[cruikshank] FROM ISLE AUX NOIX TO CHATEAUGUAY 83 



when his rear guard had not yet moved off. Out of 1,400 militia, 

 it was reported that only four officers and twenty-four men had 

 volunteered to enter Canada. They were told that General Wilkinson 

 was coming down the St. Lawrence in boats and would join them near 

 Montreal. Manning had also been informed that Hampton's force 

 was already much reduced by sickness as many of his troops had been 

 recruited in the Southern States and suffered greatly from cold. 

 They were insufficiently clothed for the winter and overcoats had 

 been distributed by casting lots. 1 



The two following days were actively employed by Hampton in 

 the improvement of the road to facilitate the advance of his waggon 

 train, composed of more than a hundred carriages. Tents were carried 

 for his whole force with one blanket for each man and watch coats 

 for outposts and guards. 



Little has been recorded of the progress made up to this time 

 in the construction of field works on this route of approach to Mont- 

 real. Hampton's long delay at the Four Corners was doubtless 

 utilized for this purpose. 



The piquet of local militia driven from Piper's road, retired to 

 La Fourche where the English river flowing northward falls into the 

 Chateauguay. This movement was at once reported by Major 

 Henry, commanding the Beauharnois battalion, to Major General de 

 Watteville who had recently relieved Stovin. During the night Henry 

 was reinforced by the flank companies of the 5th Battalion of Em- 

 bodied Militia under Captains Levesque and de Bartsch and two 

 hundred men of his own corps. At daybreak Lieut. Colonel de 

 Salaberry arrived with two companies of the Voltigeurs and the light 

 company of the Canadian Fencibles and assumed command of the 

 whole force. The presence of a hostile outpost or patrol was reported 

 about two miles in front. De Salaberry had become familiar with 

 the topography of the country during a former reconnaissance. He 

 advanced about a mile to the nearer edge of a wide and deep ravine, 

 intersecting the road nearly at right angles. This was chosen as the 

 best position for the first line of resistance. The ravine itself formed 

 a natural obstacle of some consequence and a tract of cleared land 

 lying in a bend of the river close in front afforded an excellent though 

 rather limited field of fire. On the right a dense, marshy thicket 

 came within a hundred yards of the road. The Chateauguay river, 

 forty yards wide and five or six feet deep in most places, ran three 

 hundred yards on the left of the road and nearly parallel to its general 

 course. Timber of a large size was abundant on the spot and large 

 parties of the militia were at once set at work felling trees and con- 



1 David Manning to Lieut. Colonel Robertson, Oct. 24. 



