Potton Heritage Association the Trouble In
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VOLUME 6 – NUMÉRO 2 – AUTOMNE 2018 | TIRÉ À PART HISTOIRE POTTON HISTORY Canada found eager sympathizers among the The Trouble in Potton “Sons of Liberty” on both sides of the border, By Audrey Martin McCaw and Potton Township was dismayed to find itself uncomfortably close to the centre of the Yesterdays of Brome County – Volume Four, storm. Daily alarms kept the populace in a The Brome County Historical Society, state of panic: dispatch riders were shot at, Knowlton, Quebec 1980, pages 28-36 worshippers gathering at the Potton school house for their Sunday service were shocked It is 150 years since sparks from the Papineau to find a cache of gunpowder hidden in the Rebellion flared into scattered eruptions and ashes of the stove. Challenges for the hastily short-lived battles in south-western Quebec. formed Potton Guard came to a head on the When students of Canadian history think of evening of February 27th, 1838, a date which “the troubles of 1837-38”, they are apt to E. C. Bamett said: “must go down in history in recall the confrontations between the rebels, red letter.” or “patriotes” and government forces at St. Charles and St. Denis on the Richelieu River But first, some background. In 1837, many of east of Montreal, the rout at St. Eustache and the inhabitants of Potton were sons and the Battle of Moore's Corners in Missisquoi daughters of original settlers from the U.S. County. However, here in Brome County who had been loyal to the Crown during the feelings reached a fever pitch too and there American Revolution, and they inherited the was the odd skirmish that might very well political sympathies of their parents. They have resulted in a full-fledged battle. were weary of revolution, had been loyal to Canada in the War of 1812, and wanted only E. C. Barnett of Highwater, a descendant of to be left alone to pursue a peaceful and pioneer Colonel Henry Ruiter, wrote in an productive life. Thomas H. Raddall in The Path article in 1926: “The Troubles of 1837 and of Destiny describes a typical Loyalist as “a 1838 found an echo in Potton and possibly born American of strong opinions, little wealth, there was as much excitement in this vicinity a suspicion of local demagogues, a as at any point along the border.” conservative instinct for law and order and a hatred of being (in the modern phrase) Life along the border has always had its unique "pushed around".” concerns, particularly during the days of early settlement when newcomers had to be sized However, there were others whose parents up as post-revolutionary loyalists from the had gladly acquired land in Canada but who U.S., immigrants from French Canada or the still nourished the hope, fifty years after the British Isles, Yankee land speculators with Revolution, that this politically unsettled doubtful loyalties or just plain squatters. The country would yet become part of the United general malaise in Lower Canada that led to States. This sentiment had been bolstered by the Papineau Rebellion had numerous causes, the curious position of Vermont in the late but in southern Quebec some of those causes 18th century. The American rebels Ethan and were unique to our pioneer forefathers who Ira Allen, resentful of New York's claims on lived close to the frontier that divided Brome Vermont territory during the Revolution, had County from the State of Vermont. made overtures to Canada's Governor Haldimand, offering to join the British with The troubles stirred up by Papineau and his 4,000 armed men in return for recognition of Patriots against the British Government in Vermont as a Canadian province. Attractive as [32] Potton Heritage Association HISTOIRE POTTON HISTORY VOLUME 6 – NUMÉRO 2 – AUTOMNE 2018 | TIRÉ À PART this might sound, Haldimand rightly distrusted Papineau made the mistake of protesting too these “sour Mountain Boys” who, in fact, had hard. When civil war seemed imminent in no intention of turning British, but were trying Montreal in late 1837 and Papineau began to to play Canada and the U.S. Congress off lose the support of many French Canadians, against each other. Vermont became a state in including the clergy, he and some of his side 1791. Governor Haldimand's policy of fled across the border to the U.S. More forbidding Loyalist settlement close to the followed after the defeats at St. Denis and St. border immediately following the Revolution Charles. Not all made it. Wolfred Nelson was had left a vacuum in our area, and we can captured near Waterloo after swimming across hardly blame the Vermonters, encouraged by the Yamaska River and wandering in the greedy land speculators in Quebec and woods for a week. Several were captured near Montreal, for moving in