Glengarry Light Infantry Fencibles
| Glengarry Light Infantry | |
|---|---|
| Active | February 1812 - 18 May 1815 |
| Country | Upper Canada |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland |
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Light Infantry |
| Size | Battalion |
| Engagements |
Battle of Ogdensburg Battle of York Battle of Fort George Battle of Lundy's Lane |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Edward Baynes George MacDonnell Robert McDouall |
The Glengarry Light Infantry Fencibles were a light infantry unit, raised chiefly in the Glengarry District of Upper Canada shortly before the outbreak of the Anglo-American War of 1812. The unit fought throughout the war, and was disbanded shortly afterwards.
It was proposed to form a unit of fencibles in the Glengarry district in Upper Canada as early as 1807. Many of the inhabitants of the district were Catholic emigrants from Glengarry, Scotland, and many had served in the Glengarry Fencibles, which had been raised in 1794 and disbanded in 1802 shortly after the Treaty of Amiens had been signed, ending the war between Britain and Republican France. During that time they had performed garrison duties in the Channel Islands and fought in the Irish rebellion of 1798. The fencible units raised in Canada would serve under the same terms of enlistment as regular soldiers but would be obliged to serve in North America only.
The Secretary of State for War and the Colonies rejected the scheme but in 1808, Governor General Sir James Craig issued a letter of service authorising the raising of the unit on his own authority. He was forced to withdraw it a month later as the unit's officers could not raise the promised number of men in time.
In 1812 however, as war with the United States appeared to be inevitable, Craig's replacement as Governor General, Sir George Prévost, again decided to raise the unit on his own responsibility. He appointed Captain George MacDonnell of the 8th (King's) Regiment to raise the "Glengarry levy", which initially was to have a strength of 376 other ranks. Recruits came from districts as far away as Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. Most were of Scottish origins or extraction. French-speakers or recent immigrants from the United States were not allowed to join the unit. (Many of the French-speakers served instead in the Canadian Regiment of Fencible Infantry.) Recruits were granted a bounty of four guineas on enlistment, and were promised 100 acres of land after the war.
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