1814–1821 United States’ plans—Attempt on Mackinaw—La Colle—State of affairs on Niagara frontier—Drummond’s raid on Oswego—Dover—Advance of U.S. force—Capture of Fort Erie—Battle of Chippewa—Critical position of British force—Battle of Lundy’s Lane—Retreat of U.S. forces—Fort Erie invested—Assault on Fort Erie—Sergeant Powell—Conclusion of operations on Niagara frontier—Prevost’s abortive attack on Plattsburgh—Defeat of British squadron on Lake Champlain—Other operations—Bladensberg—Capture of Washington—General Ross killed—Victory at Baltimore—Expedition against New Orleans—Its defeat—Fort Bowyer captured—Treaty of Ghent—Sir William Payne—Sir John Vandeleur—Badge “Niagara” granted—Regiment returns to England—Equipped as Lancers—Embark for Ireland—Disbanded.
The plans of the United States’ government for the campaign of 1814 varied considerably from those of the preceding years. They realised the mistake they had made in advancing on Montreal without first getting possession of Kingston, and they recognized the delusion on which they had acted, in believing that the Canadians would welcome their troops wherever they appeared on Canadian soil. It was, indeed, the unflinching loyalty of[194] the Canadians to the British flag that had so far preserved Canada, as the troops England had been able to spare, would, by themselves, have been inadequate for the purpose. The United States’ plans for 1814 were therefore directed to the following objects. To retake the island of Mackinaw; to renew the invasion of the Niagara frontier; and, after getting possession of Forts George and Niagara, to proceed against Kingston. The United States’ officers on the Niagara frontier, had also learned that enthusiasm without discipline was of little value, when opposed in the open field to a disciplined enemy; the winter and spring therefore were utilised by them in enforcing a higher degree of drill and discipline than had hitherto been aimed at. This resulted in a marked improvement in the fighting qualities of their troops during the remainder of the war.
In the middle of April, a reinforcement of 100 men, conveying a quantity of much-needed supplies and stores, under Colonel McDouall, was sent from Toronto to Mackinaw, which was reached after a most difficult journey on 18th May. A great number of Indians then flocked into the post, which prompted McDouall to fit out a small expedition of 150 men with 500 Indians against a small post that had been lately established at Prairie du Chien on the Mississippi, 200 miles north-west of the present town of Chicago. Moving by water, the expedition, under Colonel M‘Kay, was completely successful, and the post was captured with two guns, and 61 prisoners, on 19th July, at a cost of only three Indians wounded.
On 26th July, a U.S. expedition from Detroit, consisting of five armed vessels and about 750 troops, arrived off Mackinaw, and landed on 4th August, when they were completely repulsed in an attack on McDouall’s position, regaining their ships with loss and confusion. No further attempt was made, but part of the expedition uselessly remained[195] in the vicinity for some time, losing two armed vessels, which were taken, on 3rd and 6th September, by a small party of seamen and militia under Lieutenants Bulger and Worseley. No further fighting took place in this quarter, and Mackinaw remained in the hands of the British till the end of the war.
On the 30th March, General Wilkinson at the head of 4000 U.S. troops advanced from Plattsburgh, crossed Lake Champlain on the ice, and attacked a small British force, in a stone mill at La Colle, under Major Handcock. Wilkinson was repulsed with some loss, and returned to Plattsburgh.
The position of the British troops on the Niagara frontier early in the year was very discouraging. The hardships they had undergone during the operations in December had caused great sickness, so that the abandonment of Fort Niagara was at one time seriously entertained.
