Français  Contact Us  Help  Search  Canada Site Volume 1 (1000–1754) Volume 2 (1755-1871) Volume 3 (1872–2000) CHAPTER 1 The Conquest CHAPTER 2 The Revolt of Pontiac and the American Invasion CHAPTER 3 The Coveted Pacific Coast CHAPTER 4 The Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812 A Relatively Peaceful Decade The Militias of the New Provinces The French Revolution Canada at War with France Tensions with the United States The Royal Canadian Volunteers Newfoundland Threatened The 1802 Peace The Battle of Trafalgar New Tensions in America Mobilization in Lower Canada The British and Canadian Forces The War of 1812 Canada's Defence Strategy American Fiascos New Invasions in the West The Americans Attack Upper Canada Laura Secord and Beaver Dams Objective: Montreal! The Battle of Chateauguay The Battle of Crysler's Farm The British Take Fort Niagara The 1814 Invasion of Canada The Battle for the Northwest The Race to Build Ships The British Defeat at Plattsburgh The War at Sea The Legacy of the War of 1812 CHAPTER 5 Demobilization CHAPTER 6 The Royal Navy, Ruler of the Seas CHAPTER 7 A Decade of Turbulence APPENDIX A The British Armed Forces APPENDIX B Daily Life of Soldiers and Officers APPENDIX C Uniforms and Arms APPENDIX D Reference      CHAPTER 4 The Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812           The 1814 Invasion of Canada ( 4 pages )           1 2 3 4      Bloody Exchanges at Chippawa and Lundy's Lane                Officer, 100th Regiment of Foot (HRH the Prince Regent's County of Dublin Regiment), circa 1812. (Click image to enlarge) Brown, an excellent strategist, avoided attacking Fort Niagara and forced the British to deploy along the border.  On July 3 he had his army cross into Canada on both sides of Fort Erie, which, defended as it was by barely two companies of British soldiers, surrendered immediately.  When the news reached him, British General Phineas Riall left Fort George with 1,800 men, 1,500 of whom were regular soldiers.  They met the Americans on July 5 at Chippewa, with the British attacking General Winfield Scott and his 2,000 men.  Riall moved the 1St, 8th and 100th regiments forward towards the enemy lines.  But this time the usual rout did not occur.  The American line held in perfect order, and its salvos, which were well organized, rapid and murderous, forced the British to retreat.  Scott then moved his regiments forward, and the British were defeated, losing more than 500 men, with 148 dead, against only 48 dead and 227 wounded for the Americans. The defeat worried General Gordon Drummond, in command of the British troops in Upper Canada.  Of the three regiments engaged in the battle, two - the 1St, the famous Royal Scots, and the 8th, the King's - were famed for their bravery and excellence.  Therefore something had obviously changed on the American side.  Drummond immediately requested reinforcements from Lower Canada and had troops brought in from Kingston to Fort George and to York (Toronto). On July 25 Riall's and Scott's brigades met once again at Lundy's Lane, not far from Niagara Falls, and engaged in the bloodiest battle of the war.  Reinforcements reached both camps soon afterwards, along with commanding generals Drummond and Brown.  The battle raged fiercely even after sundown.  In spite of the smoke, which masked the moonlight, the battalions attacked and counterattacked through the evening, in the glare of musket and cannon fire.  Generals Riall, Drummond, Brown and Scott were all seriously injured.  The battle ended after midnight with both armies at the end of their tether.  Losses were heavy: 853 Americans and 878 British were missing, but the battle was a draw.  As the British continued to receive reinforcements, unlike the Americans, General Ripley ordered a retreat to Fort Erie.           Additional Images           Click image to enlarge      1 2 3 4   Last Updated: 2004-06-20 Important Notices