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
A day or two afterwards, entered the volunteers from the Newcastle
District, who had marched the whole distance from Brockville, under the
command, I think, of Lieutenant-Colonel Ogle R. Gowan. They were a fine
body of men, and in the highest spirits at the prospect of a fight with
the young Queen Victoria's enemies.
A great sensation was created when the leaders who had been arrested
after the battle, Dr. Thomas D. Morrison, John G. Parker, and two
others, preceded by a loaded cannon pointed towards the prisoners, were
marched along King Street to the Common Jail, which is the same building
now occupied as York Chambers, at the corner of Toronto and Court
Streets. The Court House stood, and still stands, converted into shops
and offices, on Church Street; between the two was an open common which
was used in those days as the place of public executions. It was here
that, on the 12th of April following, I witnessed, with great sorrow,
the execution by hanging of Samuel Lount and Peter Matthews, two of the
principal rebel leaders.
Sir F. B. Head had then left the Province.
* * * * *
The following narrative of circumstances which occurred during the time
when Mackenzie was in command of the rebel force on Yonge Street, has
been kindly communicated to me by a gentleman, who, as a young lad, was
personally cognizant of the facts described. It has, I believe, never
been published, and will interest many of my readers:
"It was on Monday morning, the 5th of December, 1837, when
rumours of the disturbances that had broken out in Lower Canada
were causing great excitement throughout the Home District, that
the late James S. Howard's servant-man, named Bolton, went into
his master's bed-room and asked if Mr. H. had heard shots fired
during the night. He replied that he had not, and told the man
to go down to the street and find out what was the matter.
Bolton returned shortly with the news, that a man named Anderson
had been shot at the foot of the hill, and that his body was
lying in a house near by. Shortly after came the startling
report of the death of poor Col. Moodie, which was a great shock
to Mrs. Howard, who knew him well, and was herself a native of
Fredericton, where the Colonel's regiment (the old Hundred and
Fourth) had been raised during the war of 1812. Mr. Howard
immediately ordered his carriage, and started for the city, from
whence he did not return for ten days. About nine o'clock, a man
named Pool, who held the rank of captain in the rebel army,
called at Mr. Howard's house, to ask if Anderson's body was
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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