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A Short, Concise and Interesting Sketch,
with Explanatory Notes, by C. C*
JAMES, M. A., Deputy Minister of
Agriculture for Ontario.

AMHERSTBURG, ONT.
PRINTED BY THE ECHO PRINTING Co., LIMITED.

ELECTRONIC VERSION
AVAILABLE

NO.

NOTES ON EARLY AMHERSTBURG.

While looking for some information upon a subject in connection with
the early history of Upper Canada, I had occasion to look up some of the
records in the Haldimand Papers. I found that a large quantity of these
records dealing with Southern Ontario had been printed by The Pioneer and
Historical Society of Michigan in their annual volumes. I came upon some
references to early Amherstburg, and becoming interested I carefully followed
up the record as fas as therein contained. To my surprise I found that Fort
Maiden did not exist in the early days, but that Fort Amherstburg did. Then
I turned up a number of historical books and papers and found that many
others had made the same mistake, and that some who should have been
acquainted with the military history of that section had been misnaming the
fort and had been perpetuating the mistake. I found that three different forts
had been constructed, or partly constructed ,at Amherstburg at different times,
and that tffc first was officially known as Fort Amherstburg, the second was
known both as Fort Amherstburg and as Fort Maiden, and that the third,
constructed subsequent to 1837, bore the name Fort Maiden.

Thinking that perhaps these records might be interesting to many of the
citizens of Amherstburg and that the Michigan Reports may not be readily
available, I concluded it would perhaps be worth while to reproduce these
records in somewhat connected form. At the same time I do not claim for
this article anything more than a gathering together of some scattered items
to which many additions may be made by further search of the originals at
Ottawa or elsewhere.

In closing this introductory note it may be worth calling attention to the
fact that while the Dominion Government has performed a most commendable
service in gathering together these documents at Ottawa, yet it seems some-
what strange that we are indebted to The Pioneer and Historical Society of
Michigan, assisted by State friends, for placing so much of these records in

printed form for our use.

C. C. JAMES.
Toronto, January, 1902.

ELECTRONIC VERSION
AVAILABLE

NO.

NOTES ON EARLY AMHERSTBURG.

While looking for some information upon a subject in connection with
the early history of Upper Canada, I had occasion to look up some of the
records in the Haldimand Papers. I found that a large quantity of these
records dealing with Southern Ontario had been printed by The Pioneer and
Historical Society of Michigan in their annual volumes. I came upon some
references to early Amherstburg, and becoming interested I carefully followed
up the record as fas as therein contained. To my surprise I found that Fort
Maiden did not exist in the early days, but that Fort Amherstburg did. Then
I turned up a number of historical books and papers and found that many
others had made the same mistake, and that some who should have been
acquainted with the military history of that section had been misnaming the
fort and had been perpetuating the mistake. I found that three different forts
had been constructed, or partly constructed ,at Amherstburg at different times,
and that t^ first was officially known as Fort Amherstburg, the second was
known both as Fort Amherstburg and as Fort Maiden, and that the third,
constructed subsequent to 1837, bore the name Fort Maiden.

printed form for our use.

C. C. JAMES.
Toronto, January, 1902.

S'
EARLY AM H ERST BURG

The War of American Independence was brought to a close in 1783, bur
Oswego, Niagara, Detroit, and Michillmackinac remained as British posts
until their evacuation in 1796. Oswego and Detroit were transferred in July
of that year. The war in the west had been carried on to a considerable extent
by Indians who were led and directed by white officers. With them were
associated many rough and ready frontiersmen, hardy and crafty, skilled in
woodlore and the methods of the redman. At the close of the war many of
these British officers gradually drew back to Niagara and Detroit and now we
first find mention of the country that is the subject of our study.

Dl-

:he
ck,
las
ird
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of

' . _ by

formal proclamation shortly after, declared that no private grants made by the
Indians would be recognized; that all grants must come through the Crown,
and this part of Southwestern Quebec (it was then a part of Quebec) had not
yet been ceded by the Indians to the Crown.

The settlement of these lands on the east side of the river appears to have
been approved of by Governor Haldimand.

July 22nd, 1784, Jehu Hay, Lieutenant-Governor of Detroit, wrote to
Governor Haldimand : "Several have built upon and improved lands who have
no other pretensions than the Indians consent possession. Captains Bird and
Caldwell are of the number, at a place they have called Fredericksburg." It

CORRECTION

The Plans on pages 14 and 21
should be interchanged.

EARLY AM H ERST BURG

The War of American Independence was brought to a close in 1783, bur
Oswego, Niagara, Detroit, and Michillmackinac remained as British posts
until their evacuation in 1796. Oswego and Detroit were transferred in July
of that year. The war in the west had been carried on to a considerable extent
by Indians who were led and directed by white officers. With them were
associated many rough and ready frontiersmen, hardy and crafty, skilled in
woodlore and the methods of the redman. At the close of the war many of
these British officers gradually drew back to Niagara and Detroit r.nd now we
first find mention of the country that is the subject of our study.

