On Memorial Day, John and I headed to Wilson, New York for their annual fair and also attended a memorial day service (which was very well done). On the way home we stopped by Fort Niagara State Park, of course I couldn't resist a visit to the cemetery. In keeping with my interest in the War of 1812, this stone caught my eye:
John Chrystieson of
Major James Christie
of the Revolutionary Army
Colonel
of the 23rd Reg. Infantry
and
Inspector General
of the Northern Division
United States Army
Born in the City of New York
4 January 1788
died at Lewiston
23rd July 1813
aged 25 Years 6 Months
19 Days
With that I decided to research John Chrystie.
A quick google search immediate gave results. A brief biography was listed for him on Wikipedia. As his stone tells, he died a colonel, he participated in the War of 1812 and died of natural causes. (1) Natural causes? When he was so young and during the war?
John attended Columbia University where he studied law and graduated in 1806. He joinned the army on 3 May, 1808, as first lieutenant of the 6th infantry and was promoted to captain in February, 1809. He apparently resigned on 15 November, 1811, but re-entered the service, and on 12 March, 1812 when he became lieutenant of the 13th infantry. (2)
In May 1812 John was was actively recruiting men to serve with him in Lancaster, New Jersey and succeeded in enslisting 195 in one month. (3) On 17 July 1812, he left Charleston, South Carolina to march 300 troops to Albany. (4) Those same 300 troops would later participate in the Battle of Queenston Heights.
The Americans led by General VanRennselaer were planning an attack of Queenston, Ontario on 13 Oct 1813. Chrystie led his men across the Niagara River by boat in the early morning of October 13th. John's men came under heavy grapeshot and musket fire while paddling across the river but the currents were too strong for three of the boats, which ended up moving far from the landing point. John was on one of these three boats and it was said that when he made it ashore, his only guide to the ground left him. The delayed landing of so many troops put the Americans at a disadvantage. They had far fewer men than expected reach the landing point and they came under heavy fire, but prevail they did, and ended up killing General Isaac Brock on the heights.(5) On Oct 12th, the same newspaper reported a more detailed but slightly different account of the events. In this account, John Chrystie was wounded slightly in the hand by grapeshot during the crossing, his pilot became confused, and the men in the boat became frightened. As a result, they sailed back to the American side. It was the boats of Major Mullany that drifted down river, far from the landing. Two of those boats were captured and the rest also returned to the American side. While a significant number of men sat on the other side of the river, refusing to cross, the Americans at Queenston rallied and stormed the Heights, killing Brock who was struck by 5 bullets. It wasn't until 2pm and when the Americans had control of Queenston that Chrystie and Mullany sailed once again across the river, where he ordered an injured Captain Wool to stand down and get treatment. At 3pm a band of Indigenous men coming from the direction of Chippewa attacked the Americans. Throughout this attack it was mentioned that Chrystie remained with perfect composure and coolness.(6)
Yet another newspaper article in November reports that Chrystie was take prisoner but not before he lead 300 men into battle and drove between five and 600 British soldiers of the Egyptian Regiment (42nd) several miles by point of bayonet.(7) About a week later, the newspaper published an article with a correction to the British regiment. It was not the Egyptian regiment, but the "brave two score nine" who fought in the sand-hills of Ostend.(8) In yet another newspaper article, letters received by Major Thomas Chrystie at the end of October were published. In one letter dated Oct 22 in Albany, Thomas is told that his brother John was slightly injured on his hand, and he and nearly all the troops that he led were taken prisoner. In the second letter, dated Oct 21, Thomas was told that it was reported that Brock had died but the reports were wrong and he would survive his wounds.(9)
