but he had ordered them to proceed.  Purdy’s command became scattered, were forced to halt in confusion, and had to sleep in the open woods, cold, wet, exhausted, and apprehensive.[27] General Hampton, however, in the morning, fully expected to hear them attacking the ford, advanced, and at ten o’clock his troops appeared in sight of the party of busy woodchoppers, about 3,500 men, with three squadrons of cavalry, marching in column along the high road, commanded by General Izard.  Lieut.  Guy’s picket fired, the workmen dropped work and ran, Guy retired upon Johnson, and both Lieutenants retreated with their men to the completed abattis, where they formed up again and began to fire smartly.

De Salaberry, on hearing the firing, promptly advanced with the light company of the Canadian Fencibles, commanded by Captain Ferguson, “flanked by twenty-two Indians on the right and centre,"[28] and two companies of his Voltigeurs, commanded by Captains Chevalier and Louis Juchereau Duchesnay.  Ferguson’s companies he posted on the right, in front of the abattis, in extended order, its right skirting on the adjoining woods and abattis, among which were distributed a few Abenaquis Indians.  The three officers, Ferguson and the two Duchesnays, executed the movements required of them with the coolness of a day of parade.  The Voltigeur company of the oldest of the Duchesnays, known as “the Chevalier,” occupied, in extended order, the ground from the left of Ferguson’s Company to the Chateauguay, and the company under Captain Louis Juchereau Duchesnay, with about thirty-five[29] Sedentary Militia under Captain Longtin, were thrown back along the margin of the river, hidden among the trees and bushes, so as to flank Colonel Purdy’s men, or prevent him from flanking the Canadian position.  Between the abattis and the front line were a company of Voltigeurs, Captain Lecuyer commanding, and beyond them on the right a light company (that of the 5th Battalion) of embodied militia with their side pickets, under Captain Debartzch; then, to the right of them, in the woods, the Indians under Captain La Mothe.  There were thus in the front only about 240 Canadians.  The positions, however, occupied about a mile along the river, and the rest of the troops—­some 600—­were distributed among the other breastworks, under command of McDonell.[30]

The battle was now on the point of commencing.  In the centre of the front stood De Salaberry watching the enemy, whose characteristics he had noted twice before.  All waited in suspense.  A touching scene was taking place among the Beauharnois Militia further back, where Captain Longtin caused his men to kneel, went through a short prayer with them, and then rising, said:  “that now they had fulfilled their duty to their God, they would fulfil that to their King."[31]