HISTORY

The Affair Opposite Black Rock, November 28, 1812

Also know n as the Battle of Frenchman's Creek. As the first part of his planned invasion, General Smyth sends an advance of 400 men across the river at 3AM; their task . . . destroy the bridge at Frenchman's Creek to isolate Ft. Erie.

The cross in the dark is a disaster. The British are aware that the American's are coming. There is a battery set up to rake the assault with cannon fire. Some of the boats make the crossing, some are lost and some are forced to turn back. Finally an advance party lands and driver off the gun crews. They spike the gun.

Another party marches to the bridge at Frenchman's Creek . . . Only when they arrive they discover that the axes needed to destroy the bridge were left in the boats. A party is sent back to retrieve them. They do not return. The men attempt to destroy the bridge by hand, but just as that starts a British force arrives; the Americans retreat.

Once they arrive at the boat landing, they find that all the boats went back with the troops that spiked the gun. The British are right on their heals. They are trapped. Some of the men swim the icy river, the others surrender.

The next day at Black Rock, 3,000 Americans get into their boats in full view of the British at Ft. Erie. They sit there all morning shivering. It is snowing and ice floats on the river. Smyth will not order the attack until the artillery is loaded into the boats. No one can figure out how to do this. The morning drags on into afternoon.

At last Smyth arrives at the scene and issues the follow order: Disembark and dine.

The troops are furious. Several break their muskets in frustration.

On November 30th, Smyth once again orders all the men in his command into boats at Black Rock . . . in broad daylight, in full view of the British forces across the Niagara River. They are ordered to cross the river and take Ft. Erie. His officers are aghast; how can Smyth launch an attack in broad daylight? They insist the British will be prepared. They convince Smyth to change the plan slightly. Let the boats drift across the river, landing just north of Chippawa, attack the garrison there and then turn and march north through Queenston and take Ft. George.

When Smyth and the officers get to the boats, only 1,500 regulars are in the boats . . . at least that number has disappeared (3,000 reported the day before). The militia from Pennsylvania has not even arrived. After a heated discussion, the troops are dismissed and set into winter quarters.

Within days Smyth asks Dearborn for permission to go home for the season. In order to avoid another court marshal, President Monroe simply tells the War Department to remove his name from the rolls.

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