Canadiens displayed combat effectiveness
equaling the vaunted British soldiers they
supported.
After the War of 1812 was declared, Sal-
aberry was posted on the frontiers of Lower
Canada to watch and guard the approaches to
Montreal. On November 27, 1812, his men
stiffly resisted a half-hearted attempt by Gen.
Henry Dearborn to cross the border at La
Colle Mill, and the invaders withdrew. By the
summer of 1813 the British had achieved tem-
porary ascendancy on Lake Champlain, and
an amphibious raid under Col. John Murray
burned various barracks and installations at
Plattsburg, New York, and Swanton, Vermont.
Afterward, Salaberry was called upon to func-
tion as a rear guard, which was effectively
done. However, he grew dissatisfied by a lack
of recognition and promotions, and he sus-
pected Governor-General George Prevostof
attempting to subvert his career. At one point,
an angry Salaberry nearly tendered his resig-
nation, but he was persuaded by friends to re-
main in service.
In the fall of 1813, the U.S. government had
embarked upon an ambitious, two-pronged
strategy for the conquest of Lower Canada. To
the west, a large force of nearly 8,000 soldiers
under Gen. James Wilkinson had gathered at
Sackets Harbor on Lake Ontario. Their mis-
sion was to paddle down the St. Lawrence
River in scores of boats, land, and then ad-
vance upon Montreal. Concurrently, a smaller
army of 3,000 soldiers under Gen. Wade
Hampton would march from Plattsburgh, pro-
ceed north up the Champlain Valley, and at-
tack Montreal from the south. Should that
strategic city be captured, all British posts
west of it would be cut off from supplies and
be forced to surrender. It was the biggest
American offensive launched thus far in the
war and, from a British perspective, the most
dangerous.
In October 1813, Salaberry found himself
stationed near Spear’s Farm, Lower Canada,
near the confluence of the Chateauguay and
English Rivers. He had at his disposal 510
Voltigeurs, plus various militia detachments,
totaling around 1,500 men. Anticipating that
Hampton would in all likelihood proceed
down the only road in this swampy, heavily
wooded wilderness, he erected numerous
breastworks and abatis (lines of fallen trees)
in his path. During the evening of October 24,
1813, Hampton’s division arrived in force. He
possessed two brigades of recently recruited
soldiers who were poorly trained and led. For
this reason, he decided that a frontal assault
against Salaberry’s position would be unpro-
ductive. He therefore dispatched Col. Robert
Purdy with 1,000 men across the Chateauguay
River, with instructions to circle around and
catch the Canadians in the flank. This proved
easier said than done, for the surrounding re-
gion was a tangle of woods, swamps, and
marshes. Meanwhile, the next morning, the
remainder of his force under Gen. George
Izard would attack in front as a demonstra-
tion. Izard obeyed as ordered and forced back
several of Salaberry’s positions, but the wily
Canadian then enacted a clever ploy. Having
stationed buglers at various points through-
out the woods, he ordered them simultane-
ously sounded as the Americans advanced.
Scores of Native Americans also raised the
war whoop, adding to the cacophony. Izard
was unperturbed by the din, but Hampton ap-
parently came to believe he was vastly out-
numbered. Purdy, meanwhile, had gotten lost
during the night and stumbled onto positions
manned by Lt. Col. George Macdonnell’s
Glengarry Fencibles. After some sharp ex-
changes, Purdy felt his position was helpless
and withdrew back to the main force. Orders
also arrived for Hampton from Secretary of
War John Armstrong, which directed him to
commence building winter encampments
back on U.S. territory. Faced with these per-
plexing orders and discouraged by battlefield
events, the general summarily ordered his
army to withdraw. Considering the disparity
in numbers, Salaberry’s stand at Chateauguay
was an unexpected victory, and casualties
were light—around 20 killed and wounded on
either side. In concert with Col. Joseph Wan-
ton Morrison’s victory at Crysler’s Farm,DESALABERRY, CHARLES-MICHAELD’IRUMBERRY