74 Facts About Isaac Brock

Major General Sir Isaac Brock KB was a British Army officer and colonial administrator from Guernsey.

Isaac Brock is best remembered for his victory at the Siege of Detroit and his death at the Battle of Queenston Heights during the War of 1812.

Isaac Brock was promoted to colonel in 1805 and appointed brigadier general in 1808.

Isaac Brock's name is often linked with that of the Indigenous leader Tecumseh, although the two men collaborated in person only for a few days.

Isaac Brock was shot and killed by an American sniper while leading a detachment of regulars and militia in an unsuccessful counterattack.

Isaac Brock was born at St Peter Port on the Channel Island of Guernsey.

Isaac Brock was the eighth son of John Brock, a former midshipman in the Royal Navy.

Isaac Brock's mother was Elizabeth de Lisle, the daughter of Daniel de Lisle, the lieutenant-bailiff of Guernsey.

Isaac Brock earned a reputation during his early education on Guernsey as an assiduous student, as well as an exceptional swimmer and boxer.

Isaac Brock read many works on military tactics and science, but read ancient history and other less practical topics.

Isaac Brock had a successful pre-war military career and a quick rise through the ranks, which many commented on at the time.

Isaac Brock had substantial portions of both on his way to prominence.

When Isaac Brock joined the 8th Foot, its commanding officer was Lieutenant Colonel Arent DePeyster who had served in North America during the Revolutionary War as commandant of Fort Detroit, and who had substantial experience negotiating with Britain's Indigenous allies.

Isaac Brock's friends were shocked as Brock was a large target and his opponent an expert shot.

In 1793, Isaac Brock fell victim to yellow fever and became seriously ill.

Isaac Brock did not fully recover until he returned home to Guernsey on leave.

Isaac Brock rejoined the 49th Foot in the summer of 1796 when the regiment returned from the West Indies.

Isaac Brock himself was injured during the fighting when he was hit in the throat by a spent musket ball.

Isaac Brock sailed aboard the 74-gun HMS Ganges commanded by Captain Thomas Fremantle, with the rest of the regiment distributed on seven other ships.

Isaac Brock established his headquarters at York, the capital of Upper Canada.

Isaac Brock immediately boarded the schooner that had brought the message and headed to Fort George.

Alone on entering the fort, Isaac Brock ordered the sergeant of the guard to disarm and had him arrested.

Isaac Brock ordered the first officer on the scene, Lieutenant Williams, to bring him a soldier suspected of being one of the mutiny's ringleaders.

Isaac Brock sent the twelve mutineers and the eight deserters to Quebec for court martial.

Subsequently, Isaac Brock was ordered to move his headquarters to Fort George.

Isaac Brock went on leave to Guernsey in October 1805, and received a promotion to colonel that same month.

Isaac Brock strengthened the fortifications of Quebec by reconstructing the city's western wall and creating an elevated artillery battery.

Isaac Brock reorganized and strengthened the Provincial Marine, creating a naval force capable of giving the British command of the Great Lakes.

Isaac Brock remained acting commander-in-chief of all British forces in Upper and Lower Canada until the arrival of Sir James Henry Craig, the newly appointed Governor General of British North America.

Isaac Brock remained in Lower Canada until the summer of 1810 when he was given command of all British forces in Upper Canada.

Isaac Brock was now both the senior military officer in Upper Canada and the leader of its civil government.

Isaac Brock convinced the Legislative Assembly to amend the 1808 Militia Act to allow for the formation of flank companies for each militia battalion, which were to train for six days every month.

Isaac Brock continued to strengthen Upper Canada's fortifications, and ensured that the militia was adequately equipped.

Isaac Brock began seeking out Indigenous leaders, such as the Shawnee chief Tecumseh and the Mohawk chief John Norton, hoping to secure alliances in the event of war.

In early 1812, when he was finally offered a position in Europe, Isaac Brock declined the offer, believing that he now had a duty to defend Upper Canada against the United States.

Isaac Brock's advantage was that the armed vessels of the Provincial Marine controlled the lakes, which allowed him to move troops rapidly between threatened points.

When news of the outbreak of war reached him, Isaac Brock dispatched noted voyageur and fur trader William McKay with orders for Captain Charles Roberts at the British outpost of St Joseph Island on Lake Huron.

Isaac Brock felt he needed to take further action but was hampered by Governor General Sir George Prevost, who had replaced Craig late in 1811.

