The Battle of Buffalo-- Part 3: Two Towns Sacked and Razed

Gen. Amos Hall then took personal command at Black Rock.  As dawn broke, he directed a heavy cannonade and musketry at the British.  Riall advanced at the center and sent troops to attack the American right flank.

When the right flank broke and fled off in a rout, Hall was forced to order a general retreat of the whole American army in order not to be enveloped.  The British followed all the way to Buffalo, two miles away.  There they sacked and burned every building but four, destroyed the navy yard as well as three armed schooners: the Chippawa, Ariel and Little Belt.

They then returned to Black Rock and there they did the same to all but one building.

--Brock-Perry

The Battle of Buffalo-- Part 2: An Earlier Action Preceding the Battle of Black Rock

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

The Battle of Buffalo-- Part 1: The Burning of Newark

From Wikipedia.

Also known as the Battle of Black Rock.

Took place near the Niagara River in western New York in what was called the Niagara Frontier.

British forces drove off a hastily-organized defense by militia and then engaged in considerable plundering and destruction.

This occurred in retaliation for the American burning of the Upper Canadian village of Newark (now Niagara-On-the-Lake).

Brigadier General George McClure, New York militia, commander of Fort George, decided to abandon that post December 10, 1813, and ordered that the neighboring village of Newark be destroyed.  He gave the people there only a few hours notice and then turned them out on a cold winter's night and then burned all but one of their 150 buildings to the ground.

Setting the Stage.  --Brock-Perry

Amos Hall-- Part 3: Loss of Buffalo and Later Life

Daylight of December 30, 1813, found Gen. Amos Hall's force marching to Black Rock with 1,200 militia and some Seneca Indian warriors.  This force attacked the British and did well until Hall ordered a withdrawal to prevent them from being enveloped by the British.

At this point, all discipline among the militia disintegrated and it turned into a rout.  The British took Black Rock and burned the entire village.

Hall now had some 800 men at nearby Buffalo and they lost that as well.  The British proceeded to burn the town as well as five ships tied up there.  Hall had at least 140 casualties in this action.

General Hall was subsequently blamed for the losses at Black Rock and Buffalo and removed from command in early winter 1814.  He remained with the militia until 1818 when he resigned with the rank of major general.

The rest of his life he was a prominent citizen of western New York until his death in West Bloomfield on December 28, 1827.

--Brock-Perry

Amos Hall-- Part 2: Lost the Battle of Black Rock (Also Called the Battle of Buffalo)

Amos Hall's militia force was inexperienced, poorly trained and poorly equipped to face the veteran British soldiers who were coming at them.  (However, Hall had been their commander so has to take some of the blame for their being poorly trained.)

Meanwhile, in Canada, Lt. General Sir Gordon Drummond was planning attacks on Buffalo and nearby Black Rock in retaliation for American General George McClure's destruction of Newark in Upper Canada a short time earlier.

By December 28, 1813, Amos Hall had deployed his American militia units inside of and along the periphery of Black Rock.  That night, British troops crossed the Shogeoquady Creek and Hall's militia fled.  American losses in the action amounted to around 800, most of whom had deserted or were in hiding.

Not a very good effort on the American side for this action.

--Brock-Perry

Amos Hall-- Part 1: Thrown Into the Fight

From the Encyclopedia of the War of 1812.

Helped form the local militia in New York and held commissions in it for many years before the War of 1812.  Saw limited action in the early stages of the war, but became a brigadier general.

When the the highly unpopular Brigadier General George McClure was removed from command on the Niagara Frontier in mid-December 1813, Hall succeeded him on December 25.

Fearing a British attack on Buffalo, Hall arrived the following day and established his headquarters between Buffalo and Black Rock in hopes of defending both, but he lacked the troops and resources to do it.

--Brock-Perry

7th Connecticut (American Revolution)-- Part 6: Stephen Hall Also Served in the 10th Connecticut

From Historic Register of Officers in the Continental Army.

Stephen Hall (Connecticut)

1st Lieutenant 1st May to 20th December 1775.

1st Lieutenant 10th Connecticut Infantry, 1st January to 31st December 1776

Captain 7th Connecticut, 1st January 1777.  Retired 1st January 1781.

Died 25 April 1783.

--Brock-Perry

7th Connecticut Infantry (American Revolution)-- Part 5: Officers of Stephen Hall's Company

From Record of Connecticut Men in Military and Naval Service During the Revolution.

7th Connecticut Infantry

3rd Company

Captain Stephen Hall

1st Lieutenant--  Jebiel Meigs, Jr.

2nd Lieutenant--  Ebenezer Fowler, Jr.

Ensign--  David Dufley

--Brock-Perry

7th Connecticut Infantry-- Part 4: Captain Stephen Hall's Company

From Archives, rootsweb.

This information applies to Captain Hall's company.

Captain Stephen Hall; January 10, 1777:  4 sergeants; 4 corporals; 2 musicians (I would think Amos Hall was one of these two); 61 privates.

During the course of their service in the American Revolution  11 died, 8 deserted and 1 was a prisoner.

Where the company enlisted from:  54 unknown, 10 from Guilford (one of these likely Amos Hall), 6 from Walling and one each from Glastonburg and New Milford.

--Brock-Perry

7th Connecticut Infantry-- Part 3: At Valley Forge in the Revolution

I did some more research on the 7th Connecticut, trying to find information on Amos Hall or his father.

