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Thomas McMicking VI〔(the ''Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online - Thomas McMicking'' )〕〔http://www.mcmicking.org/#/mcmicking-thomas-queenston/4581087602〕 was the leader of the famed "Overlanders of '62"〔The Cariboo Gold Rush - Primary Source http://bcheritage.ca/cariboo/primary/mcmick.htm〕 which traversed the continent in 1862 from Queenston, Canada West in search of gold in the Cariboo region of British Columbia. He was born on April 16, 1829 in Stamford Township, Lincoln County, Upper Canada (City of Niagara Falls) and died on August 25, 1866 when he drowned in the Fraser river near New Westminster, British Columbia. He died trying to save his son, Francis, who also drowned when both became stuck under a boom. . Early life McMicking was the eldest son of twelve children of William and Mary (née McClellan) McMicking. He attended the local public school and Knox Presbyterian School in Toronto. He graduated from The University of Toronto and became a teacher in Stamford and Queenston. Later he became a businessman in the town of Queenston. He married Laura Chubbuck on July 23, 1857. They had three sons and two daughters. McMicking worked a while for his father-in-law, Job Chubbuck, who built the Chubbuck Block (later named the Fisher Block) in Queenston. He was an unsuccessful candidate as a Clear Grit in the Niagara election of 1861 losing out to Conservative John Simpson. In 1864 he was appointed town clerk for New Westminster and in April 1866 deputy sheriff. He was active in the affairs of St Andrew's Presbyterian Church and was a member of the volunteer Hyack Fire Company. On June 26, 1866 he was secretary of a meeting called to organize a local home guard, when news arrived from Canada of the Fenian raids. The corps subsequently elected him 1st lieutenant. ==Overlanders of '62== . McMicking was the leader of the famed "Overlanders of '62" which traversed the continent in 1862 from Queenston, Canada West in search of gold in the Cariboo region of British Columbia.〔 The party, including McMicking's youngest brother, Robert Burns McMicking.〔St Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Victoria, British Columbia/People/Robert Burns McMicking http://web.uvic.ca/vv/student/st_andrews/mcmicking_rb.php〕〔http://mcmicking.org/#/b-robert-burns-mcmicking/4546989717〕 left Queenston in April 1862. Having failed to discover any significant gold, McMicking travelled south and settled in New Westminster where he sent for his wife Laura and three small children. Account of journey by Victor G. Hopwood: ''In autumn 1861, when news of the rich gold finds in the Cariboo reached Canada West, Thomas was the leading spirit in organizing a party of 24 or 28 to travel overland to the Cariboo from the Queenston and St Catharines area. The party, including Thomas’ youngest brother, Robert Burns McMicking *, left Queenston in April 1862. It travelled through the United States by rail and steamer to St Paul on the Mississippi, by coach to the Red River, and then by steamer to Fort Garry. Other parties (perhaps as many as 20 from Canada West, two from Canada East, and one from New York State), were organized independently and travelled in much the same manner on their own to Fort Garry. At St Paul and Georgetown in Minnesota, or at Fort Garry, these parties bought animals, supplies, and Red River carts for the trek west. Thomas McMicking met the new governor of Rupert’s Land, Alexander Grant Dallas *, at Georgetown on 12 May 1862. Dallas and his wife joined the Overlanders for the journey on the steamship International to Fort Garry. On 5 July, at Long Lake just west of Fort Garry, 138 men from at least 15 of the original groups organized themselves into a single party; Thomas McMicking was elected captain with an advisory committee of 13, approximately one member for each original party. McMicking’s group adopted rules governing its order of march, behaviour in camp and en route, and defence against possible Indian attack. McMicking wrote later in the year that “We found the red men of the prairies to be our best friends.” As McMicking’s party proceeded westward, additional members, notably the family of Augustus Schubert who travelled with horse and buggy across the prairies, joined the group. Catherine Schubert was the only woman among the Overlanders, who had a policy of excluding women, thinking their presence inappropriate in large groups of men. Yet even this one family proved an asset for the morale and work of the expedition. Two smaller parties followed the main contingent. One had left Toronto with 45 men (the largest number of any group) under the authoritarian leadership of former policeman Stephen Redgrave, but it was now split by dissension; some members transferred to other groups, including McMicking’s. Redgrave himself was one of nine of the original Torontonians to join a group led by the adventurer Timolean Love in a futile attempt to find gold on the upper North Saskatchewan. After wintering there, and encountering Eugene Francis O’Beirne who delivered sermons and sponged upon them, most of Love’s party crossed into the Cariboo in 1862. The other party was that of Dr Symington, and it followed the two others. Its movements and membership are little known; when Archibald McNaughton of McMicking’s party fell back with an injured comrade he travelled with this group for a time. The main party under McMicking reached Fort Edmonton, the last depot for supplies, on 21 July 1862. When it left eight days later, some of its members stayed behind to