Battle of Queenston Heights

The battles of Queenston Heights was a battle of the Guerre of 1812 which was held the October 13rd 1812. It was about the most important confrontation in terms of troops engaged since the beginning of this war. The element release of this conflict came owing to the fact that the American wanted to establish a head of bridge on the Canadian bank of the river the Niagara before wintry time does not arrive. The British pushed back the American invasion, quite higher of number, by undergoing only few losses, even if among those their commander is, Isaac Brock, killed by a marksman.

In spite of their theoretical numerical advantage and broad dispersion of the British troops, the Americans, who were stationed with Lewiston in the state of New York, was unable to lay out the large one of their troop on Canadian bank. The reasons of this failure were that the British artillery opposed an effective resistance and that a certain part of the American militia, little tested and under-trained, showed reserve at the time of the attack. The result was that the British troops had sufficient time to gather and finally force the Americans present on Canadian bank to go.

Situation

The American invasion by the Niagara river formed part in the beginning of triple attacks aiming at the British fortified towns on the borders of the High-Canada. The general William Hull was to attack Amherstburg in Ontario on the basis of Détroit, the general Henry Dearborn was to attack Kingston while passing by the Fleuve the St. Lawrence and the general Stephen Van Rensselaer was to take Queenston. The purpose of these attacks, combined with a fourth attack on Montreal with the Low-Canada, were to put the British colonies at knees and to bring a fast peace.

However, these three attacks aiming at High-Canada failed all. Hull was besieged in Détroit and, fearing to undergo a massacre on behalf of the améridiens combined to the British, delivered the city and its army. Dearborn and its army stationed in a rather passive way with Albany, not showing an eagerness to fight battle (Dearborn was replaced besides in 1813, after a quite mean assessment). During this time, Van Rensselaer underwent an enormous pressure so that it launches its share of the invasion. This pressure came as well from these men, impatient of in découdre, as on behalf of the American civilians irritated by the rendering of Hull with Détroit.

Even if it had the rank of Major-general in the militia of the state of New York, Van Rensselaer had until now never ordered men with the combat. In fact, he was regarded as being the candidate of the federalistic left at the station governor of the state of New York. Probably with an aim of drawing aside Van Rensselaer, the governor of then, Daniel Tompkins, named it with this command. This last was effective the July 13rd 1812. Stephen Van Rensellaer was then ensured to have its sides a Aide-de-camp of experiment and, to this end, named at this station his/her cousin with the second degree, the colonel Solomon Van Rensselaer.

American internal quarrels

In spite of the defection of Hull and the inactivity of Dearborn, the situation seemed advantageous for Van Rensselaer. Whereas it could count only on 691 men without balance dated September 1st, the arrival of reinforcements soon increased its manpower considerably. In addition to a troop of approximately six thousand soldiers, volunteers and militiamans, Van Rensselaer accepted under its command the 1700 soldiers of the general Alexander Smyth. However, Smyth, officer of career, firmly refused to obey the orders of Van Rensselaer or to answer its injunctions. As soon as these forces reached the border, Smyth took on him to deploy them close to Buffalo instead of Lewiston with the large one of the troops. Moreover, it did not submit any report/ratio with Van Rensselaer as of its arrival, pretexting to be " too much occupé".

Van Rensselaer establishes a plan which provided that large troops was to cross the Niagara river and to take the heights close to Queenston, whereas Smyth was to attack the Fort George with reverse. However, Smyth did not send any answer to the plan of Van Rensselaer. Although it to him was intimated the order to join a strategic meeting in order to prepare the attack, Smyth did not answer, not more than it did it with a letter which was sent to him shortly after. Van Rensselaer, a rather pleasing politician, in a hurry of launching the attack, preferred to proceed without Smyth rather than to translate this last in front of a martial Cour and to have probably to defer the attack.

