Cape Breton Places & Foods

As we think about the war and it’s activities, and the part this old “warden of the Honor of the North” is again playing our thoughts go back over the years, before there were any of the modern weapons of destruction, and when it took weeks to find out what was going on over the other side of the ocean and I promise to chat about the defenses of this port at the time when Halifax was first founded. Of course I cannot talk about any of the present day defense precautions, I also want to chat about a Canadian Regiment, The Princess Louise Fusiliers with which I had the honor of association, over a period of many years, and whose members have in previous troublesome times, as well as this war, carried with honor the name of its home city, Halifax.

I have no doubt many of you, have walked through Point Pleasant Park in the south end of the city, and have looked at the Martello Tower, or perhaps come across Chain Rock on the shores of the North West Arm, and have wondered why those big ring bolts were put in a large solid rock, or perhaps you heard about a boom of logs and chains which were anchored to these ring bolts. If you are like me, that much information would start you hunting and wanting to know how they defended the city when it was first founded, and you would not be satisfied until you had inspected whatever fortifications…or ruins…there were left standing, and imagined yourself living in those days, wondering all the time how you would have stood up to the trials and tribulations of the early settlers, and the more you found out, the greater your admiration would be, for those hardy pioneers.

As you are all aware Halifax was founded in the year 1749. From the year 1740 to ’54 or ’55, the defense of the town consisted of palisade or pickets placed upright, with block houses built out of logs at convenient distances. This fence extended from where St. Mary’s Cathedral now stands to the beach at the south end, and on the north along the line of Jacob Street to the harbor.

A large portion of the front of the present Citadel Hill was originally private property; a small redoubt stood near the summit with a flag staff and guard house, but no traces of any regular or permanent fortification appear until the commencement of the American Revolution. There were several block houses south of the town…at Point Pleasant Park, Fort Massey, and other places. A line of block houses was built at a very early period of the settlement, extending from the head of the North West Arm to the Basin, as a defense against the Indians. These block houses were built of square timber, with loopholes for musketry-they were of great thickness, and had parapets around the top and a platform at the base, and a well for the use of the guard. In 1755, four batteries were erected along the beach…the center one, called the middle or Governor’s Battery, stood where the King’s Wharf now is…another where the Ordinance Yard was afterwards built, called the Five or Nine Gun Battery; the third was situated further north, and the fourth called the South or Grand Battery, where the Nova Scotia Hotel now stands and which property was for years known as the Lumber Yard. These fortifications were removed about the year 1783, and the ground appropriated to their present purposes. The Ordinance Yard, then a swamp around the battery, and the King’s Wharf were both filled up and leveled by stone and rubbish removed from the five-acre lots of the peninsula which were beginning to be cleared by this time.

There were block houses along the beach, near the dockyard, built by Col. Spry about 1775. The drawings of the town, published about the year 1774 or 1776 show a strong fortification on George’s Island. About the year 1778, the Citadel Hill appears to have been for the first time, regularly fortified; the summit was then about eighty feet higher than at present; the works consisted of an octagonal tower of wood of the blockhouse kind, having a parapet and a small tower on top with port holes for cannon…the whole encompassed by a ditch and ramparts of earth and wood, with pickets placed close together slanting outwards. Below this there were several outworks of the same description extending down the sides of the hill a considerable distance.

The Lumber Yard, Ordinance Yard and King’s Wharf were all commenced about 1784-‘5. The North Barracks were built soon after the settlement. The buildings known as the South Barracks were erected under the directions of the Duke of Kent, as also were the North Barracks destroyed by fire some years ago.

A building called the Military Office stood at the south corner of the market wharf. It was used as a military office until 1790 or perhaps later. At this time a guard was kept at the Prince’s old playhouse, where an old Acadian School building now stands, and is used as a printer’s shop on Argyle Street, by my old friend Jack Ross. Jacob Street was a barrack site as early as 1769. It was the site of one of the old blockhouse forts erected at the first settlement. It continued to bear the name of Grenadier Fort until removed.

The old wooden fortifications were removed from Citadel Hill about the time Prince Edward was Commander-in-Chief.

