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From Gosport we returned to Parkhurst again. 148 of our
depot were drafted to Canada, one half to Quebec and the other half to Toronto.
I was not myself among this number, but 16 of us were told to be in waiting in
case of illness or desertion (I being the last one). So on our way to Cowes to
embark, one fellow fell ill and poor I obliged to take his place. We embarked on
board “The Euphrates” a merchant tub fitted out as a troop ship. I had the good
fortune to be on good terms with a comrade in the Regiment, who had been an old
sailor. He was made the cook for our detachment and told me of a plan how to
avoid sea sickness, which proved to be correct for I and five others were not
ill during the whole voyage and while our comrades were enjoying the extreme
felicity of retching, we were stowing away their rations for a future day in
case we should run short. We called off Cork on our passage and took on board a
detachment of the 19th Regiment, proceeding to Montreal. While we
laid, I parted with a pound of tobacco for a quarter loaf, which at that time
was of more consequence to me. We hoisted anchor and made the best of our way
across the Atlantic but meeting with adverse winds, were much buffeted about and
were 66 days reaching Quebec. Being short of provisions, I found my store of
rations come very handy. Once on the voyage, I was orderly and it being very
rough, could keep nothing on the table. I therefore slung a pail of pea soup up
to the beam and whilst stooping down to cut the pork, my head came in contact
with the pail and overturned the scalding hot soup over me nearly scalping me
and turning those around me sick. There being so short of provisions nearly
cause mutiny, and one day all of us mustered on deck and shouted for more food,
the Captain ordered us another biscuit a day this did not seem much but from
their being so very hard, it had the effect of making our jaws ache and stopped
our shouting for the remainder of the voyage. Some of our men were so hungry
they used to steal the bones from the dogs that had been brought out of the
cabin and sometimes after the dogs had amused themselves with them. We soon
after, arrived in the river of St. Lawrence where our hearts leapt at once more
beholding the sight of land. The country on both sides of the river, is very
mountainous and have a very pleasing effect, especially to those who have never
witnessed more grand before. Here we had a narrow escape. The vessel was stuck
with one of those Typhoons or whirl winds, as we call them, we lost our mizzen
mast and nearly capsized the craft.On arriving at Quebec harbour we caught sight
of the plains of Abraham, where General Wolf was killed. This was pointed out by
our captain and we all uncovered, in token of the respect to the noble General’s
memory. We landed on the wharf at Quebec and changed our baggage into a river
steamboat, to proceed up to Toronto. Strange to say my second brother John,
assisted in removing the baggage, of course not having seen him for so many
years I did not know him. So we steamed up the river to Montreal and there along
the canal, to avoid the rapids of the St Lawrence, here the scenery was very
beautiful. Steaming up Lake Ontario, we passed the thousand islands, the
different channels through which, together with the magnificent foliage around,
present a picture too beautiful to be imagined. At the time we arrived at
Toronto, the cholera was raging in the town, which obliged us to be confined to
barracks for six weeks. After our arrival, my first duty in Canada was officers
Orderly. I had an official letter to take into the town from the officer on duty
and not knowing any way, asked an Irishman, whom I met on the road. Pat tried
with a little French, to make me understand that he could not speak English, so
I had to find my way the best I could. I got told off on presenting the letter
to my superior officer, because I was too polite in taking off my hat and not
polite enough to salute him with my hand to my head. Some days after this, I
happened to meet this same officer in the barrack square, on my way from the
cook house with a dish of potatoes on my head and for fear of being corrected
again the second time, I let go the dish to pay my due respect to him and in the
act of rising my hand the dish fell from my head and so spoiled my comrades
dinner. This seemed to be an unfortunate day with me, being in a flurry about
being reported, I was very nervous. In the afternoon, going down to the wharf to
dip a pail of water, I fell, head foremost through the ice. The sentry on the
ramparts above seeing me struggling and again breaking through, came to my
assistance and reaching out his rifle, I caught the sling tight and so got out
of my perilous situation. I soon became insensible from cold and cramp and
coming to my senses some hours afterwards, I found myself wrapped up in
blankets. About this time we had a young officer from England found the
regiment, whose duty it was on this occasion to command the firing party at
target practice. One day I remember we were out at the practice and the marker
imprudently let a cow stray in our line. We saw the cow and asked the officer if
we should cease firing, “oh no” say’s he, fire away. So Fred Arnold, always
shutting the strong eye when firing, let fly and brought the old cow to grass.
