On the morning of September 11, 1814 the Swiss Regiment de Meuron was ordered to leave their packs and blankets in camp and march with the 2nd Brigade against American positions at Plattsburgh, New York.  Advancing unencumbered with their knapsacks usually meant one thing: storming with bayonet fortified positions.  As the Brigade under the command of the able Major General Thomas Brisbane advanced to cross the lower bridge, the attack was abruptly stopped by orders from the Brisbane's superior.   Under fire from the American forces, the British and Canadian troops took up positions in the houses, shops, barns and ditches near the bridge.  

The Light Company of the De Meuron's was detached to protect an artillery battery near the bridge.   Behind the sand bags of the battery the Light Infantry exchanged fire with the Americans on the other side of the Saranac River.  One American combatant remarked "they kept up a heavy fire and contended with our riflemen, who were in two mills near the bridge... Never, perhaps were skirmishes, if such they deserved to be called, conducted with more bravery on both sides."

Captain Jacques Frederic Matthey. His brother Alfonse was mortally wounded charging into the breach with the Regiment's Light and Grenadier Companies at the Siege of Seringapatam, 1799. (digitally coloured - in Colombier Castle, Neuchatel collection)

   That day, twenty-five light infantrymen of Regiment de Meuron had an advantage over their enemy.  Each was armed with an improved Brown Bess musket that had been developed by their company commander, Captain Jacques Frederic Matthey.  One of the advantages was that it self-primed when the powder was put in the barrel, skipping a step in the loading process.  That meant the light infantrymen could fire quickly because they only had to close the musket's pan (the "Secure Arms" drill motion), and then immediately cast about and put the cartridge down the barrel.   Firing muskets in an artillery battery was a dangerous activity.  The flash from a musket pan could ignite an exposed artillery round.  However Matthey's muskets had a specially angled pan that projected the flash upwards, opposed to sideways.   Because a light infantryman did not have to worry about the soldier beside him burning his face with a pan flash, he could concentrate better when  aiming.

 As the exchange of fire continued between the two sides, a general withdrawal was ordered by the British side.  A frustrated Brisbane, who felt the day could easily have been won with an infantry frontal attack, started pulling back his brigade.  De Meuron's light infantry and a company of the 13th Regiment of Foot were ordered to continue to cover the bridge and artillery batteries.  An American recounted that the British batteries "kept up a constant fire until the dusk of evening." By evening the company of the 13th was relieved by a detachment of the 49th Regiment, but the Swiss light infantryman remained on duty.   Early that night under a steady downpour of rain, the Royal Artillery limbered up their guns and prepared to withdraw north.  The Regiment De Meuron were tasked with cover the retreat and Matthey's light infantrymen remained on duty throughout the night. 

Matthey's experimental muskets had an advantage over the ordinary musket, both in wet weather and in nighttime fighting.  The pan of the musket was a complete oval and the frizzen that covered it had a corresponding oval lip that sealed the pan tightly "like a snuff box".   The vent hole in the barrel was enlarged and was extended with a pipe to the pan.  The result was that the musket could be submerged underwater and the powder in the pan would remain dry.  As the musket could be self-primed, the powder in the pan was not exposed to the wind and rain during the normal priming step.  This also made it much easier to load at night.  While Matthey was excited to put his muskets through various trials in action, the Americans did not pursue the British retreat until the next morning.  By then the British were far down the muddy road towards Canada.  After 24 hours of duty, De Meuron's light infantrymen finally had a chance to rest.

Comparison Chart of rounds fired by Matthey's Light Infantry company in experiments at Malta.1808.

Plattsburgh was the first and last battle Matthey's experimental musket saw service in.  Matthey had patented his modifications in 1806 and presented them to an Inspection board in 1812 when he was stationed in England.  While impressed with Matthey's musket, army officials never adopted it.

Pole pike finial of the Colonel's colour for De Meuron's Regiment noting its service at Plattsburgh and covering the Retreat of the army. (Colombier Castle, Neuchatel)

Select Bibliography

Donald E Graves, And all their Glory Past: Fort Erie, Plattsburgh and the Final Battles in the North, 1814. (Robin Brass Studios, 2013).

John Hanson, The Lost Prince, Facts Tending to Prove the Identity of Louis the Seventeenth, of France and Rev Eleazer Williams. (New York, 1854).

Capt Matthey, Material Improvements on Fire Arms, Particularly the Common Musket. (Lymington, 1812).

Library and Archives Canada, Record Group 8, C Series

Volume 387 p.95-99  Request the experimental muskets remain with the Regiment May 23, 1813 [presumed granted because second memorial a few days later requests being allowed to do new experiments from various knelling positions including two rank knelling line firing. Also requests using them in action]

---- Memorial of Frederic Matthey, supported by Lieutenant Colonel Bayard of the Regiment de Meuron, to be allowed to continue musket experiments in North America. May 27, 1813. Request to continue experiments forwarded by Horse Guards to Prevost, July 22, 1813.

Volume 714 p.48-50  Bayard to Freer, St. Jean, December 6, 1814. [Correspondence on packs and blankets lost by De Meuron's Light Company at the Battle of Plattsburg noting their movements. Shows the Light company had two wounded.]


 

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