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La communauté noire dans l'histoire du Québec et du Canada. http://www.qesn.meq.gouv.qc.ca/mpages/title.htm
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Ce texte est tiré du siteTHE BLACK COMMUNITY
IN THE HISTORY OF QUÉBEC AND CANADA qui cite lui-même l'extrait d'un document tiré de la collection Lande Canadiana (Université McGill).
Rappelons que plusieurs Noirs servirent dans l'armée britannique à l'époque des rébellions. Ce court texte est extrait du rapport d'un soldat associé au recrutement de jeunes noirs. La manipulation de l'information de la part du gouvernement anglais est alors sans pareil. On laisse par exemple entendre qu'une victoire des Patriotes de Papineau signifierait un retour de l'esclavage au Bas-Canada !
... The passengers consisted principally of the officers of the 85th regiment, while alongside were several barges, crowded with the soldiers of the same regiment, who had but a few days before arrived from England, and were then on their way to the upper province, to strengthen the garrisons... Hearing a great confusion and challenging over our heads, together with the report of a musket, and a splashing in the water, accompanied by a yelling, I fancied an attack had been made on the guard, jumped up, dressed myself, and awaked Col. Dodge, so as to be able to play our part, did any thing take place...
... Soon after the officer of the guard came down, and requested me to go with him; anxious to learn what was the matter, I followed him on shore, and was hurried into a house or tavern near the water's edge, where I learned the cause of the uproar, one of the negroes of the guard had been drowned in attempting to get on shore to procure whisky. His body had been found, and, as a physician, I was requested by the sheriff to lend my professional services to aid in resuscitating him. The poor wretch had formerly been a slave in Kentucky, from whence he ran away and had been of all others the most impertinent to us; but that was forgotten. I did all I could, and worked for two hours indefatigably, and not without hopes, for we soon discovered signs of life and returning animation. But a life of dissipation, such as he had led since he had become a soldier, had destroyed his constitution, and, notwithstanding all our exertions, he again sank away and ceased to breathe.
The other negroes that had been called upon to aid in restoring animation, by inflating the lungs, were surprised at my exertions to save one of their despised colour and race; and they showed, by their attentions to me on the continuation of our voyage, that they were highly gratified. On finding this to be the case, I entered into a conversation with some of them, whose minds I succeeded in undeceiving, by contradiction the subtle stories told them by the loyalists to encourage them in enlisting. They had been told by them that if the Canadians were successful they would all be restored to their former masters, and sent back into slavery; and although they were willing to admit that their present situations were no better than their former, still they would rather die that be forced to return. They had been enlisted into the service six months, and from the constant drilling they had received, they had become pretty well disciplined-and when we take into consideration the dread of being taken back into slavery, I hazard little in saying that, for their number, a more efficient corps, and one more to be depended upon, could not be found among the volunteer force of either of the provinces.
From: Lande Canadiana Collection, McGill University
http://www.qesn.meq.gouv.qc.ca/mpages/title.htm
Le 11 décembre 1837 : » Corps of
Negroes »
Au début du 19e siècle, peu d'unités de miliciens dans le Haut-Canada comptaient des Noirs. Lorsque la Rébellion MacKenzie éclata, le gouvernement
accueillit les hommes noirs au sein des forces provinciales. Le 11 décembre 1837, une proclamation de la milice autorisa les capitaines Thomas Runchey et James Sears d'établir un « Corps of Negroes ». Quatre jours plus tard, environ une cinquantaine de Noirs firent partie de ce Corps de miliciens.
Le 6 mars 1838 : On félicite
publiquement les Noirs du Haut-Canada
Au début du printemps de 1838, le lieutenant-gouverneur Sir Francis Bond
Head prit la parole à la législature pour féliciter publiquement les Noirs
du Haut-Canada pour leur loyauté et leur service lors des rébellions
récentes.
http://histoiredesnoirsaucanada.com/timeline.php?id=1800
[Ref. David Milot]
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