Sketch XXXII
Captain Edward McMichael
Walsingham may boast of one of her original pioneers, with an assurance that the early settlers in all Long Point settlement, were they alive to-day, would join her in singing his praises. This man’s name was Edward McMichael. He was of Scotch descent, and was born in Newton, Sussex County, New Jersey. His parents were in easy circumstances, and Edward was given the best education the schools in the colony at that time afforded. He married Elizabeth McAllister, a member of an influential family of that name in Philadelphia. When the war of the Revolution broke out Edward McMichael, being a Loyalist, enlisted in the British army, and was given a captain's commission. The McAllisters espoused the cause of independence, and thus we find Mrs. McMichael placed in an unenviable position, being the wife of a man engaged in deadly combat with the members of her own family. It was a trying ordeal, but she remained a true and faithful wife through it all. She prayed for her husband's safety; visited him in camp, and ministered to his comfort; but her petitions to the throne of grace were always accompanied with an earnest appeal that the God of nations would smile approvingly on the cause of liberty and grant success to her people in their struggle for independence. Wives and mothers who read this sketch may well breathe out a silent prayer of heartfelt thankfulness for the pleasant places in which their lot is cast, and for the absence in their lives of the terrible experiences which fell to the lot of this old pioneer wife and mother, during these seven years of strife and bloodshed.
Captain McMichael lost an eye at the Battle of Trenton; and Mrs. McMichael used to tell her children of an incident that occurred there at the time of the battle. A Mrs. Trent, who had owned the ground whereon the town was built, opened her house for hospital purposes, and assisted in the work of caring for the wounded. Mrs. McMichael was there, and besides attending her own husband she assisted Mrs. Trent in caring for others. Among those brought in was an English officer who had lost a portion of one of his hands. While the wound was being prepared for the bandage, the officer became peevish and impatient. He remarked in a petulant manner that the “Americans were a hignorant pack of ‘eathen. Why,” said he. “their very hofficers cawn't write their own names.” At this point Mrs. Trent remarked, pointing to the torn and bleeding hand, “If the American officers are unable to write their names they know how to make their marks.”
Captain McMichael was with Cornwallis at the Yorktown surrender. During the afternoon of that memorable day, October 19th, 1781, Mrs. McMichael watched by the side of a sick woman in Yorktown. About two o'clock the patient began to wander in her mind. Her words were incoherent for sometime, but suddenly she exclaimed in low clear tones: “In a few hours a new nation will be born into the world, or else it will be strangled in its embryonic state.” About four o’clock in the afternoon the town crier, who was a Dutchman, was heard shouting, “F-o-u-r o’glock, f-o-u-r o’glock, und Cornvallis vas surrender.” The sick woman heard the cry in the street, and she shouted, “Thank God,” three times, and it is needless to add that the wife of one of those British soldiers, who was at that very moment a prisoner of war, voiced the prayer which her patient had uttered. Mrs. McMichael watched the process of surrender until the last sentry-box had been vacated by a red-coat and filled by a blue-coat.
Early in the spring of 1787, Captain McMichael started with his family— it was all he had left— for the wilds of western Canada. They had four children, one of whom had been sent on in advance with the family of Captain Frye. They came on horseback, under the leadership of an Indian guide. Mrs. McMichael carried her youngest child in her arms, and the other two were tied in chairs suspended on either side of the horse, one balancing the other. Like all the early pioneers who came from the old colonies, they ran many narrow escapes from the wolves, and suffered untold hardships while making the journey.[1]
The McMichaels crossed the Niagara River in the month of August and remained in the Niagara settlement until the spring of 1794,[2] when they came up to Long Point and settled on the lake front of Walsingham a little west of Port Rowan. Captain McMichael was “a leading and shining light” in the little settlement. He was most exemplary in character; and being a man of more than ordinary intelligence, he became a “head-light” for his fellow pioneers. But the hardy settlers had no sooner learned to love him than they were called upon to mourn his loss. In the month of September, 1800,[3] only six years after he erected his pioneer log cabin, he died, leaving a widow and ten children to mourn his untimely end. But the widow had passed through the crucible of fierce trials during the revolutionary war and in its terrible results and she met this new trial of caring for a large family of fatherless children in a dense wilderness with a degree of fortitude that was highly praiseworthy. She died in 1839.
