Loyalist Trails UELAC Newsletter, 2009 Archive

In this issue:
- The Royal Tour 2009 and the UELAC
- The Journal of A Loyalist Soldier: David Fanning -- © Stephen Davidson
- "Thanksgiving: The Stars": A Native Loyalist's View
- FDYP - Fund-Raising Campaign
- Silas Raymond (1748 - 1824) - Fifth Generation in America: Part XI - © 2009 George McNeillie
- UELAC and Our Government
- Discover Canada; The Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship
- "World Turned Upside Down" - DVD
- Where was I During History Class?

The Royal Tour 2009 and the UELAC

The UELAC path to Dundurn Castle on November 5 was indeed one of those long and winding roads. In the congratulatory letter to His Royal Highness Prince Charles on his sixtieth birthday last year, I expressed the wish that one day he would witness Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall receive a Certificate of Loyalist Lineage here in Canada.

It could have been for Ephraim Jones UEL whose wife's lineage would show deep roots in Canada's early French settlement. It could also have been for the Rev. John Stuart UEL, Chaplain for the 2nd Battalion of the King's Royal Regiment of New York, who settled in Kingston. (Since 1978, seventeen descendants of Rev. John Stuart have verified their lineage to this United Empire Loyalist.) Immediately following the announcement of the Royal Tour in June, a letter was sent to Kevin S. MacLeod, C.V.O.., CD, The Canadian Secretary to the Queen, outlining a few possible scenarios that would involve UELAC. On July 3, Ishbel Halliday, MVO, Co-ordinator, Ceremonial and Special Events, Cabinet Office - Intergovernmental Affairs , International Relations and Protocol advised that she would be in contact once plans could be developed for the Ontario part of the Royal Tour. There would be many meetings, emails and telephone calls in the next several months as plans were developed and redeveloped for the Dundurn Castle venue, home to the great granddaughter of both Rev. Stuart and Ephraim Jones.

At the same time, Rod Craig, genealogist for the Col. John Butler Branch, researched and completed the necessary application form with required proofs to be presented to Elizabeth Hancocks, the UELAC Genealogist. However, timing and protocol would prevent any formal presentation as part of the Royal Tour. The presence of UELAC at Dundurn Castle was to be acknowledged only with the inclusion of 20 representatives in the VIP area near the oak tree to be planted following the tour of Dundurn Castle.

Angela & Peter Johnson, Bob and Grietje McBride, Sue Hines, Bev Craig, Gloria and Lloyd Oakes, Ruth Nicholson agreed to attend. As we had been asked for a "youth" component, I invited my five Brownlee granddaughters from Hanmer to assist me with any gifting. The key to our eventual recognition by the Royal Couple was the presence of a descendant of the Rev. John Stuart, Okill Stuart, UELAC President 1994-1996 who was accompanied by his wife, Sylvia and her daughter, Lesley Liddy. Not only did Okill attract the TV media, he was also quoted in the Hamilton Spectator, our sole local reference. Okill insisted it was his medals of war and honour that attracted the attention of the Prince and the Duchess, but that gave him the opportunity to advise them that the UELAC had some special presents.

Moving ahead, HRH Prince Charles was handed a royal blue folder emblazoned with our armorial bearings and containing a Certificate of Loyalist Lineage from the Rev. John Stuart by Aidan Brownlee. From her younger sister, Miriam, he received a blue United Empire Loyalist Commemorative Plate which had been donated by Rod and Bev Craig on behalf of the UELAC. Not everyone was eager to be touched by royalty. HRH Duchess of Cornwall found five-year-old Eleanor was too shy to shake her hand. She had to be content with shaking the paws of Eleanor's toy cat instead.

Although no UELAC presentation was made at Dundurn Castle, HRH Prince Charles did witness our gifts to HRH The Duchess of Cornwall here in Canada.

For photographs of the Dundurn Castle event, as well as a couple from Toronto and Montreal, click here.

