"A Representative Of The Montreal Witness, In A Conversation
With Mr. Rouillard, Inspector Of Buildings, Ascertained That He
Had Taken A Somewhat Prominent Part In The Stirring Scenes Of The
Rebellion Of 1837.
The old gentleman's eyes lit up with the fire
of youthful enthusiasm when recounting the deeds of the "Sons of
Liberty," and the secret society of the "Chasseurs."
"I was vigorous and strong in those days, and from my mother
inherited an ardent love for the country in which I was born. Her
letters in those days so magnetized me with patriotism that I
could willingly lay down my life for the cause. I can only,
however, give you a mere sketch to-day of some of the incidents
and adventures through which I passed. The 'Sons of Liberty,' in
Quebec and Montreal, numbered over 20,000 men, but within this
body there was a secret society called 'Les Chasseurs,' all picked
and trustworthy men. They formed a secret society and had their
signs and passwords. It is singular that, though many of those men
were placed in perilous positions when the revelations of our
secrets would have saved them, not one traitor was found to betray
the cause, and even to this day the secrets of the fraternity are
unknown. Not very long ago I had occasion to go to Quebec, and was
introduced to one of the Provincial ministers. I gave the sign of
the 'Chasseurs' of forty-three years ago. He looked up surprised
and returned the countersign. We had not met since the memorable
emeute in the stable yard on St. James street.
We used to meet for drill and pistol practice in the upper story
of the house still standing on the corner of Dorchester and
Sanguinet streets.
There I remember one of our leaders harangued us. He is still
alive, and Montreal's citizens know him well. He urged us to be
brave and show no mercy in sweeping every obstacle from oar path,
and when we gained our liberty we would have 'ample time for -
tears, repentance and regret.' There used to be a loyal
association called 'The Doric Club,' which met on Great St. James
street near our rendezvous. Our men and the members of this club
used to have many rencontres, until it culminated in a challenge
from the 'Chasseurs' who sent a cartel to the sixty members of
the Doric Club, offering to meet them with thirty of their picked
men. The President of the Doric Club sent back a cold formal reply
to the effect that they wished to have nothing to do with traitors
and rebels.
"Our secret society had formed the daring design of seizing the
citadel of Quebec on the same plan as Wolfe's Highlanders. We had
our rendezvous within a short march of Quebec and on the eventful
night numbered about 1,500 men, two hundred of whom had come from
Montreal and the rest from St. Jerome, Three Rivers and other
places. Each man was armed with a pair of pistols and a bowie-
knife, and carried on his shoulders a bundle of straw.
They had thirty ladders which were to be used in scaling the
narrow glacis which led to the citadel. The object was to make a
regular roadway of these ladders, almost like a trellis work
bridge, up which the patriots might easily pass. The night was
dark and stormy. We had been waiting in the cold in our white
blanket coats and white tuques, to assimilate to the color of the
snow, when the order arrived to prepare to march. The second
signal came at half-past eleven, and everything was in readiness
for the attack. At a quarter to twelve the chief came in as pale
as death and gave the order to disband, as the storm had suddenly
ceased and the moon shone bright and clear, much to the
discomfiture of the patriots, who looked forward to an easy
victory. That chief, who still lives, said it was providential
that the storm had cleared off before the attack had been made,
for if it had continued and only cleared when the patriots were
placing their scaling ladders in the glacis, not a man would have
survived, as the British troops could have trained several guns on
this particular spot and swept every living thing into
destruction."
Mr. Rouillard said the Roman Catholic clergy were much opposed to
their society, because it was secret, and had done all in their
power to break it up, and England is indebted for her supremacy in
North America to-day to the exertions and assistance given her in
that troublous period by the Roman Catholic clergy." (Montreal
Witness, 29th November 1880.)
CHAPTER IV
SUBURBS OF QUEBEC.
ST. LOUIS ROAD - CAP ROUGE - STE. FOYE ROAD - THE ROUND DRIVE.
On emerging from St. Louis Gate, several handsome terraces and cut stone
dwellings are noticeable. We may mention Hon. Frs. Langelier's, Mr.
Shehyn's, and the Hamel Terrace - quite a credit to the new town. The new
town outside of the walls, like that of New Edinburgh, in beauty and
design will very soon cast the historical old town within the walls in the
shade. The next object which attracts the eye is the spacious structure of
the Skating Rink, the only charge we can make against it, is that it is
too close to St. Louis Gate. 'Tis the right thing in the wrong place.
Adjoining stood the old home of the Prentices, in 1791, - Bandon Lodge,
[146] once the abode of Sandy Simpson, [147] whose cat-o'nine-tails must
have left lively memories in Wolfe's army. Did the beauteous damsel about
whom Horatio, Lord Nelson, raved in 1782, when, as Commander of H. M.'s
frigate Albemarle, he was philandering in Quebec, ever live here? [148]
This is more than I can say. On the north side of the Grande Allee, the
lofty structure - the new Parliament Buildings - occupies a whole square.
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