[cruikshank] from ISLE AUX NOIX TO CHATEAUGUAY 153 



on shore. Heathcote sent the captured boat to bring off Toussaint's 

 family and made his way through -the Narrows under a distant fire from 

 the enemy. He had lost one man killed and another wounded while one 

 or two of the militia were slightly hurt. The Americans admitted a 

 loss of one man killed and five wounded on board their gunboat but 

 were silent with respect to the loss of their other party which was be- 

 lieved to be considerable. Toussaint's wife, probably not a very reliable 

 authority, stated that she had counted twenty men either killed or 

 wounded, on the island alone.* 



In compliance with repeated requisitions from General Dearborn, 

 Tompkins had called out two thousand additional militia for service at 

 Sackett's Harbour and one thousand to assemble at Plattsburg. Brown 

 was superseded in command of his district by Major General Richard 

 Dodge, who detailed him with three hundred men including the whole 

 of Forsyth's riflemen, and two field guns to reinforce and take com- 

 mand of the troops at Ogdensburg. Two gunboats were also placed 

 at his disposal to interrupt the communication by water, f 



Meanwhile a redoubt of considerable magnitude, which subse- 

 quently received the name of Fort Wellington, had been constructed 

 at Prescott and garrisoned with two companies of regular infantry, a 

 detachment of artillery and some local militia. A division of gunboats 

 manned by men of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment and the 

 corps of voyageurs, was assigned for the protection of navigation of 

 the St. Lawrence between Lachine and Kingston. 



The repeated attacks upon the line of communication and the 

 arrival of a considerable reinforcement at Ogdensburg, had the 

 effect of deciding Colonel Lethbridge to make a vigorous effoit to 

 drive the enemy from that post and at least diminish their only means 

 of annoyance by depriving them of their most convenient base of op- 

 erations. With this object he assembled 750 men at Prescott, chiefly 

 militia from the adjacent counties of Leeds and Grenville. Early on 

 the morning of October 4, the greater part of this force was embarked in 

 twenty-five bateaux and attempted to cross the river under cover of 

 the fire of two gunboats and some guns on shore. When these boats 

 were in mid-stream, they came under an effective fire of the American 

 artillery mounted in a redoubt and a log breastwork, which speedily 

 threw them into much confusion and compelled them to make a hasty 

 retreat. Two regulars and one militiaman were killed in the boats and 

 a gun burst on shore by which Captain Hamilton Walker and eight 



*Heathcote to Vincent, Oct. 3; P. Finan, Voyage to Quebec, pp. 207-222; 

 Christie, Military Operations, p. 79; Nile's Weekly Register, III. p. 80; Hough, 

 History of St. Lawrence County, N.Y., p. 624. 



fDearborn to Tompkins, August 21; Dodge to Tompkins, Sept. 23. 



