[cruikshank] FROM ISLE AUX NOIX TO CHATEAUGUAY 67 



aux Noix, "a place of immense strength, was impossible without 

 a decided naval superiority in the narrow waters," which he did not 

 possess. He had decided that he must advance by the road leading 

 to L'Acadie. Information had reached him that five thousand 

 regulars and three battalions of Embodied Militia were stationed 

 in the Montreal district. 1 



Armstrong ordered two additional regiments of regular infantry 

 to march from the seaboard ' to Plattsburg but at the same time 

 informed Hampton that a deserter from a British detachment on 

 its way up the St. Lawrence had just come in and reported that the 

 whole regular force in Montreal when he left did not exceed a thousand 

 men. From Wilkinson he had not received a line for ten days and 

 naturally felt greatly annoyed. 



Desertion from the regular regiments stationed in Lower Canada 

 still continued to such an alarming extent that the severest measures 

 became necessary to check it. On August 7, a private soldier of the 

 103rd and one belonging to the Canadian Fencibles were shot under 

 sentence of a court martial in the presence of the garrison of Chambly. 

 Singularly enough another private of the 103rd, who had attempted 

 to desert no less than four times unsuccessfully, was pardoned on 

 consenting to serve in the army for life. 2 



It soon became evident that the substitution of de Meuron's 

 for the 103rd at Chambly was not likely to result in any great im- 

 provement in that respect. This foreign corps had been recruited 

 to a great extent with deserters and prisoners of war from Napoleon's 

 armies, who had enlisted for service in North America to gain their 

 liberty. Besides some Frenchmen, its ranks contained many Germans, 

 Poles, Italians and Swiss. On parade it presented a fine appearance 

 as the men were mostly young and robust and apparently well dis- 

 ciplined. In officers it was lamentably weak and a majority of them 

 were very young and inexperienced. The regiment had scarcely 

 arrived at its new station when ten French soldiers deserted in a body, 

 taking their arms. They were swiftly pursued by a party of the 

 13th with some men of the Fourth Battalion of Embodied Militia, 

 commanded by Ensign Hugh McQuarters of the latter corps. Over- 

 taken shortly after dark the deserters opened fire and a desperate 

 hand to hand conflict began. Sergeant Hoburn of the 13th killed one 

 of them and wounded another with his pike. Eventually four of the 

 deserters were killed and three badly wounded and taken prisoners. 

 The others who escaped were all more or less wounded. General 

 Glasgow declared that the result of this encounter would have a more 



1 Hampton to Armstrong, Sept. 7. 



2 Stovin to Sheaffe, Aug. 7. 



