| Battle of Lewiston | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of War of 1812 | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 UKGBI First Nations |  United States | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Phineas Riall | Major Bennett | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 500 | 100 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 3 killed 2 wounded | 17 killed | ||||||
| 4 American civilians killed | |||||||
The Battle of Lewiston saw Major General Phineas Riall lead a combined British and Native force against the American town of Lewiston. They defeated the Americans in the area and then looted and burnt the town.
On December 10, 1813, American Brigadier General George McClure abandoned Fort George, Ontario because of a British force under General Gordon Drummond advancing toward him. Before leaving the Americans burned the town of Newark. [1] Drummond's men then crossed the Niagara River in the Capture of Fort Niagara. Major General Phineas Riall launched an attack on the nearby town of Lewiston in conjunction.
On the night of December 18, 1813, a force of 500 men consisting of Native American warriors, the main body of the 1st Battalion of the 1st Regiment of Foot and the 41st Regiment of Foot, commanded by Major-General Phineas Riall, crossed the Niagara river to attack the Americans at Lewiston. In the town of Lewiston was an American gun battery threatening Queenston. [2] The American garrison at Lewiston had only 100 men and most of them retreated south toward Fort Schlosser. The retreat was too hasty to save the cannon at the battery and so they had to leave a 12 pounder and a 6 pounder cannon to the British. [3] A small American contingent under an American officer named Major Bennett was trapped by the natives on the Lewiston Heights. The trapped Americans made a breakout when they charged down from the heights and away from the natives. In the escape, the Americans lost 8 killed. [4] Riall's men pursued the Americans south. At Fort Schlosser, Canadians fighting for America led by Colonel Joseph Willcocks moved north to meet Riall's force. [3] The Canadians fought a rearguard action skirmishing with the British for 2 days until they escaped across the Tonawanda Creek. The Canadians suffered 9 killed in the fighting. [4]
The natives at Lewiston found and looted liqueur from the civilians' homes. The natives drank heavily and became a violent crowd. The natives began fighting each other as well as the civilians of Lewiston. Four civilians were killed by the natives including a young boy. They even turned on each other. In a fight two natives were killed and a British soldier of the 41st regiment. Two more British soldiers were wounded by natives, one shot in the leg and another was tomahawked in the arm. [5] The houses were looted and then every one burned to the ground. After Willcocks was driven back the British and natives burned every house and settlement on the American side of the Niagara River until they reached Fort Schlosser. [5]
The Battle of Queenston Heights was the first major battle in the War of 1812. Resulting in a British victory, it took place on 13 October 1812 near Queenston, Upper Canada.
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The Battle of Lundy's Lane, also known as the Battle of Niagara, was a battle fought on 25 July 1814, during the War of 1812, between an invading American army and a British and Canadian army near present-day Niagara Falls, Ontario. It was one of the bloodiest battles of the war, and one of the deadliest battles fought in Canada, with approximately 1,720 casualties including 258 killed.
General Sir Gordon Drummond, GCB was a Canadian-born British Army officer and the first official to command the military and the civil government of Canada. As Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada, Drummond distinguished himself on the Niagara front in the War of 1812 and later became Governor-General and Administrator of Canada.
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Joseph Willcocks sometimes spelt Wilcox was a publisher and political figure in Upper Canada. He was elected to the Parliament of Upper Canada in 1807 representing York, 1st Lincoln and Haldimand. He was re-elected twice and frequently opposed government policies. He became disillusioned with Upper Canada after a military rule was introduced to Upper Canada during the War of 1812 and defected to the United States. He was mortally shot on September 4, 1814 at Fort Erie, and buried in Buffalo, New York.
General Sir Phineas Riall, KCH was the British general who succeeded John Vincent as commanding officer of the Niagara Peninsula in Upper Canada during the War of 1812. In 1816, he was appointed Governor of Grenada.
The Battle of Buffalo took place during the War of 1812 on December 30, 1813, in the State of New York, near the Niagara River. The British forces drove off the American defenders and destroyed many buildings and ships. The operation was retaliation for American troops burning the Canadian village of Newark.
The Raid on Black Rock took place during the War of 1812 between the United Kingdom and the United States on 11 July 1813, near the Niagara River in western New York State, USA. The British objective was to capture supplies and equipment from the U.S. military store depot at Black Rock, New York. The raid was a success but the British force suffered substantial casualties as they returned to their landing-point.
The Canadian Volunteers was a unit composed of pro-United States citizens or inhabitants of Upper Canada which fought for the United States of America during the Anglo-American War of 1812.
The Battle of Ball's Farm took place on July 8th, 1813 during The War of 1812. A British and Native force successfully recovered medical supplies they buried on the Chourous farm a few kilometres from Fort George, Ontario. The medicine supplies were buried in the face of an advancing American army. During the recovery an American force of 500 sortied from the occupied Fort George. A small flanking force of 40 was cut off and almost entirely killed or captured.
On July 5, 1813, 34 Canadian militia and 7 British regulars from the 49th Regiment of Foot crossed the Niagara River and raided Fort Schlosser. They took the American garrison of 11 by surprise and captured them along with all the arms and stores.
The capture of HMS Caledonia and HMS Detroit was an action which took place in the Anglo-US portion of the War of 1812.
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