The loyalty of New Brunswickers to Great Britain was proven once again during the War of 1812 with the United States. Troops were promptly raised and preparations were made for the defence of the coastline against invaders and privateers. When it became apparent that the indifference of New Englanders to the American war effort would result in relative security for the Atlantic colonies, some of these troops were made available for service elsewhere. During the winter of 1813 the 104th New Brunswick Regiment of Foot was dispatched to Upper Canada to assist the beleaguered Canadians.
As part of the defences erected to guard New Brunswick, Royal Engineers and local military and civilian work parties built this massive Martello tower on a hill high above the harbour of Saint John. The lithographer William Henry Hunt (act. 1823-34) recorded this view of the tower as it appeared in the 1820s. One hundred and sixty feet (48.76 metres) in circumference, thirty feet (9.14 metres) high and having walls eight feet (2.43 metres) thick, this imposing structure was constructed according to a standard design prepared by the British. Other towers were built in parts of the British Empire including sites in Halifax, QuΘbec City and Kingston, Upper Canada. The tower in Saint John was armed with four cannon and two carronades and was well-positioned to safeguard the port against any invader.
Although the Martello tower was never the site of action during the War of 1812, it was manned again during the Fenian raids of 1866 and served as an observation post during World War I. Modified as a fire control centre, the tower formed an important part of Canada's coastal defences in World War II. The structure is now an historical site and a museum. If you wish to know more about Martello towers, consult Ivan J. Saunders, "A History of Martello Towers in the Defence of British North America, 1796-1871", Canadian Historic Sites: Occasional Papers in Archaeology and History, no. 15(1976).
