viii
Preface.
American war in which he fell, were interspersed with comments and strictures on his being limited to defensive operations, and deprived of those reinforcements which he thought should have been sent from the Lower to the Upper Province. In consequence, this Memoir must be considered only as a brief summary of his life and services, and as a concise introduction to the extracts in Appendix A.[1]
Of Lieutenant Tupper's Memoir, the Editor has merely to observe that he transmitted a copy (omitting the observations at page 39, on the present system of naval promotion,) of the description of the attack on the pirates at Candia to Sir John Pechell, who returned it with an assurance of its being so substantially correct, that he had no alteration to make. Sir John, who at the time (December, 1832) was one of the Lords of the Admiralty, and M.P. for Windsor, also wrote: "You might add that Mr. Tupper went to the Mediterranean in the Sybille, when I was so
- ↑ Since the Memoir of Sir Isaac Brock was printed, the Editor has heard another trait in his character, the mention of which may serve as a guide to other young officers, similarly circumstanced. When he joined the 49th as a captain, the regiment was disturbed by one of those pests of society—a confirmed duellist. Captain Brock soon proved to his brother captain, who took advantage of being a dead shot, that he was neither to be bullied nor intimidated, and the consequence was a challenge from the latter, which was promptly accepted. On the ground, Captain Brock, who was uncommonly tall and athletic, observed that to stand at twelve paces was not to meet his antagonist on any thing like equal terms, and, producing a handkerchief, insisted on firing across it. This the duellist positively declined, and being soon after compelled to leave the regiment, the officers were thus relieved, by the firm and resolute conduct of a very young man, of the presence of one, with whom all social intercourse had previously been difficult and dangerous.
