translate English to French: Hearing that Riel had men on both sides of the river at Batoche, and that his force was not large, the General took the doubtful course of dividing his own force between the two banks.
Apprenant que Riel a posté des hommes sur les deux côtés de la rivière, à Batoche, et que ses gens ne sont pas nombreux, il prend la décision discutable de répartir ses soldats sur les deux rives.