Captain Runchey's Company of Coloured Men
Encyclopedia
Captain Runchey's Company of Coloured Men was a militia company of free negroes and indentured negro servants, raised in Upper Canada
, which fought for the British
during the early part of the Anglo-American War of 1812
. In 1813, the company was transformed into the Provincial Corps of Artificers and attached to the Royal Sappers and Miners
. It served on the Niagara
front during the war, and was disbanded a few months after the war ended.
, Richard Pierpoint
, who had served as part of Butler's Rangers
during the American Revolutionary War
. On the outbreak of the War of 1812, he petitioned Major General Isaac Brock
, commanding the British forces in Upper Canada, to form a militia corps from black settlers in the Niagara Peninsula.
For unknown reasons, Brock initially turned down Pierpoint's request. However by July, Brock was desperate for volunteer troops, who at that point were not coming forward from among the white population. He set in motion the very plan that Pierpoint had suggested a month before. In August 1812, Captain Robert Runchey, a tavern owner in Lincoln
and formerly an officer in the 2nd Flank Company of the 1st Lincoln Regiment of Militia, was assigned to form the militia corps that Pierpoint had proposed. The loss to the Lincoln Militia of Robert Runchey was not considered a great blow as he was held in low esteem by fellow officers. Referring to Runchey, Lieutenant Colonel Ralph Clench of the 1st Lincoln called him a "black sheep in our Regiment, and with whom the Officers I believe would gladly part".. Runchey's son George, who was formerly a sergeant in the 1st Lincoln, would become the Coloured Corps' Lieutenant.
Men volunteered very quickly. The number who came forward varies depending on the source: 76, 50, about 35 or more than 30. Other men transferred from other units, such as 14 men including a sergeant, William Thompson, from the 3rd York Militia in October.
Pierpoint himself signed up as a private even though he was 68 years old at the time. It also may have been that Pierpoint expected that such a unit as the Coloured Corps would help facilitate greater military responsibility and opportunities for blacks. However, black settlers would never be commissioned, and would rise at most to be non-commissioned officers (sergeants and corporals).
, they participated in the recapture of the Redan Battery after the death of Major General Brock. They were placed to the left of the main body of troops (consisting of the 41st and 49th Regiments of Foot) and to the right of John Norton's
Grand River Warriors, a positioning that suggests that the Coloured Corps was considered to be light infantry. Light infantry troops were much more mobile and given more freedom in terms of selecting targets, often targeting officers as a way of creating as much havoc among the enemy as possible. The Coloured Corps suffered no casualties in the battle although the 1st Lincoln Militia (of which the Coloured Corps was part) did suffer one man killed and two wounded.
, a task impossible to accomplish from Fort George
. (This was not the first time this spot had been used to harass Fort Niagara. The British had set up a six-gun emplacement in 1759 when Fort Niagara was occupied by the French. Probably working under the cover of darkness because the site was exposed to the guns of Fort Niagara, the Corps constructed a single-gun battery.
The unit nevertheless served as infantry during the Battle of Fort George
, where they suffered a number of losses. Together with 100 men of the 1st Lincoln Militia, a company of the Royal Newfoundland Fencibles and two companies of the Glengarry Light Infantry
, the (then) 27 men of the unit attempted to repulse the initial American landing at the mouth of Two Mile Creek (43.257913°N 79.103408°W) near the property of James Crooks
. Under fire from American gunboats (which ironically included the USS Scourge built by Crooks and his brother William two year earlier as the trading schooner Lord Nelson), the defenders put up a stiff defence for some 15 minutes, the two sides firing at each other from as little as 20 feet (6.1 m) before the superior numbers of attackers made a British withdrawal inevitable.
The unit lost one man (James Walker) wounded
, one man (Anthony Hutts, or Hults or Hull) taken prisoner, who was later reported to have died in captivity, and two men (Abraham Sloane and William Spencer) reported to have "deserted to the enemy". However, given that slavery was still legal in the United States at this point, deserting to the enemy seems a most unlikely choice for the men of the Coloured Corps. The body of a black soldier was reported by an American officer and identified by his green uniform as being a member of the Glengarry Light Infantry, although it is possible that this was in fact the body of either Sloane or Spencer.
