Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Fraser (Scots soldier and Canadian pioneer)
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Alexander Fraser (early 1789–10 July 1872) was a Scottish soldier serving in the British Army, who as a sergeant of the 49th Regiment of Foot, played a decisive role in the Battle of Stoney Creek (6 June 1813 in the War of 1812) by leading an infantry charge and capturing two American generals. He then rose to become a lieutenant colonel in the militia and a founder, magistrate, and leading citizen of the town of Perth in Ontario, Canada. He was also active in local politics, a justice of the peace, and had the misfortune of having to appear before his colleagues on a charge of libel.[1]
| Photographed in Scottish Highland uniform in December 1870. Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Fraser | |
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| Born | 1789 Fort Augustus, Scotland |
| 💀Died | 10 July 1872 Annsfield House, Perth, Ontario, Canada10 July 1872 |
| Resting place | Old Burying Ground, Pioneer Cemetery, Craig Street, Perth, Lanark County, Ontario, Canada |
| 🏳️ Nationality | British |
| 💼 Occupation | Joined British Army as a private soldier and rose to lieutenant colonel in the Canadian militia. |
| Known for | Led decisive infantry charge and captured two American generals in the Battle of Stoney Creek (1813) in the War of 1812 |
| 🏛️ Political party | Conservative and loyalist |
| 👩 Spouse(s) | Ann Earle (married 1814) |
| 👶 Children | Margaret, Charles, Alexander, Mary Ann, Mary, Peter, James, Elizabeth, William, Harriet, Ann, Maria, Caroline, Willie, Johnnie |
| 👴 👵 Parent(s) | Peter Fraser and Jean McDonald |
Early life and education[edit]
Alexander Fraser was born in 1789 at Fort Augustus garrison barracks[1] on the southern shore of Loch Ness, Inverness-shire, Scotland, and was baptised on 18 April 1789.[1] He was the eldest son of Peter Fraser, a veteran drummer in the 71st Foot Regiment of the British Army, and Jean MacDonald. Peter and Jean were married in about 1778 in Inverness-shire[1] and had six children – four sons and two daughters.[1]
Although conditions in the Fort Augustus barracks would have been harsh, it is likely that Jean MacDonald was officially recognised as a dependent wife by the regiment, and this would have provided certain privileges – including accommodation and rations, accompanying her husband wherever he was posted, and an education for the children.[1]
Early military career and personal life[edit]
10th Royal Veteran Battalion: 1807–June 1810[edit]
Peter Fraser transferred to the 10th Royal Veteran Battalion in March 1807 and his three sons – Alexander (having just turned 18), Peter Jr. (aged 16), and James – also enlisted in the same battalion.[1]
James subsequently drowned June 1808 at the age of 12.[1]
Royal veteran battalions were British Army units of the early nineteenth century made up of men no longer fit for frontline service.
During 1805 and 1806, tensions between Britain and the United States began to rise, and the decision was made to send the battalion to Canada for garrison duty on the frontier. The Fraser family (including parents Peter/Jean, siblings Jean/Ann/Evan/Peter Jr/James – total eight people) probably arrived in Quebec on 17 September 1807 on board the transport ships Draxhall and Aurora.[1]
By January 1810 Drummer Alexander Fraser, his brother Peter, and father Peter were nominally based at Trois-Rivières[1] but in fact were on detachment to Kingston, Ontario (about 420 kilometres upstream from Trois-Rivières at the eastern end of Lake Ontario).[1]
49th Regiment of Foot: July 1810–1813[edit]
Alexander Fraser had transferred to the 49th Regiment of Foot (known as the ‘Green Tigers’ because of its fighting reputation and the green markings on the scarlet regimental uniforms) by August 1810. His brother Peter joined him in the same regiment in May 2011.[1]
From October to December 1810, Alexander Fraser was posted to Saint-François-du-Lac (about 48 kilometres upstream from Trois-Rivières). He then returned to Trois-Rivières and was posted to Montreal from July 1811 to June 1812 and while in Montreal was promoted to corporal in November 1811.[1]
Alexander was promoted to sergeant and appointed assistant sergeant major over ten other sergeants in January 1813.[1]
He fought at the Battle of Stoney Creek with 49th and was transferred to the New Brunswick Fencible Infantry on 28 October 1813.
