On the morning of the 3rd July, the United States’ force, 4000 strong, under General Brown, was ferried across in two divisions above and below Fort Erie, under cover of a fog. A picquet of the 19th Light Dragoons narrowly escaped being cut off, and the fort was at once invested. It was occupied at that time by a garrison of 170 men, and, though in no condition to make a proper defence, it was expected to maintain itself for a short time. It was however surrendered after the exchange of a few cannon shots. Riall, with his inferior numbers, contented himself by maintaining a small corps of observation in his front, while he himself remained encamped on the left bank of the Chippewa. On the 4th, Brown advanced, driving before him the corps of observation which destroyed the bridges as it fell back. A detachment of the 19th Light Dragoons under Lieutenant Horton, covering the rear, became involved in a skirmish in which they drove a party of the enemy into a house, which would probably have been captured had not assistance come to them. Four men and eight horses of the 19th were wounded in the skirmish. Brown encamped that night within sight of Riall’s position.
Riall was reinforced on the 5th by the arrival of the 8th regiment from Toronto, and, greatly under-estimating Brown’s force, which now amounted to about 5000 men with nine guns, he resolved on leaving his field works, and attacking. At three in the afternoon, Riall, whose force now amounted to about 1900 men, threw forward a body of militia and Indians on his right flank. After some desultory skirmishing they were driven back by increasing numbers, and fell back on the three light infantry companies, who received their assailants under U.S. General Porter with a terrific volley, driving them back in complete disorder, till they themselves were in turn forced to fall back by superior numbers. Riall, meanwhile, had passed the Chippewa, and drawn up his whole force in order of battle with three guns. After some cannonading, he formed six companies of the Royal Scots, and five companies of the 100th in two columns, and led them against the enemy’s centre. They were received with a tremendous fire against which they were unable to advance: almost every field officer, excepting Riall himself, was struck down, and the columns, suffering heavy losses, were obliged to withdraw, leaving their dead and many of their wounded on the field. The 8th regiment covered the retreat, which was not pressed, and the force recrossed the Chippewa to its former position. “The guns were removed only by the gallant exertions of some troopers of the 19th Dragoons, who attached their own horses to the carriages, and rode off with them in the teeth of the enemy.”[63] The British loss amounted to 515 killed, wounded, and missing, which fell principally on the Royal Scots and 100th, who lost 422 officers and men out of a total of 950 engaged. The 19th Light Dragoons had one sergeant and five men wounded. General Riall, in his dispatch after the battle, says:—
“I am particularly obliged to Major Lisle of the 19th Light Dragoons for the manner in which he covered and protected one of the 24-pounders which had been disabled. Lieutenant Colonel Pearson has reported to me, in the most favourable terms, the excellent manner in which Lieutenant Horton, with a party of the 19th Light Dragoons observed the motions of the enemy, while he occupied the position he took on his first landing (on 3rd July), and during his advance to this place.”
In consequence of this repulse, nearly the whole of his Indians and many of the militia left Riall, in order to look after their families. On the 8th, Brown threw a bridge across the Chippewa, three miles up the stream, thus turning Riall’s right. Riall thereupon broke up his camp, and withdrew to Fort George. Brown continued his advance, occupied Queenston Heights, and took up a position, investing Fort George, with his right resting on the Niagara river, and his left on the lake. Riall, after strengthening the garrisons in the forts, withdrew in the direction of Burlington Heights. To do this, he executed a remarkable night march, to avoid the enemy by whom he was hemmed in. At midnight, his force entered the lake, which is very shallow for a hundred yards from the shore, and, wading through the water for two miles and a half, he marched round the left wing of the investing army, without being detected by their vedettes. For ten days Brown lay inactive, looking for the arrival of the U.S. Ontario squadron to enable him to strike a decisive blow. But the squadron had been blockaded in Sackett’s Harbour ever since the capture of Oswego, and was unable to render him any assistance. Frequent skirmishes took place, in which the United States’ troops suffered losses, often at the hands of the Canadians who were roused to fury by the outrages committed on them. On one occasion the U.S. General Swift was killed by a patrol of the 8th regiment; a wagon train was destroyed, and the picquet guard at Erie cut off to a man. In retaliation for these losses, the United States’ troops burned the village of St David’s, and destroyed every dwelling-house between Queenston and Niagara Falls; under circumstances of such barbarity that the Colonel in command was dismissed from the army.
