebels had mustered in considerable force. I joined Sir Allan a few miles from Hamilton, and we halted at Brantford for the night. At daybreak the next morning we started for Scotland, about twelve miles distant, with a very respectable force of militia and volunteers; but on our arrival there we found the rebels had left about half an hour, having been informed of our approach, and scattered themselves in all directions, some to the woods, some to their homes, and the leaders, Doctor Duncombe and others, to the United States. We scoured the country for sixty or seventy miles round, but saw no more of them, and a few days after brought us news that the rebels had made head again on the American side of the River Niagara, under McKenzie and others, and that they had actually taken possession of Navy Island, a dependency of Her Majesty, about half a mile from the Canadian shore. Thither we followed them with the force under Sir Allan Macnab, considerably increased by volunteers on the warch, and about December 20 we arrived at Chippawa, a village a short distance from the Falls of Niagara. The rebels were fast collecting on the island, and by the 25th were supposed to muster seven or eight hundred men. Our business was to. dislodge them from their position: and for this purpose, amongst other preparations, a body of men were told off to act as a naval brigade, of which I, as the senior naval officer, assumed the command. We hired three Lake schooners for the service, putting a gun on board each of them, and were fitting them out to carry troops to the island; but the principal part of the landing was to be effected by boats and craft belonging to the river navigation.
On December 29, about four o’clock in the afternoon, Sir Allan Macnab and myself were standing together upon the look-out, when, with the aid of a telescope, we observed a steam-vessel standing across the river, from Fort Schlosser to Navy Island, full of men, and with one or two field-pieces on the decks. This was her first appearance. Sir Allan said, ‘This won’t do. I say, Drew, do you think you can cut that vessel out?’ ‘Oh yes,’ I said, ‘nothing easier; but it must be done at night.’ ‘Well, then,’ said he, ‘go and do it.’ These were literally all the orders I ever received to take the ‘Caroline;’ and although I had said hastily there was nothing easier, yet in reality it was a service of such extreme danger, that it may well be questioned whether anyone could be justified in undertaking it. In giving the order to take the ‘Caroline,’ Sir Allan Macnab, of course, considered it was my duty to judge of the practicability of the scheme as belonging to my profession. It was not a business to hesitate, or scarcely to think upon; it had to be done, and the only question was how to do it.
The current was reported in the charts to be running at the rate of seven miles an hour at that part of the river where we should have to cross, which was not half a mile distant from the mighty Falls of Niagara. We had nothing but a few small boats about twelve feet long, each pulling four oars, to trust to; we had to keep fearfully close to the Rapids to prevent the boats being seen from Navy Island, from whence they would have given the alarm. Numerous other difficulties might have been started so as to make the attempt appear impracticable; but I determined not to let one of them enter my head. I had resolved to make the attempt, and that nothing should stop me, well remembering that most of the dashing things of the late war were accomplished in this way.
The first thing to be done was to call for volunteers. ‘Here we are, sir,’ cried a hundred voices; ‘ what have we to do?’ ‘Follow me’ was all they could get out of me, as Sir Allan and I had determined the secret should be strictly between us; for, had our intentions been suffered to transpire, one hour would have carried the intelligence across the river to the Americans, when we should have been opposed by thousands; but so well was the secret kept, that the men knew not where they were going nor what they had to do until they were actually embarked in the boats and had left the shore.
Amongst so many volunteers there was a difficulty in making a selection; but this they settled between themselves, it being an indispensable condition that each should be able to pull a good oar, which narrowed the number to be selected from, and we had no difficulty. The interval between four o’clock, when the determination was come to, and half-past eleven at night, the time proposed for starting, was taken up in preparation. Time dragged on tediously. It was necessary to give the men in the steamer not only time to get to bed, but to sleep; the moon, too, was shining too brightly for our purpose, and we had to wait to let it go down for fear of discovery; the neglect of any of these precautions would have marred our enterprise. The steamer was secured under Fort Schlosser for the night. There was a little difference of opinion between Sir Allan Macnab and myself as to what we should do with the vessel when we had taken her; he wanted her brought over to Chippawa, but I was altogether against it. I opposed it simply upon the ground that if she was in our possession the Americans would never rest until she was given up, but if burnt there was an end of her: our purpose would be answered, and the country saved from a great embarrassment. At last half-past eleven o’clock arrived, and we started upon our perilous expedition. We received three cheers from the assembled multitude on the shore, and off we went, I had arranged with Sir Allan Macnab that, as soon as he saw a bright light burning on the other side, he was to make a blazing fire on the spot from whence we started, to serve as a beacon to guide us on our way’ back.
