Short Hills Raid

The Short Hills Raid was a raid by the Hunter Patriots on the Niagara Peninsula from June 21 to June 23, 1838, during the Upper Canada Rebellion.

On June 10, 1838 in Pelham, Ontario, James Morreau led a rebel raiding party of 26 Hunter Patriots across the Niagara River. Morreau was aided by Samuel Chandler and reached St. Johns later that day. Their intention was to get the Iroquois to rise up in rebellion. The patriots reached Short Hills on June 21, and were joined up with 22 other patriots from newly appointed Commander-in-Chief Daniel McLeod. The next day they attacked a group of 13 Queen's Lancers led by Sgt. Robert Bailey, recently sent to Queenston to patrol the Niagara River. The patriots surrounded the house where the Lancers were lodged, and got them to surrender by threatening to burn down the lodge - but on hearing the news of the arrival of the militia sent by Col. Allan MacNab the patriots fled westward to Hamilton.

On June 23 MacNab sent out four militia regiments to intercept the patriots; the 3rd Gore, the Beverly Regiment, the Queen's Own and the Queen's Rangers. The militia repelled the attacks successfully, and arrested 31 patriots, bringing an end to the week long raid. Among the patriots arrested were MacLeod, Chandler, and Morreau. MacLeod and Chandler were later tried and sentenced to banishment to Tasmania for life, while Morreau was executed on July 30 in Niagara.