Meanwhile, Riall received some reinforcements from Toronto, and a great number of militia again joined him, badly armed and undisciplined, but exasperated beyond measure at the brigand-like acts of the invaders. This enabled him to advance, and threatened Brown’s communications. On the 20th, Brown advanced to Fort George, and commenced preparations for a siege, in the hopes that Riall would again hazard an engagement with inferior forces to relieve the Fort. Two days later, Riall with 1700 regular troops, 700 militia, and some Indians, took post in front of Twelve Mile Creek, in readiness to fall upon Brown if he should commence active operations against Fort George. On the 23rd, Brown received intelligence that the U.S. squadron was closely blockaded in Sackett’s Harbour, and was in no position to render him assistance. He at once broke up his camp, and withdrew to the right bank of the Chippewa, with the intention of depositing all unnecessary baggage and stores at Erie, and then making a rapid advance on Burlington and Toronto. On the same day, General Drummond reached Toronto, from Kingston, with the 89th regiment. These were at once sent forward, under Lieutenant Colonel Tucker, to Fort Niagara, with instructions to take drafts from the garrisons of the different forts, and to march, on the 25th, to Lewiston, where Brown had established a base of supplies. Riall was, at the same time, ordered to advance towards the Chippewa. Drummond himself embarked for Niagara, on the afternoon of the 24th, leaving Toronto with only a few invalids as a garrison.
At midnight of the 24th, Riall detached about 900 men under Lieutenant Colonel Pearson, with whom was a troop of the 19th Light Dragoons under Major Lisle, to advance and occupy the high ground near the Niagara Falls. By seven o’clock the next morning, after a fourteen-mile march, Pearson occupied a hill by Lundy’s Lane, within three miles of the United States’ camp, and one mile from the Niagara Falls. At the same time, Drummond landed and commenced his march along the left bank of the Niagara river, while Tucker, in accordance with previous orders, marched along the right bank on Lewiston. Lewiston was captured at noon, and the two parties reunited at Queenston. Sending back part of the force, Drummond, with 815 men and two guns, held on his way to Lundy’s Lane. Brown, on receiving intelligence of Tucker’s advance on Lewiston, believing that his more considerable stores at Fort Schlosser were threatened, and that Pearson’s party at Lundy’s Lane was only a strong patrol, resolved to make a countermove on Queenston and Fort George. Riall’s remaining brigades at Twelve Mile Creek were under arms at daybreak to support Pearson. Their advance was then countermanded, and they remained in camp till noon, when a force, numbering 1230 rank and file, with four guns, under Colonel Scott, was ordered to march at once for Lundy’s Lane. On neither side was there any immediate expectation of a battle.
A little before five in the afternoon Brown detached a force of about 1800 men and two guns under General Scott to advance on Queenston. On coming in contact with Pearson’s outposts, Scott became aware that the force in front of him was stronger than he had supposed, and delayed his attack, while he sent back to Brown for more troops. Riall, who had ridden on to join Pearson, took Scott’s brigade for the advance of Brown’s whole force. He at once sent back word to the force advancing from Twelve Mile Creek, which was still three miles away, to retire on the heights near Queenston, and ordered Pearson to retreat on that point. After retiring half a mile, Riall and Pearson met Drummond advancing. Drummond at once took the command, ordered the position at Lundy’s Lane to be re-occupied, and sent word to countermand Riall’s last order to Colonel Scott, whom he directed to press on and join him.
Scott (U.S.), fearing an ambush, advanced with great caution, which just allowed time for the British force to regain the hill before it could be occupied by the enemy. Drummond’s force now amounted to about 1700 men, thus disposed. On the summit of the hill were two guns: a little behind them were five companies of the Royal Scots, a detachment of the 41st, the 89th, with their left resting on the road running parallel with the river from Queenston to Niagara Falls. The line was prolonged towards the river by some of the 8th and some militia. On the road, somewhat retired, was Major Lisle’s troop of the 19th Light Dragoons. Both flanks were thrown forward, the woods on the right of the line being occupied by the Glengarry regiment, a corps of the Macdonald clan raised in Canada, that fought all through the war with great distinction. By a curious coincidence, Drummond had under his command three regiments, in which he had served as a regimental officer; the Royal Scots, the 8th, and the 41st.
Scott commenced his attack about half past six, along the entire front. On Drummond’s right and centre, the attack was not pushed home, and the British guns on the hill, from their advantageous position, had a decided superiority over the attacking artillery. But on Drummond’s left, the attack was successful. A battalion, ordered by Scott to make a wide turning movement through the dense forest between the road and the river, suddenly attacked the Canadian militia in flank, threw them into disorder, and captured some prisoners, occupied the road, and forced back Lisle’s troop of the 19th for over a mile. At this juncture, General Riall was severely wounded, and, being taken to the road, was conducted by mistake, in the growing darkness, into a party of the enemy, by whom he was at once made prisoner. The Canadian militia, however, quickly recovered themselves, and formed up in rear of the 89th, at right angles to them, covering the flank and rear of the British position. They also cleared the road to the rear, and the enemy made no further headway on this flank during the remainder of the battle.
Scott now made a determined attack, with the rest of his troops, on the British centre. It was repulsed after some severe fighting, in which both sides suffered heavily. A lull in the action then occurred, during which the artillery on both sides maintained their fire. Scott, while reforming his ranks, was joined by Brown and the rest of the United States’ troops; at the same time, Drummond was joined by the rear division of Riall’s troops, which had been marching and counter-marching, under conflicting orders, since they left Twelve Mile Creek. With them came the second troop of the 19th.