The War of 1812 Magazine
Issue3: February 2006
War of 1812 Notes and Queries
The editors of the War of 1812 Magazine invite queries but
please note that we cannot answer questions relating to genealogy. Those
interested in such matters are directed to the many websites that specialize
in this type of research.
1004. While it is
well understood that both Major-General Wade Hampton and Major General
James Wilkinson disliked each other to the extent that they refused
to support one another during the fall of 1813, I have had some difficulty
trying to account for the reasons for their mutual hatred. Could you
please provide some insight into this question? Thank-you. Thomas Arbuthnot.
1005. While significant
criticism has been made of the performance of the Provincial Marine
during 1812, there appears to have been some differences in the quality
and in particular the leadership between the squadron on Lake Ontario
and that on Lake Erie. Was this actually the case? Alex Dickson.
1006. We often hear that
the life of a British soldier was dominated by strict discipline and
punishments. However, I have read that this was not always the case
and depended often on the character of the unit commanding officer or
his superior. How did discipline in the American Army compare to that
with the British? Joe Morrison.
1007. I was recently
listening to a CD by Canadian folksinger Stan Rogers. On it was
a song called "MacDonnell on the Heights". Supposedly
he was a major and died with Brock at Queenstown. What did Major
MacDonnell do that warranted writing a song about him? Bob Burnham
Lieutenant-Colonel John Macdonell was born in Scotland in 1785 and
emigrated to Upper Canada in 1792. In 1808, he began a brief, but meteoric
legal career in the provincial capital of York and also joined the York
Militia. In 1811 Macdonell became the provincial attorney general, which
brought him into contact with General Brock, who appointed him as one
of his provincial aides-de-camp in April 1812. A man of fiery temper,
he is known to have fought a duel in 1812. Macdonell was at Detroit
in 1812 and later accompanied Brock to Queenston Heights. Following
the general’s death during the battle, he joined in the second charge
against the redan battery, during which he was hit four times by American
fire. Macdonell succumbed to his wounds the day after the battle and
is buried with his former commander in the Brock Memorial atop Queenston
Heights. Reply by John R. Grodzinski
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