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Fort George: Brock's
base of operations
Fort in Niagara-on-the-lake (formerly Newark)
was the original resting place for Brock after he
was killed at Queenston Heights
By Todd Humber
The cannon at Brock's Bastion are silent today. Dandelions sprout
around the palisades of the fort, and a line of trees obscures the view
across the river to Fort Niagara.
But it was a far different scene 191 years ago. The summer of 1812
brought conflict to the Niagara frontier, following the American
declaration of war on June 18. When signing the document that
launched the war, U.S. President James Madison was also signing the
death notices for thousands of men and setting the stage for one of the
more peculiar wars in history.
The fort was constructed just south of Newark (now Niagara-on-the-
lake) between 1796 and 1799. It was built by the British to guard the
strategic river mouth of the Niagara, to defend the settlement at Newark
and ensure the supply route to British forts on the upper Great Lakes
remained intact.
During the War of 1812, Fort George acted as both a deterrent and a
conduit to American action on the Niagara frontier. The U.S. battle plan
for Upper Canada called for a three-pronged attack. The Americans were
going to move against Fort Malden (Amherstburg, Ont.) in south; the
Niagara frontier in the east, including Fort Erie and Fort George; and
send a third group into Kingston.
In the fall of 1812, Fort George and Fort Niagara routinely exchanged
cannon fire with varying amounts of success. One side would open up
with a salvo of shot, and the other would return fire in kind.
Many military thinkers, including Brock, assumed the Americans would
land in force near Fort George and attempt to take it with a fierce
assault. It seemed, at the time and in hindsight, to be the most logical
route for the Americans to take. But logic didn't always win out on the
American side. Instead of preparing for an assault on Fort George, the U.
S. commander — Stephen Van Rensselaer — was preparing his forces for
an attack on Queenston, about 10 kilometres south of Fort George.
But Fort George was spared the brunt of the first attempt by the
Americans to gain a foothold on British soil in the Niagara region.
Instead of bearing the full brunt of the attack, American guns at Fort
Niagara openend up a barrage in an attempt to convince the British the
crossing at Queenston was a feint and that the real attack would come
on Fort George. By doing so, Van Rensselaer hoped to keep the troops
at Fort George in the garrison and let the Americans take Queenston
fairly easily. Unfortunately for the Americans, the battle plan didn't work
and the attack against Queenston failed, and no more major attempts
were made by the Americans to cross the Niagara until the following
year.
But 1813 was not a good year for Fort George. On May 25, American
naval vessels under the command of Captain Isaac Chauncey launched a
fierce assault on the garrison with the assistance of the cannon at Fort
Niagara. The bombardment pounded the fort to near ruin, and many of
the buildings were set ablaze. On May 27, nearly 5,000 American troops
landed under the command of Colonel Winfield Scott. Vastly
outnumbered, and weary following the massive bombardment, the
British were forced to beat a hasty retreat from Fort George. Before
leaving, they spiked the guns and destroyed the ammunition dump. The
British forces, under the command of Brigadier-General John Vincent,
pulled back to Beaver Dams and reorganized, setting up the decisive
Battle of Stoney Creek.
General Brock was buried at Fort George, along with John MacDonell,
shortly after the Battle of Queenston Heights in Brock's Bastion. There
was some trepidation that the Americans, who occupied the fort from
May to December of 1813, might disturb the graves. But when the
Americans abandoned the fort, the British were relieved to find the
graves undisturbed.
Fort George today
Following the war, Fort George was allowed to fall into ruin and was
replaced by Fort Mississauga, which the British built at the mouth of the
Niagara River. Fort George was completely abandoned in the late 1820s.
Fort George was reconstructed in late 1930s to resemble the fort as it
appeared before hostilities broke out in 1812. The only original building
is the powder magazine.
The site is a popular heritage attraction, as tourists and school groups
come out to see life as it used to be. Those visiting the fort are treated
to a wide variety of activities, including musket-firing demonstrations,
musical programs and 19th-century cooking techniques.
