Battle of Saint-Charles

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Battle of Saint-Charles
Part of the Rebellions of 1837
A contemporary watercolour of the Battle of Saint-Charles depicting the rout of Brown's rebels.
Date November 25, 1837 Location Saint-Charles, Quebec Result British victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom	Patriotes
Commanders
George Wetherall	Thomas Storrow Brown
Strength
420 regulars 2 guns	200 Patriotes
Casualties and losses
3 dead 18 wounded	150 dead

Patriotes Rebellion Saint-Denis – Saint-Charles – Saint-Eustache – Baker's Farm – Lacolle – Odelltown - Beauharnois

The Battle of Saint-Charles was fought on November 25, 1837 between Great Britain and Lower Canada rebels. The British were victorious.

On the morning of 25 November 1837, 2 days after Charles Gore's defeat at the Battle of Saint-Denis and the retreat to Sorel the troops of Colonel George Wetherall about 420 regulars, left St-Hilaire and marched on the camp at St-Charles. The camp was at that time defended by some 100 men of the parish of St-Charles and others. As they approached, the soldiers exchanged gunfire with small groups of combatants.

Wetherall deployed his men some distance from the fortifications, then ordered them to charge. The fight was violent and unequal (the defenders by then numbered no more than 60 or 80), caused several deaths, especially among the Patriotes, who could not prevent their barricades.

While retracing their steps to Montréal via Chambly, the troops had a skirmish on November 28 (Pointe-Olivier, St-Mathies), but the defeat of the patriotes at St-Charles had potentially given the army complete control of the Richelieu region. At the end of battle the English had only three dead and 18 wounded, whereas the Patriotes had about 150 dead.

[edit] See also

• Lower Canada Rebellion

[edit] External links

• British Crush Opposition at Saint-Charles
• 1837 and My Connection With It, by Thomas Storrow Brown (contains his own account of the battle)