[cruikshank] FROM ISLE AUX NOIX TO CHATEAUGUAY 97 



Mills and their reports combined with those of spies who had pene- 

 trated the American lines made it quite certain that all thought of 

 resuming the offensive had been abandoned. All accounts agreed 

 in representing that the spirits of their troops were much depressed 

 and that discontent was prevalent. An officer of the Voltigeurs, 

 bearing a flag of truce was detained at the outposts and thus pre- 

 vented from obtaining any information of much value. Finally 

 Lieut. Colonel de Salaberry was instructed to attempt the surprise 

 of the outpost at the Four Corners with three hundred Voltigeurs 

 and militia accompanied by twenty-five troopers of the 19th Dragoons. 

 At the end of the first day's march it was found that the horses had 

 not been properly shod for this service and the dragoons were sent 

 back. De Salaberry continued his march with the remainder of 

 the force. After arriving within fourteen miles of his destination, 

 a heavy rain set in and the weather turned very cold. On halting 

 for the night it was reported that three men had deserted, presumably 

 to the enemy. The rain continued without intermission until morning 

 when he decided to return. 'The force under my command," he wrote 

 in evident ill-humour, "was out three days, always in the woods 

 and morasses and up to our knees in mud and water and drenched 

 through with heavy rains." Their sufferings were great and he re- 

 gained his camp at Chateauguay in a state of extreme exhaustion, 

 complaining that his men were nearly naked and quite worn out by 

 needless fatigue and hardships. Another officer who had gone on 

 horseback as far as the frontier by a different road reported that 

 "the mud among the logs and tree-roots was nearly belly-deep." 1 



Had de Salaberry succeeded in this enterprise it was de Watte- 

 ville's intention to support him immediately with a thousand men 

 and thus make an effective diversion in favour of a combined naval 

 and military expedition operating from Cornwall and Coteau under 

 Sir Gordon Drummond which had been strongly advocated by Captain 

 W. H. Mulcaster. On arriving at Cornwall and enquiring into his 

 means, Drummond soon came to the conclusion that the force at his 

 disposal was entirely inadequate to accomplish such an ambitious 

 undertaking and recommended that "instead of risking the loss of any 

 portion of it, steps should be taken to nurse them, particularly our 

 seamen, for efficient offensive operations as early as possible in the 

 ensuing spring." 2 



Colonel Hercules Scott, who was still in command at Coteau, 

 proposed, and received the rather reluctant consent of Prévost to 



1 Drummond to Prévost, Nov. 23; General order, Nov. 25; C. M. de Salaberry to 

 de Rouville, Nov. 26; C. M. de Salaberry to L. de Salaberry, Dec. 5; Milne to de 

 Salaberry, Nov. 26. 



2 Drummond to Prévost, Nov. 30. 



Sec. I and II, 1914—7 



