ramme Lieut.-Col.
Booker proceeded to carry out his orders. On the other hand, it was
nearly 8 o 'clock before Col. Peacocke left Chippawa, which threw the
whole programme out of joint by nearly two hours. Various excuses were
made for the delay, but some of them were not very tenable. The regulars
had had a good night's rest, and the volunteers (who were all on the
ground at Chippawa before 4.30 a.m.) were eager and willing to proceed.
Why he did not leave Chippawa by at least 6 o'clock (in the cool hours
of the morning) is not sufficiently clear. A pilot engine was sent up
the line of the Erie & Niagara Railway early in the morning, upon which
were Lieut.-Col. John Hillyard Cameron and a detail of riflemen from the
St. Catharines Battery of Artillery. They made a reconnaissance nearly
as far as Black Creek, and returned with the report that they had not
observed any signs of the enemy between Chippawa and that point. This
was before Col. Peacocke started on his march. Why could it not have
been possible for him to have moved a portion of his advance up by train
as far as Black Creek, was a question that was prevalent at the time.
But Col. Peacocke was not apparently taking any chances. He appears to
have been overly cautious, and was disposed to adopt the old-time method
of plodding along the beaten trail. Here again he made a mistake in
taking "the longest way around" to reach Stevensville, while the intense
heat and dust began to tell on his troops, which compelled him to halt
at New Germany about 11 o'clock. Before reaching there he was informed
of the disaster at Ridgeway by parties who had arrived from the
battle-field. Why, then, did he not push on in search of the enemy,
instead of remaining at New Germany until 5.30 p.m.? is another
question. Excuses are easily framed and plausibly given in reports,
but the country generally, and his soldiers particularly, have always
thought that he might have managed to have got into a conflict with the
enemy in some way. Col. Peacocke was a very fine gentleman, and had the
reputation of being a skilful military officer, but his extreme caution
in this campaign spoiled all chances of any success in winning the
renown that might have been his portion had he acted with snap and
celerity of movement in battering the Fenian army before they left
Canada. He had the opportunity, the men and the guns, but he let his
golden chances slip by while he idly passed away the time "resting"