At the capture of Fort Niagara

 

British Military and Naval Records (RG 8, C Series) - (Page 5367) Microform:c-11837:

Source

McDonald, Donald. Ensign, 8th or King's Regt. At the capture of Fort Niagara, Dec. 19th, 1813.
Lt. Col. Ogilvie

Cross-posted at Detour Through History

Visiting Family While Fort Was Captured

Source (December, 1813, Entries)

"Capt. Leonard, the commanding officer of the fort, was [visiting] with his family. He came very early to the garrison in the morning, but was much surprised to be challenged by a British sentinel, who made prisoner of him." 

Bayonets Are Trumps

Source

Wikipedia account of the December 19, 1813, capture.

Ryan's Court Martial

From the Archives online at Indiana University:
1812 Aug. 10 Hall, Amos, fl. 1813
Autographed letter signed. 3 p. 25 cm.
Head Quarters, Niagara Frontier. To William Wadsworth. Deals with the court martial trial of John Ryan a British spy.

Specification #1 At Ryan's Court Martial:

Fort Niagara, 1813

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"The burning of Newark was a wicked and cruel act and drove the British to take a swift and barbarous vengeance. During the night of December eighteenth [1813], five hundred and fifty regulars crossed the river, crept up unseen to Fort Niagara, surprised the sentinels, rushed through the main gate, and captured the fort and three hundred and fifty prisoners. No surprise was ever more complete." [Source]

Forts And Soldiers

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Mounted A Cannon On The Roof

From Mrs. John Graves Simcoe's Diary:

Mon. 29th Rode before breakfast. At Navy Hall, the " Onondaga " arrived from Kingston in 22 hours. There is a large stone house, built by the French, in the Fort at Niagara...." .

Source - Navy Hall, Niagara

"NOTE. This house is a large stone building which stands within the precincts of the American Fort, and was built by the French prior to 1750...[with] a timbered roof. During the War of 1812 the Americans are said to have torn it off, made a flat roof, with stone walls projecting a foot or so above it, and to have mounted a cannon on the roof."

Needed From The Arsenal

Letter from Peter B. Porter, Q. M. G. of the State of New York
Black Rock, June 28, 1812

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"There is every reason to believe that the British meditate an attack on Fort Niagara...".

"Bring with you all the arms and ammunition in the Canandaigua arsenal."

Niagara Plat Map

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Map from McGill Library in Canada

Queenston and Brock's Monument In Lower Right Corner

Pre-War Niagara Area

Fort Chippawa - Pre-War In The Niagara Area [Source]

From Richardson's War of 1812:...:

The settlement proper of the country (Canada, near Queenstown Heights) dates from the close of the Revolutionary war, when the disbanded soldiers of Butler's Rangers and other United Empire Loyalists took up grants of land on the banks of the river. At the mouth of the river there soon grew up the town of Niagara (Newark), opposite Fort Niagara, at that time and until 1796 in the hands of the British.

Letter From Black Rock

Source

BLACK ROCK, June 28, 1812.

SIR,

THERE is every reason to believe that the British meditate an attack on Fort Niagara, and that it may be attempted within twenty-four hours from this time. If they once pass the river it is impossible to say how far they may proceed. Under these very urgent circumstances, I despatch an express to request that you will immediately march the men under your command to our assistance. Although you may not have received orders authorizing you to comply with this request, I am persuaded the occasion will justify you, as your men can be of no possible use at Canandaigua, or any other place along the south shore of the lake, and are undoubtedly intended, ultimately, for this place. Bring with you all the arms and ammunition in the Canandaigua arsenal.

In great haste, yours respectfully,

PETER B. PORTER, Q. M. G.

Maj. Mullany, commanding at Canandaigua.

[Major General Hall addressed Major Mullany by the same conveyance, and equally urgent, with an assurance that the people would bear him harmless in the event of his being censured by the government for marching for their protection, &c. &c] 

Fort Niagara Was Out Of Repair

A BRIEF HISTORY OF OLD FORT NIAGARA:

Fort Niagara's Southwest Blockhouse

The official declaration of the war, made June 18th, reached Fort Niagara June 26th, a day after the news had reached the Canadian Frontier by private messengers sent to his agents hereabouts by John Jacob Astor, who had vast commercial interests at stake. According to the commandant's private admission, the fortifications were out of repair, there was scarcely any arms or ammunition, and only one company of soldiers in the fort, showing great negligence on the part of the War department.

