---

News - Taking Fort Henry by Storm! 2012

The Flight of the Royal George weekend stands as a major event in this year’s 1812 Bicentenary celebrations. The festivities started with a Friday evening concert in front of an appreciative crowd. It was, however, the youngest member of the Fifes and Drums of the Canadian Fencibles that won the hearts of the audience.

On Saturday morning a generous and hearty bacon, sausage and egg breakfast was provided by the LFD (in this case the Loyalist Fire Department). Saturday morning witnessed the American invasion of Bath. Despite every effort to keep them off our shore, including numerous fife and drum tunes to raise the morale of our troops, the Americans managed to land and hoist the Star Spangled Banner over the village. The locals voiced their disdain for the invaders. The Fife and Drum Corps retreated to the outskirts of town and the remainder of the afternoon witnessed hours of drill in the blistering sun (that is why we love the hobby). The Fifes and Drums of the Canadian Fencibles then force marched to Fort Henry. In the evening we entered the parade square providing a demonstration of maneuver and early 19th century martial music to the crowd.



On our return to camp we relaxed and partook of delectable treats including traditional jam filled doughnuts, Linzer Tort, chocolate covered almonds, and potato crisps. Those gentlemen who were so inclined filled their clay pipes with the finest aromatic Virginia leaf and contemplated the day’s events.

Sunday began with another Loyalist Fire Department breakfast which included pancakes and extremely generous lashings of bacon, sausages, and of course coffee! After such a hearty feast we were ready to push the Yankee invaders into the lake. After a vigorous street battle the remnants of the American force surrendered. Our fearless and nimble Drum Major then leapt over fence and brook to reach the village flag pole and removed the American stars and stripes. Drum Major then returned the glorious Union Jack to its rightful place above His Majesty’s loyal subjects much to the delight of the crowd. Tears of joy welled as we played our anthem “God Save the King” celebrating our triumph!

The Bath Canada Day parade on Sunday afternoon was our last event of the weekend. The Fifes and Drums of the Canadian Fencibles were positioned behind a number of units of Militia and regulars marching and firing while we played our repertoire for the enthusiastic crowd of thousands. Exhausted, brine soaked, and par broiled we returned to camp and dismantled our wedge tents and packed our vehicles. It was a weekend most worthy of the 1812 Bicentenary celebrations.