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War on the Lakes The late 18th and early 19th century was an era of conflict. The war between Great Britain and France raged between 1793 and 1815 with few interruptions. As a part of the British Empire, Upper Canada was unable to escape this broader conflict and when, on June 18, 1812, the United States declared war on Britain, Canada was brought to the front line of what had become a world war. Just like armed conflict in any part of the world, the War of 1812 had a significant effect on the local population. To Great Britain the War of I8I2 was simply a burdensome adjunct of its greater struggle against Napoleonic France. To the Canadians it was clearly a case of naked American aggression. But to the Americans it was neither simple nor clear. The United States entered the war with confused objectives and divided loyalties and made peace without settling any of the issues that had induced the nation to go to war. The immediate origins of the war were seizure of American ships, insults and injuries to American seamen by the British Navy, and rapid expansion of the American frontier. The British outrages at sea took two distinct forms. One was the seizure and forced sale of merchant ships and their cargoes for allegedly violating the British blockade of Europe. Britain and France attempted to interfere with the trade of neutrals, including the United States, that was deemed to benefit the enemy. However, England was the chief offender because its Navy had greater command of the seas. The second, more insulting, type of outrage was the capture of men from American vessels for forced service in the Royal Navy. The pretext for impressment was the search for deserters, who, the British claimed, had taken employment on American vessels. But there were also factors closer to home that contributed to the outbreak of hostilities: * The expansion of American settlement in the "Old North-west"
(today's Ohio, Michigan, Illinois), frequently in violation of treaties
with the First Nations, led to ongoing conflict. Major areas of conflict: Detroit Frontier * Detroit Frontier, 1812: Victory * Detroit Frontier, 1813: Defeat
The NIAGARA breaks through the line On September 10, 1813 the British under Commodore Robert Heriot Barclay and the Americans under Perry met in battle near Put-in-Bay, Ohio. Perry's flagship Lawrence engaged her counterpart, while Niagara, for unknown reasons, did not close the enemy. Nevertheless, the Lawrence held fast and continued a heavy bombardment. After she was completely disabled, with most of her crew wounded or killed, Perry transferred by boat to the undamaged Niagara, sailed her into close action, broke the British battle line, and forced Barclay to surrender. In the aftermath, Commodore Perry wrote his famous report to General William Henry Harrison: " We have met the enemy and they are ours: two ships, two brigs, one schooner, and one sloop."
Niagara Frontier and York
* Battles, Raids and Skirmishes * Protecting the Supply Line Ship Building Race Proximity to Montreal and its sheltered harbour quickly established Kingston as the primary British naval base on Lake Ontario. A series of batteries and blockhouses were built to protect the naval yards and the squadron at anchor. Although considered for an attack several times, and of great strategic importance, the United States never made a direct attempt at its capture or destruction. The shipyard at Kingston produced most of the British war ships to sail on Lake Ontario, including HMS St. Lawrence, which carried 120 guns, more than Nelson's flag ship Victory at Trafalgar. The naval race on Lake Ontario lasted the entire war. Both sides built larger and larger war vessels, eventually surpassing first rate ships in the British navy’s Atlantic fleet. The vessel shown above, apparently never built, was to be 107 feet long, 30 feet in breadth and of “410 tons burthen”. It is unclear how many guns were proposed for her armament. Neither side was willing to risk a full scale naval engagement on Lake Ontario. There were several instances where the two fleets passed each other at a distance, doing limited damage. The major naval disaster on Lake Ontario was the sinking of the USS Hamilton and USS Scourge in a storm in 1813.
