Raid on Short Hills

Short Hills raid
Part of the Upper Canada Rebellion
Date June 21, 1838 - June 23, 1838 Location Present-day Fonthill, Ontario, and Pelham, Ontario Result Government victory
Belligerents
Hunters' Lodges	Upper Canada United Kingdom
Commanders and leaders
Samuel Chandler Daniel McLeod James Morreau	Robert Bailey Allan MacNab
Strength
48 Hunter Patriots	13 Queen's Lancers 4 Canadian Militia regiments
Casualties and losses
31 captured, 2 wounded	13 Lancers were captured but later released 1 lancer wounded

The Short Hills raid was a raid by the Hunter Patriots on the Niagara Peninsula from June 21 to June 23, 1838, during the Upper Canada Rebellion.

On June 10, 1838 in Pelham, Ontario, James Morreau led a rebel raiding party of 26 Hunter Patriots across the Niagara River. Morreau was aided by Samuel Chandler and reached St. Johns later that day. Their intention was to get the Iroquois to rise up in rebellion. The patriots reached Short Hills on June 21, and were joined up with 22 other patriots from newly appointed Commander-in-Chief Daniel McLeod. The next day they attacked a group of 13 Queen's Lancers led by Sgt. Robert Bailey, recently sent to Queenston to patrol the Niagara River. The patriots surrounded the house where the Lancers were lodged, and got them to surrender by threatening to burn down the lodge - but on hearing the news of the arrival of the Canadian militia sent by Col. Sir Allan MacNab, the patriots fled westward to Hamilton.

On June 23 MacNab sent out four militia regiments to intercept the patriots; the 3rd Gore, the Beverly Regiment, the Queen's Own and the Queen's Rangers. The militia repelled the attacks successfully, and arrested 31 patriots, bringing an end to the week-long raid. Among the patriots arrested were MacLeod, Chandler, and Morreau. MacLeod and Chandler were later tried and sentenced to banishment to Tasmania for life, while Morreau was executed on July 30 in Niagara.

External links

• Chronology of Events of the 1837 rebellions
• The Short Hills Affair