On November 20, Haldimand applied to the home administration for half pay for the officers of Butler’s Rangers in consideration of the regiment’s continued hard service and its completion to ten companies.
This same day, he confided to Riedesel that, “the misfortune of Lord Cornwallis is nearly certain.” His only remaining doubt was not having received confirmation from Sir Henry Clinton, the C-in-C America who was headquartered in New York City.
On November 23, the governor reported to Lord George Germain the details of the two fall expeditions. Both had “fully answered the Several Purposes for which they were Sent — The Former [St. Leger’s] by Judicious Manoeuvres, gave the Enemy Reason to think they were to penetrate into the Country, and Obliged them to Assemble all the Force they Could Collect at Saratoga & in the neighbourhood of Albany, not Venturing to Detach a Man for the Protection of the Mohawk River.” This was followed by a very complete description of Ross’s endeavour, painting the raid as a major achievement, which, in the sense of endurance and courage, it was. “Major Ross Marched with about 320 Men, without the least Opposition, within twelve miles of Schenectady where he Compleatly destroyed the only remaining Settlement of any Consequence between fort Hunter, Schohary & Schenectady.” He emphasized the troops’ physical accomplishment during their undetected infiltration across enemy territory, noting “The Fatigue the Men had endured in a March of fifteen Days from Oswego, entirely Exposed to very inclement Weather & Short of Provisions.” He played upon Ross’s theme of native misbehaviour in failing to run down Willett’s fleeing Levies, claiming that the troops had been “Shamefully abandoned by the Indians [which] prevented the advantage to be derived from a Rapid Pursuit.” Yet, “the Victory however was decisive,” which the repulse of Willett’s Levies early in the Johnstown action had been.
To explain how Willett managed to overtake Ross at West Canada Creek, he referred to the “unavoidable Delays occasioned by Excessive Fatigue & Hunger, the Party now living Entirely upon Horses they had taken.” Ross was given credit for anticipating Willett’s interception and the rearguard was excused for not repulsing Willett’s van as, “The Enemy had much the Advantage of Ground & their Favorite Object of firing at a Distance, both which precluded a Charge from our Party, which However kept up a heavy fire that did Execution.” Yet, despite this rhetoric, we know from Willett’s reports that he took no casualties at the ford.
Reporting Walter Butler’s death, he described him as “a very Zealous enterprising & promising officer.” The governor concluded:
I have been very Prolix in my account of this little Enterprise to make Your Lordship acquainted with the difficulties attending Incursions in Small Parties into the Enemies Country, & the Many advantages they have Over Troops worn out by Hunger & Fatigue before they reach their object & who have a Retreat to make equally tedious — Major Ross’s Party consisted of picked men enured to Marching & Fatigue. They nevertheless owe their Retreat to the judicious & Spiritted Conduct of their Leader, & to his Prudence in concealing from all with him the Route by Which he determined to effect it.
Very clearly, it was good to be a favourite of the governor.49
On the night of November 22, the Richelieu River at Sorel froze over. Just the evening before, the ferry had been operating, but wagons and carts were crossing on the ice by the next day. Two weeks later, the St. Lawrence froze over and shortly after, Surgeon Julius Wasmus recorded that snowdrifts were fifteen to eighteen feet high and on the flat, it was four feet deep, which was the precursor of one of the worst winters in Canadian memory. With wry humour, the doctor referred to Canada as the American Siberia.
With the rivers frozen, access for friend and foe alike to the posts in Riedesel’s district was easy, although arduous, and to keep his troops alert, the baron made regular sleighing tours with his adjutant, a servant, and a very competent Canadien driver who travelled so swiftly that they were able to cover great distances each day.50
2 INVASION FEARS AROUSED Oh God! It is All Over
In another “Most Secret” dispatch of November 23 to Germain, Haldimand opened with reminders of his previous warnings of the Canadiens’ reaction to the rebels’ alliance with France, in particular the clergy, which before the pact had been staunch supporters of the Crown:
The Successes, tho’ fluctuating, which we have had, joined to the vigilant Attention which I have had to their Conduct, have hitherto kept them, if not within the limits of their Duty, at least within those of Decency, but the News of the Superiority of the French Fleets & a report which is whispered of Lord Cornwallis’s Surrender, it is with great grief that I see their Attachment to France concealed under a Zeal for the Preservation of their Religion & will on the first favourable Occasion engage them in the interest of the Rebels, and it is with still greater Regret that I see many of His Majesty’s antient [British] Subjects declaring their Attachment to the Cause of the Rebels as openly as their own Safety will permit and their Expectation that the Independence of America must soon be acknowledged. — Your Lordship may be assured that if ever the Rebels shall invade the Frontiers of this Province, accompanied by a few hundred French Soldiers, a great number of Canadians will take up arms in their Favor, and that by far the greatest part of them will serve them as Guides & furnish them with Provisions and every other assistance in their Power. My observations have so confirmed me in this Belief that so far from wishing to Arm them in defence of the Province, I am apprehensive that the Attempt might in my weak state be attended with dangerous Consequences, but I must Act in this when necessary, as Circumstances shall require. Their backwardness to serve is manifested in their Seamen, some of whom from Necessity I am obliged to employ on the Upper Lakes, where notwithstanding they Receive very high Wages, they serve with utmost Reluctance and will on no account remain above two years. On the other the Rebels have been lately supplied with some Money and a great Quantity of Ammunition & other Warlike Stores. They have already established Magazines in different Places on the Frontiers, inconsiderable as yet, but which from being contiguous to Districts or Townships may be easily augmented. The Inhabitants on the Frontiers of Canada have from their Infancy been accustomed to Live in the Woods, & if the Situation of Affairs to the Southward is as bad as it is represented, it will not be difficult for the Congress to engage them, partly from Enthusiasm, Resentment of Recent Injuries, and Love of Plunder to join a Kind of a Crusade in order to subdue this Country.
The people of Vermont, notwithstanding the inclinations which many amongst them have to Shake off the Tyranny of the Congress, may find themselves under the necessity to make great and Zealous exertions against us in order to wipe off the Suspicions which from many circumstances cannot but be entertained against them. The Rebels have every intelligence which they can wish for, and have received assurances that the Canada Indians will at least remain neuter, if not join them. Every method will be put in Force to shake the approved Fidelity of the Five Nations, by convincing them that, as we are not able to give them protection, the only means to save themselves is to lose no time in embracing the Party of the Americans … This Province is very extensive & is accessible in many Places. The best of the Troops under my Command are necessarily and indispensably employed in guarding the upper posts. The greater number of those I have here are Germans and consist mostly of Invalids whom General Burgoyne left behind him or of Recruits Totally Ignorant of Military Discipline. In case of an Invasion[,] after leaving the necessary Garrisons in the Posts which I cannot abandon, I cannot assemble more the 2,500 men capable of keeping the field two months, and I have every reason to fear that many of them would take that Opportunity to desert to the Rebels. This state of things