Butler's Barracks-- Part 1

From Wikipedia.

Was the home of Loyalist military officer John Butler (1728-1795), in what was then Newark, Upper Canada which is present-day Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario.  Butler is most famous for leading an irregular military unit known as Butler's Rangers on thye northern frontier during the American revolution.  He fought against the Americans.

The original barracks were constructed in 1778 on the banks of the Niagara River, but were torn down during the construction of Fort George.  

The building currently called Butler's Barracks was constructed in 1818 and the site at one time was quite extensive, being first used by the Indian Department and later by thye British military.

--Brock-Perry

Fort Mississauga-- Part 2: Built from Ruins of Newark, Upper Canada

The site of was used by three different First Nations (Indians) before the fort was built.  In 1804, a lighthouse was built there and the site became known as Mississauga Point.  The lighthouse was dismantled in 1814 to make way for the fort.  It incorporated stone from the lighthouse in its construction.

Mississauga Point Lighthouse was designated a National Historic Site in 1937 and today commemorated by a plaque within the walls of the fort.

After the British captured American Fort Niagara across the river on 19 December 1813,  Captain Runchey's  Company of Coloured Men was attached to the Royal Engineers to help repair the fortifications at the mouth of the Niagara River.

Toward the spring of 1814,  the company was ordered to construct a new fort there which became Fort Mississauga. Many of the materials used were acquired from the nearby City of Newark, Upper Canada, which had been razed by the Americans when they retreated from the Canadian side and gave up Fort George.

--Brock-Perry

Fort Mississauga-- Part 1: Defending the Mouth of the Niagara Fiver

From Wikipedia.

Fort Mississauga National Historic Site is a fort located on the shore of Lake Ontario at the mouth of the Niagara River by the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada.

It consists of a box-like brick tower surrounded by a star-shaped earthworks.

It was built from 1814-1816 during the War of 1812 to replace the nearby Fort George (which was considered to be too far from Lake Ontario).  It was built on a foundation of brick and stone salvaged from rubble left over  after retreating U.S. forces burned the nearby town of Newark (today's Niagara-on-the-Lake) in December 1813.

It would help in the defense of Upper Canada as a part of the regional network that also included Fort George, Navy Hall and Butler's Barracks.

However, Fort Mississauga was not completed until after the end of the war.

--Brock-Perry

John B. Montgomery, USN-- Part 2: War of 1812 Service

From Wikipedia.

He was born in New Jersey and entered service in the US Navy as a midshipman during the War of 1812 where he served during the attack on Kingston, Upper Canada, in Novenber 1812 and in the capture of York in April of the following year.

For gallantry and distinguished service aboard the USS Niagara at the Battle of Lake Erie, he received a vote of thanks and a sword from Congress.

In 1815, he served in Stephen Decatur's squadron in the Second Barbary War in the Mediterranean Sea.

From Geni.

He was also involved in the capture of Little York, Fort George and Newark.  In 1814, he was at the blockade and attack on Mackinaw Island in August.

--Brock-Perry

December 30, 1813: The British Get Payback for York and Newark

DECEMBER 30, 1813

British troops burned Buffalo, New York, during the War of 1812.

They also burned the nearby and competing village of Black Rock.

This was partially in retaliation for the American burnings of York (then capital of the British Upper Canada colony and now the city of Toronto) and the village of Newark earlier in the year.

Of course, this was 8 months before Washington, D.C. was burned by the British, also in retaliation for the American burnings.

Mean, mean War.  --Brock-Perry

Haunted Buffalo-- Part 2: Burned in the War of 1812

Even though the attempt was made to surrender the village of Buffalo, the British soldiers were to have their revenge for the Newark and York burnings.  They set the town ablaze and the flames made quick work of nearly all the 150 structures that made up Buffalo back then.

They also burned the neighboring community of Black Rock.

The British returned to Canada with 130 prisoners  They lost 31 men and the Americans  50 in the Battle of Buffalo.

When the fires ceased, all  that remained was the "stone jail, Reese's blacksmith shop and the house of Margaret St. John.  Within a week of the attack, the residents of Buffalo began to rebuild.

--Brock-Perry

Just in Time for Halloween, Haunted Buffalo-- Part 1: Old County Hall's Dismembered Apparitions

From the October 28, 2020, Buffalo (NY) Rising "Haunted History: Old County Hall is at the center of Buffalo's most dramatic moments" by Daniel Lendzian.