If you haven't been to Fort George, make sure you plan a trip when
you're in the Niagara region. It's a jewel that truly needs to be
treasured. For those who can't make it, here's a look at information
about the fort published by Parks Canada with a few observations
thrown in by myself. But nothing, of course, beats being there in person.
Here's what a walking tour of the fort consists of, reprinted primarily
from Fort George's Walking Tour pamphlet published by Parks Canada.
Front gates and sentry box
The fort's main entrance is secured
by heavy gates made of massive
timbers and reinforced with iron
spikes. By day, these gates were
kept open and a sentry was posted
to keep watch over all who entered.
At night, the gates were closed
and locked. A sentry box was
provided for the guard near
the gates as shelter during bad
weather.
An enemy force attempting to
storm the gates faced a number
of obstacles. The gates opened
outward, which means the crush
of enemy troops forcing their way
in would actually help the defenders
close the gates quickly.
A v-shaped picketing, called a
"Ravelin", served to break the enemy force in two and direct it into the
range of the cannon in the raised platforms to the left and right of the
gate. The bridge to the main gates was protected by a pair of smaller
cannon and the dry ditch made access to the wooden palisade difficult.
Guardhouse
The guardhouse was the centre of the fort's daily operations. All visitors,
including merchants, contractors and suppliers, were required to report
here before proceeding with their business.
For the guards manning the sentry posts, the guardhouse was a place
to rest between four-hour shifts. The shelf bed allowed a few hours of
light sleep but soldiers were not permitted to remove their uniforms or
equipment while they slept.
As uncomfortable as the soldiers must have been, the prisoners were
more so. Deserters, drunken soldiers and other unfortunates were
confined to small, dark cells. Flogging, the punishment for most offences,
was administered outside on the punishment triangle. The offender's
shirt was removed, his wrists were tied to the cross-piece and a cat-o'-
nine tails whip was laid on formally and rigorously. When an offender
was sentenced to more lashes than he could withstand without danger
to his life, his punishment was delivered in installments. While flogging
seems an unusually harsh punishment, it was an accepted form of
discipline within the military in the early 1800s.
Officers' quarters
Officers expected to live like gentlemen, even on the frontier, and those
at Fort George were no exception. They attempted to recreate in their
living quarters the high material and social standards they were
accustomed to in Great Britain. The mess, the centre of social activity, is
the central feature of this building. Originally the word mess meant to
eat. Later, it came to mean dining together and ultimately to signify a
dining room or social area.
Elaborate mess rules were established and social life became a military
version of civilian high society. Dinners were sophisticated affairs,
complete with fine silverware and china, serving dishes and decanters of
port and sherry. After dinner, card games, music and more imbibing of
wine would conclude the evening in the games room.
The bedrooms or personal quarters reflect the background, rank and
interests of the officers. Some furniture was brought from home, some
was purchased from local cabinet makers or tradesmen and some was
supplied by the barrack master.
Officers' kitchen
The officers' kitchen provided the officers' mess with elaborate full-
course dinners. It contains cooking equipment that would be typical of
the 1800s. An experienced cook could create sophisticated dishes in this
simple open hearth and brick bake oven. Army cooks and civilian cooks
hired in nearby Newark (modern-day Niagara-on-the-lake) were
expected to be able to prepare such traditional delicacies as roast beef,
fruit tarts, wine sauces, claret jelly and other favourites.
The ingredients reflected a discriminating standard of living. Some, such
as chocolate, soy sauce, lemons, teas and spices were imported. Others,
such as vegetables, fresh meat and fruit were purchased from the town
market. Fresh game and fish from the countryside provided sport and a
change of diet for the officers.
Artificers' building
Self-sufficiency was critical in British North America, and even more so in
Upper Canada. Thousands of miles of forest, rivers and ocean separated
the colony from Great Britain, the central source of supplies. It was
essential that the army employ well-trained and resourceful craftsmen,
or artificers as they were called at the time.
