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TheEnsignJamesMcAlpinAffair
AlexanderCainMcAlpin77@gmail.com
9788912785
JamesMcAlpinwastheonlysonofNewYorkloyalistsDanielandMaryMcAlpin.Born
in1765,McAlpinresidedwithhisparentsandsisters,IsabellaandMary,inStillwater,New
York.However,inMayof1774hisfatherpurchasedapproximatelyonethousandacresofland
locatedonthewestsideofSaratogaLake(inthepresentTownofMalta)andimmediately
proceededtoimproveuponit.TheMcAlpinfamilymovedtotheirnewhomein1775.By1776,
thefamilywasalreadybuildingasecondhomeontheproperty. 1
AttheoutbreakoftheAmericanrevolution,theMcAlpinfamilywasfirmlyinsupportof
theBritishCrown.ThiswasduetolandandinvestmentintereststheMcAlpinfamilyheldinthe
HampshireGrants.Asaresult,thefamilywassubjectedtoaseriesofescalatinghostileactsat
thehandsoflocalrebelorganizationsknownastheToryCommittees.InFebruary,1777,after
rejectingrepeatedoverturestojointheAmericancause,amobappearedattheMcAlpinhome.
Jamesfatherwasforcedtofleewithouthisfamilyandhideinnearbywoodsforovertwo
weeks.WhenlocalofficialsdiscoveredthatDanielMcAlpinwasrecruitingloyalistsoldiersand
attemptingtosendthemtoCanada,abountyof$100wassetforhiscaptureofMcAlpin. 2
CaptainTyrannisCollinsoftheAlbanyCountyMilitiawasorderedtoarrestMcAlpinandcarry
1Thehomesweretimberlogplankedandfloored.Thehouseswerevaluedat100and200respectively.Avalueof1Sterlingperacreunimprovedand2.10Sterlingimprovedwasplacedontheland.Bythesummerof1777therewereatleast170acresinhighcultivation.CaptainMcAlpinhad2025servantsinconstantemployonhisfarm.2ProceedingsApril17,1777.MinutesoftheAlbanyCommitteeofCorrespondence.FromInternetArchive,MinutesoftheAlbanyCommitteeofCorrespondence,17751778,Vol.1.Fromhttps://archive.org/stream/MinutesOfTheAlbanyCommitteeOfCorrespondence17751778Vol1/MinutesOfTheAlbanyCommitteeOfCorrespondence17751778Vol1_djvu.txt.
[those]whoweresupposedtobedisaffectedtothecountry,asprisonerstoAlbany. 3
Realizinghehadbeenexposed,DanielMcAlpinwasforcedtofleetothesafetyof
withouthisfamily. McAlpinremainedinhidinguntilBurgoynesarmyarrivedatFortEdward4
inAugust,1777.
Shortlyafterhisescape,DanielMcAlpinspropertywasseizedandhiswifeandfamily
werearrested.MaryMcAlpindescribedherfamilystreatmentatthehandsoftherebelsinvivid
language.FromthedayherhusbandlefttothedayshewasforcedfromherhometheCaptain's
housewasneverwithoutpartiesoftheRebelspresent.Theylivedattheirdiscretionand
sometimesinverylargenumbers.Theydestroyedwhattheycouldnotconsume.Shortlyafter
thecaptureofthefleeingloyalistsagroupofarmedRebelswithblackenedfacesbrokeintothe
McAlpin'sdwellinghouse.TheythreatenedMaryandherchildrenwithviolenceandmenaceof
instantdeath.Theyconfinedthemtothekitchenwhiletheystrippedeveryvaluablefromthe
home.Afewdaysafterthis,byanorderoftheAlbanyCommittee,adetachmentofRebelForces
cameandseizedupontheremainderofMcAlpin'sestatebothrealandpersonal. MaryMcAlpin5
andherchildrenweretakentoanunheatedhutlocatedinStillwaterandlockedinsidewithout
fire,table,chairsoranyotherconvenience. 6
HopingthatthehardshipwouldeventuallybreakMrs.McAlpinandinducehertobegher
husbandtohonorablysurrender,therebelskeptMaryandherchildrenincaptivityforseveral
3J.Fraser,SkulkingfortheKing,(Ontario:BostonMillsPress,1985),35.4Ibid. 5AmericanLoyalists,TranscriptsoftheManuscriptBooksandPapersoftheCommissionofEnquiryintotheLossesandServicesoftheAmericanLoyalist,IV,284.FromRobertWoodwardBarnwell,Jr.,GeorgeHarlandHartle'ysClaimforLossesasaLoyalist,TheSouthCarolinaHistoricalandGenealogicalMagazine,51,no.1(1950),4347,54,5162.6Ibid.OnMay27,1777GeneralGatescondemnedtheactionsoflocalmilitiamenwhoraidedtheMcAlpinhome.However,GatesdidlittletopreventMcAlpinspropertyfrombeingsoldtosupporttheAmericanwareffort.