On June 7th, 1784, the Huron and Ottawa Indians who claimed owner sip
or proprietary rights in the country surrounding Detroit, gave by treaty a
tract ol land seven miles square at the mouth of the Detroit River to the fol-
lowing British officers or fighters, who had been associated with them in the
recent war : Alexander McKee, William Caldwell, Charles McCormack,
Robin Eurphleet, Anthony St. Martin, Matthew Elliott, Henry Bird, Thomas
McKee, and Simon Girty. By arrangement among themselves, Henry Bird
was given the northern section. This would be in the northern part of th«*
Township of Maiden, and would contain what is now the northern part of
the Town of Amherstburg.

It should be noted here that the Governor and Council at Quebec, by
formal proclamation shortly after, declared that no private grants made by the
Indians would be recognized; that all grants must come through the Crown,
and this part of Southwestern Quebec (it was then a part of Quebec) had not
yet been ceded by the Indians to the Crown.

The settlement of these lands on the east side of the river appears to have
been approved of by Governor Haldimand.

would appear that in reply to this letter, Governor Frederick Haldimand wrote
to Lieutenant-Governor Hay to encourage Captains Caldwell and Elliott to
settle on the land. We see, therefore, that in 1784 settlement of the Maiden
township first began, in a somewhat irregular manner. The settlers were not
exactly squatters, they had the consent of the Indians, the recognition of the
Lientenant-Governor of Detroit, and, apparently, the approval of the Governor
of Quebec. Their settlement was to be known as Fredericksburg, whether
after Sir Frederick Haldimand or after Frederick, the son of George III.,
cannot be stated.

On August I4th, 1784, Governor Haldimand wrote to Lieutenant-Governor
Hay that Colonel Caldwell, of Colonel Butler's late corps, had applied to him
for sanction to settle on the land; that he could not confirm the grant, but
that they should "carry on their improvements until the land could be laid out
and granted according to the King's instructions." Mr. McKee was to be
directed to get the Indians to make over the land to the King, but that "two
thousand yards from the center would be reserved on all sides for the pm-
pose of establishing a fort."

Here we have the first suggestion of the future Fort Amherstburg, and the
promise of the town.

On July i6th of this year (1784), Mr. Hay reported finding "only one"
loyalist at Detroit, i. e., a loyalist who had come to settle on the British soil ;
on August 5th, he reported finding twelve, and on September 2nd he sends a
list of forty-eight, also one woman and two children.

Haldinand, however, retired from the Governorship on the I5th of
November, 1784, and after two years was succeeded by Lord Dorchester
(October 23rd, 1786). The possession of the lots soon became a subject of
inquiry. It was claimed that Lord Dorchester, in 1787, gave instructions for
Major Matthews to investigate the situation, and he laid out 97 lots in the best
manner possible, and confirmed the original squatters or owners in the pos-
session of their lands as far as possible, in accordance with the Indian grant
of 1784. The 97 lots were apparently on Lake Erie, east of the grant afterwards
called the Township of Maiden.

A Committee of the Council at Quebec in 1791 appears to have admitted
that Lord Dorchester gave orders to this effect. As orders in those days had

-7-

to be given in somewhat indefinite form and to be transmitted by an irregular
post over so long a distance, it can easily be seen how uncertain some points
might become and how irregular certain transactions might be.

The crossing of mails, the disappearance of carriers the loss of corre-
spondence, the necessity of acting without formal and detailed orders, all
tended to throw matters into a somewhat irregular and at times irreconcilable
condition.

August 2$th, 1788, Lord Dorchester wrote to Major Mathews to encourage
settlement on the east side of the River, but that no lots must be settled upon
before purchase by the Crown from the Indians ; "also to report the progress
made by some Loyalists in their settlement on a spot proposed for this class
of men on the east side of Detroit River, and to state his ideas fully of what
may be done for its further encouragement, as well as for establishing a Mili-
tary Post at that quarter."

In 1790 Major Matthews wrote from Plymouth Barracks, giving a sum-
mary of his investigation, in 1788. He stated that he went from Quebec to
Detroit in 1787 with instructions from Lord Dorchester. After describing the
fortifications at Detroit, he says :

"Should this Post be given up, and another taken, the most convenient
place will be at the entrance of the River, upon a point at present occupied by
some officers and men who served the war as Rangers with the Indians. The
channel for ships runs between this Point and Isle Aux Bois Blanc, which
should also be fortified, the distance from each to mid-channel about 200 yards.
There is a fine settlement running 20 miles from this Point on the north side
of the Lake."

