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.