Excerpt from History of the War of 1812 Betwen Great Britain and the United States of America
This book has been written for the purpose of placing before the people of Canada, in a single volume, the story of the defence of our country from foreign invasion during the last war between Great Britain and the United States of America. As this defence could not have been successful but for the hearty cooperation of our ancestors, the people of Canada of that day, this war ought to be regarded as Canada's first and greatest contribution to the work of empire building, for the fervent loyalty, which a few years ago, sent so many of the sons of Canada to fight the battles of Great Britain in South Africa, received its first illustration on the battlefields of the War of 1812.
I have not thought it necessary to burden the pages of this book with foot notes and references to authorities, because the official sources of our knowledge of the war are so few in number as to render such references unnecessary. For the movements of the armies, the numbers of the British troops engaged, and the losses of the latter, I have relied on the British official despatches. For the numbers of the American armies and their losses, I have accepted the American official despatches, except where they were manifestly in error.
No doubt it will be said by some critics that in this book I have been too severe on the Americans who invaded our country, burnt our towns, ravaged our fields, slaughtered our people and tried to place us under a foreign flag. But I maintain that any Canadian author has a right to challenge the motives and the conduct of the men who did these things, and I see no reason why any American of the present day should feel offended at reflections on the actions of men who lived ninety years ago. While endeavouring to present an absolutely truthful narrative of the War of 1812, I have not felt it necessary to refrain from criticizing the conduct of the men who were responsible for the contest or who took part in it.
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