110 CANADIAN LOCAL HISTORY 



and like hei*, or rather like the ubiquitous Roman citLzea of old, we may 6Vea already ask 

 " Qiom caret ora cruorz nostra ?" — sadly as individuals perhaps, but proudly as a people. 



The occupant of Mr. Dunn's house at a later period was Chief Justice McLean, who died here 

 in 1865. He was bom at St. Andrews, near Cornwall, in 1791. At the battle of Queenstonj 

 he served as Lieutenant in Capt. Cameron's No. 1 Plank Company of York Militia, and received 

 a severe wound in the early part of the engagement. He Was afterwards for some time Speaker 

 of the House. An admirable full4ength painting of Chief Justice McLean exists at Osgoode 

 Hall. 



XL.— QUEEN STREET, S''ROM BROCK STREET AND SPADINA AVENUE TO 

 BATHURST STREET. 



Immediately after the grounds and property of Mr. Dunn, on the same side, and across the 

 very broad Brock Street, which is an opening of modern date, was to be seen, until recently, a 

 modest dwelling-place of wood, somewhat peculiar in expression, square, and rather tall for its 

 depth and Width, of dingy hue ; its roof four-sided ; below, a number of lean-to's and Irregular 

 extensions clustering round ; in front, low shrubbery, a circular drive, and a wide, open-ba,rred 

 gate. This was the home of one who has acquired a distinguished place in our local annals, 

 military and civil — Colonel James Fitzgibbon. A memorable exploit of his, in the war with the 

 United States in 1813, was the capture of a force of 450 infantry, 50 cavalry and two guns, when 

 in command himself, at the moment, of only forty-eight men. He had been put in charge of a 

 depot of stores, at the Beaver Dams, between Quecnston and Thorold. Colonel Boerstler, of 

 the invading army, was despatched from Eort George, at Niagara, with orders to take this dep6t 

 Fitzgibbon was apprized of his approach. Reconnoitring, and discovering that Boerstler had 

 been somewhat disconcerted, on his march, by a straggling Are from the Woods, kept up by a 

 few militiamen and about thirty Indians under Captain Kerr, he conceived the bold idea 

 of dashing out and demanding a surrender of the enemy ! Accordingly, spreading his 

 ittle force judiciously, he suddenly presented himself, waving a white pocket-handkerchief. 

 He was an officer, he hurriedly announced, in command of a detachment : his superior 

 officer, with a large force, was in the rear ; and the Indians were unmanageable. (Some extern* 

 porized war-whoops were to be heard at the moment in the distance.) The suggestion of a 

 capitulation was listened to by Colonel Boerstler as a dictate of humanity. The truth was, 

 Major DeHaren, of the Canadian force, to whom, in the neighbourhood of what is now St. 

 Catharines, a message had been sent, was momentarily expected, with 200 men. To gain time, 

 Fitzgibbon made it a matter of importance that the terms of the surrender should be reduced 

 to writing. Scarcely was the document completed when DeHaren arrived. Had there been 

 the least further delay on his part, how to dispose of the prisoners Would have presented 

 considerable difficulty. 



Lieutenant Fitzgibbon was now soon Captain Fitzgibbon. He had previously been a private 

 in the 19th and 61st Regiments, having enlisted in Ireland at the age of seventeen. On the day 

 of his enrolment, he was promoted to the rank of sergeant ; and a very few years later he was 

 a sergeant-major. He saw active service in Holland and Denmark. His title of Colonel Was 

 derived from his rank in our Canadian Militia. 



His tall, muscular figure, ever in buoyant motion ; his gray, good-humoured, vivacious eyej 

 beaming out from underneath a bushy, light-coloured eyebrow ; the cheery ring of his voica, 

 and its animated utterances, were familiar to everyone. In the midst of a gathering of the 

 young, whether in the school-room or on the play-ground, his presence was always warml|' 

 hailed. They at once recognized in him a genuine sympathizer with themselves in their way* 

 and wants ; and^he had ever ready for them words of hope and encouragement. 



Our own last personal recollection of Colonel Fitzgibbon is connected with a visit which we 

 Chanced to pay him at his quarters in Windsor Castle, where, in his old age, through the interest 

 ol Lord Seaton, he had been appointed one of the Military Knights. Though most romantically 

 ensconced and very comfoi-tably lodged, within the walls of the noblest of all the roj'al 

 Residences of Europe, his heart, we found, was far away, ever recurring to the scenes of old 

 activities. Where the light streamed in through what seemed properly a loophole for cannon, 

 pierced through a wall several yards in thickness, we saw a pile of Canadian newspapers. T» 