New Brunswick Fencible Infantry: October 1813–February 1816[edit]
As a result of his actions at the Battle of Stoney Creek, Alexander was promoted to ensign and appointed an adjutant of the New Brunswick Fencible Infantry based in Fredericton, New Brunswick. He was further promoted to lieutenant in June 1815.[1]
His regiment was disbanded in February 1816, and on 23 February he was placed on half pay and granted a ‘starter package’ of land at the Perth Military Settlement, Ontario.[1]
Lanark Militia: joining date unknown – discharge date unknown[edit]
By 1836 he was a captain in the Lanark Militia and participated in the suppression of the Mackenzie /Papineau Rebellion of 1837–1838 and was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1846 initially in command of the 4th then the 6th Regiment of the Lanark Militia.[1]
War of 1812[edit]
The United States declared war on Britain on 18 June 1812.
Alexander and Peter Jr. had been posted to Fort George (now a national historic site) at present-day Niagara-on-the-Lake[1] and probably took part in the Battle of Queenston Heights on 13 October 1812 - which was the first major battle of the war.[1] Alexander was promoted to sergeant on 13 January 1813 and then appointed assistant sergeant major over ten other sergeants who mostly were older and more experienced than him.[1]
Alexander and Peter Fraser were involved in the unsuccessful defence of Fort George on 27 May 1813 and the subsequent 50-kilometre westerly retreat towards present-day Grimsby, Ontario.
The British Army then began to dig in at Burlington Heights near Stoney Creek (about 16 kilometres west of Grimsby).[2]
Battle of Stoney Creek[edit]
The Battle of Stoney Creek was a British defensive victory over an invading American force fought in the early hours of Sunday 6 June 1813, near present-day Hamilton, Ontario. The battle was the turning point of that first part of the war.[3]
Alexander Fraser’s contribution to this victory lasted only a few minutes but catapulted him into the officer class with the associated benefits which he further leveraged for the rest of his life.
Before the battle, Alexander Fraser had been promoted to sergeant (at the age of 23) but was acting as an assistant sergeant major. His regiment formed part of a poorly equipped force of about 1600 men facing over twice the number of well-equipped American troops under the joint command of Brigadier General John Chandler and Brigadier General William Winder.
The invading American force started to camp in the evening of Saturday 5 1813 alongside a shallow stream about 400 metres west of Stoney Creek.
After the Americans had set up their camp, the British, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel John Harvey, quietly advanced from their nearby base at Burlington Heights and made a surprise attack. However, despite initial success, the larger size of the American force meant that the British attack soon began to lose momentum.[2]
Major Charles Plenderleath, commanding the British 49th Foot Regiment, was on horseback and trying to steady the line of his troops when he saw the flash of two cannons of the American 25th Artillery. The cannons were relatively close to the 49th’s own line.
Realising the importance of the guns, Plenderleath called for volunteers to charge the cannons before they could be reloaded. Sergeant Alexander Fraser and his 21-year-old brother Peter, a corporal, volunteered at once.
With bayonets fixed, Fraser and Plenderleath led a charge with about 20 volunteers, all fearing that the next shot from the cannons might annihilate them. Simultaneously, and fortunately from the British perspective, the American General Winder had ordered the artillery to cease firing – and unaware that the British were advancing on their position, the artillerymen had started hitching their gun carriages to the horses. This coincidence probably saved the lives of the advancing British troops. Many of the American artillerymen were without personal arms.[2]
The British infantrymen reached the cannons and set upon the gunners, bayoneting every man and horse they met. The British quickly captured the position before continuing to engage the American 23rd Infantry – which got off one round (twice hitting Major Plenderleath) before the momentum of the 49th scattered them. The remaining British infantry followed soon after. During the attack, Alexander Fraser bayoneted seven Americans and Peter Fraser bayoneted four.[4]
The American General Chandler had been injured nearby when his horse fell, and he then limped into the newly secured British lines amid the confusion. Sergeant Fraser took a break from bandaging Major Plenderleath to take the general as his prisoner.
