Plan Of Movements At Chateaugay

Source

Prelude To The Battle of Châteauguay

An account of the Battle of Châteauguay: ...(published in Montreal):

Not reflecting--for he seems to have had the information--that the wood was only fifteen miles or so in depth, the Canadians few in number, and that a short press forward would have brought him into the open country of L'Acadie leading towards Montreal, the American General [Hampton] in two days withdrew along the border towards Châteauguay Four Corners, alleging the great drought of that year as a reason for wishing to descend by the River Châteauguay. At the Corners he rested his army for many days.

When Hampton moved to Four Corners, Lieut.-Colonel De Salaberry, with the Canadian Voltigeurs, moved in like manner westward to the region of the Châteauguay and English Rivers.

De Salaberry was now ordered by him [Sir George Prevost] on the Quixotic errand of attacking with about 200 Voltigeurs and some Indians the large camp of Hampton at Four Corners.

On the 1st of October he [De Salaberry] crept up with his force to the edge of the American camp.  One of his Indians indiscreetly discharged his musket. The [American] camp was in alarm in an instant.

He...withdrew to Chateauguay... taking the precaution...to destroy and obstruct as much as possible in the path of the enemy.

 Acquainting himself also with the ground over which Hampton was expected to make his way into the Province he [De Salaberry] finally stopped selected and took up the position where the battle afterwards took place.

The Entire Want Of Preparation

Source

Mr. Henry Adams in his second volume of the " History of the United States" devotes two chapters to the events connected with the surrender of Detroit in 1812, in which he shows the entire want of preparation with which President and congress, under the influence of Henry Clay and others, rushed into a conflict with the veterans of England on land, and her thousand war-ships on the ocean; and the imbecility of the war
department, of its chief Dr. Eustis, and the poor organization of the small army which was scattered over an immense territory on garrison duty, while new regiments not yet raised were relied upon for the conquest of Canada. He says, " The senior major-general and commander-in-chief was Henry Dearborn, the other major-general was Thomas Pinckney. The brigadiers were James Wilkinson, Wade Hampton, Joseph Bloomfield, James Winchester, and William Hull."

General Wade Hampton

Source: Wikipedia

Wade Hampton III in the Civil War - Grandson Of War of 1812 General
South Carolina Confederate Military Museum

Wade Hampton was a type of the large slaveholders of the South. Nearly sixty years of age, self-important, fiery and over indulgent in drink, of large, imposing figure, of some reputed service in the Revolution, and with a record as Congressman and Presidential elector, he was one whose chief virtues were not patience and humility. In 1809 he had been made a brigadier-general and stationed at New Orleans; but in consequence of continual disagreements with his subordinates, was superseded in 1812 by Wilkinson, whom he consequently hated. In the spring of 1813 he received his Major-General's commission. Source

The American Army's Three Divisions

In the beginning of 1813, the American Army was organized in three divisions.  

First, the Army of the North under General Wade Hampton, which was to act in the country around Lake Champlain; second the Army of the Center, under General Henry Dearborn, which was to conduct operations on Lake Ontario and the Niagara frontier; third, the Army of the West commanded by General Winchester for a short time, and subsequently by General Harrison.  [Source]