Here in 1788 is the reference to the future post at Amherstburg. The set
dement on the north side of Lake Erie refers to what was known as "the two 1
connected townships" (Colchester and Gosfield).

May 15th, 1787, Lord Dorchester wrote Major Close, giving him orders
for the settlement of any claims of Indians, and to lay out a township opposite
Bois Blanc, to be called Georgetown.

The District of Hesse in the west had been set apart by proclamation,
dated July 24th, 1788, and early in 1789 the Governor was authorized by Council
to appoint a Land Board, and the following were appointed as the first mem-
bers in 1789:

—8—

Farnham Close, Esq., Major of the 6sth Regiment of Foot, or the Officer
Commanding at Detroit.

William Dummer Powell, Esq.
Duperon Baby, Esq.
Alexander McKee, Esq.
William Robertson, Esq.
Alexander Grant, Esq.
Adhemar de St. Martin, Esq.
Any three of them to be a quorum.

One of the first duties then put upon this Land Board was to lay out a
township, to be called Georgetown, but still there was delay.

On August 22nd, 1789, the Land Board reported to Lord Dorchester that
Mr. McNiff, the surveyor, had not yet arrived, and that none of the lands had
yet been purchased from tlie Indians for the Crown, and that the Indians had
some years before granted these lands to private individuals.

September 2, 1789, Lord Dorchester instructed the Land Board to receive
applications from the occupants for grants, stating extent and value of Tracts
and Improvements and the grounds of their claims, and the Board are to give
certificates including the improvements. The Board was also to have Mr.
McKee obtain from the Indians all the lands west of Niagara for settlement,
the cession to include all lands held by private individuals from the Indians by
private sale.

October I7th, 1789, the Land Board reported that all the land was claimed,
and asked for power to settle the claims, according to their best judgment.

May I9th, 1790, the Indians (Ottawas, Chippewas, Pottawatomies and
Hurons) cede to the Crown all the land from Chaudiere or Catfish Creek on
the East, to the Detroit on the West, and from the Thames to Chenail Ecarte
on the North to Lake Erie, including the grant of 1784 before referred to, but
reserving a tract seven miles square north of the 1784 grant and also a small
tract at the Huron Chureh (Sandwich).

The settlement of the land dispute appears to have gone on slowly. Sur-
veyor McNiff and the Land Board did not agree. McNiff claimed to be acting
under direct orders from Quebec. Many of the settlers got tired waiting for
recognition of their^claims and left the country, some doubtless going over to

tlie States, and some coming East to the Niagara peninsula. The district

suffered because of its remoteness from Quebec.

\
May 3rd, 1791, Surveyor McNiff reported that two or three families live

continuously on their land east of the River (Caldwell, Elliott, Lamotte, etc.),
but many more resort there in the summer to raise corn and beans. He
recommends that the Indians be removed to some other reserve; suggests at
Chenail Ecarte. All the land is settled from the Reserve north to Peach
Island in Lake St. Clair.

The reference to the growing of corn and beans as the pioneer croi;s of
Essex will be interesting, and the spelling of Peach Island shows how early
the corruption of Peche took place.

The division of Quebec into Upper Canada and Lower Canada now takes \
place (December 26th, 1791), Col. Sirricoe arrives as Lieutenant Governor of
Upper Canada, and the first Legislature is caLed to meet at Newark (Niagara;,
on September I7th, 1792.

The County of Kent took in all the land not included in the other coun-
ties, it included Detroit, and a strip along the south shore of Lake St. Clair
running east to the Thames from Maisonville's Mill. The two members from
Kent were William Macomb, of Detroit, and David William Smith, the son of
the Commanding Officer at Detroit. D. W. Smith was at the time the Secretary
of the Land Board of Hesse, and his father, Major John Smith, of the 5th
Regt., was Chairman. The member for Essex was Francis Baby, son of
Duperon Baby. He will appear later as the owner of a lot on the river front.

January 8th, 1793, the Executive Council resolved that a township to be
called Maiden be laid out at the mouth of the Detroit River.

Thus we see that Fredericksburg gave place to Georgetown, and this in
turn to Maiden. This last name was chosen in accordance with Lieutenant
Governor's plan of reproducing English names in Upper Canada. Essex was
fixed as the name of the county by Simcoe's proclamation of July i6th, 1792,
issued from Kingston. The counties from Essex to Northumberland were
named from English counties and the townships in these counties were named
after important towns in the same English counties.

It might be interesting to reproduce the exact wording of the entry, as it
appears on the Docket Book of Orders of Council in the Surveyor-General's
office.

— 10

TOWNSHIP 'OF MAIyDEN.

