PART 1-PISKAHEGAN AND ITS BLOCKHOUSE by Rev.Charles M. Smith
The tragic news of the outbreak of war with the United States which reached New Brunswick through the port of St. Andrews June 25, 1812 (a week after war had been declared) was received with mixed trepidation and poise. However, the whole unfortunate crisis was almost immediately seen to be most unpopular especially in the New England states, which, in due time, even threatened to secede from the "Union" before they would release their various states' militia units to Federal Military Commitments,--an extreme reaction which, of course, never was carried out.
New Brunswick was ill-prepared militarily, psychologically, economically, or hardly in any other way for the exigency of war. The only thing that could be done was to wait and see. But mere "waiting" upon someone else was not an integral part of northern character: St. Stephen, Calais and Eastport took civic matters in their own hands and, --in immediate council sessions,--having deliberated therein, announced forthwith their firm intentions of keeping the peace and of continuing the spirit of amity and good relations with their neighbours on respective sides of the St. Croix River. St. Andrews, however--already a military center--of necessity braced itself for "come what may". Drilling of available troops and the erection of blockhouses, earthworks and other defensive measures,--were undertaken all of which began to reflect the more immediate British mood and intention. Ships of war began to appear and to patrol adjacent waters. At Robbinston, across the river, steps were taken to obtain militia protection,--as did Calais and St. Stephen,-- although these latter two neighbouring towns were a bit more phlegmatic and composed.
Harold A. Davis in his excellent study,--"An International Community on the St. Croix, (1604-1920)." Pages 104, 105, quotes from the memoirs of the Reverend Duncan M'Coll, noted Methodist Pioneer in the St. Andrews-St. Stephen area, which reflects a personal element as he, that untiring Pastor, experienced it in the conduct of his wide-ranging ministry: "On Saturday, June 27, 1812, we received the unwelcome news of war being proclaimed between Great Britain and the United States. On Sunday 28th., the people crowded from both sides to our meeting house. I could hardly make out to preach with the peoples' sobbing and weeping, thinking withal this should be the last time they could see each other in the peace. The next day I stopt over the street to Mr. P. Christy's, one of our magistrates, and pointed out to him the necessity and the propriety of calling the people together on both sides of the river, and that a committee should be chosen on both sides, who should consult together and maintain peace and order till such time as troops from either side should take command on the lines. He went immediately and consulted other leading men, who all fell in with this measure, which answered a most wholesome purpose to their country. We were all pleased to find that the same spirit prevailed all over these two provinces, and the governors' proclamation was beneficially of the same pacific nature as far as respected the inhabitants".
Thus, the mutually respected minister was allowed to visit his "flock" on the American side of the river. This happy pattern obtained for about a year or more, but soon he began to detect the fine reciprocal relationship was changing toward him as he recorded in his memoirs:
"On Tuesday (12 November 1813) I was requested to go over to Calais and bring the body of Mrs. Mary Whiing(?) to our burying ground. Mary of our old Calais friends were there, but I am now become a disagreeable visitor to them".
I cite this merely to reveal the general public tone of both time and place which, in part, helps to deepen our insights into the essential purposes of the various Block Houses erected in this region of New Brunswick.
During the years following the coming of the Loyalists--and more especially during the War of 1812:--several block-houses and other military installations were erected throughout the Province, including some in Charlotte County. Considerable material has been handed down to us on this subject, especially by Dr. W. F. Ganong in his "Historical Sites in New Brunswick". A study of military locations is always intriguing and rewarding: a few such structures were built along the old Fredericton-St. Andrews road. Ganong states,--"These are clearly shown on Bonner's Map of 1820 and (on) some others". Let us now consider the Block-House on the Magaguadavic River in Charlotte County,--a site well known to local citizens and clearly marked on adjoining land grants. This Block-House most certainly strengthened the use and popularity of its old road,--in fact without it this primitive route may well have disappeared long before it did, and Piskahegan as a settlement (with admittedly poor land at that) may not have come into being at all. A network of military structures became essential throughout the Province, especially in the proximity of the American border and elsewhere, either for coastal defense purposes or as communication links between its far-flung settlements. On the eastern bank of the Magaguadavic River and upon a level rise of ground, to the south of the road, a Block-House was erected with a commanding view of the surrounding terrain. This post was one of two such forts; the other being further north in the Oromocto area. St. Andrews had three such fortresses: one at Indian Point to the southeast of the town; another at Joe's Point to the west overlooking the St. Croix and the American coast, and a third one "about halfway between these two" which still stands as a significant landmark and tourist attraction. (A booklet entitled,--"Blockhouse at St. Andrews, New Brunswick, 1812" by Dr. J.C. Medcof, of St. Andrews, provides us with a valued history on this fort). Others are believed to have been erected further up the St. Croix River at Simpson's Point and at Oak Point.
With such a network of defenses in the St. Croix area one can hardly deny the underlying military concern that stirred in the minds of both the local citizenry and the somewhat remote military leadership back in Fredericton, -- or, further still,--Halifax. In the light of such bold and hasty endeavors one might tend to wonder if in fact, war might even visit such peaceful shores,--but sanity prevailed and the war (unpopular on both sides of the U.S.--Canadian border) was minimal: with the alert of local militia units, together with special instructions to Customs officers, folks along the St. Croix watched, waited and worked. One development, however, of at least dramatic value was the dispatch, late in 1812, of 512 militia to the St. Croix, but the measure proved needless and, in the following March, the Militia was disbanded. It was not long when it became evident that war was a reality but far away toward the west and the south. Further, nothing was deemed gainful in disturbing the status-quo or in impeding the rising prosperity and the steady flow of essential goods, mutually needed and shared. Faced, therefore, with this paradoxical situation in the Bay of Fundy and the St. Croix areas (of uninterrupted trade between two nations of war) the people soon settled back down in pursuit of their local respective duties and daily toil.
Written by permission of the Saint Croix Courier. Found it the Nov. 28/1974 edition. Transcribed by Charlene Beney