Title

Chapter 4

Identifier

http://www.nflibrary.ca/nfplindex/show.asp?b=1&ref=oo&id=297995

page

24-33

Bibliographic Citation

The siege of Fort Erie: an episode of the war of 1812 / by Louis L. Babcock.

10195727

The siege of Fort Erie: an episode of the war of 1812 / by Louis L. Babcock.

Type

Text

extracted text

The Beginning of the Siege

25

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CHAPTER IV.

The Beginning of the Siege.
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As already stated, Fort Erie was constructed by the British
in 1764, and was intended more as a fortified trading post than a
fort to withstand a siege. A careful and technical description
of the fort will be found in Volume II., page 216, of The Historical Magazine (third series), to which the reader is referred.
When captured by us it consisted of two bastions, one on the north
and the other on the south face of a rectangular stone structure,
these being connected on the westerly side by a line of pickets,
an abattis, and a ditch. Two blockhouses, or mess buildings,_
were situated on a continuation of the easterly faces of the bastions, leaving a space between the blockhouses of barely forty feet.
This space was fortified by a curtain running from one blockhouse
to the other, in which was located the main gate of the fort. On,
the easterly side of the fort was a ravelin. The fort was of stone,
and the construction was too light to resist anything but the fieldpieces of that period. The woods on the north and west came
down to within sixty rods of our works; but, save a ravine two
hundred yards to the north, the terrain was generally level and
inclined to be swampy. It had been in our possession before
during the war. On May twenty-sixth, 1813, the commandant
of the fort, who held the place with some Canadian militia, having
bombarded Black Rock since the day before, and fearing an
attack, blew up his magazine, destroyed his supplies, and, after
dismissing his troops, evacuated the fort, whereupon the Amer
icans promptly crossed over the river and took possession of it.
Subsequent events, however, compelled us in turn to abandon it.
As previously stated, Lieutenant McDonough and a small
garrison were left in the fort while Brown was operating down the
Niagara. This officer worked diligently strengthening the fortby deepening the ditches and raising the bastions. He also took
.

CI.

The Siege of Fort Erie

The Beginning of the Siege

out the line of pickets on the west flank and began the construction of a redoubt to protect the bastions.
When Ripley reached the fort it was in a very poor condition
to resist a determined assault; but there were several excellent
regular army engineers in the army, and the work of fortifying
the position was entrusted to them. General Ripley took up the
strongest available position, with his right resting in the fort and
his left extending nearly parallel to the lake some seven hundred
yards southerly to a small hillock called Snake Hill, where the
water line curved in towards the west. This brought our left
only about fifty yards from the lake. Nature added nothing to
the strength of the position, and, as its weakness was appreciated,
strenuous efforts were soon made to strengthen it in every way
possible. The following improvements were commenced: an
earthwork from the southerly side of the fort to the hillock on
our extreme left; an embrasure on the hillock for Towson's
battery of five guns; two bastions on the west side of the fort;
embrasures for Riddle's and Fontaine's batteries; an earthwork
running easterly from the fort towards Niagara River, with an
embrasure for Douglass's battery on the easterly end;* numerous
camp traverses; an abattis from the Niagara River on our right,
extending clear around the works to the river on our left; and the
completion of the redoubt commenced by McDonough. It will
be seen that these improvements converted a very weak fort into
a rather strong position, and the fort changed into a fortified camp
with the rear open and protected by the Niagara.
While this work was being vigorously prosecuted, on the
first of August, Sir Gordon Drummond, who held the rank of
lieutenant general, appeared before the fort with upwards of four
thousand men,t drove in the American pickets, and took up a

