s own countrymen.

[1] According to a report twelve _Patriotes_ lost their lives during
the engagement. Among them was Charles Ovide Perrault, member of the
Assembly for Vaudreuil, a young barrister of considerable promise. He
seems to have been Papineau's closest follower and confidant During the
last sessions of the Lower Canada legislature Perrault contributed many
letters to _La Minerve_.

{82}

CHAPTER IX

_FORCE MAJEURE_

The check administered to Colonel Gore's column at St Denis, in the
first engagement of the rebellion, was the only victory which fell to
the rebel forces. In the meantime Lieutenant-Colonel Wetherall, with
several companies of infantry, a troop of volunteer cavalry, and two
field-guns, was marching on St Charles. On the evening of November 22
Major Gugy, the leader of the English party in the Assembly, had
brought to Wetherall at Chambly instructions to advance down the
Richelieu and attack the rebel position at St Charles in the morning.
He set out accordingly at about the hour when Gore headed his forces up
the river from Sorel. But, while Gore carried out his orders to the
letter and reached St Denis on the morning of the 23rd, Wetherall
allowed himself some latitude in interpreting his instructions. This
was largely due to the advice of Gugy, if we are to believe {83} the
account which Gugy has left us. 'In the first place,' it runs, 'not
one of the force knew anything of the roads or people, nor do I believe
that more than one spoke French.... The storm raged so fearfully, the
rain poured in such torrents, and the frost set in afterwards so
intensely, that ... men and horses were equally fatigued ... all so
exhausted as to be unable to cope, on broken or woody ground,
successfully with any resolute enemy.... I learned that we had marched
without a dollar, without a loaf of bread, without a commissary, and
without a spare cartridge--a pretty predicament in an enemy's country,
surrounded by thousands of armed men.' It was apparent to Gugy that
Sir John Colborne, in issuing his orders, had greatly underestimated
the difficulty of the task he was setting for the troops. After
crossing the river above the Chambly Basin, Gugy therefore induced
Wetherall to halt until daylight; and, turning himself into a
commissary, he billeted the men and horses in the neighbouring houses
and stables.

The next day about noon the column reached St Hilaire, some seven miles
from St C