The carpenter and the blacksmith, the two most important artificers,
could repair or manufacture almost any item, from tools for other
craftsmen and mess benches for the enlisted men to gun carriages and
fort buildings, such as blockhouses.
The tradition of the military artificer at Fort George lives on. In the metal
forge and woodworking shop, skilled hands reproduce and repair articles
once found in everyday use by the British army on the frontier.
Powder magazine
The powder magazine at Fort George is
the most remarkable building at the site.
That's because it was built in 1796 and
was the only building to survive the
War of 1812 and the ensuing years
of neglect.
During the tensions of the early 1800s,
several hundred barrels of gunpowder
were stored within these thick stone
walls. Strict precautions were designed
to avoid an accidental explosion, which
could have destroyed not only the
magazine but also much of the fort.
Only spark-proof materials were
approved for use in the magazine.
The floor boards were secured with
wooden pegs, not iron nails. The doors
were covered with copper and soldiers
working here wore special smocks
and shoes with no metal fastenings.
The powder magazine at Fort George
also features an original lock and a
hinge from the War of 1812, which is
on display inside the structure.
It's well worth a peek.
Although this building was protected from cannon fire by high earthen
banks, it once received a direct hit from American gunners at Fort
Niagara. On Oct. 13, 1812, during the battle of Queenston Heights, a
red-hot cannonball penetrated the roof and set fire to the wooden
supports. With 800 barrels of gunpowder likely to explode, the garrison
deserted the fort in a panic. Only a small party of local militiamen and
Royal artillerymen, led by Captain Vigoreux of the Royal Engineers,
remained. They climbed onto the magazine roof, tore off the metal and
extinguished the fire before it could ignite the gunpowder.
Octagonal blockhouse
The small octagonal blockhouse in the centre of the south ravelin at Fort
George is a replica of the original. Constructed as an artillery
storehouse, the original structure also provided a defensive position and
lookout during an attack.
The south ravelin served the same defensive function as the north
ravelin at the front gates, but is much stronger. An underground tunnel
connects it to the fort, and it's one of the more interesting aspects of the
current structure.
Gunshed
Artillery was essential to the defense of Fort George. Large garrison
guns were mounted in the fort's bastions to cover the Niagara River and
the approaches to the fort. These guns weighed severall tonnes and
could not easily be moved.
Gunners of this era were also equipped with field artillery which was
lighter and much more mobile. Field guns were designed to be moved
quickly into battle to support the infantry. When not in actual use, the
field guns were lined up in a state of readiness in a park of artillery, or in
a gunshed.
An estimate for "a shed for the field ordnance" for Fort George exists,
though the location of this building is not known. Support vehicles, such
as ammunition carts and a portable blacksmith's forge, were also stored
at the fort.
Woodyward
The area enclosed by a rail fence represents a woodyard. Firewood was
the main fuel, used for both heating and cooking at Fort George. The
commissariat officer would purchase cords of wood from local merchants
to issue to the garrison. A high ranking officer's entitlement was several
times that of a regular soldier.
Because firewood was so valuable, it was stored in a fenced area
patrolled by a sentry.
Soldier's garden
Fresh produce was a welcome change in the diet of soldiers.
The British army issued an official ration to their soldiers that included
dried peas, dried rice, salt, beef and other preserved items. Following a
near mutiny, soldiers at Fort George were allowed to cultivate gardens
to supplement their diet.
The garden at Fort George now contains samples of the types of
vegetables, herbs and fruits commonly grown in 1812. That would have
included such plants as tomatoes, beans, leeks, squash, raspberries,
thyme, rosemary, dill and mint.
The flag bastion
Overlooking the American Fort Niagara across the river and commanding
a view of the river, this bastion is the fort's largest and was the most
heavily armed. The largest calibre cannons were placed in the centre of
the earthworks to oppose American batteries on the opposite shore.
