Historic Fort George-- Part 6: The Battle of Fort George

The Battle of Fort George began on 26 May 1813, when Fort George was subjected to an artillery barrage and heated shots from Fort Niagara across the river. Joining also from the Americans were new batteries along the shore of the Niagara River.  The result was the destruction of log buildings inside the fort.

Two days later, an American landing force of 2,500 crossed the river in  four waves about 1.9 miles from Fort George under cover of cannonade fire.  By the time the third wave attacked, Fort George's commander, Brigadier General  John Vincent, realized that his force of 560 men could not hold the place and were in risk of being outflanked and trapped in the fort.

He ordered the fort evacuated after the ammunition was destroyed and cannons spiked.  First Nations warriors under John Norton covered the British retreat although the Americans made no real effort to pursue them.

The Americans approached the fort carefully wanting to avoid possible casualties from the explosion of the fort's magazine, like had happened at the conclusion of the Battle of York.  Even so, they arrived in time to prevent the destruction of a substantial part of the fort.  They were able to extinguish one of the fuses that was going to blowup the magazine.

--Brock-Perry