extracted text

3

^.=•

0 1E GE Se DIEIFIEN cIE
A Fort Erie.
B Camp.
C Where Porter's volunteers encamped
who arrived September tenth.
D British works.
a a Bastions built by British.

Ravelin.
b
c c Blockhouses built by British.
d d Bastions constructed by Brown's
forces.
e e Redoubt constructed by Brown's
forces to replace line of pickets.

f f f

Entrenchments.
g
Douglass's battery.
hhh Camp traverses.
k
Fontaine's battery.
1
Biddle's battery.

07

71311T IERIIIE

Towson's battery.
n Main traverse.
Magazine traverse.
o
p Hospital traverse.
Grand parade traverse.
q
III

( This plan is a copy of one made by the United States engineer corps.)

Brown's headquarters.
Drain.
Road from Chippewa up the lake.
Buck's Road.
' v Route taken by Porter's forces in
sortie.
r
s
t
u

Route of right column.
w
Ravine.
x
Blockhouses.
yy
Roads to British camp.
za
1,2,3 British first, second, and third
batteries.

THE SIEGE OF FORT ERIE
An Episode of the War of 1812

BY

LOUIS L. BABCOCK

LHC
971.034
Bab
Oakes
Room

The campaign of 1814 on the Niagara frontier fully determined that
American citizens furnished the choicest materials for an army ; that when
well disciplined, instructed in the art of war, and led by brave and enterprising generals, they were fully able to meet on equal ground the best
English troops.
— Perkins.

BUFFALO:
THE PETER PAUL BOOK COMPANY,
1899.

Preface.
One of the most brilliant events of the War of 1812
was the successful defense of Fort Erie by the Americans
against the veteran troops of the British. Yet, I dare
say, very few residents along the Niagara frontier are
aware that within an hour's journey of the city of Buffalo
occurred some of the most severe fighting the nation
has ever seen, or that the ruined and tottering wall of
the old fort, still to be seen, marks the spot where several hundred brave men gave up their lives in desperate
struggle.
A period of enforced leisure gave me an opportunity
to examine the various authorities bearing upon the
siege of Fort Erie, and this sketch grew out of the
notes I then made. Undoubtedly errors exist, although
considerable pains has been taken to carefully verify
each statement. I trust that they will be pardoned and
that this sketch may serve to stimulate among a few, at
least, the study of the history of the Niagara frontier
during this period, than which nothing could be more
interesting.

Bu falo, July Io, 1899.
f

Contents.
PAGE.

CHAPTER.

I. A Brief Sketch of Fort Erie up to 1814,
II.
III.

7

Before the Invasion,

12

The Campaign down the Niagara,

18

IV. The Beginning of the Siege,
V. The Attack on the Fort,
VI. The Period between the Assault and the Sortie, .
VII. The Sortie, .

25
34
46
55