Letters by Duncan Campbell, 1837-1839

This collection contains seven letters written by Duncan Campbell providing an account of the rebellions in Upper and Lower Canada in 1837-1838. Campbell was an ensign for the 83rd (County of Dublin) Regiment of Foot and fought in both the Upper and Lower Canada Rebellions. The letters are addressed to his family in Scotland.   He describes the Battle of Saint-Eustache and its aftermath, William Lyon Mackenzie’s occupation of Navy Island in the Niagara River with the Patriots, and his journey to Kingston, which involved some time in Niagara Falls.  

The letters have been digitized and transcribed and are available in the Digital Repository.

Letter from Duncan Campbell to Mary, 25 December 1837

In this letter Campbell describes the Battle of Saint-Eustache and its aftermath.  He writes that "both regts. charged down the street as quickly as we could & took possession of the benches on both sides of the Church. The Rebels in those houses were all shot or made prisoners. They still however kept up a fire from the Church windows & showed the most determined courage you can imagine. At last the door was stormed by a party of Royals & almost immediately after it the church was set fire to. They now began to run in all directions & made no further resistance of any kind…our men shot about 7 of them & we brought 15 of them back prisoners. Two more hours were employed in scouting the woods & shooting any of the poor wretches who continued to resist, & making as many prisoners as we could…”. He further describes the grisly scene of the burning church and bodies of the dead rebels, and the abandonment of the nearby villages. Campbell concludes that [Weeks] body had been found sunk in a river and that [Captain Henry] had turned quite deranged and is now in confinement.

Letter from Duncan Campbell to his Mother, 4 February 1838

This letter describes William Lyon Mackenzie’s occupation of Navy Island in the Niagara River with the Patriots. Campbell writes that “the Company that I am in got orders…to proceed to Toronto, the capital of the upper province as an escort to a large supply of arms & ammunition to arm the Militia in that quarter. For at the time the Rebels under McKenzie with a drove of Yankees were expected to make an iruption into the province from the Niagara frontier. They however did not try it, but took up their quarters in a small island 2 miles above the falls of Niagara where the Yankees supplied them with arms, ammunition, canon, etc. The island is so situated that any boats going to it from our side, runs considerable risk of being carried over the falls the stream runs so rapidly. We however set the Artillery to work at them as Navy Island is only a mile from the main land. They made such havoc amongst them that during a dark stormy night they (the Rebels) took their departure & dispersed themselves over the States, so Mackenzie’s Rebellion in Upper Canada may now be considered over as they have not been left a leg to stand upon & can never have the smallest chance of succeeding.”