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Lettre de George Heriot, Sous- ministre des Postes du
Bas-Canada, au Lieutenant-colonel Addison, secrétaire militaire, le 31 juillet, 1816, à Québec.
Source: Document des Archives
Nationales du Canada RG8, Série "C", volume 284.
Recherche et retranscription: Benoît Long. Copie
photographique: Ghislain Long; Image: Benoît Long.
Texte de Benoît Long Cette lettre de
George Heriot possède une valeur
historique pour l’histoire générale de notre famille. Son contenu est
informatif et révèle des faits importants sur la vie de Philip Long.
Heriot a aussi écrit à Freer en 1811 concernant la déficience visuelle
de Philip. Voici les conclusions que je retire de la lecture de ces deux
lettres du sous-ministre Heriot (une seule est reproduite plus bas) :
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Philip a failli perdre l’usage de la vue. Nous ne pouvons,
cependant, déterminer avec certitude si cet événement s’est produit au cours de son
service militaire ou du temps où il était courrier entre Québec et
le lac Témiscouata. Par contre, nous croyons que ce fut pendant son
service comme courier puisque le commentaire est fait dans le
contexte d'uhne phrase qui débute avec ce qui suit: "He was
for many years a Courier to the Post Office,... ".
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Nous savons que Philip a presque perdu la vue grâce à la lettre de
Heriot à Freer le 12 décembre, 1811. En voici un extrait : « …. the
Circumstance of Long's having nearly lost his eyesight, and of the
part of the Country where he is stationed being barren, inhospitable
and remote from other inhabitants, induced Sir James Craig to
authorize his being paid from the military chest, ...». La deuxième
lettre de Heriot, celle écrite en 1816, nous informe que Philip a,
en fait, perdu l’usage d’un œil. Il n’est pas fait mention des
circonstances qui ont entraîné ce handicap. Aucune autre
information ne nous permet d'en savoir plus sur cet incident.
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Dans cette deuxième lettre de Heriot (1816), nous apprenons aussi
qu’il considérait Philip comme un homme sérieux et industrieux
(traduction libre de "sober qualities and industry").
George Heriot (1759-1839) était un
fonctionnaire britannique qui a agi en tant que sous-ministre des
Postes pour l'Amérique du Nord britannique entre 1799 et 1816. Il a
regagné l'Angleterre en 1816. Ses aquarelles sur la vie de l'époque
renferme des détails historiques particulièrement intéressants.
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Les autorités britanniques ont montré de l’intérêt et de l’attention
au salaire de Philip. Sir James Craig a autorisé le versement de
deux shillings sterling par jour à même le Trésor militaire. Nous savons par la lettre de Heriot à Freer en
1811 que Philip "était installé au mois de juillet 1809, à l'endroit
de débarquement (Landing place) au bord du Lac Témiscouata, près de
l'entrée nouvelle du Grand Portage, sur la route entre Québec et
Fredericton, et cela sur l'ordre de Son Exc. le gouverneur Sir James
Craig, ancien commandant des Forces." (traduction:
monseigneur Ernest Lang,
Mon Ancêtre Philip Long). Nous savons aussi que ce
salaire était tirer à même le trésor militaire puisque cette station
sur le trajet entre Québec et Fredericton était d'une importance
militaire stratégique, et que les autorités militaires voulaient
s'assurer que ceux qui y demeuraient serait en position de survivre
dans cette région inhospitalière. Voici le texte sur la
question de la lettre de Heriot à Freer : "Le fait que Long avait
failli perdre la vue, et qu'il était dans l'obligation d'habiter une
contrée stérile (barren land) inhospitalière, éloignée de toute
habitation, a incité Sir James à donner l'autorisation d'allouer une
allocation spéciale de deux shillings par jour, à même le trésor
militaire, pou son soutien personnel et celui de sa famille."
(traduction: monseigneur Ernest
Lang, Mon Ancêtre Philip Long).
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Il
semblait exister une relation particulière entre Craig et Long.
C’est Craig qui a commandé Philip à s'établir au lac Témiscouata. Philip était
déjà connu de Sir James Craig par le biais des sa fonction de courrier mais ce n'est peut-être
pas par hazard que Long fut choisi pour ce rôle. Existait-il
un autre lien entre ces deux hommes? Il serait intéressant d'en
savoir plus sur la relation entre ces deux individus.
