< SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12th, 1985 THE DAILY BRITISH WHIG Arrival of Frontenac (Contitiued) { of the Royal Military College and its spring had once more set fgee the blue | waters of the St. Lawrence they made their way up the river in batteaux, took up their grants of land, and, in their loyal zeal, changed the name of the place from Cataraqui to Kingston. Their leader, Captain Grass, observes in a tone worthy of the men of the Mayflower, "I pointed out to them the site of their future metropolis, and gained for persecuted principles a sanc- tuary, for myself a home," Other set- tlers ere long followed, bearing names - gtill well-known in Kingston, and founding families embued with strong Tory predilections, communicating to the place a conservative character, which it Tong retained, Under the Brave Loyalists. For years life at the new settlement was primitive enough. For lack of a mill, the settlers had to grind their , corn with an axe on a flat stone, or with pestle and mortar. The clumsy axes and unpracticed hand of the mili- tary settlers made but slow progress in clearing the land. Their farms, too were often sacrificed to their necessi- ties, sold sometimes for a horse or a cow, or even half a barrel of salmon The first beef, accidentally: killed by a falling tree, was long remembéred | dockyard occupied the low-lying peni- | nsula opposite the town, which is now by those who had the privilege of shar- : ing it. In 1788, "the famine year," the | dearth was so great that starving fam- | ilies flocked in from the surrounding | country, where roots and leaves were | of some importance. cabins gave place to houses of stone, of which there was abundar to be had for the quarrying mill, built by the government about six miles up the Catarac worked by a pretty cascade 1 out of a picturesque gorge, add the importance of the town. As the settlers grew a little richer and able to replace their home-made clothing by imported fabrics, and the exports of flour and pork increased, new shops were started, and the principal thor- oughfare--now called Princess street --=received the name of Stone The place resumed much of its old consequence when it became a naval and military station under the British flag. This honor was first conferred on Carleton Island, near the opposite shore, where the ruins of extensive for- tification® excite the wonder of visi tors and of picnic parties to this day; but when the island was discovered to be within the American lines, King- ston was chosen, and it retained the distinction, until the final withdrawal of the British troops from Canada. The Loyal Defence of Canada "The war of 1812" brought Kingston to the front, as the chief Canadian stronghold on Lake Ontario and the rival to the American arsenal at Sac- kett's Harbour. The government i eaten by the people. Gradually Kingston became a place | The original fog- | lime- | street, | | graced by the tme Normad structure dependent buildings. The dark green reach of deep water between the col- lege and the glacis of Fort Henry was the naval meoring ground, where, in our days of piping peace, nothing mere threatening than the skiffs of cadets training to be future Hanlans are seen, lay formidable battle-ships.® One of them,--the St. Lawrence, --built here in 1214, cost the British government half a million sterling. In all probability, the wood was sent out from England. During the same war, Fort Henry-- the modern successor of old Fort Frontenac--was commenced, at first as a rude fert of logs with an embank- ment. The 'woods, which clothed the long sloping hill and the adjacent country, were cut down to prevent the possibility of surprises, and a chain of those essentially Colonial defences, [ known as block- houses, connected by ly, the block-houses gave place to a eincture - of 'massive - Martello towers #hd stone batteries, which presént an imposing appearance on approaching modern warfare they are no more for- midable than the old defences of logs. Twenty years after the war, the pres- ent Fort Henry was also built, a most important fortification in those days, with its heavy guns and mortars, its advanced battery and its casemated barracks, providing accommodation for a large garrison. Kingston was in a lively state during the exciting times of the rebellion of 1837-8. The 26th Regiment of Regu- lars had been withdrawn, te do ser- vice in parts of the country more vul- nerable, and the defence of the ancient stronghold of Frontenac devolved up- on the volunteers. They responded with alacrity to the loyal