Qualla: Battle of the Chateauguay: The 1,530 Who Saved Montreal

Battle of the Chateauguay: The 1,530 Who Saved Montreal: Introduction

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit CC BY-SA 3.0. Charles de Salaberry had not bothered to inform his superiors. On 26 October 1813, as an American force of 2,600 regulars pushed down the Chateauguay River toward Montreal, the French-Canadian commander of the outpost defenses was already arranging his 1,530 men behind felled trees and earthen abatis along the riverbank. He positioned Canadian Voltigeurs at the forward lines, placed Mohawk warriors and local militia to guard a critical ford, and waited. When Major-General de Watteville and Governor General Sir George Prevost rode forward to inspect the dispositions, the shooting had already started. De Salaberry had been so confident of victory that he had skipped the formalities entirely.

Image: CC BY-SA 3.0

Battle of the Chateauguay: The 1,530 Who Saved Montreal: A Plan to Capture Montreal

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Secondarywaltz, CC BY-SA 3.0. The American strategy for autumn 1813 was ambitious: two divisions would converge on Montreal in a pincer movement that could sever Upper Canada from all support. One force would descend the St. Lawrence from Sackett's Harbor; the other would advance north from Lake Champlain. Bu...

Image: Secondarywaltz | CC BY-SA 3.0

Battle of the Chateauguay: The 1,530 Who Saved Montreal: The Wooded Banks of the Chateauguay

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Benoit Rochon, CC BY-SA 3.0. Hampton had originally planned to advance along the direct route north from Lake Champlain, but finding the British garrison at Ile aux Noix too strong and the wells dried up from summer drought, he marched his force west to Four Corners on the Chateauguay River. There he waited ...

Image: Benoit Rochon | CC BY-SA 3.0

Battle of the Chateauguay: The 1,530 Who Saved Montreal: A Miserable Night, a Decisive Day

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Bobak Ha'Eri, CC BY-SA 2.5. Hampton's plan hinged on a flanking movement. Late on 25 October, he sent 1,500 men under Colonel Robert Purdy through the woods on the south bank to cross at the ford behind de Salaberry's position. Purdy's brigade spent the night stumbling through swampy forest in pouring rain,...

Image: Bobak Ha'Eri | CC BY-SA 2.5

Battle of the Chateauguay: The 1,530 Who Saved Montreal: The Campaign Collapses

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Jim Hammer from Lafayette, Indiana, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0. The engagement lasted only hours, but its consequences rippled across the entire autumn campaign. Canadian losses were remarkably light: two killed, sixteen wounded, and four missing. American casualties stood at 23 killed, 33 wounded, and 29 missing. Hampton called a council of ...

Image: Jim Hammer from Lafayette, Indiana, USA | CC BY-SA 2.0

Battle of the Chateauguay: The 1,530 Who Saved Montreal: A Legend Takes Shape

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit D. Gordon E. Robertson, CC BY-SA 3.0. Governor General Prevost's official dispatch inflated the Canadian achievement considerably, claiming 300 Canadians had routed 7,500 Americans. The real numbers were less dramatic but still remarkable: a mixed force of regulars, militia, Voltigeurs, and Indigenous warriors had tu...

Image: D. Gordon E. Robertson | CC BY-SA 3.0