From Valley Forge Legacy:  The Muster Roll Project.

The 7th Connecticut Regiment was organized January 1777 at New Medford, Connecticut, with men coming from Litchfield, Fairfield, New Haven and New London counties.

The regiment entered Valley Forge with 536 men, 358 fit for duty.

The 7th left Valley Forge with the 1st Connecticut Regiment and had 869 men, 551 fit for duty.  (I am assuming this meant that it was put in with the 1st Connecticut.

Before Valley Forge, the 7th Connecticut had participated in the defense of Philadelphia.

The 7th was commanded by Col. Heman Swift.  Lt.Col. was Josiah Starr and major was John Sedwick.

There were eight companies and one was commanded by Captain Stephen Hall.

--Brock-Perry

7th Connecticut Infantry-- Part 1: American Revolution

In the last few posts, I mentioned that Amos Hall was a captain in the 7th Connecticut Infantry during the American Revolution and that he entered the military as a fifer in his father's regiment.  I felt that had Amos hall been born as listed in 1761, that would have made him quite young to be a captain during the Revolutionary War.

I did a little more research on this regiment.

Wikipedia

The 7th Connecticut Infantry was raised September 16, 1776 at New Milford, Connecticut.  It saw action at the battles of Brandywine, Germantown and Monmouth.

It was merged with the 5th Connecticut on January 1, 1781, at West Point, New York and disbanded November 15, 1783.

I found no mention of a Captain Amos Hall in the unit.

But, in the last post I mentioned that he had been a fifer in his fathers's regiment and that was the 7th Connecticut.  And, his father was Stephen Hall and rose to the rank of captain in it.

--Brock-Perry

Major General Amos Hall-- Part 4: Served in Father's regiment During the Revolution

From Find-A-Grave.

GEN. AMOS HALL

Born Nov. 21, 1761  Guilford, Connecticut  Died Dec. 28, 1827, West Bloomfield, New York.

Son of Captain Stephen Hall and Abigail Sexton.

Entered the military at age 15 as a fifer in his father's regiment during the Revolutionary War.  In 1790, settled in upstate New York and took the first census in western New York in 1790.  Helped to found West Bloomfield.

He was also a U.S. deputy marshal, member of the state assembly, a state senator 1809-1813.  Rose to the rank of major general during the War of 1812 and was commander-in-chief of the Niagara Frontier.

Buried in the Pioneer Cemetery in West Bloomfield, New York.

--Brock-Perry

Major General Amos Hall-- Part 3: War of 1812 Service

In 1800, Amos Hall became a brigadier general in the Ontario and Steuben county militias.  He served in western New York state throughout the War of 1812.

In December 1813, he became temporary commander of American troops gathering near Buffalo and was the American commander at the Battle of Buffalo on December 30, 1813.  This battle ranks as a U.S, debacle and brought dishonor to him.

After the war, he returned to West Bloomfield.

--Brock-Perry

Major General Amos Hall-- Part 2: Served in the American Revolution and Later Moved to Western New York

Major General Amos Hall was born at Guilford, Connecticut, on November 21, 1761.    He was a captain in the 7th Connecticut Infantry in the American Revolution.  (This would have made him quite a young officer.)  He was also a sergeant in that unit (perhaps he became an officer late in the war).

I was not able to find out anything about Amos Hall's service in the 7th Connecticut during the American Revolution.

After the war, he became a surveyor in western New York and a tavern-keeper in West Bloomfield, New York, a town he helped found in 1796.

--Brock-Perry

Major General Amos Hall-- Part 1: His Orderly Book

Last week, I mentioned this officer's name in connection with Camp Hardscrabble near Dickersonville, New York, and had never heard of him before, so further research was in order.

From the William Clements Library, University of Michigan.

They have his 181301814 Orderly Book which consists of 108 pages.  It belonged to Major General Amos Hall who commanded a New York militia unit near Buffalo during the War of 1812 and contains correspondence with other commanding officers stationed in western New York between December 24, 1813, and April 10, 1814.

This is probably where the letter commanding officers at Camp Hardscrabble came from in the previous posts.

--Bock-Perry

War of 1812 Army Camp at Dickersonville, N.Y.-- Part 3: Col. Harris to Command It

Major General Amos Hall continued:  "From the talents and experience of Col. Harris the major general has the strongest confidence that the important post to the command of which he is assigned will be well secured and that the regulation and discipline of the troops will be such as to reflect on the officers and soldiers."

A camp was established that could hold 1,500 to 2,000 men, but the most ever mentioned in Army records as being there were from 500-600.  Besides barracks, they had arms storage, an ammunition storage building and a hospital.

--Brock-Perry

War of 1812 Army Camp in Dickersonville, N.Y.-- Part 2: "Proceed to Hardscrabble"

An order written by Major General Amos Hall from his headquarters at Batavia on January 23, 1814, mentioned:  "Lt. Col. Jno (John) Hopkins will proceed to Hardscrabble to the cantonment (camp) now occupied by the troops under Col. Swift and take charge of the detachment of the command... the troops under the command of Lt. Col. Harris will be quartered in as compact a manner as the nature of the ground and present barracks will admit, and Lt. Col. Harris will make proper provision for quarters by building huts as soon as may be...."

-Brock-Perry