Page:Tupper family records - 1835.djvu/32

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14 MEMOIR OF SIR ISAAC BROCK.

bis last moments. Singularly enough his dispatches, accompanied by the colours of the U. S. 4th regi- ment, reached London early on the morning of the 6th of October, the anniversary of his birth. One of his brothers, who was residing in the vicinity, was asked by his wife why the park and tower guns were saluting. "For Isaac, of course," he replied; "do you not know that this is his birth-day ?" And when he came to town he learnt, with emotions which may be easily conceived, that what he had just said in jest was true in reality, little thinking, however, that all his dreams, all his anticipations of a beloved brother's increasing fame and prosperity would that day week, one short week, be entombed

"Where Niagara stuns with tliund'ring sound."

The unfortunate General Hull, on his return to the United States, was tried by a court martial and con- demned to death ; but the sentence was remitted by the president, in consideration of his age and services during the war of independence.* His name was, however, struck off the rolls of the army. His son, and aid-de-camp at Detroit, Captain Hull, was killed in July, 1814, in the hard-fought battle near the falls of Niagara.

The successful commander, in transmitting his dis- patches to the governor-general at Montreal, expressed his intention of proceeding immediately with his gal- lant little army to Kingston, and from thence to the attack of the naval arsenal at Sackett's Harbour, on Lake Ontario. Had its destruction been accom- plished, — and no one can doubt that this was the proper period to attempt it, as the enemy, dispirited by the capture of Detroit, would probably have offered

  • For his revolutionary services, see Appendix A, Section 2.

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