...Frederick H. Hayward UE, President, UELAC

The Journal of A Loyalist Soldier: David Fanning -- © Stephen Davidson

Had he fought in any other war, Col. David Fanning of South Carolina would have been hailed as a hero. However, since he fought for the losing side in the War of Independence, Fanning would only be remembered as a villain in American history books. British and Canadian chronicles of the war have virtually ignored this loyal Southerner's accomplishments.

In an attempt to be recognized for his contributions -- and to be seen worthy of compensation from the British government -- Fanning wrote his memoirs in 1790. He had had a remarkable career as a soldier. During his first three years as a combatant, Fanning was imprisoned 14 times by the patriots. He fought in 36 battles, commanded as many as l,100 loyalist soldiers, recruited 1,000 men for the British, was wounded twice, took hundreds of prisoners of war, burned patriot plantations, and oversaw the execution of dozens of rebels. Southern patriots had seized 1,100 acres of Fanning's land, taken all of his livestock, and run off with many of his slaves.

In 1787, Fanning asked the British government to grant him 1,625 pounds Sterling for all that he lost during the revolution, but it only compensated him a mere 60 pounds. There were many loyalists who --without ever stepping onto a colonial battlefield or even publishing a letter of support for the king-- received far more than Fanning ever did. No wonder he was frustrated.

A review of Fanning's adventures during the winter of 1778-79 provides the reader with an appreciation for all that this loyalist endured. By the end of the first three years of the Revolution, patriots had imprisoned 23 year-old Fanning on seven different occasions. After his seventh escape from jail, Fanning hid in the woods near his home in Raeburn's Creek, South Carolina. He was eventually recaptured and incarcerated at Fort Ninety-Six on October 11, 1778.

Stripping him of all his clothes, the rebel soldiers chained Fanning to the floor of his cell. Over the next two months, he slowly sawed through the bars on his cell window. He made a ladder out of old clothes that a cellmate had given him, and on the night of December 20th, he escaped. Fanning's jailer heard the noise of his fall from the cell window, but could not aim his musket quickly enough. Although the jail's guards pursued him, Fanning managed to make it safely home, only somewhat injured after running through the woods.

Within three days, the rebels recaptured Fanning. This time, the jailers put him in chains in the middle of a large second-story room for eleven days. Snow blew in through the roof as well as in through the four open windows. In this fashion, Fanning spent Christmas and New Year's Day.

Taking pity on him, the jailer unleashed Fanning, but kept him in leg chains that weighed almost eight pounds. On February 13th, Fanning removed a bar from the cell's window, pried a floorboard, and went downstairs with a fellow prisoner. After they discovered horses belonging to rebels, the two loyalists sped off for Raeburn's Creek. They stopped at a house long enough to take a rifle, a pair of guns, and clothing. The local militia ambushed the fugitives, but only succeeded in capturing Fanning's companion. As he was being chased by the rebels, Fanning was thrown from his horse and lost his rifle.

Patriots put a bounty of 70 silver dollars on his head. A unit of sixteen rebels hunted him down. They shot at him, striking him in the back with two bullets. One was eventually extracted, the other was still in his back eleven years later.

Fanning's gunshot wounds did not throw him from his horse. He rode 20 miles into the woods where he hid out for eight days, living on three eggs and herbs. Without the benefit of first aid, his wounds became infected. Painfully mounting his horse, Fanning rode 12 miles to the house of a friend.

Using a signal that indicated he was a friend, Fanning was able to lure a 14 year-old girl out of the house. The loyalist soldier was all skin and bones; his clothes were drenched in blood. At some time over the past week the girl had learned that Fanning had been shot. When she saw him, she ran off in terror, thinking that she had seen a ghost. Fanning eventually convinced her that he was neither dead nor a ghost. She brought him into the house, and for the next few days, Fanning was given the best of care.

However, local patriots soon discovered Fanning's whereabouts. They threatened to banish eight loyalist families from South Carolina if he did not surrender to them. They promised Fanning a conditional pardon if he would stay at home and remain neutral throughout the duration of the war. He did so for the next year, repeatedly declining invitations to join the patriot militia.

