4,000 Frenchmen to storm his works. In 1760,
Gen. Jeffrey Amherst accorded him the honor
of taking possession of the captured city of
Montreal, where, being fluent in French, he
also served as a liaison officer to the former
French-Canadian government under Pierre
de Rigaud de Vaudreuil.
The onset of peace in 1763 did not confer
upon Haldimand commensurate recognition
for the fine services rendered. He advanced to
colonel in February 1762, but his status as a
foreigner precluded the holding of a higher of-
fice. Largely for this reason, Gen. Thomas
Gagebecame governor of the Montreal dis-
trict, while Haldimand served as second in
command. In compensation, he gained an ap-
pointment as the civil administrator of the
Trois Rivieres District in 1762 and performed
well over the next two years. In 1765, he suc-
ceeded Gen. Henri Bouquet as military com-
mander of the Southern District, headquar-
tered at Pensacola, Florida. Haldimand took
office in March 1765 with a rank of brigadier
general and remained in Pensacola until the
spring of 1773. Prior to his final year there, he
was promoted to major general and installed
as acting commander in chief of British forces
in New York during the absence of General
Gage, then visiting England. Haldimand sub-
sequently relocated to Boston in 1774 when
Gage returned as the royal governor of Massa-
chusetts. He thus oversaw military adminis-
tration while Gage was preoccupied with po-
litical issues.
Following the onset of the American Revo-
lution in April 1775, Haldimand was easily one
of the most experienced senior officers in
North America, yet as a foreigner he was not
trusted with positions of high authority. Ac-
cordingly, following Gage’s recall that Octo-
ber, he too was put on administrative leave
and ordered back to London. There he was
feted, flattered, and appointed inspector gen-
eral of the West Indies in 1776, a token promo-
tion. This transfer also took him out of consid-
eration for a major military command, which
subsequently went to William Howe, John
Burgoyne, and Henry Clinton, men of less
talent and experience. Haldimand was quite
aware of the indignities being heaped upon
him, but he bore them stoically and without
complaint. His resolve was finally rewarded in
the spring of 1777 when Lord George Ger-
main provoked the resignation of Sir Guy
Carletonas military commander in Canada.
Haldimand was then tapped to replace him as
captain general and governor in chief of the
province of Quebec. Canada at this time was
under no threat of invasion, so the appoint-
ment was viewed as militarily safe.
As governor-general, Haldimand was tasked
with the defense and administration of a vast,
thinly inhabited country containing a popula-
tion whose loyalty was dubious at best. He
nonetheless set about his duties with energy
and foresight. Although strict with his French-
speaking subjects, he played no favorites with
the tiny English minority and won their good-
will. He was also scrupulously honest and re-
spectful in dealing with civilian authorities.
The garrison of Canada at this time consisted
of only 6,500 professional troops, parceled out
in too few numbers to afford adequate defense.
Therefore, Haldimand was quick to employ
Native Americans as military auxiliaries and
openly encouraged their use along the New
York and Pennsylvania frontiers. In concert
with Loyalist forces commanded by John But-
ler and John Johnson, the Indians under
Joseph Brantand Cornplanterwere instru-
mental in fomenting fear along frontier settle-
ments and kept the Americans too busy to in-
vade Canada. His only military failure was to
ignore warnings of an impending American of-
fensive against the Senecas in western New
York. This was conducted by Gen. John Sulli-
van throughout the summer of 1779 and occa-
sioned much hardship among the Indians. By
1780, Haldimand was responsible for feeding
and housing at Fort Niagara 5,000 Indian refu-
gees, who in turn resumed their raids against
the Mohawk Valley the following summer.
However, he grew disturbed by reports of fi-
nancial irregularities within the Indian Depart-
ment and, upon investigation, demanded the
resignation of Guy Johnsonin 1782.HALDIMAND, FREDERICK