66 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



proportion of the troops, although nominally regulars, were in fact 

 untrained recruits of low quality. Armstrong's smooth assurances 

 of confidence and unabated friendship had put their commander in 

 high good humour and he announced that he would be prepared to 

 begin operations early in September with four thousand effective men, 

 exclusive of militia. Armstrong received this encouraging assurance 

 at Albany when on his way to Sackett's Harbour, where he had de- 

 termined to establish his headquarters for some time to direct the 

 movements of both divisions. He lost no time in advising Wilkinson 

 that Hampton would co-operate cordially during the campaign 

 and resign as soon as it was concluded. Hampton was at the same 

 time informed that both Prévost and Yeo had gone to the head of Lake 

 Ontario, thus leaving Montreal open to an attack and urged not 

 to neglect such an opportunity. 1 



A combined naval and military attack upon the American posi- 

 tions at Forts George and Niagara had indeed been under considera- 

 tion by Prévost for some time and mortars and other heavy artillery 

 had been forwarded from Quebec and Montreal for that purpose. 

 He joined de Rottenburg with the obvious intention of directing the 

 operations but a reconnaissance in force of the works on the right 

 bank had convinced him of the futility of an assault before siege 

 artillery and a large reinforcement of troops could be brought up 

 from Kingston. Then on the afternoon of August 25 he was informed 

 that the American Secretary of War accompanied by General Wil- 

 kinson had actually arrived at Sackett's Harbour, where he knew 

 that a considerable concentration of troops had been accomplished 

 for some purpose. This report decided him to abandon his design 

 of an attack there and caused him to return as speedily as possible 

 to Kingston. 



When Armstrong arrived at Sackett's Harbour, he learned that 

 Prévost was once more at Kingston. He then determined to assemble 

 two thousand militia at Champion, a small village, some twenty- 

 four miles inland, where the roads from the interior forked, with a 

 view of creating uncertainty as to their destination if it became known 

 to the enemy. The employment of any larger force of militia than 

 this for the interruption of the British line of communication by the 

 St. Lawrence seemed inadvisable "since it must be propped by a 

 regular force, otherwise the back door may not be sufficiently closed 

 and barred." 2 



Hampton soon wrote that no movement on his part would be 

 practicable before Septem ber 2 0, and that a direct attack upon Isle 



1 Armstrong to Wilkinson, Sept. 6; Armstrong to Hampton, Sept. 1. 



2 Armstrong to Wilkinson, Sept. 6. 