A few minutes later, General Winder, the American co-commander, made the same mistake. Realizing his error, Winder pulled out his pistol, and aimed it at Fraser who was poised to take him prisoner as he had Chandler. Fraser pointed his musket at Winder’s chest and also made him prisoner.
Lieutenant James FitzGibbon led the 3rd Company of the 49th Foot and wrote in a letter the day after the battle:
Generals Chandler and Winder were taken and secured – one of them was in the act of presenting (aiming) his pistol at a young man, Sergeant Fraser of the 49th, when the sergeant raised his fusee (musket) and said: “If you stir, Sir, you die”. The general took his word for it and threw down his pistol and sword saying, “I am your prisoner".[4]
The intensity of the short battle led to heavy casualties on both sides. As dawn broke, the British fell back into the woods to hide their small numbers. After daybreak, the British watched from a distance as the Americans returned to their own camp, burned their provisions and tents, and retreated towards Forty Mile Creek (present-day Grimsby, Ontario) and in the direction of the border at the River Niagara. The American Army would never again advance so far from Niagara.
Soon after the battle, Sergeant Alexander Fraser was rewarded for his bravery with a field commission and was posted to Fredericton, New Brunswick, as an adjutant in the New Brunswick Fencibles.
Marriage and family[edit]
Alexander Fraser married Ann Earle with the consent of her mother on 29 October 1814. Ann's father, Dr Charles Earle, had died 10 months earlier leaving the widowed mother with several daughters in her care. Their first daughter, Margaret Jane, was born on 2 May 1815 in Fredericton, New Brunswick. Ann Earle-Fraser gave birth to 15 children – 14 were born after they moved to Perth; five would die in childhood, and five more would die before reaching the age of 30.[1]
Pioneering settler in Perth[edit]
The War of 1812 was ended by the Treaty of Ghent on 24 December 1814, and the British Government decided that to dissuade the Americans from invading Upper Canada again, it would be cheaper to form military settlements than to garrison troops in forts.
Perth, Ontario, was selected as the first military settlement in 1816. Veteran soldiers were granted free land and provided rations and supplies for one year from discharge (what we would now call a 'starter package’).
Just one year later, according to the 1817 census, the population of the Perth Military Settlement reached almost 2000 of whom about 700 were discharged veterans. Between 30 and 40 of these settlers were officers. Alexander Fraser was classified as a subaltern (lieutenant) and granted a total of 500 acres (approximately 200 hectares).[5]
The Fraser family initially lived in a log cabin and by 1823 had constructed a stone house, Annsfield (named after his wife Ann). The house still stands today. He lived there for the rest of his life.[1]
Captain of Lanark Militia during the Mackenzie/Papineau Rebellion of 1837–1838[edit]
Alexander Fraser served with the Lanark Militia as a captain between 1828 and 1838[1] during the time of the Mackenzie/Papineau Rebellion.
The Lanark militia (also known as the Perth Volunteers) was called to arms in mid-December 1837 shortly after William Lyon Mackenzie’s rebels were dispersed by British troops at Montgomery’s Tavern, Yonge Street, Toronto. Captain Fraser and 100 men of the 1st Lanark Regiment were ordered initially to Toronto, and then to Gananoque (about 32 kilometres east of Kingston on the St. Lawrence River). No action was seen, and he was stood down in March 1838.[1]
He remained active in the militia, and a Governor General’s Order issued on the 2 December 1846 promoted Alexander Fraser to the rank of lieutenant colonel in command of the 6th Regiment.[1]
Magistrate and Tory loyalist politician in Lanark County[edit]
Alexander Fraser, together with 30 other retired officers, was appointed a Justice of the Peace in 1823. He appears to have been held in high esteem because in 1827 he was one of three justices appointed to review the district’s financial accounts. This would suggest that he was more than capable of holding his own with his fellow JPs who were educated and had not risen from the ranks. He was in demand as a mediator for settling disputes and went on to serve as a magistrate for over 30 years. In 1847, he appeared in front of his colleagues and was found guilty of libel because of a letter he had written to the Bathurst Courier. He was fined 25 pounds (equivalent to about 4000 pounds in 2023).