Crossing the river Niagara
We pulled a little up along shore, and I called the boats around me to tell the men the service they were going upon, and gave the officers all the precautions I considered necessary —viz. that they were not to go too near Navy Island for fear of being seen; that they were to keep as close to me as possible, and upon no account to go ahead of me; that they were to endeavour to strike the opposite shore some distance above Fort Schlosser, where the steamer was moored, and there wait for each other. I also said that if any of them disliked the service they were going upon, which was one full of danger, to speak before it was too late, and I would land them at once; but no one took advantage of the offer. We mustered seven boats, each containing four rowers and three or four sitters, and commanded by Lieutenants MacCormick, Beer, Elmsley, Battersby, Mr. Harris, master, R.N., Mr. Lapenotiere, mate, and Mr. Gordon, captain of a steam-vessel on the Jakes. We then bade adieu to the shore, and commenced to cross the river.
When about a third of the way across, we heard the firing of musketry from Navy Island, and I at once concluded that some of the boats, going too near the island, were discovered and fired upon. This made me very uneasy, and I thought it was all over with us; but the boats retreated, and the firing ceased, and with it all my anxiety for the consequences. It was as I imagined with two boats out of the seven; and we did not see them again until we returned to the Canadian shore. We continued crossing, the roar of the Falls being awful, and apparently not near half a mile distant, and the farther we got the louder they appeared to roar. Of course, we neared them considerably from the force of the stream, which we were crossing diagonally; nor could we expect to hit the opposite shore in a parallel line with the place from whence we started. This was one of the risks we had to encounter, and upon which we could make no calculation.
When about half-way over the river, and having recovered from the alarm of the firing, one of the men in my boat called out, ‘We are going astern, sir; we shall be over the Falls,’ Just at this moment we saw a light on the American shore, or, as it afterwards proved to be, on board the steamer, from which the man was able to judge that we were dropping down. I was again uneasy, as the lives of the men were all under my charge; but I explained to them that we were unavoidably nearing the Falls, but I would at once convince them we could stem the current. I then put the boat’s head right up the stream, and watched the effect upon the light. For some time I could not bring myself to think we were going ahead, and I was a little alarmed; but I urged the men to put’out their strength, and then I discovered we did make headway. This reassured them, and I explained we were then in the very strength of the current, and the nearer we got to the shore the less it would be. I got rid of my anxiety, and was in good spirits again; nevertheless I must now admit it was one of the most anxious moments of my life, as upon this not only depended the success of the enterprise, but the lives of all engaged in it.
After a few minutes we resumed our slanting course, and began to see the light much plainer, which we were then assured was on board the steamer, but we could not make out why we did not see the lower part of her hull; but time proved, as we neared the shore, that there was a long low spit of land, forming an island between us and the main land, which effectually prevented us from being seen. This was a most fortunate circumstance; for, had it not been for this, we must have pulled direct towards the vessel, and as surely would have been seen a considerable distance off; even the noise of the oars would have betrayed us, and prevented a surprise, which was everything to us. As it was, we were obliged to pull up along the shore of the island, which put us considerably ahead of the steamer.'
Encounter on board the steamer. Her Capture.
