rising. At an early period the old Indian track leading northward to Lake Simcoe had been widened into a road, and the fine rolling country on either side taken up for settlement. Retired army and naval officers made their homes here, and in the cultivation of the fertile glebe essayed to forget the stirring scenes of their earlier life. Among these was Lieutenant-Colonel Moodie, a native of Fifeshire in Scotland, who had campaigned in the Peninsula during its hardest fighting, was present at the battle of Queenston Heights, and rose to the command of the 104th regiment of the line. This gallant gentleman saw Lount's force pass by his dwelling at four o'clock in the afternoon, at once instinctively divined the cause of the insurgent gathering, and determined, at all hazards, to warn the authorities at Toronto of their danger. A messenger was first despatched with a letter, but learning that he had been taken prisoner, the Colonel, accompanied by Captain Stewart of the Royal Navy, proceeded to Toronto on horseback, and on the way thither was joined by three other friends. At Montgomery's tavern he was stopped by a strong guard of insurgents drawn up across the road, rashly fired his pistol when they opposed his further progress, was mortally wounded by a gunshot, and died within two hours. An Irishman of the name of Ryan fired the fatal shot, and the wretched man, after the dispersion of the rebel force, took refuge in the dense forest on the shores of Lake Huron, and from whence, after sustaining the greatest hardships, he escaped to the United States in the ensuing spring.

Failing to obtain any information of the correct state of matters in the city, Mackenzie had returned to the insurgent head-quarters. Anderson's death threw a gloom over Lount and his men, increased by the intense fatigue they had undergone, the want of food, and the pealing of the city alarm-bells, which told them that the inhabitants were now fully apprised of their danger. But as the night passed away reinforcements came up, and Mackenzie again proposed an advance on the city, to be a second time overruled. As Tuesday progressed, the insurgent gathering swelled to eight hundred men, armed with rifles, fowling-pieces, and pikes, and if they had boldly advanced on the city, the weak force of three or four hundred men, which the authorities had gathered for its defence, with the aid of the disaffected citizens, must have been overpowered.

Alarmed at the prospect of an immediate attack, and desirous to gain time, the Governor at mid-day sent the secret traitor Rolph and Robert Baldwin to the insurgents with a flag of truce, ostensibly to learn what they demanded. Mackenzie replied that they wanted

independence; and added that, as they had no confidence in the Governor's word, he would have to put his messages in writing, and within one hour. As two o'clock approached, the insurgents advanced towards the city, and were met at its immediate borders by a second flag of truce, bringing answer that their demand could not be complied with. But their further advance was now stayed by the secret advice of Rolph to wait till six o'clock, and enter the city under cover of night, when the disaffected there, to the number of six hundred, would be prepared to join them. At the appointed hour they again moved forward, and when within half a mile of the city were fired upon by a picket of loyalists, concealed behind a fence, and who immediately afterwards retreated. This unlooked-for attack produced the greatest confusion among the insurgents, and who, after firing a few shots in return, were soon speeding away in disorderly flight, leaving one of their number killed, and two wounded behind. Mackenzie endeavoured to rally the flying mob, but they absolutely refused to renew the attack, the majority throwing away their arms and returning to their homes. During the night, a few fresh bodies of insurgents came up, but on the following day Mackenzie's force, all told, had dwindled down to about five hundred men. Despairing of success, Rolph had fled to the United States during the preceding night, and was speedily followed by a number of others, who had effectually compromised themselves.

Meanwhile, intelligence had spread far and wide that the rebels had advanced against Toronto. At two o'clock on Tuesday afternoon, Sir Allan M'Nab learned the news at Hamilton, and immediately mounting his horse, he rode to the wharf, seized a steamboat lying there, put a guard on board, and despatched messengers in various directions to summon loyal men to the rescue. In three hours' time, that steamer was under weigh, freighted with stout hearts and stalwart arms, to be received at Toronto with cheers, that, reverberating to Government House, told the anxious Sir Francis Head that the "men of Gore" had first arrived to aid him. Next day the loyal militia crowded in to his assistance from all directions, and were armed and organised as well as circumstances would permit.

Early on Thursday morning, Van Egmond arrived to take command of the insurgents, and detached a force of sixty men to cut off communication with Toronto to the eastward, burn the Don bridge, capture the mail from Montreal, and draw out the force of the enemy in that direction. They succeeded in capturing the mail and setting the bridge on fire; but the flames were shortly after

wards extinguished, and no intelligence of consequence was acquired by the insurgents. Meanwhile, it having been determined to attack their main body at Montgomery's tavern, or Gallows' Hill, every preparation was fully made by eleven o'clock. Six hundred men, with two field-pieces, formed the main column of attack, under Sir Allan M'Nab, while another force of three hundred and twenty men were detached to take the insurgent position in flank. It was situated at a small wood near the road, which afforded partial cover to some four hundred badly-armed men, who still clung to the desperate fortunes of their leaders. Their defence was of the weakest kind. The fire of the artillery speedily drove them from their first position, when a few volleys of musketry and a bayonet charge put them into rapid flight, hotly pursued by the enraged militia. The loss of the insurgents was thirty-six killed and fourteen wounded, while the loyalist force only sustained a loss of three slightly wounded. Little mercy was shown to the defeated, and two trembling prisoners were alone brought in, to be immediately discharged by the Governor, and who subsequently directed Montgomery's tavern, and the dwelling of Gibson, a member of the Assembly, and who had a command under Mackenzie, to be burned down. During their stay at Gallows' Hill, the insurgents made prisoners of fifty-four loyalists, but who were treated as well as circumstances admitted of, and were not subjected to any cruelty whatever. And thus terminated the attempt to capture Toronto. Had the insurgents been led by men of resolution and skill, there can be little doubt their object would have been successful.*

Toronto once captured, insurrection would have raised its head in every direction, and a large amount of injury inflicted on the whole country, although about the ultimate issue of the struggle there could be no question. Upper Canada alone at this period contained a population of four hundred and fifty thousand souls, and the Home district, the focus of sedition, sixty thousand. Fully three-fourths of the whole people were loyal to the British Crown.

