three weeks later, the American offensive
stalled and was finally called off. “The 26th
has been a glorious day for me and those of
my troops engaged,” Salaberry proudly wrote
his father. “This is certainly a most extraordi-
nary affair.”
The Battle of Chateauguay became a rally-
ing point for Canadians in the War of 1812 and
after. Salaberry himself was elevated to the
status of folk hero, but he remained dissatis-
fied with the army’s treatment of him. Appar-
ently, both Governor-General Prevost and
Gen. Louis de Watteville had been in the vicin-
ity, and they submitted official reports sug-
gesting that they were the ones responsible
for the victory. However, in March 1814 Sal-
aberry gained an appointment as inspecting
field officer of militia—without a promo-
tion—which further soured his disposition. It
was not until 1817, through the intercession
of Gen. Gordon Drummond, that Salaberry
finally gained a nomination as a Companion
of the Order of Bath.
After the war, Salaberry became a justice of
the peace for Quebec, and in 1819 the hero of
Chateauguay was elected to the legislative
council of Lower Canada. He subsequently
used his influence to become seigneur (land-
lord) of Saint-Mathias and accumulated con-
siderable wealth before dying at Chambly,
Lower Canada, on February 27, 1829. His stand
at Chateauguay remains one of the most cele-
brated episodes in Canadian military history.Bibliography
Chapman, Frederick T., and John R. Elting. “Canadian
Voltigeur Regiment, 1812–1815.” Military Collector
and Historian16, no. 3 (1964): 83–84; Guitard,
Michelle. The Militia of the Battle of Chateauguay.
Ottawa: National Historic Parks and Sites Branch,
Parks Canada, 1983; Sheppard, George. “Deed
Speak: Militiamen, Medals, and the Invented Tradi-
tions of 1812.” Ontario History83 (1990): 207–232;
Stanley, George F.G. The War of 1812: Land Opera-
tions.Toronto: Macmillan of Canada, 1983; Suthren,
Victor J.H. “The Battle of Chateauguay.” Canadian
Historic Sites11 (1974): 95–150; Turner, Wesley. The
War of 1812: The War That Both Sides Won.
Toronto: Dundurn Press, 1990; Wohler, J. Patrick.
Charles de Salaberry: Soldier of Empire, Defender
of Quebec.Toronto: Dundurn Press, 1984.SANDINO, AUGUSTO
Sandino, Augusto
(May 18, 1895–February 21, 1934)
Nicaraguan Guerrilla
S
andino, an avowed nationalist and skill-
ful partisan, was one of the more com-
plex adversaries to oppose the United
States. Scholars still debate whether he was a
revolutionary, a reformer, or simply a terrorist.
Augusto Cesar Sandino was born in the
town of Niquinohomo, Nicaragua, on May 18,
1895, the illegitimate son of a businessman.
He lived with his mother as a child, experienc-
ing bitter poverty and long hours of laboring
in coffee fields to survive. In 1906, Sandino
was allowed to move in with his father, but
this afforded scant improvement. His father
neglected him in favor of his legitimate half-
brother, and he was forced to work and eat
with the servants. Consequently, as a young
man he became imbued with great resent-
ment toward privilege and exploitation. In
1916, Sandino relocated to Costa Rica to work
as a mechanic. He then returned to Nicaragua
to open his own grain industry, but he fled the
country after killing a man in a fight. After a
spate of odd jobs in numerous countries,
Sandino was hired by the Southern Pennsyl-