Salaberry and all your family a thousand regards; and I take the opportunity to renew those sentiments of friendship and affection with which I always am, Dear de Salaberry, Lieut.-Colonel de Salaberry, Sen., Yours most affectionately, EDWARD. KENSINGTON PALACE, 25th March, 1814. MY DEAR DE SALABERRY,-It was on the 22nd December that I received your letter of 28th October; and a few days afterwards, the details of your brilliant repulse of the enemy, through your worthy father, and your brother-in-law, Duchesnay. ques As in the inclosed letter for your father, which I send under flying seal in order to enable you to withdraw the postscript, or not, as you may see fit, you will see my sentiments on that business, it will be unnecessary for me to say more in this, than that I appreciate as highly your distinguished conduct on the memorable occasion in tion, as if it had been noticed by those whose duty it was to notice it in a manner commensurate to your merits. It is easy to form an opinion why more ample justice was not done you; but upon this head it may perhaps be more prudent to be silent-more especially as you may take my word for it, that there is but one opinion as to the credit which you have done yourself, and the remuneration which you are entitled to. It is a great satisfaction to me to find that the Canadian Militia, both embodied and sedentary, have behaved so well; and when it is considered how insufficient the Militia laws are to the proper government of the men upon military principles, I think your merit in having brought your Voltigeurs to the state of perfection which, I understand, they have attained, is beyond all praise. With respect to yourself, I will tell you candidly my wish is, when a proper opportunity offers, to get you promoted to the rank of Colonel, by being nominated an honorary A.D.C. to the Prince Regent; and then, some day or other, appointed Colonel-Proprietaire of the Canadian regiment-which will then thrive under you, and enable you to remain in your own country, with benefit to that and honor to yourself. So do not think of quitting the army upon any consideration, while there is not a chance of your being removed from the defence of your Dieux Penates. As to your worthy father, the granting him his full pay for life, upon retirement, was but an act of justice; and the withdrawing of that grant afterwards most unjustifiable, and I do not wonder it should have hurt you; but times may alter. Repeating, as I conclude, the sentiments of friendship and esteem, with which I ever am, my dear de Salaberry, Yours faithfully, EDWARD. This was the sensible and suitable way in which H. R. H. proposed to reward the great service of de Salaberry. Let us see what was actually done. Great Britain commemorated the victory by causing a medal to be struck; the Voltigeurs were presented with colours; and de Salaberry, besides the gold medal, had the order of the Bath conferred upon him— transmitted, with an autograph letter, from the Prince Regent. The two Houses of Provincial Legislature passed a vote of thanks to him; and his father's pension, which had been "most unjustifiably withheld," was restored. This was all; and we must admit a most inadequate recompense it was. CHAPTER XIX. Touching letters from the Duke and Madame de St. Laurent to Colonel L. de Salaberry-Letter to Chief Justice Sewell on Union of the ProvincesFresh pecuniary difficulties from absconding of Solicitor-Letter to the Prince Regent, and Lord Liverpool's reply-Renewed sacrifices to meet his liabilities Addresses from various benevolent societies, and Freedom from City of London-Retires to Brussels. 1814, 1815, AND 1816. KENT. I do profess to be no less than I seem; LEAR. To converse with him that is wise and says little; What art thou? KENT. A very honest fellow and as poor as the King. KENSINGTON PALACE, 15th June, 1814. MY DEAR DE SALABERRY,-Your obliging and interesting letters of 1st and 24th March, with their respective inclosures, came duly to hand on the 2nd inst. The opinion you appear to entertain of your having been passed over in the promotions which have taken place in the 60th Regiment, must I conceive be erroneous, as I have long observed your name in the general Army List for the present year, as a Major without corps, and though I do not find it in the Army List of this month, I presume that circumstance only arises from your appointment as an Inspecting Field Officer of Militia in Canada, having been confirmed at home. Under these circumstances and considerations, I have therefore thought it by far most advisable to withhold your memorial, as I am of opinion there is no ground existing for the appeal you have therein made. I am most happy to tell you, that however the Commander of the Forces may have sought to obscure your high and distinguished merit, for your gallant and cool conduct in the affair at Chateauguay, it is not the less appreciated on this side of the water, for it has appeared evident to every reader of the public despatches, that to you the public are indebted, as the gallant leader of the heroic band, for the glorious result of the business. I have only to add my hearty good wishes for your health, happiness and prosperity, and to assure you of the friendly regard and sincere esteem with which I shall ever remain, My dear de Salaberry, Lieut.