Immediately after the action at Gallows' Hill, Mackenzie fled towards the Niagara frontier, which, after several hairbreadth escapes, he succeeded in reaching, and was soon safely housed in Buffalo. A reward of £1000 had been offered for his apprehension, and £500 each for the capture of David Gibson, Samuel Lount, Silas Fletcher, and Jesse Loyd, the other principal rebel leaders. Rolph had already fled the province, and a few days afterwards was haranguing

* Mackenzie's Life and Times, vol. ii. p. 90-99; Bonnycastle's Canada as it Was, &c., vol. i. p. 288; The Emigrant, p. 181.

an audience at Lewiston, and inciting them to aid in the rebellion ;* while Bidwell voluntarily exiled himself, became a citizen of the United States, and an eminent lawyer of New York city, having been admitted to the New York bar by courtesy.

The country was now in a complete ferment. Although it was the middle of winter, ten thousand gallant militia crowded from all quarters towards Toronto, animated with the most loyal and devoted zeal. The want of transport, in numerous cases, of bedding, and of even warm clothing, was unheeded by these brave men, who thus showed themselves to be animated by the same indomitable spirit which had sustained the Canadian militia during the trying campaign of the three years' war with the United States. The loyal feeling so generally manifested alike by Conservatives and Moderate Reformers soon freed Sir Francis Head from all apprehensions with regard to the safety of Toronto, and he directed the militia of Glengarry, and of the other districts next to the lower province, to hold themselves in readiness to march to the aid of Sir John Colborne, should he require their services. Kingston, as well as Toronto, was speedily placed in a condition of perfect safety, by the arrival of several militia corps, which under the command of Sir Richard Bonnycastle, the principal military officer there, soon constituted a gallant and most efficient force. Never, in short, was a better spirit evinced. Under existing circumstances, successful rebellion was an impossibility in Upper Canada. Even the capture of Toronto could only have made the struggle more bloody; the result, in the end, must have been the same

This

In the London district, Dr Duncombe, recently returned from England, was extremely active in spreading disaffection, and got up a farcical rebellion. Sir Allan M'Nab was accordingly directed to march upon this point, with five hundred militiamen and volunteers, and suppress whatever armed treason he might encounter. duty was performed in the most gallant and effectual manner. Duncombe, like Papineau, Rolph, and others of the same stamp, fled when he found danger approaching, leaving his deluded followers to take care of themselves. The bulk of these were disarmed and pardoned, but the leaders were sent prisoners to Hamilton. Large numbers joined the loyalists, and Sir Allan M'Nab declared that he had soon ten times the force he required.

The city of Buffalo, standing as it does at the termination of the great canal traversing the state of New York, and at the foot of the upper lake navigation, has always been characterised by a transient

* Upper Canada Herald, 11th December 1838.

population of boatmen, sailors, and persons of very questionable reputation. Mackenzie had little difficulty, accordingly, in soon enlisting there a body of American sympathisers and Canadian refugees under his standard. The wretched attempt against Toronto -the ill-planned commencement of a miserably-organised rebellion, had not yet cured him of his folly, and in conjunction with Rolph and some others, he now concocted another invasion of Canada from the United States. Land and other inducements were promised to his followers, which a Buffalo newspaper described as a "wretched rabble, ready to cut any man's throat for a dollar;" while Mackenzie put the climax on his folly, by offering £500 for the apprehension of Sir F. B. Head. To the command of the force thus raised, Dr Rolph, Mackenzie, and the other persons who formed the Canadian "executive committee" at Buffalo, elevated a clever though worthless scamp of the name of Van Rensselaer.

Some two miles above the Falls of Niagara, and opposite Chippewa, is a small island belonging to Canada, which at this period was densely wooded. Here it was determined that Van Rensselaer should take post with his force, preparatory to a descent upon Canada. Being without the territory of the United States, nothing need be apprehended from any interference on the part of their authorities, while it was most conveniently situated for receiving reinforcements and supplies from Buffalo. At the same time, as no force had been assembled for the protection of the Canadian frontier, little resistance to their schemes was feared from that direction

The position was judiciously chosen, and numbers of the frontier vagabonds speedily flocked to Van Rensselaer's standard, and were supplied by American citizens of wealth, interested in the movement, with provisions and military stores. To furnish this force, which was soon one thousand strong,* with the necessary artillery, the guns were taken out of the State arsenals in some of the frontier towns, and thirteen were speedily in position on different parts of the island, which was likewise further secured by intrenchments and log breast works. Very few Canadians joined Van Rensselaer, although he had been led to suppose that he would be strongly supported by them.t

No sooner did Sir Francis Head (who at length appeared to understand his position more correctly) become aware of these occurrences, than a body of militia was hastily collected at Chippewa, under the command of Colonel Cameron, to prevent a hostile descent in * United States' Marshal to President Van Buren, 28th December 1838. † See Van Rensselaer's narrative in Albany Advertiser of 30th March 1838.