prospect before crossing the mountains the next year. McMicking crossed with pack animals, proceeding up the Athabasca and then the Miette River, and over the height of land by Yellowhead Pass to reach the upper Fraser and Tête Jaune Cache. Here, near starvation, McMicking’s party was provisioned by a band of Shuswaps. Owing to disputes about the best route to follow, a meeting of those still with the party was held on 1 September dissolving the agreement of 5 July. About 20 of the members, including Catherine and Augustus Schubert and their three children, chose to cross to the North Thompson. On it two drowned, and the remainder reached Thompson’s River Post (Kamloops) destitute and near their end on 13 October; the next day Mrs Schubert, with the help of an Indian woman, gave birth to a fourth child, Rose, the first white girl born in the interior of British Columbia. The main party, including McMicking, had chosen instead to descend the Fraser River. Some went on rafts, at no loss of life, but of a group that used dugout canoes three drowned and one died of pneumonia after surviving an upset. Thomas McMicking, travelling by raft, reached Quesnelle Mouth (Quesnel) on 11 September. Here he drew up a summary of expenditures by the Queenston parties until that time. They worked out to $97.95 per person. He commented drily on their purchases: “Our mining tools were the only articles . . . that we found to be unnecessary.” He tried, although the season was late, to reach the diggings at Williams Creek, but turned back because of the weather and discouraging reports of miners departing for the coast. Many of the Overlanders left the country without ever mining. As a gold seeking expedition the trek of the Overlanders of ‘62 was almost fruitless. A few returned to the Cariboo in 1863 but they found the gold deposits becoming exhausted. Late in 1862 Thomas McMicking went down from the Cariboo to New Westminster, where he was befriended, as many Overlanders were, by John Robson *, editor of the British Columbian. McMicking worked for a short time in a shingle mill. He also quickly prepared an interesting, well-written narrative of the journey which was published in the British Columbian between 29 Nov. 1862 and 23 Jan. 1863 in 14 instalments. This is the basic published primary document on the Overlanders. Thomas McMicking’s education and talents soon won him civic responsibility. In 1864 he was appointed town clerk for New Westminster and in April 1866 deputy sheriff. He was active in the affairs of St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church and was a member of the volunteer Hyack Fire Company. On 26 June 1866 he was secretary of a meeting called to organize a local home guard, when news arrived from Canada of the Fenian raids. The corps subsequently elected him 1st lieutenant. A short time afterwards, however, on 25 August during a family visit to a friend ten miles below New Westminster, McMicking’s second son William Francis, six years old, fell into the Fraser River. The father went to the rescue, but with his son was swept under a boom and drowned. McMicking was one of the few who came to the British Columbia gold-rush overland from Canada as against the tens of thousands who came by sea. Apart from a handful in 1859, nearly all the Canadians who did arrive by land were in the three 1862 groups; their exact number is hard to determine, but Thomas McMicking’s figure of 200 seems the most reliable. Their purpose in making the journey was not fulfilled but it had other positive results. The passage of the Overlanders through the Rocky Mountains helped to show that the geographical barriers to union between Canada and British Columbia could be overcome. Many of the Overlanders who remained in British Columbia became outstanding contributors to the development of the province, a result undoubtedly of the self-sufficiency and of the organizational capacity developed by the journey. One of these was Robert Burns McMicking, a resident of the province till his death in 1915 and a central figure in the introduction of the telegraph, the telephone, and electric power into British Columbia. . ==Death== Excerpt from: The Home and Foreign Record of the Canada Presbyterian Church, Vol. 5-6 Page 70, Missionary Intelligence My Dear Mr Burns: It is under influence of deep regret, that I now feel called upon to furnish you some particulars relating to the late lamented Mr. Thomas McMicking. The deceased was in connection with the Presbyterian Congregation in New Westminster, from the time of his arrival in the Colony in the fall of 1862. You will remember something of the large party of Canadians from Toronto, Queenstown, etc. who made the journey overland to British Columbia during the summer of that year. An account of the journey was given from the pen of Mr. McMicking, and was largely circulated here and in Canada; a perusal of which, along with a more intimate acquaintance with the author himself concur to show his eminent fitness for the post of leader of the party which devolved by unanimous agreement upon him. I have been struck, in reading through that able and admirable description of travel, scenery, accident and incident, with the Christian sentiment that pervades it, it’s just regard for the Sabbath, it’s scriptural views and an overruling Providence, and the animating sense of dependence and obligation which colours the whole. Mr. McMicking was a native of Canada; one of his parents still lives in Stamford County of Welland, where the subject of this notice was born and brought up. Receiving a liberal education