In the mid-1830s, he aligned himself with conservatives and loyalists who sought to maintain the political status quo in opposition to William Lyon Mackenzie’s Reform Party – which wanted to transfer power to elected bodies and away from local officials. He failed to win election to Parliament in 1836 and 1844. However, he managed to make influential political friends.[1]
Death[edit]
By 1868, aged 79, he was in poor health and in a letter to a son he mentioned that he was suffering from ague (malarial fever). He was cared for at Annsfield by his unmarried daughter, Caroline.[1]
Alexander Fraser died at Annsfield on 10 July 1872, aged 83. He was buried in the Old Pioneer Cemetery on Craig Street, Perth, next to his wife Ann, who had died on 24 October 1848. On the day of his burial, the Perth Courier wrote:
“Few – very few – of the officers and men who participated in the sharp and sanguinary engagement at Stoney Creek in Upper Canada are now living. Colonel Fraser one of the oldest of that heroic band and his home at Annsfield was famed for its host. No more will his erect form be seen amidst us – no more his kindly greetings! Full of years, he has gone down, like an aged oak".[1]
The Gravesite Project, a non-profit organisation that ensures that the graves of veterans of the War of 1812 are duly recognised, marked his grave with a commemorative plaque in 2013.[6]
His children[edit]
His second son, Alexander Jr, was appointed deputy sheriff of nearby Carleton County and was succeeded by his third son, James Alexander.
James Alexander later rose to become a senior provincial court official and in February 1879 hosted a dinner at the prestigious Rideau Club in Ottawa which was attended by Sir John A. Macdonald (Canada’s first Prime Minister) who in turn paid tribute to many contributions made by the Frasers over the years. James died shortly afterwards on 5 March 1879 at the age of 56 and was buried in the national cemetery of Canada, Beechwood Cemetery.[1]
Accomplishments[edit]
Despite the overwhelming odds stacked against him, Alexander Fraser became a man of position, respect, and accomplishment. His meteoric rise through the ranks of the British Army was exceptional. In just seven years, he advanced from the lowly rank of drummer and through the senior NCO ranks in one of the army's premier regiments to be awarded a place among the gentlemen of the officer corps.
As his biographers, Ron. W. Shaw and M.E. Irene Spence, remarked in 'Forgotten Hero':
“In an age where the position of one’s birth usually determined the social and economic circumstances for one's entire life, Alexander Fraser overcame obstacles as insurmountable as the American guns at Stoney Creek. His heroics on that dark June night marked a turning point of the War of 1812 and ‘saved’ the British colony. His courage and tenacious perseverance over the next 59 years of his life helped forge a growing community and a young country”.[7]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24 1.25 1.26 1.27 1.28 Shaw and Spence, Ron W. and M.E. Irene (2012). Forgotten Hero - Alexander Fraser. Perth, Ontario, Canada: Ron W. Shaw and M.E. Irene Spence. pp. 3, 6, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 24, 29, 32, 33, 53, 61, 70, 74, 123, 128, 130, 132 and 133. ISBN 978-0-9917350-0-6.CS1 maint: Date and year (link) Search this book on
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Hitsman, J. Mackay (1965). The Incredible War of 1812 - A Military History. Toronto: University of Toronto Press and Robin Brass Studio (published 2012). ISBN 978-1-896-941-13-4. Search this book on
- ↑ "The Canadian Encyclopedia - Battle of Stoney Creek". 14 February 2024.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Elliott, James E. (2009). Strange Fatality - The Battle of Stoney Creek. Toronto: Robin Brass Studio. pp. 136–141. ISBN 978-1-896941-58-5.CS1 maint: Date and year (link) Search this book on
- ↑ Armour, M. (1900). "A Few Notes About the Forming of a Military Settlement at Perth and Surrounding Country". Lanark County Genealogical Society. globalgenealogy.com/LCGS/ (Perth Courier, 28 December 1916).
- ↑ Cathy, James (19 September 2013). "Alexander Fraser gets his plaque". InsideOttawaValley.com. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
- ↑ Perth Historical Society (10 January 2013). "Historical society presents 'Forgotten Hero'". www.insideottawavalley.com. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
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