Upper Canada Preserved — War of 1812 6-Book Bundle. Richard Feltoe
for the destruction of Ogdensburg. Unfortunately, Prevost’s non-aggression directives vetoed any immediate retaliation.
Detail from a map showing the fortifications at Prescott. What was later named Fort Wellington is at centre right, while a small stockaded military compound lies just to the left (west).
Library and Archives Canada, NMC, C-24808.
With the New Year little seemed to have changed, as the uneasy stalemate of truce continued. However, at the beginning of February Captain Forsyth received reports that a number of American troops were being held and mistreated in the jail at Elizabethtown (Brockville). Without verifying the information, and against general orders, Forsyth organized a raiding party consisting of around two hundred U.S. riflemen, supported by Ogdensburg militiamen under Colonel Thomas Benedict. Crossing the frozen St. Lawrence River undetected on the night of February 6–7th, the Americans swept down on the detachment of Leeds County Militia garrisoning the post, capturing them almost without a shot being fired. Releasing the few prisoners that they found in the jail cells, the Americans then arrested a number of local citizens to add to the twenty or so militiamen already captured and returned to the Ogdensburg with over fifty prisoners, one hundred twenty muskets, twenty rifles, two casks of ammunition, and several barrels of food.[4] As far as Colonel Pearson was concerned, this escalation in enemy activities only confirmed his determination that the American position at Ogdensburg needed to be permanently neutralized as soon as possible. However, as he could not contravene Sir George Prevost’s injunction against engaging in offensive warfare, he sought to gain the appropriate approvals.
Only days later, on February 21st, and to the surprise of everyone, Sir George Prevost himself arrived at Prescott, accompanying a supply column of sleighs. His mission, taken in the depth of winter, was no casual journey; instead it was being made as an urgently needed measure to quell the growing criticism of General Sheaffe’s administration of Upper Canada. In addition, Prevost wanted to make a personal assessment of Sheaffe’s plan to completely revise the militia system of Upper Canada and establish a series of full-time militia units, including a troop of Provincial Light Cavalry, a troop of Provincial Artillery Drivers, battery companies of Provincial artillery, and, most importantly, three battalions of a new “Incorporated” Militia infantry.
Discussing the current American offensive activities, Prevost heard out Colonel Pearson’s request to attack Ogdensburg, but replied by reaffirming his position that no offensive actions were to take place that might disturb the status quo with the Americans. Prevost also notified Colonel Pearson that he was transferring him to Kingston to take over command of that important post, as part of the reorganization Prevost was undertaking among the upper echelon military command in Upper Canada. Pearson’s replacement, Major “Red” George Macdonell, of the Glengarry Light Infantry, was appointed effective immediately — as Pearson would be accompanying Prevost when he left the following morning.
Conscious that the Americans had probably received intelligence of his arrival with the supply column and might attack the convoy, Prevost chose to leave early in the morning and without fanfare. As a diversion, Major Macdonell was directed to exercise and parade his troops on the ice-covered St Lawrence River — a practice well established by the British once the weather had created this natural parade ground.
Following orders, Macdonell turned out the garrison for the “demonstration” at dawn. However, once the convoy of sleighs was well on its way, instead of recalling the troops and dismissing his men, Macdonell decided to implement the plan of attack previously developed by Colonel Pearson and take his chances over the official reaction. Forming his force into two columns around 7:00 a.m., Macdonell ordered his men to advance in rapid time across the intervening span of the river to attack Ogdensburg and the hopefully unprepared American garrison.*[5]
Two views from the 1813 earthen ramparts of Fort Wellington at Prescott. The existing central blockhouse is a post-war construction. The far bank, beyond the St. Lawrence River, is the United States, clearly indicating the fort’s strategic position in controlling waterborne traffic upon the river.
On the American side of the river no serious consideration had been given to mounting an attack on Prevost or the convoy, and in keeping with the bitterly cold weather only the sentries were outside, manning their lonely and frigid duty posts. As the light of day improved, the sight of the British troops parading up and down on the river ice below their fort was nothing out of the ordinary and therefore elicited no immediate sense of alarm. However, this calm was soon shattered as the two strong enemy columns rapidly closed upon the American positions. Hearing the alarm sounded by the sentries, the Americans scrambled to dress and man their positions before they were overrun.
The “Stockade Barracks” at Prescott. Built in 1810, this house was taken over by the military at the start of the war and subsequently saw service as a regimental barracks, food and clothing storehouse, and military hospital.
Out on the river, the main (left) British column, under Major Macdonell, looked to reach land and move around the village in order to press their attack on the American vulnerable right (northeast) flank. Moving with only minor difficulty through some shallow snowdrifts, and under relatively light fire, the infantry in this column reached the American shore in time to see the sentries beating a hasty retreat through the village. Without waiting for his artillery support, which was having a more difficult and slower crossing, Macdonell led his men through the streets, rapidly quelling any signs of opposition from enemy troops and civilians hiding in the buildings. They also overran the artillery positions stationed on that side of the community.
Meanwhile, Captain John Jenkins’ (right) column encountered snowdrifts along the American shoreline that hampered the advance of the infantry and entirely blocked the close support of the artillery pieces on sleighs. Moving down the frozen river, they came under a point-blank fire from no less than seven U.S. artillery pieces and up to two hundred of Forsyth’s riflemen, garrisoning the community’s small fort stockade. This inflicted a significant number of casualties upon the attackers, including Captain Jenkins, who had an arm amputated by the direct impact of artillery “grapeshot.” Continuing to advance and urging his men on, Jenkins was hit yet again, incapacitating him entirely. Under this withering and accurate fire, the column faltered and then withdrew toward Prescott. Here they were rallied and advanced again in support of Macdonell’s column, which by then had taken full control of the village and were calling for Forsyth and his men to surrender. Refusing this demand, Forsyth fired his remaining artillery as a final show of defiance before making a hasty retreat with his unwounded men through the fort’s rear gate, heading for the nearby woods and then for Sackets Harbor. Left behind were a number of detachments of local militia and the wounded, so that following a mopping-up operation within the various buildings, the final American casualty count was estimated at over fifty men.*[6] In addition, a substantial total of ordnance, arms, accoutrements, and supplies also fell into British hands. So voluminous was the total that it took most of the following day to transport it all across the river. Unfortunately, in addition to the legitimate official spoils of victory, some looting of civilian houses in the village also took place. To the credit of the attackers, once this became known to the various officers they went to some lengths to retrieve items “acquired” by their men for return to their legitimate owners. However, nothing could be done about the looting that was confirmed as being done by the retreating American troops or opportunistic members of the local American civilian population. In an interesting sidebar to this event, there are also strong indications that some of the women from Prescott took advantage of the British victory to engage in what today might be colloquially termed a “five-finger discount, cross-border shopping expedition,” as a number were subsequently witnessed returning across the river to Prescott during