Looks were deceiving when it came to 1812 hero Plenderleath
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Maj. Charles Plenderleath didn't look like a Hollywood hero - his narrow chest and rather weak chin made him look more like a teacher in a boys' school.
But looks are deceiving.
Plenderleath was in the 49th Regiment of the British Army - the unit General Isaac Brock brought to Canada and led to capture Detroit. Although Brock died at Queenston Heights, the 49th was a tried and tested unit and Plenderleath an experienced veteran.
That experience told him his men were in trouble at Stoney Creek. The British had gambled on a daring night attack on the superior American camp. They had approached with unloaded muskets in what was supposed to be a fairly quiet bayonet assault and crept in the darkness right into the lines of the enemy. But on first contact, cheering British officers alerted American forces they were under attack and the Americans quickly rallied, loaded their guns and began firing.
The British troops were in a quandary. They had partially disassembled their muskets - removing the firing mechanism to prevent an accidental discharge - so they had to re-install their flintlocks and load their muskets. That meant they would be easy targets for the Americans. But fleeing meant they could be routed in the dark or attacked in the morning by the stronger American force they'd been hoping to stop.
Plenderleath did neither. He'd heard heavy cannon firing from nearby his position. Very nearby.
The following extracts are taken from an account of Stoney Creek given by Lt. James Fitzgibbon, 49th Foot, in a private letter, dated June 7, 1813, to the Rev. James Somerville of Montreal:
"Maj. Plenderleath came immediately after to that portion of the line which I had quitted, and, with the men I had left in charge of a sergeant, and a few others, he rushed forward against the guns and took four of them... Maj. Plenderleath pushed on with about 20 men, following the main road, the men stabbing every man and horse they met with... This handful of men with Maj. Plenderleath took at this dash, besides the two generals [Chandler and Winder], five field officers and captains, and above 100 prisoners, and brought them off.
"I am of opinion that, had not Maj. Plenderleath made the dash he did, the Americans would have kept their ground and our ruin would have been inevitable."
Plenderleath went on to further successes.
He was the de facto commander of the 49th as he led it into battle at John Crysler's Farm. There, he was ordered to charge and capture American artillery, which he did while fending off a counter-attack by American dragoons - a fancy name for cavalry.
He left the service as Lt.-Col. Plenderleath and was placed on half pay and saw no further active service. He died in 1854.