Nine-pounder guns at either side covered the palisade walls and swept
the dry ditch to protect against infantry attack.
Below the bastion stretched the storehouses and wharves of Navy Hall,
local headquarters for Britain's Great Lakes fleet. This military complex
was destroyed by the Americans during the war. The restored stone
building is all that remains of Navy Hall.
Blockhouses
A soldier and his wife prepare for their day at the fort. The soldier will
spend most of his time on the parade square, practicing battle drills and
cleaning weapons and equipment. His wife will work to supplement the
meagre wage of her husband.
In times of peace, the blockhouses at Fort George stored supplies for
the garrison or for forwarding to other forts on the upper Great Lakes. It
also provided living quarters for the soldiers and their wives and
children. At least six of every 100 men at Fort George were permitted to
bring their families, which were fed and housed at the army's expense.
The "married quarters" consisted of a blanket hung around a bottom
bunk. Children slept in a spare bunk, on the floor or wherever they could
find a spot.
Food, like most aspects of a soldier's life, was fixed by regulation. Daily
rations of flour, meat, cheese in lieu of butter, peas and rice were
issued. For variety, the men often pooled their resources to buy
supplementary ingredients from the town merchants. They combined
their ingredients in a stew, which was served in mid-afternoon.
A soldier's possessions, which might amount to a change of clothing and
a few personal items, were kept in packs stored on shelves along the
walls and in small wooden boxes.
The blockhouses were constructed of heavy white pine logs and their
roofs and walls were "splinter proof." This meant jagged metal splinters
from an exploding enemy shell could not penetrate. A well-constructed
blockhouse was really a fort within a fort. If the palisades were overrun,
the blockhouses became the fort's last line of defence. Defenders took
shelter inside, firing muskets through slits in the walls and floors. The
upper storey overhung the bottom storey so that soldiers could open
trap doors to fire on an enemy taking shelter against the lower walls.
The cottage at Fort George
A Georgian-style cottage has been constructed at the fort, similar to one
an officer or settler might have built for himself near the fort.
Constructed with materials salvaged from an original building dating
from about 1820, it was erected during the fort's reconstruction from
1937-1940.
The sturdy and secure Georgian style of architecture was introduced to
the frontier by British and Loyalist settlers. It consisted of simple, well
proportioned buildings, symmetrical facades and small-paned
rectangular window openings.
Brock's bastion
Brock's bastion was the fort's most strategic artillery battery. From here,
British gunners could train heavy artillery directly into the heart of Fort
Niagara. The bastion also covered the mouth of the Niagara River and
was in position for firing on enemy ships attempting to gain access to
the river from Lake Ontario.
It is, of course, named after Major-General Sir Isaac Brock, who,
together with Lieutenant-COlonel John MacDonell, was buried at Fort
George in the bastion after the battle of Queenston Heights on Oct. 13,
1812. Twelve years later, their bodies were re-interred in a vault in the
memorial constructed in Brock's honour overlooking the Queenston
Heights battlefield.
For more information about Fort George, please contact:
Superintendent
Niagara National Historic Sites
Box 787
Niagara-on-the-lake, Ont.
L0S 1J0
Phone: (905) 468-4257
E-mail: ont-niagara@pc.gc.ca
base of operations
Fort in Niagara-on-the-lake (formerly Newark)
was the original resting place for Brock after he
was killed at Queenston Heights
By Todd Humber
The cannon at Brock's Bastion are silent today. Dandelions sprout
around the palisades of the fort, and a line of trees obscures the view
across the river to Fort Niagara.
But it was a far different scene 191 years ago. The summer of 1812
brought conflict to the Niagara frontier, following the American
declaration of war on June 18. When signing the document that
launched the war, U.S. President James Madison was also signing the
death notices for thousands of men and setting the stage for one of the
more peculiar wars in history.
