Battle of Saint-Charles

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Saint-Charles


caption=A contemporary watercolour of the " Battle of Saint-Charles " depicting the rout of Brown's rebels.
partof=the Rebellions of 1837
date=November 25, 1837
place=Saint-Charles, Quebec
result=British victory
combatant1=flagicon|United Kingdom United Kingdom
combatant2=
commander1=George Wetherall
commander2=Thomas Storrow Brown
strength1=420 regulars
2 guns
strength2=200 Patriotes
casualties1=3 dead
18 wounded
casualties2=150 dead|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.

See also

*Lower Canada Rebellion

External links

* [http://www.cmhg.gc.ca/cmh/en/page_425.asp British Crush Opposition at Saint-Charles]
* [http://english.republiquelibre.org/1837_and_my_connection_with_it 1837 and My Connection With It] , by Thomas Storrow Brown (contains his own account of the battle)