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camped. After crossing the river Ste. Anne, the scouts 

 noticed a group of men at the spot where the cross road 

 begins, which leads through the woods to the back 

 range of St. Fereol. Some soldiers were sent in this 

 direction, but fearing an ambush, they returned without 

 striking a blow. It was only a small band of chas- 

 seurs of Saint Fereol armed with fowling-pieces, but 

 impelled merely by curiosity to see what those English 

 looked like whom they were told were the enemies of 

 God and of France. The sight of his Satanic majesty 

 would not have been a greater curiosity for these simple- 

 minded peasants than that of an Englishman was in 

 their excited imaginations in those stormy times. 

 During the few days of march of the Scotch companies, 

 the peasants of Ste. Anne and Chateau-Richer, could, 

 from their lofty hiding places, witness the conflagrations 

 which consumed their houses and farm-bnildings. At 

 Ste. Anne's, the church and four houses only escaped 

 the torch, and even then, if we credit a local tradition, 

 the church, which was fired three limes, only escaped 

 through the especial protection of Sainte Anne ! In the 

 whole extent of Chateau-Richer, a bakery alone was 

 spared. 



" When the British arrived at the village of this 

 parish, they took their lodgings partly in the convent 

 and partly in the houses situate near to the church, and 

 busied themselves in carrying away the cattle and in 

 destroying the harvests which were not yet cut. 



" In the meantime, the Chateau-Richer people became 

 tired of living in the woods ; the nights got cool ; they 

 were threatened with starvation, and many wished to 

 find out how matters stood, on the shores of the St. 

 Lawrence. At the request of the Rev. Mr. Duburon, 

 two lads, Gravel and Drouin, undertook to go and 

 explore for the rest. When they got on the heights 

 behind the church of the parish, they saw large crowds 

 of men ascending the Ange-Gardien Hill. Red coats. 



