Carleton Island’s Lost Burial Grounds of the American Revolution

 

1973 Fort Haldiamd last standing chimney

By Dennis McCarthy, St. Lawrence River Historical Foundation, Inc.

Benson J. Lossing noted in his 1868 Pictorial Field Book of the War of 1812 that "a little northward of the fort (Haldimand) was the garrison cemetery; beyond this, a fourth of a mile from the ramparts, lay an ancient Indian burial-ground in a grove of small trees on the verge of the river."

From the 1770s through the War of 1812, Fort Haldimand and Carleton Island served as a vital British hub, encompassing a military fort, naval yard, and a sanctuary for Loyalists fleeing the Mohawk Valley. Its population sometimes swelled to 1,000 individuals, including British and Hessian soldiers, Indigenous peoples, Loyalist regiments, and civilians. The island's history tells of three distinct burial sites: a military cemetery holding at least 25 soldiers, an Indigenous burial ground, and a Loyalist/settler/prisoner-of-war cemetery. This last cemetery is thought to be adjacent to the military site.

Though no specific records detail who rests on the island, it's reasonable to assume those who perished there were also interred there. Historical accounts whisper tales of loss and hardship. Chief Hawksbill, a respected Mississauga warrior, met a violent end in a drunken altercation. Separate artillery accidents claimed the arms of James Bennett and George Barnhard, with Barnhard later succumbing to his injuries. Captain George McDougall, who once commanded Carleton Island, died shortly after relinquishing his commission. Lieutenant Kenneth Mackenzie passed away suddenly, while soldiers like Jacob Best and Henry Fyker died during their service on the island. Even the most vulnerable were not spared, with at least one recorded instance of infanticide.

Carleton Island early 1900s, Kittle Collection TIM

History recounts that carved oaken planks once marked some graves, but by 1868, time had eroded all but one inscription. According to Lossing, the lone surviving marker read "J. Farrar, D. Fy., 1792." These burial grounds stand as silent witnesses to Carleton Island's past, safeguarding the stories of the soldiers, civilians, and families who lived, died, and were laid to rest upon its shores.

While the location of the Indigenous burial ground on Carleton Island is known and protected by a conservation easement, the site of the garrison cemetery remains lost to time.

As the 250th anniversary of the American War of Independence approaches, Carleton Island's soil holds the forgotten remains of soldiers, civilians, and even infants, their individual stories slowly fading into the mists of history.

Historic Shipwrecks of the Thousand Islands.

 Thousand Islands Life, Historic Shipwrecks of the Thousand Islands    Volume 20, Issue 2, February 2025

Haldimand by Chip Stevens

This article was written originally as a paper presented in 2019 at Portsmouth, England, at The Nautical Archaeology Society and the Ordnance Society co-hosting conference, examining how ship and ordnance remains found on land and under the sea help us understand our maritime past. It is the story of the iron guns found at Carleton Island and Niagara Shoal.

Carleton Island Past & Present - The Old Fort

Podcast by Julie Rogers

"Carleton Island has some mystery about it. When James H. Durham decided to take on uncovering the true origin of The Old Fort in 1889, he was diving into a not so clear path of discovering the easy answer.The island had several names, Buck, Deere, Isle aux Chevreuils and Carleton Island. I purchased the book titled, The Old Fort Carleton Island In The Revolution, written by James H. Durham in 1889. It was reintroduced and reprinted by the St. Lawrence River Historical Foundation in 2010."

2019 Drain the Oceans Visit to Cape Vincent.

 Thousand Islands Life, Drain the Oceans Visits Cape Vincent

 

SRHF donates design and artwork for replacement Carleton Island informational panel is East End Park, Cape Vincent NY

During a visit to Cape Vincent's East End Park this summer, Dennis & Kathi McCarthy observed that the Seaway Trail informational panel for Carleton Island was deteriorated and not readable. They advised Cape Vincent Village Mayor Jerry Golden about the condition of the panel. Aware that a replacement is no longer available from Seaway Trails Inc.  Dennis & Kathi McCarthy, directors of St Lawrence River Historical Foundation, offered an updated replacement design for a new informational panel as a replacement.  Mayor Golden presented the proposal at the Cape Village meeting in July.  The village board approved the new panel purchase using the artwork. 

The new Carleton Island information panel has been mounted and can be seen in East End Park.

3D digital image of a George II  12 pound Iron Gun recovered from North Bay Carleton Island in 1973.  The gun is on display at Sacketts Harbor Battle Field in Sacketts Harbor NY. 

Gr2 by SRHF on Sketchfab

Historical Signage unveiled on Cannon from Fort Haldimand