Loyalist Trails UELAC Newsletter, 2007 Archive

In this issue:
- Celebrations on July 1st
- Dominion Day - Do You Remember?
- Canada Day Wishes from USA
- Kawartha Branch Celebrated Loyalist Day with Lots of Students
- Sir John Johnson Branch Plans 40th Anniversary Celebration
- For Teenagers, A New Loyalist Novel, Letters for Elly, by Stephen Davidson
- White Savage: William Johnson and the Invention of America, by Fintan O'Toole
- More on Colonel Tye from This Old Monmouth of Ours by Wm. S. Horner
- The writings of George Washington from the original manuscript sources: Volume 8
- "The Immigrant's Trunk" at Missisquoi Museum
- Library and Archives Canada Adds to Web Site
- Shelburne NS Loyalist Landing 2008 Website
- July 2007 Issue of the Loyalist Quarterly Available
- Governor General announces the appointment of a new Chief Herald of Canada
- Congratulations to Miss Elizabeth Stuart UE
- Queries
      + Bush/Jacocks Connection

Celebrations on July 1st

Obviously there were celebrations across Canada on July 1st, but I happened to attend the weekend event at Bath, ON, (an area associated in particular with Jessup's Loyal Rangers). The reenactment was staged as a War of 1812 American invasion of the town, and battles were staged both on sea and on land. After the invaders had been repulsed on July 1st the annual Parade took place. The participants included the Loyalist Fife and Drums, so there was a touch of the Loyalist era in the festivities. For a small town, the size of the crowd each year for the parade is quite remarkable.

I especially want to congratulate and thank Dave Smith UE who took on a significant portion of the organizational work for this event.

...Peter W. Johnson UE, President, UELAC

Dominion Day - Do You Remember?

Yes, I am one of those dinosaurs who still fondly remember when the 1st of July was called Dominion Day. And I still do.

Senator Eugene Forsey, that renowned constitutional expert, used to point out that when the proposal to rename the holiday passed a vote in the House of Commons that there was not even a quorum in the House.

Remember the old adage "If you wish to destroy a country, you first destroy its history".

I also notice that the Dominion Institute surveyed Canadians to compare their knowledge with those who would apply for Canadian citizenship (click here for the Mock-Citizenship Exam in PDF format). Question 5 asked who was Canada's Head of State. They listed the Queen of England as the correct answer. There hasn't been a Queen of England since 1707. Our Head of State is the Queen of Canada.

With inaccuracies being listed as correct answers, no wonder only 8% of those surveyed passed.

Only in Canada, eh?

...Bill Smy

Canada Day Wishes from USA

I hope all the Canadian readers had a happy Dominion Day. This household of ex-patriots (Canada) and patriots (US) figures that when Lord Durham wrote with his dying breath that Canada needed "Home Rule" that the people in upper North America finally won their adulthood recognition, and England came to recognize that "her children had to be allowed to grow up and run their own households!" It is interesting that Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth 2nd, comes to Virginia for new horse breeding stock!

It was a pleasure to explain all this in detail in my CD - Palatines of the Hudson River, 1710. Many Americans have enjoyed learning the Canadian history part of it.

...Doris Cline Ward (desc. of Major Henry Nelles of the Indian Department - Grand River and Niagara area)

Kawartha Branch Celebrated Loyalist Day with Lots of Students

Kawartha Branch had their 10th annual Loyalist Flag Raising on June 19th last at the City Hall in Peterborough as the threat of the rain storm held off until completion of the ceremoney and all had left. The dignitaries were the City Mayor, Deputy City Mayor, MPP, MP and our Dominion President Peter Johnson, U.E.

There were approximately 145 students from Armour Heights Public School as well as the 1812 Re-enactors in full period military uniform from Norwood District High School. Refreshments were donated by local business' and Cogeco TV taped the full program and will be donating DVD's to the Branch for educational tool for the public schools in the Loyalist teachings.

The Flag was raised by Dominion President Peter Johnson, U.E. and Kawartha Branch President Charles Ross, U.E.

...Charles (Chuck) Geo. Ross, U.E. Kawartha Branch President

Sir John Johnson Branch Plans 40th Anniversary Celebration

Sir John Johnson Centennial Branch UELAC will celebrate its 40th anniversary on August 18, 2007. The gala occasion will be held at the Auberge West Brome and Spa in West Brome, Quebec at 11:30 AM. The luncheon menu offers a choice of duck, salmon or Primavera Pasta.

