Battle of Saint-Eustace

---- ---- The battles of Saint-Eustace occurred the December 14th 1837. It is about one of engagements between the British troops and the patriots of the Low-Canada at the time of the Rébellion of 1837-38 to the Low-Canada. The area in the north of Montreal where this battle proceeded was known like a hearth of the resentment against the British absolutism.

Origin

Located close to the River-of-Thousand-Islands, the village of Saint-Eustace is the center of socio-economic activities of the Seigneurie of the Thousand-Islands, at the dawn of the events of 1837. In the North-West of Montreal, she it chief town of the third area in importance in Low-Canada for her population and did not know serious economic problems in the Années 1830. Several of the chiefs of the Rebellion remain in the area of which Girouard, Scott, Girod, Jean-Olivier Chénier, Jean-Baptiste Dumouchelle, Luc-Hyacinthe Masson and Chartier. Agitation is thus very strong there like the authoritarianism of the British government.

John Colborne, commander-in-chief of the armed forces in two Canadas, wants to eliminate the centers resistances when the events of 1837 burst. According to its information, the area of Saint-Eustace organizes and poses a great risk. It thus decides to send troops, from Montreal, on December 13rd.

Unfolding

The troops of the Colborne general, cross the River-of-Thousand-Islands to the height of Holy-Rose on the Jesus]. One finds under the orders of the general John Colborne two brigades. The first, directed by colonel John Maitland, is formed of the 32e Régiment and the 83e Régiment , giving 1200 soldiers, as well as the Royal Montreal Cavalry with 52 volunteers. The second brigade, under the command of colonel George Augustus Wetherall (victorious with the Battle of Saint-Charles on November 25th) comprise 78 troops of the Royal Artillery and 53 volunteers of the Montreal Rifles Body . She also comprises a detachment of 83 volunteers loyal supporters of Saint-Eustace, the St.Eustache Loyal Volunteers which has the role of cutting the retirement of the Patriots on the river of the Thousand-Islands, cold in December this time, and 45 volunteers of the Queen' S Light Dragoons . On the whole, 1280 regular soldiers and 220 volunteers with all their equipment and train of ammunition.

As of 11:15, the alarm bell sounds when the volunteers of the troop are seen and Chénier street with between 150 and 300 rebels with their meeting. But the shootings of the regular troops force them to reprocess. The patriots cut off in the convent the presbytery, church of Saint-Eustace and the manor seigneurial. The patriotic rebel Amury Girod left the battle field at the beginning the confrontation, supposément to bring back reinforcements of Saint-Benoît. Suspecté of treason, of the patriots continued it and finally Girod would have committed suicide.

The village is quickly enclerclé and during one hour the artillery bombards the buildings containing the insurrectionists without much effect. The Colborne general tries to pulverize the door of the church with an howitzer but the heavy fire of the defenders makes move back serving them of the part. Gradually, the presbytery and the other refuges fall the ones after the others. The church is the last to fall and becomes the target of the British heavy shootings.

Chénier, become ordering rebels, resists it with approximately 60 men but a group of soldier succeeds in infiltrating in the Sacristie with the back of the building. Those put the fire which extends quickly. The rebels is especially with the Jubé S and must jump by the windows to escape the flames, because the staircases had been demolished to prevent the English troops from being able to reach them. The men are thus exposed to the enemy shooting and several are wounded or killed, of which Chénier. It risked the escape nevertheless but is killed in its attempt, pronouncing Souvenez Weir! , a reference to George Weir.

Epilog

The battle lasted more than four hours and finishes with the defeat of the Patriots. One counts 70 dead among rebels, about fifteen wounded and 120 prisoners. The British have a death and eight wounded, of which two will die later. The troops, but especially the volunteers loyal supporters, burn 65 houses of the 150 of the village and deliver themselves to plundering.

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