When arrived at the point, four other boats soon joined us; but the moon was still shining too brightly, and I judged it most prudent to remain where we were for half an hour. In so doing we ran great risk of discovery, as we were not more than thirty or forty yards from the main land, nor more than 200 yards from the steamer, which lay as quiet and unsuspicious as if nothing was about to happen. This must have been about half-past twelve o’clock; and fortunate it was for us that there was no one walking along the shore, or they could have given notice to the steamer of our approach in five minutes. I directed the boats to move their oars as gently as possible, just enough to stem the current, and not to talk, or even whisper, Being able to expend half an hour here unseen was a great event for us, to allow it to become darker, as everything depended upon our being able to reach the vessel unseen, At last I judged it dark enough, and we dropped silently down upon our prey literally without moving an oar until we were close alongside of her. These were anxious moments for me, knowing how hazardous it is to climb a vessel’s side and make good a footing upon the deck without being knocked on the head; however, in this, as in everything else, fortune favoured us. When within a boat’s length of the vessel, one of the watch (who had apparently just awoke out of a sleep) cried out, ‘ Boat, ahoy! boat, ahoy!’ ‘Give us the countersign,’ I answered, in a low tone of voice. ‘Silence, silence! Don’t make a noise, and I’ll give you the countersign when we get on board.’ I then mounted the vessel’s side, which I had some difficulty in doing for want of a ladder, and when fairly on deck I drew my sword, and found three men lounging over the starboard gangway unarmed, and quite unconcerned. I said to them, «Now I want this vessel, and you had better go ashore at once.’ She was laying alongside a wharf, to which she was secured. I waved my sword over their heads to make them go, and I do not think that until this moment they fairly understood their position. They then moved leisurely over to the port-side, I thinking they were going on shore; but as they saw none of my party on the deck but myself they took up their fire-arms, which it appeared had been left on that side the deck, and the foremost man fired his loaded musket at me. Not more than a yard from him, how the ball missed me I do not know; but he was too close to take aim, and it passed me. I thought this an act of treachery, and that I need show him no mercy, so with the full swing of my arm I gave him a cut with my sword over the left temple, and he dropped at my feet. In another second one of the other men put a pistol close to my face and pulled the trigger; fortunately it flashed in the pan, or I should not have been here to have told the tale. Why I was so lenient with this man I do not know, for he deserved death at my hands as much as the other; but I merely gave him a sabre-cut on the inside of the right arm, which made him drop his pistol, and he was unarmed. The other man I disarmed, and drove them both over the side; but as they did not seem to move as fast as I thought they ought, I gave them about an inch or two of the point of my sword, which quickened their pace wonderfully.
All this did not appear to have taken up more than a minute of time, and we were in complete possession of the after-part of the vessel. Three of the boats boarded forward, where there was a good deal of firing going on, and, as the quarter-deck was clear, I mounted the paddle-box and gave orders for the firing to cease immediately, fearing from the darkness of the night we might take friends for foes; and Lieutenant MacCormick had already received a desperate wound.
The vessel was now entirely in our possession, and, to guard against an attack from the shore, I directed Lieutenant Elmsley to head a small party as an advanced guard, to warn us should an attack be meditated. We then roused everybody out of their beds and sent them on shore, a considerable number of persons having been sleeping on board. After this the vessel was set on fire in four different places, and soon began to burn. The next thing was to cast her off from the jetty, which at one time I feared we should have had great difficulty in doing, as she was made fast with chains under water, or rather under ice—for this was the middle of a Canadian winter, where water freezes to the thickness of a foot in a very short time; but a young gentleman of the name of Sullivan, understanding the difficulty, seized hold of an axe, jumped down upon the ice, and in a short time cleared the chain and set the vessel adrift.
This done, and the vessel in flames fore and aft, I ordered everyone to the boats, which became the more necessary as the enemy had opened a fire of musketry from the shore, and some shot came disagreeably near to me standing on the paddle-box. The order was soon obeyed, for it was also getting too hot to stand upon the deck. I did not give any particular orders to the officer of my own boat; but I intended to be the last person out of the vessel, and naturally thought they would wait for me, and, when just ready to embark, I saw a man coming up the fore hatchway. I went forward to ascertain whether it was likely anyone else was down below; but the man said it was not possible, for it was so hot he could not have lived there another minute. I then went to get into my boat, when to my horror I found that every boat had left the vessel. I cannot describe my feelings at that moment, nor shall I ever forget the sensation that came over me: the vessel in flames and fast drifting down the stream. I looked around, and could just see one boat in the distance; another minute would have been fatal to me. I hailed her to come back, calling out as loud as I could that they had left me behind; fortunately, they heard me, and returned and took me and the man on board.
