Memorial Farmers' War Sinaai

On the facade of the Town Hall hangs a commemorative plaque:

"The Municipality of Sinaai gratefully commemorates those who were killed here
Verberckmoes J. (30 y.)
Cornu M. (23 y.)
De Prijcker F. (24 y.)
Laureys P. (63 y.)
Bekaert J. (76 y.)
Meert J. (48 y.)
Vossaert P.M. (51 y.)
Verstraeten A. (38 y.)
Appeloose A. (28 y.)
Arens N.
Jacoumijns J. "

During the Boer War, on Monday, October 22, 1798, French soldiers, equipped with one or more cannons, entered the village of Sinaai at 7 a.m.
Later in the day they came to blows at Zwaanaarde with brigands from Stekene.
Gilles Appeloos, 27 years old from Stekene dies a little further on in the neighborhood on the Leebrug, together with M. Cornu, 23 years old, F. De Prycker, 24 years old, J. Verberckmoes, 30 years old, P. Laureys, 63 years old, J. Bekaert, age 76, J. Meert, age 48, P.M. Vossaert, 51 years old, A Verstraeten, 38 years old, Guilelmus Aerens from Zele, 63 years old, innkeeper in 'De Vlaschblomme.' and J. Jacoumijns from Zele.
Two soldiers are killed on the French side.

Brigand was the name the French gave to the Flemish insurgents who fought against the French occupiers in the Boer War at the end of the 18th century.
In the French language, brigand simply meant highwayman.

Source: "The Farmers' War in the Waasland" – Luc De Brant, magazine Heemkring d'Euzie Stekene, 17th volume no. 3-1, September 1998.