this desire arose from the utter unfitness of Van Rensellaer, as proved by his conduct on Navy Island, for such a command. Mackenzie was no military man, and desired no command for himself, but when he found that it was to be vested in Van Rensellaer he resigned all connection with the movement.

It had been arranged, by correspondence carried on by Mackenzie, that a rising should take place in Canada, when the expedition crossed. Fort Henry was garrisoned by civilians; a person in the fort had agreed to spike the guns, on the approach of the Patriots, and at a concerted signal to throw open the gates for their admittance. The intended assault became known in Kingston, and sixteen hundred men were placed under arms with a view of defending the place. At Ganonoque two companies of Regulars had been stationed, in addition to the local force. Near the end of February, Van Rensellaer crossed from French Creek, a village situated on the American side of the St. Lawrence, a short distance below Kingston, to Hickory Island, about two miles from Ganonoque, with a force that has been variously stated at from fifteen to twenty-five hundred men. Van Rensellaer, while here, kept his bed, in such a state of intoxication that he could not give an intelligent answer to any question put to him. The men, disgusted or alarmed, began to move off in squads, and when all chance of success had been lost, a council of war was held, and it was determined to retreat. The morning after the island was evacuated, Van Rensellaer reports that the loyalists were upon it two hundred strong.

Van Rensellaer published a letter, dated Albany,

March 29, 1838, in which he blames Mr. Mackenzie for having interfered with his plans, by way, it would seem, of accounting for his own failure. That letter contained accusations against Mr. Mackenzie which Van Rensellaer himself afterwards admitted to be unjust. In an unpublished letter addressed to Mr. McMahon, and dated Albany, February 24, 1840, he says: "Since I have had time for reflection, for arriving at correct information, and for weighing dispassionately circumstances which led me to an unjust conclusion, while penning my statement, although I am yet of opinion that he has committed errorsand who has not?-I am bound as a man of honor to admit that all my charges, whether expressed or implied, against his moral integrity or honesty of purpose, are, as far as my present knowledge and information extend, incorrect." After which confession he exclaims, "I am mightily relieved."

Soon after this, Gen. McLeod dispatched Col. Seward with about four hundred men to Point au Pelé Island, some forty miles south east of Amherstburg. On the 4th of March, McLeod was on the point of joining them, when he received a dispatch from Col. Bradley, informing him that they had been defeated, with a loss of fifteen or twenty missing, and retreated to the American shore. "The loss of the enemy," says McLeod, in an unpublished letter, "is fifty or sixty, and a great number wounded." The loyalist troops were supported by cavalry and artillery, and one of the Patriot colonels attributes their retreat principally to want of artillery. The British troops were under Colonel Maitland, and consisted of five companies of Regu

lars, with about two hundred militia and Indians. Nine prisoners were taken by the British, among whom was General Sutherland. He was not taken on the island, and his trial was afterwards declared illegal by the British Government and his release or dered. He was, however, kept in prison for a long time.

From this western frontier a combination of great force, extending over the two Canadas, was soon to be made, and but for the occurrence of an accident, it is impossible to say what the result might not have been.

CHAPTER IX.

Mr. Mackenzie's Movements-He Commences the Publication of Mackenzie's Gazette, in New York-Is joined by his Family-Canadian Relief Association-Treason Legislation-Execution of Lount and Matthews-Prisoners escape from Fort Henry-Monster Conspiracy for Revolutionizing Canada, and how it was Frustrated-General Handy Superseded by General BierceThe Short Hills Expedition.

He

WHILE the abortive expeditions of Bois Blanc and Point au Pelé were in progress, Mr. Mackenzie was sounding the public feeling in other places. visited some of the Patriot leaders of Lower Canada, at Plattsburg, soon after leaving Navy Island, and went to New York, Philadelphia, and other places.

When the question of evacuating Navy Island was before the Buffalo committee of thirteen,* Mr. Mackenzie had become impressed with what he conceived to be the necessity of establishing a public journal to express the views of the Patriots in Canada, and their friends in the United States. The project was finally carried out by himself. the prospectus of Mackenzie's and the first number of the ance, on the 12th of May, in tinued till the close of 1840.

On the 17th of April, Gazette was published, paper made its appearNew York, and was conDuring the greater part

*On this committee were Dr. Johnson, a former Mayor of Buffalo, Mr. Seymour, Master in Chancery, Mr. Macy, Mr. Wilkinson, and other local celebrities.

of this time, the paper was published in Rochester, a frontier city on the Genesee River. To establish a newspaper, under the circumstances, appealing chiefly to the public interest on a single question, must have been up-hill work. On the 17th July, 1838, the publisher complained, that of the subscribers to the Gazette, about one-fifth had paid "from one dollar to three each," and the remaining four-fifths had paid nothing. We do not, however, find many subsequent complaints of this nature, and the commercial success of the venture was probably quite as good as could have been expected.

In May, Mr. Mackenzie was joined by his family, in New York; all of whom, except Mrs. Mackenzie, had till now remained in Canada. There had necessarily been but little intercommunication between them, and that had taken place indirectly and for the most part through friends passing between Canada and the States.

In March, steps were taken to organize the Canadian refugees. At a meeting of some of these persons, held at Lockport, State of New York, on the 19th of March, 1838, a committee was formed to ascertain the numbers, location, and condition of the Canadian refugees in the States, and to draw up articles of association by "means of which their sufferings may be mitigated and a redress of their griev ances obtained," and-such was the latitude given— "to adopt such other measures as, in their discretion, may best conduce to their welfare." This organiza

The committee consisted of Dr. A. McKenzie, Messrs. George H. Clark, Samuel Chandler, Michael Marcellus Mills, Dr. J. T Willson, Silas Fletcher,