Newark, Ft. Niagara And Ft. George

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Fort Mississauga

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".....Fort Mississauga at the mouth of the Niagara River...".

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Lt. Col. George McFeeley

Lieutenant Colonel George McFeeley was the commanding officer at Fort Niagara, War of 1812, and issued the following report [excerpted below] to General Alexander Smyth as found in the Official letters of the military and naval officers of the United States, during the war with Great Britain in the years 1812, 13, 14, & 15 : with some additional letters and documents elucidating the history of that period .

Fort Niagara, November 25th, 1812.

Sir,

I beg leave to inform you that on the morning of the 21st instant, at 5 o'clock, a heavy connonading opened upon this garrison from all the batteries at, and in the neighbourhood of Fort George, which lasted, without intermission, until after sun-down. The garrison was not as well provided with artillery and ammunition as I could have wished; however, the batteries opened a tremendous fire upon them in return, with hot shot, admirably well directed.

An instance of extraordinary bravery in a female (the wife of one Doyle, a private of the United States' artillery, made a prisoner at Queenstown) I cannot pass over.  See related Doyle post.

Only two of the above men were killed by the enemy's shot, the rest by the bursting of a 12 pounder in the south-east block house, and by the spunges of the guns on the north block house, and at the salt battery.

GEORGE M'FEELEY

Below, date line Carlisle 24th March 1812, is McFeeley's acknowledgment of his appointment as lieutenant-colonel (from Fold3).

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Correspondence: Major Armistead To General Smyth....

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...regarding being engaged at Fort Niagara during its bombardment Nov. 21, 1812:

Major Armistead to Brigadier General Smyth
Lewistown November 22, 1812

Sir:

I left Niagara with the intention of seeing you, but finding my horse not able to proceed, I have declined going.  My business was to get, if possible, some ammunition for the garrison, as we nearly expended all we had yesterday, and which did the enemy great damage--destroyed one of their best buildings, and did the town considerable damage; sunk a schooner that was sent out of Genesee river, and dismounted several of their guns.

...but my greatest concern is, the want of provisions, which, if not supplied, we will inevitably have to evacuate the post.

I am sir, your obedient servant, W.K. ARMISTEAD

 Source

The engagement was also noted for the bravery of Mrs. Doyle (see more about her here and here).

Fort Niagara....

...from Quaint And Historic Forts.

Source

Fort Niagara, on Niagara River, New York

General George McClure's Burn

General George McClure (1777 - 1851)

Military records concerning U.S. General George McClure were found in the British Military and Naval records (index) (also here through here) in the Library and Archives Canada.

McClure, George, Brig'r Genl. U.S.A.

G.O. To retain command of troops in Forts Niagara & George; returns of prisoners, provisions &c.; restrictions on persons coming within lines of the Army; & c.

Adjt. Genl's Office, Hd. Qrs. Newark, 2-11-1813.

THE WAR OF 1812: Writings from America's Second War of Independence (see review here) had a chapter entitled Cyrenius Chapin to the Buffalo Gazette , subtitled "The Case Against George McClure: Niagara Frontier, December 1813."

In December, General McClure abandoned Fort George in the face of advancing British troops, after ordering the fort and the neighboring Canadian town of Newark to be burned.  The British captured Fort Niagara and retaliated by burning towns in New York.  

A quote from The War Of 1812....book:  "A spirited resistance, led in part by Lieutenant Colonel Cyrenius Chapin, defended Buffalo, but dissolved when the colonel was captured.  Six months later, upon his release from a Montreal jail, Chapin published the following indictment of McClure's command in the June 13 edition of the Buffalo Gazette."

The Bravery Of Doyle's Wife

Part of a letter to General Alex. Smythe from Lieutenant Colonel George M'Feeley, commanding officer at Fort Niagara dated 25 November 1812:

Source

An instance of extraordinary bravery in a female (the wife of one Doyle, a private of the United States' artillery, made a prisoner at Queenstown) I cannot pass over.  During the most tremendous cannonading I have ever seen, she attended the six pounder on the old mess house with red hot shot, and showed fortitude equal to the maid of Orleans.

This blog post has the story of Mrs. Doyle and features an interesting picture.  Another good blog post here.

See what happened to Mrs. Doyle.

Fort Niagara

From The military heroes of the war of 1812: with a narrative of the war: