On November 23, 1837, three hundred
BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
from the 24th,
32ndThe 32nd Regiment of Foot of the British Army was first raised in 1702 as a regiment of marines to fight in the War of Spanish Succession.It won its first battle honour in 1705 for the siege and capture of Gibraltar....
and 66th Regiments of Foot, under the command of Colonel
Charles GoreSir Charles Stephen Gore KH GCB was a British general.He served in Canada and fought in the Battle of Saint-Denis.-External links:*...
, marched into the
Richelieu ValleyThe Richelieu River is a river in Quebec, Canada. It flows from the north end of Lake Champlain about 171 km north, ending at the confluence with the St. Lawrence River at Sorel-Tracy, Quebec downstream and northeast of Montreal...
. They expected to make quick work of the rebels. Opposing the British was a Patriote force of 800 being led by Dr.
Wolfred NelsonWolfred Nelson, was from 1854 to 1856 the mayor of Montreal, Quebec. Nelson was born in Montreal the son of William Nelson, an immigrant to Colonial America from Newsham, North Yorkshire, England...
.
In the early hours of the morning, Gore arrived three kilometers outside of the village of
St. DenisSaint-Denis-sur-Richelieu is a municipality in the southwestern part of the Province of Quebec, Canada on the Richelieu River in the Regional County Municipality of La Vallée-du-Richelieu...
with his troops. They had been marching all night through mud, cold, and freezing rain.
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On November 23, 1837, three hundred
BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
from the 24th,
32ndThe 32nd Regiment of Foot of the British Army was first raised in 1702 as a regiment of marines to fight in the War of Spanish Succession.It won its first battle honour in 1705 for the siege and capture of Gibraltar....
and 66th Regiments of Foot, under the command of Colonel
Charles GoreSir Charles Stephen Gore KH GCB was a British general.He served in Canada and fought in the Battle of Saint-Denis.-External links:*...
, marched into the
Richelieu ValleyThe Richelieu River is a river in Quebec, Canada. It flows from the north end of Lake Champlain about 171 km north, ending at the confluence with the St. Lawrence River at Sorel-Tracy, Quebec downstream and northeast of Montreal...
. They expected to make quick work of the rebels. Opposing the British was a Patriote force of 800 being led by Dr.
Wolfred NelsonWolfred Nelson, was from 1854 to 1856 the mayor of Montreal, Quebec. Nelson was born in Montreal the son of William Nelson, an immigrant to Colonial America from Newsham, North Yorkshire, England...
.
In the early hours of the morning, Gore arrived three kilometers outside of the village of
St. DenisSaint-Denis-sur-Richelieu is a municipality in the southwestern part of the Province of Quebec, Canada on the Richelieu River in the Regional County Municipality of La Vallée-du-Richelieu...
with his troops. They had been marching all night through mud, cold, and freezing rain. They were caught off guard when a group of Patriotes ran out of a house and opened fire on them from behind a barricade that was blocking the road. The British charged the barricade and the Patriotes withdrew behind the safety of a stone wall. The two sides continued to exchange fire for several hours.
By mid-afternoon, the defenders of St. Denis received reinforcements from the surrounding villages. The British were tired, they had not expected such resistance, and they were nearly out of ammunition. Gore ordered his force to retreat. The battle had left 6 British and 12 Patriotes dead.
The Patriotes celebrated their victory without their beloved leader,
Joseph PapineauJoseph Papineau was a notary, seigneur and political figure in Lower Canada.His son Denis-Benjamin also played a role in the politics of Canada East, serving as joint premier in the Legislative Assembly....
. Nelson meanwhile pondered the consequences of the battle. He knew that the Battle of St. Denis was only a skirmish; and he well understood that one of the world's most powerful armies would return in greater numbers. The Patriotes would not catch the British sleeping again.
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