Swiss origin, offered all the conditions desirable.... Arriving at
Quebec, Sir George Provost strove to introduce peace and to remove
animosity. He showed the completest confidence in the fidelity of the
French-Canadians, and studied how to prove at every opportunity that
the accusations of treason which had been brought against them had
left no trace in the soul of England nor in his own.... Soon the
liveliest sympathy arose between Sir George Prevost and the
people."[15] It was in pursuance of this policy that the order to
raise the Voltigeur force was given by him.

While Hampton was at Four Corners, Sir George, thus now
Commander-in-Chief of all the forces in Canada, was at the camp which
had just been formed at La Fourche, and of which a description is
given by Mr. Sellar in his history of the district. Sir George was a
man quite devoid of the decisiveness necessary to a soldier, and
though, as we have seen, he was useful in reconciling the French, his
errors in military matters several times brought disgrace on the
British forces, and gave rise to storms of rage and disgust among
them.[16] De Salaberry was now ordered by him on the Quixotic errand
of attacking, with about 200 Voltigeurs and some Indians, the large
camp of Hampton at Four Corners. De Salaberry promptly obeyed these
impracticable orders, and it is probably at this juncture that a
little anecdote comes in which I have heard as told by one of his men.
De Salaberry was down the river dining at a tavern, when a despatch
was brought to him.

"D---- it!" he exclaimed, jumping up from his seat, "Hampton is at
Four Corners, and I must go and fight him!" and mounting his fine
white charger, he dashed away from the door.