The fort was constructed just south of Newark (now Niagara-on-the-
lake) between 1796 and 1799. It was built by the British to guard the
strategic river mouth of the Niagara, to defend the settlement at Newark
and ensure the supply route to British forts on the upper Great Lakes
remained intact.
During the War of 1812, Fort George acted as both a deterrent and a
conduit to American action on the Niagara frontier. The U.S. battle plan
for Upper Canada called for a three-pronged attack. The Americans were
going to move against Fort Malden (Amherstburg, Ont.) in south; the
Niagara frontier in the east, including Fort Erie and Fort George; and
send a third group into Kingston.
In the fall of 1812, Fort George and Fort Niagara routinely exchanged
cannon fire with varying amounts of success. One side would open up
with a salvo of shot, and the other would return fire in kind.
Many military thinkers, including Brock, assumed the Americans would
land in force near Fort George and attempt to take it with a fierce
assault. It seemed, at the time and in hindsight, to be the most logical
route for the Americans to take. But logic didn't always win out on the
American side. Instead of preparing for an assault on Fort George, the U.
S. commander — Stephen Van Rensselaer — was preparing his forces for
an attack on Queenston, about 10 kilometres south of Fort George.
But Fort George was spared the brunt of the first attempt by the
Americans to gain a foothold on British soil in the Niagara region.
Instead of bearing the full brunt of the attack, American guns at Fort
Niagara openend up a barrage in an attempt to convince the British the
crossing at Queenston was a feint and that the real attack would come
on Fort George. By doing so, Van Rensselaer hoped to keep the troops
at Fort George in the garrison and let the Americans take Queenston
fairly easily. Unfortunately for the Americans, the battle plan didn't work
and the attack against Queenston failed, and no more major attempts
were made by the Americans to cross the Niagara until the following
year.
But 1813 was not a good year for Fort George. On May 25, American
naval vessels under the command of Captain Isaac Chauncey launched a
fierce assault on the garrison with the assistance of the cannon at Fort
Niagara. The bombardment pounded the fort to near ruin, and many of
the buildings were set ablaze. On May 27, nearly 5,000 American troops
landed under the command of Colonel Winfield Scott. Vastly
outnumbered, and weary following the massive bombardment, the
British were forced to beat a hasty retreat from Fort George. Before
leaving, they spiked the guns and destroyed the ammunition dump. The
British forces, under the command of Brigadier-General John Vincent,
pulled back to Beaver Dams and reorganized, setting up the decisive
Battle of Stoney Creek.
General Brock was buried at Fort George, along with John MacDonell,
shortly after the Battle of Queenston Heights in Brock's Bastion. There
was some trepidation that the Americans, who occupied the fort from
May to December of 1813, might disturb the graves. But when the
Americans abandoned the fort, the British were relieved to find the
graves undisturbed.
Fort George today
Following the war, Fort George was allowed to fall into ruin and was
replaced by Fort Mississauga, which the British built at the mouth of the
Niagara River. Fort George was completely abandoned in the late 1820s.
Fort George was reconstructed in late 1930s to resemble the fort as it
appeared before hostilities broke out in 1812. The only original building
is the powder magazine.
The site is a popular heritage attraction, as tourists and school groups
come out to see life as it used to be. Those visiting the fort are treated
to a wide variety of activities, including musket-firing demonstrations,
musical programs and 19th-century cooking techniques.
If you haven't been to Fort George, make sure you plan a trip when
you're in the Niagara region. It's a jewel that truly needs to be
treasured. For those who can't make it, here's a look at information
about the fort published by Parks Canada with a few observations
thrown in by myself. But nothing, of course, beats being there in person.
Here's what a walking tour of the fort consists of, reprinted primarily
from Fort George's Walking Tour pamphlet published by Parks Canada.
Front gates and sentry box
The fort's main entrance is secured
by heavy gates made of massive
timbers and reinforced with iron
spikes. By day, these gates were
kept open and a sentry was posted
to keep watch over all who entered.
