Reminiscences of a Canadian Pioneer for the last Fifty Years: An AutobiographyThompson, Samuel
History
Reminiscences of a Canadian Pioneer for the last Fifty Years: An Autobiography
Thompson, Samuel
Frontier and pioneer life -- Ontario; Thompson, Samuel, 1810-1886; Toronto (Ont.) -- Biography; Toronto (Ont.) -- History
Next morning followed the "Battle of Gallows Hill," or, as it might more
fitly be styled, the "Skirmish of Montgomery's Farm." Being a stranger
in the city, I had not then formally volunteered, but took upon myself
to accompany the advancing force, on the chance of finding something to
do, either as a volunteer or a newspaper correspondent, should an
opening occur. The main body, led by Sir Francis himself, with Colonels
Fitzgibbon and McNab as Adjutants, marched by Yonge Street, and
consisted of six hundred men with two guns; while two other bodies, of
two hundred and a hundred and twenty men, respectively, headed by
Colonels W. Chisholm and S. P. Jarvis, advanced by bye-roads and fields
on the east and on the west of Yonge Street. Nothing was seen of the
enemy till within half-a-mile of Montgomery's tavern. The road was there
bordered on the west side by pine woods, from whence dropping
rifle-shots began to be heard, which were answered by the louder muskets
of the militia. Presently our artillery opened their hoarse throats, and
the woods rang with strong reverberations. Splinters were dashed from
the trees, threatening, and I believe causing worse mischief than the
shots themselves. It is said that this kind of skirmishing continued
for half-an-hour--to me it seemed but a few minutes. As the militia
advanced, their opponents melted away. Parties of volunteers dashed over
the fences and into the woods, shouting and firing as they ran. Two or
three wounded men of both parties were lifted tenderly into carts and
sent off to the city to be placed in hospital. Others lay bleeding by
the road-side--rebels by their rustic clothing; their wounds were bound
up, and they were removed in their turn. Soon a movement was visible
through the smoke, on the hill fronting the tavern, where some tall
pines were then standing. I could see there two or three hundred men,
now firing irregularly at the advancing loyalists; now swaying to and
fro without any apparent design. Some horsemen were among them, who
seemed to act more as scouts than as leaders.
We had by this time arrived within cannon shot of the tavern itself. Two
or three balls were seen to strike and pass through it. A crowd of men
rushed from the doors, and scattered wildly in a northerly direction.
Those on the hill wavered, receded under shelter of the undulating land,
and then fled like their fellows. Their horsemen took the side-road
westward, and were pursued, but not in time to prevent their escape. Had
our right and left wings kept pace with the main body, the whole
insurgent force must have been captured.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account