were to some extent recruited from the royalists. The great accession to the number of the refugees took place in 1782 and 1783, so that at the close of the year the "unincorporated loyalists" who received rations, many of them clothing and blankets, amounted to 3,204. The influence exercised by Haldimand on their arrival led to full care and forethought in all quarters being shewn to them. There is no record of indifference or neglect in any one instance. The good treatment the loyalists received at the hands of the representatives of the sovereign in Canada is a record to which we may refer with pride and satisfaction. On the completion of the definitive treaty, orders were given for the disbandment of the several provincial regiments. Haldimand proposed with these troops to commence the settlement of the country, from the shores of lake Saint Francis. Applications had been made for grants in the neighbourhood of Mississquoi bay. Haldimand refused to entertain the request, as he held that, from its situation, there might be bad feeling between the new settlers and the inhabitants of the adjoining state. On the other hand, he regarded it to be sound policy to promote the establishment of the loyalists at cape Breton and near Detroit. Townships were therefore surveyed, commencing at river Beaudette, lake Saint Francis. Eight were made ready for settlement at this locality; five were surveyed at Cataraqui, Kingston. † * Sir John Johnson's 1st Battalion R. N. Y. Regiment. Townships 1 to 5 were settled by King's Royal Regt. of New York. Ryerson relates a story [Loyalists of America II., p. 187], which is 1784] BAY OF QUINTÉ. 219 The Rangers established themselves in the bay of Quinté near the Mohawks. The whole consisting of 1,568 men, 626 women, 1,492 children, 90 servants, making a total of 3,776; Township 2. Jessop's corps.... 34 ..... 3. By the 2nd Batt. King's Royal Regt. of New York... 310 299 Different detachments disbanded regular regiments.... 259 44 [Can. Arch., B. 168, p. 42.] The return is signed by Sir John Johnson. certainly unsustained by fact, that captain Grass, whose name is mentioned in the settlement of the No. 1 township of Cataraqui, was the cause of Carleton sending a party of loyalists from New York to this locality. It is asserted that Grass had been a prisoner at Frontenac [Kingston], and Carleton hearing the fact wished to inquire of him "what sort of country Upper Canada was, and whether people could live there." Frontenac, the fort, was taken by Bradstreet in 1758, a quarter of a century previously; Carleton himself had been with Wolfe in 1760 and had been governor of Canada from 1768 to 1778. He was in correspondence with Haldimand, and if he required such information, a fact ridiculous to suppose, he could have received it officially and fully from the proper source. Some loyalists undoubtedly arrived in Canada from New York in 1783 [Can. Arch. B, 166, p. 156.] In the list of those quartered at Kingston there is a record of captain Grass' company, one lieutenant and sixteen men. [B. 126, p. 92.] There is a letter from Matthews to Delancey, 15th April, 1784 [B. 63, p. 212], by which it is plain some pretensions of the kind were advanced. Mathews writes: "His excellency is much displeased with the last part of Mr. Grass' letter, where he assumes to himself and party the title of proprietor of the land in question, and says that they first found out and planned the settlements, &c., encouraged by Sir Guy Carleton's good wishes. The sentiments are as expressive of ignorance as presumption, for it is well known that that part and the neighbouring county was intended and in forwardness for the reception of the loyalists who had served during the war in this province, and who are entitled to any preference, were such to be given, to persons who came into the province with Mr. Grass." The name of Grass is also met in an answer to a memorial from him, in which he is told that the stocking of farms is utterly impossible, and that if the policy of the government of Canada does not suit Mr. Grass and the others, a passage will be found them to Nova Scotia. Subsequently he made a charge against Mr. Peter Van Alstine, who appears to have been placed in charge of the loyalists from New York. The matter was accommodated by captain Barnes, the officer placed in charge by Haldimand. Mathews wrote to de Lancey to try to get the misunderstanding settled, but that Grass and his associates were to get no special privileges; the most of them who came into the province were mechanics who removed from one place to practice their trade in another, and that they would have to draw lots with other loyalists. 630 families, consisting of 3,150 souls, elected to proceed to cape Breton. The total number reported in October, 1784, as settling in the townships above named, at Lachine, in and about Montreal, Chambly and Saint John's and at the bay of Chaleurs is 5,628. We have here the commencement of the foundation of the province of Ontario in 1784. At the early stage of settlement the emigration from the United States did not increase with rapidity. The incorporated refugees in 1783 amounted to 3,204; at the close of 1786 they were numbered at 4,487.