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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

TILLEC.O.

885

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE | COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

Sir,

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Inclosure 4 in No. 28.

C. B. Turner, Exq,, to Colonel Halkett.

Cornwall, October 28, 1838.

1 HAVE the honor to forward, for the information of His Excellency the Lieutenant- Governor, and Major-General commanding, the inclosed copy of a communication (the original I have sent to His Excellency the Commander of the Forces) from Mr. Wilkin- son, an American gentleman, who has a contract on the St. Lawrence Canal, and who has just returned from Albany.

From the character of the gentleman, I have every reason to believe that it is correct, and may be relied upon.

To Colonel Halkett,

Assistant Military Secretary, Toronto.

Dear Sir,

I have, &c.

(Signed)

Inclosure 5 in No. 28.

C. B. TURNER. Colonel commanding E. District

Colonel Wilkinson to Colonel Turner.

Cornwall, October 26, 1888.

I REGRET that I feel myself obliged to inform you of certain facts and conclu- sions which I have arrived at during my recent journey to my own country,

You will probably recollect that I left Cornwall on the 18th instant, and went, iu company with Mrs. Phillpotts, to Kingston. On the 15th I crossed the River to Cape Vincent, and then through Brownville, Watertown, and Utica, to New York.

The roads were in a wretched condition, as you may suppose from the fact that we did not travel over two miles per hour. It was from this cause that the trial of Van Reussaeller, Bates, and one or two others, did not take place at Albany, for in the same stage with me were three of the principal witnesses for and against them. The three were Colonel Worth (U. S. A.), Captain Malcolm, the special agent of Mr. Brenton U. S. attorney), and Mr. Tiffany, one of the leading Sympathizers from Oswego, who was on Navy and Hickory Islands.

We did everything in our power to get through to Albany in time for the trials; but the roads were so very bad that it was impossible. On our arrival at Albany, we found that the Court had decided that Mc Kenzie must be tried in the Western District: and, in consequen:e of Colonel Worth not having arrived, Van Ranssaeller had got his trial put off; and Mr. Brenton assured me that the Court waited a day and a-half for our arrival, and then, as he did not dare trust the trials to go on without my being there, adjourned.

I am aware that all these "adjournments" seem to be a connivance on the part of the Government, but I am willing to free them from all blame in this particular, and feel very sure that Mr. Brenton has done everything in his power to bring these persons to punishment. He succeeded in getting five more of the Sympathizers indicted for "an intention to invade Canada" at this Court, and if it had not been for the delay I have mentioned, I fully believe that Van Ranssaeller and several others would hüve been convicted and punished.

What I say of Mr. Brenton, I regiet that I cannot say of any other officer in the neighbourhood of the United States Government. 1 except from this notice the officers of the United States Army, for I believe they are fully determined to do their duty, and to obey their instructions to the letter; and having seen their instructions from Wash. ington, I know that they are full and explicit in regard to the suppression of the "Patriots," and are such as are proper for the occasion, and evince an honourable desire on the part of the President" to preserve a strict “Neutrality," and maintain the laws.

These instructions I believe the officers of the army intend to carry into execution, but I fear they will not be able to do so. They however are recruiting in every n to increase their companies, and are augmenting the army on the frontier very fast.

The Civil Officers of the Government have received similar orders to the Military, but they do not obey them. I have seen many of the underlings from the frontier, from Maine to Michigan, and I have not seen one who did not wish success to the "Patriots," and I believe take every means not to see what is going on in their neighbourhood.

I could not account, till recently, for a desire on the part of many wealthy indi

The wish is, viduals in the United States, to have Canada an independent country. not to have it annexed to the Union, but to be an independent Republic. I now find one of the reasons, which will be understood by a little anecdote related to me by a person I fully rely upon, and have long known,

Judge Porter, of Albany, one of the principal advisers of Governor Marcey, and

the "Albany Regency," is a large landholder, in and near Oswego.

A few weeks since, in conversation with my friend, on the affairs of Canada, he remarked, "it is a great pity that our Citizens cannot be kept quiet, but seem deter- mind to assist the Patriots to gain their freedom, but (turning round with a peculiar miles on his face) it would make a fine place of Oswego, would not it?"