The Coloured Corps retreated with the rest of the army commanded by Brigadier General John Vincent along the Iroquois Trail to Head of the Lake
by way of Queenston, Beaver Dams, DeCew House, the Forty
and Stoney Creek
before setting up camp at Burlington Heights
four days later. Although the unit did not participate in the night action at Stoney Creek
, it had proved its worth as a fighting force and was retained as a force where other sedentary militia unit were not encouraged to retreat along with Vincent's army. Muster roles show that the unit returned to the Niagara area to participate in the siege of Fort George, mustering 26 rank and file in St. Davids after Major General De Rottenburg
moved his headquarters there once the immediate threat from the U.S. attack on Fort George had passed. Although the unit was not listed separately in official reports, it may nevertheless have been engaged in action as smaller units were often combined under one heading. On 16 June 1813, three members of the Coloured Corps are listed as casualties in an action on that day (probably at Sugar Loaf near present day Port Colborne) when Buffalo surgeon-turned-raider Major Cyrenius Chapin led his force of irregular New York mounted militia on a raid to interfere with British lines. The three are again listed as having deserted but given the improvement in British fortunes since the debacle at Fort George, this seems even less likely and it is more probable that the captured men were taken back into a captive life.
The unit was present at several engagements on the Niagara peninsula later in 1813 and in 1814.
In 1814, they received uniforms directly from Britain, and wore the same uniform as the Royal Sappers and Miners.
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
, which fought for the British
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
during the early part of the Anglo-American War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
. In 1813, the company was transformed into the Provincial Corps of Artificers and attached to the Royal Sappers and Miners
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
. It served on the Niagara
Niagara River
The Niagara River flows north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. It forms part of the border between the Province of Ontario in Canada and New York State in the United States. There are differing theories as to the origin of the name of the river...
front during the war, and was disbanded a few months after the war ended.
Origins
The company was formed at the instigationof a black settler in Upper CanadaUpper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
, Richard Pierpoint
Richard Pierpoint
Richard Pierpoint , also known as Black Dick and Captain Dick, was born about 1744 in Bondu, Senegal. When he was about sixteen he was captured and sold as a slave. He survived the crossing of the Atlantic and was sold in New York to a British officer named Pierpoint. It was common for the slaves...
, who had served as part of Butler's Rangers
Butler's Rangers
Butler's Rangers was a British provincial regiment composed of Loyalists in the American Revolutionary War, raised by Loyalist John Butler.Most members of the regiment were Loyalists from upstate New York...
during the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. On the outbreak of the War of 1812, he petitioned Major General Isaac Brock
Isaac Brock
Major-General Sir Isaac Brock KB was a British Army officer and administrator. Brock was assigned to Canada in 1802. Despite facing desertions and near-mutinies, he commanded his regiment in Upper Canada successfully for many years...
, commanding the British forces in Upper Canada, to form a militia corps from black settlers in the Niagara Peninsula.
For unknown reasons, Brock initially turned down Pierpoint's request. However by July, Brock was desperate for volunteer troops, who at that point were not coming forward from among the white population. He set in motion the very plan that Pierpoint had suggested a month before. In August 1812, Captain Robert Runchey, a tavern owner in Lincoln
Lincoln, Ontario
Lincoln is a town on Lake Ontario in the Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada. The town's administrative and commercial centre is in the community of Beamsville.-Geography:...
and formerly an officer in the 2nd Flank Company of the 1st Lincoln Regiment of Militia, was assigned to form the militia corps that Pierpoint had proposed. The loss to the Lincoln Militia of Robert Runchey was not considered a great blow as he was held in low esteem by fellow officers. Referring to Runchey, Lieutenant Colonel Ralph Clench of the 1st Lincoln called him a "black sheep in our Regiment, and with whom the Officers I believe would gladly part".. Runchey's son George, who was formerly a sergeant in the 1st Lincoln, would become the Coloured Corps' Lieutenant.