The remains of this work were removed at the commencement of the present fortifications. Much of the old work was performed by the militia drafts from the country, embodied at Halifax at the close of the 18th century particularly in 1793, during Sir John Wentworth’s administration, and at subsequent periods.

Towers on George’s Island, Point Pleasant, The East Battery, Meagher’s Beach and York Redoubt were built at the commencement of the 19th century. The Prince established signal stations between Halifax and Annapolis, the first post being on the hill behind his residence on Bedford Basin. He leveled the ground called the Grand Parade. The Chain Battery at Point Pleasant was the first constructed, it is said, by Lord Colville, in or about 1761. The present ring bolts were put down during the war of 1812-15. The old blockhouse at Fort Needham and one on the south-east corner of the intersection of the present North and Windsor Streets, which was then the road leading to the Basin called the Blue Bell Road, were built during the American Revolution, and reconstructed during the Prince’s time. You see Windsor Street was evidently an extension of what we now call Bell Road; apparently the proper name is Blue Bell Road.

As early as 1761, there was a good road to Point Pleasant; it was a continuation of Water Street and was said to have passed through or near the site of the Lumber Yard grounds, where the Nova Scotian Hotel now stands, following the shore of the harbor.

Having taken you back to the early days of the foundation of Halifax, nearly two hundred years ago, I can not let this occasion pass without reminding my listeners of one very important present day link with our past, which every one of you must come across every day.

Do you know that the young men you see in the King’s uniform wearing as a cap badge a brass grenade, with the words Princess Louise Fusiliers written on it, are members of one of Canada’s most famous regiments; one whose history goes right back to the founding of Halifax in 1749?

The history of the Regiment is traced to December 10th, 1749, when Hon. Edward Cornwallis mustered the settlers of Halifax on the Grand Parade and formed ten companies under captains. This was the beginning of the Halifax Militia in which every man from 16 to 60 was trained. Throughout the first winter 150 men were on duty each night. Men of the regiments were also employed during the summers of 1749 and ’50 erecting palisades about the town.

In1753 Gov. Lawrence formed these companies into a “Regiment of Militia of the Peninsula of Halifax and parts adjacent.” Gov. Lawrence used the regiment during December and January in guarding the Town, whilst the King’s troops were in Lunenburg. During the strenuous days of 1756 the regiment was held in readiness to help repel any attempt by the French. The war with Spain in 1762 again saw the Halifax Militia erecting a battery on McNabs, and strengthening the various posts, and drilling daily. In 1775 Col. Butler was ordered to supply guards for the Town and the regiment was commonly known at this time as the “Town Militia.” In 1777 an expeditionary force under Brigade Major Studholm, fought against the Americans on the St. John River and included men of the “Halifax Regiment.” In the defense dispositions of 1788 three hundred and fifty men of the regiment were assigned to oppose landings.

During the Loyalist immigration, the unit supplied patrols for the Town. Hostilities with France in 1793 brought the regiment to the fore, two battalions being formed, called the 1st and 2nd Halifax Regiments, and they reported as being in good order by the Government. The Duke of Kent also used the regiment for work on the Citadel the summer of 1797 and later that year 400 men did Garrison duty.

In 1799 Town Patrols were supplied. Alarms in 1804 found them ready and in 1808 more guards were supplied. During the war of 1812-15 the regiment continuously did duty in the Fortress. The Fenian Raid in 1866 saw the embodiment of the 1st Halifax Regiment and its sister units. At Confederation the old unit took the name of Halifax Volunteer Battalion with the numeral 66 and in 1870 became known as the 66th Battalion, Princess Louise Fusiliers.

It was chosen to form the guard of honor for the Princess Louise, when she arrived in Canada, with the Marquis of Lorne, afterwards the Duke of Argyle, on the occasion of his appointment as Canada’s Governor General of Canada in 1879.

Three companies in 1885 were attached to Halifax Provisional Battalion and preceded to North West Canada. The Unit was credited to supplying the largest quota of volunteers to the South Africa Contingents in 1899-1900.

