Guns Across the River The Battle of the Windmill, 1838

9781896941219

1896941214

In 1838, seeing political unrest in Canada as an opportunity, American extremist groups invaded at several places, thinking Canadians would arise and join them to "throw off the British yoke." One of the most ambitious expeditions was the attack in November 1838 when hundreds of members of a secret organization, the Patriot Hunters, sailed down the St. Lawrence River and landed near Prescott, Ontario, where they occupied a stone windmill.It took five days of bloody fighting by British regulars and Canadian militia to defeat the invasion and capture the invaders. The prisoners were taken to Fort Henry in Kingston and tried, resulting in 11 executions and 40 deportations to Australian penal colonies. The Windmill stands today as a national historic site.The book is well illustrated with about 100 maps, archival pictures and original artwork by renowned marine artist Peter Rindlisbacher.