Article

Battle of St-Charles

Published Online February 7, 2006

Last Edited December 16, 2013

On the morning of 25 November 1837, 2 days after Francis Gore's defeat at the Battle of St-Denis and the retreat to Sorel, the troops of Colonel Wetherall (about 350 men) left St-Hilaire and marched on the camp at St-Charles, Manoir Debartzch and its surrounding entrenchments, south of the village.

Battle of St-Charles

On the morning of 25 November 1837, 2 days after Francis Gore's defeat at the Battle of St-Denis and the retreat to Sorel, the troops of Colonel Wetherall (about 350 men) left St-Hilaire and marched on the camp at St-Charles, Manoir Debartzch and its surrounding entrenchments, south of the village. 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 and the manor both being taken.

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.

See also Rebellions of 1837.