1812 Diary of Susanna Merritt, Kit Pearson's contribution to the Dear
Canada series. Yes, the War of 1812 was very complex and many people in
Upper Canada were torn between conflicting allegiances. But was it really
necessary to portray Susanna's Loyalist mother as a big heroine for being so
kindly disposed toward the people who'd driven her into exile, and were now
attacking her new country? Or to characterize the American immigrants of
Rebel background who'd come to Upper Canada for the cheap land, and
threatened the province's survival, as being really brave and principled? With
friends like Pearson, who needs The Patriot!
June 13, 1813
Dear Constance,
My hand is trembling so much that I can barely hold my
pen. Our house has
been looted and poor Papa has been taken prisoner by
a band of traitors!
It happened this morning. We had just sat down to
breakfast when we heard
loud footsteps pounding up the porch steps. The
next moment, the door was
flung open and a large group of rough-looking men burst
inside. They seized
Papa and bound him, and before taking him away helped
themselves to our
breakfast and the contents of our larder. Our pleas
for Papa's release were
in vain, and when Mama grasped entreatingly at their
leader's sleeve, he
emptied the porridge pot over her head!
Mr. Seabrook stopped in shortly after on his way to Shipman's
Corners. The
raiders were at his farm before coming here, but they
left when he told them
that he was an American and sympathized with their cause.
He said that while
he was sorry for our sakes about what happened here,
Papa had only himself
to blame--if he had not insisted on persisting in his
loyalty to Britain, none
of this would have happened.
I do not know what to think. I am, of course, terribly
worried about poor Papa.
But it is true that his loyalty to the Crown made him
unpopular with settlers
like the ones who have joined with the Americans and
raided us today. And in
spite of everything I cannot help but feel grateful to
the raiders for ruining the
porridge, which I detest. Besides, Mama looked
so funny with the porridge
dribbling down her face. It was even more amusing
than the time the honey I
had smeared onto the spokes of Caroline's parasol dripped
all over her.
For her part, Mama says she does not mind about the porridge--she
declares
that oatmeal applied directly to the face is good for
the complexion, and that
the leader of the raiders was justified in acting as
he did, as she had no doubt
hurt his arm when she grasped it. She also agrees
with Mr. Seabrook that
Papa brought his misfortune upon himself by resisting
his former countrymen
rather than allowing them to take over Upper Canada so
that we may all live
together in peace as one country.
This war is so confusing!
June 14, 1813
Dear Constance,
The raiders returned, and this time they took Maria!
They rode up as we were hanging the laundry out to dry.
Mama went forward
to greet them, apologizing for Papa's views and explaining
that she herself
loved America dearly and still regarded it as her true
home.
The leader, laughing mockingly, said that since she was
so ashamed of her
husband's beliefs, he was certain she would be happy
to part with her
wedding ring. And with that he tore it from her
finger! Another of the
raiders added that a loyal American like herself would
no doubt wish to
contribute her lovely daughter to the cause. He
then seized Maria, and
carried her off kicking and screaming!
Mama says that we must not judge the raiders too harshly,
as they have
suffered greatly under the British Crown. Some,
like Mr. Seabrook, have
been fined for refusing to serve in the militia, while
others have been
denied land grants for refusing to swear an oath of allegiance
to the King.
She is convinced that men who are so devoted to freedom
and justice will
not harm Maria, and that she and Papa will eventually
be returned to us safe
and sound.
I pray that she is right. I miss Papa terribly.
On the other hand, it will be a
relief not to have to endure Maria's constant chattering
about her beloved
Charles.
How confusing this war is!
June 20, 1813
Dear Constance,
There has been such upheaval over the past days that I
have not been able to
write in my diary until now. Our farm was plundered
by the American militia
officer Captain Cyrenius Chapin and his men! The
Adams's, whom he looted
earlier in the month, call his troop "the Forty Thieves".
Mr. Seabrook, whose
farm they left alone after learning that he was an American
sympathizer,
describes them as liberators. I do not know who
is right.
They took many of our personal possessions, including
the bottle of ink and
new diary Hamilton gave me the last time he was home.
This is why I am now
writing with a mixture of water and dirt on scraps of
birch bark. They also
shot poor Jack! We will have to eat him and cure
his hide, as they took all
our food and livestock and all of our clothes except
what was on our backs.
However, Mama says that the Americans needed our property
more than we
do, as their troops are poorly supplied. And Jack
had
bitten the man who
shot him.
What a confusing war this is!