With all the emphasis on war and the military history of Canada from the government of Canada, Daniel Francis gives us a glimpse of a corner of Canadian military history that maybe isn't much covered, the battle of Lamalcha on Kuper Island, BC, in 1863:
When the people would not (or could not because he wasn’t there) give up a suspect, Lascelles opened fire on the village. Villagers returned fire with their muskets from concealed positions on shore, killing a 16-year-old sailor named Charles Gliddon. He was the only British serviceman killed in action in BC. After a prolonged firefight, Lascelles withdrew the Forward to the mainland opposite Kuper Island. The best account of the incident claims that the “Battle of Lamalcha” was the only tactical defeat ever inflicted by a tribal people on the Royal Navy, though “defeat” might be a little strong given that the British returned the next day to find that the people had all fled and the village was ultimately destroyed.New to me, and the whole thing is well worth reading.