After the British took control of Charleston in early 1780, Fanning recruited loyalist soldiers and helped to recapture Fort Ninety-Six. Fanning's accounts of the next two years of the revolution demonstrate all too clearly that it was, in fact, a very bitter civil war.

With the defeat of the British army in 1782, Fanning and his new wife fled South Carolina for the safety of Florida. When Britain gave the territory over to Spain two years later, the Fannings sailed to New Brunswick. He established a mill in Queens County and eventually came to represent the area in the provincial assembly for ten years. In 1801, Fanning was banished from the loyalist colony after a scandalous sexual assault trial. He died in Digby, Nova Scotia at the age of 70 on March 14, 1825.

If you want to read David Fanning's Narratives online, visit here.

It is a remarkable experience to "hear" a voice from so long ago.

To secure permission to reprint this article, contact the author at {stephendavids AT gmail DOT com} how do I email him?

"Thanksgiving: The Stars": A Native Loyalist's View

"The Stars

We give thanks to the Stars who are spread across the sky like jewellery. We see them in the night, helping the Moon to light the darkness and bringing dew to the gardens and growing things. When we travel at night, they guide us home. With our minds gathered together as one, we send greetings and thanks to the Stars.

Now our minds are one."

Looking at a very special celestial body, humankind has always faced north to a specific star for direction and guidance. Formally known as the constellation Ursa Major, the Big Dipper's North Star rises as a sentinel to wayward travelers. Canada's northern reaches act as a beacon for hope, purpose and a way home - perhaps something our Loyalist ancestors were desperately seeking as they looked northward. For their eternal presence, the stars provoke contemplation of what was, what is and what may be.

...David Kanowakeron Hill Morrison UE

[Editor's Note: See also the full Thanksgiving Address in the Four Directions Youth Project section.]

FDYP - Fund-Raising Campaign

Ever since the delegates to the UELAC Annual General Meeting unanimously agreed to support the fund-raising campaign for the Four Directions Youth Programme, David Kanowakeron Hill Morrison has provided fourteen different articles in his series "A Native Loyalist's View". Designed to keep the campaign in front of the members, the content also provided a rich background to a parallel view of our world, both past and present.

What else has been happening with the programme? Honourary Vice-President Zig Misiak has forwarded the following as an indication of his progress.

Hi everyone,
I'm finishing off my Veterans DVD project, which also includes an 1812 element though focused on my 19 interviewees from WW2. Also my kids' book on 1812 is coming along to be done hopefully by the end of Nov. All of this is tied in with the Four Directions Youth Programme. As a matter of fact, Native Studies Department, McMaster University is interviewing me tomorrow (October 15) in part due to the anticipated program. Once my DVD and book are off and running my entire energy will be on the FDYP. Note: UELAC's messages are constantly referred to by me on a weekly basis. I've been invited to a First Nations forum doing a workshop in Nov and UELAC's support is in my bio.

How does this affect you? Five months after its inception, the Four Directions Youth Programme campaign is in danger of not meeting its proposed completion date. Readers are encouraged to make their donations soon by any of the methods suggested in the support web pages. There is still time to support his UELAC initiative.

The support of Carl Stymiest, Doug Grant, London & Western Ontario Branch, Wilson J. Macdonald and Audrey Fox is greatly appreciated. If every member were to donate $10, we would surpass the full $20,000. If every member were to contribute just a toonie, objective would be met. Donations, small and large, will make a difference - please contribute today and help make a difference - as our Honorary VP, Zig Misiak strives to make that collective difference on our behalf by raising the awareness and importance of our history in today's youth.

