in Ireland before transfer-
ring back to North Amer-
ica in 1782. He served at a
variety of posts, including
Montreal, Detroit, and
Fort Niagara, rising to
captain in 1795. At one
point Governor-General
John Graves Simcoe
dispatched him to Sodus,
New York, to protest the
seizure of Indian territory
by the Americans. Sheaffe
returned to England in
1787, where he pur-
chased his majority in the
81st Regiment. An atten-
tive soldier, he rose to
junior lieutenant colonel
of the 49th Regiment, in
which Isaac Brockwas
the senior. The two men accompanied their
regiment during a Baltic campaign in 1801
and, the following year, were shipped back to
Canada as part of garrison forces there.
Sheaffe subsequently took charge of Fort
George on the Niagara frontier, where he
ruled as a stern, unpopular martinet. He be-
came so disliked by the men of his regiment
that they plotted a mutiny in order to kill him.
This was quickly suppressed by Brock, who
also censured Sheaffe for his harshness.
Nonetheless, he was still regarded as an ex-
tremely efficient officer, so in 1808 Sheaffe
advanced to brevet colonel and, three years
later, to major general. In July 1812, immedi-
ately following the onset of war with the
United States, Governor-General George
Prevostassigned him to the army staff of
Upper Canada, which once again placed him
under the immediate jurisdiction of Brock. In
many respects, Sheaffe would spend the bal-
ance of his tenure in Canada—if not his re-
maining military career—under that officer’s
long shadow.
By August 1812, Sheaffe was back at Fort
George and assumed command of the Niagara
frontier once Brock had departed for Detroit.
That officer returned tri-
umphantly the following
month, and the two men
watched helplessly as an
armistice, arranged by
Prevost, allowed the
Americans to build up
their forces in the region.
On October 13, 1812, Gen.
Stephen Van Rensselaer
attempted to cross the Ni-
agara River into Canada.
Brock was convinced this
move was simply a feint,
with either Fort George
or Fort Erie being the real
target, but Sheaffe cor-
rectly guessed American
intentions. Brock then
went tearing after the in-
vaders, impetuously led
his men in a hasty counterattack, and was
killed. It appeared that the Americans had fi-
nally secured a toehold on Canadian soil until
Sheaffe and Chief John Norton arrived
around 4:00 P.M. with reinforcements. Unlike
Brock, who charged the enemy head-on,
Sheaffe expertly deployed his regulars, militia,
and Indians in a series of sweeping flank at-
tacks. The Americans’ resistance crumbled
under this new onslaught, and they finally sur-
rendered, losing nearly 1,000 prisoners.
Sheaffe’s prompt actions had saved the day—
and Upper Canada—and he subsequently re-
ceived a baronetcy for his effort. However, in
the minds of most Canadians, the beloved,
martyred Brock remained the real hero.
Sheaffe’s reputation for harshness, his un-
friendly demeanor, and even his American
birth all conspired to cast him in an unpopular
light.
In October 1812, Sheaffe succeeded Brock
as military and civil administrator of Upper
Canada, with headquarters at York (Toronto).
He was a somewhat cautious commander by
nature, fully determined to carry out Gover-
nor-General Prevost’s overall defensive
strategies. Basically, this entailed preservingSHEAFFE, ROGERHALE
Roger Hale Sheaffe
National Archives of Canada