The October 10th, Van Rensselaer sent orders to Smyth so that it makes go its troops in direction of Lewiston in preparation of the attack. The attack was planned for Sunday October 11th at 3 o'clock in the morning and Smyth got under way finally after having received the letter. However, it chooses a bad route for Lewiston, by an execrable time, and on a so bad road that the carriages given up on the spot remained literally stuck to the road. At 10 o'clock in the morning the October 11th, Smyth accepted orders announcing to him that the attack was pushed back. Instead of carrying on its way in direction of Lewiston, Smyth decided to turn over to its camp to Black Rock and sent a letter to Van Rensselaer in which it indicated that its troops would be ready to restart the October 14th, one day after the date on which the attack had been again planned.

The October 11th, the attack had had to be pushed back because of a defection within the army of Van Rensselaer. During last days, colonel Van Rensselaer could cross the river and go on British bank, having an good idea of the ground then. In spite of the fact that colonel Van Rensselaer was then confined to bed following an high fever, the general Van Rensselaer maintained the date of the October 11th. However, following the American preparations early in the morning, one of the chiefs of boat, certain lieutenant Sims, took his boat and deserted, carrying with him the major part of the oars. In order to mitigate this lack of oars, the attack had to be pushed back. The new selected date was the October 13rd.

British preparation

Isaac Brock was the lieutenant-governor of High-Canada and the commander-in-chief of the forces of the province. It was a commander related to the offensive and its capture of Strait brought to him glory, the reputation of " saver of Haut-Canada" and a title of knight (who reached him only after his death). However, its superior with Quebec, George Prevost, was of a more careful nature and the two men returned in conflict in connection with the strategy to adopt.

It was again in the intention of Brock to attack the the United States, to cross the Niagara river, to beat Van Rensselaer and Smyth before they could receive some reinforcement that it is and to occupy the state of New York. Prevost put its veto, ordering in Brock to behave in a more defensive way (Prevost knew that the British government had cancelled several measurements aiming at the American trading vessels, abrogeant from the fact part of the litigation which had brought the two belligerents to the war. It could then think that the peace negotiations could succeed and that an attack, like that under consideration by Brock, would be likely to oppose these negotiations). One of the objectives of Brock was to facilitate the Siège of strong Wayne on the Rivière Maumee, which was balanced finally by a defeat for the Amerindians.

What irritated particularly Brock was the Armistice concludes the August 20th by the major-general Roger Sheaffe, under the orders of Prevost, with colonel Van Rensselaer. The terms of this armistice envisaged freedom of movement on the river for the two parts, which Brock saw only like one possibility for the American forces of Van Rensselaer of gathering and of supplying themselves without it being possible no for him to act. The armistice ended the September 8th, at one moment when the army of Van Rensselaer was supplied as it had never been it before.

The October 12th, is one day before the battle, major Thomas Evans, under the order of Brock, crosses the Niagara river with a white flag in order to require an immediate exchange of prisoners, bearing on those which had been done by the Americans at the time of a raid carried out on two British boats close to the Fort Érié a few days earlier. Evans wanted to meet Solomon Van Rensselaer, but it accepted for answer that this last was suffering. In the place, Evans met a man who presented himself as being Toock, the secretary of the general Van Rensselaer. Toock, probably major John Lovett under a false identity, him rétorqua that no prisoner exchange was possible before the day after tomorrow. Evans was struck by this repeated sentence, several times, and could also note that several boats on the shore had been camouflaged under branches. He concludes from it that an invasion was imminent and that it would occur the following day, that is to say the October 13rd. When it brought back these facts at a meeting of the officers, it met only laughter and mockeries. However, Brock took Evans with share and, after a maintenance between the two men, was convinced of the possibility of an American attack.

Battle

First American unloading

The October 13rd, Brock was with the Fort George with Sheaffe and the large one of its army. There were other British detachments with Queenston, Chippawa and strong Érié.

