The Waterloo Medal was engraved with the recipient’s name and was the first medal issued with a ribbon to general enlisted men. The Military General Service Medal presented for service between 1793 and 1814, was issued with several bars/clasps. Private collection.

      Canadians who fought during the War of 1812 were also entitled to the Military General Service Medal. A search of the rolls for this medal did indicate that a Turcott was awarded the medal for service with the Canadian Voltigeurs at the battle of Chateauguay. Further research showed that the Voltigeurs had fought with the 104th Regiment from New Brunswick at the attack on Sackets Harbor. Both the Voltigeurs and New Brunswick Fencibles (104th Regiment) had a Turcott listed in their ranks, although the name on the 104 Muster roll was spelled differently. I already knew the 104th New Brunswick Regiment had recruited extensively in the Province of Quebec before the war. Perhaps they had recruited another Turcott? By consulting a road map, I could see that Sackets Harbor in the United States and Kingston, Ontario, are just across the river from each other. It was possible that Jean Baptiste Turcott had chosen to remain in the Kingston area and settle on Wolfe Island at the end of the war, perhaps applying for a land grant. That he was a member of the militia is indisputable.

      The early militia was divided into sedentary units, which were basically farmers or tradesmen who were expected to serve when called upon and then return to their former occupation after hostilities had ended, and fencible units, which were better trained and expected to serve anywhere within their respective colony but not beyond its borders. Many of these better-trained fencible units applied for and were granted line regiment status. Thus, the Royal Newfoundland Regiment served in Upper Canada, as did the former New Brunswick Fencibles when they were granted status as the 104th Regiment of New Brunswick. The 104th regiment won considerable recognition by marching over land from New Brunswick to Upper Canada during the winter without losing a man.

      So with this basic information in hand how can I prove if there was a Hinds or even a member of the Cox side of the family at the battle of New Orleans, and also a Turcott connection to the war: the former from either Derbyshire or Warwickshire in England and the latter from Lower Canada in British North America? My grandmother’s family were Hinds — my grandfather’s family Cox — both came from England’s Midlands Region.

      You could start your research by spending a few minutes reviewing War of 1812 background information. For instance, www.warof1812.ca/voltigeurs.htm, has some excellent descriptions of the Canadian fencible/militia regiments that were involved in the war. Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_units_of_the_War_of_1812, has information on various British regiments that could provide some historical background to your research. However, the first place to start your search for primary and secondary resources is our own archives. When you visit LAC, the information related to 1812 military records is mostly found in Record Group 9. Nominal rolls are in RG 9, series IB7, vols. 1–39 while discharge certificates and land grant applications are in RG 9, series IB4, vols.18–24. If a militiaman applied for a pension, for whatever reason, these will be found in RG 9, series IB4, vols. 1–17; or RG 9, series IC5, vols. 1, 3–4 and 8–27. You can also order some of this material through interlibrary loan.

      In general, War of 1812 records contain two basic types of information: nominal returns for each unit and monthly pay lists, sometimes with lists related to prisoners of war. Nominal rolls will provide you with the name, rank, and remarks about service. These remarks can tell you about an ancestor’s date of enlistment, period of service, if he was killed in battle or died during service, if he deserted the army or was taken prisoner. Muster rolls or monthly pay lists will provide you with name, rank, and period of service for which he received pay. Be aware that the majority of records are organized according to county so if you know in which county your ancestor lived it might make your search a little easier.[5]

      In 1875, Parliament offered a gratuity to anyone who had fought in the war. A list of names, age, residence, and corps or division in which they served was printed in 1876 with comment on whether or not the individual qualified for the gratuity. This list provides a reference number for each application and can prove useful when verifying an ancestor’s involvement in the war.

      When doing any military research, remember to seek out private collections or visit your local regimental museums and/or archives. For instance, at the Royal Canadian Military Institute, www.rcmi.org, you can find some rare publications that might help in your search. However, while the RCMI is under construction the library is closed. As with any resource, contact the organization by email or phone before you visit.

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      WAR OF 1812 BATTLES

      1812

      • 8 June — War proclaimed by U.S. President James Madison.

      • 11 July–11 August — U.S. General Hull invades Upper Canada with a large force; retreats in panic.

      • 17 July — Capture of Fort Mackinac (on an island in Lake Michigan, near Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario).

      • 16 August — Major-General Brock captures Detroit with only 1,300 regulars, militiamen, and Natives.

      • 12 October — Battle of Queenston Heights, death of Brock, defeat of U.S. forces under General Van Rensselaer.

      • 19–20 October — Action at Lacolle (9 kilometres from the border with New York State).

      1813

      • 22 January — Battle of Frenchtown (or River Raisin), major victory for British and Native allies, U.S. battle cry becomes “Remember the Raisin.”

      • 27 April — Capture, pillaging of York, Upper Canada, by U.S. forces, attacked again 31 July.

      • 1 May — Battle of Fort Meigs (Ohio).

      • 25–27 May — Assault on Fort George (near Newark, now Niagara-on-the-Lake).

      • 29 May — Assault at Sackets Harbor (New York State).

      • 6 June — Battle of Stoney Creek.

      • 24 June — Battle of Beaver Dams.

      • 10 September — Battle of Lake Erie,