Isaac Brock was later joined by detachments of the Lincoln, Oxford and Norfolk militias, and by John Norton with 60 warriors from the Six Nations of the Grand River.

At Fort Amherstburg, Isaac Brock met Tecumseh, and was immediately impressed.

Isaac Brock read the American dispatches and correspondence that Tecumseh had intercepted, and concluded that Hull was a timid commander and deathly afraid of the Indigenous warriors.

Isaac Brock learned that the American forces at Detroit were demoralized and short of rations.

Isaac Brock relied on a number of tricks to intimidate Hull.

Isaac Brock crossed shortly after sunrise with the regulars and militia.

Isaac Brock had the militia wear cast-off red tunics supplied by the regulars, making it appear from a distance as if his force consisted entirely of professional soldiers.

The artillery at Sandwich resumed their bombardment as Isaac Brock crossed the river, joined by the guns of the Provincial Marine vessels.

Isaac Brock was responsible not only for his soldiers but for hundreds of civilians including his daughter and grandchildren.

Isaac Brock captured a considerable amount of supplies at Detroit including 2,500 muskets, 500 rifles, 33 artillery pieces and 69 barrels of gunpowder.

Tecumseh trusted and respected Isaac Brock, and is reported to have proclaimed, "This is a man," after meeting the general for the first time.

Isaac Brock made a number of commitments to the Shawnee leader.

Isaac Brock promised not to broker a peace treaty with the Americans without addressing Tecumseh's vision of an independent homeland.

Isaac Brock hoped to maintain momentum by crossing the Niagara River and capturing Fort Niagara, but was thwarted by the negotiation of an armistice between Prevost and American Major General Henry Dearborn.

Isaac Brock received reinforcements: six companies of the 49th Foot, two companies of the Royal Newfoundland Fencibles, and 50 men of the 10th Royal Veterans.

News of Isaac Brock's victory reached the United Kingdom in early October and was published in the London Gazette on 6 Oct 1812.

Isaac Brock had roughly 1,400 men under his command which he knew was not enough to launch a successful attack on Upper Canada.

Meanwhile, Isaac Brock had 1230 regulars, 810 militia, and 300 Six Nations warriors to defend the 35 mile border between Niagara and Fort Erie.

At Niagara, Isaac Brock was awakened by the noise of the artillery.

Isaac Brock thought the attack might only be a diversion but decided to ride to Queenston immediately, followed shortly afterwards by his aides, Lieutenant Colonel John Macdonnell and Captain Glegg.

Isaac Brock continued galloping towards the village and arrived there shortly after dawn.

Isaac Brock quickly realized that the attack was not a feint and dispatched a message to Major General Sheaffe at Fort George, ordering him to send reinforcements.

Several sources state that Isaac Brock had ridden up to the redan just before it was overrun.

Isaac Brock resolved to retake the redan without waiting for reinforcements.

Isaac Brock was struck in the wrist by a musket ball but continued upwards.

Death would have been almost instantaneous and Isaac Brock would have been incapable of saying anything.

Isaac Brock was followed closely by a detachment of the Royal Artillery and a company of the 41st Foot who proceeded to retake the village.

British military leadership, which had been decisive up to Isaac Brock's death, suffered a blow with his loss.

Isaac Brock was criticized by many, including influential clergyman John Strachan, for his retreat at the Battle of York in April 1813.

Isaac Brock returned to England in 1815 and lived in semi-retirement until his death in 1822.

Lieutenant General Sir George Prevost, who often clashed with Isaac Brock, remained in control of British forces in North America until the end of the war, but was relieved of command immediately afterwards in consequence of his conduct during the September 1814 Battle of Plattsburgh.

Isaac Brock initially mistrusted the inhabitants of Upper Canada, many of whom he suspected of being American sympathizers, and he was reluctant to arm them indiscriminately to help defend the colonies.

Isaac Brock instead favoured expansion of volunteer forces which could be trained and supervised.

Privately minted copper tokens became common in Canada due to initial distrust of "army bills", paper notes issued by Isaac Brock when there was a currency shortage caused by economic growth.

In 2006, a bust of Isaac Brock was one of the fourteen statues and busts dedicated at the Valiants Memorial in Ottawa.

The statue depicts Isaac Brock examining Detroit through a spyglass while Tecumseh, mounted on horseback, is watching the British battery bombard the fort.