9 – Sir Isaac Brock (1769 – 1812)
Often known as the ‘Hero of Upper Canada’, Sir Isaac Brock was a British soldier and administrator who lived and worked in Canada for most of his career. He was born in Guernsey in 1769 and joined the British Army in 1785 as an ensign. Brock quickly distinguished himself and earned several promotions at a relatively young age. He became lieutenant in 1790 and was promoted to captain in January 1791 when he was still only 21 years of age. Brock almost died from fever and did not recover until 1793 when he returned to England.
He became lieutenant-colonel in 1797 and was assigned to the Helder Expedition as part of the 49th Regiment of Foot in 1799. It involves traveling to the Netherlands and Brock first saw combat on September 10, 1799. Brock took command of a regiment in poor shape but he pulled his men together and was injured in a skirmish on the beaches of Egmont-op-Zee. Although he was at the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801, his services were not required and instead, he had the chance to witness the brilliance of Lord Nelson.
Brock’s legend really begins in 1802 when he was sent to Canada with his regiment. Over the next decade, Brock dedicated himself to improving the colony’s defenses and training military units for a possible war against the United States. Another promotion, this time to colonel in 1805, followed and by 1807, it seemed clear that war with the U.S. was inevitable. War finally broke out in June 1812 and it seemed as if Brock was in a hopeless position. He had 1,000 British soldiers and 11,000 militia, only 4,000 of whom he could trust with a weapon. He faced a well-trained army that significantly outnumbered him but over the next few months, Brock showed his military prowess.
One of his greatest victories was the Siege of Detroit where he took the city from United States forces on August 15, 1812; this achievement earned him a knighthood of the Order of the Bath. The capture of Detroit dented American morale and resulted in British domination over much of Michigan Territory. Alas, Brock placed himself in unnecessary danger at the Battle of Queenston Heights on October 13. He charged into the battle but was easily spotted due to his red uniform, gold lace and cocked hat. An American sharpshooter saw him and shot Brock in the chest.
Despite the terrible setback, the British recaptured the heights and took almost 1,000 prisoners. Brock died before he received the news of his knighthood but he has never been forgotten. He is still regarded as one of Canada’s greatest military heroes and 12 years after his death, a statue was erected in his honor on the site where he was killed. Although it was destroyed in 1840, a bigger version was built in 1856 and is clearly visible on one of the world’s largest undefended borders.