position on the hills opposite Black Rock. Apparently at this
time he did not anticipate a very stout resistance from the fort, but
subsequent events increased his respect for American prowess.
On the second of August occurred the first clash between
the opposing forces, and this on American soil, within the present
li mits of Buffalo. General Brown had posted some two hundred
and forty men, composing the First Battalion of the First Regiment of riflemen under Major Morgan, an extremely capable officer, on the American side of the river as a guard to protect Black
Rock and Buffalo. General Drummond immediately perceived
that if he could destroy the stores of ordnance and supplies, and
defeat the militia at Black Rock and Buffalo, it would seriously
embarass the defenders of Fort Erie, if it did not cause them to
surrender. He therefore directed Lieutenant Colonel Tucker,
with a force of six hundred men, to cross the river before daylight on the third and carry out the project.
On the evening of the second Major Morgan observed
movements of the enemy on the Canadian side of the river which
led him to suspect he might be attacked. He immediately took
up a position on the south bank Of Scajaquada Creek commanding the bridge, threw up log breastworks, and awaited developments. At two o'clock in the morning of the third, Morgan's
pickets reported Tucker to be crossing the river. Morgan thereupon took up a portion of the planks forming the roadway across
the bridge and awaited the attack.
Shortly after four that morning Tucker attacked Morgan's
position, endeavoring to cross the bridge and carry it by assault.
The British bravely advanced to the attack; but when the rushing
column perceived the absence of the roadway of the bridge it
recoiled, the Americans in the meantime pouring in a withering
fire, and in the confusion some of the assailants were crowded off
the bridge into the waters of the creek. The assault failed, but,
not disheartened, the British endeavored to repair the bridge
under fire. This attempt also failed, as the bridge was completely
commanded by the fire of Morgan's men. Retiring, the British

26

*Lossing states that Douglass's battery was mounted en barbette in a small stonework,
but more reliable authorities state that the battery was finally planted in an earthwork like the
others. It was at first laid en barbette and afterwards changed.
j Many of these men were veterans fresh from Wellington's army. After the battle of
Lundy's Lane Drummond had been reinforced by De Watteville's regiment, one thousand or
twelve hundred strong, recruited in Spain, and composed of Poles, Spaniards, Germans, and
Portuguese.
-

27

29

The Siege of Fort Erie

The Beginning of the Siege

started up a fire at long range, and, detaching a column, endeavored to ford the creek above the bridge; but Morgan, on the
alert for such a move, sent sixty men to oppose the movement,
who completely repulsed the British. Tucker, after consultation
With his officers, determined to retreat, and thereupon skillfully
withdrew across the Niagara with his killed and wounded, "owing [as he says] to the enemy having destroyed the bridge over
Conguichity* Creek prior to our arrival at that point, and there
being no possibility of fording it." Tucker, in his official report,
attributes the failure of the attack to the cowardice of his men.
He reports a loss of twelve killed, seventeen wounded, and five
missing. Our loss was two killed and eight wounded. This
skirmish greatly encouraged the Americans; and, besides, it
resulted in an increase of the force at Buffalo, which deterred
Drummond from making another attempt. This skirmish was
afterwards known as the Battle of Conjockety, and Morgan as the
" hero of Conjockety."
Drummond, always prone to find fault, issued an order
publicly censuring the troops for their cowardice. The following
is an extract from the order:

conduct which he shall feel it his indispensable and imperious
duty to lay at the feet of his sovereign.
" Crouching, ducking, or laying down when advancing under
fire are bad habits and must be corrected."

"The indignation excited in the mind of the Lieut.-General
from discovering that the failure of an expedition the success of
which by destroying the enemy's means of subsistence would
have compelled his force on this side to have surrendered to the
troops by which he is invested or by risquing an action with the
Lieut.-General in the field to have met certain defeat has been
olely caused by the misbehavior of the troops employed on this
honorable service will not permit him to expatiate on a subject
so unmilitary and disgraceful. * * * To the troops most
particularly alluded to it is the Lieut.-General's determination to
afford an immediate opportunity of at once effacing from his mind
the impression which the report of the officers and his own
observation have produced and of averting that report of their

s

* That is, Conjockety.

