On an unknown date, a daughter of Ensign Malcolm McEachren donated the tunic he was wearing at the time of his death during the June 2nd, 1866 Battle of Ridgeway to the Fort Erie Historical Society. On the 100th anniversary of the battle in 1960, the tunic was presented to the Regiment and was subsequently placed in the care of the Regimental Museum.

Nine QOR soldiers died that day, but post-battle reports are clear that McEachren, who had only been commissioned as an officer two months previously, was the first to fall in that action.  He was also the first casualty in the history of the Regiment, which had only been formed in April of 1860.

It would not be an understatement to say this is the most significant object in our museum’s collection and likely unique in any regimental museum’s collection. For that reason, we take the serious responsibility of preserving this tunic to the best of our abilities.

Unfortunately, over the past decades, it has suffered UV and insect damage and the loss of some of the braiding and buttons. Someone in the past wrote “Bullet Hole” in white china marker above the hole and stitched around its edges with white thread. We’re also not clear whether the current but not original liner is appropriate. Some damage, such as the fading from UV light exposure or insect damage, cannot be reversed, nor would we want to. What we can do is ensure that it is preserved in such a way as to minimize any future deterioration.

With that in mind, we have developed a three-step plan:

1. The first step was to acquire a new exhibit case that would protect it as much as possible. In 2018, we purchased a custom-made museum-quality case with frameless UV filtering glass, Abloy security locks, and an airtight exhibit compartment with a desiccant tray to ensure a constant humidity level. This was possible with donations from a number of supporters, a bequest from the estate of the late Captain Scott Patterson, and from The Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada Trust Fund.
2. Step 2 involved replacing the wooden mount (or mannequin) with a museum-quality mount. Wood off-gases, and this would be more of an issue in a sealed case. The tunic was transferred to a new mount before COVID shut down our volunteer operations for a significant time.
3. Now that the tunic was well protected from future deterioration, the final step was some professional conservation and preservation work. We contacted an accredited textile conservator whose company,  “CRC Conservation/Restoration,” is near Quebec City. After receiving a preliminary treatment proposal, the Museum Board of Governors approved this project, and we have engaged this conservator.

This past week, our Museum Director personally delivered the tunic to the Conservator in Quebec City, despite a snowstorm creating some driving challenges between Cornwall and Quebec City! We anticipate that the rather painstaking work will be completed over the next four months and the tunic will be back on display in time for the June 2nd 160th anniversary of McEachren’s death.

While we are very excited to complete this final step in protecting and preserving this very significant object, it does come with an equally significant cost. We are thankful for the support of the QOR Trust Fund and from several donors to date. If you would like to support this project you can do so online via CanadaHelps  (select “In Honour of” McEachren Project).