The village of Queenston Heights is located at the mouth of the Niagara river. The latter has a high tension current and makes 183 meters broad. Immediately in the south of the village, the ground rises with 100 meters until the heights of Queenston ( Queenston Heights ). Lewiston was on the other side of the river, whose ground also rose towards the south, in direction heights of Lewiston ( Lewiston Heights ). In times of peace, there was a regular service between Queenston and Lewiston.

The British detachment based with Queenston was composed of a pomegranate company of the Royal Berkshire Regiment under the command of the captain James Dennis (the old company of Brock), of a light company of the same regiment under the orders of the captain John Williams, of a company of the second militia of York (now Toronto) and of a detachment of the Welch Regiment provided with a light bronze gun ( Grasshopper gun ). A gun of 18 pounds was halfway posted heights of Queenston, and another of 24 books as well as a Caronade were placed on platform with Vrooman' S Point, with 1500 meters in the north of the village. The local militia, made up of companies of the 5th Lincoln Regiment , was not in service but could be gathered in little time.

The American forces were made up of 6th, 13th and 23e regiments of infantry, to which were added artillery elements. There were also five regiments of the militia of New York and a battalion of voluntary fusiliers. Had with the fact that the American army had seen its manpower increasing very quickly, the majority of the forces present at Lewiston were made up of recent recruits, and Van Rensselaer considered that the training and the discipline of the militiamans were higher than those of the regular soldiers. The Americans had of twelve boats which could each one transport 30 men, and two broad boats being able to transport 80 men and having platforms on which could be tranportés of the guns or the carriages.

An argument of last minute brought to the separation of the commands of the forces taking part in the first attempt at unloading. Colonel Solomon Van Rensselaer took the command of the quota of the militia and the lieutenant-colonel John Chrystie that of the regular soldiers.

The Americans began the crossing the October 13rd at 3 o'clock in the morning. Ten minutes later, ten boats of colonel Van Rensselaer started to unload their forces close to the village. A sentinel saw them and, rather than to draw in order to give alarm and to warn the Americans whom they had been located, ran towards the general headquarter of Refusals. A few minutes later, the troops of Refusals opened fire on the Americans whereas the latter were always unloading. Colonel Van Rensselaer was touched of a ball as soon as it left his boat. Whereas it tried to gather its troops, it was quickly touched five times moreover. He survived his wounds but left the confrontation, weakened by the consecutive heavy bleeding to his multiple wounds. The captain John E. Wool of the 13th regiment of infantry took again the command then and fought to maintain the point of American anchoring in Queenston.

At the same time, the British guns opened fire in direction of the place from which left the American attempts at unloading in Lewiston, and the American guns (two of 18 pounds on the heights of Lewiston and two of 6 books close to the bank) answered by aiming at the village of Queenston. The troops of Refusals were folded up inside the village but maintained their fire on the landing troops, with the shelter of the houses of Queenston.

As the day approached, the British guns gained in precision. A calamity moreover fell down on the Americans when panic gained the troops on board three their boats, including two broader (on board one whose was the Christie lieutenant-colonel), as soon as they underwent the fire of the guns. The pilot of the boat of Christie transfered edge to turn over to ground, in spite of the efforts of Christie in order to retain it. This fact generated a controversy later when the Lawrence captain, ordering the following boat, supported that Christie had ordered to him to beat a retreat, bringing to charges of cowardice.

The major part of the second wave of assault, ordered by the lieutenant-colonel John Fenwick, either was taken under fire of the British guns or derived towards the downstream, and was forced to unload in a recess where the British troops encircled them quickly, leading the survivors to go.

Died of Isaac Brock

At the height George, Brock was awaked by the noise of artillery of Queenston. As it could be a question of a diversion, he sent only some detachments towards Queenston but took the head of it. It crossed the village at dawn and wanted poster halfway heights to have an overall vision of the battle.

