Stranica 59 [59]
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day of the same month the State Arsenal at Water¬
town was robbed of quite a quantity of munitions
of war, and steps taken by the Hunters’ Lodges for
an immediate descent upon Canada.
On the night of the zgth of May, the British steam¬
boat Szr Robert Peel, owned principally by parties
who resided in Brockviile, on her passage up from
Prescott to the head of the lake, touched a wharf at
3 Well’s Island for the purpose of obtaining a supply
of wood. The captain of the steamer was informed
that armed men had been seen on the island during
the day ; but he took no heed of the warning, let
down the steam, and proceeded to take on the wood.
After the boat had been moored about an hour, a
band of men armed with guns and bayonets, painted
and dressed in Indian costume, suddenly rushed
upon the boat, and, by hideous yells and threats,
drove all the officers, hands and passengers on shore.
Many of the passengers in the ladies cabin were not
given sufficient time to dress, and lost the greater
part of their baggage.
The pirates-then plundered the boat of such valu¬
ables as they could lay hands upon, after which they
attempted to get the vessel out into the stream, but
in so doing she was run upon a shoal. The torch
was then applied, and the steamer burned to the
water's edge. The number of armed men engaged
in the piracy was twenty-two; their place of en¬
campment having been a secluded spot on Abel’s
Island.
. At five o’clock in the morning, while the Szr Rodert
Peel was still burning, the steamer Overda arrived
and took off the passengers, conveying them to
Kingston.
| The leader of the party who engaged in the piracy
x subsequently published the following manifesto in
the American newspapers :
To all whom it may concern :
I, William Johnston, a natural born citizen of
Upper Canada, certify that I hold a commission in
the Patriot Service of Upper Canada, as Commander¬
e in-Chief of the naval forces and flotilla. I com¬
A
. manded the expedition that attacked and destroyed
“ae the steamer Szr Robert Peel. The men under my
x; . command in that expedition were nearly all natural
born English subjects ; the exceptions were volun¬
teers for the expedition.
: oe. My headquarters were on an island in the St.
- Lawrence, without the jurisdiction of the United
" States, at a place named by me Fort Wallace. I am
ke well acguainted with the boundary line, and know
which of the islands do, and do not, belong to the
oY United States ; and. in the selection of the island I
wisi ed to be positive, and not locate within the
. jurisdiction of the United States, and had reference
i a
*
2 ja - ‘T) E.
to the decision of the Commissioners, under the 6th
article of the Treaty of Ghent, done at Utica, in the
State of New York, June 13th, 1822. I know the
number of islands, and by that decision it was
British Territory.
I yet hold possession of that station, and we also
occupy a station some twenty or more miles from
the boundary of the United States, in what was His
Majesty’s dominions, until it was occupied by us. I
act under orders. The object of my movements is
the independence of the Canadas. Iam not at war
with the commerce or prosperity of citizens of the
United States.
Signed the tenth day of June, 1838.
WILLIAM JOHNSTON.
Governor Marcy of New York immediately issued
a proclamation offering a reward of $500 for the
arrest of Johnston; $250 for Daniel McLeod,
samuel C. Frey, and Robert Smith; and $roo each
for the detection and arrest of the other offenders.
The Canadian Government also offered a reward. of
$5,000 for the conviction of any person or persons
concerned in the outrage.
On the morning of the 2nd June, 1838, the
American steamer TZelegraph called at Brockville,
and was hailed by two sentries belonging to the
militiamen. Not responding, six shots. were fired
by the sentry, three of the balls taking effect in the
steamer. Upon examination it was ascertained that
the firing was not justified by orders, the sentries
stating that they had discharged their pieces as
alarm guns.
BATTLE OF THE WINDMILL "
Early in November, 1838, the so-called Patriots
rallied in clubs and secret lodges, making prepar¬
ations for a descent upon Canada. Bands of men
assembled at Syracuse, Sackett’s Harbour, Water¬
town, and Oswego, who openly declared their inten¬
tion of invading British soil. Large quantities of
arms and munitions of war were collected and
secreted along the St. Lawrence frontier. |
On the roth of November, two schooners, named
the Charlotte of Oswego, and the Charlotte of Toronto
were freighted at Oswego, from boats that had
arrived from Syracuse by the Oswego Canal. The
United States left Oswego about nine
o’clock on Sunday morning, the 11th November, to
continue her regular down trip. She had on board
at the time about one hundred and fifty passengers.
A nail kee was put on board, the head of which
came out, when it was found that the keg was
filled with bullets. A number of boxes were taken
on board, marked Cape Vincent. When the steamer
arrived at Sackett’s Harbor, about thirty men came
steamer