Wallet owned by Captain Martin McLellan- c.1812

Description

Sponsors

This item is a part of the 1812 History digitization project. This project was made possible with the support of the Department of Canadian Heritage through the Canadian Culture Online Strategy.

Media Type

Object

Description

Made of brown leather, this typical early 19th century wallet has a tongue flap to close the wallet and opens flat for access to the two compartments. Brown pebble finish leather, inside pockets and lining of softer brown leather, with decorative tooled edge of linked triangles. It was May 26th, 1813; the wife of Captain Martin McClellan of the 1st Lincoln Militia left the family farm on John Street and found safety three miles away. This artefact was donated by the family of Martin McClellan and the following is a description of the course of events by the family. Martin McClellan visited her in Virgil and provided his wife with his watch and this pocketbook. He told his wife that he would never see her or their children again. For 5 days, McClellan could see what the rest of the British garrison in Niagara could see. Across the Niagara River, thousands of American troops on parade around Fort Niagara, workers preparing batteries and boats and 17 armed vessels returning triumphantly from the burning of York. McClellan and the small garrison in Niagara would be no match.

As fog lifted at daybreak the following day, McClellan would see 16 ships, 134 boats and scows (each with 30 - 50 American soldiers) two miles from the Town of Niagara. By 9 o'clock, some 2,300 American soldiers started the land assault under the cover of heavy artillery. The British defense was approximately 567 men, both regulars and militia. It took several attempts for the Americans to assemble on a plain at the western end of the town.

McClellan was in line with the rest of his company facing the U.S. forces a mere 5 - 10 meters away. The two sides fought for over 15 minutes. In the end, the British were forced to retreat, leaving 300 dead or wounded soldiers lying in the field. Martin McClellan was one of them. He died in defense of his country, his home and his family.

Also referenced in Historical Notes #29 in the Niagara Times by Janet Carnochan. Janet states that the pocketbook was donated by Mr. Martin McClellan of Fonthill. She then writes about this potentially being the father of Mr. Randall, but the phrase is unusual and may not be so.

Date of Original