Having now accomplished our object, we had only to find our way safely back; and when we rounded the point of the island before named we saw a tremendous blazing fire on the Canadian shore, not only enough to guide us, but almost to light us on our way back. It was most welcome, for by this time it had become quite dark. Not caring about discovery now, and as little for shot from Navy Island, we kept much closer to it, and felt safe in so doing. We landed between two and three o’clock in the morning at the spot from whence we started, and found hosts of people to receive us with good hearty British cheers. Sir Allan Macnab was most particularly cordial in his welcome, and candidly acknowledged he never expected to see me again, but that our success had far exceeded his most sanguine expectations.
Steamer going over the Falls in flames
By this time the burning vessel was fast approaching the Canadian shore, and not far distant. Of all the marvels attending this novel expedition, the course which the steamer took of her own accord was the most wonderful. When free from the wharf at Fort Schlosser, her natural course would have been to follow the stream, which would have taken her along the American shore and over the American Falls; but she acted as if she was aware she had changed owners, and navigated herself right across the river, clearing the Rapids above Goat Island, and went as fairly over the centre of the British Falls of Niagara as if she had been placed there on purpose.
There were hundreds of people on the banks of the river to witness the splendid sight, for it was perfectly beautiful, and the descent took place within a quarter of an hour after our landing; and no human ingenuity could have accomplished what the vessel had so easily done for herself.
My first care after landing was to look after the wounded and have them attended to. The most serious casualty was that of Lieutenant McCormick, R.N., who was shot through the wrist, besides other wounds in his body, from which, although he received the best possible medical attendance, he never recovered, and, to my great regret, died some few years afterwards from the effects of the wounds; there were also some flesh wounds amongst the young men, but nothing serious.
On the part of the enemy we were also fortunate, for certainly there were not more than two killed and four or five wounded : less than this could hardly have been expected.
I will here mention a circumstance which happened in the early part of the encounter, and which might have brought me to grief had I not been on my guard. In my boat was a man named Zealand, a fine specimen of an old British sailor, who had served on the Lakes under Sir James Yeo in the late American war. The ‘ Caroline’ had a raised cabin on the quarter-deck, with a gangway on each side between it and the bulwark and round the stern: it was here, on the port-side, that the arms were deposited. When I had disposed, of the three men, as before related, I thought it prudent to go round this gangway to see whether there was anybody lurking behind to take us in the rear; and when returning along the starboard-side I met a man rushing along, sword in hand, who made a slashing cut at my head without the least ceremony. The night was dark, so that a little mistake of this kind was pardonable, and fortunately I suspected it was one of my own men; I parried the blow, and very successfully pinned his cutlass with mine against the cabin bulk-head, so that he could not move it. This gave me time to look in his face, and I at once made out who it was. ‘Holloa, Zealand!’ said I, ‘what are you about?’ ‘Oh! I beg your pardon, sir; I didn’t know it was you.’ It was, however, a fortunate discovery, and we parted good friends.
Having cut off the supplies of the rebels by the destruction of the steamboat, our next business was to drive them off the island; and to this we turned our whole attention. We had a large militia force at Chippawa and the neighbourhood at this time, all eager to do something. I have before mentioned we had hired three schooners, which, together with the boats and barges we had, were capable of embarking a large number of men; but we judged that about 500 men would be sufficient to take the island, and accordingly that number were told off for the service. I never saw a finer spirit exhibited in any body of men in my life, though they were only settlers in the back-. woods, who had left their farms to. put down the rebellion; the officers, too, were very fine fellows, and were ready to lead their men in any attack. I am sorry I cannot mention their names, but in the lapse of time I have forgotten them.