...Frederick H. Hayward UE, President, UELAC

Silas Raymond (1748 - 1824) - Fifth Generation in America: Part XI - © 2009 George McNeillie

[Part 1,  Part II,   Part III,  Part IV,  Part V, Part VI, Part VII, Part VIII, Part IX, Part X]

Provision was made later by the Imperial Parliament for a measure of compensation for the losses suffered by the Loyalists. The "Compensation Act" (Cap. 80, of the 23rd year of Geo. III) was passed in July, 1783. the Committee of Agents, appointed to inquire into the matter reported six years later that the number of claims was 3,157, of which number only 335 were found to be untenable. The gross estimate of losses was a little over 10 million pounds sterling, and the sum allowed by the Commissioners a little less than three million pounds sterling. The Commissioners, as a general rule, awarded a little less than one third of the amount claimed.

This, though a very partial compensation, proved a great boon to many of the impoverished Loyalists. The amount received by Silas Raymond was about 200 pounds sterling or about $1,000.00 in our modern currency.

We shall now return to consider the fortunes of the little band of exiles encamped on the shore of Kingston Creek during the summer after their arrival. It was of course impossible to construct their habitations until their lands were allotted, and for a time a surveyor was not to be had. We take up once again the story told by Walter Bates in his narrative:-

"We had been informed that the Indians were uneasy at our coming and that a considerable body of them had collected at the head of Bellisle, yet our hope and trust remained firm that God would not forsake us in the wilderness, and before night we had as many tents set as made the women and children comfortable.

"Next morning we discovered a fleet of ten Indian canoes slowly moving towards us, which caused considerable alarm with the women. Before they were within gun-shot, one of them, who could speak English, came to assure us, 'We all one Brother!' they were of the Micmac tribe and providentially became very friendly, furnishing us with Moose-meat.

"We soon discovered a situation at the head of the Creek for our Church and School. No surveyor was appointed until July, when Frederick Hauser was commissioned to survey and allot our land agreeably to our wishes. He commenced where we had designed to have our Church and School - with a road six rods wide, and surveyed twenty-two lots, numbered on each side of the road, and before the lots were exposed for draft it was agreed that one acre off of the adjoining four corners of the first four lots should be reserved for the Church and School-house, and that Lot No. 1 (on the west side) should be reserved for the Parsonage. The water privilege [near the Lake] to be reserved for those who would build a Grist-mill and Sawmill and saw boards enough for the Church and School-house. Accordingly the lots were drawn, and the numbers fell to those named in the grant. Thereupon every man in the settlement was jointly employed in clearing the places for building log-houses, cutting logs for the walls, carrying them together by strength of hands [having neither horses nor oxen].

"By this means seventeen log houses (on each side of the road; 34 cabins in all) were laid up and covered with bark; as that by the month of November every man found himself and his family covered with his own roof, and a happier people never lived upon this globe, enjoying in unity the blessings which God promises his children. And bless God we may that His Church is established in this happy land into whose coves and wilderness we have been driven by persecution. Here, with the protection of a Good Providence, we were perfectly happy, contented and comfortable in our new dwellings through the winter."

Excerpt from Book of Family History written by The Ven. William Odber Raymond, LL.D, FRSC. © 2009 George McNeillie - all rights reserved [published here with permission; see footnote]

Excerpt from Book of Family History written by The Ven. William Odber Raymond, LL.D, FRSC. © 2009 George McNeillie - all rights reserved [published here with permission; see footnote]

...George McNeillie {ggm3rd AT sympatico DOT ca} how do I email him?

UELAC and Our Government

On the day HRH Prince Charles and HRH The Duchess of Cornwall finished their first tour of Canada, a number of coincidences appear to call for a review of what the United Empire Loyalists represent to our fellow Canadians. We do have a Vision Statement (2002) which calls us:

To enrich the lives of Canadians through fostering public awareness of our national history, and, in particular, of the United Empire Loyalists and their contributions to Canada, while also celebrating their memory and perpetuating their heritage as an integral part of the Canadian identity.

However, the role our ancestors had in building the nation we have today needs further definition and broader dissemination.

