The Glengarry Light Infantry Fencibles were a

light infantry Light infantry refers to certain types of lightly equipped infantry throughout history. They have a more mobile or fluid function than other types of infantry, such as heavy infantry or line infantry. Historically, light infantry often foug ...

unit, raised chiefly in the Glengarry District of

Upper Canada The Province of Upper Canada (french: link=no, province du Haut-Canada) was a Province, part of The Canadas, British Canada established in 1791 by the Kingdom of Great Britain, to govern the central third of the lands in British North Americ ...

shortly before the outbreak of the Anglo-American

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It be ...

. The unit fought throughout the war, and was disbanded shortly afterwards.

Formation

It was proposed to form a unit of

fencible The Fencibles (from the word ''defencible'') were British regiments raised in the United Kingdom, Isle of Man and in the colonies for defence against the threat of invasion during the Seven Years' War, the American War of Independence, the Frenc ...

s in the Glengarry district in Upper Canada as early as 1807. Many of the inhabitants of the district were Catholic emigrants from Glengarry, Scotland, and many had served in the

Glengarry Fencibles The plan of raising a fencible corps in the Highlands was first proposed and carried into effect by William Pitt the Elder, (afterwards Earl of Chatham) in the year 1759. During the three preceding years both the fleets and armies of Great Britain ...

, which had been raised in 1794 and disbanded in 1802 shortly after the

Treaty of Amiens The Treaty of Amiens (french: la paix d'Amiens, ) temporarily ended hostilities between France and the United Kingdom at the end of the War of the Second Coalition. It marked the end of the French Revolutionary Wars; after a short peace it s ...

had been signed, ending the war between Britain and

Republican France In the history of France, the First Republic (french: Première République), sometimes referred to in historiography as Revolutionary France, and officially the French Republic (french: République française), was founded on 21 September 1792 ...

. During that time they had performed garrison duties in the

Channel Islands The Channel Islands ( nrf, Îles d'la Manche; french: îles Anglo-Normandes or ''îles de la Manche'') are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two Crown Dependencies: the Bailiwick of Jersey, ...

and fought in the

Irish rebellion of 1798 The Irish Rebellion of 1798 ( ga, Éirí Amach 1798; Ulster-Scots: ''The Hurries'') was a major uprising against British rule in Ireland. The main organising force was the Society of United Irishmen, a republican revolutionary group influenced ...

. The fencible units raised in Canada would serve under the same terms of enlistment as regular soldiers but would be obliged to serve in North America only. The

Secretary of State for War and the Colonies The Secretary of State for War and the Colonies was a British cabinet-level position responsible for the army and the British colonies (other than India). The Secretary was supported by an Under-Secretary of State for War and the Colonies. Hi ...

rejected the scheme but in 1808, Governor General Sir James Craig issued a letter of service authorising the raising of the unit on his own authority. He was forced to withdraw it a month later as the unit's officers could not raise the promised number of men in time. In 1812 however, as war with the United States appeared to be inevitable, Craig's replacement as Governor General, Sir

George Prévost Sir George Prévost, 1st Baronet (19 May 1767 – 5 January 1816) was a British Army officer and colonial administrator who is most well known as the "Defender of Canada" during the War of 1812. Born in New Jersey, the eldest son of Genevan A ...

, again decided to raise the unit on his own responsibility. He appointed Captain George MacDonnell of the 8th (King's) Regiment to raise the "Glengarry levy", which initially was to have a strength of 376 other ranks. Recruits came from districts as far away as

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...

New Brunswick New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...

and

Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island (PEI; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is the smallest province in terms of land area and population, but the most densely populated. The island has several nicknames: "Garden of the Gulf", ...

. Most were of Scottish origins or extraction. French-speakers or recent immigrants from the United States were not allowed to join the unit. (Many of the French-speakers served instead in the

Canadian Regiment of Fencible Infantry The Canadian Regiment of Fencible Infantry, commonly known as the Canadian Regiment or the Canadian Fencibles, saw service in Upper and Lower Canada during the early 19th century, notably during the Anglo-American War of 1812. History The regime ...

