Canada's Coloured Corps-- Part 5: Battle of Queenston Heights

On the morning of 13 October 1812, American forces under Major General Stephen  Van Renssalear III invaded Upper Canada by crossing the Niagara River at Queenston.  Runchey's  Company marched to Queenston from Fort George with Major General Roger Sheaffe's reinforcements, arriving after Sir Isaac Brock's death that same day.

The company joined Captain John Norton's Six Nations warriors in sniping at the American position  from atop Queenston Heights, before forming part of Sheaffe's battle line.

Alongside the 41st Regiment of Foot  and the 49th Foot, Runchey's company "fired a single volley with considerable execution, and then charged with tremendous tumult," bringing about the American surrender.

Having absented himself on the morning of the battle, Runchey subsequently resigned, and the company was commanded temporarily by Lieutenant James Cooper of the 2nd Lincoln Militia.  Cooper was cited in dispatches as having led his men  "with great spirit."

Sir Isaac Brock Is the Part of the Sign-Off.  --Brock-Perry

Canada's Coloured Corps-- Part 4: Captain Robert Runchey

But, instead of making Richard Pierpont commander of the corps,  that went to a local white officer,  Captain Robert Runchey.

Characterized as a "worthless, troublesome malcontent" by his superiors, Runchey fulfilled his  reputation for poor leadership by segregating  black men from  other militiamen.  In  some cases, Runchey hired out black soldiers as domestic servants to  other officers.

Not surprisingly, recruitment in  the Niagara Peninsula proved to be very difficult and "Runchey's Company of Coloured Men" remained small.    In early October 14, 1812,  14 black soldiers were transferred to the unit from the 3rd York Militia.

The majority of the men of the unit lived in Upper Canada -- in towns and villages in the Niagara region, in York (Toronto) and Bay of Quinte, near Belleville.  One of the men, George  Martin, from Niagara, had been freed from slavery by his father, Peter, in 1797.

Four years before that, Peter Martin had witnessed and reported the Chloe Cooley Incident to Lt.-Gov. Simcoe--  an event that led to the Act to Limit Slavery in Upper Canada.

Once raised to about 40 men, the unit began training at Fort George.

--Brock-Perry