That same day, Andrew Coyne said in his article, Defending the Royals, published in the November 23rd issue of Macleans, "you either think this country is the cumulative work of generations, or you imagine it all began yesterday". Had the media spent more time relating the symbolism of the crown to our daily life than they did in downplaying personalities, there would be less ground for the expression of the republicanism remarks that appear with every Royal Tour. It appears that journalists only sought monarchist organizations for that quick quip or sound bite rather than exploring the role of the monarchy as seen by our Canadian heritage associations. In greater contrast, the editorial published in the Globe and Mail yesterday, The Way Forward with Canada's Maple Crown, supports both our constitutional monarchy system but with possible reform. True to form, the Royal Tour has stimulated discussion about our form of government.

Coyne's thought-provoking essay was published on the same day as the Minister of Citizenship's study guide for new Canadians. As we were promised, there was greater emphasis on Canadian history including the arrival of the Loyalists in the early Nova Scotia and Quebec colonies. However, we must also take note that increasingly UELAC is requested to show that the United Empire Loyalists were greater than the end results of considerable family tree research. If we are to show their relevancy to the development of our system of government and laws, we need to build a core body of knowledge that can be used on the front lines of local public relations.

A few weeks ago, Bernice Wood Flett, UELAC President 1996-1998 attempted such a topic with her London and Western Ontario Branch. With a focus on Upper Canada, she showed how the United Empire Loyalists and their descendants affected the development of responsible government from the Constitutional Act to the Act of Union in 1840. Building greater awareness among our members of the considerable political, legal and social contributions of our Loyalist ancestors will help UELAC make greater progress towards meeting the demands of its Vision Statement. Such action will be a step in the right direction.

...Frederick H. Hayward UE, President, UELAC

Discover Canada; The Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship

On 12 November 2009, Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigrations Multiculturalism formally released the Study Guide - Discover Canada: The Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship. While copies may be available from your MP, you can go online here to to see what was said about the United Empire Loyalists and other events in Canadian history. It is also suggested that if you want a print copy of this publication, please contact: Distribution Services, ,Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 1L1 Email: Distributionservices-servicesdesdistribution@cic.gc.ca

...FHH

"World Turned Upside Down" - DVD

The classic historical dramatization of the United Empire Loyalist story of eleven year old Hannah Ingraham by NFB is now available in a DVD format. Produced by William Brind, The World Turned Upside Down (purchase, watch a video clip) ) was filmed at King's Landing Historical Settlement near Fredericton, New Brunswick visited by many members at the 2008 Conference in Saint John. The National Film Board has no plans at present to have the video available on the Internet, but watch the clip on-line.

...FHH

Where was I During History Class?

I have just been watching Politically Speaking - Tom Clark, this afternoon, following the announcement today of the new Canadian Citizenship book. The host conducted a quiz and the two participants were the Toronto Star political jouranlist Tonda Charles and a liberal commentator Craig Oliver. One question was "Who won the War of 1812 ?" The Star journalist Tonda said that was when the Loyalists arrived . Craig said that neither side won. I was sitting there yelling Canada won! Canada won!

Finally the Host told both participants that they will be required to leave Canada as a result of their lack of knowledge.

I couldn't believe it!

(later)

Also on Politically Speaking on Friday Craig Oliver was voted lowest for the week - they choose one every Friday who showed up poorly during the week ! He won the prize!

It is refreshing to see that Canada is finally making clear and true statements about our history - which then cannot be undermined by those who seek to alter historical facts to suite the "think-speak" of the day!

I have spoken to a number of people about the War of 1812 and they all said that it was a fair way to describe the 1812 war - as "both sides won." I asked if this was true of World War 2 as well - and of course the immediate response was No, of course not!

Canadians should be proud that they beat the American army back to their own country! This IS important - it is not appropriate for it to receive a shrug ! We WON THE VICTORY AND IT IS STRONGLY MEMORIALIZED AT STONEY CREEK!

[Editor's note: Seems to me that the Americans started the War of 1812 with the objective of freeing us poor British subjects, or maybe adding a couple more states, or both. Canadians wanted to defend their country and protect their values. Americans did not make their objective; they lost. Canadians attained their objective; they won. Simple.]

...Judy Nuttall