The owner of the animal sued the officer for it’s value, it was paid and the
carcass was ours. We hacked into the old cow, without skinning her and carried
it away piecemeal to barracks. If you have ever seen the death of a fox, you can
imagine us pegging away at the cow, fighting for the best parts and getting as
bloody as butchers. Just to give a little specimen of the English officer
abroad. I may here observe that one of our men was to be tried for habitual
drunkenness, but before they could try this man by Court Martial, the Captain,
or president, had to be bailed out of the Police cell for being drunk and
disorderly. He came to barracks, tried this unfortunate fellow, gave him forty
two days and then returned to town and got fined for is misconduct. One night I
strolled out with some comrades who made me tight on a lemon syrup and whisky.
We went into a public house and being young and not inclined to drink spirits, I
ordered some of the syrup, but some of my comrades mixed it with whisky which
took such a singular effect on me that I felt incline to tumble down on the
ground and cover myself over with the snow for a counter-pain. Which ultimately
I did and a married sergeant returning to his quarters, passed by me and seeing
my singular roost, had me conveyed home to barracks on a shutter but not before
I had got some of m fingers frozen. This was a narrow escape for me, for had the
sergeant not observed me, I should in all probability have been frozen to death.
Desertions in Canada at this time were very frequent and eight of our band
getting clean off with their instruments, arrived in the United States and
joined a wild beast show. Our authorities went after them, intending to
prosecute, but American Law pronounced it only a breach of trust. The good
accounts we continually heard from deserters in the States induced me and 3
others to steal a boat and try and make our escape, but the sentry was down on
us too quick. So after getting off about two hundred yards, we were hailed and
obliged to put back to shore again. I took one way and the others took another,
but I managed to get into barracks before I was discovered. The others being
brought in by the picket next day and as there were five of us absent that
night, so I was not sworn as to have been one of the four that was in the boat,
so I got off scot free while my three poor comrades got forty two days each
imprisonment. We only remained at Toronto eight months and shifted our quarters
to Kingston, on Lake Erie. Here my snobbing propensities over took me once more
and to complete my education in that respect, I entered our regimental
shoemakers shop, where we were obliged to earn £1 per week as our regiment at
this time were in want of shoes. This, besides my regular pay, enabled me to
keep time with my non-commissioned officer in charge of the room to which I
belonged to. I used to accompany him to any public house and in one, there were
two girls; with one of these I fell desperately in love. She was a black eyed
rosy cheek girl, about eighteen and I should at that time picked out us a girl,
calculated to make a chap like myself pretty comfortable, but here my love did
not run smooth. I was concerned with the, before mentioned, officer in cutting
off one of our comrades whiskers. This chaps name was “Edwards” and an ignorant
Hampshire hog who would persist in paying his visits to these girls. One night
we made him drunk and he priding himself on his whiskers, of which he had a
tolerable crop, we managed to reap some of them off. When he discovered his loss
in the morning, he was in a deuce of a rage and if he had not been prevented,
would have run some of us through with his sword. About this time I turned tea
total and commenced to save money and put it in the saving bank with a view of
getting married. But this good and virtuous resolution only lasted about four
months. Christmas was the event which caused me to break the pledge. I had been
out for the day to dine, but on returning home I found all my comrades at their
Christmas games and all top ropes. This induced me to join them and ended in my
drawing the money out of the bank and squandered it away in spreeing about. This
ended my engagement with this little black eyed charmer, although I often
visited her afterwards. On passing through the market one day I was attracted by
a man who was disposing of watches by Auction. I was induced to bid and it was
knocked down and I became the possessor of this, to all appearance, a nice
silver watch for a dollar and a half which turned out to be a Liverpool runner.
Wrongly named I consider, for it would not run without I run with it. However, I
managed to get up a raffle in the barrack room and found my profits amount to
five dollars and half. The man who won it sold it to a green horn for five
dollars. Our Captain, hearing of it through the purchaser applying for his
money, asked to see the watch and being a tolerable judge pronounced it’s value
to be nothing. So for this watch and raffling it, I nearly got into a scrape and
received a reprimand with an admonition to be more careful of my jewellery
transactions for the future.
