MORIN, ACHILLE (baptized Achille-Gabriel), Patriote and
merchant; b. 17 July 1815 in Montreal, son of Pierre-Hector
Morin, merchant, and Victoire Côté; d. 30 Aug. 1898 in
Amherstburg, Ont. In early 1838 Achille Morin moved with his
parents to a house in Napierville, Lower Canada, owned by his
uncle Cyrille-Hector-Octave Côté*, then an exile in the United
States after the abortive rebellion of 1837. Young Morin was
slightly above the average height at five feet seven inches,
with brown hair and dark hazel eyes. He may already have had the
identifying mark of a large burn on the left side of his mouth
that would be noted carefully by British authorities later. The
move to Napierville would turn out to have disastrous
consequences, for on 3 Nov. 1838 insurrection again erupted
south of Montreal. That day Napierville pulsed with activity. By
early afternoon more than 150 Patriotes had assembled. Equipped
with weapons of every description, they arrested loyalists and
some others who were neutral. During the night