Defending Our Home

Having lost their homes in the province of New York to the Yankees in the so-called American Revolutionary War just 30 years earlier, the refugee Loyalist families of Dundas County, Upper Canada, had their homes threatened again when, in the fall of 1813, they found themselves in the path of the single biggest offensive in what was to become known as the War of 1812. This story describes the various skirmishes that took place along the Canadian shore of the St. Lawrence River as the largest army that had ever been assembled by the United States proceeded relentlessly through their farms on its way to capture Montreal.The story culminates with the dramatic Battle of Cryslerś Farm as seen through the eyes of the young Dundas County militiaman Thomas Marselis. The British regulars, Canadian militia, and Mohawk warriors faced overwhelming odds and the largest cavalry charge mounted during the war, in a battle that is one of the most important in Canadian history, in a war that "helped define who we are today, what side of the border we live on, and which flag we salute." Ronald L. Doering, U.E., is an Ottawa lawyer. He was raised in Dundas County. Publisher's note.