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May 25th – 27th In January 1944, Allied forces landed in Italy, just south of Rome to outflank and destroy the German 14th Army. At first the operation was an astounding success. There was limited defense on the beach and it appeared that the allies had achieved complete surprise. Yet the local American commander did not exploit the initial success and instead of advancing quickly stayed on the beach to consolidate the landing area. By the time he was ready to move out, it was too late. The German's called it their largest prisoner of war camp in Europe. Even Churchill railed against the operation saying: "I had hoped we were hurling a wildcat into the shore, but all we got was a stranded whale." The allied remained stranded on the beach until the German 14th Army's line was finally broken in May 1944. In effect the beach was rescued by the very army they were sent in to rescue. In 1813, that operation was called the Battle of Ft. George. Rarely were activities coordinated between the American Navy and the Army. Yet when it was, the result was a successful operation. Yet repeatedly the pattern was that when the Navy withdrew, the Army was forced to follow. The attack at York was a successful operation, but it was only a raid. There was really no plan to seize and hold territory in Canada. Ft. George, however, represented the first join operation of the Army and Navy that was intended to seize and hold territory . . . and it almost worked. But it ended as our whale stranded on the beach.
Preparations After abandoning York the American fleet sailed for Ft. George on the 8th of May and anchored off the mouth of Four-mile Creek, four miles east of Ft. Niagara. The troops were debarked, and Chauncey returned to Sackett's Harbor with most the fleet, to obtain supplies and reinforcements. Commodore Perry, in the Lady of the Lake, planted buoys to guide the smaller boats that would land the troops for the attack. Once the plan and troops were ready General Dearborn, who was quite ill or pretending to be ill, turned that actual command over to Col. Winfield Scott, who was adjutant general and chief of staff. The landing of the troops was entrusted to Commander Perry. Fort Niagara and the troops there were under the command of Major General Morgan Lewis, of New York. During the occupancy of the camp at Four-mile Creek reinforcements had come in from various points, and on the return of Chauncey, prepared for the attack. The American land force number 4,000 and were led by Generals Lewis, Boyd, Winder, and Chandler. The British force of 1,800 regulars were on hand to oppose the landing, consisting of the 49th Regiment, and detachments from the 8th, 41st, Glengary, and Newfoundland fencibles, under the command of Brig. Gen. John Vincent. Arrangements were made for the attack on Fort George on the morning of the 27th of May. A large number of boats were launched, toward evening on the 26th, a small battery opened upon the men preparing the boats. This brought on an anti-battery fire from Ft. Niagara. Meanwhile night came on, and under its cover the boats went down the river and reached the American encampment in safety. During the night, all the heavy artillery, and as many troops as possible, were placed on the largest ships Madison, Oneida, and Lady of the Lake, and instructions given for the remainder to follow in the smaller boats. Landing Between three and four o'clock in the morning of the 27th the squadron weighed anchor. The troops were all embarked at a little past four, and the whole flotilla moved toward the Niagara River. A heavy fog hovered over land and water from early dawn until the sun rose, covering the landing operations from direct observation. While the vessels were taking their final positions, and the troops were preparing to land, British batteries opened fire. Col. Scott personally led the first 500 men to land. Scott's advance was composed of his own troops acting as infantry, Forsyth's riflemen, and detachments from other infantry regiments. These were to be followed by Gen. Lewis's division and Col. Moses Porter with his light artillery and then by the commands of Generals Boyd (who had succeeded General Pike), Winder, and Chandler. The reserve group consisted of Col. Alexander Macomb's regiment of artillery, in which the marines of the squadron, under Capt. Smith, had been added. Boyd and Scott's men were unexpectedly attacked by 200 of the Glengary and Newfoundland troops under Capt. Winter, and about 40 Native Americans. These had been concealed in a ravine and wood. The fire passed over the heads of the Americans; and, a few minutes afterward, Scott and his party were on the beach, sheltered by an irregular bank, varying from six to twelve feet in height, where they formed for action. The enemy, concerned about the fire from the American navy, kept back. Both Perry and Scott, using open boats, continued to direct the landing until the entire 1st brigade, under Boyd, landed on the beach, followed by M'Clure's Baltimore and Albany Volunteers. US Naval vessels discharged grape and canister shot on the British, who were now advancing to repel the Americans, under Col. Myers. Three times the 1st Brigade was compelled to fall back. In the first attempt, Scott, at the head of his men, was hurled backward to the beach. Scott's men soon recovered and rushed up the bank, taking and holding a position. The contest lasted only about twenty minutes, when the severe cannonade from the flotilla and the fire of the American troops caused the British to break and flee in much confusion. The British troops, including the 49th Regiment, fled toward Queenston closely pursued by American forces. Col. Myers, their commander, was wounded and taken from the field.
British Withdrawal Gen. Vincent determined that his forces could not stop the landing, and that Fort George was untenable, ordered its guns to be spiked, the ammunition to be destroyed, the fort to be abandoned, and the whole force under his command to retreat westward to a place called the Beaver Dams. Hearing of the impending destruction of the fort from some British troops who were captured abandoning the fort, Scott immediately detached two companies, under Captains Hindman and Stockton, to head toward the fort to save the guns and ammunition. Just as they reached the fort the magazines exploded. American troops forced the gat and extinguished two smaller magazines, and hauled down the British flag. Scott troops then pursued the withdrawing enemy forces, ignoring calls to return to the fort. These forces were overtaken by Gen. Boyd, who gave orders to relinquish the chase and return to Ft. George. All returned except for a force under Lt. Riddle, who pursued the fugitives almost to Queenston, and captured and brought back several prisoners. Before noon, Ft. George was in possession of the Americans, the attack having taken only three hours. Only a small portion of them had been actually engaged in the conflict. Losses were about 40 killed and 100 wounded. The British regulars lost 51 killed and 305 wounded, missing, and prisoners. 507 British militia were made prisoners, with quite a large quantity of munitions and stores saved from destruction at Fort George.
British Reorganize Gen. Vincent and most of his troops reached the Beaver Dams toward sunset, and during the evening he was joined by a few companies or regulars and a few, of mounted militia. After dark, these forces were joined by troops from Ft. Erie, his whole force being about 1,600 men. He wrote an official dispatch to Sir George Prevost that evening, giving an account of the events, and suggesting a withdrawal to Burlington Heights. On the 29th he took post on the heights, and was soon joined by troops from Kingston. On the morning of the 28th, when it was known that Vincent had fallen back to his depot at the Beaver Dams, Gen. Lewis was sent in pursuit of him with the brigades of Chandler and Winder. They accomplished nothing. Ascertaining that Vincent had fled westward, they made a circuit of many miles to assure themselves of the British evacuation of the frontier, and then returned to camp. Forts Erie and Chippewa's magazines were blown up and store-houses all along the frontier were burned on the evening of Friday the 28th, Lieutenant Col. James P. Preston crossed over with the 12th Regiment and took possession of Ft. Erie. Two or three days were now wasted, Dearborn not having been able to determine future movements. The naval force sailed for Sackett's Harbor on the 31st. Meanwhile a rumor came that Proctor was marching from the Detroit frontier to assist Vincent in recovering Ft. George. Dearborn finally send troops in pursuit of Vincent under Gen. Winder.
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