During the Great War the regiment did duty from 5th August, 1914, to May 31, 1918, also supplying 54 officers and 850 other ranks to the C.E, F. overseas.

On reorganization in 1919 the regiment dropped the numerals 66 and became the Princess Louise Fusiliers, perpetuating the 64th Battalion C. E. F.

The following honors are borne on the Colors: North West Canada, South Africa 1899-1900, Somme 1916, Arras 1917, and Amiens.

The regiment is allied with The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers who have just celebrated their 250th Anniversary and keeps up regular correspondence with this old British Regiment.

In December 1936 the regiment became incorporated with the 6th Canadian Machine gun Battalion and is now known as The Princess Louise Fusiliers [Machine Gunners], and since this war began, it became a motorized battalion of one of Canada’s overseas divisions.

The colors of the old 1st Halifax Regiment were carried from 1900-1901 and then were deposited in St. Paul’s Church in 1903. The present colors were given by the ladles of Halifax and were presented by His Royal Highness. The Duke of York, who later became King George the Fifth at a parade on the commons during his visit here in 1901.

On the rolls of this famous old regiment one fins the names of such well known Halifax men as Major Gen. R.W. Rutherford, who was in command at M.D. 6 in 1914. Sir john S.D. Thompson, Col. the Hon. G.S. Harrington, Major H.B. Stairs, D.S.O., who distinguished himself in South Africa. Lieut. Col. G. Stairs of the Canadian Grenadier Guards, Lieu. Col. A.Q. Blois and D.S. Bauld of the 25th Battalion, Hon. Col. the Rev. W.J. Armitage, col. W.M. Humphrey, Sir Charles Tupper, Col. H.L. Chipman, Lt. Col. A. King, Lt. Col. R.B. Simmonds, and last but not least, Col. B.A. Weston, who must be known to a great majority of my listeners, and who joined the regiment as far back as 1865.At the outbreak of this war this grand old soldier came up to watch the regiment being mobilized. There are many more, too numerous to mentioned.

And still this splendid unit is carrying on in this war. Already a number of its officers and men are overseas with the first, second, and third divisions, and every officer and man is enrolled for overseas service and awaiting the day when the regiment will join their comrades overseas in the motorized division to which it now belongs.

There are several amusing stories told in the regiment and perhaps one outstanding is how the regiment got its nickname “The Plungers.” It appears that in the old days, perhaps when they used to drill in Pykes Field, which is the land enclosed by Spring Garden Road, South Park Street, Sackville Street, and Queen Street, one of the officers took them on a march out Bell Road, and headed them straight for the Egg Pond.

The officer failed to give the order to wheel to the left when they came to the bend in the road and it is said that they marched straight through the water in the pond…it was considerably deeper than it is now. Henceforth they were known as the Plungers.

Another amusing story I once heard, but cannot verify, and certainly do not take any responsibility for, concerned a certain Commanding Officer during the reign of the late beloved King George V. It appears that the Colonel and some of the Senior Officers were about to sign up some recruits on a very cold day and before going into the Orderly room, the Colonel decided he would like some stimulant and was served a brand of whisky known as King George IV. I don’t know how many he had, but it is said that he must have been greatly impressed with its excellence because when he was swearing in the first recruit, he asked the man to swear allegiance to King George Fourth instead of King George the Fifth. Luckily his adjutant was standing by and quickly corrected the error.

You know another point has come to my attention while speaking of the Princess Louise Fusiliers. The Old Town Clock which we love to talk about was used in the year 1833 as the Armory for the 1st Halifax Regiment, the predecessors of the men we now honor so readily for the part they are playing along with their comrades of Canada’s active Army. I hope many of the young men going in the Army anyway, will by this time next week, have on the King’s uniform, when we meet for more tales told under the Old Town Clock and will be wearing the famous grenade, the badge of the Princess Louise Fusiliers of Halifax. To Col. C.C. Mitchell, E.D., all his officers, N.C.O.’s and men who are serving overseas with this unit, which we are proud to call our own regiment, may I say-Cheerio and all the best.