Description of Maiden Township. To commence at the Straights at the
south boundary of the Indian Land. Thence along and following the course
of the River and Lake till it strikes the west boundary of Lot No. 97 — in the
two connected townships. Thence up the said west boundary of Lot No. 97, in
the ist or 2nd Concession as heretofore surveyed and said to be 76 acres, from
the Lake, and the rear of the 2nd Concession. From thence east until it inter-
sects a line produced south from the Indian Land, etc.

Resolved, the 8th of January, 1793, that Colonel Alex. McKee, Captains
Elliott and Caldwell, be the patentees of the above mentioned township, and the
persons who have settled under the authority of the late Governor Hay, and
who have actually made improvements. It appears that the marsh has been
granted to the sons of Captain Caldwell by the Honorable Council of Lower
Canada

The Indian officers have it at their option to complete their quota of land
in the said township.

The land lying between Captain Bird's lot and the Indian Land is reservved
for Government.

In all other respects the Township of Maiden to be subject to such general
regulations, as are, or may be, 'hereafter framed for the government of town-
ships.

Especial care to be taken that the Reserve by made of the two seventh.

C. B. WYATT, D. W. SMITH,

Survr. Genl. A. S. G.

• Lot 97 was undoubtedly the westernmost lot located by Matthews in 1787
(see above), and was the property of John Cornwall. This accounts for the
jog in the eastern boundary of Maiden. The two townships east of Maiden
(Colchester and Gosfield) were for some time known as "The Two Connected
Townships."

The two-sevenths were Crown and Clergy Reserves. These blocks in 6th,
7th and 8th Concessions were surveyed into lots in 1832 by Peter Carroll, of
Oxford.

We now come to the year 1796. In the Crown Lands Department at
Toronto is to be found the original plan of the Township of Maiden. It gives
the subdivision into lots, and each lot carries the name of the original grantee.
It bears the name of A. Iredell, Deputy Surveyor of the Western District, and

— II —

is dated Detroit, i7th April, 1796. The lots on the river number from the north
to the south, nineteen in all, nineteen ending at the marsh that fronted on Lake
Erie. The first five lots were about twice as wide and half as deep as the
remaining fourteen, and in their rear were five other similar lots. These
were numbered from south to north, 20 to 24. Thus 24 was in the rear or east
of No. i, and 20 was to the rear of No. 5. The following statement of the first
grantees of these lots may be given here, with the dates of issuing of patents :

I — 2.

3-
Water lot.

4-
Water lot.

5-
Water lot.
6.
7-8-
9-

i\j.

II.
12—13.
I*.

is — 16.
17—18.
19.
20.

21.
22.

23-
24.

David Cowan East

part
all

all
all
all
all
all
all

all
all
all
all
all
all
all

loo Ac

187
i

5
200

2y4
169

357
187
185
164
360
180
325
325
178

"es July 2,
April 13,
August 20,
Dec. 28,
Feb. 28,
Feb. 9,
Feb. 28,
April 28,
March I,
Nov. 25,
Nov. 25,
June 30,
March 6,
July 30,
July 30,
June 30,
June 12,
March 6,
Feb. 28,
Feb. 28,
Feb. 28,
Dec. 31,
Auer. 10.

1807
1810
1810
1839
1797
1856
1797
1863
1805
1803
1803
1801
1798
1799

1/99
1801
1798
1798
1797
1797
1797
1798

I7Q8

William Caldwell

Francis Caldwell

Alexander McKee

William Duff

Matthew Elliott

Alex. Callum

Chatham Elliott

David Cowan

Archange Mclntosh....
Charles Reaume

Simon Girty

Francis Baby

Hon. James Baby
Thomas McKee

Prideaux Selby

Thos. Alexander Clarke
Matthew Elliott

Alexander McKee

William Caldwell

Hon. Alex. Grant. .

All the above names of owners of full lots are on the Iredell Map of 1796,
except that on the latter Lot I is left vacant and Capt. Bird's name appears on
Lot 2. Iredell's map also has the following buildings entered as then built;
Two on Lot 2 (Capt. Bird's), and one house on Lots 3, 4, 5 and 8. Therefore,
in 1796 there were six buildings on the front of Maiden. In the Crown Lands
Record the lot to the north of No. I, taken from the Indian Reserve, is known
as Lot A.

By agreement between the Governments of the United States and Great
Britain, Detroit was to be evacuated in this year — hence the necessity arose of
at once making provision for the troops on the east side of the river and of
having an arsenal or depot for stores — a town and a fort were necessary. Lot
i was vacant, reserved by the Crown, and to it was added Capt. Bird's Lot No.
2, which was appropriated by the Crown. The taking over of this Bird lot was
the beginning of a long correspondence. Capt. Bird was sent abroad and died
in service, and his widow and children put in plea after plea for compensation.

