The following letter written by Ephraim Hiram Squire was penned while he was with the Canadian Volunteers during the War of 1812. We find this a rare and exciting first-hand account of the time. The letter is transcribed exactly as it was written, complete with misspellings, dashes, and his lack of punctuation.
Research is ongoing in an effort to determine who the letter was written to, the relationships to the names specified, and if he was, in fact, married to the Abigail mentioned and had children.
Dear Brother
this is the first time we could inform you of our surcomstanses & that we have all got out of Canada & was in formed By Ebenezer Monger you had got home & we would inform you we have ben in the U.S. States Service One year. We have had hard times on the frontier & We have Been plundered of all We have by the Indians & Savage British But we are yet alive But we have ben threw every thing But Death since we saw you We have Been in Many a Battle We lived at Lewiston at the tim fort Niagary was taken but made our escape to Buffalo Olive was taken Alone with 3 children but past threw the snow thirty milds Whilst we fout the British Back three Days & knights but there force being Savage & Superior to ours we was a oblige to retreet here we saw hard times our nations Women & Children tom hawkt Stript & Schelpt & Som Burnt alive we made our retreet to Buffalo Where we found Olive here we had a nother battle here they plundered all before them but we retreated to Batavia 50 milds With nothin but What we wore on our backs here we Staid til Spring this Summer we have been to Canada With a Large force & have had hot Battles here We was in Chipeway battle where we drove them of We was in a nother battle at Niagary falls here Was two thousand kild on both sids in the field, here we could not Stir with blundering over the Dead british lost fifteen hundred & Mericans 4 hundred Major Malloney & his famaly lives in Batavia he Commanded Our Company we are volunteers we are now Going on with a large force to try them again if we fail this time we Shall Give it up & look for Some other habitation in the States We have never herd from Gold this 2 years he then Started for Lower Canada we ?? our surcomstance See our friends at present we remember them all Olive has fore children 3 of them are boys all in health Give my copliments to Jeremiah Johnson & show him this letter we wish you to wright to us soon if Convenient Direct your letter to Batavia York State Gov't Give our Compliments all our friends tel Gollild to Come & See us if he is here as soon as possible We Should be glad to see all our friends if We have any
Give my Compliments to Abigail & my Children I Calculate to Come & see them as soon as possible I have not forgot them in my absence I See hard times & troubles but hope for better Soon
Batavia Genisee County State of new york
September the 7-1814
Research is ongoing in an effort to determine who the letter was written to, the relationships to the names specified, and if he was, in fact, married to the Abigail mentioned and had children.
Dear Brother
this is the first time we could inform you of our surcomstanses & that we have all got out of Canada & was in formed By Ebenezer Monger you had got home & we would inform you we have ben in the U.S. States Service One year. We have had hard times on the frontier & We have Been plundered of all We have by the Indians & Savage British But we are yet alive But we have ben threw every thing But Death since we saw you We have Been in Many a Battle We lived at Lewiston at the tim fort Niagary was taken but made our escape to Buffalo Olive was taken Alone with 3 children but past threw the snow thirty milds Whilst we fout the British Back three Days & knights but there force being Savage & Superior to ours we was a oblige to retreet here we saw hard times our nations Women & Children tom hawkt Stript & Schelpt & Som Burnt alive we made our retreet to Buffalo Where we found Olive here we had a nother battle here they plundered all before them but we retreated to Batavia 50 milds With nothin but What we wore on our backs here we Staid til Spring this Summer we have been to Canada With a Large force & have had hot Battles here We was in Chipeway battle where we drove them of We was in a nother battle at Niagary falls here Was two thousand kild on both sids in the field, here we could not Stir with blundering over the Dead british lost fifteen hundred & Mericans 4 hundred Major Malloney & his famaly lives in Batavia he Commanded Our Company we are volunteers we are now Going on with a large force to try them again if we fail this time we Shall Give it up & look for Some other habitation in the States We have never herd from Gold this 2 years he then Started for Lower Canada we ?? our surcomstance See our friends at present we remember them all Olive has fore children 3 of them are boys all in health Give my copliments to Jeremiah Johnson & show him this letter we wish you to wright to us soon if Convenient Direct your letter to Batavia York State Gov't Give our Compliments all our friends tel Gollild to Come & See us if he is here as soon as possible We Should be glad to see all our friends if We have any
---- • ---- John S. Johnson
From ----- Olive Johnson
Eph Squire
Give my Compliments to Abigail & my Children I Calculate to Come & see them as soon as possible I have not forgot them in my absence I See hard times & troubles but hope for better Soon
from Ephraim Squire
Batavia Genisee County State of new york
September the 7-1814