“The region between Chippewa and Erie had been so completely laid waste that it remained almost uninhabited. In addition to his troops, Drummond had several thousand non-combatants to feed, and, in the destitute condition of the country, this seemed an almost hopeless task. Most of the western Indians that had survived General Proctor’s defeat, as well as the whole Six Nations from the Grand River, three thousand persons in all, of whom two-thirds were helpless women and children, had sought refuge near the British cantonments at Burlington. Their depredations so harassed and alarmed many of the inhabitants in the vicinity, that they abandoned their farms, and took shelter in the soldiers’ quarters. The homeless fugitives from the Niagara were also dependent upon the over-taxed commissariat. Thus, while his armed force numbered less than two thousand, between seven and eight thousand rations were issued daily.... The Indians daily consumed twice as much flour as the whole of the troops. In the garrison of Fort Erie alone, not much exceeding one hundred persons, no less than sixty-nine cases of ague were reported in a single week.”[62]
[196]
A great number of Indians on the United States’ side were forced to take up arms. Marauding parties from Detroit made frequent incursions, carrying off loyal inhabitants, and destroying Delaware and Point aux Pins. By the end of January, Black Rock was re-occupied by United States’ troops, whence they annoyed Fort Erie by artillery fire. It was in the midst of these difficulties that Drummond was obliged to send the re-inforcements under McDouall to Mackinaw, as already mentioned, and to further weaken his available forces by withdrawing a regiment from Toronto to strengthen Kingston.
By great exertions and the employment of soldiers in the shipyards, the British naval forces on Ontario had established a superiority. Drummond wished to attack Sackett’s Harbour, and destroy the enemy’s vessels there; but Sir George Prevost refused to provide the necessary troops. On the 5th May, Drummond made a successful dash from Kingston, with a force of about 1000 troops, upon Oswego. They landed on the 6th, captured the fort, destroyed all military stores that could not be carried off, and re-embarked. This successful attack delayed the United States’ operations on the Niagara frontier for several weeks, and enabled a strict blockade of Sackett’s Harbour to be established.
Early in March, Major Lisle, with a troop of the 19th Light Dragoons and a few militia, was placed in the little village of Dover, near Long Point on Lake Erie, to watch any attempt of the enemy from that side against Burlington. On the 15th May, eight hundred U.S. infantry crossed the lake in armed vessels, and landed. Major Lisle withdrew his men, and Dover was burned to the ground; after which the invading force re-embarked.
By the end of June, the United States’ troops on the Niagara frontier had gathered in great numbers, and it was evident that an invasion was imminent. Drummond[197] had vainly urged on Sir George Prevost the necessity of reinforcing the troops on the frontier; but Sir George was convinced that the principal attack would come from Lake Champlain, and withheld the much-needed troops. From Toronto to Long Point on Lake Erie, Drummond’s force did not much exceed 4000 men. A number of important points had to be guarded, and the force under General Riall on the actual frontier was only about 2200 men, including Indians, distributed on a length of thirty-six miles, and including the garrison in Niagara. Only about seven hundred men were available for field operations. At the end of June, the strength of Major Lisle’s squadron was six officers, eleven sergeants, and one hundred and eighteen rank and file, in five different detachments, at Fort George, Queenston, Chippewa, Fort Erie, and Long Point.
On the morning of the 3rd July, the United States’ force, 4000 strong, under General Brown, was ferried across in two divisions above and below Fort Erie, under cover of a fog. A picquet of the 19th Light Dragoons narrowly escaped being cut off, and the fort was at once invested. It was occupied at that time by a garrison of 170 men, and, though in no condition to make a proper defence, it was expected to maintain itself for a short time. It was however surrendered after the exchange of a few cannon shots. Riall, with his inferior numbers, contented himself by maintaining a small corps of observation in his front, while he himself remained encamped on the left bank of the Chippewa. On the 4th, Brown advanced, driving before him the corps of observation which destroyed the bridges as it fell back. A detachment of the 19th Light Dragoons under Lieutenant Horton, covering the rear, became involved in a skirmish in which they drove a party of the enemy into a house, which would probably have been captured had not assistance come to them.[198] Four men and eight horses of the 19th were wounded in the skirmish. Brown encamped that night within sight of Riall’s position.