* This hesitation in seeking a home in Canada arose from the belief that the government was purely military, and the loyalists of the United States were unwilling to be subjected to this control. When it was known that a constitutional government was established, large numbers carried out the desire so ardently felt by them, to live under the British flag. There were among them the better educated of the population, who could justly be counted among the best part of the community to which they belonged. Many of the new settlers came in by lake Champlain, and ascended the Saint Lawrence in open boats, bivouacking at night, continuing their journey by day. Many found their way to Oswego; at an early date schooners plied between Oswego and Kingston to the east and other ports. As a rule, those who subsequently joined the settlement took the open boats, and followed the south side of the lake to Niagara. Many even arrived, who had travelled by waggons from north Carolina to the mouth of the Genesee river. Beyond this spot there was no road. The majority of the new settlers ascended the Saint Lawrence, with numerous accessions, as has been said, from Oswego and the mouth of the Genesee. At that date the seat of the fur trade was Queenston, seven miles above Niagara. It was here, that the goods for [Can. Arch., B. 166, p. 153. Ib., pp. 197-251. This return gives the name and place of every refugee, and is continued over 54 MS. pages.] 1784] NOVA SCOTIA. 221 the west were carried across the portage to reach lake Erie, and the furs brought to the river to descend the Saint Lawrence. The upper landing place was Chippeway creek, the present Welland river; settlement consequently clustered round these points. A road was shortly cut to the Grand river, which it crossed about fifty miles above the entrance to lake Erie, and was subsequently continued to the river La Tranche, to which the name of the Thames was afterwards given. Early in the settlement of the country, Hamilton attracted attention. In 1794 it is described as a small town between Newark and York. York, the modern Toronto, was early the scene of some enterprise, for a road was cut to lake Simcoe, on which one hundred German families commenced settlement.* We have a precise statement of the loyalists who took refuge in Nova Scotia, shewing the localities where they were established. They were mustered between the latter end of May and the end of July, 1784, in order to ascertain the number entitled to the rations which were granted to them. The precise localities are even named. The total number was 28,347 souls. Of this number 202 reached the island of Saint John's, afterwards Prince Edward Island. While the refugees were generally scattered over the country, 4,131 found their way to the river Saint John (New Brunswick), 3,401 remained at Shelburne. These arrivals, to some extent, took place after the peace, a fact in itself to establish the little hope of ease and quiet which presented itself in the new United States. They arrived late in the season of 1783. There was difficulty in early assigning the land, the main cause being "the want of foresight and wisdom to make. necessary arrangements and steadiness to carry them into execution." There was likewise a want of surveyors, and there had been irregularities and delay in laying out the lots. * "A letter descriptive of the different settlements in the province of New York, London, 1795." It is written in the form of letters from New York. The writer claims that he had access to the notes of the surveyor-general, afterwards Sir David Smith. The work conveys the impression that it was officially compiled. Thus, unnecessary suffering was caused to the refugees, and great additional expense to the government in finding them food to save them from perishing. As colonel Morse, who made the examination, pithily puts it, "They have no other country to go to, no other asylum." Within ten years of the date of the first settlement, 1784, the population steadily increased. I cannot pretend to form with accuracy an estimate of the extent of emigration from the United States in the first years succeeding the peace, when it took the form of a national sentiment. Some modern United States writers place it at 100,000 at this date. I cannot find evidence of this fact. The loyalists were of two classes, those who served in the regiments which were ranked on the Canada staff, and those who are described as unincorporated. We have a return of the first settlement on the Saint Lawrence, made about 1786, for it is not dated, which describes the total, exclusive of those quartered at Quebec, 4,487. We may approximately compute the total as follows: Settlement on the Saint Lawrence, as found in state Refugees reported by colonel Morse in Nova Scotia, including the river .... 4,487 Cape Breton, 630 families... 28,347 Total number given as being settled about Montreal, Chambly, Saint 3,150 5,628 Some few found their way to the old country and Newfoundland. I do not conceive that they would have exceeded..... 41,612 1,000 "A general description of the Province of Nova Scotia" by Lt.-col. Morse, chief engineer in America, "upon a tour in the autumn of the year 1783, and the summer of 1784 under the orders of Sir Guy Carleton, New York, 28th of July, 1783." [This report is given in full in Can. Arch. report for 1884, pp. xxvii-xli.] The following numbers are given : The entire population of Nova Scotia at this date was 42,747. |