Much of the corresponence may be found printed in the Michigan volumes.

The following letter now becomes important — it was written a few weeks

after the troops left Detroit :

Detroit River, Sept. 8th, 1796.

Capt. Wm. Wayne, Queen's Rangers, commanding on the Detroit River, oppo-
site the Island of Bois Blanc.
To the Military Secretary, Quebec :

Suggest the gunpowder be placed on the Dunmore, soon expected to lay
up there, pending the erection of temporary magazine. "I have reason to fear
that the merchants who have already erected buildings on the ground within
the line of defense of the Post under my command, will not be easily reconciled1
to the sentiments of the Commander in Chief on that subject. They have not
merely built temporary sheds, some of their buildings are valuable, and have
cost to the amount of many hundred pounds, authorized in these their proceed-
ings by Colonel England, who hitherto commanded this district, at the same
time they were to hold these lots on limited terms."

He then states that there is no vacant land in the vicinity of the garrison —
Capt. Caldwell, Col. McKee and Capt. Elliott claim the lots to the south, on the
north is the vacant land of the Indian Reserve, to the rear the land beyond the
1,000 yards reserved is a perfect swamp.

"I now enclose for the Commander in Chiefs inspection, a plan of a town
laid out by Colonel Caldwell, on his own land, who could sell his lots to much
better advantage lo British subjects wishing to leave the territory of the United
States, did he conceive the same would meet with the approbation of His Ex-
cellency."

A reproduction of the plan accompanies the letter showing a town laid

out in lots, with streets at right angles, with a vacant square in the centre.
This projected town would be in what is now the southern part of Amherst-
Imrer.

This fetter appears in Mich., Vol xxiii, pp. 402-3. It was evidently written
in reply to inquiries made as to possible locations for settlers. The Bird lot
had just been taken over by the Government, and a garrison established there,
with the intention of erecting the Fort.

Thus we see that in the summer of 1796 the plans are set in motion,
through the Military Department, for the starting of a town and post opposite
Bois Blanc. All letters are addressed from "Maiden" (that is the township), or
"mouth of Detroit River."

On January icth, 1797, an advertisement was put up at His Majesty's
Post, calling for men with teams, oxen, carts, trucks, etc. This was to com-
plete the work begun in 1796. It would appear that all buildings and accom-
modations made in that year were of a more or less temporary nature. Early
in 1797 the creation of the post begins in earnest. Up to February 2nd no

—13—

special name had been given. On February Qth, 1797, appears a requisition for
stores for Indian presents "for Fort Amherstburg." Here for ihe first time the
name occurs in an official document, and it no doubt came from the Military
Department at Quebec.

Those who wish to find the documents showing the coming in of the
name Amherstburg, may turn to Vol. XII of the Michigan Reports, pages 249-
255 and pages 256-9.

In the Crown Lands Department at Toronto is an interesting old plan
showing what was proposed to be included that year in the Government reser-
vation. It is a copy made by William Chewett from the earlier original plan of
Iredell.

Plan showing the site of the Military Post of Amherstburg and the land
reserved for Government by Col. Mann, as it falls on the Huron Reserve, and
the lots in the Township of Maiden :

No. i reserved by the Patentees of said Township.

No. 2 claimed by Capt. Bird.
No. 3 claimed by Capt. Caldwell.
July 24th, 1797.

Copy made by W. C. (Wm. Chewett).

A. IREDELL,

D. S. W. D.

It would appear, however, that Lot No. 3 (Caldwell's) was not required

for the first town plot of Amherstburg belongs to Lot No. 2, or the original Bird:
lot. Lot No. i was left vacant in the original division of the land among
the first settlers. The lot to the north of that, unnumbered, was acquired in
1800 from the Indians, as it on several plans is marked, a well-defined "old
Indian Entrenchment."

The following is a copy of an old plan of 1828 showing the location of
Amherstburg in reference to the Military Reserve. It should be compared
with plan just given as proposed in 1797.

In this plan of 1828, the Town of Amherstburg appears, occupying part of
Lot 2, with a line separating it from the Military Reserve, as follows :

A/f «8

CCfO £>/c £> /if
tot ffioon T»,f,».s

Iii Vol. XII of the Michigan Records, appear letters dated from Fort
Amherstburg in June, July and August, 1797.

On page 267, "The Magazine now building," another quotation may be
interesting :

"Capt. Forbes, of the R. Artillery, who was on duty at Fort Amherstburg,
resided in one of the houses built by Capt. Bird, from July, 1797, to August,
1799."