-Colonel de Salaberry. Yours faithfully, EDWARD. P.S.-Madame de St. Laurent unites with me in best remembrance to you and your worthy parents. KENSINGTON PALACE, 28th September, 1814. of MY DEAR DE SALABERRY,-I have only been two days in possession your letter of 8th August, and though I have not yet seen Lieut.Colonel Bouchette, by whose hands it reached me, I am unwilling to delay the acknowledgment of its receipt, and to repeat to you that after yourself and your worthy wife, there are not in the world two persons who have mourned the cruel death of your dear Edward so much as the two old friends who both write you to-day. Believe me, that many a time and oft, as well as to-day, though far from you, we have pictured to ourselves the distressing effect which the three-fold stroke would have on you both, in spite of all the precautions which we took to prevent the fatal news from reaching you too abruptly. Although you know it, the first dreadful moment is passed; your worthy wife is spared to you, and it is to be hoped that heaven having given you strength to survive the three-fold catastrophe, has reserved to you the happiness, to see your surviving son return before a long time, to the bosom of his family, covered with honor and glory, and distinguished by such recompense on the part of his sovereign, as will leave him little rcason to regret the years which have been devoted to his service, and for which he has hitherto received little remuneration. You have not named your daughters, cither, in the letter which you addressed to me, or in that to my friends; do us then the pleasure to give us news of them on the first occasion that you write, for the interest which we take in you and yours is always as lively and sincere, as you know it was, when we were beside you. I see with pleasure, that at length the Government has determined to conduct the war with the Americans with energy, and I have no doubt that after a little while, it will be brought to a termination honorable to the country, though not till the enemy has been beaten and humbled. Ministers have drawn on themselves a heavy responsibility from their inaction. Day by day we are expecting to receive decisive news from Gene ral Prevost as to the re-establishment of our superiority on Lake Ontario, the destruction of that wretched depot at Sackett's Harbour, and the defeat of the American army at Plattsburg and Champlain, for he has had for a long time the necessary means to accomplish these different objects. I will conclude at present by saying that, thank God, we are both quite well, and though as you know I have not had any active public employment since 1803, I have always found occupation, so that up to the present moment, I have had the good fortune not to know the meaning of the word "ennui" of which so many complain as an enemy of which they cannot get rid. My life continues to be be very domestic and I see as little of the great world as possible, and having said this to you, I am sure you will be pleased to learn, that what our life was when we were beside you, that it has continued during the twenty years that have passed since we left Canada, and I love to think that twenty years hence it may be the same. Give a thousand compliments from me to your worthy wife, and to all of yours, and believe me to remain, my dear de Salaberry, Your faithfully, devoted and sincere friend, Lieut.-Colonel de Salaberry, Sen., EDWARD. Beauport. KENSINGTON PALACE, 28th September, 1814. Your very touching letter, my dear de Salaberry, could not be read by me without the most tender interest and most profound sympathy; it affected me most keenly, and would have given you evidence, my old and dear friend, why I was unwilling to re-open the subject of our loss; you would have felt that I ought not to be reproached for my silence. Alas! I had a great desire to write, but I felt that I could not do so without exposing my afflicted friend to a blow that might be fatal. It was necessary to act with prudence, and I have waited till the time would arrive when I might write without increasing her grief. I thank you for telling me now, that this tender mother is better, and that the trip to Montreal has done her good. I hope that her health which is so precious will be completely restored to her, and that religion in giving her the consoling hope that she will again see her children in a better world, will relieve the anguish of her heart. Your courage, my dear de Salaberry, has been subjected to a great and severe trial, of which you have not yet given me the details, but I have pictured to myself the unfortunate mother, driven almost to despair, and when you had so much need of consolation yourself, you held out God's consolation to her. You will be recompensed for this abnegation of self by having your son preserved from a thousand dan |