William Chisholm, born 1788, was the second son of George Chisholm Sr. On enlistment in the 2nd York Regiment, he was assigned the rank of Ensign and would, when war was declared, become involved in the first action that Canadian militias were engaged in: the capture of the fort at Detroit.
Soon after war was declared in June 1812, American General William Hull began preparations for an attack on Upper Canada from across the Detroit River. While he was planning the invasion, General Isaac Brock struck with a surprise attack on an American outpost on the Upper Great Lakes. On Brock’s orders, a small British naval force crossed Lake Huron and forced the surrender of the American post on Mackinac Island – a surprising success that convinced many uncommitted settlers and First Nations peoples to join Brock. Meanwhile, Hull invaded Upper Canada and took possession of the town of Sandwich (now part of Windsor), but on hearing the news of Mackinac, he withdrew back to Detroit.
Within weeks, Brock, having gathered every regular militia company and First Nations warrior he could, arrived in the southwestern corner of the province. Brock had one important advantage over the American: at the start of the war, Britain possessed a navy on the Great Lakes which provided him with the advantage of mobility. The Chisholms were among those who made the journey in open boats to the border. Although Brock’s army was small, ill-equipped and badly outnumbered, he called upon Hull and the American army across the river at Detroit to surrender and, amazingly, they did on August 11, 1812. Over 3,000 Americans were taken captive by 300 regular soldiers, 400 Canadian militia and about 600 First Nations warriors. A Guard of Honour (an officer and 40 men, including William Chisholm), entered Detroit and took possession.
After taking part in the Battle of Queenston Heights, William left the York Regiment and went into business. In 1827, he purchased 960 acres of land at the mouth of the Sixteen Mile Creek for $4,116. Recognizing the site’s potential as a harbour, he purchased five ships for his trading business and then developed the area that would eventually become the town of Oakville.
Unfortunately, William’s plans put him into financial difficulty, forcing the rest of the family to come to his assistance. Most of the family holdings were sold, including the farm in East Flamborough Township.
Sylvia Wray is the former archivist with the Flamborough Archives. She can be reached through the Archives at archives@flamboroughhistory.com.
This article was originally published in the Flamborough Review, 24 May 2012.
