The Story of Isaac Brock

Isaac Brock, widely known as "The Hero of Upper Canada," joined the British army at the age of fifteen in 1785. After being promoted to captain he became a member of the 49th Regiment of Foot. He remained in this regiment until he was killed at the Battle of Queenston Heights in 1812. Between the years 1803-5 he and his regiment were posted to York (Toronto). In 1805 he was promoted to colonel and by 1810 he was a brigadier general in charge of all troops in Upper Canada. Finally, on June 4, 1811, he was promoted to Major-General, just at the onset of the War of 1812. As part of his duties in this capacity he presided over Upper Canada as its lieutenant-governor.

One of the main accomplishments of Brock was his meeting with Indian leader Tecumseh, at which Tecumseh reportedly stated This is a man. A partnership and bonding soon followed, and as a team they worked together to harass the Americans on the frontier, engaging in many battles and lesser conflicts together. After the United Stated had declared war, its soldiers initiated attacks on Essex County from their base in Detroit, followed by additional strikes on the Niagara Frontier. Brock arrived at Fort Malden on August 13, 1812 and immediately planned an assault on Detroit. General William Hull surrendered the fort after Brock and his Indian allies under Tecumseh cleverly outwitted the Americans. Brock traveled to the Niagara Frontier, where the Americans continued to cause havoc, and was killed on October 13, 1812 during the British victory at the Battle of Queenston Heights. He never learned that he had been knighted just three days before the battle.

This book provides you with the complete story of Brocks life. The illustrations throughout its pages are rare and are treasured by historians. In accompaniment with the companion book The Story of Tecumseh it gives you a complete and easy-to-read understanding of the War of 1812 on the Detroit Frontier. The Board of Education of Ontario, Canada commissioned these two books on the occasion of the centennial anniversary of the War of 1812. We at Upper Canada Press are proud to offer these two reprints as a commemorative of the bicentennial of the same war in 2012.