Читать книгу The Life of John Graves Simcoe - William Renwick Riddell - Страница 8

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John Graves Simcoe was a little over seven when his father died and the family removed to Exeter; he had already received the rudiments of an education and shortly after removal to Exeter he entered the Free Grammar School in that Cathedral City. He was attentive and studious, an apt but not a brilliant scholar; what he learned, he learned thoroughly and retained permanently; at an early age, he read Homer in Pope’s translation, and as a boy, he took part with his companions in a play portraying the scenes of the Iliad. He attained proficiency in the branches of knowledge taught in the school and was among the first, if not the first in his standing; he was also well versed in modern history, not as yet taught in schools, and he eagerly read every tale of war. Active, filled with a spirit of emulation, he was foremost in all games of boyhood—his standing on the playground equalled that in the schoolroom.

No myths have grown up about him, he seems to have been a hardy, active, well-bred English boy of the best type, and he was likeable and ever on good terms with his fellows.

Merton College—The Quad, Oxford, England

In 1766, he was sent to Eton, and three years afterwards he entered at Merton College, Oxford. He took a high place in both Colleges in his studies—there is reason to think, also in sport—but there was nothing phenomenal in either. Extant examples of his English and Latin verses in manuscript indicate diligence, accuracy and ability; and volumes of ancient and modern history with annotations in his own hand sufficiently evidence his devotion to that study.

He does not seem to have taken a degree^[1]. The reason is not known, but it has been said that it was due to ill-health^[2]. Whatever the reason, he remained at Merton for only one year and returned to Exeter, where he studied military science under a tutor^[3], having been promised an Ensign’s commission by friends of his mother.

All was not going well with the Empire; George Grenville’s theory of Colonies that they existed for the advantage of the Mother Country had resulted in 1765 in the Stamp Tax; the American Colonies resisted; and although Grenville lost power almost immediately, Townshend continued Grenville’s policy. America still resisted and the King, George III, urged the use of compulsion. Whatever might otherwise have been the result, when the King succeeded in 1770 in making Lord North Prime Minister, an open war of force was inevitable.

This is not the place to treat at large of the merits of the controversy resulting in the Declaration of Independence and the destruction of the old British Empire^[4]. It is, however, certain that men like Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Adams, never contemplated separation from Great Britain until 1775, nor could any wish so to do until that time be discovered among the people of the Thirteen Colonies—that Chatham in 1773 said that the “New Englandmen feel as Old England should feel”^[5]—that it was only when a bungling Ministry aided by a conscientious but ill-unbalanced King who had been as badly educated as he was badly advised, insisted on crushing by military and mercenary force all aspirations of a free people to free self government that Independence was declared.

A very large proportion of the Colonists did not recognize the necessity for severing connection with the Mother Country; but they were overborne, and the result we know.

There is nothing to indicate that Simcoe ever saw any merit in the contentions of the Colonies—he says “the late war in America ...... he always considered as forced upon Great Britain, and in which he served from principle ...... Had he supposed it to have been unjust he would have resigned his commission, for no true soldier and servant of his country will ever admit that a British officer can divest himself of the duties of a citizen or in a civil contest is bound to support the cause his conscience rejects”^[6].

All his education and the example of his father tended to impress him with certitude that the King and his Ministers were right, and he never wavered in that conviction. In 1770, he entered the Army as an Ensign in the 35th Regiment of Foot^[7], in which his intimate friend Edward Drewe served.

He was not sent to America with the first detachment of his regiment but remained in England until May, 1775; he arrived on the last ship of the fleet at Boston on June 19, 1775, two days after the famous battle of Bunker Hill^[8]. His god-father, Vice Admiral Samuel Graves^[9], was in command of the North American fleet charged with enforcing the Act closing Boston Harbour to commerce; and Simcoe was entrusted by him with certain services, the performance of which brought him into acquaintance with many of the American Loyalists—“from them he soon learned the practicability of raising troops in the country whenever it should be opened to the King’s forces; and the propriety of such a measure appeared to be self-evident. He, therefore, importuned Admiral Graves to ask General Gage that he might enlist such negroes as were in Boston and with them put himself under the direction of Sir James Wallace who was then actively engaged at Rhode Island and to whom that Colony had opposed negroes: adding to the Admiral, who seemed surprised at his request, ‘that he entertained no doubt he should soon exchange them for whites’^[10]. General Gage, on the Admiral’s application, informed him that the negroes were not sufficiently numerous to be serviceable and that he had other employment for those who were in Boston.”