If Drummond had taken Buffalo the American base of communications would have been cut off and our army compelled
to evacuate the fort at once. If Drummond laid so much importance to this skirmish it is difficult to see why he did not attempt
the movement later on with a larger force, to which the Americans
could have made little, if any, resistance. The American army
would have then been placed in a serious predicament.
On the day this fight occurred General Drummond pushed
forward a brigade to the edge of the woods surrounding Fort
Erie, and, making a careful reconnoissauce of the position, decided
after " mature consideration " not to assault until after the guns
of heavy caliber he had sent for from Fort George were mounted
and had made a breach in the walls. In coming to this decision,
Drummond made his first serious mistake, which the Americans
hailed with considerable satisfaction. The works were weak and ill
fitted to stand the determined assault Drummond's veterans were
capable of making, and which they afterward made; and each day
was improved by our forces in putting them into better condition.
Never was delay more fatal to the success of a movement.
An assault was not made until the fifteenth of August, when
all the batteries were in position; but at this time (August
fourth) Towson's battery, on our left, which gave the British the
most trouble during the assault, was not planted, which would
have rendered our left easily flanked and turned. This battery
was not completed until the tenth. The mistake was most serious.
The Americans, although somewhat surprised, immediately laid
aside their muskets and went to work with their spades; and,
although the proposed improvements had not all been made by
August fifteenth, the defenses were soon in a tolerable condition
to resist an attack.

The Siege of Fort Erie

The Beginning of the Siege

Brown, it appears, was not satisfied with Ripley's conduct
during his term of command after Lundy's Lane. One reason
for Brown's complaint was that he claims to have ordered Ripley
to retake possession of the battlefield of Lundy's Lane early in
the morning following the battle, and that Ripley failed to carry
out the order. In any event, Brown and Scott both being disabled by wounds, Major General Edmund P. Gaines was sent
for to come on from Sackett's Harbor. He arrived on August
fourth, and at once assumed command. Although General Ripley was superseded, he appears to have always conducted himself
with conspicuous gallantry, and led his troops with more than
ordinary ability. He was a loyal, brave man. Gaines at this time
was thirty-seven years old, and a man of fine presence. His
high reputation had preceded him, and his arrival at Fort Erie
caused great enthusiasm in the little army. He was a soldier by
profession, and had worked his way from a lieutenancy through
the various grades to that of a brigadier generalship in the regular army. He was brevetted a major general, and received a gold
medal and the thanks of Congress for his services and bravery
at Fort Erie; and, in addition to these honors, three states presented him with swords. He died at New Orleans, at the age
of seventy-two.
While the Americans were engaged in strengthening their
works, the British were not idle. Parallel lines of earthworks
and abattis were constructed northwesterly from Fort Erie, the
nearest of which was about five hundred yards away, running
from the river almost due west for one thousand yards. Two
blockhouses were built and embrasures constructed for two batteries —Number One situated near the river, nearly a thousand
yards from our works, and Number Two situated about two
hundred and fifty yards nearer the fort and about two hundred
yards from the river.* It took some time to complete them,
Battery Number Two not opening fire until August nineteenth,
or even later. It consisted of two long eighteen-pounders, one