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It is very evident that in case of an independent Government being formed here. that Oswego would be the great Port through which the Canadas would be supplied from the Atlantic.

It is the general belief in the United States, that Great Britain will not support a war to maintain the Canadas. This opinion is held since the recent debates in Parliament, by many persons who have entertained a different opinion heretofore.

They all seem aware of what the United States would suffer by a war with Great Britain, but do not anticipate any such occurrence, for they say, the loss would be mutual, and rather than go into it, that Great Britain would throw off the Canadas. Mr. Van Buren and Mr. Knower, (the father-in-law of Governor Marcey) are very large landholders in Oswego, and have recently both spoken of the advantage to be derived from Canada being independent, both by Oswego and New York. The "Patriot Lodges" which I believe are being held in every town and village on the Frontier, from Maine to the Mississippi River, are conducted with such secrecy, that it is not known when they are to meet, as they sometimes meet in one place and then at another, sometimes by day and sometimes by night.

But even if it was known, there is no law to stop them. At the meeting held last month, at Cleveland, Ohio, there were delegates from Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, and all along the Frontier, as well as from different parts of Upper and Lower Canada.

W. B. Wells, and Dr. Mackenzie, and Dr. Duncombe went past Buffalo at the same time the other delegates were going, and it is believed went to Cleveland,

Drs. Duncombe and Mackenzie are at Lockport, New York. They have just started a Newspaper called the Freeman's Advocate, it is ably conducted and will do

much harm.

The elections in New York are to be held in a few days, and in passing through the villages on the Frontier, I heard the talkers of both political parties claiming the support of the voters for their candidate, as being the most in favour of the "Patriots," and each accusing his opponent of having tried to put down the sympathisers.

The arms in the Watertown Arsenal are now under the charge of a boy, and a few weeks since he found the door was unlocked, but, as far as he could then judge, no arms had been taken.

The arms which were taken from Dr. Cote and his party last winter, were by some means placed in charge of a Mr. Catlin, somewhere, I think, in Burlington, Vermont, and they have all been stolen, and I believe no notice has been taken of the circumstance.

You are probably aware of the law in the United States, requiring every Citizen entitled to vote at elections, to have a musket, cartridge box, and every thing complete for militia inspection. These, he is to provide at his own expense, and keep them in good order, and when called out by his commanding officer, if he is deficient in any one article, even his priming wire, or brush, he is fined. At the recent annual muster of the militia, a great deficiency is exhibited in arms and ammunition. The Inspector of one of the Regiments, near Plattsburgh, last week made his return, official, in "Albany, and made a return of one company as having only two muskets. These facts will account for the arms which are said to be going into Canada. I have been assured by sympathisers and others, who have had good means of judging, that a large quantity of muskets, cannon, and ammunition, has been sent into both Lower and Upper Canada, during the past summer, and that a rising is to take place in both Upper and Lower Canada at the same time, for which they are now preparing by clandestine meetings, and that the burning of Montreal, and all the houses of the d-'d Tories in the country, is to be the signal for the refugees and their sympathising friends, to march to their assistance. I have been surprised at the perfect confidence these refugees have instilled into the minds of the Americans, of their ability this winter of freeing the Canadas. They assure them that secret meetings are being held in every part of Canada for drill and maturing their plans, and that those who were restrained by the sudden rally of the " Loyalists" last winter, are now fully prepared to strike when the ignal is given. One of the sympathisers informed me that he had received an offer of 100 dollars per month, and (the cash to be paid before starting) to join a "hunting party" after deer, on the Rideau, but he thought he should not go, as he could find "better" shooting and pay, further up the country.

I regret to say that the general impression left on my mind, by all I have seen and heard, and I have heard officers of the United States army, cool and intelligent men, express the same opinion, is, that the instructions sent from Washington to the Frontier are not sincere, and that they are so understood by the officers to whom they are addressed.

I intend in a few days going through the western part of New York, and if I can gain any information which I think will aid you, or find out what are to be the move- ments of these countrymen of mine, I will communicate it to you.

I remaiu, &c.

(Signed)

Colonel Turner, Cornwall.

J. L. WILKINSON.

S