Wouldn't it be nice if we had a few stories about the War of 1812?

Posted Jan 26, 2012 By Craig Bakay

EMC Editorial - Maybe I'm not looking in the right places but there sure doesn't seem to be an awful lot of information available about Frontenac County in 1812.

Maybe that's just because there weren't a lot of people living more than 10 miles from Kingston in those days but we know there were folks wandering about the north country at least.

With the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812 up this year, wouldn't it be nice to find some connections?

While we can be reasonably certain there were no major skirmishes (and not likely even any minor ones) within the confines of the County, surely there were resources gleaned from the countryside and/or Loyalists only too willing to take pot-shots at invading Americans.

It seems likely that lumber might be a big part of any potential connection. After all, there was a pretty intense arms race going on between Kingston and Sackett's Harbor, with both shipyards working furiously to produce the ships that would control the entrance to the Great Lakes.

Wouldn't it be romantic to think the mast for Capt. James Lucas Yeo's sloop of war Wolfe came from near Piccadilly?

The Wolfe and its medley of 23 heavy guns, you will recall, briefly gave Yeo's fleet a slight superiority over his U.S. counterpart, Capt. Isaac Chauncey. That superiority evaporated with completion of the General Pike and its 28 big guns.

It's also possible that musket stocks came from the area. Black walnut trees grow well in many areas and the hardwood has been prized for gun stocks since guns were invented.

Another area with potential for stories is Frontenac Islands. Although the notorious pirate Bill Johnston plied most of his trade in the 1,000 Islands, it's quite possible his exploits extended to Wolfe Island and if not, well, he wasn't the only pirate on Lake Ontario in the early part of the 19th Century.

A few things we do know. In 1796, Bedford, Hinchinbrooke and Portland townships were created, so it's logical to assume there were reasons for creating them including people living there. However, Hinchinbrooke and Bedford were reserved for school lands in 1797, which effectively impeded their settlement for a good 30 years.

Be that as it may, it at least seems possible that somebody from this area had some role to play in the War of 1812.

Who knows, maybe someone has an ancestor who fought with Lt.-Col. Joe Morrison at the Battle of Crysler's Farm. Maybe somebody's great, great grandfather rowed with Johnston (who was a businessman in Kingston before going rogue).

Anyways, you get the idea. If you have a story related to the War of 1812, I'd like to know about it.

Call Craig at 613-279-2788 or email snowthewolf@frontenac.net if something comes to mind.