Lt. General Gordon Drummond was newly appointed Lt. Governor of Upper Canada, and was planning an offensive against the American side of the Niagara River.
In the early morning hours of December 18, 1813, a force under Col. John Murray captured Fort Niagara. Another force under Major General Phineas Riall raided the American side of the river and destroyed Lewiston, Youngstown, Manchester and Tuscarora as well as small settlements around Fort Schlosser.
U.S. troops halted Riall and he recrossed the Niagara River, but with the intentions of attacking Black Rock and Buffalo. With him he had 965 British regulars, 50 Canadian militia and 400 natives. To oppose him, American General Amos Hall had more soldiers, 2,011, but they were all militia.
Riall crossed the Niagara River around midnight December 29, 1813, two miles downstream (north) of Black Rock, and easily effected a landing, driving a few Americans away. General Hall then sent militia to investigate the fighting, but they were quickly driven off.
--Brock-Perry
2012 marks the 200th anniversary of America's "Forgotten War," the War of 1812 that took place over three years, 1812 to 1815.
Battle of New Orleans.
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