War of 1812 in niagara

By Frances Macdonald

Historians know these facts about the War of 1812, but most lay people don’t. The most significant battles of this notorious war between the now two closest allies and trading partners took place right here in the Niagara Region.

The first significant engagement of the war and certainly the best known to Ontarians was the Battle of Queenston Heights, 13 October 1812, fought near Niagara Falls. The American attack was initially successful. A large force crossed the Niagara River and was able to outflank the British forces on the Heights and force their retreat from the artillery batteries. General Brock arrived with reinforcements from Fort George and launched an immediate counter-attack which was repulsed. Brock was killed in this charge, along with his aide-de-camp Colonel Macdonell. Command was then transferred to General Sheaffe, who was responsible for the defence of the Niagara area.

While the U.S. forces increased their strength on the Canadian side of the River, General Sheaffe moved his mixed force of Regulars, Militia and First Nations troops around the flank of the invaders.

The village of Queenston developed in the 20 years before the war along the river’s edge and up the bank to the base of the Heights.

Ahyouwaighs (John Brant) supported the British throughout the War of 1812, participating in the Battle of Queenston Heights and encouraging other members of the Six Nations from along the Grand River to fight the American Invaders.

Although the next main battle took place in modern-day Toronto, then known as York, which was the capital of Canada at the time, it didn’t take long for the next major battle to work its way back down to Niagara.

The Battle of Beaverdams could have been catastrophic for the British/Canadian troupes had it not been for Laura Secord. Despite being forever affiliated with a well-known brand of Canadian chocolates, Laura Secord is actually a war hero and is credited with providing the warning to British forces which led to the surrender of 500 Americans troops at Beaver Dams. The story goes that she had overheard a conversation between American troops about the presence of Lieutenant-Colonel C. G. Boerstler’s force in the vicinity.

So, early on the morning of June 23rd, 1813, she left her home and walked cross-country from now Niagaraon-the-Lake to now Thorold, some 32 km, in territory fraught with the enemy, to warn Colonel Fitzgibbon and his company of 49th Foot about the approach of American forces.

It was only on June 24th, 1813, that the exact location of the American troops was discovered by scouts. Firing began around nine o’clock and the Americans surrendered after three hours.

The summer of 1813 brought many skirmishes to the Niagara Peninsula, as the American forces holding Fort George attempted to push out for supplies and to attack British outposts.

Beaver Dams is the best known of these engagements, but the skirmish described by Thomas G. Ridout was more typical of the indecisive nature of the fighting. The role of the western and Grand River First Nations in the campaign is also well illustrated in this extract. Their capture by this small force of First Nations, British regulars and militia at Beaver Dams influenced the American decision to withdraw into their defences around Fort George.

The only original structure in Fort George, Niagara (now Niagara-on-the-Lake) to survive the War of 1812 is the powder magazine. Most of the buildings were destroyed when the fort was captured by the United States in May 1813.

A smaller post built on the site was burned by the Americans when the region was evacuated in December, along with the Village of Niagara. In 1814, a new fort was started on Point Mississauga and Fort George was abandoned. The current reconstruction was built in the 1930s.

In December of 1813, the British reoccupied Fort George and captured Fort Niagara. This set the stage for the battles of Chippewa, Lundy’s Lane and Fort Erie in the summer of 1814, the largest and hardest fought battles in Upper Canada.

The Battle of Chippewa was a bloody one but not the bloodiest yet for both sides. American forces again crossed the Niagara River in 1814, rapidly capturing Fort Erie and advancing northward along the Niagara River. They met a force of British regulars under General Rial just south of the Chippewa Creek, now the Welland River. The British forces suffered heavy casualties and fell back to Queenston Heights. The skill shown by the American soldiers and commanders at Chippewa showed that the poorly motivated and trained militias seen at Detroit and Queenston in 1812 were being replaced by professional soldiers. The American forces continued their advance along the river, leading to the next engagement at Lundy’s Lane.

The Battle of Lundy’s Lane was the defining battle of the War of 1812 in Upper Canada and can be summed up in few words – it was the bloodiest. With fewer than 3,000 men, the British had 878 casualties, 84 of whom were killed; the Americans suffered 853 casualties, with 171 killed. Both sides claimed victory; both lost heavily. The American forces withdrew the next day and expanded their defence lines at Fort Erie.

Following the Battle of Lundy’s Lane, the British army under the command of Lieutenant-General Drummond pursued the enemy towards Lake Erie and eventually established siege lines near Fort Erie, a Canadian fort under American Control. The American defences at the fort were extensive and it was manned by more than 2000 defenders.

The British built a series of trenches and artillery batteries to support a siege of the American position, but they did not have heavy enough guns to destroy the defences or enough men to establish a full blockade. Further, the United States Navy dominated Lake Erie, so it was impossible to cut off communications with the America side of the river. After several days of artillery bombardment General Drummond ordered an assault on three points of the fortifications, which had been extended and strengthened by the American troops. Two of the columns were repulsed, but a third managed to enter one of the bastions and attacked the stone buildings inside. This near success was wiped out when a magazine under the bastion exploded.

A few weeks later the Americans attacked the siege lines, destroyed a battery, and withdrew. The bad weather and heavy losses convinced Drummond that a withdrawal was necessary, and the British pulled back to Queenston to see what the United States forces would do. This was followed by inconclusive skirmishing until the United States evacuated the Canadian side of the Niagara River in November.

When the United States forces evacuated the Niagara area in November 1814, they blew up Fort Erie. It was not rebuilt after the war and remained in ruins until its restoration by the Niagara Parks Commission in the 1930s.