communication with Hampton. Word was soon brought to Major Henry, of
the Beauharnois' Militia, commanding on the English River. Henry sent
word to General De Watteville at La Fourche, and had Captains Levesque
and Debartzch advance immediately with the flank companies of the 5th
Battalion of embodied militia and about 200 men of the Beauharnois'
division. This was the preliminary move towards the battle.

They advanced about six miles that night up the Châteauguay from La
Fourche, when they came to a wood which it would not have been prudent
to enter in the dark. Next morning early they were joined by De
Salaberry with his Voltigeurs and the light company of Captain
Ferguson, an officer who took a front place in the affair. De
Salaberry brought all these companies about a league up the bank to
the place he had fortified, and there stopped. An American patrol
party being observed in front, General De Watteville came over
himself, visited the outposts, approved of them, and the work
proceeded.[23] That evening the main body of the Americans encamped at
Sear's, about twenty-five miles above the Châteauguay's mouth. The
engineers had cut a road for the ten cannon, and with great labor and
difficulty had dragged them thus far.[24]

Within two days more Hampton's men had opened and completed a large
and practicable road, which is still traceable, from his position at
Four Corners twenty-four miles through the woods and morasses, and
brought up his guns and stores to his new position, about seven miles
from De Salaberry's. (About Dewittville?)

[Illustration: SKETCH OF THE BATTLE OF CHATEAUGUAY--OCT 26, 1813]

From this point he despatched Colonel Purdy with about 1,500 men,