Michel Racicot's Power Point presentation highlighting the branch's history promises to be most interesting. Michel has also prepared a 70 page printed copy of memories and photos titled "The First Forty Years".

A hearty welcome is extended to all who wish to join us for this celebration. Cost $25.00. RSVP to one of the following members:

- Cora Hazard: 450-538-2708Jean McCaw

- Jean McCaw: 450 538-234

- Adelaide Lanktree, Branch President: 450-293-6342 or {adelaidel AT sympatico DOT ca} how do I email her?

For Teenagers, A New Loyalist Novel, Letters for Elly, by Stephen Davidson

Readers of Loyalist Trails have been reading submissions from regular contributor, Stephen Davidson, since the fall of 2006. This loyalist descendant has just had his first young adult novel published by the Kingston Peninsula Heritage Institute of New Brunswick. "Letters for Elly" tells the story of seven real loyalist children in a format that is sure to capture the attention of 21st century students between the ages of 13 and 18 -- as well as those a little older.

Elly Kent thought the summer of 1991 was going to be the worst of her life. Forced to flee Sierra Leone, the fifteen year old must stay with her great aunt and uncle in New Brunswick. Their idea of a good time is visiting cemeteries as they work out their family tree. Just when she thinks the summer couldn't get any more boring, Elly breaks her leg. But the summer that might have been her worst, turns into Elly's most mysterious when the touch of a tombstone begins to deliver letters to the hard drive of her laptop computer. Whether it is a hoax or an amazing communication across time, the letters for Elly change her summer into one she'll never forget.

While researching his book "The Burdens of Loyalty", Davidson was able to piece together the amazingly detailed story of the Lyon family of Redding, Connecticut. Their story is retold by the author in letters written by each of the seven Lyon children at various points in their experience as loyalist refugees. Stories of flight from rebel persecutors, life in a refugee camp, and the building of a log cabin in the New Brunswick forests are all there to be be read. "Letters for Elly" is historic fact within a fictional framework, telling the loyalist story from the perspective of children who lived through the American Revolution.

"Letters for Elly" is a paperback with illustrations by Judi Baxter. It can be ordered from the Kingston Peninsula Heritage Institute by e-mailing: < info@carterhousetearoom.com>. Credit card orders are accepted.

White Savage: William Johnson and the Invention of America, by Fintan O'Toole

New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux. 2005. ISBN 0-374-28128-9. Maps. Illustrations. Notes. Index. Pp. x, 402.

Though a journalist for the Irish Times, and not a professional historian, O'Toole has mined relevant secondary literature and the fourteen volumes of William Johnson's collection of papers published by the State University of New York to produce a handy starting point for beginning to understand Sir William Johnson and the world he lived in.

Though scholars have long noted Johnson's Irish roots, few, until Fintan O'Toole, have attempted to explain Johnson's actions among the Iroquois on the basis of his supposed Gaelic cultural norms and suppressed Catholism. He writes that there were certain "aspects of Johnson's Irish background that made him peculiarly sensitive to the nature of Indian culture".

However, the one "British" ethnicity that interacted with Indians as traders, Indian agents, and military officers to a higher degree than any other was the Scots. The history of British- Native American relations is replete with Stuarts, Camerons, McIntoshes, McGillivrays, Grants and Campbells, among others. Though the eighteenth-century Irish and Scots shared some general cultural characteristics, the evidence suggests that we should be looking for something peculiarly Scottish, rather than Irish, in trying to understand the success of large numbers of British mediators with American Indians.

[submitted by Bill Glidden]

More on Colonel Tye from This Old Monmouth of Ours by Wm. S. Horner

See two earlier posts about Col. Tye: (#1) (#2)

Page 407: "Ty, The Negro Colonel; Among the leaders of the nondescript refugee bands was one Ty, usually known as the Colonel. He was a mulatto slave who had run away from his master and taken refuge with the Tory gangs. His through acquaintence with the paths all over the county and with the habitations of the most substantial of our citizens gave him unusual success in plundering raids. He was, however, a much better man and much less cruel than most of the other refugee leaders. The New Jersey Gazette of June 14, 1780, prints the following: "Ty, with his party of about twenty blacks and whites, last Friday afternoon took and carried off prisoners Capt. Barns Smock and Gilbert VanMater; at the same time spiked up the iron four-pounder at Capt. Smock's house, but took no ammunition. Two of the artillery horses, and two of Capt. Smock's horses, were likewise taken off. The above mentioned Ty is a negro, who bears the title of Colonel, and commands a motley crew at Sandy Hook."