In Vol. XXV, p. 235, is a sketch map of Fort Amherstburg, Town of Mai-
den, etc., showing situation of Capt. Bird's two houses, Indian Council House,
Commissioner's House, Dock Yards, etc., taken from the Colonial Office
Records and the following memorandum :

"Capt. Bird's Lot of Land was repossessed by Government in the year
1796, since which time Fort Amherstburg has been constructed, the Town of

—15—

Maiden built, a Dock Yard, Commissary Store House, and other buildings,
previous to the year 1796."

It would appear therefore from these documents that the Fort was from
the first known as Fort Amherstburg, and that by some at least the group of
houses outside the Fort, to the south, was for a time called by some Maiden,
the same name as the township. But there was no Fort Maiden in those days.

Where was this first Fort located ? In Vol. XXV referred to, there is a
sketch given on page 235, taken from the Colonial Office Records, showing the
Fort as a five-sided enclosure, the northernmost angle in a direct line east of
the north end of Bois Blanc, the southernmost corner about opposite the middle
of the Island, and the little Town of Maiden extending south to the Caldwell
tot, just opposite the southern limit of Bois Blanc Island:

— 16—

A. Indian Council House.

B. Captain Bird's House.

C. Engineer's House.

D. Commissarie's House and Store.

E. Town of Maiden.

F. Dock Yards.

A comparison of this plan with the earlier Iredell plan of July 24, 1797,
shows that on the former are given the Indian Council House and the two Bird
houses, also the first dock. It was doubtless at this dock that the Dunmore
was located when the ammunition was temporarily stored therein, and that
primitive dock and the three or four buildings adjacent, were the beginning of
Amherstburg.

We pass on now to the War of 1812-14. Barclay sailed from Amherstburg
with six vessels, on September pth, 1813, and on the following day his fleet
met Captain Perry with his fleet of nine vessels. On September 23d, 1813, Gen-
eral Procter, then in command of the troops at Amherstburg, decided, contrary
to the advice of Tecumseh, to abandon the Fort. Under his orders, the Fort
and public storehouses were burned by the soldiers, and shortly after the
retreat began. General Harrison, with the United States troops, followed,
and the disastrous Battle of the Thames took place, resulting in the death oi
Tecumseh.

Some of the readers of this article may have had the opportunity of read-
ing that rare Canadian book, entitled, "War of 1812, Containing a full and
detailed narrative of the operations of the Right Division of the Canadian
Army, by Major Richardson, K. S. F." A new edition is in preparation, with
notes, by Mr. A. C. Casselman, which will be well worth reading.

Richardson was captured at Moraviantown at the Battle of the Thames,
and his account deals altogether with the western section. He speaks of
Amherstburg, never of Maiden. It should be noticed, however, that some
American writers, some participants in the western fights, refer to the capture
of Maiden, and Lossing, in his well-known "Pictorial Field-Book of the War
of 1812," refers to Fort Maiden, and on page 295 gives a view of Maiden, where
the British ships were built and on page 266 he has a map of the Detroit River,
showing Amherstburg town and Fort Maiden. Lossing says, on page 547 :

—17—

"The army entered Amhcrstburg with the band playing 'Yankee Doodle,*
The loyal inhabitants had fled with the army. The ruins of Fort Maiden, the
dock yard, and the public stores were sending up huge volumes of smoke." lie
also says that there were two blockhouses on the mainland in 1813, one near
the Fort and one near Salmoni's Hotel.

Several Kentucky volunteers were taken prisoners by the Indians at River
Raisin. One of them, Elias Darnell, who served under General Winchester,
published in 1854 a journal of his campaign, and we make the following extract.
It will be observed that he calls the Fort, Maiden. From these accounts an<i
from the fact that this was the name of the third Fort which was in existence
when Amherstburg was visited by Lossing, we may understand why Lossing
so called the Fort :

"As he took me near Fort Maiden, I took as good a view of it as I could
while I passed it. It stands about thirty yards from the river bank. I judged
it to be seventy or eighty yards square ; the wall appeared to be built of timber
and clay. The side from the river was not walled, but had double pickets and
was entrenched round about four feet deep ; and in the entrenchment was the
second row of pickets. As we went through the edge of town (Amherstburg)
I asked an Englishman where the other prisoners were ? He said they were in
town in a wood yard."

To return to Richardson. After describing the historic meeting of Procter
and Tecumseh, he says, on page 121 :

"It having been resolved to move without loss of time, the troops were
immediately employed in razing the fortifications and committing such stores
as it was found impossible to remove to the flames, kindled in the various
public buildings ; and the ports of Detroit and Amherstburg for some days pre-
vious to our departure, presented a scene of cruel desolation."

We now call another witness, an expert witness, a contemporary record
that should settle the question if any doubt remains.

In 1799, David William Smith, Surveyor General of Upper Canada, pre-
pared and published at the request of Lieutenant Governor Simcoe, a gazetteer
of the Province :

On page 49, we find the following :

"Amherstburg, the military post and garrison now building at the mouth
of Detroit River, in the township of Maiden."