he for several years was employed as a school teacher in the village of Queenstown. Here he was married, united to the Church, and at length ordained to the Eldership under the Pastorate of the Rev. Mr. Goodwillie, who has since I believe removed to the States. And as to be as brief as the occasion will allow, I got acquainted with him upon my arrival to this Colony through Mr. Jamieson who could refer with pleasure to the presence and support of one who was at once most worthy office-bearer and an active and zealous member of the Church. Most keenly do I now feel the value of the work, yea, the value of the worker thus suddenly terminated in our midst, and do earnestly desire and pray that from Canada or elsewhere we might have such an aquistion. On Saturday morning, 25 August, he and Mr. McMicking and family of four boys and one girl left home on a visit to a friend ten miles down the river. Their destination was reached in a small boat which was moored near to the house. A quarter of an hour only had elapsed when William Francis, a promising boy of six years, while playing with others in the boat fell into the river. The father rushed to the scene, plunged in after his struggling child, and, as he could not swim, both soon sank to rise no more. The mother and other members of the family witnessed the sad event, which resulted in the loss of a husband and father. As soon as the tidings reached this, the Government Steam Yaught was immediately sent down to bring up the heart-torn wife and weeping children, who reached home about 11 o’clock PM. I cannot describe the intense feeling of sadness that like a sickening cloud of gloom settled on the entire community for a time. The body of Mr. McMicking was recovered in a few hours, and was brought in early on the Sabbath morning to the house so lately the abode of vivacity and cheerfulness. No such sorrow of irrepressible sorrow have I ever passed; no such unconquerable incapacity for the solemnities of the Sabbath have I ever experienced. God grant that I may read aright this trying dispensation. The body of the child has not been found though every diligence has been used in search for it. The funeral was held on the Tuesday following, and including in procession, Councilmen, to whom he was clerk; Fireman, to whom he belonged; and volunteers, of which he was a Lieutenant, and is believed to have been the largest ever witnessed in New Westminster. On the Sabbath after I took for my text Psalm 37:37 and was graciously sustained in an earnest endeavor to improve the solemn event, in the presence of one of the largest assemblages ever convened in our Church in this place. A few days after a meeting of the congregation was held, when the following resolution was drawn up, and with sincerest unanimity adopted: “Resolved,- ''That the members and adherents of this congregation put on record their deep and heartfelt sorrow for the loss of their respected brother and esteemed Elder, Mr. Thomas McMicking, whose strong parental affection as well as Christian heroism impelled him to venture his own life for the rescue, if possible, from drowning of his third child William Francis, when both father and son found a watery grave. That at all times we adore the sovereign wisdom and goodness of God, and that it is our duty as it is our privilege, in view of this solemn event, to pray that He who can so do, may overrule this trying bereavement for the good of all, and especially for the sanctification and comfort of the afflicted wife and family. That we hereby unite in an expression of deepest sympathy with the bereaved family at their and our great and sudden loss, and earnestly desire that upon them may descend the Spirit of comfort in gracious effusion of the oil of joy for mourning. That we record our humble, but grateful testimony to the many amiable traits of our departed brother – our estimation of his person, our appreciation of his domestic and social worth and valuable services rendered as a free-will offering to this Church; and trust that under the divine guidance, by his solemn visitation we may each one, minister and people, be stirred up to a more just recognition of our duty and privilege, that the work of God may be furthered in us and by us, to whom be the glory through Jesus Christ, Amen.” '' I add nothing more in this communication. But remain, very sincerely, D Duff ==References== PABC, R. H. Alexander, Diary, 29 April–31 Dec. 1862; R. B. McMicking, Diary, 23 April 1862 – 29 April 1863; Miscellaneous material relating to Thomas McMicking, R. B. McMicking, memo, 3 Dec. 1912; Stephen Redgrave, Journals and sundry papers, 1852–75 (typescript); J. A. Schubert, Notes of conversation, 18 July 1930 (typescript). University of British Columbia Library, Special Coll. Division (Vancouver); A. L. Fortune, coll. of addresses and narratives (type script); John Hunniford, Journal and observations (typescript). R. B. McMicking, “Second overland journey,” Year book of British Columbia . . . , comp. R. E. Gosnell (Victoria, 1897), 100–2. J. B. Kerr, Biographical dictionary of well-known British Columbians, with a historical sketch (Vancouver, 1890), 253–61. Margaret McNaughton, Overland, to Cariboo; an eventful journey of Canadian pioneers to the gold fields of British Columbia in 1862 (Toronto, 1896; repr., intro. V. G. Hopwood, Vancouver, 1973). M. S. Wade, The Overlanders of ‘62, ed. John Hosie (Victoria, 1931). 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Thomas McMicking」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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