Epic Winter March of New Brunswick Soldiers in the War of 1812

English: , During the War of 18 12, as the colonies of British North America stood together to fend off attacks from the relatively new United States of America, close to 600 men undertook an epic trek. New Brunswick's 104th Regiment of Foot marched 1176 km (730 miles) from Fredericton, New Brunswick to Kingston in Upper Canada [Ontario] in the dead of winter, to supplement British troops stationed there. As colony supported colony, the bonds of nationhood began to form, ultimately resulting in the Dominion of Canada 55 years later., The first company of 100 men departed on February 16, 1813 from downtown Fredericton. They set off marching single file, pulling toboggans laden down with supplies while bugles played "The Girl I Left Behind Me". Each officer and man took his turn at the head of the column to break the snow, those in the rear being able to remove their snowshoes and march on a firm hard track., During the first seven days, shelter was found in barns and buildings along the way. By the eighth day, the men found themselves in the wilderness. Each night the men chopped trees to build a shelter as temperatures dropped to between -27C and -32C. Rations were biscuits and salt pork. Enduring wild storms, frostbite and hunger, New Brunswick's 104th Regiment of Foot arrived in Kingston, Ontario on April 12, 1813., After completing a march of more than 1176 km (730 miles) in 53 days, covering an average of 27 km per day, many men were frostbitten, sore and suffering from the effects of snowshoeing such a long journey. The Regiment went on to fight in several key battles of the War of 18 12. The march and the extraordinary fortitude of these men stands as an incredible feat in world military history.,