94 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



detachment of the 1st Battalion of Royal Marines whose arrival at 

 Three Rivers had been reported, was ordered forward by forced 

 marches. 



The sedentary militia of the district responded to the call not 

 only with alacrity but enthusiasm. A vivid account of the scene 

 presented by these battalions while on the march has been recorded 

 by an eye witness. 



"We came up with several regiments of militia on their march. 

 They had all a serviceable effective appearance — had been pretty 

 well drilled, and their arms, being directly from the Tower, were in 

 perfectly good order, nor had they the mobbish appearance that such 

 a levy in any other country would have had. Their capots and 

 trowsers of homemade stuff and their blue tuques (nightcaps), were 

 all of the same cut and colour which gave them an air of uniformity 

 which added much to their military look, for I have always remarked 

 that a body of men's appearance in battalion depends much less on 

 the position of their military dress and appointments than on the 

 whole being in strict uniformity. 



"They marched merrily along to the music of their voyageur 

 songs and as they perceived our uniforms as we came along, they 

 set up the Indian war whoop, followed by a shout of vive le Roi along 

 the whole line. Such a body of men in such a temper and with so 

 perfect a use of their weapons as all of them possessed, if posted on 

 such ground as would preclude the possibility of regular troops out- 

 manoeuvring them (and such positions are not hard to find in Canada) , 

 must have been rather a formidable body to have attacked." 1 



Inside of twenty-four hours the steamboat and several schooners 

 arrived from Quebec having on board Lieut. General Drummond, 

 Major General Riall, a rocket company of the Royal Marine Artillery, 

 and 350 seamen of the Royal Navy commanded by Captain Stephen 

 Popham. The detachment of Royal Marines from Three Rivers 

 marched in the same evening and were granted a day of rest before 

 joining the remainder of the battalion at Lachine. Drummond was 

 given command of all troops on the south side of the river with head- 

 quarters at Chateauguay. Riall was put in command of all on the 

 north side between the Cedars and Cornwall. The sedentary militia 

 which had assembled in great numbers were formally inspected by 

 Prévost on the Champ de Mars on the afternoon of the 11th, and he 

 then transferred his headquarters to Lachine. The division of 

 gunboats on Lake St. Francis was manned by the seamen under 

 Popham, who was placed in command. 



1 Dunlop, Recollections of the American War of 1812-14, pp. 13-14. 



