Historic Fort George-- Part 8: British Recapture It and Then Capture American Fort Niagara

The Americans had intended to use Fort George as a bridgehead in Canadian territory to launch further attacks.  However, that did not come to pass.  Disease,  increased desertion rates,  risks of ambushes and a general British advance toward the fort following their victories at  Stoney Creek and Beaver Dams kept it from doing that.

American forces began a slow withdrawal from the fort until in December 1813, there were but 60 soldiers there.  Upon receiving intelligence that a force of 1,500 British and 500 First Nations Indians were advancing the Americans withdrew and razed the fort and nearby settlement.

The American garrison left the fort on December 11 after spiking the cannons and destroying the town.  However, the fort itself was left intact.

British forces arrived shortly after the Americans left.  Nine days later, they conucted an attack across the Niagara River that led to the capture of the American Fort Niagara and the razing of American communities in retaliation for what had happened to Niagara (the name of Niagara-on-the-Lake as it is called today).

--Brock-Perry

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

Historic Fort George-- Part 4: Increasing the Size and Reducing It

Tensions with First Nations and the United States in the late 1790s prompted British forces to refortify the colony, including the fort.  Six earthen and log bastions, connected by a wooden 12 foot high palisade and a ditch was built around the fort.

The fort was expanded to include five log blockhouses/barracks, hospital,  kitchens, workshops and officers' quarters by the start of the 19th century.  Timber was obtained from trees felled in the area and transported along the Niagara River.  Most of the fort was built by  members of the Royal Canadian Volunteers, a unit that was later disbanded in 1802.

By 1812, the fort was used as the headquarters for the central division of the British Army and a depot for the Indian Department.

Believing Fort George was too large to defend given the number of troops he had at his disposal, Isaac Brock drafted plans to reduce the fort's size by a third.  Specifically, he proposed to abandon the southern bastions, the octagonal blockhouse and the stone gunpowder  magazine.  A palisade fence would be built to partition the abandone parts off from the remaining fort.

--Brock-Perry

Thirteen Gun Salute for Guernsey Military Hero Isaac Brock

From the October 13, 2022, BBC News.

A thirteen gun salute was fired from Castle Cornet in Guernsey for General Isaac Brock who died in 1812 while leading a Britishh, Cabadian and  First Nation army to victory over an invading American army.

The Guernsey-born British Army general became known as "The Saviour of Upper Canada."

The commemorations mark the 210th anniversary of his death.

Oliver Brock, a first cousin six times removed of General Brock, said his family had been looking forward to the event.  He said:  "The commemorations today are a part of what we can do to show our respect the man that a lot of people of Canada feel started their nationhood."

The Brock in my signoff refers to Gen. Isaac Brock.

--Brock-Perry

Fort Malden-- Part 6: The Surrender of Fort Detroit

On July 16th, General Hull's American Army met  its first British resistance at the River Canard where two British soldiers were killed, marking the first fatalities of the War of 1812.

Major General Isaac Brock assumed command at Fort Malden on August 13, 1812, and it was Brock who led British troops across the Detroit River a few days later.  With the help of Chief Tecumseh's native warriors, Brock marched on Fort Detroit.

It was reported that General Hull was fearful of "hordes" of Indians swooping down on the civilian population of Detroit and it was this fear that Brock and Tecumseh decided to capitalize on and let Hull know that there were some 5,000 Indians with Brock and that he didn't know if he could control them in a battle if it took place.

This was, even after the fearsome proclamation he had made, why General Hull surrendered Fort Detroit without a fight.

This success at Fort Detroit was a big reason support of the First Nations during the War of 1812.

--Brock-Perry

Battle of the Thames-- Part 7: Consequences

**  Proved to the First Nations that Britain had a lack of resolution toward them.

**  The coalition of First Nations Indians collapsed without Tecumseh and Stiahta.

**  Peace agreements were signed between Harrison representing the U.S. government and various tribes in a move to divide and nullify Britain's chief ally in the war, the First Nations.

**  Most of the prisoners the Americans took were interned in an encampment at Sanduskey, Ohio, and suffered greatly.

--Brock-Perry

War of 1812 Re-enactments in 1814-- Part 1

From the April 2014 Buffalo (NY) News "Siege of Fort Erie to highlight War of 1812 commemoration" by Jane Kwiatkowski.

The siege of Fort Erie will be held August 9-10th, 2014, at Old Fort Erie.  This will be the 28th year it has been re-enacted.

Also, the Battle of Chippawa will be re-enacted July 5-6th at Chippawa Battlefield on Niagara Parkway in Niagara, Ontario.

The Battle of Lundy's Lane, Canada's bloodiest battle will also be re-enacted.

"The Honouring" r5e-enactment for First Nations warriors will be held June 28-29 at Old Fort Niagara, Fort Niagara State Park in Youngstown.

Sepetmber 13 will be the "Star-Spangled Banner, the 200th anniversary of the battle which gave us the National Anthem.  This will be held at the Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military Park.

--Brock-Perry

Treaty of Ghent: How It Affected the First Nations

The Treaty of Ghent was a disaster for First Nations (Indians) who had no representation at the bargaining table.

Having abandoned their initial demand for an autonomous territory for First Peoples in the Great Lakes region which would have functioned as a buffer zone between British North America and the United States, both countries agreed instead to restore First Nations privileges and rights to those of the pre-war period and end all remaining hostilities with indigenous groups.

This arrangement left the latter feeling betrayed by their British allies since they were now at the mercy of American policy.  The treaty also failed to guarantee First Nations rights for any specific period and soon the way of life of nations living in the northwest became endangered by American expansion.

--Brock-Perry

War of 1812 Timeline: December 19-30, 1863: American Towns Burned in Retaliation for Niagara, Upper Canada

DECEMBER 19TH-30TH, 1813:

 British and First Nation allies fight American troops at Lewiston and Fort Schlosser, burning the communities of Lewiston, Tuscarora settlement, Black Rock and Buffalo, all in New York, in revenge for the burning of Niagara, Upper Canada.

On 19 December, a force of British troops and First Nations defeated American Militia at Black Rock. On the 30 December, the U.S. militia force under Major General Amos Hall were defeated near Buffalo.

The British burned the American towns in punishment for what happed on December 10th at Niagara.

Over 300 American houses were burned, and the whole frontier from Lake Ontario to Lake Erie was depopulated.

Four armed U.S. schooners were also burned, and a large quantity of military stores and weapons captured or destroyed. At Lewiston, NY, a large number of American civilians were killed by First Nations.

The attack on the American Tuscarora settlement brought the Tuscarora Indians in on the side of the United States.

Some Mean Fighting Going On.  --Brock-Perry

Medal for First Nations on British Side

From the May 22, 2012, Wall Street Journal "Commemoration War of 1812 Medal for Aboriginal Canadians."

John Duncan, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development has announced medals will be given to the 44 First Nations who fought on the British-Canadian side during the War of 1812.

Brock-Perry