.) Recruits were granted a bounty of four guineas on enlistment, and were promised 100 acres of land after the war. Partly through the efforts of the unit's chaplain, Alexander Macdonell, the unit grew during formation to a strength of 600. Prévost raised the corps' status to that of a regiment and renamed it the Glengarry Light Infantry Fencibles. He appointed his adjutant-general, Edward Baynes, as the regiment's

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...

. Major Francis Battersby, who like Captain George MacDonnell was from the 8th (King's) Regiment, was promoted to be the unit's lieutenant colonel. MacDonnell was promoted to be the unit's major.

Service during the War of 1812

The unit first gathered for training at

Trois-Rivières Trois-Rivières (, – 'Three Rivers') is a city in the Mauricie administrative region of Quebec, Canada, at the confluence of the Saint-Maurice and Saint Lawrence rivers, on the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River across from the city of ...

during the first half of 1812. During the later months of the year, the unit's companies were deployed to various locations in Upper Canada, to act as a nucleus around which the local militia could form in a crisis. On 3 October, two companies were stationed at Prescott on the

Saint Lawrence River The St. Lawrence River (french: Fleuve Saint-Laurent, ) is a large river in the middle latitudes of North America. Its headwaters begin flowing from Lake Ontario in a (roughly) northeasterly direction, into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, connecting ...

and were involved in a failed attack on Ogdensburg on the American side of the river. The attack was called off when American artillery ranged in on the boats carrying the attackers. Glengarrys at Ogdensburg

On 22 February 1813, George MacDonnell (who had been promoted to lieutenant colonel and appointed to command the garrison at Prescott) mounted another, successful, attack across the frozen river. In the

Battle of Ogdensburg The Battle of Ogdensburg was a battle of the War of 1812. The British gained a victory over the Americans and captured the village of Ogdensburg, New York. Although small in scale, it removed the American threat to British supply lines for the re ...

, a company of the Glengarry Light Infantry and some militia made a frontal attack, while the main body of Macdonell's force turned the American right flank. The Reverend Alexander Macdonell was conspicuous in urging on the Glengarry soldiers and militia in their advance. A company was present at the

Battle of York The Battle of York was a War of 1812 battle fought in York, Upper Canada (today's Toronto, Ontario, Canada) on April 27, 1813. An American force supported by a naval flotilla landed on the lakeshore to the west and advanced against the town, whi ...

but was able to play little part, as they were misdirected by the commander of the Upper Canadian militia. Another company suffered severe losses at the

Battle of Fort George The Battle of Fort George was a battle fought during the War of 1812, in which the Americans defeated a British force and captured the Fort George in Upper Canada. The troops of the United States Army and vessels of the United States Navy c ...

, trying to prevent American troops landing on the lake shore to outflank the fort. Yet another company was present at the

Battle of Sackett's Harbor The Second Battle of Sacket's Harbor or simply the Battle of Sacket's Harbor, took place on 29 May 1813, during the War of 1812. A British force was transported across Lake Ontario and attempted to capture the town, which was the principal dockya ...

, where troops under Prevost and Baynes withdrew after failing to drive American troops from buildings and hastily constructed defences. During the later part of 1813, the entire regiment was concentrated around Fort George, and was engaged for several weeks in harassing the American outposts around the captured fort. The regiment was built back up to strength during the following winter. A company took part in the Raid on Fort Oswego in the spring of 1814. During the following summer the full regiment, together with the light infantry companies of four regular line regiments, formed a covering force on the Niagara Peninsula, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Pearson. Later, on 25 July, the regiment formed part of a light infantry brigade under Pearson and played a major part in the

Battle of Lundy's Lane The Battle of Lundy's Lane, also known as the Battle of Niagara, was a battle fought on 25 July 1814, during the War of 1812, between an invading American army and a British and Canadian army near present-day Niagara Falls, Ontario. It was one o ...

. They harassed the left flank of the American army but suffered casualties when mistaken for Americans by other inexperienced British troops. During the remainder of 1814, the regiment performed outpost duty during the unsuccessful

Siege of Fort Erie The siege of Fort Erie, also known as the Battle of Erie, from 4 August to 21 September 1814, was one of the last engagements of the War of 1812, between British and American forces. It took place during the Niagara campaign, and the Americans s ...

