Sons Pioneers
Of all the snowbirds who winter in Florida, the most delightful are Canadians. They are universally courteous and friendly visitors - unlike a few native Americans who apparently feel they are family with privileges.
One Canuck who is a goodwill ambassador is James M. Cameron - statesman, scholar and historian. He spends several months each year in Punta Gorda. Jim regularly attends Rotary and sings in the First Presbyterian choir every Sunday.
I am indebted to Mr. Cameron for an interesting booklet he has written titled "American Pioneers in Antigonish." He thought we might have a common ancestor in Zephaniah Williams, but I am sorry to report we do not seem to be distantly related.
Nevertheless, the well researched genealogy provides a viewpoint of the American Revolution not taught in U.S. schools.
Zephaniah (love that name) was born in Maryland and shows up in 1778 as an 18-year old private in the Third Maryland Regiment. Two years later these troops were ordered south to free Charleston, S.C., then held by the British general, Lord Cornwallis.
Cornwallis, knowing the rebels were somewhere near, left Charleston in search of them with a mixed soldiery of British and Loyalists. His troops were fresh and well fed. The larger American army had been marching for days. In addition the men suffered from diarrhea - the result of a ration of fresh molasses.
The opposing armies blundered into one another in the night near Camden, S.C., to mutual astonishment of the respective commanders. The American general, Horace Gates, rejected his staff's advice to withdraw. Each army formed for battle before daybreak.
The Patriot center was assigned to the Virginia Militia which had been issued bayonets the day before without instruction for their use. Cornwallis took the initiative with a charge against these green troops. Leading the assault was the Welch Fusiliers which had received its baptism of fire by routing rebels at Bunker Hill.
Steadily, coolly the British regulars advanced. They were a scarlet-clad wall which fired by volleys and closed with bayonet. It was too much for the Virginians. They panicked and fled, some throwing away their arms. British infantrymen spitted them in a bloody shambles that was worsened by a cavalry charge into the retreating militiamen.
Meanwhile, on the American right flank, Marylanders stood fast and fought off repeated British advances. As the Continentals prepared for a bayonet charge, the British cavalry returned to the field with stained sabres.
At last, what was left of the Maryland Regiment broke. The battle was over.
Miraculously Zephaniah was still alive, one of 5,400 prisoners of war captured in the Charleston-Camden campaign. It was the worst defeat experienced by Americans during the war. General Gates fled the battle on a fleet horse, riding 60 miles before stopping to sleep.
The British at Charleston held a growing bag of American prisoners of war. At the same time, England was at war with Spain and France. This necessitated garrisoning British possessions in the Caribbean. To relieve the cost and bother of prisoners, the British offered enrollment in the "mother country forces" at places where Americans would not have to fight compatriots.
Under these conditions it was not hard for uncertain southerners to change sides. Zephaniah was one of those who switched early in 1781. Approximately 1,200 former rebels comprised two battalions of Loyal American Rangers. They spent the rest of the war on guard duty in Jamaica.
The war ground on to its close with capitulation of Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown. Victorious colonists understandably were not in a mood to welcome back those of their number who had soldiered for King George. What was to become of the former Yankees, forlorn in Jamaica?
Nova Scotia then was being opened up for settlement by Canada. About 300 Loyal American Rangers petitioned for land there, and it was speedily granted. Zephania received 100 acres.
Thus, a contingent of young southern men, who had languished the last three years in tropical Jamaica, found themselves in cold Nova Scotia.
A year later, only half remained. The others had drifted away to parts unknown.
Zephaniah stuck it out and signed a petition to the Crown to send the struggling colony of bachelors some women for wives. The King did not respond, but Zephaniah found a bride anyway. Her name was Ann, of Scottish descent; and she bore her husband four sons and six daughters. All became respected citizens of Antigonish.
Interestingly some former Rangers years later applied for, and received, American pensions for those years of military service prior to capture and transfer of allegiance!
Many Canadians today trace their ancestry to colonial America. Perhaps this is the reason Canadians often feel greater kinship to the United States than vice versa.
Too bad we are so casual.
Canadians make great cousins.
March 23, 1985
Click here to see this article on Lindsey Williams' website
Lindsey Williams is a Sun columnist who can be contacted at:
LinWms@earthlink.net or LinWms@lindseywilliams.org
Website: http://www.lindseywilliams.org with over a thousand of Lin's Editorial & At Large articles written over 40 years.
Also featured in its entirety is Lin's groundbreaking book "Boldly Onward," that critically analyzes and develops theories about the original Spanish explorers of America. (fully indexed/searchable)
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