Whilst the preparations were going on, and the day before our intended landing, which it was understood would be principally in boats, I heard a man say to some of his comrades: ‘But what shall we do if a shot strikes our boat? We must either be drowned or go over the Falls,’ This led me to do what I have ever since considered a very foolish thing. I got a four-oared gig, and pulled up the stream round the head of the island, within pistol-shot, with the avowed object of selecting a proper place to land, but really to place the boat under fire of the enemy’s field-pieces, to prove how difficult it was to hit a boat moving fast through the water, I clearly saw the spot to land, and immediately put the boat’s head round to return, when they began a fire of musketry, and shortly afterwards with field-pieces, The firing was not good at first, but improved, and the shot came nearer every time; then ceased for two or three minutes, when I thought we were all safe; but presently another shot came whizzing past, admirably aimed, making ducks and drakes in the water, and just cleared the gunwale of the boat, passing between me and the strokesman. ‘The firing of this shot was evidently by a more experienced hand, and I learnt afterwards it was from an amateur, a young American from West Point, a miscreant who had not even the excuse of ° having joined the rebels, but for mere amusement was trying to sink a boat and possibly to sacrifice the lives of the crew. Had I been able to get hold of his name I would have handed it down to posterity as that of a sanguinary ruffian. They had not another chance of firing, so we got safe into Chippawa creek, and I hoped my purpose was answered.
Our plans for the morrow, when we intended to make our landing, were widely known. Nor could it be otherwise; but it was not of so much consequence as the secret of the ‘ Caroline,’ because, the rebels being in large numbers on the island, we naturally thought they would have had the courage to have waited to receive us; whereas some of their friends told them what was going forward, and they decamped in the night, landing upon Grand Island, and from thence made their way to the American side, thereby saving us a great deal of trouble and possibly a great many valuable lives; so that when we landed there was not a soul to be seen. Here our work was finished, and there was an end of the rebellion for the present.
Shortly after this the militia and volunteers returned to their homes, a regiment of the line taking the duty upon the frontier, whilst I was left to arrange about the schooners and boats, and to wind up the affairs of the naval brigade, who were admitted by all hands to have done their duty.
Large meeting at Buffalo
The Americans were astounded at what had taken place, and did not imagine there was energy enough in the colony to have conceived such a thing as the taking of their steamer and driving the rebels from Navy Island, but thought they had nothing to do but to pour into Canada as they had previously done into Texas, and annex it; but they found their mistake, and began to look at home.
They held large meetings at Buffalo, a frontier town at the head of the River Niagara, to discuss the outrage of the ‘Caroline,’ and a report was spread that Captain Drew was to land with 1,000 men by night and burn the town. They organized a large body of men as a volunteer force to protect the city, and turned out a guard of 500 men every night to be ready to receive me; they also offered a reward of 500/. to anyone who would assassinate me. This was done by public advertisement in one of their papers. They also did me the very great honour to hang me in effigy, and paid me the same compliment annually on December 29, for several years afterwards. This was a ‘mighty sum for any rascal to obtain upon such easy terms, and the first attempt to assassinate me was made a few days afterwards. I was staying in the village of Chippawa, at the house of a gentleman named Cummins, when, in the middle of a certain day, the maid-servant came to her mistress to ask leave to go home. Mrs. Cummins said, ‘I can’t let you go, for Captain Drew is staying with us, and you will be wanted.’ The girl then said, ‘ Well, mistress, if you won’t give me leave I’ll take it, for I am not going to stay here to be murdered.’ And go she did without giving any further reason, except that the house was going to be attacked that night. Mr. Cummins and I talked it over, and could not make out what it meant, and after dinner we went into the village to learn if there were any reports about, but could hear of nothing, so we agreed to take no notice of what the girl had said; and about eleven o’clock I went to bed: but not so Mr. Cummins, for he sat up. I felt the more secure as there were two companies of troops close at hand, and within hail of the house. However, about midnight a considerable body of armed men surrounded the house, and, walking on the verandah, the floor of which being old and rickety, made a considerable noise, the dogs began to bark, and Mr. Cummins called to me to get up, as the house was attacked; after which he called out of the window, ‘Turn out the guard, turn out the guard!’ I got up, and before I began to dress I saw a man climbing up one of the posts of the verandah opposite the window which opened into my room. I seized hold of my sword, which the ruffian saw, and down he dropped: the sight of it was enough for him, and I never slept without having it in my room. The guard were soon upon the alert, and formed; they were heard by the scoundrels, who got frightened and retreated. This visit was meant for me, and showed how good their information was to know the room in which I was sleeping. This band of ruffians, about fifty in number, had landed in boats from the American shore just above Navy Island, and, being foiled in their attempt upon my life, determined they would have blood, and on their return to their boats stopped at the house of a gentleman of the name of Usher, a captain of militia, who had distinguished himself on the frontier. They knocked at his door, and, unsuspicious, went himself to open it, when without one word they shot him dead.
