Canadian Scenery, Volume 1 (of 2)Willis, Nathaniel Parker
History
Canadian Scenery, Volume 1 (of 2)
Willis, Nathaniel Parker
Canada -- Description and travel; Canada -- History
On the night of the 3d of November, a concerted rising took place in all
the southern counties of Montreal District; but, owing to some failure
of arrangement, the stations along the Richelieu were not found supplied
with arms according to appointment, so that most of the inhabitants
there dispersed and returned to their homes. The chief seat of
insurrection was now farther west, between that river and the St.
Lawrence. There three arch-rebels, Dr. Robert Nelson, Côte, and Gagnon,
had collected about 4,000 men, and established their head-quarters at
Napierville. Their first object was to open a communication with their
friends in the States, for which purpose 400 men were detached to the
frontier. There a body of British volunteers, as brave as loyal, had
stationed themselves, by whom the rebels were attacked, and obliged to
retreat with great loss. To retrieve this disaster, Dr. Nelson, with
upwards of 900 men, marched against the loyalists. The latter, only 200
strong, took post in Odelltown chapel, on which the enemy commenced a
brisk attack; but, after two hours and a half, were obliged to retreat,
with the loss of one hundred killed and wounded. The defenders had an
officer and five men killed, and nine wounded.
Meantime, Major-General Sir James M^{c}Donnell, under orders from the
governor, with seven regiments of the line, crossed the St. Lawrence,
and marched upon Napierville. The rebels, discouraged by former losses,
after a vain attempt to unite their forces, dispersed in every direction
without firing a shot. They still retained a post at Beauharnois; but
Col. Carmichael, with a detachment of regulars, and 1,000 Glengary
militia, drove them out, though with the loss of two men killed and the
same number wounded. Mr. Ellice, and a party of friends, who had been
made prisoners by them at the outset, were allowed to return to
Montreal. On the 11th, a week only after the first movement,
M^{c}Donnell could announce that the insurrection was completely at an
end, without the rebels having been able to open any communication with
their supporters beyond the frontier.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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