[cruikshank] FROM ISLE AUX NOIX TO CHATEAUGUAY 51 



the following day he embarked in the steamboat for Montreal with 

 fifty men selected from his own crew and thirty volunteers from the 

 transports. Arriving at Montreal on the evening of July 24, he was 

 joined by Captain Daniel Pring who had just been appointed by the 

 Governor General to command the naval force on Lake Champlain 

 and was then on his way from Kingston to Quebec in the hope of en- 

 listing seamen. Next day both of these officers went to Isle aux Noix 

 where the sloops and gunboats were lying. The flank companies of 

 the 13th and 103rd Regiments marched from Montreal for that post 

 on the 26th to form part of the land force. Reliable information 

 had been lately received from Joel Ackley and other secret agents 

 stating that the whole of the enemy's military and naval forces had 

 been concentrated at Burlington and as the troops at his disposal were 

 not considered sufficient to warrant an attack on that place under 

 these altered circumstances, General Sheaffe instructed Colonel 

 Murray, whom he had selected for the command of the expedition, 

 that its main object would be to create a general alarm and thus make 

 a diversion in favour of the army in Upper Canada. He was directed 

 to destroy all barracks and other military buildings at points lately 

 occupied by the enemy and to remove or destroy public stores, boats, 

 and vessels everywhere. Private property was to be strictly respected 

 and protected from injury. All officers were required to be particu- 

 larly vigilant in the prevention of straggling. Plattsburg was desig- 

 nated as the extreme southern limit of his operations in any event. 

 Careful reconnaissance and due caution were specially recommended. 

 Sheaffe, himself, went to Isle aux Noix to supervise the preparations. 

 The flank companies of the 1st and 3rd Battalions of Embodied Militia 

 stationed there expressed a strong desire to join the expedition, but 

 he positively refused to employ any militia except thirty-five picked 

 men from the 1st Battalion who were selected to assist in the manage- 

 ment of the boats. The entire military force consisted of 39 officers 

 and 907 other ranks with two light three pounder field guns. 1 



Captains Eliot and Loring of the general staff, who had acquired 

 an intimate local knowledge of the adjacent country, were specially 



1 Return of a division of the army under command of Lieut. Colonel John 

 Murray, Isle aux Noix, July 27, 1813. 



Royal Artillery, all ranks 24 



13th Regiment " " 189 



100th " " " 234 



103rd " " " 271 



Canadian " " " 35 



1st Batt. Embodied Militia 35 



Total 946 