T remained upon duty on the frontier for about six or eight weeks after this, not feeling very comfortable; for, though I had many friends around the neighbourhood, people did not like to take me into their houses, particularly to sleep, fearing another attack would be made upon me. Therefore, having but little to detain me, I wound up the affairs of the naval brigade and returned to my family at Woodstock.
Appointed to command in Lake Erie
Here I was not suffered to enjoy myself for more than a few months, for in the latter end of the year 1838 the rebels were organizing another outbreak, which came to open violence in Lower Canada, but was soon put down by General Sir John Colborne. In the upper province they were more wary and took more time to perfect their schemes; they were known to be busy with their preparations in the United States, meaning to make the winter the season for their operations. Captain Sandom, the naval officer in command on the Lakes, commissioned two or three sailing schooners for service on Lake Erie, and the Canadian Government chartered two fine steamers from the Americans to be fitted as men of war, and I was appointed by the Admiralty to assume the command upon that lake.
The steamers were brought to the Grand River, situated at the lower extremity of the lake, to be equipped and manned; the crews consisted of lake seamen and about 200 militiamen, there being no man-of-war’s men available for the service, nor could I prevail upon the Lieutenant-Governor to let me have any regular troops to serve as marines. Having completed our equipment, we started about the latter end of November for Amherstburg, the western part of the province, which I intended to make my head-quarters during the winter; but we had not steamed more than about thirty or forty miles before we were stopped by the ice, the lake having frozen during the previous night. We tried to steam through it, but found the ice impenetrable, and therefore had no alternative but to return to the Grand River, where we remained until the spring.
During the winter the rebels made a landing at Windsor, crossing the river from Detroit, and were very ably dealt with by Colonel Prince, a militia officer and magistrate in that part of the country, who proved himself a most able substitute for me, and did the work much better than I could have done it, for he put an end to the whole affair in a few hours. Things were going on quietly with us at the Grand River, when an incident occurred to enliven the scene by the arrival of a scoundrel from Buffalo on a pretended mission to me. He was a most daring and impudent fellow; he crossed over from the American side to Niagara, and made his way to Colonel Estcourt, then commanding on the frontier, and asked him where I was to be found, as he had something of great importance to communicate to me relative to an intended landing of the rebels in Canada. The Colonel at once told him where I was, and wrote a note to me, of which he made the man the bearer; and, thinking the expected communication was something of importance, begged I would let him know if it should prove to be so. The man made his way to the Grand River, where I then was, put his horse up at a small tavern, came on board the steamer, and asked to see me. The first lieutenant brought him into the cabin, when he said he had something most important to communicate tome. I begged the lieutenant to wait, but the man intimated that what he had to say must not be in the hearing of a third person. I replied there could be no secrets between me and my first lieutenant, and that I had rather he were present. The man then said, if I had no confidence in him there was an end of the matter, and he would go. I thought it very odd, and rather unwillingly I requested the lieutenant to leave the cabin. The man then presented the letter from Colonel Estcourt, which lulled my suspicion, and I asked him to relate what he had to say. He began talking a parcel of nonsense about the rebellion and what had passed, but nothing about what was to come. I bore with him for some time, when he said, ‘I am quite sure we are overheard here, and I propose we should go on shore and walk down the river, where we shall be out of hearing of everybody, and then I’ll tell you what I have to say.’ I accordingly landed, and with the man walked along the bank of the river towards the lake; but still nothing revealed. We had got nearly to the river’s mouth and at least a quarter of a mile from the steamer when I turned to go back; had we continued on we must have made a sharp turn to the right along the lake-shore, where a dense wood would most effectually have shut us out from the sight of the steamer. So the fellow said, ‘Oh, sir! I thought we were going to walk on where we could not be interrupted.’ ‘No,’ I said, ‘we will return; if you have anything to say you have had plenty of time to have done so, and I expect it’s all humbug.’ ‘Oh, sir, if that’s it, I see you have no confidence in me, and we'll part.’ I was glad to find we were getting pretty close to the vessel, for my suspicions were excited, and I thought I had had a lucky escape, but in reality the man had committed no act for which I could detain him, whatever I may have thought of his intentions, I therefore returned on board the steamer and he to the tavern for his horse. Some of the officers had their suspicions of this man from the beginning, and went to the tavern to have a look at him, when, as he was mounting his horse, with one foot in the stirrup, they saw the handle of a great horse-pistol protruding out of his side coat-pocket. Off he galloped, and, entering a wood, was soon out of sight. The officers wanted me to send after him and have him brought back, but this I declined, as we could prove nothing against him. It was, however, well known afterwards that he was the leader of the gang who attacked Mr. Cummins’ house at Chippawa and murdered Captain Usher.
Here was a very narrow escape; and had I only continued along the lake-shore instead of turning back, the pistol or the bowie-knife would have done his work, and earned for the ruffian 500/. This was my second escape from assassination, and most thankful was I for it; but there is another yet to come.
Intended attack upon Fort Niagara
In the spring of the year 1839 it was well known that there was to be another landing of rebels in Upper Canada, and upon a larger scale than hitherto; it was therefore necessary to be prepared accordingly. Lieutenant-Governor Sir George Arthur summoned me down to Toronto to have a conference with him; I therefore waited upon His Excellency at the Government House, and was ushered into a room, where I found Sir George and Colonel Booth, commanding the 43rd regiment, then stationed at Niagara. The Governor, after a little preliminary conversation, said, ‘I have desired to see you two gentlemen to ask you to undertake, jointly, a piece of service of the utmost consequence to the country.. I need not tell you that I am perfectly tired of the frequent landings of the Americans in Upper Canada, and I have come to the determination, should another landing take place, to retaliate and take possession of Fort Niagara, which I think can easily be accomplished, as there are but few troops there at present.’ ‘ But, sir,’ I said, ‘had you not better communicate with Captain Sandom? He commands the naval force on the Lakes, and I am only his second.’ ‘No,’ said the Governor; ‘I know you, but I do not know Captain Sandom; if you will not undertake it, I shall give it up.’ I immediately said, ‘That shall not be, sir; I will do anything you desire, and stand the consequences.’ Then he said, ‘I have already told you what is required to be done, and leave you to carry out the detail. I must tell you that what is intended is only known to my executive council, and had therefore better be kept strictly secret. You shall have my authority to go to any expense in preparation that may be necessary, and I will inform you, at the earliest moment, when you will be required to act, which will be the moment the Americans effect another landing in any part of Upper Canada, and the sooner your preparations are completed the better. I will not detain you further, but leave you to settle your own plans, having perfect confidence in you both, and feeling sure that the work will be well done.’
