On Monday, September 17, 1849, Ottawa (then Bytown) erupted into its bloodiest civil conflict: the Stony Monday Riot. The violence was triggered by a potential political visit from Lord Elgin, the Governor General, who had recently signed the controversial Rebellion Losses Bill.
The Rebellion Losses Bill, introduced and passed in 1849, was a controversial piece of legislation designed to compensate Lower Canadians for property damage suffered during the Rebellions of 1837–1838, famously serving as the ultimate test and realization of "responsible government" when Governor General Lord Elgin signed it into law despite violent Tory opposition.
When a public meeting at the West Ward market turned chaotic, a massive, armed mob of Tories charged down York Street into the ByWard Market, aiming to drive the Reformers out. The conflict quickly turned into a brutal street battle as hundreds of men hurled cobblestones, bricks, and stones at one another.
The fighting violently spilled northward toward St. Patrick Street. As stones gave way to gunfire, a young Reformer named David Borthwick was shot and killed near the market area. The military had to be called in, deploying troops to line St. Patrick Street and the market square to separate the warring sides and prevent further bloodshed in Lowertown's streets.