Upper Canada Preserved — War of 1812 6-Book Bundle. Richard Feltoe
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The Presbyterian church at Newark, the site of heavy fighting during the May 27 battle. The church was burned down by the Americans later that summer.
Toronto Reference Library, JRR-1253.
Back at the landing zone, the Americans did not follow the retreating British through the woods. Instead, they formed into three columns and advanced across the open ground, paralleling the shoreline, thus ensuring that they remained under the cover of the guns aboard their fleet. On the right, Winfield Scott’s column included detachments that infiltrated the woods, securing that flank and probing ahead, trying to outflank the British left flank. In the centre was Boyd’s main infantry force of the Sixth, Fifteenth, and part of the Sixteenth Regiments, supported by four artillery pieces; while on the left, nearest the waterfront, were the remainder of the Sixteenth Regiment with four more artillery pieces. Since no limber horses had accompanied the artillery on shore, moving the guns and limbers was done by “volunteers” from the infantry and the gun crews, who manhandled the heavy equipment over the uneven ground. Despite facing this overwhelming number of troops, Harvey’s line opened fire on the approaching American columns and, despite taking significant casualties, held back the repeated attacks of the American centre for over half an hour — and it should be noted that it was the guns of the British artillery that were particularly successful in stalling the enemy’s advance. But once Scott’s Light troops successfully outflanked the British left wing and the main line was in danger of being surrounded, Harvey was forced to order a retreat through the town to the garrison common, behind Fort George.
Seeing the British line moving away, several of the American senior officers prepared for a rapid advance, but were immediately curtailed by Major General Morgan Lewis, the senior officer in the field and effective commander of the army (as the ailing General Dearborn had chosen to remain onboard ship during the attack). Lewis was a savvy politician and former governor of New York State, but was an officer of virtually no battlefield experience and had the disasters of Hull, Van Rensselaer, and Smyth looming before him. Fearful of a trap, Lewis delayed for over an hour while the final landings augmented his force to over 4,000 men before ordering the advance continue.
By this time, Harvey and Vincent had rallied their depleted forces behind the burned-out remnants of Fort George and were prepared to make a last stand here. However, this decision was soon rendered moot when vessels from the American flotilla anchored in the river and brought their guns to bear upon the open ground both in front and behind the fort, thus cutting off any hope of making a stand in the open, or getting reinforcements from upriver. In addition, reports came in of American troop movements at Youngstown, threatening an American envelopment of the defenders from the rear. Fronted by a force vastly outnumbering his own, and threatened on his flanks and rear by potential movements of the enemy, Vincent ordered the evacuation of the ruined Fort George, the destruction of all supplies and ammunition that could not be carried off, and the spiking of all guns that could not be withdrawn. To the sounds of detonation, Vincent and his remaining troops retreated through the woods toward Queenston, while Norton’s Native warriors and a detachment of Incorporated Militia provided the rearguard.
Brigadier General Vincent initially considered retiring to Fort Erie, where he hoped to dig-in while awaiting reinforcements from Proctor’s force at Amherstburg. However, after being warned by Colonel Nichol and Lieutenant Colonel Harvey that this would effectively trap the British forces if the Americans pressed their victory, Vincent ordered the retreat be made to Beaver Dams instead, while orders were sent to Bisshopp’s troops to destroy their posts and retire on Vincent’s new position.*[5]
Butler’s Barracks, J.P. Cockburn, artist, 1829. A view of the road leading into Newark, with Butler’s Barracks on the right and Fort Niagara visible in the distance (centre) beyond the Niagara River, detail from the larger painting.
Library and Archives Canada, C-040034.
Meanwhile, when the American force eventually emerged from the town and cautiously approached Fort George (fearing the explosions they heard would presage a detonation similar to that of York), they found the main force of defenders gone and the only prisoners that fell into their hands were the wounded, the sick, some wives and dependants of the soldiers, and a detachment that had delayed too long in their assignment of destroying anything that would prove useful to the enemy. They also found an unconscious Winfield Scott, who had pressed ahead of his own troops into the fort and been struck by debris from an exploding magazine. Fortunately for the American cause, his only injury was a broken collarbone, which did not slow the warrior down one jot. The first secure foothold in Upper Canada had been attained — the only problem was that the enemy was gone, so which direction should the victorious army march to do battle and rout the retreating foe? Colonel Scott was in little doubt of the direction taken by the British and “deemed it his duty to institute and continue a pursuit of five miles; not merely without orders, but in evasion of such as were given.”[6] But he was soon frustrated by General Lewis, who feared a trap and counterattack within the dense woods surrounding the area and sent Scott an order “of a character so decided and peremptory as by leaving nothing to discretion, could not fail to recall him to Fort George.”[7]
Late that afternoon, Vincent’s order to retire reached Lieutenant Colonel Bisshopp at Fort Erie and the evacuation of all regular troops and field guns was begun. Only a detachment of the 3rd Lincoln Militia was left behind to destroy the magazines and spike the heavier garrison artillery that could not be removed. Instead of fruitlessly disposing of this resource, however, Major John Warren and his detachment undertook to expend every pound of powder and shot by bombarding the enemy batteries on the opposite shore — a task they kept up for most of the night. Around dawn they set about destroying the remaining stores and fortifications. Having accomplished this task, Warren officially dismissed his militiamen to either return to their homes, or retreat and join up with the militia units stationed along the Grand River. The Niagara frontier was now open for an American occupation. According to the official American history of that day, Fort Erie was “captured” by a detachment of the Twelfth Infantry Regiment (Lieutenant Colonel Preston). However, what is not in the official history is that prior to Preston’s occupation, an American naval surgeon, Usher Parsons, had made his own entirely unofficial “capture” of the fort.
At 7 o’clock this morning the enemy blew up their magazines at the fort. In the afternoon Dr. Purcell and myself, with one citizen and about 20 others (sailors), seeing no Centinels on the opposite shore crossed over … we were provided with a white handkerchief to wave if the enemy appeared…. We found no enemy and ventured to march towards Fort Erie not without some apprehensions of danger. But we met no one until near the fort when two portly looking gentlemen came out with a flag of truce. I left the men with Dr. Purcell and went with the gentlemen…. They asked for protection of their private property … but first desired me to calm the fears of the women who were assembled in a room and much frightened, which I did in a brief speech. I found an abundance of military stores, cloathing, arms, etc. and calling to my troops rigged them out with a full suit and then marched them back to the boat…. We returned to Black Rock and sent an anonymous note to the Col. at Buffalo that the enemy had left Fort Erie. I feared to send my name because I had violated all rules and discipline by my expedition. He embarked his regiment (first ascertaining that the Centinels were not to be seen) and crossed over in the evening and took possession of Fort Erie. I crossed over again in the evening and stayed all night.[8]
— Diary of Usher Parsons,
May