Battle of New Orleans.

Sunday, May 5, 2024

Battle of Longwoods-- Part 3

 Although Andrew Holmes had defeated the British, he knew he was outnumbered and decided he would be unable to capture the post at Delaware.  At 9 p.m., a short time after the British retired from the field, he abandoned his position at Twenty Mile Creek where the battle was fought and retreated to Detroit.

The British later abandoned their outpost at Delaware.

However, two American six-pounder guns which Holmes had abandoned near Pointe au Pelee were discovered by a Canadian militia unit who destroyed their carriages and concealed the guns in a black ash swamp where they remained until the end of the war.

Holmes was promoted to major, but was killed a few months later at the Battle of Mackinac Island.  The British commander, British Captain James Lewis Basden had been wounded at the Battle of Longwoods, recovered and later fought at the Battle of Lundy's Landing.

The battle site was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1924.

--Brock-Perry


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