Isaac Brock

This article deals with General Sir Isaac Brock. Information on the musician of the same name can be found in the article on his band Modest Mouse .

Sir Isaac Brock , KB ( October 6, 1769 in Guernsey ; † October 13, 1812 near Queenston , Canada ) was a British general who played a key role in the successful defense of Canada against American troops in the early stages of the War of 1812 and therefore it is still considered to be the “savior of Canada”.

Portrait of Sir Isaac Brock

Life

Isaac Brock was born on the British island of Guernsey in 1769 . At the age of 16, he followed the example of three older brothers and joined the British Army. He began his career in 1785 as an ensign in the 8th Infantry Regiment and later reached the rank of captain in the 49th Infantry Regiment. After serving in the Caribbean in 1797, he acquired the rank of lieutenant colonel and regimental commander through purchase . After serving under Admiral Nelson in Holland, Brock and his regiment were transferred to Canada in 1802 .

By then he had earned a good reputation among both his superiors and his soldiers. He was considered demanding, but also fair and humane. He was given the post of garrison commander of Québec , was promoted to major general in 1811 and was given command of all troops in Upper Canada. Brock repeatedly asked to be transferred back to Europe to take part in the war against Napoleon . However, he was instead given the post of administrator of Upper Canada, as Governor Francis Gore was appointed to England. Contrary to his superior, the Governor General Sir George Prevost , Brock suspected that rising tensions with the US would result in war, and prepared for it. In the spring of 1812 he began to strengthen defenses, to sound out the possibilities of alliances with the Indians , and to begin convening and training militias .

Fort Mackinac, Michigan

When the American declaration of war came, Brock decided, contrary to Prevost's warnings, to go on the offensive despite the numerical superiority of the Americans. In contrast to the Governor General, he had realized that a defensive stance would not bring him the support of the Indians or the settlers in Upper Canada. With the help of the influential trader Robert Dickson , he prepared an attack on the strategically important American frontier fortress Fort Mackinac at the confluence of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron . The coup of a British Indian unit, which came as a complete surprise to the Americans, succeeded on July 17, 1812. After this success Brock intensified his efforts to establish an alliance with the Indians and was able to win one of the most influential Indian leaders in the Shawnee chief Tecumseh on his side. Brock promised Tecumseh, with whom he had great mutual respect, that he would not conclude a peace treaty with the Americans that would not guarantee the Shawnee's desire for an independent state. It is known from Brock's correspondence that the Indian state was not a matter close to the heart of the British general, but knowing his character and his sense of honor it must be assumed that he would have stood by his word in peace negotiations and advocated Tecumseh's cause.

Together with Tecumseh, Brock faced an American invasion of Canada from Detroit with vastly outnumbered troops (July 12). After two minor skirmishes, the 2,000 Americans under General William Hull withdrew to Detroit. With skillful psychological warfare , in which Tecumseh's Indians played a key role, Brock was able to undermine Hull's morale to the point that Hull and his entire army surrendered on August 16 - one of the most humiliating defeats in US history. The fear of the Indians played a key role in this. A truce between Prevost and US commander Henry Dearborn prevented further British-Indian successes , which gave the Americans the opportunity to reorganize their troops, to recover from the previous disasters and to prepare an attack on Canada on the Niagara River between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario . An advantage for Brock was that the Army of the Center opposite him was led by Major General Stephen Van Rensselaer , a militia inexperienced militia officer.

Major General Brock dies at the Battle of Queenston Heights. Painting by John David Kelly, 1896

Brock tried to organize the defense of the region. When the American invasion came on October 13th, Brock rode alone from Fort George to the scene and took command of the Battle of Queenston Heights . After the Americans had surprisingly captured the Queenston Ridge, Brock, true to his principle that he would never order his men to go anywhere he would not lead them, led two costly and unsuccessful counter-attacks. In the second attack, he was shot in the chest and died almost instantly. His last words are said to have been "Push on, boys" . The battle was won by his successor, Roger Hale Sheaffe . Brock's death was an irreplaceable loss to British forces in Canada. The fact that the Americans succeeded in ending the war on the basis of the status quo is mainly due to Brock's death and the incompetence of his successors ( Henry Procter , Sir George Prevost ).

Although he had little personal connection with Canada, he is still honored there today as a hero and “savior of Canada”. This is justified, as his successes against the Americans convinced the British that a successful resistance was possible. It took the Americans over a year to drive the British out of Detroit and lost the time, troops and resources they lacked for an offensive move against Canada. The alliance with the Indians enabled a number of successes even after his death, many of which were based on the Americans' fear of them (e.g. in the battle of Beaver Dams in 1813). At the site of the battle, a large donation-raised memorial commemorates Isaac Brock. The city of Brockville ( Ontario ) and Brock University in St. Catharines (Ontario) were named in his honor.

Web links

• General Brock History (Engl.)