The McMichael family consisted of five sons—William, George, Henry, James and Hugh; and five daughters—Hannah, Julia, Eleanor, Eliza[4] and Sarah.
William McMichael, eldest son of Captain Edward, was a large, muscular, fine-looking man. He was an athlete of no mean degree. On one occasion a boat was being loaded with flour at Port Rowan, and Mr. McMichael was present and watched the men at work. Each barrel was handled by two men, and it seemed to be hard work for them. Finally, Mr. McMichael came forward and, seizing a barrel by the chimes, lifted it at arm’s length and held it over his head with the greatest apparent ease. He married Cynthia Dodd, and settled in Walsingham. He had two daughters, who married in the Smoke and McGill families. Both settled in the States.[5]
George McMichael, second son of Captain Edward, died single. In 1809 he was appointed constable for Walsingham by the Court of Quarter Sessions at Turkey Point. He enlisted in the war of 1812, and was killed at the battle of Fort Erie.
Henry McMichael, third son of Captain Edward, died single also. He was drowned while crossing to Long Point, and his body was found down the lake some time after.
James McMichael, the fourth son, married Mrs. Duicher, by whom he had one daughter. The family settled in the States.[6]
Hugh McMichael, the youngest son never married.
Hannah McMichael, the eldest daughter of Captain Edward, married William Backhouse. Here children are enumerated in the Backhouse genealogy.
Julia McMichael, the second daughter, married Anthony Fick, and settled in Walsingham. She had three children—a son and two daughters. John, the son, was stricken with the gold fever in 1849 and started for California, and, as is supposed, was killed by the Indians on the western plains. Eleanor, the elder daughter, married George Tremaine, and settled in Detroit. Matilda, the younger daughter married Warren Hunt of St. Thomas, who died soon after the marriage. Subsequently she married George Salmon, son of the Rev. George Salmon, of Simcoe.[7]
Sarah McMichael, the third daughter, married a man named Dresser. They settled in the States.
Eleanor McMichael, the youngest daughter of Captain Edward, married Henry, son of Allen Ellis, Esq., of Mount Pleasant. They settled in Walsingham, and had three sons—Edward, James and Wallace; and two daughters, Elizabeth and Hannah. Edward, enlisted in the Northern army and contracted a fever, of which he died. James was also a soldier in the Union army, being captain of a company. He is living in Chicago. Wallace is also an ex-Union soldier, and is also living in Chicago. Elizabeth married Nicholas McIntyre, and settled near Mount Pleasant. Hannah married Charles, son of Rev. Peter Jones, of Brantford; Chief of the Six Nations Indians.
[1] The migration to Canada was actually in 1788 according to Edward McMichaels Land Petition of March 14, 1794. Source: Upper Canada Land Petition "M" Bundle 1, Doc. No. 89
[2] McMichael brought his family to the Long Point Settlement about July 1795 according to the petition of John Parsin who noted the arrival of his neighbour. Source: UCLP "P" Bundle Misc 1797-99, Doc. No. 5.
[3] McMichael died after April 29, 1803 when he sold land to James Monro and before November 16, 1803 when his widow petitioned as the widow of the late Edward McMichael, deceased (Upper Canada Land Petition “M” Leases 1798-1818 Doc. No. 65).
[4] Elizabeth McMichael, born at Niagara Township in 1794, died in 1869, married at Charlotteville Twp. in 1813 to Samuel Ryerson (son of Joseph and Mehitable Ryerson). Elizabeth and her husband were buried in Mitchell Family Cemetery, Charlotteville Township
[5] The will of William McMichael dated at Walsingham Township on June 13, 1843 named his wife Anne, and daughters Elenor McMichael and Sarah McGill (Norfolk County Surrogate Registry). Sarah married on December 26, 1842, George McGill, recorded in the Talbot District Marriage Register.
[6] James McMichael married widow Mary Dutcher. He had no children of his own but raised the children of Mary’s previous marriage. His will dated February 24, 1824 (pro. 1844) named his wife Mary and stepson William L. Dutcher (Norfolk County Surrogate Registry).
[7] Juliana McMichael and her husband Anthony Fick settled at Talbotville Royal, Southwold Township, Elgin County, where Juliana was recorded as a widow in the 1852 Census.