CHARACTERS

Major General Jacob Brown

Offered a commission in the New York state militia, Brown abandoned his Quaker beliefs to accept the rank of Brigadier General. He gained favor by avoiding frequent and expensive military parades in times of peace. On the frontier, it was time-consuming and expensive for scattered members of the militia to assemble and drill. Of course this left the NY Militia somewhat unprepared for war.

Brown led the defense of Sacket's Harbor in May of 1813. As a result of this effort, Secretary of War John Armstrong granted him a regular army commission as brigadier general. Soon after, Brown advanced on the Longue Sauté rapids, supporting Major General Wilkinson advance of the Army of the North. Brown led his forces to join with Major General Wilkinson as planned. After the failed battle at John Chrysler's Farm and Chateauguay, Wilkinson canceled the campaign and the army crossed back to the US.

Brown replaced Wilkinson as commander of the Army of the North in the spring of 1814. Although it had no strategic value, Brown set his sights on the Niagara River, which he believed was vulnerable. Unfortunately any victory could not be followed up without control of Lake Ontario. None the less, in early July, Brown led 3,500 men across the Niagara River and seized Ft. Erie. Two days later the American army met with a victory when they defeated the British on an open battlefield at Chippawa. The bulk of the British army was allowed to escape negating any effect of the victory.

On July 25, the British advanced and engaged Winfield Scott's battalion at Lundy's Lane. Brown directed the American offensive until he was seriously. He was removed from the field and command passed to Major General Eleazar Ripley until the battle ended in a bloody stalemate.

The Americans retreated to Ft. Erie and were holed up there while the British conducted a long siege. The British finally retired and the Americans, again without any way to follow up the victory were forced to withdraw back to New York .