[cruikshank] FROM ISLE AUX NOIX TO CHATEAUGUAY 65 



and in reporting this, Wilkinson made the remark, "I hope he does 

 not mean to take the stud; but, if so, we can do without him and he 

 should be sent home." 1 



A requisition for two thousand militia for service at Niagara 

 and an equal number to assemble at Plattsburg had been already 

 made upon the Governor of New York who could be relied upon to 

 make every effort to comply. This was now supplemented by another 

 calling for three thousand five hundred more, of whom fifteen hundred 

 were intended for Niagara and the remainder were to be held in readi- 

 ness for service wherever required. 2 



The squadron failed to sail before the evening of August 29. 

 It was then known at Sackett's Harbour that Yeo had passed the 

 group of islands called the Ducks bound for the head of the lake on 

 the 20th, and a collision seemed inevitable. "What an awful crisis 

 have I reached," Wilkinson wrote in unconcealed agitation, next 

 day. "If Sir George beats Boyd and Sir James, Chauncey, my pros- 

 pects are blasted, and the campaign will, I fear, be lost. If Sir George 

 beats Boyd and Chauncey beats Sir James, Kingston may yet be ours; 

 but should both knights be beaten and our quartermaster find trans- 

 portation in season (of which I have fears as I found none here), 

 then we shall certainly winter in Montreal unless discomfited by some 

 act of God." 3 He had then come to the conclusion that the British 

 commanders were assembling their whole available force for a com- 

 bined attack upon the forts at the mouth of the Niagara and urged 

 that the militia already called for should be organized and marched 

 to their destinations at once and that Hampton should be ordered 

 to cross Lake Champlain and move upon St. Jean, taking Isle aux 

 Noix on the way if possible. By this demonstration, he anticipated 

 that the militia at Montreal might be drawn to the right bank of the 

 St. Lawrence and the island would fall an easy prey to the force 

 descending the river. At the same time he asked that four thousand 

 "of the best appointed yeomanry" should be directed to assemble 

 at Hamilton "for eventual operations with this army" or to support 

 Hampton if necessary. He had been informed that Kingston was 

 weakly garrisoned but he was unable to seize the opportunity to attempt 

 a surprise at once as he had detached eight hundred men with nearly 

 all his boats as a feint in the direction of Niagara to mislead the enemy. 



A satisfactory organization of Hampton's division actually 

 required more time and attention than had been expected as a large 



1 Wilkinson to Armstrong, Aug. 30. 



2 Armstrong to Tompkins, Aug. 29, Tompkins Papers, VIII, p. 509; Wilkinson' 

 to Armstrong, Aug. 30. 



3 Wilkinson to Armstrong, Aug. 30. 



Sec. I and II, 1914—5 



