48 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

town. This building was removed in 1836 and a more commodious edifice erected further to the northeast.

During the summer of 1803 a large number of emigrants , arrived from the Highlands of Scotland, numbering about eight hundred, and located on the estate of Lord Selkirk, at Point Prim, where they became successful tillers of the land, and were quite an acquisition to the Province.

When, in 1804, Governor Fanning’s term of office terminated he was succeeded by Colonel DesBarres, ex-governor of Cape Breton, who arrived during 1805. To Governor Fanning is due the credit of depriving Charlottetown of its valuable common. This common comprised a large tract of land of many perches in breadth, situated to the west, north and east of the town, from the bank of the York River along Brighton Shore to that of the Hillsborough, which property was divided into lots and disposed of, His Excellency retaining a large portion for himself. ‘

It was during the administration of Governor DesBarres that war was declared by the United States against Great Britain. We shall therefore pass over the many important events of those eight years and take a general view of the state of affairs in Canada as they were then and subsequently represented to be.

Early in the summer of 1812 the Canadas were invaded at three different parts of its territory by three different distinct armies, comprised of troops of the United States. It has already been mentioned that England had been engaged in a war with France since the year 1793, and owing to that circumstance there was but 5,460 British troops in America with which to garrison the various fortifications which extended from the Citadel at Halifax to that of Quebec and also Prince Edward Island, the militia was therefore the chief dependence of the nation, and well and truly was the conduct of the people of both upper and lower Canada worthy of honor and praise for the way in which they defended their homes.

The Americans wished to conquer and take Canada, and with that object in view they made a desperate attempt, but thelove of country and the dauntless courage of the inhabitants prevented them and they completely failed. After suffering defeat the invading armies became prisoners of war to the British Militia