e belief that the
habitants would rise and join them, determined upon an armed invasion
of Canada. Possibly they believed also that Wolfred Nelson was still
holding out. Papineau, it was said, had reported that 'the victor of
St Denis' was entrenched with a considerable force at St Cesaire on the
Yamaska. They therefore collected arms and ammunition, sent emissaries
through the parishes to the north to rouse the _Patriotes_, and on
December 6, flying some colours which had been worked for them by the
enthusiastic ladies of Swanton, they crossed the Canadian border, about
two hundred strong. They had two field-pieces and a supply of muskets
and ammunition for those whom they expected to join the party on
Canadian soil.

Hardly had the invaders crossed the border when they encountered at
Moore's Corners a body of the Missisquoi Volunteers, under the command
of Captain Kemp, who were acting as escort to a convoy of arms and
ammunition. Having received warning of the coming of the insurgents,
Kemp had sent out messengers through the countryside to rouse the
loyalist {91} population. To these as they arrived he served out the
muskets in his wagons. And when the rebels appeared, about eight
o'clock at night, he had a force at his disposal of at least three
hundred men, all well armed.

There is reason for believing that Kemp might have succeeded in
ambushing the advancing force, had not some of his men, untrained
volunteers with muskets in their hands for the first time, opened fire
prematurely. The rebels returned the fire, and a fusillade continued
for ten or fifteen minutes. But the rebels, on perceiving that they
had met a superior force, retired in great haste, leaving behind them
one dead and two wounded. One of the wounded was Bouchette, who had
been in command of the advance-guard. The rebels abandoned also their
two field-pieces, about forty stand of arms, five kegs of gunpowder,
and six boxes of ball-cartridge, as well as two standards. Among the
loyalists there were no casualties whatever. Only three of the rebels
were taken prisoner besides the two wounded, a fact which Kemp
explained by several factors--the undisciplined state of the loyalists,
the darkness of the night, the vicinity of woods, and the proximity of
the boundary-line, {92} beyond which he did not allow the pursuit to
go. The 'battle' of Moore's Corners was in truth an excellent farce;
but there is no doubt that it prevented what mig