Quebec 1837-1839
The Patriotes Rebellion
Source: Wolfred Nelson, Écrits d'un Patriote. Edition prepared by Georges Aubin. Comeau & Nadeau, Montreal, 1998;
Translated: for marxists.org by Mitch Abidor;
During the battles of 1837 the British forces’ battle-cry was “Remember Weir.” George Weir was a British officer who had been captured by the Patriots and was killed while trying to flee his captors. Wolfred Nelson, an Anglophone doctor and militant Patriot, whose brother Robert was to write the Canadian’s Declaration of Independence in 1838, was , was himself to be exiled to Bermuda for his role in the uprising. While incarcerated he gave the following deposition on the capture and death of Weir.
Wolfred Nelson, doctor of St Denis, currently confined in the prison of Montreal, after having duly sworn on the Holy Bible, declares and says:
That Thursday, November 23 last, at about 2:00 in the morning, an individual was brought to his house in St Denis. He was drenched and frozen to the bone, he said his name was Weir; he wasn’t in uniform but was in civilian attire.
The deponent presented gave a glass of alcohol to said Weir, which he took. The deponent put Weir near a hot stove and offered him tea and a bed if he wanted to retire and rest. The deponent afterwards asked him to show his papers, on one of which was written these words; “ Every man to be provisioned with sixty cartridges.” After the deponent told him that he was a soldier and that he had to detain him for the moment, said Weir demonstrated great fear of being mistreated. The deponent assured him he had nothing to fear, that he'd be treated with respect and consideration, not thinking that he and his friends would soon find themselves in a similar situation. When said Weir repeated for at least the third time that he knew that he was among butchers, saying this at various intervals, the deponent told him that under other circumstances he wouldn’t allow the use of such language after the repeated assurances he'd been given.
In order to convince said Weir that he was completely safe, the deponent ordered that everyone leave the rooms, with the exception of two respectable habitants, one of whom was Francois Mignault, innkeeper from St Denis, and the other, whose name the deponent can’t remember. The deponent asked them to prevent said Weir from escaping, but to treat him with all the respect he was due. In addition, the deponent asked said Weir to remain still and not to attempt to escape.
That at about 6:00 in the morning of the same day, the deponent left his house and didn’t return until 4:00 in the afternoon, the last time that he saw said Weir.
In the course of the day, the deponent learned from several people, whose names he doesn’t remember, that said Weir was killed while attempting to escape. That a short while after the deponent’s departure, said Weir had attempted to flee. That the men who were guarding him had placed him in a carriage to take him to Saint Charles, but the deponent doesn’t know whose orders these were. That on high in the village, almost facing the house of late M. Bourdages and directly facing that of Alexis Ayott, said Weir leapt from the wagon with the intention of fleeing. That he was seized by a man who was guarding him; that a fight broke out in which several neighbors got involved, among whom was a certain Pratt, baker of Saint-Denis, and who delivered Weir several blows.
That said Weir then asked that he be finished off. That a short time later, the deponent was informed by Dr Kimber of Chambly , currently confined in the prison of Montreal, that captain Francois Jalbert had delivered the fatal blow to said Weir, all of this as well as the deponent can remember it.
The deponent added that Louis-Joseph Papineau spent the two or three days before the battle of Saint-Denis in his house with Dr. O’ Callaghan. During that period, the two individuals remained calm and most of the time rested on their beds. They went on one occasion to Saint-Charles to see T.S. Brown.
The deponent was informed that immediately after his departure on the morning of November 23, thus a few hours before the battle, said Papineau and O'Callaghan had left his house for Saint-Hyacinthe. Since that time, the deponent personally knows nothing of the direction they took. The deponent has nothing to add, and signed.
Seven erased words are null and void.
Wfd. Nelson
Sworn before me in the office of the jailor of the prison of Montreal, this 23rd day of December 1837 in Montreal.
P-E. Leclére, J.P