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From: ConnorsGenealogy <>
Subject: War of 1812, Part IV
Date: Sun, 05 Dec 2004 15:40:28 -0800


In March of 1814, General Jacob Brown elected to focus his force on the
Niagara area, and in particular, on Fort Erie. He marched his men 250
miles from
Sackets Harbor in harsh weather. His 2,000 troops headed west and
reached Buffalo on
March 24 where they were met by Brigadier General Winfield Scott. Scott
was ordered
next to Flint Hill, outside the Village limits, to undertake intensive
training of the
recruits. General Brown then returned to Sackets Harbor (at the eastern
end of Lake Ontario).

Napoleon's abdication in April, 1814 gave the British closure in
Europe's fighting, and they sent 10,000 troops to Canada. The first to
arrive were the Duke of
Wellington's men, seasoned and victorious against Napoleon. Britain
earlier had
chosen her United States invasion sites, and was free after the
abdication to act upon
them. These were the Niagara Frontier, Lake Champlain, New Orleans, and
Sackets Harbor, NY.
Raids were planned along the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic coast. The
American
generals believed that they had to re-capture Fort Erie, located on the
lake where it
meets the Niagara River. Hoping for at least 8,000 men, General Scott
instead was given
3500, fewer than half what had been considered necessary.

Scott, known as a master of training, was given command to expedite
preparations of the soldiers. Some were militia, most volunteers. He
ordered the men
drilled for eight to ten hours daily with 60-pound packs. No uniforms
were available so they
trained in their own clothing. They learned close order drill, an
understanding of
formation and military tactics and practiced for a full ten weeks.
Scott's leadership produced
disciplined, organized troops, knowledgeable and able to obey commands
from their now
competent officers. He had a Division capable of facing the British. On
June 23,
their uniforms arrived but were made of gray cloth instead of the usual
dark blue, an
unavailable color.

The British were aware of the Americans gathered in Western New York,
undergoing training and clearly looking toward an Ontario offensive.
England
planned to maintain a naval presence on Lake Ontario and a land force
able to confront General
Brown.

The planned attack on Fort Erie took place July 3, 1814. General Brown
had resumed command and they landed in morning darkness between 2 and 3
o'clock. So
impressive was the fighting by the Americans that the British thought
they were
"regulars." By 5 p.m. on the same day, the Fort Erie garrison was
surrendered to the
Americans. The soldiers immediately began preparing for a siege, digging
a deep exterior ditch
and earthen walls. A battle at the Chippewa River, 16 miles north of
Fort Erie, took place
on July 5 and 6. Another bitter fight, at Lundy's Lane, took place on
July 25 and lasted
six hours.

Winifred O'Donnell

--
Pat Connors, Sacramento CA
http://www.connorsgenealogy.com
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