At night, the gates were closed
and locked. A sentry box was
provided for the guard near
the gates as shelter during bad
weather.
An enemy force attempting to
storm the gates faced a number
of obstacles. The gates opened
outward, which means the crush
of enemy troops forcing their way
in would actually help the defenders
close the gates quickly.
A v-shaped picketing, called a
"Ravelin", served to break the enemy force in two and direct it into the
range of the cannon in the raised platforms to the left and right of the
gate. The bridge to the main gates was protected by a pair of smaller
cannon and the dry ditch made access to the wooden palisade difficult.
Guardhouse
The guardhouse was the centre of the fort's daily operations. All visitors,
including merchants, contractors and suppliers, were required to report
here before proceeding with their business.
For the guards manning the sentry posts, the guardhouse was a place
to rest between four-hour shifts. The shelf bed allowed a few hours of
light sleep but soldiers were not permitted to remove their uniforms or
equipment while they slept.
As uncomfortable as the soldiers must have been, the prisoners were
more so. Deserters, drunken soldiers and other unfortunates were
confined to small, dark cells. Flogging, the punishment for most offences,
was administered outside on the punishment triangle. The offender's
shirt was removed, his wrists were tied to the cross-piece and a cat-o'-
nine tails whip was laid on formally and rigorously. When an offender
was sentenced to more lashes than he could withstand without danger
to his life, his punishment was delivered in installments. While flogging
seems an unusually harsh punishment, it was an accepted form of
discipline within the military in the early 1800s.
Officers' quarters
Officers expected to live like gentlemen, even on the frontier, and those
at Fort George were no exception. They attempted to recreate in their
living quarters the high material and social standards they were
accustomed to in Great Britain. The mess, the centre of social activity, is
the central feature of this building. Originally the word mess meant to
eat. Later, it came to mean dining together and ultimately to signify a
dining room or social area.
Elaborate mess rules were established and social life became a military
version of civilian high society. Dinners were sophisticated affairs,
complete with fine silverware and china, serving dishes and decanters of
port and sherry. After dinner, card games, music and more imbibing of
wine would conclude the evening in the games room.
The bedrooms or personal quarters reflect the background, rank and
interests of the officers. Some furniture was brought from home, some
was purchased from local cabinet makers or tradesmen and some was
supplied by the barrack master.
Officers' kitchen
The officers' kitchen provided the officers' mess with elaborate full-
course dinners. It contains cooking equipment that would be typical of
the 1800s. An experienced cook could create sophisticated dishes in this
simple open hearth and brick bake oven. Army cooks and civilian cooks
hired in nearby Newark (modern-day Niagara-on-the-lake) were
expected to be able to prepare such traditional delicacies as roast beef,
fruit tarts, wine sauces, claret jelly and other favourites.
The ingredients reflected a discriminating standard of living. Some, such
as chocolate, soy sauce, lemons, teas and spices were imported. Others,
such as vegetables, fresh meat and fruit were purchased from the town
market. Fresh game and fish from the countryside provided sport and a
change of diet for the officers.
Artificers' building
Self-sufficiency was critical in British North America, and even more so in
Upper Canada. Thousands of miles of forest, rivers and ocean separated
the colony from Great Britain, the central source of supplies. It was
essential that the army employ well-trained and resourceful craftsmen,
or artificers as they were called at the time.
The carpenter and the blacksmith, the two most important artificers,
could repair or manufacture almost any item, from tools for other
craftsmen and mess benches for the enlisted men to gun carriages and
fort buildings, such as blockhouses.
The tradition of the military artificer at Fort George lives on. In the metal
forge and woodworking shop, skilled hands reproduce and repair articles
once found in everyday use by the British army on the frontier.
Powder magazine
The powder magazine at Fort George is
the most remarkable building at the site.
That's because it was built in 1796 and
was the only building to survive the
War of 1812 and the ensuing years
of neglect.
