In October 1813, American Gen. Wade Hampton marched his 2,000 soldiers along the banks of the Châteauguay River, part of a two-pronged American push towards Montreal. There, he was met by an all-Canadian force under the command of Lt.-Col. Charles-Michel de Salaberry.

It was a very Canadian battle: Voltigeurs, professional French Canadian soldiers, Canadian Fencibles, militiamen and several Kahnawake warriors, fighting for the first time in the War of 1812 without any British support. Two Canadians were killed and four went missing. Twenty-three Americans died, and a further 29 vanished.