call, and at one time 800 ' men were in. garrison here, while others had been sent nearer to the "seat of war." The corps quar- One ancient specimen of the tittle wooden forts still remains. Subsequent- tered in" Kingston included: At Fort Henry--Capts. Strange, As- kew, Meagher and Macfarland"s com- Kingston from the water, though to, panies, of Frontenac Militia, the regu- lar Royal Artillery, 100 Lennox and Addington Militia, undér Col. McKay, Captain Wheeler and Lieut. Shorey. At Tete de Pont Barracks--A Com- pany Artillery, Kingston, under Capt. D. J. Smith, Lieut. Mowat and Ensign Muckleston. In other quarters--Frontenac Drag- oons, under Lieut. Thomas Wilson and Cornet Yarker, 200 volunteer marines under Royal Navy officers. A night patrol of citizens was also kept up. Col. Bonnycastle was in com- mand. Col. Angus Caméron was Gar- rison Adjutant. The Marines sustained a guard at all entrances to the town. All loyal inhabitants wore a white band on the arms, a very silly gnd eas- ily counterfeited precaution. Forewarned, Forearmed. The rebellion excitement reached its height inf February, 1838. One Sunday evening it was reported that the "pat- riots" and their United States sympa- thisers were moving upwards on the ice to attack the city. At once the main streets were barricaded. "Though the ROYAL MILITARY COLLEGE ARCH Erected at the Main Gate in Memory of Graduates and . Ex-Cadets who Died Serving in the Sire War, next day dawned without any sign of an enemy, the false alarm brought the highest 'measures of precaution play. Volunteers were called in from the country, and an ice entrenchment was erected on the harbor in front of the town. On Tuesday fresh activity was engendered by a report (also false) of the landing of rebels on Howe Is- land. The services of 140 Indians who came forward from the Mohawk re- serve were accepted, and every male inhabitant called out as a reserve force for defence. The town was divided into six wards, each with a Captain and Lieutenant to drill and organize, and all undef command of Doctor Sampson. The excitement was kept up by the authentic news of the assembl- ing of over 1,000 of the "enemy" at Clayton, from which they crossed to Grindstone Island and encamped. The Kingston dragoons and Mohawk In- into dians were sent out to reconnoitre; the rest of the militia were kept under arms; the male inhabitants to the num- ber of 700 rallied and slept beside their arms in the Court House. But then the Belleville Rifles, Indians, and other volunteers under Major Fitzgibbon and Lieut. Jackson were advancing from Gananoque upon the rebels, ana found that they, with the exception of five feeble men, had incontinently fled back to the American shores. The va- lor of their leadér, Van Rensaellaer, had dozed out; he and Mackenzie each blamed the other for the failure, alleg- ing cowardice and desertion. It was the first and last feeble kick of the re- bellion in this quarter, thdugh two sleigh loads of rebels were about the same time captured en route from the north of Addington to join the host that it was expected had already cap- tured Kingston. They were afterwards tried and lightly sentenced. The-pat- riots caught at the Windmill aad in flagrant acts of rebellion , generally were their fellow prisoners at Fort Henry, and, save those who escaped with Montgomery, were by no means so leniently treated. The gallows on Fort Henry Hill, with its gloomy spee- tacles, once six in a day, mutely pro- claimed that rebellion is a dangerous and ignominious thing when unsuc- cessful. And yet the ill-advised, qui- xotic' and ragged crew were all olir friends, in that they hastened the poli- tical freedom of Canada, by preparing ~--yes stirring England into granting responsible government. In Hollywood. Harriett: Are you going to marry again? Bunice: --Life. Oh, let's not talk shop! 9 ELT the color design Gartland's ART STORE We submit for your Christmas gift a selection from our select stock of Fine Art Pictures, Picture Frames, etc. Pieture frames made to any size and style to suit your room--We have all designs, Polyeshrome, in all shades, being one of the latest. a EREDAR OUR NEW SEE Framed Tapestry The latest in art. as displayed in. all of the leading Picture Salons -l We are agents for Pictures The Celebrated Gerhard Heintzman Pianos and Phonographs You are cordially invited to inspect our art collection * (GARTLAND'S ART STORE 237 PRINCESS ST., KINGSTON PHONE 2116-w S00 OTERO Because-- The Cost is very low. At is available at a moment's notice. 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