Just about this time, I received
a letter from England informing me of the sudden death of my Father. This deeply
affected me and I deeply felt for the forlorn condition of my poor mother who,
now a widow, would be without the consolation of myself and brothers who, had we
been near, we could have afforded her. The suddenness with which he was taken
away also deeply impressed and I could not think of this visitation of
providence, without thinking that such dispensations were sent by him who does
all things for our good and who works them out in so many mysterious ways. Soon
after this, my brother John came up from Quebec to Kingston. I had previously
heard from him by making enquiries and found out where he was located, but I
little thought we were so soon to meet. He was a wheelwright in the Royal
Artillery and enlisted soon after my brother James. I shall never forget my
first meeting with him after his arrival in Kingston. I did not know of his
coming so he sent one of his comrades to our Barracks to say, that a friend
wanted to see me at a certain public house in the town. I went up wondering who
on earth it could be, finding no one there I took my seat in the Parlour waiting
for someone to turn up. Bye and bye, in comes some of the Artillery, one of them
looked me very hard in the face as if trying to recollect my features. One of
the others, remarking at the time “that’s him”. In return I stared hard at this
artillery man and seeing his well known smile, called him by name scarcely
believing my own eyes. He said I must be mistaken as to his identity, he had not
the pleasure of my acquaintance, but I assured him I had some slight knowledge
of his. I did not so much wonder at his not knowing me, as he left me at home
in my pinafores and never had seen one since and now saw me as big as himself in
my regimentals. Of course we were soon “tete á tete”; relating family events.
The subject of Fathers death became our chief discourse and this made our
meeting somewhat sad, although it cheered one to have him quartered so near me.
We became constant companions, so I had many opportunity of relating to him most
of what had passed at home since he left. On the following Christmas he invited
me to dine with him at the Artillery Barracks. The large room was tastefully
fitted out with evergreens and laurel and being lit up by numerous lights, gave
it an unusual gay appearance. On these occasions, a tray is put at the head of
the table containing a bottle of wine and some glasses, it being customary for
the commanding officer followed by staff to round and inspect us and drink the
health of the men in wine, with the compliments of the season. Observing me like
a black sheep among the many gay uniforms of the artillery, asked if they had
invited a sweep to dine with them, raising a laugh at my expense and which I was
not all ashamed of for I was very proud of my Rifle uniform. When the mirth had
subsided the officer received an explanation and immediately apologised for his
rather rude pleasantry, which of course was accepted and laughed off by me. We
spent a jolly evening and kept Christmas up in as good a style as possible for
the honour of Old England. Our shop where I used to work, was rather a large
one, as it contained 17 of us comprising: seven tailors and the remainder snobs.
We were very busy at this time making long boots for the regiment, which in the
cold climate of Canada are much worn. One morning we had a lot of this
description on hand, but did not feel much inclined for work, consequently we
amused ourselves with cards etc., besides taking a fair share of Whiskey. Some
one suggested that we should play our Master shoemaker (a sergeant) a joke, so I
and another placed a large tin dish full of water on the top of the shop door,
so that when it was opened it would tumble down and drench him. Unluckily,
instead of the sergeant, one of the officers made his appearance and got the
contents of the dish over his uniform. For this, we were marched out and as none
of us would split who did it, he sent us all to the guard room as prisoners, but
being of importance that the boots should be finished, we were asked if those
who performed this trick would honourably come forward and say so at once. When
my assistant called out “I and Gibbs done it”, we expected to get a Court
Martial at the least, but being candid, we got off with a very light punishment
while all the others had much heavier. One of our men about this time, fell
through the ice and was drowned. There being no carpenters shop, the coffins
were made by the wheelwrights, so my brother came in for the job. A large fire
had been raging the day previous, the soldiers being called out to assist in
putting it out and removing the goods. One of our men “Jen Carr”, brought out a
large casket of oil (as he thought) but after knocking off the neck of the
bottles against the heel of his boot, he pronounced it to be Champagne. So he
managed to slip away about a dozen bottles in a drain close by, which we found
next day and had a jolly spree. But to return to John and the coffin, he too had
been at the fire and got about half seas over, was in no mind for work and next
day however he made a part of the coffin and then got so drunk he could not
finish it. The coffin being particularly wanted in the evening, I went up to see
how it was getting on and found Jack in it, fast asleep his comrade also drunk
in another part of the shop. This would not do at all and he not being in a fit
state to finish it, I awoke his companion up and with his assistance, managed
to finish it, so I got Jack out of a scrape. We lost a great many men through
falling through the ice and getting drowned. One morning, we had a very heavy
fall of snow and all hands turned out to clear the Barrack Square. I was engaged
with others in removing it in sledges and tipping off the wharf on to the ice.
