The loyalists of America and their times

by Egerton Ryerson

CHAPTER LVII.

Movements and Campaigns of 1814—The Third and Last Year of the War.

PART I.

PREPARATIONS FOR THE CAMPAIGN—REINFORCEMENTS FROM NEW BRUNSWICK—ROYAL APPROBATION OF CANADIAN LOYALTY AND COURAGE—AMERICAN INVASION OF THE DISTRICT OF MONTREAL UNDER GENERAL WILKINSON—THE LARGE FORCE OF AMERICANS DEFEATED AT LE COLLE BY A SMALL FORCE OF CANADIANS—RETURN TO PLATTSBURG, WHERE GENERAL WILKINSON, DISAPPOINTED AND MORTIFIED, RETIRES FROM THE ARMY.

The total failure for two years of the expeditions which had been fitted out at so much expense by the United States Government for the invasion of Canada, had considerably subdued that ardour for military renown which, at the commencement of the war—from the defenceless state of Canada, and the absorption of British strength in the European war—had promised so rich a harvest of laurels and territory to the United States. Nevertheless the most active exertions were made on both sides during the winter for the ensuing campaign. Stores of all descriptions were forwarded to Kingston from Quebec and Montreal on sleighs, at prodigious expense. The inhabitants of New Brunswick again evinced their loyalty and patriotism. Lieutenant-Colonel Robinson, with a regiment, marched through the woods from Fredericton to the St. Lawrence, in the month of February. A reinforcement of 220 seamen for the lakes came by the same route. To expedite the progress of these reinforcements, the Legislature of New Brunswick voted £300, and the city of St. John gave a similar sum to defray the expense of conveying the troops and sailors on sleighs as far as the nature of the roads would permit.

On the 26th of March, His Excellency Sir George Prevost issued a General Order expressing the approbation of the Prince Regent of the affair of Chateauguay, and his "peculiar pleasure at finding that His Majesty's Canadian subjects had at length the opportunity of refuting, by their own brilliant exertions in defence of their country, the calumnious charges of disaffection and disloyalty with which the enemy had prefaced his first invasion of the province, to Lieutenant-Colonel De Salaberry in particular, and to all the officers and men under his command, the sense entertained by his Royal Highness of their meritorious and distinguished services, was made known."

The first movement of the Americans in the neighbourhood of Lake Champlain which gave room to expect an American invasion of the district of Montreal, was towards the conclusion of March, 1814, when Brigadier-General Macomb, with a division of American forces from Plattsburg, crossed Lake Champlain upon the ice, and entered St. Armand, where he remained some days, while General Wilkinson prepared for an attack upon the outposts of Odletown and the Le Colle Mill, which had been converted into a block-house. On the morning of the 13th of March (General Macomb having suddenly withdrawn his division from St. Armand's, and rejoined the main body), the American forces, consisting of 5,000 men, commanded by General Wilkinson in person, entered Odletown. The Americans repeated their attacks upon the coveted Le Colle Mill frontier; and the Canadian Fencibles, Frontier Light Infantry, and the Voltigeurs, repeated their deeds of bravery and heroism, and repelled the multitudinous invaders. "The Americans," says Mr. Christie, "exhausted with cold and fatigue, and finding it impossible to carry the place without heavy artillery, which, from the state of the roads, could not be brought forward, withdrew their forces in good order from the contest, at five o'clock in the afternoon, without being pursued in the retreat."

The British loss amounted to only ten men killed and four men missing, and two officers and forty-four men wounded. The American loss, though considerable, could not be precisely ascertained.

Having failed in the attempt to carry the block-house (Le Colle Mill), scarcely deserving the appellation of a military post, the enemy fell back upon Champlain Town, from whence they returned to Plattsburg.

General Wilkinson, after this abortive attempt to retrieve his military fame, seems to have been removed from his command, or to have sought voluntary retirement from a service in which he had experienced nothing but disappointment and reverses.