The only description accompanying Maiden is to describe it simply as the
name of the township. In 1813, a second edition was published, revised by
Francis Gore, Esq., Lieutenant Governor. In this, Amhersburg is described as
a post and garrison, and there is no mention of Maiden as either Fort or Town.

The Surveyor-General and the Lieutenant Governor should be considered
as authoritative. Thus we see that officially, the settlement was known as
Amherstburg from 1797 down to 1813.

Just here it may be interesting to interject this question: On what day
did the U. S. troops occupy Amherstburg, and on what day did they march
out?

Kingsford, on page 316, Vol. VIII, says that : "The retreat from Amherst-
burg commenced on the 24th of September;" and on page 317 he says, "He
(Harrison) had landed on the 27th, nine miles below Amherstburg, with
5,000 men and the fleet of boats to sustain him."

Auchinleck, the historian of the War of 1812, who uses Richardson very
freely as his source of information for this western section, says, on page 215 :

"On the 27th the American fleet, composed of 16 vessels of war and upwards
of loo boats, received on board General Harrison's division and landed it in the
afternoon of the same day at a point three miles below Amherstburg, which
post was reached but three days after it had been evacuated by the British."

Now we turn to Niles Register for 1813, and on page 117 we find short
dispatches sent forward by General Harrison and Captain Perry. Harrison
heads his dispatch from Amherstburg, and Perry reports from Maiden Harbor
that Harrison had just marched into Maiden. These two letters agree that
the U. S. army marched into the town between four and five o'clock in the after-
noon of the 23d of September.

It may be stated that these letters are reprinted in Brannan's "Military and
Naval Letters." On page 220 will be found Perry's letter, dated September 27th,
while on page 214, Harrison's letter is dated September 23rd. In Vol. XV,
page 427, of the Michigan Pioneer and Historical Society's publications, is

—19—

given a letter by Procter from Ancastcr in which he stated that the enemy
appeared in the offing on September 26th, and on the 27th landed nine miles
below Amhertburg. This letter, doubtless, is Kingsford's authority.

How long did the Americans hold Amherstburg? On page 104 of the Life
of Lewis Cass, it is stated that on ist of July, 1815, Maiden was surrendered to
the British .

On page 630 of Vol. XXV, of the Michigan publications, will be found
part of a letter from Sir Gordon Drummond to Earl Bathurst, dated Quebec,
August I5th, 1815- He says:

'T consider it necessary to apprise Your Lordship that it will be necessary
to place the Post of Amherstburg, which was delivered up to us on the ist
ultimo, in a suitable state of defense; Fort Maiden, at all times insignificant,
having been rendered totally useless as such during its occupation by the Unite-!
States Troops."

This settles the date of the exacuation — July ist, 1815. Drummond, it will
be noticed, here applies to the Fort the name that is generally found in all U. S.
records.

Kingsford says, page 579 : "They held nothing of Upper Canada to cede
except Amherstburg, of which they had been in possession since the defeat of
the gallant Captain Barclay on Lake Erie."

Lieutenant J. E. Portlock, Lieutenant of Royal Engineers, in 1826 pre-
pared for Major General Sir James Carmichael-Smyth, a report of the Posts
of Amherstburg and Drummond Island. We make an extract from the report
on Fort Amhersburg:

"Amherstburg. — The Fort is a square, consisting of three bastions and one
semi-bastion, and in its present form was constructed by the Americans. The
original works, which had progressed very slowly and stood unfinished on the
approach of the enemy, during the last war were (as fas as it was practicable
to do so), destroyed by the British Troops prior to their retreat from the west-
ern frontier. The Americans had advanced but a little way towards the com-
pletion of the present Fort, when the renewal of peace placed it in the hands of
the British."

"Since the re-occupation of Amherstburg by the British troops, the Fort*

— 20

(such as ft was) has-been allowed to decay, and in consequence scarcely merits
the name of a work of fortification, etc., etc." Then follows a description of
the various buildings, including "the magazine within the Fort." The barrack
room for 80 men and kitchen had been erected during the last year.

Further on follows a description of the stone magazine standing "without
the present Fort, it stood within the original Fort and was (especially the
arched roof) very much shattered prior to the evacuat.on of the place."

Major General Smyth says, p. 414: "I am not of opinion that it will.be
necessary to do more at Amherstburg than to build in the place of the present
ruinous Fort a fortified barrack or pentagonal tower, similar to that of Fort
Wellington, at Ostend."

From the preceding statements, it will be seen that the Fort Amherstburg-
reconstructed by the Americans in 1813 was not exactly on the same lines as
that begun in 1797 and destroyed by the British in 1813, and that by 1826 the
second Fort had fallen into decay.

