Bicentennial Timeline: January to March 1813

Jan. 1 Commenting on the war which “the American Fanatic is making on us,” the editor of The Upper Canada Almanac for the Year of Our Lord 1813 praised “our gallant yeomanry, our regular troops, and our native warriors.”

Jan. 1 “The Boy’s New Year’s Gift / Etrennes du Garçon” offered readers of the Quebec Gazette / Gazette de Québec a long poem “sketching in retrospective rhymes / Recent events in these portentous times.”

Jan. 2 To recruit sharpshooters the Glengarry Light Infantry Fencibles promised volunteers a bounty of four guineas and a complete suit of regimental clothing (Kingston Gazette).

Jan. 14 The “Effects of the late Major General Brock,” including silver, furniture, livestock, wine, and books, were sold at auction in York.

Jan. 23 Lt. Col. Ralph Bruyeres, the Commanding Royal Engineer in the Canadas, arrived in York on an inspection tour. His notes and observations made then would have served well ten months later when he returned to lay out the rebuilding of Fort York following its destruction by US forces in April 1813.

Jan. 28 Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice was published.

Feb. 1/3 After much delay the keel for the frigate HMS Sir Isaac Brock was laid on the lakeshore just west of Bay Street.

Feb. 5 William Berczy, Upper Canada’s first professional portraitist, a self-trained architect, author, colonizer, and founder of Markham, died in New York City.

Feb. 16-21 New Brunswick’s 104th Regiment set off from Fredericton on its famous snowshoe march to Quebec, travelling 350 miles in twenty-four days. Numbering 564 men, eleven of them buglers, the regiment was inspected on 18 March. They left Quebec for Fort Henry later that month, another 350 miles. The 104th would see action at Sackets Harbor, Black Rock, and Lundy’s Lane.

Mar. 5 Casimir Gzowski was born at St. Petersburg, Russia. Trained as an engineer, he constructed the Grand Trunk Railway from south of Fort York west to Georgetown and Guelph in 1853–56.

Mar. 20 The Royal Newfoundland Regiment, about 160 officers and men who had been deployed to help in Upper Canada, arrived in York where they distinguished themselves soon after in the Battle of York.

Mar. 23 The ‘Patriotic young Ladies of York’ presented colours they had embroidered to the 3rd Regiment of York Militia. Now restored, these will be on display in the Visitor Centre at Fort York.