HISTORY

July 25,1814
Battle of Lundy's Lane

After the Battle of Chippawa, the Americans decided that they couldn't advance (without the unwilling Lake Ontario Fleet) and the British decided that they couldn't drive the Americans back across the river. To resolve this Canadian standoff, the British ordered troops from Ft. Niagara (which they still held) to advance and capture the US supply base at Ft. Schlosser. The thinking was that this would cause the Americans to withdraw and defend the supply depot rather that being cut off.

But Gen. Brown didn't bite. Figuring that Ft. Schlosser would fall before he could get his army back across the river, he decided to attack, hoping this would cause the British to withdraw their attack to repel the American advance. Brown ordered Winfield Scott to take his 900 man force and advance towards Ft. George. They only got as far as a road called Lundy's Lane.

The battle got started very late in the day . . . after 6PM . . . and everyone in the American command must have been tired from the heat. Scott moved his command quickly into line, but at the extreme range of US muskets. Hindman's artillery, which had done so well supporting the infantry in the past, also setup outside of effective range.

The British, on there part, mistook Scott's Brigade for Gen. Brown's entire force. They quickly lined up to repel the attackers, but they placed their artillery on a low hill far to the front of their lines. They then opened up on the Americans. Scott's Brigade took heavy losses, while inflicting few blows of their own. Finally seeing the problem Scott advanced his men and captured the British artillery position. The rest of the battle . . . which went long into the night . . . consisted of British attempts to take their artillery back from the Americans.

In the dark the battle did not go well for anyone.

Ripley's Brigade arrived late, lead by the 23rd regiment. While marching in column they ran right smack into a British counterattack. Only 8 members of the first company managed to escape and one of their chief casualties was their newest commander, Maj. Daniel McFarland. The 23rd regrouped and pushed the British back. Then the British drove off Porter's militia on the left of the 23rd . . . the 23rd, now without the firm leadership of its commander, fell back as well.

The battle when on and on, with American units fed into the fight piecemeal and the British launching ineffective frontal assaults to regain their guns. In the dark, virtually every American officer was wounded and by the end, Scott's 900 man brigade was down to 100 men.

The British were able to capture their guns for a brief period, but were unable to take them off the field (for lack of horses) and the guns were left on the field. It was, as I said, a tiring day, for the American did the same and just left the guns on the field.

Long and bloody the battle was a partial American victory in that they held the field, but not for long. With the heavy American losses and the prospect of the British being reinforced from Ft. Niagara, the Americans withdrew to Ft. Erie. With no prospect of American reinforcements or replacement the final American invasion of Canada was effectively over.