During the tensions of the early 1800s,
several hundred barrels of gunpowder
were stored within these thick stone
walls. Strict precautions were designed
to avoid an accidental explosion, which
could have destroyed not only the
magazine but also much of the fort.
Only spark-proof materials were
approved for use in the magazine.
The floor boards were secured with
wooden pegs, not iron nails. The doors
were covered with copper and soldiers
working here wore special smocks
and shoes with no metal fastenings.
The powder magazine at Fort George
also features an original lock and a
hinge from the War of 1812, which is
on display inside the structure.
It's well worth a peek.
Although this building was protected from cannon fire by high earthen
banks, it once received a direct hit from American gunners at Fort
Niagara. On Oct. 13, 1812, during the battle of Queenston Heights, a
red-hot cannonball penetrated the roof and set fire to the wooden
supports. With 800 barrels of gunpowder likely to explode, the garrison
deserted the fort in a panic. Only a small party of local militiamen and
Royal artillerymen, led by Captain Vigoreux of the Royal Engineers,
remained. They climbed onto the magazine roof, tore off the metal and
extinguished the fire before it could ignite the gunpowder.
Octagonal blockhouse
The small octagonal blockhouse in the centre of the south ravelin at Fort
George is a replica of the original. Constructed as an artillery
storehouse, the original structure also provided a defensive position and
lookout during an attack.
The south ravelin served the same defensive function as the north
ravelin at the front gates, but is much stronger. An underground tunnel
connects it to the fort, and it's one of the more interesting aspects of the
current structure.
Gunshed
Artillery was essential to the defense of Fort George. Large garrison
guns were mounted in the fort's bastions to cover the Niagara River and
the approaches to the fort. These guns weighed severall tonnes and
could not easily be moved.
Gunners of this era were also equipped with field artillery which was
lighter and much more mobile. Field guns were designed to be moved
quickly into battle to support the infantry. When not in actual use, the
field guns were lined up in a state of readiness in a park of artillery, or in
a gunshed.
An estimate for "a shed for the field ordnance" for Fort George exists,
though the location of this building is not known. Support vehicles, such
as ammunition carts and a portable blacksmith's forge, were also stored
at the fort.
Woodyward
The area enclosed by a rail fence represents a woodyard. Firewood was
the main fuel, used for both heating and cooking at Fort George. The
commissariat officer would purchase cords of wood from local merchants
to issue to the garrison. A high ranking officer's entitlement was several
times that of a regular soldier.
Because firewood was so valuable, it was stored in a fenced area
patrolled by a sentry.
Soldier's garden
Fresh produce was a welcome change in the diet of soldiers.
The British army issued an official ration to their soldiers that included
dried peas, dried rice, salt, beef and other preserved items. Following a
near mutiny, soldiers at Fort George were allowed to cultivate gardens
to supplement their diet.
The garden at Fort George now contains samples of the types of
vegetables, herbs and fruits commonly grown in 1812. That would have
included such plants as tomatoes, beans, leeks, squash, raspberries,
thyme, rosemary, dill and mint.
The flag bastion
Overlooking the American Fort Niagara across the river and commanding
a view of the river, this bastion is the fort's largest and was the most
heavily armed. The largest calibre cannons were placed in the centre of
the earthworks to oppose American batteries on the opposite shore.
Nine-pounder guns at either side covered the palisade walls and swept
the dry ditch to protect against infantry attack.
Below the bastion stretched the storehouses and wharves of Navy Hall,
local headquarters for Britain's Great Lakes fleet. This military complex
was destroyed by the Americans during the war. The restored stone
building is all that remains of Navy Hall.
Blockhouses
A soldier and his wife prepare for their day at the fort. The soldier will
spend most of his time on the parade square, practicing battle drills and
cleaning weapons and equipment. His wife will work to supplement the
meagre wage of her husband.
In times of peace, the blockhouses at Fort George stored supplies for
the garrison or for forwarding to other forts on the upper Great Lakes. It
also provided living quarters for the soldiers and their wives and
children. At least six of every 100 men at Fort George were permitted to
bring their families, which were fed and housed at the army's expense.
