was peopled by wild,
illiterate frontiersmen, familiar with the use of the rifle and the
bowie-knife, bred in the Revolutionary {26} tradition and nourished on
Fourth of July oratory to a hatred of everything British. The memories
of 1812 were fresh in every mind. These simple souls were told by
their own leaders and by political refugees from Canada, such as
William Lyon Mackenzie, that the two provinces were groaning under the
yoke of the 'bloody Queen of England,' that they were seething with
discontent, that all they needed was a little assistance from free,
chivalrous Americans and the oppressed colonists would shake off
British tyranny for ever. Appeal was made to less exalted sentiment.
Each patriot was to receive a handsome grant of land in the newly
gained territory. Accordingly, in the spring and summer of 1838, a
large scheme to give armed support to the republicans of Canada was
secretly organized all along the northern boundary of the United
States. It was a secret society of 'Hunters' Lodges,' with ritual,
passwords, degrees. Each 'Lodge,' was an independent local body, but a
band of organizers kept control of the whole series from New York to
Detroit. The 'Hunters' are uniformly called 'brigands' and 'banditti'
by the British regular officers who fought them, and the terms have
been {27} handed on without critical examination by Canadian
historians; but not with justice. Misled though they were, the
'Hunters' looked upon Canada only as Englishmen looked upon Greece, or
Poland, or Italy struggling for political freedom: the sentiment,
though misdirected, was anything but ignoble. Acting upon this
sentiment, a Polish refugee, Von Shoultz, led a small force of
'Hunters,' boys and young men from New York State, in an attack on
Prescott, November 10, 1838. He succeeded in surprising the town and
in establishing himself in a strong position in and about the old
windmill, which is now the lighthouse. His position was technically a
'bridge-head,' and he defeated with heavy loss the first attempt to
turn him out of it. If he had been properly supported from the
American side of the river, and if the Canadians had really been ready
to rise _en masse_ as he had been led to believe, the history of Canada
might have been changed. As it was, the invaders were cut off, and, on
the threat of bombardment with heavy guns, surrendered. Their leader
paid for his mistaken chivalry with his life on the gallows wit