Guns Across the River: The Battle of the Windmill at Prescott

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Guns Across the River

The Battle of the Windmill, 1838

Donald E. Graves

The stirring account of the forgotten "Alamo of the North," the 1838 American attack on Prescott, Canada . . . told by a master historian.

A co-publication of the Friends of Windmill Point and Robin Brass Studio

In 1838, seeing political turbulence in Canada as an opportunity, members of a clandestine American organization, the Patriot Hunters, launched a series of attacks across the international border. The Hunters hoped to duplicate the success of the Texas rebellion two years before when their heroes Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie fought to establish a republic in northern Mexico. Detesting "tyranny and oppression wherever manifested," they believed that all it would take was "a good stand maintained for a short time" by Americans and then Canadians would do their own fighting to win freedom from the British yoke.

The most ambitious Hunter attack was launched in November 1838 when a force of more than 500 armed men, commanded by a European soldier of fortune, set out from northern New York in a flotilla of chartered and hijacked vessels. Avoiding the naval and military forces of two nations, they occupied a stone windmill near Prescott, Ontario, confident that Canadians would rally to their standard.

Their hopes were doomed. After five days of heavy fighting, British regulars and Canadian militia captured this "Alamo of the North" and those invaders who survived were imprisoned in Fort Henry at Kingston and tried by a court martial eleven were executed and sixty deported to an Australian penal colony. The Patriot Hunters' invasion resulted in nothing but destruction and loss of life, and their only memorial is the stone windmill, today a historic site, on its bluff beside the mighty St. Lawrence River.

Guns Across the River tells the full story of this bloody but forgotten military action and the undeclared war of which it was a part. Donald E. Graves traces the rise of the Patriot Hunters in the northern United States, describes their odyssey down the St. Lawrence and provides a detailed account of the five-day battle that followed. The book is packed with fascinating information about a colourful time in North American history and about the men who fought at the windmill their personalities, tactics, weapons, uniforms and even the songs they sang.

"The battle of the windmill was also an event that had its humorous aspects, and if so many people had not lost their lives during those five awful days in November 1838, it would have made a delightful comic opera." From the author's preface.

About the author

Donald E. Graves has been called "Canada's most reliable and readable military historian" and a "master of the battlefield narrative." A graduate in history of the University of Saskatchewan, he has written, co-written or edited nearly a dozen books and served as an historical consultant for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's People's History of Canada.

Donald Graves is perhaps best known for his popular series Forgotten Soldiers: The War of 1812 in the North: (Field of Glory: The Battle of Crysler's Farm, 1813, and Where Right and Glory Lead: The Battle of Lundy's Lane, 1814, with a third volume forthcoming) but he is also the author of South Albertas: A Canadian Regiment at War, regarded by many as one of the best unit histories of the Canadian army in the Second World War, and the editor of Fighting for Canada: Seven Battles, 1758-1945.

One of his current research projects is a study of the tactical battle to close the Falaise Gap in August 1944.
Donald Graves is the managing director of Ensign Heritage, a consulting firm with interest in historic sites, museums and publishing. He is in demand as a battlefield tour guide for both military units and commercial organizations. He resides with his author wife, Dianne, in a small community in Ontario.

For a complete list of works by Donald E. Graves, go to Books by Donald E. Graves.

To visit the website of Donald E. Graves, go to Sword and Pen.

Cover painting : The spectacular cover painting is by Peter Rindlisbacher, noted marine artist, who has also contributed a number of oil sketches to the book.

The details
264 pages
9 x 8 inches, landscape format
Paperback
More than 100 illustrations
Detailed appendices, notes and bibliography, index
Publication: June 2001 in Canada, Sept. in U.S.A.

ISBN 1-896941-21-4

In Canada: $24.95

In U.S.A.: $24.95

HOW TO GET TO THE WINDMILL AT PRESCOTT, ONTARIO

The Windmill is located on Highway 2 about 2 km east of Prescott.

From Montreal and points east of Prescott, take Highway 401 west to exit 721 at Johnstown. Take 416 south to Hwy 2 and go west for about 3 km.

From Toronto and points west of Prescott, take Highway 401 east to Prescott. Go south on Edward Street to Hwy 2. Go east for about 2 km and follow the signs to the Windmill site.

From Ottawa, go south on Highway 416 to exit 1, follow the large signs to Hwy 2 and go west for about 3 km.

From New York State, cross the St. Lawrence River on the Thousand Islands Bridge, follow the signs to Highway 401, take Hwy 401 east to Prescott. Go south on Edward Street to Hwy 2. Go east for about 2 km and follow the signs to the Windmill site. OR, cross the river at Ogdensburg and go west on Hwy 2 about 3 km to the Windmill site.

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