, and a detachment was present at the Battle of Malcolm's Mills, the last action of the war on the Niagara Peninsula. Two Irish-born soldiers of the regiment, John Henry and John Blueman, are notable for their alleged involvement in one of

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

's most enduring historical mysteries – the 2 January 1815 murder of John Paul Radelmüller, keeper of the Gibraltar Point Lighthouse. Tradition holds that Radelmüller was killed by several soldiers from

Fort York Fort York (french: Fort-York) is an early 19th-century military fortification in the Fort York neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The fort was used to house members of the British and Canadian militaries, and to defend the entrance of t ...

in a dispute over alcohol. Research by Eamonn O'Keeffe identified Blueman and Henry as the pair tried in March 1815 for the keeper's murder, although they were ultimately acquitted of the crime. The regiment was disbanded in 1816. Today, the regiment's history and service is commemorated by the Canadian Army's

Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Army. It is part of 33 Canadian Brigade Group, 4th Canadian Division and is headquartered in Cornwall, Ontario. Regimental badge Superimposed upon a ...

, an Army Reserve regiment, headquartered in Cornwall, Ontario, which incorporates the title "GLENGARRY FENCIBLES" on its badge. To commemorate the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812, the regiment was awarded the NIAGARA battle honour earned by the Glengarry Light Infantry and NIAGARA is now among the 20 battle honours carried on the regimental colour of the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders.

Uniform and equipment

When Craig first tried to form the unit he proposed that it wear the dress of Scottish highland regiments, with a Glengarry tartan plaid.Chartrand, p.18 Prevost intended the unit to be used as skirmishing light infantry and it adopted a dark green uniform with black facings as worn by the

95th Rifles The Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort's Own) was an infantry rifle regiment of the British Army formed in January 1800 as the "Experimental Corps of Riflemen" to provide sharpshooters, scouts, and skirmishers. They were soon renamed the "Rifle ...

. However, they were armed with the smoothbore

Brown Bess "Brown Bess" is a nickname of uncertain origin for the British Army's muzzle-loading smoothbore flintlock Land Pattern Musket and its derivatives. The musket design remained in use for over a hundred years with many incremental changes in its ...

musket (possibly the New Land Service version, with rudimentary backsight) rather than the

Baker rifle The Baker rifle (officially known as the Pattern 1800 Infantry Rifle) was a flintlock rifle used by the rifle regiments of the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars. It was the first standard-issue, British-made rifle accepted by the British ...

. Also, unlike the 95th Rifles, the Glengarry Light Infantry were granted colours. The regimental badge, worn on the front of the

shako A shako (, , or ) is a tall, cylindrical military cap, usually with a visor, and sometimes tapered at the top. It is usually adorned with an ornamental plate or badge on the front, metallic or otherwise; and often has a feather, plume (see hackle) ...

, was a strung bugle on which the letters "G L I" were superimposed, in white metal. The crossbelt plate featured a thistle surrounded by the words "Glengarry Light Infantry." Officers' uniforms consisted of a dark green dolman and pantaloons, with a crimson sash. They also wore a black shoulder belt, with a silver whistle and chain. Their shako badge was of the same design as that for other ranks, but was of silver. They may also have had a dark green

pelisse A pelisse was originally a short fur-trimmed jacket which hussar light-cavalry soldiers from the 17th century onwards usually wore hanging loose over the left shoulder, ostensibly to prevent sword cuts. The name also came to refer to a fashio ...

, with black cords and black fur trim.

Notes

Sources

*Barnes, RM, ''The Uniforms and History of the Scottish Regiments'', London, Sphere Books Limited, 1972. * * * *{{cite book, last=Chartrand, first=Rene, author2=Embleton Gerry, year=1998, title=British Forces in North America 1793–1815, publisher=Osprey, isbn=1-85532-741-4 * O'Keeffe, Eamonn "New Light on Toronto's Oldest Cold Case: The 1815 Murder of John Paul Radelmüller", ''The Fife and Drum'' (December 2015), p. 3.

External links