▁ 4 0 0 ▁reb els . ▁When ▁the ▁battle ▁started , ▁Mack en zie ▁split ▁his ▁troops ▁into ▁two ▁groups ▁and ▁put ▁one ▁group ▁on ▁each ▁side ▁of ▁Y on ge ▁Street , ▁with ▁the ▁western ▁fl ank ▁taking ▁the ▁br unt ▁of ▁Bond ▁Head ' s ▁assault . ▁Out match ed ▁both ▁in ▁weapon ry ▁and ▁skill , ▁Mack en zie ' s ▁reb els ▁last ed ▁about ▁ 1 5 ▁minutes ▁in ▁the ▁battle ▁before ▁retre ating . ▁The ▁un test ed ▁forces ▁dispers ed ▁in ▁a ▁pan ic ▁after ▁the ▁first ▁round ▁of ▁firing ▁thinking ▁the ▁re bel ' s ▁front ▁row ▁had ▁been ▁killed ▁when ▁they ▁were ▁simply ▁dro pping ▁to ▁the ▁ground ▁to ▁allow ▁those ▁behind ▁them ▁to ▁fire . ▁ ▁London ▁Reb ell ion ▁News ▁of ▁the ▁intended ▁re bell ion ▁had ▁reached ▁London ▁and ▁the ▁surrounding ▁town ships ▁by ▁December ▁ 7 . ▁It ▁was ▁initially ▁thought ▁that ▁the ▁Toronto ▁re bell ion ▁was ▁successful , ▁contrib uting ▁to ▁Charles ▁Dun com be ▁wanting ▁to ▁rise ▁up ▁as ▁well . ▁Upon ▁hearing ▁more ▁details ▁about ▁the ▁re bell ion ▁in ▁Toronto , ▁Dun com be ▁conven ed ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁public ▁meet ings ▁to ▁spread ▁news ▁of ▁the ▁supposed ▁at roc ities ▁committed ▁by ▁Bond ▁Head ▁against ▁all ▁sus pected ▁reform ers ▁to ▁help ▁increase ▁anti - g overn ment ▁support . ▁It ▁is ▁estimated ▁that ▁there ▁were ▁between ▁ 4 0 0 - 5 0 0 ▁reb els ▁who ▁assemble d ▁under ▁Dun com