Having a incline to go down to the wharf, we used to mount on the sledge and
ride down. In consequence of an altercation taking place, I shifted my seat and
the poor fellow who took my seat, which I had left only a few minutes before,
fell off broke through the ice and would have become food for fishes had we not
fished him out. But only too late for the poor fellow was drowned, so this was a
narrow escape for me. In the summer time we used to go out shooting occasionally
and sometimes took in our heads to bathe. While we were out shooting one day we
fell in with a female of the Mohawk tribe in the woods and being a fine figure
of the red Indians, with a lovely set of ivories and a bonny pair of coal black
eyes, I thought I should like to make an impression on her well turned lips and
was about to embrace her for that purpose, when she gave a tremendous yell which
soon brought her old buck to her side who levelled his rifle and would have made
no bones about shooting some of us, had we not been too well armed for him. On
one of our bathing excursions we fell in with some of the native females
floundering away in the water like so many mermaids. There being only three of
us in company at the time we immediately joined them and highly amused
ourselves, as well as we could, under such naked circumstances. Just in the
midst of our frolic, who should we see rowing up the river to the spot but the
Commanding Officer of our Regiment, who made it his pastime to visit this haunt
and help smooth the long black hair of those mermaids occasionally. But no
sooner did he pop his ogles on us, than he took to sculls and rowed a hasty
retreat casting a glance at those fair females we had taken from his grasp.
Lucky for us he did not recognise our features. We left here soon afterwards and
it was with great regret that I parted from my brother and the little blacked
eyed damsel at the public house. We returned to Quebec for Old England and
embarked on board “The Simon” troop ship after my stay in the Colony of three
years. We had some fun coming home on the passage, although we numbered together
with the crew and a detachment of Invalids something like sixteen hundred
huddled together like so many pigs. One third of us used to remain on deck every
night and another third slept in the hammocks and the remainder on the decks
below. I used, sometimes with others, to take a snooze in the sheep pen and
thought it a great luxury when it was my turn on deck. Our luggage was stowed
round the masts between decks, over which was placed a sentry. It came to my
turn to be on in the night and being so closely confined I, like my companions
that were strewed around me all snoring fell asleep too, when the sergeant came
around and caught me napping and made me a prisoner. Next morning I was taken
before the Major and he, taking into consideration our closely confined
position, together with his being half drunk sentenced me to be confined to
barracks for fourteen days. In the middle of the Atlantic, this with the loss of
my grog was considered to be a sufficient punishment and suited me very well all
though by this time I could take my grog without lemon syrup or the consequence
of getting my fingers frozen. The Simon was a three decker and of course under
Man of War regulations, carrying eight guns on her quarter deck. I happened
unfortunately to belong to the Junior Company was quartered on the bottom deck
with Invalids and married soldiers. The wife of a soldier who had died abroad, a
sprightly piece of goods, she was always larking with us. So one night we
determined to play her a practical joke by cutting down her hammock while she
was asleep. Our hammocks were all slung to the deck beams, mine nearly touched
hers, only there was a curtain drawn to part us over which two of the married
soldiers kept guard. I managed, in the dead of the night, to cut down the foot
stay of her hammock when down she came with a gun on the ground hollering out
and arousing the whole of us. Of course the sentries were asleep as usual, and
no one owning to it, Viz (myself), no one got blamed or punished, although a
strict search was made for the guilty party. I cannot say I admire the
discipline on board of a Man of War. The Master at Arms, a great tall Sergeant
of the Marines, had to drill the boys. They mounted the rattlings on one side,
had to climb over the main top and come down on the other side, when as a rule
the last one down had a good stroke or two to make him more nimble for the
future. This cruel practice used to fall on one poor sickly looking lad, who was
not so nimble as the rest. The poor boy, when finding he was last, would stop up
in the rattlings and look down upon this huge monster with tears in his eyes,
asking him for mercy, who in return gave him a good stroke with the cane. Our
men, observing this treatment with feelings of derision, remonstrated with him
and nearly got themselves put in irons for their humane exertions. |