Biography of lieutenant james fitzgibbon

FitzGibbon's biography notes him essentially as having been an extremely effective man in his career who was cheated of any real reward beyond recognition. FitzGibbon was "intensely loyal to the crown and had a keen mind, but lacked the formal education, wealth, and social background that would have enabled him to penetrate the ranks of office in the army or government".

Nevertheless, FitzGibbon is still noted as being "a conscientious, capable, and zealous public servant until he became overburdened with debt and grew obsessed by the injustice of the long delay in granting him his well-earned reward". He went to the Canadas in , by which time he was a sergeant. He apparently played a key role in the suppression of a near-mutiny at Fort George, Upper Canada [ citation needed ] , but there is no mention of this in his official biography.

In , when he was the regiment's sergeant-major , his commanding officer, Isaac Brock , made him an officer. This was extremely unusual at the time as most officers' commissions were bought. In , he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant. The "main body" of FitzGibbon's enlisted regiment - the 49th Regiment of Foot though without its modern renaming - were present during the Battle of Fort George , at the Fort itself.

However, it appears that FitzGibbon was not, as there is a notable lack of evidence within FitzGibbon's official biography of any presence or action of James; it is likely that if a figure held in such high historical esteem as FitzGibbon was present at the battle, this information would be readily available. In August , FitzGibbon escorted a brigade of ships holding military stores from Montreal to Kingston, going through "the rapids" the "International Rapids" of the St.

Lawrence River , while in view of the American shore. In January , FitzGibbon led 45 sleighs holding needed supplies from Kingston to Niagara through the Canadian winter. Three weeks later, he led 50 soldiers in guerrilla-style raids on a large American force that had captured Fort George on the Niagara Peninsula. It was he who was warned by Laura Secord on 22 June about an impending surprise attack by American troops.

After the Battle of Beaver Dams, FitzGibbon would operate almost exclusively in reconnaissance and observing the movement of the American troops. In he fought at the Battle of Lundy's Lane but his part was not effective. FitzGibbon and his Glengarry Light Infantry Fencibles were attacking the left flank of the opposing American forces when both he and his troops were mistaken as American soldiers themselves by regular troops under the command of Lieutenant-General Gordon Drummond , who subsequently fired on them.

FitzGibbon and his force, in consequence of this friendly-fire, were forced to withdraw. However, as argued by American historian John R. Elting, the strategy that FitzGibbon was using in seeking to attack the weakened left flank against the Americans would likely have been successful in achieving a divisive victory for Drummond if Drummond has concentrated the majority of his troops on the left flank itself.

After FitzGibbon's involvement in the Battle of Beaver Dams , a local legend was created perhaps by Mohawk Chief John Norton who was present at the time, perhaps by William Hamilton Merritt and lamented through a piece of prose: "The Caughnawaga Norton's troops, aka the Kahnawake got the victory, the Mohawks got the plunder and FitzGibbon got the credit".

After the war, FitzGibbon retired on half-pay and became a clerk in the office of the Adjutant-General of the militia. The First Nations warriors, led by Capt. William J. Kerr and Capt.

Biography of lieutenant james fitzgibbon

Dominique Ducharme, both Metis, attacked at the beech woods. After three hours of fighting in the bush, FitzGibbon approached the Americans. He was promoted to captain in the Glengarry Light Infantry Fencibles, where for the rest of the war he and his men acted as scouts for the army. After he resigned his commission as an officer, he held a number of public service jobs in Canada.

During the rebellion against William Lyon Mackenzie, FitzGibbon managed to whip a poorly trained rabble into shape to meet — and stop — the rebel menace marching down Yonge Street towards Toronto. The Upper Canadian legislature requested a 5,acre land grant from the Queen, but it was suggested FitzGibbon instead be given money for his civil and military services.

FitzGibbon returned to Britain in Fitzjames, Louise b. Fitzjames, Natalie b. Fitzlar, Martin von ca. Fitzmaurice, Gabriel Fitzmaurice, Henry Charles Petty. Fitzmaurice, William Petty. Fitzpatrick v. Bitzer U. Fitzpatrick, Benjamin. Fitzpatrick, Brian, B. Prince Albert. Fitzpatrick, Colleen ? Fitzpatrick, Deanne. Fitzpatrick, Edward Augustus.

FitzGibbon tried in vain to persuade the British government to supplement his reward, arguing that he had saved Upper Canada for the empire. In he assembled all his documentation in a pamphlet entitled An appeal to the people of the late province of Upper Canada , but this achieved nothing. In FitzGibbon had become clerk of the Legislative Council of the Province of Canada, but increasingly he absented himself from the office while continuing to draw his salary.

FitzGibbon had been a conscientious, capable, and zealous public servant until he became overburdened with debt and obsessed by the injustice of the long delay in granting him his well-earned reward. He was intensely loyal and had a keen mind but he lacked the education, social background, and wealth that would have enabled him to penetrate the higher ranks of office in the army or government.

He went to England in and did not return. There he lived on a small allowance in comfortable quarters provided by the crown, using his Canadian pension to pay off his debts. Canadian Freeman York [Toronto] , 15, 22, 29 July The documentary history of the campaign upon the Niagara frontier in the year , ed. Cruikshank Welland, Ont. Documents , selected from several others , showing the services rendered by Colonel FitzGibbon , while serving in Upper Canada , between the years and , [comp.

Patriot Toronto , 3 Aug. Cruikshank, The fight in the beechwoods , a study in Canadian history 2nd ed. Dent, Upper Canadian rebellion. Murphy] Jameson, Winter studies and summer rambles in Canada 3v. Robertson, The history of freemasonry in Canada from its introduction in Source: Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. The citation above shows the format for footnotes and endnotes according to the Chicago manual of style 16th edition.

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