and also a Turcott connection to the war: the former from either Derbyshire or Warwickshire in England and the latter from Lower Canada in British North America? My grandmother’s family were Hinds — my grandfather’s family Cox — both came from England’s Midlands Region.
You could start your research by spending a few minutes reviewing War of 1812 background information. For instance, www.warof1812.ca/voltigeurs.htm, has some excellent descriptions of the Canadian fencible/militia regiments that were involved in the war. Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_units_of_the_War_of_1812, has information on various British regiments that could provide some historical background to your research. However, the first place to start your search for primary and secondary resources is our own archives. When you visit LAC, the information related to 1812 military records is mostly found in Record Group 9. Nominal rolls are in RG 9, series IB7, vols. 1–39 while discharge certificates and land grant applications are in RG 9, series IB4, vols.18–24. If a militiaman applied for a pension, for whatever reason, these will be found in RG 9, series IB4, vols. 1–17; or RG 9, series IC5, vols. 1, 3–4 and 8–27. You can also order some of this material through interlibrary loan.
In general, War of 1812 records contain two basic types of information: nominal returns for each unit and monthly pay lists, sometimes with lists related to prisoners of war. Nominal rolls will provide you with the name, rank, and remarks about service. These remarks can tell you about an ancestor’s date of enlistment, period of service, if he was killed in battle or died during service, if he deserted the army or was taken prisoner. Muster rolls or monthly pay lists will provide you with name, rank, and period of service for which he received pay. Be aware that the majority of records are organized according to county so if you know in which county your ancestor lived it might make your search a little easier.[5]
In 1875, Parliament offered a gratuity to anyone who had fought in the war. A list of names, age, residence, and corps or division in which they served was printed in 1876 with comment on whether or not the individual qualified for the gratuity. This list provides a reference number for each application and can prove useful when verifying an ancestor’s involvement in the war.
When doing any military research, remember to seek out private collections or visit your local regimental museums and/or archives. For instance, at the Royal Canadian Military Institute, www.rcmi.org, you can find some rare publications that might help in your search. However, while the RCMI is under construction the library is closed. As with any resource, contact the organization by email or phone before you visit.
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WAR OF 1812 BATTLES
1812
• 8 June — War proclaimed by U.S. President James Madison.
• 11 July–11 August — U.S. General Hull invades Upper Canada with a large force; retreats in panic.
• 17 July — Capture of Fort Mackinac (on an island in Lake Michigan, near Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario).
• 16 August — Major-General Brock captures Detroit with only 1,300 regulars, militiamen, and Natives.
• 12 October — Battle of Queenston Heights, death of Brock, defeat of U.S. forces under General Van Rensselaer.
• 19–20 October — Action at Lacolle (9 kilometres from the border with New York State).
1813
• 22 January — Battle of Frenchtown (or River Raisin), major victory for British and Native allies, U.S. battle cry becomes “Remember the Raisin.”
• 27 April — Capture, pillaging of York, Upper Canada, by U.S. forces, attacked again 31 July.
• 1 May — Battle of Fort Meigs (Ohio).
• 25–27 May — Assault on Fort George (near Newark, now Niagara-on-the-Lake).
• 29 May — Assault at Sackets Harbor (New York State).
• 6 June — Battle of Stoney Creek.
• 24 June — Battle of Beaver Dams.
• 10 September — Battle of Lake Erie, defeat of British fleet under Captain Barclay, British forces forced to retreat from western province.
• 5 October — U.S. victory at Moraviantown in battle of the Thames, great Native leader Tecumseh dies.
• 26 October — Battle of Châteauguay, Lower Canada.
• 11 November — Battle of Chrysler’s Farm, major victory for the British.
• 10 December — Burning of Newark, Upper Canada, by the retreating U.S. forces.
• 12 December — British capture of Fort Niagara, guerrilla warfare commences on Niagara frontier.
• 29–30 December — burning of Lewiston, Tuscarora, Fort Schlosser, Black Rock, and Buffalo, New York, by British forces in retaliation for U.S. burning of York and Newark.
1814
• 30 March — Action at Lacolle.
• 5 May — Amphibious assault on Oswego, New York.
• May — Abdication of Napoleon — war ends in Europe.
• 3 July — Capture of Fort Erie.
• 5 July — Battle of Chippawa.
• 13–15 September — Bombardment by British of Fort McHenry, writing of “Star Spangled Banner.”
• July–August — Twelve thousand British veterans arrive in Canada because of the end of war with France. Assault on Plattsburg, New York, poorly planned and leads to British withdrawal, over 1,000 British troops desert.
• July–August — Washington captured and burned.
• 24 December — Treaty of Ghent ends the war, all captured territory returned to previous owner.
1815
• 1 January — Battle of New Orleans ends in defeat for the British forces.
Of course, this is only a partial list of the many battles and small actions fought during the course of this war. I have purposely not included all naval engagements fought between Great Britain and the United States on the Great Lakes and the oceans of the world because that is beyond the scope of this guide.
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It will take some research before you can place an ancestor in a specific regiment and ultimately at a specific battle. However, once you have accomplished this it is time to become a historian and commence fitting historical details into your own family narrative. Spend time researching some of the information available on the life of a soldier or militiaman of the period. Uniforms, weapons, equipment, and military tactics all help you understand your ancestor’s military world. Stories about the life of a militiaman or British regular abound. The quantity/quality of food issued, the length of service, the harsh discipline, the horrible wounds sustained in battle, the nature of guerilla warfare all add interest to your narrative.
For instance, if your ancestor fought in this war, he carried