At the same time the American captain Wool, noting that the British guns posted at the place where wanted to go Brock caused much damage with the American boats and that few troops protected this strong point, suggested with colonel Van Rensselaer attacking while following a road of fishermen about which he had intended to speak by buildings. Van Rensselaer, about to be evacuated because of its wounds, approved and Wool succeeds, after having followed bank, to gain the top heights of Queenston. They attacked just at the time when Brock arrived. Small manpower of Brock as well as the artillerists were forces to fold up itself in direction of the village, having just time to strengthen the guns. Brock at the height sent a message to the major-general Sheaffe George, requiring of him to bring all the troops that it will be able in Queenston. Brock made the decision then not to await the reinforcements and to take again the position immediately.

The first load of Brock was led with the two companies of the captains Dennis and Williams, like with two companies of the militia. It almost succeeded in dislodging Wool and its men but a fast counter-attack pushed back Brock. This last, after being wounded with the hand during the first load, ordered with its assistance of " to push the volunteers of York". It then carried out a second attack on Wool. Its red uniform with the gilded shoulder pads, as well as a yelling scarf given by the chief Tecumseh, its high size and its energetic gestures, made of him a visible target which was not missed by an American marksman. The assistance of Brock, the Macdonell lieutenant-colonel, then carried out another load in spite of its military inexperience, being at the origin lawyer of profession. Wool had just received reinforcements and Macdonell was found then in numerical disadvantage. Its attack failed, Macdonell was killed, severely wounded the Williams captain and the slightly touched Dennis captain. Transporting the bodies of Brock and Macdonell, the British troops were withdrawn, crossing the village of Queenston towards Durnham' S Farm, one kilometer and half further.

The legend wants that the last words pronounced by Brock are Push one, honest York Volunteers! (Advance, honest volunteers of York), but that appears not very probable, knowing that Brock was not with them when it fell. To believe of it the historian J. Mackay Hitsman, this sentence, earlier marked whereas the militia had just arrived at Queenston, was moved in time by the legend.

Attacks of Roger Sheaffe

At 10 o'clock in the morning, the Americans did not have any more that the gun of 24 books of Vrooman' S Point like opposition, this one drawing with long distance on the boats crossing the river. They succeeded in transferring from a bank to the other several hundreds of fresh troops as well as a gun of 6 books. Moreover, they managed to use the gun of 18 pounds, previously strengthened by the British before their retirement, and used it to draw in direction from the village, in spite of the fact that this gun has a limited range out of the river. Colonel Chrystie made a short load with the head of his troops on Canadian bank but returned quickly to recover reinforcements as well as tools of cutting off. At midday, the general Van Rensselaer crossed in his turn. He and Chrystie ordered the fortification of their position on the heights of Queenston before returning on American bank.

The colonel Winfield Scott (who became one of the most estimated generals thereafter American history) took the command of the soldiers present on the heights of Queenston and the sergeant-general William Wadsworth, which had given up its rights to the command, took the militia under his orders. There were only few complete units, only one collection of disorganized detachments, some not having their officers. Pareillement, certain officers had crossed the river without their units. A little more than one thousand of the men the general Van Rensselaer had crossed the river the Niagara and the militia, which was unaware of the death of Brock as well as the setting under silence of the British guns, refused to carry out the crossing in the few boats still available.

At the same time, the British reinforcements started to arrive since strong George. A detachment of royal artillery with two guns of 6 books under the orders of the Holcroft captain moved towards the village of Queenston, with the support of a company of the 41e regiment under the command of the Derenzy captain. The captain of the militia Archibald Hamilton guided them towards a position of shooting in the interior court of his own house. When they opened fire at 1 o'clock in the afternoon, it became dangeureux and hazardous again for the American boats to carry out the crossing of the river.

In parallel, the Mohawks of the captains John Norton and John Brant climbed in direction of the top heights and melted in a sudden way on the outposts of Scott. There was no American loss and Mohawks were pushed back towards wood. However, the American spirits were shaken by the fear that the Amerindians inspired to them. Besides the war cries could have been heard until Lewiston, with the result that the general Van Rensselaer was then definitively in the incapacity to convince the militia to cross the river. He then begged the Batelier S buildings to make cross the boats in order to recover his soldiers being on Canadian bank but those refused.