It was quite a pleasure to have to co-operate with such an officer as Colonel Booth; and our plans were soon arranged. He desired to have the whole regiment transported across the river at one time, if possible, and landed within 200 yards of Fort Niagara. This fort is situated on the left bank of the River Niagara, at the entrance from Lake Ontario, and commands the river. I immediately made arrangements with the Niagara Dock Company, a building establishment in the neighbourhood, to build two roomy flat-bottomed boats with shovel noses, capable of carrying each 150 men with their arms and accoutrements. This they were not long in doing, and all was soon ready, only waiting for the word of command, the intention being to land one-half the regiment at first, and the other half would follow in a quarter of an hour. Had the order to land been given, the work would have been well done; for never in my life did I see a finer body of men than the 43rd were at that time. But the expected landing did not take place; the rebels altered their minds, and our services were not required.
After this I returned to Lake Erie, and in the month of August was superseded from my command, the rebellion, in fact, having ended here. Thus terminated my public services in the colony, and I rejoined my family at Woodstock.
Resolve to leave Canada
Here I hoped to find rest and enjoyment, and that I should have been allowed to remain at my happy home in the backwoods for the remainder of my days; but the hand of the assassin followed me even here. I had only been a few months at home when a good honest English yeoman, living in the backwoods about ten miles off, rode in from his farm, and asked to see me. He said, ‘Captain Drew, I have come in to warn you of your danger, and to beg you will not leave your house for two or three weeks to come, as two of my neighbours have left their house this morning, and have taken an oath they will not return until they have shot you.’ ‘Oh,’ I said, ‘tell me who they are, and I will get up a party and go and meet them.’ €No, sir,’ he said, ‘that won’t do; it might save your life, but it would cost me mine. I cannot tell you their names, but you know you can believe me; so pray take warning, and do not go out until these men have returned, of which I will give you the earliest notice.’ I felt that if I was to be under the constant apprehension of being murdered, existence was not worth having; and I went on much in my usual way—not, however, remaining in the woods alone, as was my habit, when the men went into dinner, but returning with them as they left work. This went on for some days, and nothing happened to cause alarm, and I was beginning to disregard the warning that had been given me; but when ten days had elapsed, I allowed the men to go in to-dinner, and I remained out in the woods alone. In a short time I heard the report of a rifle, and at the same moment a rifle ball stuck in the stump of a tree not half a yard from where I was standing. I made a tremendous hallooing, which must have frightened the scoundrel, who, perhaps, thought I was shouting to somebody in sight, as he did not fire again, and I got safely into the house. Two days afterwards my friend came in from the woods to tell me his neighbours had returned—-not, however, knowing what had happened; but, as no proof could be brought, I took no notice of the matter.
This was the third attempt made upon my life, from which I felt that nothing but the interposition of Providence had saved me, and, having a wife and a large family of young children, I felt I ought not to disregard this last warning, so I at once made up my mind to leave the country. At this time, in consequence of the late rebellion, property in Canada was scarcely saleable at any price; I therefore sold mine for what it would fetch. I returned to England in the spring of the year 1842, and have been a poor man ever since.
It now only remains for me to mention the rewards and honors which were bestowed upon me for the destruction of the ‘Caroline;’ they were highly complimentary, but nothing substantial. 1 received the thanks of the two Houses of the Provincial Parliament, and a sword of one hundred guineas value was voted to me by the House of Assembly. I was made Commodore of the Provincial Marine of Upper Canada, an office specially created for me by an Act of the Legislature; but it was merely honorary, and with no emolument attached to it. A petition from the Governor in Council was forwarded to Her Majesty, praying that Her Majesty would be pleased to confer upon me some especial mark of her royal favour for my services to the province of Upper Canada. The only pecuniary emolument I have ever received from the colony was the pay of a major of militia for three or four months during the operations on the frontier in common with the rest of the naval officers employed, who each received pay according to their relative rank, but which did not meet the expenses they were put to for lodging and subsistence at the taverns where they put up. Our object was not a money reward, and all were fully compensated by the inward satisfaction of having served their country in a moment of danger. It was admitted that the emigrants of the previous seven years (of which these officers, as well as myself, formed a part) had saved the colony in the late crisis. The only substantial reward I ever got was the promotion from Commander to Captain in the year 1843, when I had been nineteen years a Commander, and five years and a half after the events which have here been related.