90 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



to such a position (Chateauguay), as will secure our communications 

 with the United States, either to retire into winter quarters or be ready 

 to strike below." Hampton concurred without hesitation. Purdy 

 apparently acquiesced but later on bitterly criticised Hampton's 

 conduct in an official letter addressed to Wilkinson, in which he as- 

 serted that habitual insobriety had prevented his superior from per- 

 forming his duties properly. 



The retreat began on the morning of the 28th but the troops 

 only marched six miles that day, halting for the night at Piper's 

 Road. Their movement was soon discovered and reported by Lieut. 

 Colonel Hughes, R.E., who had gone forward to reconnoitre. Captain 

 Lamothe with the whole body of Indians was sent in pursuit and in- 

 flicted some loss on the rear guard. The temporary bridges built 

 by the invaders were immediately demolished by the Beauharnois 

 militia. Next day Hampton continued his retirement to the Four 

 Forks (Quatre Fourches), observed and harassed by a party of 

 Indians skilfully led by Captain Dominique Ducharme, who had 

 distinguished himself so remarkably at the action of Beaver Dams 

 in Upper Canada, only four months before. 



Hampton had conducted his retreat in this leisurely manner 

 to re-assure his troops, give them rest and enable the stragglers, 

 of whom there were many, to rejoin their corps. Daily marches of 

 ten miles on the 29th and 30th enabled him to reach his former camp 

 at the Four Corners, where he had determined to wait for further 

 orders from the Secretary of War, who was believed to be still at 

 Sackett's Harbour. Colonel King, his chief staff officer, was accord- 

 ingly sent to that place with his official account of his unsuccessful 

 operations, and a private letter to the Secretary requesting that his 

 resignation, so long held in abeyance, might then be accepted. "Events 

 have had no tendency to change my opinion of the destiny intended 

 for me," he wrote, "nor my determination to retire from a service 

 where I can neither feel security nor expect honor." 1 



In his official report, General de Watteville generously re- 

 marked that "Lt. Col. de Salaberry deserves much credit and my warm- 

 est commendation for the judgment and activity displayed by him 

 in taking up and fortifying in a very short time, our advanced posi- 

 tions, which, together with the general good conduct of the troops 

 engaged, caused the enemy to fail in this, his first attempt on our 

 advanced posts on the Chateauguay river." 2 



A general order published the same day commended de Watte- 

 ville for "the admirable arrangements established by him for the 



1 Hampton to Armstrong, Nov. 1. 



2 De Watteville to Prévost, Morrison's, Oct. 27. 



