The War of 1812 was not only a war of soldiers but everyone was affected by the war. The war impacted the lives of not only soldiers but settlers throughout the area. The following is a story of the life of Clarissa Lynde as told by her in an article in the Whitby Chronicle on January 8 1897. Clarissa was born in Whitby on Feb. 13, 1805 and as a young girl met General Brock leaving her with a lasting impression. She was married to John Warren in 1824, an Oshawa founding father, miller and the original owner of Prospect Park. Clarissa Warren died in Whitby on May 17, 1900.

The settlers in Canada built their log houses on the shores of the lakes, or on the banks of rivers and streams running into these natural highways of commerce.In summer a century ago, the waters of Ontario were as azure and transparent as now and the breezes which caused the ripple and splashed the pebbly beach were the same as today, and also their dark sullen frown in winter foreboded evil then as it does at the present time. The full moon shone with the same lustre and the glory of the starlit heavens was as great as when viewed from the clearing, as when seen from the now almost treeless expanse. The hardy sons of toil saw the same rising sun; and witnessed its going down, as we of today. But if we turn our back on the inland sea, which the axe cannot hew, and on which the plow has left no furrow, we find the whole view transformed in the course of one lifetime. The forest was then dense and as dangerous to the wandering child of the white man as is the trackless ocean to the mariner adrift without chart or compass. But to the Indian, the child of the forest, its ways were as clearly defined as the paths of the river, the lake and the ocean are to the fish, which hatched in streamlet or hatchery, wanders to the great Atlantic; but with unerring certainty returns year by year to its own birthplace again.Left to themselves the trees of the forest by a law divine, sought and found perfection. The streams full of water and overhung with vines flowed perennially to the lakes. The noble beech trees showered its nuts to fatten the bear for its winter slumber and the majestic butter nut tree gave nuts to the long winter evening of the bright wood fire of the log house. The beautiful black squirrel sprang from limb to limb along the tree tops and with its royal kinsfolk, the grey and red reigned kings and queens among the branches.Then came the sound of the woodman’s axe, and with the fall of the tall pine and the beautiful maple tree, was heard the mutterings of war.Soon after dragoons with their clanging saber-sheaths came on; and infantry soldiers with red coats wended their way through the forest by the rudely constructed winding Danforth Road. Horses were stationed at the residence of Mr. Jabez Lynde, for the purpose of forwarding dispatches and his eldest sons, Hawkins and Sylvester were employed as dispatch carriers,

while their father Jabez Lynde, was engaged to furnish supplies to commissary department.War carried into cultivated lands and waged on the principle that war must support war is an awful scourge. But a defensive war carried on in a forest by the richest nation in the world, anxious to retain the good will of the scattered people, the enemy held in check, is a different thing.As in war, the life of men is freely sacrificed to obtain the desired end, so a few sleigh loads of British gold was counted as lead in comparison with the value of a Province within whose borders is "The Treasure House of World." All bills were paid without question and with liberal hand.On one occasion Jabez Lynde, on his returning from the paymasters office weighed his gold, with the steel yards, and found he had just eight pounds weight of the yellow metal.In winter, numerous French carryalls from Montreal, guarded by soldiers, brought loads of specie, and military stores. An the roads were filled with pitch holes by their constant travel. At night, when in transit through Whitby, a certain store room in Jabez Lynde’s house would often be filled with kegs of money and a portion of his log barn was set aside for the storage of crates of biscuits and other provisions. For some time before the declaration of war by the United States, there were rumors of

impending hostilities. At this stage, General Brock, westward bound, drove up at the house of Mr. Lynde, on Lynde's Creek and desired immediate conveyance to Toronto. He and his aide-de-camp were clad in long plaid coats lined with fur. The suavity of the commander-in-chief was manifest even in the wayside log inn, and won the heart of the little Canadian girl of the house, who for four score years has not ceased to sorrow for his untimely end. Col. Drummond his companion paced the floor. ‘The King's business required haste”. Mr. Jabez Lynde, a horseman of no mean skill, drove over the snow, through the serpentine forest road down and up the dangerous Rouge Hills, and entered, in three hours and five minutes later, the yard of the Government house, Toronto.

In summer, troops on the march demanded no house room, but in the depth of winter, sometimes with wife and children, the soldier slept on the floor of the log tavern and wherever else shelter could be found. In the night one of these guests arose and, with dexterous hand, cut from the neck of Mrs. Lynde while she slept, a valuable string of gold beads, which serves to illustrate the low moral grade often composing the rank and file of the day.On another occasion, an officer in advance warned the house to put out of sight every light article of value. Finding nothing more to their mind, the soldiers pillaged some pork barrels in a shed. Losses of such kind were immediately repaired on presentation of bill to quartermaster.When the Americans took Little York, the fleeing British soldier demanded at the point of the bayonet what he desired. But they were unofficered, and the Americans were supposed to be in hot pursuit.

The carrier of dispatches was exposed to much danger, notwithstanding he was accompanied in his journey by a trooper. Men crossed the lake to intercept these messages, and a life in war time is sacrificed without compunction, when deemed necessary.By and by paper money was issued, and instead of gold, all accounts were paid in gold redeemable at the close of the war. It was boom times. All legitimate demands were paid by the government with liberal hand. Land was cheap, even when partially cleared, and the simple wants of the settler easily supplied. All were yet in the prime and vigor of life.And to many it appeared, there would always be a glut of land and gold, and army bills, and youth and strength.Occasionally there would be found in the barnyard a coin unmissed by an indifferent loser.In Port Hope some men rejoicing in their riches tried to surpass one another in the high value of the Army bill with which each lighted his pipe.The money with which Jabez Lynde built the house, afterwards given by Miss Elmina Lynde to All Saints' Church, her father said: “Would have bought all the land from his house to Perry's Corners.” That is a block of land one and a quarter miles square, at least and probably he meant 21/2 miles square.But a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. “He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver.”When peace was restored, the boom terminated, and relief from the monotony of life was sought in other excitements. The quiet home of the Canadian forest was too often disturbed by convivial parties of men who desired life and would have made it more abundantly.At the beginning of the century the waters of our beautiful lake splashed on its pebbly shore as they do today. Then the young man and the maiden as diligently counted the myriads of stars in the glorious heavens as they do today. At the dawn of the 19th century the lad and the lassie loved as ardently as they of its closing hours. And what a manly man, with swelling heart has not told that most beautiful of all earthly tales. Alas for him who knows it not! And what joyful maid with strengthening frame has not had whispered in her ear that old old story.For there is nothing new under the sun.

E.W.