THE WAR OF 1812

The Old County Hall is the site where Colonel Cyrenius Chapin surrendered  the village of Buffalo to the British on December 10, 1813, to British Lieutenant General  Gordon Drummond after American Brigadier General George McClure abandoned the village saying, "They may all be destroyed, and I don't care how soon."  (Nice guy.)

Drummond rejected Chapin's authority to surrender and proceeded to burn the village in retaliation for the American burning  of the British settlement Newark (Niagara-On-the-Lake) and previously having burned the Canadian provincial capital of York (now Toronto).

Much business is still done at the building today, especially in the basement.  Accordingly, every so many years there will be many people down there waiting for appointments and they will all come running up the stairs saying they had seen something that scared them.

They described apparitions as human bodies missing limbs.  Was the County Hall a burying ground?

Like Boo!!  --Brock-Perry

Steps of a Traitor-- Part 4: Retaliation

When the British forces arrived on the scene of the smoking Newark,. they were enraged.  They took on the Canadian volunteers, killing two and capturing several.  Willcocks and the others got away.

In retaliation, Gordon Drummond crossed the Niagara River a few days later, captured Fort Niagara in a surprise attack and in the next few weeks, likewise torched several towns and villages, including Lewiston, Black Rock and Buffalo on the American side which they occupied until the war's end.

How many of Newark's civilians died in 1813 is not known, but undoubtedly many froze to death.

Shortly after his order to burn Newark, American General George McClure was relieved of his command and dismissed from the army.  Joseph Willcocks now had a price on his head.

A Traitor to Canada.  --Brock-Perry

Steps of a Traitor, Joseph Willcocks-- Part 3: The Burning of Newark

The Americans abandoned Fort George on December 10, 1813,   Near Fort George was the town of Newark where Joseph Willcocks had  lived and printed his controversial newspaper  for six years.

Following orders from the American officer in charge of the fort,  and upon Willcocks' urging, Brigadier General George McClure, the Americans forcibly removed the residents of Newark, mostly the young and old women and children and forced them out into the snow and freezing weather.  There were about 400 people who suffered this.

Then Willcocks and his raiders and other Americans, burned  around 150 homes to the ground, leaving just three buildings standing.  The townspeople were forced to cope as well as they could in the freezing temperatures and 2-3-foot snow drifts.

In one situation, Willcocks ordered two men to forcibly remove a sickly woman, bed and all, and deposit her in the snow.  Earlier that year, he had sent her husband, William Dickson, stateside as a prisoner.  While she was being taken out, Willcocks personally set fire to the two-story home.

After all the burnings, the Americans retreated across the Niagara River, with the Canadian Volunteers forming the rear guard.  They crossed just as the British and Canadians under Lt. General Sir Gordon Drummond arrived on the scene.

--Brock-Perry

Steps of a Traitor? Joseph Willcocks-- Part 1: "Turn-Coated"

From Daniel Wyatt's High On History site.  "Joseph Willcocks:  Canada's War of 1812 Traitor."

"In fact, you might say that Willcocks was Canada's Benedict Arnold."  After doing this research, I must say this is a good point.  Once, backing the side he turned traitor on, both men went over to the other side and for their own particular reasons.

One iof the first things that troubled Willcocks was after the Americans attacked Queenston Heights and Isaac Brock was killed.  The British authorities then enacted martial law, where all rights were suspended, something that Willcocks could not and would not tolerate.  We'll call this the first step toward joining the Americans.

On May 27, 1813, about 5,000 Americans attacked Niagara, near Newark, capturing Fort George and chasing the British-Canadian forces almost back to Burlington Heights at present-day Hamilton.

Two months later, Willcocks crossed the Niagara River and offered his services to the Americans.  Mr. Wyatt believes that Willcocks may not have been pro-American, but thought the Americans would win.  "Not only had Willcocks 'turn-coated,' he had committed a treasonous act because he was still being a member of  the Upper Canadian Legislative Assembly."

--Brock-Perry

Joseph Willcocks-- Part 3: His Role In the Sack of Newark

Despite offering assistance and intelligence to the U.S. forces, Willcocks was never really trusted.  His associates, Abraham Markle and Benajah  Mallory vied for control of the Canadian Volunteers.

Probably Joseph Willcocks' greatest contribution to the War of 1812 was pushing for the sack and burning of Newark (Niagara-on-the-Lake) on December 10, 1813, in which three buildings were left standing.

This so infuriated and  inflamed public opinion on the Canadian side of the river that barely a week later, Canadian and British forces crossed the Niagara River into the United States and took Fort Niagara and then burned pretty much everything from Lake Ontario to Lake Erie.