Simcoe continued with the 35th Foot in Boston when the City was besieged by the Revolutionary troops^[11]; during this siege, he purchased a Captaincy in the Grenadier Company of the 40th Foot^[12].

Washington, as Commander-in-Chief of the American Forces, assumed command of the siege of Boston, and, taking advantage of an oversight on the part of General Howe, the British Commander, he, early in March, 1776, seized and fortified Dorchester Heights and placed the besieged Army in a most critical position. On March 17, the Army set sail for Halifax, which was speedily and successfully reached.

On June 11, 1776, the Army left Halifax for Sandy Hook, where it arrived June 29; then proceeded to Staten Island, where it disembarked July 3; here reinforcements were met, and the 40th was formed in Brigade with the 17th, 46th and 55th under Major Grant—the Grenadier Companies with those of other Corps were formed into Grenadier Battalions.

Considerable operations took place during the summer of 1776; Long Island was reduced, the American Army retiring in boats across the East River to New York and abandoning their fortifications—subsequently New York was captured, the 40th taking an active part in the operations.

The Americans took up another position, and General Howe, to separate them from New England, embarked a portion of the British troops, including the Grenadier Companies of the 40th, in boats, and landed them at Chester, October, 1776. Six days later, Howe re-embarked this detachment and landed at Pell’s Point, near which a sharp engagement took place.

Washington, on evacuating New York, took up a position at White Plains, where Howe was about to attack him in force, October 31, when the Americans retired to the New Castle Heights. Howe then reduced Fort Washington. The Regiment then joined the forces of Lord Cornwallis, who, November 18, crossed the North River, and he pursued the Americans for three weeks through New Jersey, until they crossed the Delaware. The weather becoming cold, the British troops went into winter quarters at Brunswick.

During that winter, Simcoe went to New York expressly to solicit the command of the Queen’s Rangers: “the boat he was in being driven from the place of its destination, he was exceedingly chagrined to find that he had arrived some hours too late, but he desired that Col. Cuyler, Sir William Howe’s Aide-de-camp, would mention his coming thither to him as well as his design”^[13].

The American Army, recrossing the Delaware, marched towards Trenton; Cornwallis, recognizing the design, marched out to meet them, leaving the 40th and other regiments behind at Princeton under Lieutenant-Colonel Mawhood, January 3, 1777. Mawhood, in obedience to orders, marched from Princeton for Maidenhead, a village about half way to Trenton; he met American troops almost immediately on the beginning of the march and a sharp engagement, the Battle of Princeton, took place, the 40th being driven back to that place with serious loss^[14].

Brunswick was not attacked, but during all the winter and following spring there were continual skirmishes with more or less loss on both sides: Amboy was the headquarters for the 40th, but the Flank Companies, including Simcoe’s, were stationed at Brunswick.

Howe determined to change the seat of war, and, in June, embarked his army for the Chesapeake; arriving, August 24, at Elk Ferry, a few days thereafter he marched on Philadelphia, but Washington, taking prompt advantage of Howe’s dilatoriness, also moved his troops and was able to interpose them at Brandywine. There a sanguinary battle took place, September 11, in which the British had decidedly the advantage. Simcoe, who was with the 1st Battalion Grenadiers, was wounded in this battle; Captain Wemyss, of the 40th, was in command of the Queen’s Rangers, who greatly distinguished themselves during the engagement^[15]. Simcoe, by reason of his wound, missed the Battles of Concord and Germantown: on October 15, 1777, his cherished hope was realized, when Howe gave him the command of the Queen’s Rangers, upon which he had long set his heart—he received the Provincial rank of Major, and joined the regiment the following day^[16].