Chrystie also participated in the unsuccessful (for the Americans) Battle of Stoney Creek as part of the Winder Brigade, under the command of Brigadier General Winder. Rather embarrassingly for the Americans, both American Generals (Chandler and Winder) were captured by the British and Colonel Burns assumed command. Chrystie was part of Burns' council of war and appears to be one of the few who pushed for an attack on the British at Burlington Heights, an event that never happened. The Americans retreated to Fort George under the orders of Dearborn and almost three weeks later suffered another loss during the Battle of Beaver Dams. Lieutenant Colonel Boerstler, marched 570 men to Beaver Dams but 2 miles before their destination they were ambushed. A skirmish ensued which resulted in Boerstler moving the men to a field, where they waited for reinforcements. Chrystie received the request for help and march 300 men to Queenston, only to be informed that Boerstler had surrendered and the reinforcements were no longer needed. (10)
On Jan 30, 1813 it was reported that John, was one of many soldiers exchanged for British Prisoners of war and by order of the John Armstrong, Secretary of War he as well as all men were "free to act against the united kingdom of Greatbritain and Ireland and dependencies thereof, as if they had never been captured". (11) Trying to figure out when and where John was captured was a bit tricky. On July 26th, it was recorded that he was one of the POWs captured at Queenston on 13 Oct 1812 along with John Fenwick and Winfield Scott and several men of the 13th infantry.(12) While the location is likely true, we know that John was involved in the Battle of Beaver Dams on June 24th, so his capture was between then and July 26th. So far I haven't been able to obtain anything else about his capture online. John was parolled on 19 Nov 1812 in Quebec and was to return to Boston on a boat named Regulus, but it was remarked that he returned by land instead.(13)
John appears to have been favoured by the government and it was reported that he was appointed an Inspector General on April 16th by Armstrong.(14) Surprisingly, it seems that John drafted a letter to decline the offer. A bookseller (James Cummins) seems to have original copies of the offer as well as a draft copy of John's letter dated April 30 written in Niagara, declining the offer because he was in command of a Battalion of the 13th Infantry and preferred the position.(15) If he did in fact decline the offer, whoever erected his stone wasn't told!
Sadly, Chrystie died a short time later. News of John's death was published in newspapers about a week after his death. The Gleaner on 13 August 1813 include highlights of the Buffalo news of July 27th. The Buffalo news had reported that Colonel Chrystie of the 13th Infantry died the previous Wednesday of fever at Fort George.(16) How different his life might have been if accepted the offer.
He continues to appear in the news twice more that year, when it was reported by the Buffalo Gazette that as of Oct 1(17), and later as of Nov 1(18), John was one of many who had unclaimed letters at the Fort Niagara Post Office.
A portrait of the young John Chrystie appears in the National Portraits Gallery
(1)John Chrystie - Wikipedia
(2)http://famousamericans.net/johnchristie/
(3)Lancaster Intelligencer 30 May 1812, Sat · Page 3
(4)
(5) Richmond Enquirer 3 Nov 1812, · Page 2
(6)Richmond Enquirier 12 Nov 1812, Thu · Page 3
(7) 'Richmond Enquirier 27 Oct 1812 Page 3
(8) 'Richmond Enquirier 6 Nov 1812 Page 1
(9)Richmond Enquirier 30 Oct 1812 Page 2
(10) Staff Guide Handbook of the Niagara Campaigns 1812-1814 https://usacac.army.mil/sites/default/files/documents/lde/CSI/CSIPubs/NiagaraCampaign%201812-1814.pdf
(11)Lancaster Intelligencer 30 Jan 1813, Sat Page 3
(12)Virginia Argus 22 Apr 1813 Page 2
(13)‘War of 1812 Papers’ of the Department of State, 1789-1815. Microfilm Publication M588, 7 rolls. General Records of the Department of State, Record Group 59. The National Archives in Washington. D.C.
(14)Ancestry.com. War of 1812, Prisoner of War Records, 1812-1815 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007.
(15)https://www.jamescumminsbookseller.com/pages/books/304427/war-of-1812-john-armstrong-jr/partially-printed-document-signed-john-armstrong-as-secretary-of-war-appointing-colonel-john
(16)The Gleaner, Wilkes-Barre Pennsylvannia 13 Aug 1813, Fri · Page 3
(17)Buffalo Gazette 19 Oct 1813, Tue, Page 3
(18)Buffalo Gazette 2 Nov 1813, Tue, Page 3
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