Battle of Point Iroquois

All along the St. Lawrence front the local militia had been alert and keenly waited for the advancing American army. As Point Iroquois was the narrowest section of the river it was a likely spot for any crossing by American troops, and since the winter of 1812 the Dundas Militia had been building breastworks on the heights to command the area.^[4] The fortified position was known as Fort Matilda, Fort Iroquois, or according to an 1813 map; Fort Provost and before any advance up the river or shore could be made, the Americans needed to capture the breastworks. Piquets from the 1st Dundas Militia were on guard all along the shoreline and at the point, and as Macomb's Brigade landed on the Canadian shore the alarm was raised.^[7]

Pte. Peter Brouse and Pte. Jacob Brouse, brothers of George Brouse, were the first to sight and fire upon the American army as they landed on the shores of Dundas County.^[4] The Americans were at first thrown into confusion, but men from Col. Rudolph's 20th Infantry advanced from the shoreline into the wooded area around the breastworks, forcing back the scattered militia piquets, as Scott's artillery and Forsyth's riflemen came ashore. All companies of the Dundas Militia were hastily called out and approximately 200 militiamen gathered under Captains Monroe and Carman in a hollow on the point to resist the American army, along with a small detachment from the Royal Artillery.^[8]

The Dundas Militia fired a volley on the 20th Infantry and 1st U.S. Rifles as they advanced towards the breastworks, and a sharp firefight broke out with the American forces. Outnumbered and outgunned by the accuracy of the riflemen, the Militia quickly retired from their positions at Point Iroquois and Fort Matilda and retreated eastwards to Mariatown.^[9]

Some members of the Dundas Militia were wounded, and the Americans suffered some killed and wounded but no definitive casualty count exists.^[8]

The Americans captured the Point and destroyed the breastworks of Fort Matilda, encamping below the village of Iroquois for the night before continuing their advance through Dundas towards Cornwall, but the delaying action fought by the Dundas Militia gave Morrison vital time in gathering and preparing his forces to attack the Americans.^[4] Macomb's Brigade would be joined by the rest of Wilkinson's Army and Gen. Boyd's brigades and would be decisively defeated by the British/Canadian forces at Crysler's Farm three days later.^[4]

An American detachment of dragoons would be defeated by the Dundas and Glengarry Militias at the Skirmish at Doran's Farm on the night of November 8/9, not far from Point Iroquois.^[8]

The determination and loyalty of the local militias during the series of battles and skirmishes in November 1813 was noted by General Wilkinson who wrote from his headquarters on the Salmon River on November 16:

"The enemy deserve great credit for their zeal and intelligence, which, with the active universal hostility of the male inhabitants of the country, enabled them to employ to the greatest advantage."^[10]

A 1977 CBC TV film called the Ambush at Iroquois Point was loosely based on the battle and events of the American invasion of Dundas in 1813. R. H. Thomson stars as Edward Casselman, a conflicted Dundas Militiaman and son of Dundas Militia captain John Casselman, played by Ken Pogue.