It must have been at some date subsequent to this report of inspection that
the Fort was reconstructed and renamed, for this third Fort appears to have
received an official naming as Fort Maiden. One authority says that the
rebuilding took place in 1839. The story of the schooner "Ann" of 1837, is
well known to Amherstburgers. It was on her that E. A. Theller, "Brigadier
General of the Canadian Republican Service," was captured. He has left an
account of his experiences in two volumes, published in 1841, entitled, "Canada
in 1837-38." In Chaps. X and XI he gives his account of the experiences on
the Detroit River. In every case he refers to the "Town of Maiden" and "Fort
Maiden," never to Amherstburg.

In the Crown Lands Department is a neatly made sketch, entitled, "The
Survey of Reserves taken by Lieutenant De Moleyns Royal Engineer, and
copied November, 1852, by Captain Moore." On this plan, Fort Maiden appears
as a four-sided enclosure, the southern wall or face of which is in a line with the
northern end of Bois Blanc. The commanding officers' quarters, Fort Supanto's
quarters and commissariat premises all lie outside of the Fort between it and
the town of Amhersburg. The land to the east of the Sandwich Road is
laid out in lots for the pensioners, and a sample pensioner's house is sketched.
The old Indian entrenchment is marked on the river bank to the north. Rich-

— 21 —

mond street is marked as the northern limits of the town and the open space
around the Fort north of the town and between the Sandwich Road and the
river, is marked as "Enrolled Pensioners' Grazing Ground." This plan comes
down to the recollection of many of the older residents of Amherstburg, and
here we leave the story for some local student to take up. These notes may be
sufficient to start some one to write up the history of the town and to fill in the
spaces with interesting personal sketches of the men and women, whose history
would add much interest to a story that is thus roughly sketched :

—22 —

ADDITIONAL NOTES.

On April 7th, 1817, a Provincial Statute was passed, entitled An Act to
Established a Police in the towns of York, Sandwich, and Amherstburg.

On March i6th 1831, there was passed a statute entitled, An Act to Estab-
a Market and 'to Establish Wharfage fees in the Town of Amherstburg in the
Western District.

The market was to be on Lot No. 7, west side of Dalhousie street. The
Commissioners of the Peace were to make regulations and to impose fines and
permission was given to erect a wharf on said lot and to impose tolls.

Bouchette, in his work on the British Dominions in North America, Vol.
I, pp. 105-6, says (1832), that Amherstburg has nearly 200 houses, a church,
court house and gaol, many good shops and a population exceeding 1,200
souls ; the works have been partly restored and a military detachment is kept
in garrison there, a subdivision of which is stationed on Isle au Bois Blanc.

1850. On 27th September, 1850, the limits of the municipality of Amherst-
burg were fixed by prochmation of the Governor General. The village, or
town, as it was regularly called, was to include Lots I, 2 and 3 and Block Dr
Anderdon. The latter was doubtless the old Indian cession of 1800.

1878. In January 7th, 1878, Amherstburg became an incorporated town,
all the requirements of the municipal act having been complied with.

When was the third Fort, known as Fort Maiden, constructed? We leave
this for some local historian to answer. In 1859 the barracks were fixed up
and occupied as a branch of the Provincial Lunatic Asylum. For how long a
time were they thus used?

Since the above was compiled the writer has found the following note in
The Upper Canada Gazette, Vol. Ill, No. 27, printed at Newark, or Niagara,
26th April, 1797. It is interesting as showing how the Editor of that paper
applied the name of the township to the new Fort then being built on the
Detroit River :

"We hear from Fort Maiden at the mouth of the Detroit River, that in the

beginning of March last, Captain Mayne, Ensign Pierce, and one Bliss, a pri-
vate, all of the Queen's Rangers, in passing a river on the ice, which giving
way, they fell in, the Captain and Bliss were fortunate enough to get out, but
Mr. Pierce perished; a few days after his body was taken up and interred.
Bliss soon perished by the severity of the weather."

Another subject that should be worked ^.; in connection with Amherst-
burg is a connected account of the various i-egiments or companies stationed
there ; for instance, from a list of the subscribers to the Wolfe and Montcalm
Monument at Quebec I find that the following officers at Amherstburg sub-
scribed one pound each in 1828 : Capt. North, 68th Regt ; Ensigns McLean and
North; Dep.-Asst.-Com.-Gens. Baily, Stanton, and Blackburn; Asst. Surgeon
Dr. Huston, Barrack Master Duff; also George Ironside, Supt. Indian Dept.,
and Dr. Richardson, of the Indian Dept In 1839 the 34th Regt. of Foot was
stationed at the Fort.

5547

A5J42

James, Charles Caniff

Early history of the
town of Ainherstburg

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