Canadian Historic Sites: Occasional Papers in Archaeology and History No. 11

The Battle of Queenston Heights

by Carol Whitfield

Appendix C

Substance of a private and confidential conference with Colonel Van Ransselor....after some familiar conversation; he threw off his reserve, laid particular stress on his wish, that our General should appear pacific in all his actions, how much Public opinion had changed in favor of Gt. Britain from the circumstance of her dignified forbearance in all Quarters, that he himself, and the General, were Federals, that at the approaching Elections he had no doubt of the Government being in their hands, that looking around to see no one was present he enjoined me to secresy, then declared the Gov't to be in the hands of a faction that the War was obnoxious to a Majority of People, that their (meaning the General and his own actions) actions [sic] were watched, mentioned the failure of the past months at Washington, and concluded by stating these were only hints, that fear alone detered him from stating other facts which would at once convince me the present Government could not exist he concluded by wishing the two Countries might soon be united in bonds of peace and amity, his manner and demeanor seemed to bespeak sincerity. I left him after obtaining his promise to furnish the General with regular foreign news thro' W. Dickson.

19th [illegible]
T.E.¹