When the buildings were not set on fire at Parramatta by convicts rising in rebellion in support of the Castle Hill uprising, Cunningham was faced with a dilemma. He did not believe he could take Parramatta by force, so he decided to lead his rebels to the Hawkesbury where they could join the insurrection there and present the Governor and Rum Corps with greater numbers. The rebels struck out west marching down the now dual-carriageway Old Windsor Road.

Parramatta to Green Hills

Both Parramatta and Green Hills (Windsor) failed to rebel. It is suspected that the convicts in Parramatta were unaware that March 4th was the night. The secrecy which had managed to stop the Rum Corps and Civil Administration learning of the planned rebellion also stopped the Parramatta convicts getting the information of when to uprise. The Hawkesbury rebels were to receive word from John Griffin who was travelling out to meet the pike-maker Brian Furey. Cunningham had given Griffen a short note to give to Furey. Griffin destroyed the note at the urging of publican Lewis Bulger, who promptly told Samuel Marsden of the note and the rebellion. Griffin was quickly caught and gaoled. While the note did not reach Brian Furey, the fires from Castle Hill could be seen in the Hawkesbury.

Major George Johnston had a small contingent of Rum Corps soldiers as well as some loyalist militia which he had marched at quick pace from Sydney to Parramatta. There they discovered that Governor King had declared martial law in the Hills and Hawkesbury districts and that Cunningham had headed west. Johnston split his force, one group heading down Castle Hill Road, while the other, and larger force, headed down Windsor Road. As the military and militia group headed west, roadside inhabitants gave them a running commentary of where the rebels had been.

As Johnston closed on the rebels he needed a tactic to delay them so his infantry could catch them on foot. He sent Trooper Anlezark ahead on horseback to parley with the rebels. Cunningham and Johnston spoke with Anlezark, but did not believe his claims that Governor King was right behind them, or his demands for them to surrender. Johnston required more time, so sent the Irish Catholic priest Father Dixon to talk with the rebel leaders. But Cunningham was unprepared to listen to Dixon either. Johnston had to send himself.

Johnston and Anlezark galloped ahead to meet the rebel force. The rebels numbered approximately two hundred and thirty. Johnston was asked to come into the centre of the rebel band to discuss any parley, but George Johnston demanded the rebels leaders cowardly in not wanting to come out and meet Johnston and Anlezark in the open and under the rebel muskets. This dig at the courage of Phillip Cunningham and William Johnston brought them out to meet Johnston and Anlezark. After listening to the Major for a period, they agreed to let the two officers return to their infantry to get Father Dixon again.

When Major Johnston returned he gave them a long lecture on surrendering and accepting the clemency of the Governor, but when Cunningham was asked what he wanted, he replied, "Death or Liberty." At these words the Major produced a hidden pistol and put it to William Johnston's head. Anlezark did the same with Cunningham and at this point the main Rum Corps and militia group appeared at the base of the then unnamed hill (modern-day Castlebrook Cemetery). The Major and Anlezark dragged Cunningham and Johnston back to their troops. Major Johnston then ordered his infantry to open fire on the rebel group. The rebels were untrained, did not have enough muskets and faced the Rum Corps highly trained regular soldiers with their superior weaponry. Out-gunned and with their leaders gone, the rebels could not withstand the fifteen minutes of volleys of fire from the military and militia troops.

When the troops finally charged, the rebels could not maintain their line and were quickly overrun before fleeing. There was a quick orgy of violence, the soldiers killing prisoners in cold-blood. Major Johnston saved six captured rebels by holding his pistol to the heads of his soldiers who went to kill them. Cunningham who was a prisoner of the main vanguard of soldiers was struck by the sword of the Quartermaster Laycock. Cunningham fell down, apparently dead. The soldiers later discovered him still alive and Major Johnston taking advantage of martial law ordered him hung in Windsor.

William Johnston had managed to escape from the soldiers in the confusion of the battle, and eventually gave himself up before martial law was lifted. William Johnston was hung and then chained to a tree near a busy road outside of Parramatta. His flesh was left to rot there as a warning to any others who would challenge the authority of the colony. It was not taken down until June, and even then only at the pleas of a free lady recently arrived in Australia asking that they be buried.

More Reading on Vinegar hill

• Vinegar Hill
• 1804 Rebellion
• Phillip Cunningham
• William Johnston
• George Johnston
• The 1804 Australian Rebellion and Battle of Vinegar Hill
• Vinegar Hill and the Rum Rebellion
• Was Vinegar Hill an Irish Rebellion?
• Musket to Musket Just Past the Ettamogah
• Were Holt And Margarot Involved?
• Why An Uprising In Castle Hill?