Men volunteered very quickly. The number who came forward varies depending on the source: 76, 50, about 35 or more than 30. Other men transferred from other units, such as 14 men including a sergeant, William Thompson, from the 3rd York Militia in October.
Pierpoint himself signed up as a private even though he was 68 years old at the time. It also may have been that Pierpoint expected that such a unit as the Coloured Corps would help facilitate greater military responsibility and opportunities for blacks. However, black settlers would never be commissioned, and would rise at most to be non-commissioned officers (sergeants and corporals).
Early service
The Coloured Corps saw action in some of best-known battles of the War of 1812. At the Battle of Queenston HeightsBattle of Queenston Heights
The Battle of Queenston Heights was the first major battle in the War of 1812 and resulted in a British victory. It took place on 13 October 1812, near Queenston, in the present-day province of Ontario...
, they participated in the recapture of the Redan Battery after the death of Major General Brock. They were placed to the left of the main body of troops (consisting of the 41st and 49th Regiments of Foot) and to the right of John Norton's
John Norton (Mohawk chief)
The Mohawk Major John Norton played a prominent role in the War of 1812, leading Iroquois warriors from Grand River into battle against American invaders at Queenston Heights, Stoney Creek, and Chippawa.-Early life:...
Grand River Warriors, a positioning that suggests that the Coloured Corps was considered to be light infantry. Light infantry troops were much more mobile and given more freedom in terms of selecting targets, often targeting officers as a way of creating as much havoc among the enemy as possible. The Coloured Corps suffered no casualties in the battle although the 1st Lincoln Militia (of which the Coloured Corps was part) did suffer one man killed and two wounded.
Transformation into Artificers
1813 brought many changes for the Coloured Corps. On 3 March 1813, the unit was converted into the Corps of Provincial Artificers under the command of Lt. James Robertson, a black settler formerly of Detroit who had been a member of Butlers Rangers in the Revolutionary War as well as the Corps of Provincial Artificers before joining the Coloured Corps sometime before the Battle of Queenston Heights. While this might have appeared to be a backward step, the scarcity of the sundry skills required of Artificers meant that they were paid two to four times as much as they would have been as private soldiers. In their new capacity, they were charged with constructing a battery on Mississauga Point to interfere with American ships resupplying Fort NiagaraFort Niagara
Fort Niagara is a fortification originally built to protect the interests of New France in North America. It is located near Youngstown, New York, on the eastern bank of the Niagara River at its mouth, on Lake Ontario.-Origin:...
, a task impossible to accomplish from Fort George
Fort George, Ontario
Fort George National Historic Site is a historic military structure at Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, that was the scene of several battles during the War of 1812...
. (This was not the first time this spot had been used to harass Fort Niagara. The British had set up a six-gun emplacement in 1759 when Fort Niagara was occupied by the French. Probably working under the cover of darkness because the site was exposed to the guns of Fort Niagara, the Corps constructed a single-gun battery.
The unit nevertheless served as infantry during the Battle of Fort George
Battle of Fort George
The Battle of Fort George was a battle fought during the War of 1812, in which the Americans defeated a British force and captured the Fort George in Upper Canada...
, where they suffered a number of losses. Together with 100 men of the 1st Lincoln Militia, a company of the Royal Newfoundland Fencibles and two companies of the Glengarry Light Infantry
Glengarry Light Infantry
The Glengarry Light Infantry Fencibles were a light infantry unit, raised chiefly in the Glengarry District of Upper Canada shortly before the outbreak of the Anglo-American War of 1812...
, the (then) 27 men of the unit attempted to repulse the initial American landing at the mouth of Two Mile Creek (43.257913°N 79.103408°W) near the property of James Crooks
James Crooks
James Crooks was a businessman and political figure in Upper Canada and Canada West.He was born in Kilmarnock, Scotland in 1778 and came to Fort Niagara in 1791 where his half-brother, Francis, was operating as a merchant. In 1795, Francis, James and his brother William moved to Newark...