The USS General Pike and HMS Wolf, September 28, 1813 "A few days ago about Eighty Ship Carpenters arrived at this place [York] from your province, the keel of a thirty gun ship will soon be laid on the stocks. I am informed that a vessel of nearly the same dimmentions [sic] is to be built at Kingston. I hope we shall regain the command of the Lakes so shamefully lost, but to me it appears doubtful, for I do not like the idea of having our Navy at different Ports…It is much wished for in this province than an expedition may be planned to attack Sackets Harbour so as to destroy the Enemy's fleet and stores at that place, it is very practicable, no doubt many lives would be lost, the object is great but is the surest means of obtaining the command of the Lakes." Extract from an original letter from Donald Maclean (York) to Charles Stewart, January 11, 1813 Miscellaneous collection The ship mentioned by Maclean in the stocks at York (right) was the General Brock; it was burned to prevent its use by the Americans when the British forces retreated from the town in April 1813. The term "thirty gun ship" was an approximate description. The number of weapons placed on a vessel of this size varied depending on the size of the guns (the weight of the shot), whether the short barrelled carronade was used versus long guns and a variety of other factors. The Invasion on Sackett's Harbour Background During the Spring of 1813, Commodore Isaac Chauncey had transported Henry Dearborn's army to western Lake Ontario were it was to attack York and Fort George, instead of invading Kingston as Secretary of War John Armstrong had wished. Knowing that Chauncey would be kept busy, Sir George Prevost and Commodore James Yeo decided to attack Chauncey's own naval base at Sackett's Harbor, New York on the opposite side of the lake. Isaac Chauncey (20 February 1779 - 27 January 1840) was an officer in the United States Navy. ... Henry Dearborn Henry Dearborn (February 23, 1751 – June 6, 1829) was an American physician, statesman and veteran of both the American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. ... Lake Ontario seen from near Wolcott, New York Lake Ontario, bounded on the north by Ontario and on the south by Ontarios Niagara Peninsula and by New York State, is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. ... The Battle of York was a battle of the War of 1812 on April 27, 1813, at York, Upper Canada, which was later to become Toronto, Ontario. ... There is also a massively fortified garrison at Fort George, Scotland, completed in 1769. ... John Armstrong, Jr. ... Sir George Prevost (1767-1816) was a British soldier and colonial administrator. ... James Lucas Yeo (1782-1818) was a British Naval commander who served in the War of 1812. ... Sackets Harbor is a village located in Jefferson County, New York.
Sackets Harbor The Battle On May 28, 1813, Yeo arrived offshore and refused to move in closer because he was unfamiliar with water depths and wished to keep out of range of the Sackett's Harbor defenses. That morning Prevost's men began rowing ashore, but when Prevost thought he say Chauncey's fleet in the distance he called off the attack and returned to Yeo's ships (the boats he saw turned out not to be Chauncey's fleet, but instead just a few frigates manned by a few sailors from the naval base). Prevost decided not to attack until the next morning. May 28 is the 148th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (149th in leap years). ... 1813 is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Brigadier General Jacob Brown, commanded the Sackett's Harbor defenses. At the time Yeo arrived, he had under his command some 840 regulars, which garrisoned two forts gaurding the naval base, Fort Volunteer and Fort Tompkins. The British delay in attacking allowed Brown to call out the local militia units to strengthen the garrison. Then next morning, May 29, Prevost resumed the attack. Once the British landed they quickly routed the first line on defense, which was mostly militia units in a time of the war when the American militia units had not been turned into an effective fighting force like they were to become in 1814. The second line of defense proved to be more stubborn. Using several blockhouses as cover, the defenders held up the British for nearly two hours, before retiring within Fort Volunteer and Fort Tompkins. The British made a flanking maneuver and marched through the town of Sackett's Harbor, New York and past the naval yard. Fearing that the British may capture the base, the Americans set fire to some of the base and the newly built General Pike. Once inside the fortifications, the American defenders continued the battle and the British who were taking on casulties by this time could not breach the fort. Commodore Yeo still refused to bring his ship within range for support, insisting on staying out of range of the fort's artillery. With little hope against the defenses the British withdrew. The British withdrew back to the ships under fire, although the defenders made no pursuit. A Brigadier General, or one-star general, is the lowest rank of general officer in the United States and some other countries, ranking just above Colonel and just below Major General. ... Jacob Jennings Brown (May 9, 1775-February 24, 1828) was an American army officer in the War of 1812. ... A militia is a group of citizens organized to provide paramilitary service. ... May 29 is the 149th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (150th in leap years). ... A 19th-century-era block house in Fort York, Toronto In military science, a blockhouse is a small, isolated fort in the form of a single building. ... Sackets Harbor is a village located in Jefferson County, New York. ... Results The British forces withdrew from Sackett's Harbor. Although the General Pike had been set on fire, since it was still green wood it did not burn well and the Americans were able to salvage the ship. The part of the shipyard that was set on fire did cause the American navy some setbacks in the upcoming campaigns. Yet it did remain in American hands thanks in part to the capable leadership of Jacob Brown. Jacob Jennings Brown (May 9, 1775-February 24, 1828) was an American army officer in the War of 1812.
The War Beyond Upper Canada
* Lower Canada
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