Читать книгу The Life and Times of Gen. John Graves Simcoe - D. B. Read - Страница 3

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There never yet has been published a history of the life of General Simcoe, the first Governor of Upper Canada. The pioneers of the country and their descendants are entitled to be made acquainted with the officer who was first entrusted with the administration of their affairs, and was the real founder of the Province. In writing "The Life and Times of General Simcoe" I have endeavoured to recall the public acts of the first Governor of Upper Canada in his different capacities of citizen, soldier and administrator. His career as a soldier and officer of the "Queen's Rangers" during the Revolutionary War naturally demands attention. For much that I have written on that subject I am indebted to the Journal which he himself kept during the different campaigns of the War of Independence. Regarding General Simcoe's career as Lieutenant-Governor I have availed myself of information gained from that valuable collection of manuscripts called "Smith's Papers," which the chief Librarian of the Public Library of Toronto so opportunely secured for that Institution.

Writing not only the memoirs, but a history of the times of Governor Simcoe, necessarily drew me a-field. The great Indian chief, Thayendanegea (Brant) was so intimate a friend of Simcoe, and held in such high regard, not only by the Governor, but by the people of the Province of Upper Canada, that I could not pass him over. I have given him a foremost place in the history of the Times.

The name of Major André, so familiar to those acquainted with the Revolutionary era, also finds a place in this history. His was a sad and undeserved fate, the recollection of which to this day rankles in many breasts.

I must not omit to mention that I have, in preparing this work, derived great assistance from the writings of Dr. Scadding, not only from his "Toronto of Old," but the "Memorial Volume," published to celebrate the Semi-Centennial of Toronto. I first satisfied myself that some record of the early times of the Province ought to be preserved, and acting upon this inspiration I set about writing this history which I now commit to the reading public, in the belief that its perusal will do no harm, and may do much good in reviving a memory of the past, and of the first era of a Province now the foremost of the Provinces of the Dominion of Canada.