"Another Ty Exploit; Under date of June 22, 1780, the New Jersey Journel prints the following: "Yesterday morning a party of the enemy, consisting of Ty with 30 blacks, 36 Queen's Rangers, and 30 Refugee Tories, landed at Conascong (Union Beach/Keansburg area). They by some means got in between out scouts undiscovered, and went up to Mr. Jame Mott's, Sen. (near presentday Hazlet) plundered his and several of the neighbors houses of most everything in them; and carried off the following persons: viz. Mr. James Mott, Sen.; Jonathan Pearse, James Johnson; Joseph Dorset; William Blair; James Walling, Jr.; John Walling, son of Thomas; Philip Walling; James Wall; Matthew Griggs, also several negroes, and a great deal of stock, but all the negroes, one excepted, and the horses, horned cattle and sheep, were, I believe, retaken by our people. We had wounded, Capt. Walling slightly, a Lieutenant Garret Hendrickson had his arm broke, two privates supposed to be mortally, and a third sli ghtly, in a skirmish we had with them on their retreat. The enemy acknowledged the loss of seven men, but we think it much more considerable." On the pension of Lt. Garret Hendrickson it states he received a cutlass wound while boldly fighting and almost lost the entire use of his right arm from the fighting on June 21st, 1780, perhaps showing hand to hand fighting that day.

Page 413: "In late summer of 1780, a party of 72 Refugees under the command of the mulatto cheiftain, Ty, surrounded the home of Captain Joshua Huddy. Huddy was home at the time with hired help, Lucretia Emmons. Huddy fired musket after musket from the windows giving the impression of a number of defenders with Lecretia reloading each weapon. They stood off the attackers for more than two hours. Several of the Refugees were wounded including their leader, Ty, who died afterwards from Lockjaw resulting from the bullet that had entered his arm. Discouraged, the refugees at last desisted from a direct attack and set the house on fire. Huddy agreed to surrender, provided the fire be put out. It is said the enemy on entering were much exasperated at the feebleness of its defenders, and could with diffficulty be restrained by their leader from butchering them on the spot. they were obliged to leave, as the militia was collecting and killed six on their retreat. They carri ed off Huddy, with several cattle and sheep, but lost them while fording the local creeks. They embarked on boats near Black Point (Rumson), between Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers. As the boats pushed from shore, Huddy jumped overboard, and was shot in the thigh, as was supposed by the militia, then in pursuit. He held up one of his hands towards them , exclaiming, 'I am Huddy! I am Huddy!' swam to shore and escaped."

Horner has a lot of detailed info on the war in Monmouth County and covers the whole Huddy affair and what happened afterward his hanging, people today don't really know how important Monmouth County was during the war and what happened here.

...Trevor Kirkpatrick, NJ

The writings of George Washington from the original manuscript sources: Volume 8

The Electronic Text Center at the University of Virginia has a copy of "General Orders" issued by George Washington on July 4, 1777. It illustrates to some extent the state of the army on that date. About three pages in length, it deals with punishments for specific cases of desertion. More interestingly to me, it then provides directives regarding access to private property with and without permission, and then directives about the use of the baggage waggons and to the waggoneers.

...Charles (Chuck) Geo. Ross, U.E. Kawartha Branch President

"The Immigrant's Trunk" at Missisquoi Museum

If you decided you were going to move to another country, never to return to your home and you were only permitted to bring a few suitcases, what would you bring? What would you leave behind? Would you bring cooking pots and tableware, photo albums, paintings or books? Would you bring sentimental items to remind you of home or practical items to help you in your new home? The people who came and settled in Missisquoi County came with trunks and bundles of belongings to establish new lives. Each immigrant group came with their own unique experiences and history. The United Empire Loyalists came to escape persecution because of their loyalty to the British crown; Irish immigrants came to escape discrimination and the rampant poverty of the 1840's Potato Famine. German, Swiss and Italian immigrants came in the 1950s in search of economic opportunities.

The trunks and cases in the Missisquoi Museum's 2007 exhibit contain both the objects that immigrants brought with them for survival and for reasons of sentiment and memory. We can think of the trunks as something that one might find in the attic of an old house—filled with the things that survived the person who once used them, or still, represents who they are today.

