HISTORIC NOTE ON UNITED EMPIRE LOYALISTS
By Keith Latta, Branch 13, KLATTA@SHAW.CA
I have
have often been asked whether Branch 13
members are descendants of 'United Empire Loyalists.' John Latta(2) married
Susannah Pitman - the Pitmans were UEL and Branch 13 members are designated as
UEL through the Pitman connection. (UEL membership is like belonging to groups
such as the Daughters Of The American Revolution - a quaint reminder of things
long past.)
Russell Pitman, father of Susannah, served with the Loyalist
Rangers regiment which mainly comprised recruits from New York and New Jersey.
After the 'Troubles' ended, Russell and over 200 veterans of his battalion
received land grants during the 1780's and stayed in Canada. Most settled in the
area of the village later known as Latta's Mill, Ontario. (Many sons of the
Rangers fought successfully in the Canadian militia during the War of 1812,
aided and abetted by British army regulars and Indian warriors.)
William
Latta(1) served with the Patriot army and his son, John, later settled in
Ontario about 1798. (Thus, in the course of time, the son of a Patriot soldier
married the daughter of a Loyalist soldier and, except for the brief
championship rematch known as the War of 1812, we all lived happily ever after.)
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FURTHER TO THE UNITED EMPIRE LOYALISTS THING AND BRANCH 13:
I was recently
clearing out a storage room and ran across some old family documents including
what appears to be the draft of a movie script. It may have been written by my
father as he wrote poetry many years ago. Or it may have been given to him. It
is a movie script for an epic movie in the tradition of 'Gone With The Wind.'
Essentially, it is a great love story based on the lives of John
Latta(2) and Susannah Pitman. It includes great battle scenes from the War of
Independence and the War of 1812 - lots of violence, shooting, explosions,
hand-to-hand combat, etc. - kids would love it. Apparently the original title
was 'War And Peace' but this has been crossed-out and replaced by the words
'Down By The Old Mill Stream.'
The following are a few sample scenes:
Scene 3: William Latta(1) of Branch 13 has left the "Troubles" in Northern
Ireland behind only to find after his arrival in America that there are "Big
Troubles" - like a revolution. He reluctantly joins the Patriot army. This scene
shows William trudging along with his battalion on a hot, dusty road in a funny
hat. A rider on a horse gallops frantically past:
Rider: The British are
coming, the British are coming!
William Latta: Yeah, whatever.
Scene 26: The revolutionary war has ended, and William Latta's teen-aged son,
John, is informing his father that he is planning on settling in Canada and
hopes to build a mill. William is distraught. This scene takes place in a public
park where the two have gone with a friend named Ben who likes to fly kites in
the park.
John: I've decided to leave America. I don't see anything but
chaos in the future - the country will divide North and South, East and West -
nothing can hold it together.
Ben: John, don't be foolish - we're going
to build a great constitutional democracy here, a very powerful country, but
kind and gentle. We'll be loved and admired by all the countries of the world
and bring freedom and democracy to every corner of the globe. The British Empire
tried and failed - why go with a loser?
John: I've made up my mind - I
won't be talked out of it. (John walks slowly away with a heavy heart.)
William: (shouts, with tears in his eyes) I hope you realize all they have up
there is Injuns and snow - take along some warm clothing!
The next scenes
of the movie cover John's lonely months after settling on the Moira River north
of Belleville, Ontario where he plans to build his beloved mill. He soon
realizes that all of his neighbors served in the Loyal Rangers regiment and are
United Empire Loyalists. At times they are nasty to him and some even call him
"Rebel." John perseveres and, being a Latta, eventually charms them and wins
their friendship.
This is where the great love story begins. John and
Susannah Pitman, daughter of Russell Pitman a Loyalist war hero, meet for the
first time at a local barn-raising. He is so impressed with her construction
skills and work ethic - useful for building a mill - that it is love at first
sight. There are many romantic scenes as their love for each other grows - John
and Susannah together in secluded spots on the banks of the Moira. John spends
all his time during these tender moments drawing crude plans for his mill, while
Susannah enjoys bird-watching. Eventually, Russell Pitman overcomes his
prejudice toward a member of a rebel family, and consents to his daughter's
marriage to John.
But by 1812, dark clouds are gathering over the small
Loyalist settlement on the Moira River - the threat of another war. Across the
border, powerful forces have decided it is time to drive all remnants of the
British Empire out of North America, with considerable encouragement from
France, Britain's mortal enemy. The tranquil life along the Moira is shattered
as the sons of the Loyal Rangers are called to arms in the Canadian Militia. The
Militia supported by British army regulars and local Indian warriors prepares to
take on the invaders from the south.
The next scenes will thrill movie
goers - they are of unrelenting carnage. The close-up scenes of the Indian
warriors ambushing the surprised invaders, who are massacred in the dense woods,
are particularly exciting. Eventually, the invaders lose their enthusiasm for
battle and withdraw. The young men from the Moira turn in their weapons and
return to their farms and families. The Indian warriors return to their villages
and resume their traditional fishing and hunting. The British regulars move on
to fight other battles in far away lands. The border will never again be
violated on either side.
Scene 67: Near the end of the War of 1812,
there is one moving scene that could be considered almost anti-war. Militia
soldiers and British army regulars are standing on the bank of the Ptomac River.
It is late at night and they are watching the White House burn to the ground
across the river after a raid on Washington. There are close-ups of their faces,
lighted by the distant fire. The Militia soldiers look very young, only
teen-agers. The Brits are hardened old professional soldiers with bad teeth.
They stand there in silence until a Militia soldier finally cries out in
anguish:
Militia soldier: Madness! It's all madness! [credit: Bridge on
the River Kwai]
There appears to be something for everyone in this script
- and what an emotional ending! Despite all the adversity, John has been able to
realize his dream of building his mill and he and Susannah feel there is finally
a chance for true happiness. In the final scene, John and Susannah are standing
on a hill overlooking the Moira River valley, just above his new mill. John is
holding his wife in his arms. The sun is setting behind them - it is a
spectacular scene. The camera pans and zooms in on the front of the mill where
there is a simple sign "Latta's Mill." The camera then pans to the couple on the
hill for a final close-up:
John: I will always believe that we were
destined to meet and fall in love in this northern wilderness. We have survived
a terrible war and other adversity. I will always love you. But the only thing I
fear is that our Branch 13 will never fully be accepted by the other branches
south of the border as part of the great Latta family in North America - because
I married a United Empire Loyalist.
Susannah: Frankly, my dear, I don't
give a damn! [credit: Gone With The Wind]
(fade to credits)
THE
END
_________
K.L.
Branch 13
Footnote: John Latta and
Susannah Pitman were 18 and 17 years of age respectively when they married, and
had 12 children.