So how did McGill
avoid the battle?
But what happened to McGill and his Brigade? 200 well-armed Americans? Surely a former officer, even of such limited experience, would've known better than to have made a decision of the kind Lalor had made? Surely he would have insisted on staying? Well, therein lies a tale.
Apparently a message came in saying the British were sending reinforcements from Melbourne. It's quite unclear who gave the message, or how they knew. Perhaps the miners had a spy in the government camp, in the same way their own camp was full of government spies. But if that's the case, surely the miners would have been forewarned of the attack, although Rede took precautions in planning the attack, to minimise the chances of just such an occurrence.
It's also unclear whether the message was received by Lalor or McGill, or whether McGill brought the information with him when he rode in with his Brigade. And where did these 200 blokes come from, with their horses, guns, and killing knives? Were they all Americans, or just kitted out like Americans, and if so how, why, and by whom?
An American merchant in Melbourne called Train, who was involved in various aspects of American society in Victoria, helped hide McGill after the events of 3 December, and later stood for election as President of the United States as an independent, some years later said McGill turned up at his business one day wanting to buy $US80,000 (at the lowest estimate this would amount to some $A1.4 million) worth of guns.
A Colt revolver in the US cost around $15 in 1854. At that rate, $US80,000 would buy somewhere in the order of 5,300 guns. A more than unlikely number for Train to carry, or for McGill to have any use for, unless he intended to start a full scale revolution. Which in itself seems more than unlikely. For McGill's 200 men, somewhere around $3,000 should have been enough. Even with a substantial price markup for transport to Victoria, $80,000 would buy a hell of a lot of guns. For that amount to cover just 200 guns, Train would have had to be charging around $400 for each gun. Even for a rogue like him, this seems unlikely.
Of course, one could also ask what on earth Train was doing with such a substantial quantity of guns in stock. But Train claimed he refused the sale. Maybe he didn't have the guns, after all. There's no other evidence of this purchase, and Train had a bit of a reputation as a yarn teller. Well, more than a bit, actually. To the degree he was sometimes regarded as a fantasist.
But while the whole story may not be true, it does have a smell of at least an element of truth. And as for refusing the sale, we note that it was to Train McGill turned when he needed help to hide. On the other hand, why would Train claim not to have sold the guns? He was back in America when he told this story, and the British would hardly be likely to try and take action against him.
There are many more questions, and just a few follow. Why did McGill's men not turn up until 4pm on Saturday arvo, or thereabouts? Were they miners? Or not? And when did McGill organise them when he had ostensibly been in the camp organising sentries, training riflemen, and exercising the volunteers with senseless marching training?
We guess that if McGill had even a small proportion of the cash he's said to have had, he could have paid these men for a performance, and we also note that the price Train claimed to have charged McGill was well within the amount McGill is said to have brought from the US. But why on earth would McGill do this?
So, what happened after the message was "received"? Well, McGill instructed 20 or 30 men to stay in the stockade as sentries, and, presumably with Lalor's permission, he and his men rode out of the stockade, ostensibly to set up an ambush of the advancing reinforcements. However, when out of sight of the stockade the Brigade headed in quite a different direction, towards Creswick. He later claimed to have been going to collect a cannon. Apart from McGill and the men in the stockade, we see no more of the Brigade, or its revolvers and bowie knives.
Apparently a message came in saying the British were sending reinforcements from Melbourne. It's quite unclear who gave the message, or how they knew. Perhaps the miners had a spy in the government camp, in the same way their own camp was full of government spies. But if that's the case, surely the miners would have been forewarned of the attack, although Rede took precautions in planning the attack, to minimise the chances of just such an occurrence.
It's also unclear whether the message was received by Lalor or McGill, or whether McGill brought the information with him when he rode in with his Brigade. And where did these 200 blokes come from, with their horses, guns, and killing knives? Were they all Americans, or just kitted out like Americans, and if so how, why, and by whom?
An American merchant in Melbourne called Train, who was involved in various aspects of American society in Victoria, helped hide McGill after the events of 3 December, and later stood for election as President of the United States as an independent, some years later said McGill turned up at his business one day wanting to buy $US80,000 (at the lowest estimate this would amount to some $A1.4 million) worth of guns.
A Colt revolver in the US cost around $15 in 1854. At that rate, $US80,000 would buy somewhere in the order of 5,300 guns. A more than unlikely number for Train to carry, or for McGill to have any use for, unless he intended to start a full scale revolution. Which in itself seems more than unlikely. For McGill's 200 men, somewhere around $3,000 should have been enough. Even with a substantial price markup for transport to Victoria, $80,000 would buy a hell of a lot of guns. For that amount to cover just 200 guns, Train would have had to be charging around $400 for each gun. Even for a rogue like him, this seems unlikely.
Of course, one could also ask what on earth Train was doing with such a substantial quantity of guns in stock. But Train claimed he refused the sale. Maybe he didn't have the guns, after all. There's no other evidence of this purchase, and Train had a bit of a reputation as a yarn teller. Well, more than a bit, actually. To the degree he was sometimes regarded as a fantasist.
But while the whole story may not be true, it does have a smell of at least an element of truth. And as for refusing the sale, we note that it was to Train McGill turned when he needed help to hide. On the other hand, why would Train claim not to have sold the guns? He was back in America when he told this story, and the British would hardly be likely to try and take action against him.
There are many more questions, and just a few follow. Why did McGill's men not turn up until 4pm on Saturday arvo, or thereabouts? Were they miners? Or not? And when did McGill organise them when he had ostensibly been in the camp organising sentries, training riflemen, and exercising the volunteers with senseless marching training?
We guess that if McGill had even a small proportion of the cash he's said to have had, he could have paid these men for a performance, and we also note that the price Train claimed to have charged McGill was well within the amount McGill is said to have brought from the US. But why on earth would McGill do this?
So, what happened after the message was "received"? Well, McGill instructed 20 or 30 men to stay in the stockade as sentries, and, presumably with Lalor's permission, he and his men rode out of the stockade, ostensibly to set up an ambush of the advancing reinforcements. However, when out of sight of the stockade the Brigade headed in quite a different direction, towards Creswick. He later claimed to have been going to collect a cannon. Apart from McGill and the men in the stockade, we see no more of the Brigade, or its revolvers and bowie knives.