weeks.MaryMcAlpinrefusedtocomplyandinsteadrespondedherhusbandhadalready
establishedhishonourbyafaithfulservicetohisKingandcountry. Enraged,rebelsseized7
MaryandheroldestdaughterandcartedbothofthemthroughAlbany.Accordingtoone
witnessMrs.McAlpinwasbroughtdowntoAlbanyinaveryscandalousmannersomuchthat
theAmericansthemselvescriedoutaboutit. AsecondaccountstatedwhenMrs.McAlpin8
wasbroughtfromthehuttoAlbanyasaprisonerwithherdaughter...theyneitherofthemhad
aragofcloathstoshiftthemselves. 9
AtsomepointduringtheBurgoyneinvasion,theMcAlpinfamilywasreleasedfrom
rebelcustodyandjoinedtheirfather.WhileMaryandherdaughtersfledtoCanada,James
remainedbehindandjoinedhisfathersunit,TheAmericanVolunteers.InOctober,1777atthe
mereageoftwelve,JamesMcAlpinwasappointedtotherankofensign. Itisunknownwhat10
combatorserviceexperience,ifany,JameshadinthefinaldaysoraftermathoftheBurgoyne
Campaign.Nevertheless,JamesremainedontheAmericanVolunteersmusterrollsasanensign
forthenextthreeyears.
OnJuly22,1780,DanielMcAlpinsuccumbedtoalongillnessandpassedaway.Inthe
aftermathofhisdeath,manyloyalistofficersdirectedtheirattentiontowardsJames.Itis
possiblethatwhilealive,Jamesfathereitherfailedtoensurehissonreceivedpropertrainingas
anofficerorcoveredhissonsgrossincompetence.MajorJohnNairne,whosucceededDaniel
McAlpinascommanderoftheAmericanVolunteers,suggestedthattheyoungofficerwas
7WilliamSmith,MemoirsofWilliamSmith,May12,1777.EditedbyWilliamH.W.Sabine(NewYork,1956).8GreatBritainAuditOfficeRecords,Volume21,reelnumberB1159.9Ibid. 10MusterRolloftheCorpsofRoyalistsCommandedbytheLateDanielMcAlpin,Verchere,July14,1781.WO28/4/279.
completelyoutofhiselement.[His]timeisquitelostwhilehestayshere&Ibegyoumay
contriveasmuchbusinessforhimaspossible,only(asheisyoung)thathemaynotbeexposed
tomuchfatigue,ortobelostinthewoods. Asaresult,NairneadvisedLieutenantWilliam11
FraserthatMcAlpinwouldbetransferredoutoftheAmericanVolunteerstoaloyalistpostat
VerechetobeemployedonsomeMilitaryDuty,andalsoinWritingandaccompting. 12
GeneralFrederickHaldimandapprovedoftheorderbutnotedhowveryyoungaBoyMr.
McAlpineis. However,heinsistedthatbythetime[McAlpin]knowsalittleofhisdutyhe13
willsucceedtoalieutenancy. 14
OnDecember1,1780,JamesMcAlpinwascommissionedasecondlieutenantinthe1st
BattalionoftheKingsRoyalRegiment.HewaspostedtotheprisonislandofCoteauduLac
andwasplacedunderthecommandofCaptainJosephAnderson.McAlpinoversawthirty
soldiers,ablockhouseandanunknownnumberofAmericanprisonersofwar. 15
WhilestationedatCoteauduLac,McAlpindiscoveredthatseveraloftheAmerican
prisonersunderhiscarewereinvolvedintheplunderingofhisfamilyhomeandabuseofhis
motherandsisters. InFebruary,1782,anintoxicatedMcAlpinhadtheoffendingprisoners16
strungupandtortured.Uponsoberreflection,theyoungofficerrealizedhismistakeand
beggedforgivenessfromtheprisoners.
