Isaac Brock

Sir Isaac Brock KB
Portrait c. 1809, possibly by William Berczy[1]
Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada
Acting
In office 1811 – 13 October 1812
Monarch	George III
Governor General	George Prévost
Acting for	Francis Gore
Succeeded by	Roger Hale Sheaffe
Personal details
Born	(1769-10-06)6 October 1769 St Peter Port, Guernsey
Died	13 October 1812(1812-10-13) (aged 43) Queenston, Upper Canada
Cause of death	Killed in action by a gunshot wound to the chest
Resting place	Brock's Monument, Queenston
Signature
Nickname	"The Hero of Upper Canada"
Military service
Allegiance	Great Britain (1785–1801) United Kingdom (1801–1812)
Branch/service	British Army
Years of service	1785–1812
Rank	Major General
Commands	49th Regiment of Foot Upper Canada
Battles/wars	French Revolutionary Wars Battle of Alkmaar Battle of Copenhagen War of 1812 Siege of Detroit Battle of Queenston Heights †
Awards	Order of the Bath

Major General Sir Isaac Brock KB (6 October 1769 – 13 October 1812) was a British Army officer and colonial administrator from Guernsey. He is best remembered for his victory at the Siege of Detroit and his death at the Battle of Queenston Heights during the War of 1812.

Brock joined the army as a ensign in 1785. By 1797, he was a lieutenant colonel with the 49th Regiment of Foot. The regiment participated in the Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland in 1799 and in the 1801 naval expedition against Copenhagen. In 1802, the 49th Regiment was assigned to garrison duty in British North America. Despite facing desertions and near-mutinies, Brock successfully commanded his regiment in Upper Canada (part of present-day Ontario) for several years. He was promoted to colonel in 1805 and appointed brigadier general in 1808. In 1811 he was promoted to major general and given responsibility for defending Upper Canada against the threat of an American invasion. While many in Canada and Britain believed war could be averted, Brock began to ready the regulars and militia for what was to come. When the War of 1812 broke out, the populace was prepared, and quick victories at Fort Mackinac and Detroit temporarily thwarted American invasion attempts.

Brock's actions, particularly his success at Detroit, earned him accolades including a knighthood in the Order of the Bath and the sobriquet "The Hero of Upper Canada". His name is often linked with that of the Indigenous leader Tecumseh, although the two men collaborated in person only for a few days.

On October 13, 1812, the Americans crossed the Niagara River at Queenston and in the opening stages of the Battle of Queenston Heights captured a British artillery position on the high ground south of the village. Brock was shot and killed by an American sniper while leading a detachment of regulars and militia in an unsuccessful counterattack. Several hours later, British reinforcements from Niagara and Chippewa under Major General Roger Hale Sheaffe forced an American surrender.