Question For General McClure

British Military and Naval Records (RG 8, C Series - Index Cards)
Microform: c-11837 [Image 3706]

Source

More about General (then Major) Cruger who was subordinate to General McClure in the burning of Newark incident.

Another Entry For General George McClure

British Military and Naval Records (RG 8, C Series) - Index Only

Microform: c-11837

Source

See another entry for Brigadier General, U.S.A., George McClure here.

Marauding And Plundering

Source

General George McClure from a Canadian point of view, from The War of 1812, Volume 11, by James Hannay:

The retirement of the British from the vicinity of Fort George gave General McClure a free hand for the practice of the only species of warfare in which he was competent to shine---that of marauding and plundering.

American soldiers were quartered on the inhabitants of Newark and the farm houses in its vicinity were systematically robbed by McClure's troops. This general had offered the friendship and protection of his government to the people of the Province, but these fine sounding words proved to be without meaning. Friendship and protection were only for those who would renounce their allegiance and cooperate with him in the work of making Upper Canada an American state. All others who preferred to remain British subjects were to be dragooned into submission.

Bands of American banditti scoured the country, pillaging and destroying the houses of the inhabitants, and carrying off the principal of them to the American side of the Niagara River where they were incarcerated in filthy dungeons.

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."

Daniel Cruger's Objections

Source of Newark Burning Depiction

"Some time after reaching the seat of war, the general [McClure], understanding that certain orders directed him to burn the town of Newark [Niagara-on-the-Lake], in Canada, took the necessary steps to obey."

"Major Cruger and Mr. Spencer, however, dissented from the view of the order taken by General McClure, and objected to burning the town. About this time Mr. Spencer was called home by sickness in his family, and Mr Cruger stood alone in his opposition."

"The general, therefore, prepared to carry out his construction of the order, and Major Cruger was ordered to enter the town with a flag of truce, and inform the "inhabitants of the threatened conflagration."  He obeyed the order, entered the town with an orderly, and after giving the usual notice, he and his orderly assisted the inhabitants to remove their effects; and the town was soon in flames."

From the Lives of eminent lawyers and statesmen of the state of New York, with notes ...

The Olive Tree Genealogy website has residents' losses listed from the Newark burning incident.