11NairnetoFraser,May26,1781,researchconductedbyToddBraisted.12Ibid.13HaldimandtoJohnson,July27,1780,HP21,789,f.8414Ibid. 15GraytoTwiss,October20,1781,HP21,789,f.271DeSpethtoHaldimand,October16,1781,HP21,789,f.271.16GavinWatt,IAmHeartilyAshamed:VolumeIITheRevolutionaryWar'sFinalCampaignasWagedfromCanadain1782,(Dundum,2010)p.205.
Nevertheless,AmericanprisonersunderMcAlpinscarecontinuedtobetreatedquite
poorly.AsAuthorJ.FrasersuggestsinhisworkSkulkingfortheKing,McAlpintorturedhis
prisoners,ignoreddeterioratinghealthconditionsanddeprivedthemofbasicnecessities.
Intheearlysummerof1782,fiveAmericanprisonersescapedfromCoteauduLac.On
June10th,twooftheescapeeswereapprehendedbyGermansoldiers.Thepoorphysicaland
mentalconditionoftheAmericanswasimmediatelyapparent.Wheninterviewed,theprisoners
recountedtoGermanofficerstheirtreatmentatthehandsofMcAlpin.Specifically,themen
describedalackofhowMcAlpindeprivedthemofsoap,properfood,clothing,shoes,tobacco
andotherprovisions.
BrigadierGeneralErnstLudwigWilhelmDeSpethimmediatelyreportedtheincidentto
Haldimand. Inturn,MajorGrayandfourcaptainsweredispatchedtoCoteauduLacto17
investigatetheclaims.BothsoldiersandprisonersreportedtoGraythatMcAlpinwasoften
intoxicatedandtreatedtheAmericanprisonerspoorly.AlthoughinhisreportGraynotedmany
oftheprisonerswereinsolent,theensignwasquicklyarrested.
OnJuly15,1782,HaldimandnotedinhisgeneralordersthatMcAlpinwastobesubject
toacourtmartialduetothemostbarbarousandinhumanetreatmentofprisoners. Duringthe18
hearing,Americanprisonerstestifiedhowfoodprovidedtothemwascrawlingwithvermin,
blanketsandstrawwereintentionallywithheldandmanyweredeprivedofthesimplenecessity
ofwater.Asoneprisonerrecountedsomeofthemenbecamesodryandthirstytheywere
17DeSpethtoHaldimand,June10,1782,HP21,790,f.10.18GeneralOrdersofHaldimand,Quebec,July15,1782,HP21,743,ff.195,197.
attackedwiththeraisingoftheblood. Anotherdescribedthatbecauseofthepoortreatmentat19
thehandsofMcAlpin,hewouldlikelybeacripplefortheremainderofhislife. 20
ThecourtquicklyruledthatEnsignMcAlpinwasguiltyofthecrimelaidtohischarge
inbreachofthetwentythirdarticleofthefifteenthsectionofthearticlesofwar. Hewas21
immediatelysentencedtobeDismsthisMajestyesService.JamesMcAlpinsmilitarycareer
endedattheageofseventeen.
WhyMcAlpinabusedtheprisonersunderhischargeissomewhatunknown.One
potentialmotivatingfactorwaslikelyhisfamilystreatmentatthehandsoftheAmericansback
inNewYork.Anotherpossiblecausewashisfathersfailinghealthandultimatedeath,bothof
whichwerelikelycausedbyDanielMcAlpinbeingforcedtohideincavesandwoodsfrom
patriotforces.Givenhisyoungage,McAlpinalsocouldhavebeeneasilyinfluencedbythe
soldiersunderhiscommand.Finally,alackofpropertrainingandguidancefromhissuperiors
mayhavecontributedtohisactions.
Shortlyafterhisconviction,JamesMcAlpin,aswellashisfoursistersandmother,left
MontrealandsailedforEngland.
NoneoftheMcAlpinseverreturnedtoAmerica.Instead,thefamilytookupinitial
residenceinLondon.InherLoyalistPetitionclaim,MaryMcAlpinmakeslittletonoreference
ofhersonorhismilitarycareer.Instead,shefocusesonthehardshipsofherhusband,daughters
19Fraser,Skulkingat6061NewYorkGenealogical&BiographicalSociety,AsaFitchPapers,nos.261,275and500.20Ibid. 21GeneralOrdersofHaldimand,Quebec,July15,1782,HP21,743,ff.195,197.
andherself.ItappearsthatJamesneversubmittedhisownclaimtotheEnglishgovernment.
Thus,whatbecameofthedisgracedofficerafterhisarrivalinEnglandremainsamystery.