Colonel Proctor's Brilliant Successes

Colonel [Henry] Proctor, whom he [Sir Isaac Brock] left in command in Michigan, had a brilliant series of successes in the winter of 1812-13. He also received the surrender of two American generals and their armies---Clay, in Ohio; Wilkinson, at the River Raisin. Gen. Wilkinson and his army were brought down to Newark. Gen. Clay and his force were paroled and allowed to return home. [Source]

Newark (Niagara) In 1813

Source

Also see Newark, Ft. Niagara And Ft. George and General George McClure's Burn.

Daniel Cruger's Foray Into Canada

Soon after this [burning of Newark] he [Major Cruger] was placed in command of a detachment of soldiers, and two companies of Indians under the command of the celebrated chief, Red Jacket, with orders to proceed into the interior of Canada on a reconnaissance. The movement was attended with great danger from ambuscades of hostile Indians and attacks from heavy bodies of British troops which could be thrown forward against them. But Major Cruger was not a man to shrink from danger, and with his little command he carefully, successfully, and skillfully obeyed his instructions.

On the 2nd day of October they approached a small Indian village. Hearing an unusual shouting, yelling, and whooping, Cruger halted and sent forward scouts to ascertain the cause of the commotion. After a short absence they returned and reported that the Indians had three American soldiers whom they had captured and were about compelling to run the gauntlet.  [Source]

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.