"Now, my men, you are under martial law. If you behave well, obey my orders and the officers under me, you will be treated as good soldiers; but if you come under the lash, by the God that made me, I will use it without mercy. So you know your doom. Now, I call upon as many of you as will do so willingly, to volunteer and go to the front, and I will lead you on to glory." There was a murmur in the ranks, they were drawn up in line, two deep, in Mr. McDonnell's large stone shed, as it was a stormy day. When the whispering was over, a dead silence prevailed. Two--and only two--stepped forward as volunteers, and these were Mr. Young and Mr. Henniker, two of McDonnell's clerks. "What! No more?" exclaimed McNab: "then I must proceed to ballot and force you." The men remained doggedly silent; at length some one asked him where was his authority for the ballot. The Chief turned away; told them he would call them together again for that purpose; and dismissed them. The people were in the highest state of indignation and apprehension. They held a meeting and sent the following petition to the Government:-- McNAB, 22nd January, 1838. _To His Excellency, Sir Francis Bond Head, Lieutenant-Governor of the Province of Upper Canada, &c., &c._ THE PETITION OF THE UNDERSIGNED HUMBLY SHEWETH: That the Carleton Light Infantry was mustered on the 25th ultimo, at Pakenham Mills, commanded by McNab of McNab, and on the 15th and 17th current by Companies at their Captains' respective places of abode. That we the undersigned, one and all of us, consider ourselves true and loyal subjects, and are willing to serve Her Majesty in any part of British North America, where Your Excellency may think proper to call us, under any other commander than McNab. That a number of us have suffered severely from McNab through the course of the Civil Law, and are therefore afraid to come under him in the Martial Law, being harsh in his disposition, and also inexperienced. That we hope it may please Your Excellency to look into our circumstances as misled people by McNab, who made us give bonds for Quit-Rents, which we, not knowing what the poor lands in this part of the country could produce, gave without hesitation; and notwithstanding all our industry and economy, with these bonds we are not able to comply. That we trust Your Excellency will endeavor to set us on the same parallel with other loyal subjects in the Province, and free us of those Quit-Rents, as we find them a heavier burden than we can bear.