Saint John Fortifications, 1630-1956, and: Hope Restored: The American Revolution and the Founding of New Brunswick (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: Saint John Fortifications, 1630-1956, and: Hope Restored: The American Revolution and the Founding of New Brunswick Jason L. Churchill Saint John Fortifications, 1630-1956. Roger Sarty and Doug Knight. Fredericton: Goose Lane Editions and The New Brunswick Military Heritage Project, 2003. Pp. 112, illus. $14.95 Hope Restored: The American Revolution and the Founding of New Brunswick. Robert L. Dallison. Fredericton: Goose Lane Editions and The New Brunswick Military Heritage Project, 2003. Pp. 120, illus. $14.95 The recently formed New Brunswick Military Heritage Project has just published the first two volumes in what promises to be an exciting series that brings the province's military past to light in a clear, accessible fashion that should appeal to scholars, students, and the general public alike. The first volume, a collaboration between historian Roger Sarty and engineer Doug Knight, is entitled Saint John Fortifications, 1630-1956. [End Page 816] The second volume, by historian Robert L. Dallison, is Hope Restored: The American Revolution and the Founding of New Brunswick. While New Brunswick's military heritage is the focus of the series, the initial two volumes relate the interplay between military affairs and the formation and evolution of the province. Within the broader military contexts of the books are related humanistic stories, both general and specific, that give an appreciation of the peoples that came to found the eventual Canadian province. Hope Restored relates the collective experiences of the men of the Loyalist regiments in battle who, after losing the American War of Independence, were forced to settle in New Brunswick. Included in the information on the specific regiments are brief descriptions of various engagements and a map showing where battles took place. Robert Dallison argues that the aftermath of the US war defined 'New Brunswick and its future.' From there Dallison relates often heart-wrenching stories of the consequences, for families and individuals, of being on the losing side of a war and being forced to relocate to a land whose climate was often difficult. The book states that the Loyalist cemetery 'at Salamanca in Fredericton bears silent witness' to the suffering experienced by New Brunswick's Loyalist settlers. Beyond the problems of weather, Hope Restored tells of the privations of early settlement life and how some of the recent arrivals were not able to 'make the necessary adjustment or face another challenge.' The theme of challenges and survival in the face of adversity is explored in Saint John Fortifications. A persistent theme throughout Canada's military past is that of governments neglecting defensive considerations during times of peace, then of having to scramble to become adequately prepared in times of international conflict. Authors Sarty and Knight illustrate that it was a problem long before the creation of Canada in 1867 and a serious concern for the people of Saint John. Taking the reader through virtually every major international war from the early seventeenth century to the early Cold War, Saint John Fortifications illustrates the impact of international conflict on the local scene and how local people responded to the inherent challenges of defence. The book also provides an excellent assessment of how technological advancement challenged and changed the fortifications systems and how local people had to adjust to ever-changing realities of war. The two popular volumes are not academic texts in the tradition of David Facey-Crowther's published master's thesis, The New Brunswick Militia 1787-1867. The citations and analysis used in the series reflect the audience to which the works are directed - a lay audience from a variety of backgrounds. However, the Reader's Digest-sized books reflect a [End Page 817] surprising attention to detail and readability for works dealing with complex issues over a long period. Dallison, Sarty, and Knight combine to provide an excellent overview of the formative events and individuals that created New Brunswick. As a result, the two volumes make an excellent addition to any province's high school curriculum and/or libraries. The ease of reading and amount of information provided ought to pique the interest of students to inquire further into the numerous themes and events discussed in the text. In addition, the selected bibliographies provide...