Fort George, Canada-- Part 5: The Town of Niagara Sacked

On December 10, 1813, Gen. George McClure ordered a retreat of the American forces across the Niagara River.  In addition, he also ordered the destruction of the Canadian town of Niagara.  When the British arrived on the scene, they were met with a horrifying sight.

Captain William Hamilton Merritt of the Provincial Dragoons recalled that "nothing but heaps of coals, and the streets full of furniture... met the eye in all directions."  About 130 homes had been put to the torch, and some 400 townspeople, mainly women, children and elderly men) were left without shelter.

Fort George remained in British hands for the rest of the war.  During the American occupation, parts of Fort George had been rebuilt and the British also continued to rebuild.  But by  the 1820s, Fort George was essentially in ruins.  The British Army abandoned the fort  in favor of Butler's Barracks and Fort Mississauga.

In the 1930s, Fort George was reconstructed to its pre-1812 configuration under the guidance of the Royal Engineers, and designated a National Historic Site of Canada.  Today, visitors can tour the blockhouses where common soldiers and their families shared cramped living space, the  more elegant officers quarters

The stone powder  magazine, which survived the attack, is the only structure that is original to the fort and the oldest building in Niagara-on-the-Lake (the new name of Niagara).

--Brock-Perry