On June 22, 1899, Karl wrote a letter to his sister Mattie from the St. Lawrence Hotel in Morrisburg, Ontario:
“Dear Mattie; I have again lost trace of who I owe letters to so I will write to you this time and you can show it to the whole family if you wish. I wheeled from Montreal here nearly all the way on the railway track but the roads will be good from now for the next 500 miles then I will come across some rocks. I passed Crysler’s farm today and saw the monument that was erected in memory of the men who were killed in the battle. Then I suppose you knew there was one there. The scenery around here and all the way from Montreal is beautiful.”
Although Karl may not have known about the monument in Morrisburg, he seemed to be familiar with the history of Crysler’s farm, which meant he knew more than me.
I admit to not knowing about the events that unfolded starting on November 10, 1813, when 8,000 American troops arrived in Williamsburg, Ontario. At the same time, 2400 British / Canadian troops arrived in Morrisburg, Ontario and got into position on some farmland behind two ravines. The farmland belonged to John Crysler, a wealthy loyalist and a Captain in the militia.
The objective of the Americans was to move east along the banks of the St. Lawrence River and capture Montréal. It was the objective of the British / Canadian troops to slow them down.
On November 11, 1813, the Americans attacked, but they moved forward with only half of their troops, believing their opponents were inexperienced. With a fraction of their soldiers, no strategic plan, and grossly underestimating the musketry and bayonet skill of the British / Canadian troops, the Americans suffered many casualties and quickly retreated west. Approximately 340 Americans were killed and wounded in the battle, while the British / Canadian troops lost the lives of 200 soldiers.
The open terrain of the farmland at Crysler’s farm better matched the training of the British / Canadian forces, and their success in the battle ended the American campaign for Montréal. The Battle of Crysler’s Farm is considered one of the decisive land battles of the War of 1812.
In 1895 a monument was erected at Crysler’s Farm, and four years later, Karl rode his bicycle here. Then in 1920, Crysler’s Farm was designated a national historic site of Canada. The actual monument was moved from its original location in 1955 to where it still stands today. It’s a four-sided, 38 feet tall granite obelisk that tapers towards the top to a pyramid shape. On either side of the monument are two 24-pound cannons on garrison carriages.
It’s an understated memorial in a now serene and picturesque location on the St. Lawrence River, directly across from the United States. The monument provides the perfect atmosphere to contemplate the significance of what happened here at Crysler’s Farm. I’m glad Karl knew more about his Canadian history than I do and referenced this stop to his sister Mattie. In turn, it has provided an opportunity for me to learn about this critical historical event and visit the site. This location is a poignant spot to acknowledge that if the British / Canadian troops were not as prepared, Karl and I might have been standing on American soil at this stage of our journey.