twenty-four-pound carronade, and an eight-inch howitzer. These
batteries were planted in the woods, and when completed avenues were cut through the trees to admit of their playing upon
our lines; but, owing to the construction of the artillery of that
day, it was soon found that both batteries were laid too far away
to admit of their doing very effective execution. It was thought
when they were erected they would soon batter down the fort,
because they took our works in reverse, but throughout the
whole siege they did comparatively little mischief. The British
had their camp at Waterloo, nearly two miles from their lines,
one brigade being constantly on duty at the front.
The map found at the front of this sketch, to which the
attention of the reader is called, will make clear the relative positions of the two armies.
The British army consisted of upwards of four thousand,
while our forces at first did not exceed two thousand eight hundred. On August first, Lieutenant Douglass fired one of his
pieces at an advance party of the enemy, and on the second some
American soldiers, without orders, fired a cannon at the British;
but neither side really opened fire with any energy until August
seventh, when the British opened with all their available guns.
The Americans displayed their colors from every staff; the field
music and regimental bands struck up Yankee Doodle; and amid
the cheers of the garrison the fire was returned with spirit, if not
with effect. The cannonading continued with only slight intermissions until August fifteenth. Up to this time skirmishing
was daily going on between the lines, in which many more were
killed and wounded than the importance of the results accomplished by the movements seem to justify. On the twelfth of
August, in a skirmish, Major Morgan, the "hero of Conjockety "
was killed—a loss which our army felt severely. General Drummond, in a letter to Sir George Prevost, dated August twelfth,
not only refers to this skirmishing, but makes a statement very
significant of the mode of warfare then apparently regarded as
entirely proper. He says:

30

* The location of these batteries is shown upon the map on page 24.

31

The Siege of Fort Erie
"The enemy makes daily efforts with his riflemen to dislodge
our advanced picquets and to obtain a reconnoissance of what
we are doing. These attacks, tho' feeble and invariably repulsed,
yet harass our troops and occasion us some loss. I enclose
returns of those of the loth and of this day. Your Excellency
will observe with concern that on both occasions we have lost an
officer killed. I am happy to report that on every occasion the
troops show great steadiness and invariably inflict a loss on the
enemy more considerable than their own. The Indians went
forward with great spirit the day before yesterday, and in the
affair of this day it has just been reported to me they surprised,
took., and scalped every man of one of the enemy's picquets."
,

This last sentence is italicized, not to emphasize how depraved the British were, but to show the mode of warfare of the
period.
The almost incessant fire of the enemy greatly annoyed the
garrison, and more especially the parties told off to work on the
fortifications, although great pains were taken to protect them.
Notwithstanding the precautions used, it was a not infrequent
occurrence for a shot to strike amongst a party with great effect.
The enemy elevated their pieces, and by using small charges of
powder dropped shells and round shot into the fort from such
an elevation that the traverses were of little protection. For
instance: a sergeant was being shaved in a spot protected by the
traverse, when both his head and the hand of the barber were
taken off by a single shot. Such casualties happened altogether
too frequently for the peace of mind of the little army, although
the men soon became somewhat accustomed to the danger.
On the twelfth of August the Americans opened on the
British with a battery situated at Black Rock, almost the first
discharge wounding a sergeant and five men. This fire annoyed
the enemy considerably during the siege, and compelled them to
construct numerous camp traverses to protect themselves from
the flank fire.

The Beginning

of the Siege

33

Three armed American schooners of small tonnage, formerly
belonging to Perry's fleet, were anchored off the fort, and by a
flank fire added greatly to the strength of our position. Captain
Dobbs, of the Royal Navy, conceived the idea of embarking a
force in small boats, and, by representing them to be provision
boats from Fort Erie, to board and capture the schooners.
Accordingly, on the night of the twelfth, with a party of seventy
sailors and marines, Dobbs, under cover of the darkness, succeeded, with small loss, in capturing the Ohio and the Somers,
the Porcupine, the third schooner, escaping. These schooners
mounted three long twelve-pounders, and carried thirty-five men
each. The loss to us, while not very severe, was considerable.
Colonel Hercules Scott, in a letter to his brother dated
August twelfth, a part of which was written August fourteenth,
says :
"Since writing the above our battery ( No. ) has 'opened
against the Fort and continued the whole of yesterday without
having the smallest effect. It is at much too great a distance. I
expect we shall be ordered to storm tomorrow. I have little hope
of success from this manoeuvre. I shall probably write you more,
that is, if I get over this present business."
Colonel Scott fell August fifteenth at the head of his regiment.