and availing West Farnham. Brown, with a price of themselves of this promising wilderness. Rev. $10,000.00 on his head and with impaired Ernest M. Taylor points out that "during the eyesight and a bad leg as a result of the recent War of 1812-14 some of these settlers battles, struggled from one hiding place to returned to the United States, but later many another in the Cowansville-Dunham area and of them came back again to Canada. Some finally managed to cross the border to even came to Canada at that time to escape Berkshire, Vermont. Others fled successfully being drafted into the American Army. But by way of Stanstead. many of the residents of Potton Township entered the British Service and fought nobly in Even though the Rebellion appeared to be a defence of their new homes." failure, many Americans mistakenly believed that Canada was in the mood to be liberated. The main cause of the Rebellion was, of Throughout 1838 there were acts of course, the grievances of the British Canadians lawlessness, rumours of invasion and a against repressive British rule and a number of alarming incidents along the widespread desire for responsible government. frontier. Robert Nelson, now on the American Papineau and his followers had, as George H. side of the border, became the leader of the Montgomery put it in his “History of Missisquoi radical “Sons of Liberty” who took their name Bay,” “been stumping the environs of Montreal from a band of French rebels in Lower Canada and the Valley of the Richelieu with fiery and who were known as “Les fils de la Liberté.” somewhat seditious speeches culminating in Robert, drunk with power, set up his an advocacy of annexation to the U.S.” “Republic”, with himself as President, and Consequently Papineau, who was both formed a provisional government at Franklin, intelligent and passionate, attracted - in Vermont, with armed forces at Highgate, addition to his vast crowd of French -Canadian Swanton and St. Albans. Patriotes - a number of English-speaking sympathizers. His senior lieutenants included In the words of Taylor: “All this while Potton, men such as Thomas Storrow Brown, a leading (now Mansonville) lying just across an English politician, Wolfred Nelson, a medical imaginary line from this storm centre and doctor from England who practised in the refuge of voluntary exiles and sympathizers to Richelieu area and was a member of the the number of some two thousand, was Reform Party in Lower Canada, and Wolfred's spending sleepless nights, terrorized not so hot-headed brother Robert who proved later to much at what appeared by day as to what the have a good deal to do with the troubles in cover of darkness might carry. Potton. “ Association du patrimoine de Potton [33] VOLUME 6 – NUMÉRO 2 – AUTOMNE 2018 | TIRÉ À PART HISTOIRE POTTON HISTORY family were early settlers in Potton Township, Throughout the Townships, efforts were being although branches of the family had remained made to enlarge the existing militia and to on the Vermont side. Interesting histories of administer the Oath of Allegiance to individuals this and other families connected with this considered “to be disaffected”. Potton and story are recounted by Rev. E.M.Taylor in his Bolton formed part of Stanstead County at that HISTORY OF BROME COUNTY, Volumes 1 and time. A Stanstead newspaper called The II. Canadian Patriot ran a controversial article, signed merely 'Patriot,' which aroused and The facts of what actually happened the night encouraged many readers to refuse to take the of February 27th, 1838 are gleaned from Oath. In January of 1838, a letter from an several sources, so we have to piece together official in Stanstead to the Governor's the scenario of events. And they began a short secretary, urging the sending of more time previous to this with a dramatic false commissioners for the purpose of alarm. administering Oaths to the troops, said in part : “I meet with a good deal of opposition and Ralph Elkins brought in word that troops of many refusals ... there never was a time when Robert Nelson were heading for Potton from it was more desirable to have measures the direction of Coventry, Vermont. Despatch decided than at present, in relation to riders alerted the community and members of Stanstead County, I do consider it to be the the Potton Guard hastily gathered on foot and most disaffected and restless in the province on horse-back at Coit's Corners. This small …” community, later known as Meig's Corners, was situated between Mansonville and For protection, the loyal citizens of Potton Highwater and consisted of Levi Coit's store relied on the Potton Guard. This consisted of (the first store in Potton Township), a the Second Townships Battalion, originally schoolhouse and a distillery operated by the mustered under Col.