The major-general Roger Sheaffe arrived at Queenston at 2 o'clock in the afternoon and took the command of the British troops. It then ordered with reinforcements to join it and, when it was made thing, it made make with its troops a turning of five kilometers towards the heights, in order to be out of reach American artillery. Then, it was joined by another column of reinforcements coming from Chippawa, with the result that it had eight hundred men finally. In addition to the survivors of the troops of Brock after the morning attack, it had of five companies of the 41e regiment and seven of the militia (of which the unit Runchey' S Company off Coloured Men , only made up of blacks) as well as two guns of 3 books.

Sheaffe took its time to organize its troops, to prepare them with the battle and launched the attack at 4 o'clock in the afternoon, that is to say thirteen hours after the attack of Van Rensselaer. The American militia, hearing the war cries of Mohawks and believing themselves condemned, was withdrawn in mass and without orders, leaving colonel Scott with only three hundred men to defend his position. Scott then tried to cover the American retirement against the numerical superiority of Sheaffe but, without any incoming vessel to evacuate the troops like because of the fury of Mohawks after the death of two their chiefs, it craigna a massacre and went to the British. In spite of that, the Amerindians continued to draw since the heights during several minutes on the Americans present on bank. When rendering was effective, Scott was shocked to see approximately five hundred American militiamans, who hid in the neighborhoods them heights, leaving and going to their turn.

Consequences

Out of the 6000 men of the general Van Rensselaer, 100 were killed, 300 wounded and 925 captive facts of which the Wadsworth sergeant-general, colonel Scott, four lieutenant-colonels and 67 other officers. The British also captured a gun of 6 books and the colors of the American militia. The British as for them had killed 14 and 77 wounded of which James Secord, the husband of Laura Secord.

The general Van Rensselaer, after the sad failure of his attack, resigned immediately and was replaced at the post of senior officer by Alexander Smyth, the officer whose insolence had seriously compromised the attempt at invasion. Smyth always had its regular soldiers with Buffalo but refused to attack before it has in all 3000 men under its orders. It then tried twice to cross the river close to strong Érié and attracted itself finally the lightnings of its men. Because of general criticism after its refusal to attack immediately like because of the rumors of mutiny, Smyth enfuya at his place in Virginia rather than to remain at its station.

In Albany, the defeat of Van Ressenlaer resulted in only to increase the reserve of Henry Dearborn. With already two armies defeats, Dearborn wanted indeed not to carry out its troops in a third failure. Without enthusiasm, It advanced its troops until Odelltown with the Quebec, where its militia refused to continue further. Consequently, the army of Van Rensselaer was the only one to carry out a significant attack in the sector of the High-Canada in 1812.

The question of knowing which was to be blamed for this defeat was ever solved. The popularity of Stephen Van Rensselaer remained sufficiently large so that it tries to dislodge (without success) Daniel Tompkins of the post of governor of the state of New York, and that later it sits at the Chambre of the representatives of the United States. The general John Armstrong, the secretary with the war during the major part of the conflict, off pinned the general Van Rensselaer in his Notices the War off 1812 . This caused an answer made indignant on behalf of Solomon Van Rensselaer, which compared Armstrong with Benedict Arnold and threw discredit in an equal way upon the Chrystie lieutenant-colonel, that it showed of cowardice and of which it says that its failure can be mainly the reason of all our disasters .

The loss of the Brock general had nevertheless an major impact on the British. Brock had indeed inspired its troops, the militia and the civilians by his confidence and its engagement. Sheaffe, its successor, was high with the dignity of Baronnet for its implication in the victory but could not profit from the same respect. Even if its retirement the following year vis-a-vis a force numerically higher than the Bataille of York were correct on the military level, this were perceived like an abandonment by the local militia, the assembly and the population. It was then raised of its functions in High-Canada.

References

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