The exhibition also highlights United Empire Loyalist objects, community life in the 19th century, personal and household items from Missisquoi families and Hodge's General Store, which features dry goods from the 1940s.

Click here for more information about the Museum and the exhibit.

Library and Archives Canada Adds to Web Site

The Library and Archives Canada has added a new feature on-line: Thesis Canada. A search of "United Empire Loyalist" returned 250 results.

...Bill Smy

Shelburne NS Loyalist Landing 2008 Website

And the final announcement (drum roll, please) – the LL08 Society website is up and running! A very big thank you to Jamie and web maestro Louis at Transcontinental Media for all their hard work in making the website a reality. Check out our website and see what a great year it's going to be!

...Suzanne Mahaney {loyalistlanding2008 AT ns DOT sympatico DOT ca}

July 2007 Issue of the Loyalist Quarterly Available

The Only U.S. Journal Devoted To Loyalist Studies, edited by Paul J. Bunnell, UE, Author. Inside This Issue:

Editor's Comments, Life Before The Loyalists, Come Home To Your Loyalist Roots, Loyalist Sources Worth Checking, Loyalist Book Reviews, Support Loyalist Trails, African American Loyalist Quest, Maine/Rowley, Mass Loyalist, Rev. Jacob Bailey, Some Sabine's Loyalists From Massachusetts, Loyalist Publications Mentioning Ontario, Black Loyalist Heritage Society, Tory Trails CColonial Loyalist Alliance of Massachusetts, Loyalist Educational Tools, Loyalist Newspapers by James Rivington, Portraits of Loyalists.

Click here for more information.

...Paul Bunnell UE, {BunnellLoyalist AT aol DOT com} how do I email him?

Governor General announces the appointment of a new Chief Herald of Canada

June 27, 2007, OTTAWA–Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada, announced today the appointment of a new Chief Herald of Canada. Dr. Claire Boudreau becomes the second Chief Herald of Canada and succeeds Mr. Robert D. Watt, who has held the position since the creation of the Canadian Heraldic Authority in 1988. The Governor General has appointed Mr. Watt Rideau Herald Emeritus on the occasion of his retirement.

Dr. Boudreau joined the Canadian Heraldic Authority in 1997, and held the position of Saguenay Herald and Saint-Laurent Herald and Registrar. She became Deputy Chief Herald of Canada in December 2005. She is the first woman appointed Chief Herald, either in Canada or in the Commonwealth.

The Canadian Heraldic Authority, which is headed by the Governor General, is responsible for the creation of coats of arms, flags and badges for Canadian citizens, corporate bodies and units of the Canadian Forces. It was created in 1988 to ensure that all Canadians have access to the heraldry system. It also encourages good heraldic practice consistent with an international level of heraldic excellence.

Visit the Governor General of Canada web site for more information about the Canadian Heraldic Authority.

[Note that Robert D. Watt is an Honorary VP of the UELAC]

Congratulations to Miss Elizabeth Stuart UE

Miss Elizabeth Stuart, U.E. celebrated her 100th birthday on 7 July 2007 with about 250 guests, including St. Lawrence Branch President Sandra Shouldice, Vice-President, Jack Warner, Genealogist Lynne and Mahlon Cook, Lorraine and Gordon Reoch. Held at Vernon, Ontario.

...Lynne Cook UE

Bush/Jacocks Connection

We are in need of proof for a certificate application that Thomas Bush (b. 1812) of Grimsby Township, Lincoln County, Ontario was the son of Elizabeth Jacocks Bush of Osnabruck, Stormont County, Ontario. Elizabeth married Charles Bush 7 Mar 1797 at Osnabruck, Stormont County, Ontario. They had three sons - William, Charles and Thomas. Elizabeth was the daughter of Loyalist David Jacocks of Stormont County, Ontario.

Thank you for your assistance. I have other details if you need further information.

...Grace Austin, Genealogy, Bicentennial Branch, Kingsville, Ontario, {wda AT mdirect DOT net} how do I email her?

To protect the people who send in queries from unwanted spam email, the online edition of Loyalist Trails no longer uses direct hyperlinks for their email addresses. Simply rewrite "name AT website DOT net" as name@website.net and sent your email to that address. For example, "doug DOT grant AT insurance-canada DOT ca" is doug.grant@insurance-canada.ca. Contact Doug with questions, or to be put in touch with someone whose email address is not listed.