. Under fire from American gunboats (which ironically included the USS Scourge built by Crooks and his brother William two year earlier as the trading schooner Lord Nelson), the defenders put up a stiff defence for some 15 minutes, the two sides firing at each other from as little as 20 feet (6.1 m) before the superior numbers of attackers made a British withdrawal inevitable.
The unit lost one man (James Walker) wounded
Wounded in action
Wounded in action describes soldiers who have been wounded while fighting in a combat zone during war time, but have not been killed. Typically it implies that they are temporarily or permanently incapable of bearing arms or continuing to fight....
, one man (Anthony Hutts, or Hults or Hull) taken prisoner, who was later reported to have died in captivity, and two men (Abraham Sloane and William Spencer) reported to have "deserted to the enemy". However, given that slavery was still legal in the United States at this point, deserting to the enemy seems a most unlikely choice for the men of the Coloured Corps. The body of a black soldier was reported by an American officer and identified by his green uniform as being a member of the Glengarry Light Infantry, although it is possible that this was in fact the body of either Sloane or Spencer.
The Coloured Corps retreated with the rest of the army commanded by Brigadier General John Vincent along the Iroquois Trail to Head of the Lake
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
by way of Queenston, Beaver Dams, DeCew House, the Forty
Grimsby, Ontario
Grimsby is a town on Lake Ontario in the Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada. Grimsby is a part of the Hamilton Census Metropolitan Area. The majority of residents reside in the area bounded by Lake Ontario and the Niagara escarpment...
and Stoney Creek
Stoney Creek
Stoney Creek may refer to:In Australia:*Stoney Creek Falls, in Queensland, AustraliaIn Canada:*Stoney Creek, Ontario, was a municipality that is now part of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada**Stoney Creek - an electoral district in Ontario...
before setting up camp at Burlington Heights
Burlington Heights
Burlington Heights refers to an area of flat land sitting elevated above the west end of Burlington Bay in the city of Hamilton, Ontario.The "Heights" were the location of a British Army post during the War of 1812. Afterwards, the former army barracks were used as a hospital for immigrants with...
four days later. Although the unit did not participate in the night action at Stoney Creek
Battle of Stoney Creek
The Battle of Stoney Creek was fought on 6 June 1813 during the War of 1812 near present day Stoney Creek, Ontario. British units made a night attack on an American encampment...
, it had proved its worth as a fighting force and was retained as a force where other sedentary militia unit were not encouraged to retreat along with Vincent's army. Muster roles show that the unit returned to the Niagara area to participate in the siege of Fort George, mustering 26 rank and file in St. Davids after Major General De Rottenburg
Francis de Rottenburg
Major-General Francis de Rottenburg, baron de Rottenburg was raised in what is now Gdańsk in Poland to a Swiss family and became a British military officer and colonial administrator. He spent almost a decade in the French army which came to an end with the French Revolution...
moved his headquarters there once the immediate threat from the U.S. attack on Fort George had passed. Although the unit was not listed separately in official reports, it may nevertheless have been engaged in action as smaller units were often combined under one heading. On 16 June 1813, three members of the Coloured Corps are listed as casualties in an action on that day (probably at Sugar Loaf near present day Port Colborne) when Buffalo surgeon-turned-raider Major Cyrenius Chapin led his force of irregular New York mounted militia on a raid to interfere with British lines. The three are again listed as having deserted but given the improvement in British fortunes since the debacle at Fort George, this seems even less likely and it is more probable that the captured men were taken back into a captive life.
The unit was present at several engagements on the Niagara peninsula later in 1813 and in 1814.
Uniform
Like most units of Upper Canadian militia, Captain Runchey's Company wore ordinary civilian clothes with a white armband to show their allegiance and service. When the unit was converted to the Provincial Corps of Artificers, the provincial government of Upper Canada became responsible for their clothing and supply. The Corps adopted a uniform consisting of a dark blue tailless jacket with black facings, grey pantaloons and a tarred black round hat.In 1814, they received uniforms directly from Britain, and wore the same uniform as the Royal Sappers and Miners.