130 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



tilities without the actual declaration of war. The Governor General 

 took care in consequence to warn the commanding officers of all posts 

 to take all possible precautions to pi event a conflict.* Yet at the same 

 time he responded in another manner by authorising Major C. M. de 

 Salaberry to proceed with the enlistment of a battalion of four hundred 

 voltigeurs. "f 



Early in May there came a laconic warning from Thomas Barclay, 

 the British Consul General in New York, that war was inevitable 

 and would be declared in July at the latest. J Under this stimulus 

 recruiting was carried on with much vigour and success in both prov- 

 inces. Within a month five hundred men were enlisted for the Glengarry 

 Light Infantry and nearly as many for the Canadian Fencibles and 

 Voltigeurs. Measures were taken to repair and strengthen the frontier 

 forts which had been neglected for years. The castle of Chambly was 

 reported as being incapable of defence against artillery from the nature 

 of its construction and the works at St. Jean and Isle aux Noix were 

 literally in ruins. St. Jean, indeed, was no longer considered a post of 

 much importance as it could be turned with little difficulty by the new 

 roads leading from the United States to Montreal. Chambly would only 

 be useful as an advanced depot for stores and a rendezvous for the 

 local militia. Sorel, therefore, was the most important position to be 

 held on the right bank of the St. Lawrence with respect to the concen- 

 tration of the militia and as a dockyard and base for the gunboats 

 assigned for the protection of navigation in the vicinity. Montreal had 

 become the commercial capital of Canada and its defenceless condition 

 would naturally invite attack. Its ancient walls had been demolished 

 and its future security must depend on the successful defence of a line of 

 resistance extending from La Prairie to Chambly and the equipment of a 

 sufficient flotilla to command the navigation of the St. Lawrence and 

 Richelieu. The militia of the neighljouring country numbered some 

 twelve thousand. They were, however, badly armed and equipped and 

 totally undisciplined with the exception of six hundred, recently assem- 

 bled for three months' training at La Prairie. 



Hardly more encouraging was the state of the war vessels on the 

 lakes, composing the Provincial Marine. The rotten hulk of the Royal 

 Edward was the sole remnant of a once powerful naval establishment on 

 Lake Champlain. It was reported as being of no service except to 

 furnish an excuse for pensioning an old seaman as its caretaker. The 

 vessels in commission on Lakes Uric and Ontario had l)een em]:)lovcd 

 in the ti'anspovtation of ti'oops and government stores undci- the super- 



*Prev<)st to Loni J.ivcrpodl, No. 40, April 20, 1812. 



fPrevoHt to Liverpool, Apr. 20, 1812; Prévost to Brock, Apr. 30, 



Î Barclay to Prévost, May 5. 



