Justus Merriam's first hand account of the Battle of Windmill, Rebellion of 1837
I inherited a history of my Merriam family written by my great grandfather Justus Johnson
Merriam. It was printed in a small booklet by Reg Merriam and sent to family members in
1930.
Part of the History has Justus account of being a rebel ( patriot) in the Battle of
Windmill at Prescott, Ontario. Here is his account with Spelling as he wrote is Italics
for clarification are mine. A full account of the History can be seen at
www.merriamfamilypapers.com
I want to write a little about myself Justus Merriam. I was 10 years old when my mother
Died and my father put me to live with my uncle and I lived there a few years and then
left and worked wherever I could get a job and when the rebellion broke out in 1837 I was
working in a Brewery. I was 19 years old and I volentered in a company ( British Militia)
at the village of Grafton ( Ont) under Captain Williams and we drilled 2 days in the week
and we found our own arms and Clothing and boarded ourselves for 3 months and got no pay
and with the advise of my friends I left Canada and went to the States ner Watertown whare
I had relativs and worked in a grocery and provision store and was getting along vary
well.
The people there simpathised with the rebels in Canada and got up a secret society for the
purpose of raising an army to come over and help the rebels in uper Canada and they
organized a bank and sold stock to the amount of 7 or 8 million dollars and that furnished
money for the Rogues to cary on their scheme and they held secret meting all over the
states along the frontier and there was great excitment there was plenty of men with the
use of this bank money to pay expenses cald themselves Patriots and went everywhere to
keep up the excitement and they suced wel, there was thousands of people like myself
unwise and caried away with the idea of establishing a goood government in Canada and
making it a free and prosperous Country there ware about 20 thousand enroll for the
invaion in the later part of October there ware 2 devisions of the suposed army I was in
the Eastern devision and we ware warned to rendesvous at different points to be ready to
embark and the company I was!
in went to Sockets Harbours (Sacketts)and after steaying there abot a week we went to
Milery bay and the next night the Steam Boat United States with s schooners in toe and we
went on board there was about 1800 on bord and went down the River to Wind Mill Point just
below Prescut (Prescott, Ont) just opsite Ogsdenburg we got on a bar stuck for awile and
then the steambot got off and 1 schooner and the other one on the bar and we got to the
landing and abot 300 got off the boat went back to get the schooner that was still on the
bar and whil she was trying to get off there was a small armed steamboat came out from
Prescot and commence fireing on her and she ran into Ogdensburg and about that time the
United States Marshall with an armed steamboat came along and seized the steambot and
schooner and army and a good many men and took them to Ogdenburg and we ware left on Wind
Mill point without any means of getting away. we had 2 small canon and plenty small arms.
and we made o!
urselves as comfortable as we could expecting they would come and take us away but they
did not doe it.
the next morning being Nov 15th 1838. there ware 2 armed steam botes down from Kingston
with a company of soldiers and they stacked us and serrended us and whin I saw that and
saw the Boats on the river and all escape cut of I thew down my arms gave myself up and
was teaken to the fort at Prescut.
there was over twenty taken that day and we ware put on a boat that night and taken to
fort Henry at Kingston. the rest held out for 2 day longer and then they surrendered and
war brought to the same fort at Kingstone and tried for treson and all found guilty but 2
and thar war 7 hanged and the rest ware kept in prison until the next April and then those
twenty eight Repreived and sent to Sackets Harbour and I was with the 28 and I enjoyed my
liberty and the rest of the prisonors ware banished to Vandimands lands a penal Colony
belonging to England.
and I worked at od jobs around about that Part of the states until the year 1840 and then
I came back to Canada and found the times greatly improved.
Justus was 80 years old when he wrote this account. the story was not told to his family
for fear of the government and the effect on his family. He settled in Grey Co. Ontario in
1851 and raise a large family.
Justus was pardoned.
From The Chronicle & Gazette Kingston Ontario Dec 20 1838
The Pardoned Prisoners - On Monday Morning last, Col. M'Donell, the sheriff of this
District, proceeded to Sacketts Harbour the steamer " Commodore Barrie" Captain
Patterson, having in charge Twenty two of the brigands taken at Prescott and who have
recently been pardoned by His Excellency the Lieutenant Governor. They were formally
delivered over to the U.S. Marshall by the Sheriff. the Following is a list of their
names:
Hiram Hall, Cornelius Goodrich, Price Senter, David Gould, John Thompson, Andrew
Richardson, Lawson S. Peck, Hiram Kinney, Phillip Conrod, Joseph Wagner, Henry Janizen,
Sebastian Meyers, Jeremiah Winegar, Justus Merriam, Francois Gagnion, John A. Brewster,
Peter Meyer, Charles Horey, John O' Koinski, Ernest Berends, Charles Allen, Josesph
Dodge
I have from more from this newspaper article on Justus Merriam, Patrick White, David
Defield, John Morrisette, Francis Gagnion, George Blondeau, Joseph Leforte, Daniel Liecum,
Irra Pally, Oliver Lawson, William Wolcott, Andrew Moore, James L Snow, George H Kimball,
Lysander Cortis, nelson J. GriggsChristopher and James Buckley, Martin Woodruff, Garret
Hicks, Simeon Webster, William Reynolds, Jerry C Grigg
From the Lives and Times of the Patriots by Edwin C. Guillet, MA, LLD
I have the prisoner list of the Battle of Windmill and am willing to do lookups and for
the above.
Kit Cutting