--Brock-Perry

Phineas Riall-- Part 2: Burner of American Towns

As a major in 1805, he went to the West Indies with the 15th Regiment of Foot and participated in the capture of Martinique in 1809 and Guadeloupe in 1810.

After that he returned to Britain and rose to the rank of colonel and then became a major general through seniority.  He then was posted to Canada where he was in command at Montreal.  Then he accompanied Lt. General Drummond to attack the American side of the Niagara River.

He led a detachment across the river at Lewiston 19 December 1813.  He then advanced along the river, burning almost every American village, in reprisal for the U.S. burning of Newark ten days earlier.

And, he later got upset at Campbell doing the same thing?

--Brock-Perry

York/Toronto Canada

From Wikipedia.

In 1793, Upper Canada's Governor John Simcoe established the town of York on the Toronto Purchase Land.  He moved Upper Canada's capital from Newark (today's Niagara-on-the-Lake) to York, believing it to be less vulnerable to American attack.

York Garrison (Fort York) was constructed at the entrance to York's natural harbor.

In 1813, the Battle of York ended with the capture of the town by U.S. forces.  The surrender was negotiated by York's John Strachan.  Americans destroyed much of York during a five day occupation which resulted in British payback with the burning of Washington, D.C..

York was incorporated as the city of Toronto (the Indian name for it) on March 6, 1834.

--Brock-Perry

HMS Toronto

From Wikipedia.

One of the first ships John Dennis built was the HMS Toronto for Upper Canada's Provincial Marine.

Royal Navy schooner built by John Dennis at York, Upper Canada, on the Humber River in August 1799.  Mounted four cannons.

Built to ferry government officials from York (Toronto) to Upper Canada's former capital at Newark (Niagara-by-the-Lake).

Had a short career when wrecked off Hanlon's Point in 1811 and broken up.

--Brock-Perry

Turncoat Led Raid on Newark-- Part 3: Joseph Willcocks

Willcocks joined the American Army as a colonel while still serving in the lower assembly of Canada and was kicked out of office.  He used U.S, troops to conduct a campaign of slash-and-burn expeditions that often targeted former of political enemies..  He especially went after his old hometown of Newark.

This is one of the reasons for the British burning Washington, D.C..

He managed to evade several capture attempts, but later died fighting for the Americans at the siege of Fort Erie in 1814.

--Brock-Perry

Turncoat Led Raid to Burn Newark-- Part 2: Joseph Willcocks

Joseph Willcocks was arrested three times for criminal libel and contempt.  During the War of 1812, he fought against Isaac Brock's attempt to invoke martial law successfully, then helped Brock enlist Indians to help the British.

He fought with Brock at the Battle of Queenstown Heights where Brock was killed.

A year later, Willcocks decided the Americans were on the right side for going to war and started passing secrets to the U.S. Secretary of War about British troop movements.

Isaac Brock is part of the reason I sign off with Brock-Perry each blog entry.

--Brock-Perry

Turncoat Led Raid to Burn Newark-- Part 1: Joseph Willcocks

From the November 1, 2015, Niagara Falls Review (Canada) by Tom Villemaire.

Joseph Willcocks couldn't decide which side to fight for.  He was born in Ireland and had a love-hate relationship with both the governments of the United States and Canada.  Born in the family of a middle class British family in Ireland, he was fairly wealthy and came to the Upper Canada in 1799.

He was sheriff of York (Toronto) and assisted judges while becoming a large landowner with over 1000 acres on the Niagara Peninsula.  Later he established a newspaper which was critical of the United States and was elected to the Lower Assembly.

--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 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

The Forgotten War of 1812 in Newark, Upper Canada

From the Dec. 17, 2013, "The Mercury Columns" by David Shriban: The Forgotten War of 1812.

Two hundred years ago, American troops had occupied Newark, Upper Canada (now Niagara-On-the-Lake, Ontario) for seven months.  Most of its inhabitants were women and children since the men had left to serve in the Canadian militia.  Then, the Americans, as they left,  burned the town down, right as winter approached.

On December 10, 1813, residents of the Loyalist village were forced into the snow while their homes and buildings were burned.  A year later, in retribution, British forces had no restraint when they pillaged and burned Buffalo and other western New York towns.

Captain William Hamilton Merritt, who arrived in Newark a day later reported seeing "[n]othing but heaps of coals and the streets full of furniture that the inhabitants were fortunate enough to get out of their houses.  Only one or two houses were undamaged.

--Brock-Perry