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Letter from George Heriot, Deputy Minister for the Post Office, to
Lieutenant Colonel Addison, Military Secretary, dated 31 July, 1816 at
Quebec City.
Source: National Archives
of Canada, RG8, Series "C", volume 284. Research and
transcription: Benoît Long. Photographic Copy: Ghislain Long;
Imaging: Benoît Long.
Text by Benoît Long
This letter from
George Heriot has some genuine historical value. It reveals some
unknown facts about Philip Long, namely a physical handicap likely due
to an accident. Heriot also wrote once before to Freer in 1811 about this visual impairment.
Here are the conclusions that we can draw from reading these two letters
(only one is reproduced below):
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Philip lost the
use of an eye. We cannot with certainty establish whether this
occurred while he was doing his military service or while he was a
courier between Québec and Halifax. However, it is very likely
that it was during his service as a courier since it is a well known
expression and reference in the context of sentence whereby the
beginning of the sentence was "He was
for many years a Courier to the Post Office," and so it seems to flow
logically that Heriot was referring to the Postal Service and not to
the Military Service.
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We do know that Philip
was said to have "almost lost his eyesight" thanks to a letter from
Heriot to Freer dated December 12, 1811. Here is the key extract:
"...the Circumstance of Long's having nearly lost his eyesight, and
of the part of the Country where he is stationed being barren,
inhospitable and remote from other inhabitants, induced Sir James
Craig to authorize his being paid from the military chest ...». The
letter by Heriot written in 1816 informs us that Philip had in fact
lost one eye! The circumstances of this accident are not
mentioned and we have not been able to determine them from other
documentation.
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In the letter of 1816,
Heriot mentions also that he considered Philip as having "sober
qualities and industry".
George Heriot (1759-1839) was an official from Britain, from
Scottish ancestry, who was Deputy Minister of the Post Office in
British North America from 1799 to 1816. He returned to Britain a
few months after writing this letter. He is renowned for his
watercolours.
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The British
authorities repeatedly demonstrated a keen interest in the salary
being provided to Philip. Sir James Craig, Commander of the Forces,
authorized the payment of two shillings sterling per day directly
from the Military chest. We know
from the letter by Heriot to Freer in 1811 that Philip Long was
"settled at the Landing place on Lake Temiscouata, near the further
entrance of the great portage on the road between Quebec and
Fredericton, by Order of His Excellency Sir James Craig, late
Commander of the Forces." It is therefore likely that this salary
was being paid from the Military chest because the Military
commander deemed this particular Station on the road between Quebec
City and Fredericton to be of particular strategic value, and given
the difficulties of settling this part of the country, served to
ensure that whoever settled and maintained this station, would be
looked after properly. We know from the Heriot to Freer letter of
1811 that consideration for his handicap was also a factor: "The
Circumstance of Long's having nearly lost his Eyesight, and of the
part of the country where he is stationed being barren, inhospitable
and remote from other Inhabitants induced Sir James to authorize his
being paid from the Military Chest, an Allowance of two shillings
per day for the support of himself & his family."
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There seems to have
been some relationship between Craig and Philip Long. They were
both military men, and it was Craig who chose Long to settle at Lake
Temiscouata. Obviously, Philip was already known to Craig because
he was a courier between Quebec City and Fredericton. Was there any
other connection between these two men? This could be an
interesting research area.
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Quebec 31st July 1816
Dear Sir,
When the provision of two Shillings Sterling per day in lieu of
rations or any other claim, was granted by the late Sir James Craig to
Philip Long, an old servant of the public, His Excellency requested that
the pension should be received from the Commissory General by me on his
account.
This has hitherto been done, but as I am about to embark for England,
I hope His Excellency Sir John Sherbrooke will allow the money to be
paid to Mr. Henry Cowan, P. M. of Quebec, who, I am confident will
punctually make the remittances to Long.
The person who is the subject of this Letter is settled on the margin
of Lake Temiscouata at the further extremity of the grand Portage.
He has hitherto been extremely useful to the Couriers, to travellers,
and to troops on their march between NBrunswick and Canada. He was
for many years a Courier to the Post Office, and lost an eye in the
service. He is a man of sober habits and industry, and I concider
deserving of a continuance of the protection of Government. He has
a wife and several Children who reside with him at the settlement.
I have the honour to be
Dear Sir
Your most Obedient
Humble Servant
George Heriot
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