CHAPTER 4: The Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812
The Battle of Chateauguay
Barricades along the Chateauguay
Canadian Voltigeurs on the march in 1813
(Click image to enlarge)
General Hampton's American soldiers were also on the march. On October 21 they crossed the border and followed the Châteauguay River. The next day General Louis de Watteville, the Swiss officer in the service of the British who was commanding the area southwest of Montreal, was informed of this. He ordered Lieutenant-Colonel de Salaberry to immediately establish an outpost along the river with companies of Canadian Voltigeurs, the light company of the Canadian Fencibles, detachments of the militia and a few Amerindians, representing approximately 1,800 men in all. Salaberry had seven consecutive lines of barricades made out of trees across the narrow road along the west coast of the river close to where Allan's Corners is now. In addition, even though the other shore was completely wooded, he placed two militia companies there.