halted by a stockade built across the road covered by a large brick
house, well fortified on all sides. The commander of {77} the troops
brought reinforcements up to the firing line, and the twelve-pounder
came into action. But the assailants made very little impression on
the defence. Although the engagement lasted for more than five hours,
the troops succeeded in capturing nothing more than one of the flanking
houses. The ammunition of the British was running low, and the numbers
of the insurgents seemed to be increasing. Colonel Gore therefore
deemed it advisable to retire. By some strange oversight the British
were without any ambulance or transport of any kind; and they were
compelled to leave their dead and wounded behind them. Their
casualties were six killed and eighteen wounded. The wounded, it is a
pleasure to be able to say, were well looked after by the victorious
_Patriotes_.

The British effected their retreat with great steadiness, despite the
fact that the men had had no food since the previous day and had been
marching all night. They were compelled to abandon their
twelve-pounder in the mud; but they reached St Ours that night without
further loss. The next day they were back at Sorel.

The number of the insurgents at St Denis has never been accurately
ascertained; {78} probably they were considerably in excess of the
troops. Their position was one of great strength, and good judgment
had been shown in fortifying it. On the other hand, with the exception
of a few veterans of Major de Salaberry's Voltigeurs, they were
untrained in war; and their muskets and fowling-pieces were much
inferior to the rifles of the regulars. Their victory, it must be
said, reflected great credit upon them; although their losses had been
twice as great as those of the soldiers,[1] these peasants in homespun
had stood their ground with a courage and steadiness which would have
honoured old campaigners. The same, unfortunately, cannot be said
about some of their leaders. Papineau and O'Callaghan were present in
St Denis when the attack began; but before the morning was well
advanced, they had departed for St Hyacinthe, whence they later fled to
the United States. Papineau always declared that he had taken this
action at the {79} solicitation of Wolfred Nelson, who had said to him:
'Do not expose yourself uselessly: you will be of more service to us
after the fight than here.' In later days, however, when pol