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Key Events in the History of Nova Scotia: 1814.
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[Backward In Time (1813)]
[Forward In Time (1815)]
§January 21st: 210 volunteer seamen from the British naval ships, then in Halifax, under Lieut. Henry Kent, left Halifax by sea to St. John, New Brunswick. From there, using sleighs, they traveled up the frozen St. John River. At the top of which, they exchanged the sleighs for toboggans and snow-shoes; then overland to Quebec. Kingston was eventually reached on March 22nd. They intended to build a British navy on the Great Lakes, which they did; but it never measured up to the strength of the American navy which ultimately gave the Americans control of the Great Lakes.
§A letter, dated the 10th of February, was received at Halifax from authorities at Fredericton advising that "the New Brunswick legislature has voted £150 for the encouragement of a packet between Digby and Saint John provided a similar vote is made by the Nova Scotia legislature."
§February 15th: A letter, dated at Halifax from its Committee of Trade, petitioned Bathurst (Secretary of State for War and Colonies at London), in anticipation of a treaty, asking that Americans be excluded from fishing and foreigners be excluded from West Indian Trade. It would not seem that a provision was made in respect these two items, when, before the year was out a treaty was signed.
§February 23rd: A petition was made by John Harris on behalf of himself and others asking for the surveying and laying out of the proposed road from Annapolis Royal to Halifax.
§March 24th: A resolution is made by the House to grant £2500 to relieve the sufferings of the inhabitants of Upper Canada, and in recognition of their loyal conduct during the war. Agreed to by Council.
§The allies crossed the Rhine and invaded France in the early months of 1814. During April, Paris was captured and Bonaparte abdicated.
§April 27th: Bathurst to Sherbrooke: Advice that a convention for the cessation of hostilities with France has been signed.
§May 17th: Report from Edward Hodgson to Michael Wallace on the state of Sable Island. "There have been no wrecks on the island during the winter just past. Everyone is well and the animals doing well."
§June 6th: In a letter to Sherbrooke, Bathurst advised: "Due to the improved state of affairs in Europe considerable reinforcements have been ordered to Canada and Nova Scotia. If the two regiments from the Mediterranean are not needed in Canada, Sherbrooke is to occupy the part of Maine which at present intercepts the Communications between Halifax and Quebec."
§August: The British sack Washington and attempt to do the same at Baltimore. The land force was under the direction of Major-general Robert Ross (who died in the effort and was buried at Halifax).
§August: The British, under Sherbrooke, sailed from Halifax and take Castine, Maine.
§August 27th, 1814: The Sir John Sherbrooke receives a letter of marque (only the fifth one issued in 1814).
§September 29th: The body of Major-General Ross, who fell before Baltimore, landed at Halifax, and interred at St. Paul's Church yard.
§Bridewell (a House of Correction) established at Halifax.
§December 24th, Treaty of Ghent signed and with it, the war with the United States came to an end.
§The legislature votes £150 "for a survey of the Shubenacadie river and the lakes from the head of the tide to Bedford basin." This is not the first time the legislature does this, in 1797, it had allotted funds for a "feasibility survey." And for a third time in 1815, another £150 was voted "to complete surveys and plans of the lakes and streams between Shubenacadie river and Halifax harbour [sounds like a different route from that of 1814]." A number of years were to pass, when, in 1826, work was started on the canal.
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[Backward In Time (1813)]