whom, at the time, consisted of women and children; even amongst the
general officers acts of pillage were perpetrated, that, had such
occurred with private soldiers in the British army, would have stamped a
stigma on the character of the British, in the eyes of America, for
which no course of conduct which they could ever after have pursued
would have sufficiently atoned." (War of 1812, Chap. xxix., pp. 227,
228.)]

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 L300, 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 an