92 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



to Hampton that day, urging close co-operation, and gave King an 

 extremely characteristic letter in which he remarked that he "was 

 destined to and determined on the attack of Montreal if not prevented 

 by some act of God, and to give security to the enterprise, the division 

 under your command must co-operate with the corps under my orders." 

 The selection of the point of junction was left to Hampton's discre- 

 tion but St. Regis or its immediate vicinity was indicated as most 

 convenient. Wilkinson added that his troops were insufficiently 

 provided with cartridges and loose powder and had only bread for 

 fifteen days and meat for twenty days' consumption. Hampton was 

 accordingly requested to bring with him, or forward by the safest 

 route, a supply of provisions for the entire force for two or three months 

 with as much ammunition as could be furnished. 1 



King travelled rapidly and reached the Four Corners late on the 

 evening of November 7. Hampton hurriedly consulted some of his 

 principal officers and next day sent off Colonel Atkinson, his Inspector 

 General, with a letter in which he declared that it would be impossible 

 for his division to bring with it more provisions than the men could 

 carry on their backs. "Besides their weakness and sickness, they 

 have endured fatigues equal to a winter campaign and are sadly dis- 

 pirited and fallen off," he wrote. "By falling back on my main depot 

 where all means of transportation has gone and falling on the 

 enemy's flank and straining every nerve to open a communication 

 from Plattsburg to Caughnawaga or any other point you may indicate 

 on the St. Lawrence, I should more effectually contribute to your 

 success than by the junction at St. Regis. The way is in many places 

 blockaded and abatised and the road impracticable for wheeled 

 carriages during the winter but by the employment of pack horses, 

 if I am not overpowered, I hope to be able to prevent you from starv- 

 ing. I have ascertained and witnessed that the plan of the enemy is to 

 burn and consume everything in our advance." 2 



His men were undoubtedly in a wretched plight. Many of them 

 were nearly naked and had their feet wrapped with bandages torn 

 from blankets to supply the want of shoes. Having lost all confidence 

 in their commander, they had become discontented and mutinous. 

 It was currently reported that Hampton had shot with his own hand 

 a soldier who had menaced him. 3 The retreat from the Four Corners 

 on the road to Plattsburg was immediately commenced by brigades 

 moving in succession at the rate of ten miles a day, quite as much as 

 the men could march through the mud which was ankle deep. On 



1 Wilkinson to Hampton, Nov. 6. 



2 Hampton to Wilkinson, Nov. 8. 



3 Kirchberger to Drummond, Nov. 15 and 17. 