Riall was reinforced on the 5th by the arrival of the 8th regiment from Toronto, and, greatly under-estimating Brown’s force, which now amounted to about 5000 men with nine guns, he resolved on leaving his field works, and attacking. At three in the afternoon, Riall, whose force now amounted to about 1900 men, threw forward a body of militia and Indians on his right flank. After some desultory skirmishing they were driven back by increasing numbers, and fell back on the three light infantry companies, who received their assailants under U.S. General Porter with a terrific volley, driving them back in complete disorder, till they themselves were in turn forced to fall back by superior numbers. Riall, meanwhile, had passed the Chippewa, and drawn up his whole force in order of battle with three guns. After some cannonading, he formed six companies of the Royal Scots, and five companies of the 100th in two columns, and led them against the enemy’s centre. They were received with a tremendous fire against which they were unable to advance: almost every field officer, excepting Riall himself, was struck down, and the columns, suffering heavy losses, were obliged to withdraw, leaving their dead and many of their wounded on the field. The 8th regiment covered the retreat, which was not pressed, and the force recrossed the Chippewa to its former position. “The guns were removed only by the gallant exertions of some troopers of the 19th Dragoons, who attached their own horses to the carriages, and rode off with them in the teeth of the enemy.”[63] The British loss amounted to 515 killed, wounded, and missing, which fell principally on the Royal Scots and 100th, who lost 422 officers and men out of a total of 950 engaged.[199] The 19th Light Dragoons had one sergeant and five men wounded. General Riall, in his dispatch after the battle, says:—
“I am particularly obliged to Major Lisle of the 19th Light Dragoons for the manner in which he covered and protected one of the 24-pounders which had been disabled. Lieutenant Colonel Pearson has reported to me, in the most favourable terms, the excellent manner in which Lieutenant Horton, with a party of the 19th Light Dragoons observed the motions of the enemy, while he occupied the position he took on his first landing (on 3rd July), and during his advance to this place.”
In consequence of this repulse, nearly the whole of his Indians and many of the militia left Riall, in order to look after their families. On the 8th, Brown threw a bridge across the Chippewa, three miles up the stream, thus turning Riall’s right. Riall thereupon broke up his camp, and withdrew to Fort George. Brown continued his advance, occupied Queenston Heights, and took up a position, investing Fort George, with his right resting on the Niagara river, and his left on the lake. Riall, after strengthening the garrisons in the forts, withdrew in the direction of Burlington Heights. To do this, he executed a remarkable night march, to avoid the enemy by whom he was hemmed in. At midnight, his force entered the lake, which is very shallow for a hundred yards from the shore, and, wading through the water for two miles and a half, he marched round the left wing of the investing army, without being detected by their vedettes. For ten days Brown lay inactive, looking for the arrival of the U.S. Ontario squadron to enable him to strike a decisive blow. But the squadron had been blockaded in Sackett’s Harbour ever since the capture of Oswego, and was unable to render him any assistance. Frequent skirmishes took place, in which the United States’ troops suffered losses, often at the hands of the Canadians who were roused to[200] fury by the outrages committed on them. On one occasion the U.S. General Swift was killed by a patrol of the 8th regiment; a wagon train was destroyed, and the picquet guard at Erie cut off to a man. In retaliation for these losses, the United States’ troops burned the village of St David’s, and destroyed every dwelling-house between Queenston and Niagara Falls; under circumstances of such barbarity that the Colonel in command was dismissed from the army.
Meanwhile, Riall received some reinforcements from Toronto, and a great number of militia again joined him, badly armed and undisciplined, but exasperated beyond measure at the brigand-like acts of the invaders. This enabled him to advance, and threatened Brown’s communications. On the 20th, Brown advanced to Fort George, and commenced preparations for a siege, in the hopes that Riall would again hazard an engagement with inferior forces to relieve the Fort. Two days later, Riall with 1700 regular troops, 700 militia, and some Indians, took post in front of Twelve Mile Creek, in readiness to fall upon Brown if he should commence active operations against Fort George. On the 23rd, Brown received intelligence that the U.S. squadron was closely blockaded in Sackett’s Harbour, and was in no position to render him assistance. He at once broke up his camp, and withdrew to the right bank of the Chippewa, with the intention of depositing all unnecessary baggage and stores at Erie, and then making a rapid advance on Burlington and Toronto. On the same day, General Drummond reached Toronto, from Kingston, with the 89th regiment. These were at once sent forward, under Lieutenant Colonel Tucker, to Fort Niagara, with instructions to take drafts from the garrisons of the different forts, and to march, on the 25th, to Lewiston, where Brown had established a base of supplies. Riall was, at the same time, ordered[201] to advance towards the Chippewa. Drummond himself embarked for Niagara, on the afternoon of the 24th, leaving Toronto with only a few invalids as a garrison.
At midnight of the 24th, Riall detached about 900 men under Lieutenant Colonel Pearson, with whom was a troop of the 19th Light Dragoons under Major Lisle, to advance and occupy the high ground near the Niagara Falls. By seven o’clock the next morning, after a fourteen-mile march, Pearson occupied a hill by Lundy’s Lane, within three miles of the United States’ camp, and one mile from the Niagara Falls. At the same time, Drummond landed and commenced his march along the left bank of the Niagara river, while Tucker, in accordance with previous orders, marched along the right bank on Lewiston. Lewiston was captured at noon, and the two parties reunited at Queenston. Sending back part of the force, Drummond, with 815 men and two guns, held on his way to Lundy’s Lane. Brown, on receiving intelligence of Tucker’s advance on Lewiston, believing that his more considerable stores at Fort Schlosser were threatened, and that Pearson’s party at Lundy’s Lane was only a strong patrol, resolved to make a countermove on Queenston and Fort George. Riall’s remaining brigades at Twelve Mile Creek were under arms at daybreak to support Pearson. Their advance was then countermanded, and they remained in camp till noon, when a force, numbering 1230 rank and file, with four guns, under Colonel Scott, was ordered to march at once for Lundy’s Lane. On neither side was there any immediate expectation of a battle.
A little before five in the afternoon Brown detached a force of about 1800 men and two guns under General Scott to advance on Queenston. On coming in contact with Pearson’s outposts, Scott became aware that the force in front of him was stronger than he had supposed, and[202] delayed his attack, while he sent back to Brown for more troops. Riall, who had ridden on to join Pearson, took Scott’s brigade for the advance of Brown’s whole force. He at once sent back word to the force advancing from Twelve Mile Creek, which was still three miles away, to retire on the heights near Queenston, and ordered Pearson to retreat on that point. After retiring half a mile, Riall and Pearson met Drummond advancing. Drummond at once took the command, ordered the position at Lundy’s Lane to be re-occupied, and sent word to countermand Riall’s last order to Colonel Scott, whom he directed to press on and join him.
Scott (U.S.), fearing an ambush, advanced with great caution, which just allowed time for the British force to regain the hill before it could be occupied by the enemy. Drummond’s force now amounted to about 1700 men, thus disposed. On the summit of the hill were two guns: a little behind them were five companies of the Royal Scots, a detachment of the 41st, the 89th, with their left resting on the road running parallel with the river from Queenston to Niagara Falls. The line was prolonged towards the river by some of the 8th and some militia. On the road, somewhat retired, was Major Lisle’s troop of the 19th Light Dragoons. Both flanks were thrown forward, the woods on the right of the line being occupied by the Glengarry regiment, a corps of the Macdonald clan raised in Canada, that fought all through the war with great distinction. By a curious coincidence, Drummond had under his command three regiments, in which he had served as a regimental officer; the Royal Scots, the 8th, and the 41st.
Scott commenced his attack about half past six, along the entire front. On Drummond’s right and centre, the attack was not pushed home, and the British guns on the hill, from their advantageous position, had a decided[203] superiority over the attacking artillery. But on Drummond’s left, the attack was successful. A battalion, ordered by Scott to make a wide turning movement through the dense forest between the road and the river, suddenly attacked the Canadian militia in flank, threw them into disorder, and captured some prisoners, occupied the road, and forced back Lisle’s troop of the 19th for over a mile. At this juncture, General Riall was severely wounded, and, being taken to the road, was conducted by mistake, in the growing darkness, into a party of the enemy, by whom he was at once made prisoner. The Canadian militia, however, quickly recovered themselves, and formed up in rear of the 89th, at right angles to them, covering the flank and rear of the British position. They also cleared the road to the rear, and the enemy made no further headway on this flank during the remainder of the battle.