The "married quarters" consisted of a blanket hung around a bottom
bunk. Children slept in a spare bunk, on the floor or wherever they could
find a spot.
Food, like most aspects of a soldier's life, was fixed by regulation. Daily
rations of flour, meat, cheese in lieu of butter, peas and rice were
issued. For variety, the men often pooled their resources to buy
supplementary ingredients from the town merchants. They combined
their ingredients in a stew, which was served in mid-afternoon.
A soldier's possessions, which might amount to a change of clothing and
a few personal items, were kept in packs stored on shelves along the
walls and in small wooden boxes.
The blockhouses were constructed of heavy white pine logs and their
roofs and walls were "splinter proof." This meant jagged metal splinters
from an exploding enemy shell could not penetrate. A well-constructed
blockhouse was really a fort within a fort. If the palisades were overrun,
the blockhouses became the fort's last line of defence. Defenders took
shelter inside, firing muskets through slits in the walls and floors. The
upper storey overhung the bottom storey so that soldiers could open
trap doors to fire on an enemy taking shelter against the lower walls.
The cottage at Fort George
A Georgian-style cottage has been constructed at the fort, similar to one
an officer or settler might have built for himself near the fort.
Constructed with materials salvaged from an original building dating
from about 1820, it was erected during the fort's reconstruction from
1937-1940.
The sturdy and secure Georgian style of architecture was introduced to
the frontier by British and Loyalist settlers. It consisted of simple, well
proportioned buildings, symmetrical facades and small-paned
rectangular window openings.
Brock's bastion
Brock's bastion was the fort's most strategic artillery battery. From here,
British gunners could train heavy artillery directly into the heart of Fort
Niagara. The bastion also covered the mouth of the Niagara River and
was in position for firing on enemy ships attempting to gain access to
the river from Lake Ontario.
It is, of course, named after Major-General Sir Isaac Brock, who,
together with Lieutenant-COlonel John MacDonell, was buried at Fort
George in the bastion after the battle of Queenston Heights on Oct. 13,
1812. Twelve years later, their bodies were re-interred in a vault in the
memorial constructed in Brock's honour overlooking the Queenston
Heights battlefield.
For more information about Fort George, please contact:
Superintendent
Niagara National Historic Sites
Box 787
Niagara-on-the-lake, Ont.
L0S 1J0
Phone: (905) 468-4257
E-mail: ont-niagara@pc.gc.ca
border="1"PUTTING OUT THE FIRE: Captain Vigoreux and his
men saved the powder magazine from an American
red-hot shot on Oct. 13, 1812 — the same day
Brock was killed at Queenston.
men saved the powder magazine from an American
red-hot shot on Oct. 13, 1812 — the same day
Brock was killed at Queenston.
border="1"INSIDE THE MAGAZINE: A
view inside the powder
magazine at Fort George. The
magazine is the only original
structure at the fort. (Photo by
Todd Humber).
view inside the powder
magazine at Fort George. The
magazine is the only original
structure at the fort. (Photo by
Todd Humber).
| border="1"SOLDIER'S GARDEN AT FORT GEORGE: Fresh produce was a welcome change in the diet of soldiers. |
DAILY LIFE: A
soldier and his
wife prepare for
their day at the
fort. The soldier
will spend most of
his time on the
parade square,
practicing battle
drills and cleaning
weapons and
equipment. His
wife will work to
supplement the
meagre wage of
her husband.
soldier and his
wife prepare for
their day at the
fort. The soldier
will spend most of
his time on the
parade square,
practicing battle
drills and cleaning
weapons and
equipment. His
wife will work to
supplement the
meagre wage of
her husband.
| border="1"ORIGINAL BURYING PLACE: Brock's Bastion at Fort George, the original burying spot from General Brock and his aide MacDonell. (Photo by Todd Humber.) |