HISTORY

April 26th 1813
Battle of York : The Plan

Early in the winter of 1813, Maj. Gen. Dearborn, who was in command of the Army of the North, had about 6,000 regular troops under his control. Chauncey had acquired such complete control of Lake Ontario that he could confine all the British vessels of war to the harbor of Kingston.

Orders were given for the concentration of 4,000 troops at Sackett's Harbor, and 3,000 at Buffalo. The Sackett's Harbor troops were to cross the ice to Kingston, capture that place, destroy all the shipping that might be wintering there, and then, as soon as practicable, either by land or water, proceed to York (now Toronto), seize the army stores collected there, and two frigates said to be under construction.

By March, hearing a false report hat they had been massively reinforced, the expedition against Kingston was abandoned. Gen. Dearborn could only find about 3,000 troops at the Sackett's Harbor and a joint land and naval expedition was proposed, to first capture York, and then to cross Lake Ontario and reduce Fort George. At the same time, troops were to cross the Niagara from Buffalo and Black Rock, capture Ft. Erie and Chippewa, join the fleet and army at Ft. George, and all proceed to attack Kingston. Every thing being arranged, Dearborn embarked about seventeen hundred men on Chauncey's fleet at Sackett's Harbor on the 22nd of April, and on the 25th the fleet, crowded with soldiers, sailed for York.

The Landing

The force arrived at York early in the morning of the 27th, when General Dearborn, in poor health, placed the land forces under the command of Brig. Gen. Pike, and decided to remain on board the commodore's flag-ship during the attack. The defenders amounted to some cannon and a garrison of about 800 men, under Maj. Gen. Sheaffe.

The plan was to land at a clearing near old Fort Toronto. An easterly wind, however, drove the small boats in which the troops left the fleet, a full half a mile farther westward, and beyond the covering by the guns of the navy. Maj. Forsyth and his riflemen, in two boats, led the attack, and when within rifle-shot of the shore they were assailed by a deadly volley of bullets by a company of Glengary Fencibles and a party of Indians under Maj. Givens, who were concealed in the woods that fringe the shore.

Eventually the 6th, 15th, 16th, and 21st Infantry, and detachments of light and heavy artillery, with Maj. Forsyth's riflemen and Lieutenant Col. M'Clure's volunteers as flankers, pressed forward into the woods. The British skirmishers meanwhile had been re-enforced by two companies of the 8th, or King's Regiment of Regulars, 200 strong, a company of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, a large body of militia, and some Indians. They took position in the woods, and were soon encountered by the advancing Americans. Perceiving this, the British, led by Gen. Sheaffe in person, attacked the American flanks with a six-pounder and howitzer. A very sharp conflict ensued, and both forces took casualties.

The British fell back, when Gen. Pike, now at the head of the American column advanced, the band playing Yankee Doodle.

Outer Defenses

The Americans now pressed forward as rapidly as possible along the lake shore in platoons by sections. They were not allowed to load their muskets, and were ordered to use only their bayonets. As that column emerged from thick woods, Capt. Walworth was ordered to storm the defenses with the 16th. They immediately trailed their arms, quickened their pace, and were about to attack, when the wooden magazine of the battery blew up, killing some of the men, and seriously damaging the defenses. The dismayed enemy spiked their cannon, and fled to the next defense line. Walworth pressed forward, when that also was abandoned, and he found nothing within but spiked cannon. Sheaffe and his little army, deserted by the Indians, fled to the governor's house, and began returning fire at the Americans. Pike ordered his troops to halt, and lie flat upon the grass, while Maj. Eustis, with his artillery battery, moved to the front, and soon silenced the enemy fire.

When the firing from the garrison ceased, and the Americans expected to see a white flag displayed from the block-house in token of surrender. Lt. Riddle was sent forward with a small party to report on the British dispositions. Gen. Pike was sitting upon a stump conversing with a British sergeant who had been taken prisoner, his staff standing around him when there was a tremendous explosion near the British garrison.

The Blast

The British had blown up their powder-magazine. Fragments of timber, and huge stones of which the magazine walls were built, were scattered in every direction over a space of several hundred yards. When the smoke floated away 52 Americans lay dead, and 180 others were wounded. Gen. Pike, two of his aids, and the British sergeant were mortally injured. American troops pressed forward toward the village, and were met by the civil authorities and militia officers with an offer of surrender. An arrangement was concluded for an absolute surrender, with no other prescribed conditions than that all papers belonging to the civil officers should be retained by them, that private property of all kinds should be respected, and that the surgeons in attendance upon the British regulars and Canadian militia should not be considered prisoners of war. General Sheaffe's baggage and papers were captured.

Taking advantage of the confusion caused by the explosion, and the time consumed in the capitulation, Gen. Sheaffe and a large portion of his regulars fled along Dundas Street toward Kingston.

Aftermath

After the explosion and surrender, Gen. Dearborn went on shore, and assumed command. At sunset, both Chauncey and Dearborn wrote brief dispatches to Washington, Dearborn writing, "We are in full possession of this place." The result was 290 prisoners besides the militia, the war-vessel Duke of Gloucester, and a large quantity of naval and military stores, passed into the possession of the Americans. Much of what could not be carried away by the troops was destroyed; and before the US forces left, several public buildings were burned … most likely by US troops, but no one ever came forward to claim responsibility in any report.

Four days after the capitulation the troops were sent to attack Ft. George. The post and village of York were abandoned on May 8, 1813.

Gen. Pike was crushed beneath a heavy mass of stone that struck him in the back. He was carried immediately after discovery to the water's edge, placed in a boat, and taken, first on board the Pert, and then to the commodore's flag-ship. Pike lingered several hours, and then died of his injuries. Just before he died the captured British flag was brought to him. He made a sign for them to place it under his head, and they did so. His body was taken to Sackett's Harbor, and with that of his aid, Capt. Nicholson, was buried with military honors within Ft. Tompkins.