Scott now made a determined attack, with the rest of his troops, on the British centre. It was repulsed after some severe fighting, in which both sides suffered heavily. A lull in the action then occurred, during which the artillery on both sides maintained their fire. Scott, while reforming his ranks, was joined by Brown and the rest of the United States’ troops; at the same time, Drummond was joined by the rear division of Riall’s troops, which had been marching and counter-marching, under conflicting orders, since they left Twelve Mile Creek. With them came the second troop of the 19th.
“For a few minutes firing almost ceased, and this interval was employed by the United States’ artillerymen in bringing forward fresh supplies of ammunition, and a daring officer, Captain Brooke, stealthily crept up the hillside until within a few yards of the British battery, with a dark lantern, which he suspended in a thicket, as a guide for his gunners to take aim by; for although the moon had risen, its light was rendered faint and uncertain by drifting clouds of[204] smoke and dust, and the position of either line of battle was simply indicated at intervals, by the flash of their guns.”[64]
Drummond employed part of his reinforcement to strengthen his right, while the remainder formed a second line in rear of the first. A field gun was also brought up in line with the two guns on the hill.
The United States’ commander was now convinced that the capture of the hill and the guns on it was necessary to success. Forming a brigade, 1400 strong, in the hollow of the hill, he sent them straight against the guns. Part of them recoiled under the heavy fire, but one battalion was able to approach under a screen of dense thickets, and gained a position behind a log fence within twenty yards of the guns without being observed. Pouring in a volley, they rushed on the gunners with the bayonet, and were at once masters of the guns, which were turned upon the British line. A large body of United States’ infantry were then brought up on to the hill, and their artillery ascended the slope at a gallop. In doing this, one gun, of which the drivers were killed by a sudden volley, was taken by the horses into the British ranks, and secured.
“The remainder of the British artillery was at the same time brought forward, until the muzzles of the (opposing) guns were only a few yards asunder, and the battle thenceforward became a confused, ferocious and sanguinary struggle, waged frequently at the bayonet’s point, or with clubbed muskets, the British striving desperately to regain the ground they had lost, and their opponents to thrust them down into the hollow beyond, and drive them from the field. Regiments, companies, and sections were broken up and mingled together. They retired, rallied, and were led to the charge again.”[64]
 
Walker & Boutall sc.
BATTLE OF LUNDY’S LANE
9 p.m. 25th. July, 1814.
From L.L.H.S. Publications.
For over two hours this desperate struggle in the dark continued, with varying fortunes. At one moment, the[205] 103rd, a young regiment, was forced back in disorder; at another the U.S. guns were captured, and two of them spiked. Neither side could make headway, in spite of frequent attacks and counter-attacks. Drummond was severely wounded but kept the field: nearly one-third of the British force were killed and wounded. The U.S. forces were in equally bad case. Three of their generals were wounded, while the rank and file had lost heavily. In the confusion and darkness the whole force had become disorganized; Scott’s brigade, that had commenced the fight, had dwindled to a few companies: there were an enormous number of stragglers. Closing their ranks for a last attack the wearied British troops, headed by the light company of the 41st, regained possession of the hill and of the guns, just as Brown had decided on withdrawing. Desultory firing continued for a few minutes: it was not till near midnight that the British troops, wearied by prolonged marching and fighting, remained in undisturbed possession of the field. Two of the enemy’s guns remained in their possession, while one British gun was carried off.
Thus ended the battle of Lundy’s Lane, the most severely contested action of the war. On the British side both generals were severely wounded, one of them being taken prisoner. Out of a total strength of somewhat less than 3000, the total British loss amounted to 5 officers and 76 men killed, 30 officers and 532 men wounded, 14 officers and 219 men missing and prisoners. The disproportion of wounded to killed, in this and other actions, was mainly due to the frequent use of buckshot by the enemy. The heaviest losses fell on the Royal Scots and 89th, who, out of a total of about 900 present, suffered a loss of 426. The 19th Light Dragoons had two wounded and one missing, together with three horses killed,............