Français  Contact Us  Help  Search  Canada Site Volume 1 (1000–1754) Volume 2 (1755-1871) Volume 3 (1872–2000) CHAPTER 1 The Conquest CHAPTER 2 The Revolt of Pontiac and the American Invasion CHAPTER 3 The Coveted Pacific Coast CHAPTER 4 The Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812 A Relatively Peaceful Decade The Militias of the New Provinces The French Revolution Canada at War with France Tensions with the United States The Royal Canadian Volunteers Newfoundland Threatened The 1802 Peace The Battle of Trafalgar New Tensions in America Mobilization in Lower Canada The British and Canadian Forces The War of 1812 Canada's Defence Strategy American Fiascos New Invasions in the West The Americans Attack Upper Canada Laura Secord and Beaver Dams Objective: Montreal! The Battle of Chateauguay The Battle of Crysler's Farm The British Take Fort Niagara The 1814 Invasion of Canada The Battle for the Northwest The Race to Build Ships The British Defeat at Plattsburgh The War at Sea The Legacy of the War of 1812 CHAPTER 5 Demobilization CHAPTER 6 The Royal Navy, Ruler of the Seas CHAPTER 7 A Decade of Turbulence APPENDIX A The British Armed Forces APPENDIX B Daily Life of Soldiers and Officers APPENDIX C Uniforms and Arms APPENDIX D Reference      CHAPTER 4 The Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812           The British and Canadian Forces ( 2 pages )           1 2      An Outnumbered Militia, Dominated by French Canadians                Sergeant, Royal Regiment of Artillery, 1806-1812. (Click image to enlarge) In 1812 the British army in garrison in North America totalled 9,000 men, comparable to the complement of the regular American army.  Of this number, 4,400 were posted to Lower Canada, 1,200 to Upper Canada and the rest to the Maritimes.  The British colonial militias, on the other hand, had far fewer than the Americans.  The total population of the British colonies in North America was barely half a million, three fifths of whom lived in Lower Canada.  The vast majority of the 60,000 militiamen from this province were French Canadians.  There were approximately 11,000 militiamen in Upper Canada, the same number in Nova Scotia and 4,000 in New Brunswick.  By adding the militias of Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland, as well as the Amerindians, whose precise numbers are not known, the total was about 90,000 men. The militia of Lower Canada was the only force capable of protecting the country, both numerically and geographically.  Without its cooperation it is doubtful that the British army would have been able to stave off the Americans indefinitely.  In addition to the members of the Canadian Voltigeurs and the four battalions of the Embodied Militia, all men capable of bearing arms were recruited into what was called the Sedentary Militia.  As before, militiamen were spread throughout parish companies.  However, these were combined into numerous "districts," equivalent to regiments, commanded by a colonel and his staff.  The Sedentary Militia was called up for active service only in emergencies.           Additional Images           Click image to enlarge      1 2   Last Updated: 2004-06-20 Important Notices