“Canadian fencible infantry, light Company; three rank and file
killed; one sergeant, three rank and file wounded.
“Third battalion embodied militia, flank company; two rank and
file killed; one captain, six rank and file wounded; four rank
and file missing.
“Chateauguay Chasseurs; one captain wounded.
“Total: Five rank and file killed, two captains, one sergeant,
thirteen rank and file wounded; four rank and file missing.
“Names of officers wounded: Third battalion embodied
militia--Captain Daly twice wounded, severely. Chateauguay
Chasseurs: Captain Bruyers, slightly.
“EDWARD BAYNES, Adjutant-General.
Right Hon. Earl Bathurst.”
The slight number of the British forces opposed to the Americans
could hardly be believed after the disorganization of the
latter. When Captain Debartzch of the militia was sent to the
headquarters of General Hampton with a flag and announced the
number of the opposing force, Hampton, scarcely able to keep his
temper, insisted that the British force amounted to 7,000 men for
he asked, “What, then, made the woods ring with rifles?”
This incident must be told. In the early course of the fight the
Americans opened a spirited fight upon the Canadians and drove
the skirmishers stationed near the left behind the front edge
of the _abattis_. “The Americans,” says William James, already
quoted, “Although they did not occupy one foot of the abattis nor
lieutenant-colonel de Saluberry retire one inch from the ground
on which he had been standing, celebrated this partial retiring
as a retreat. They were not a little surprised, however, to hear
their Huzzas repeated by the Canadians, accompanied by a noise
ten times more terrific than even ‘Colonel Boerstler’s stentorian
voice.’ By way of animating his little band when thus momentarily
pressed, colonel de Saluberry ordered his bugle men to sound the
advance. This was heard by lieutenant-colonel McDonell, who,
thinking that the colonel was in want of support, caused his
own bugler to answer, and immediately advanced with two of his
companies. He at the same time sent ten or twelve bugle men into
the adjoining woods with orders to separate and blow with all
their might. This little _ruse de guerre_ led the Americans to
believe that they had more thousands than hundreds to contend
with and deterred them from even attempting to penetrate the
_abattis_. They contented themselves with a long shot warfare in
which, from the nature of the defences, they were almost the only
sufferers.”
The Americans, after bungling the battle, delayed at Four
Corners, but on November 11th Hampton, feeling himself unsafe,
broke up his encampment and retreated to Plattsburg.
Chateauguay had served Montreal well and the tide of war again
rolled away from its gates.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Cf. Withrow “History of Canada,” pp. 301-302.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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