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The War of 1812 Along the Great Lakes Seaway Trail

Bicentennial Commemoration Events 2012 March 17-18 Great Lakes Seaway Trail Quilt Show and War of 1812 Quilt Challenge Interpreters dressed in historically-correct 1800’s period fashions will welcome you to commemorate the Bicentennial of the War of 1812 with a quilt show featuring "Cot to Coffin" size quilts in 1812-era patterns. Seaway Trail Discovery Center 401 W. Main St. Sackets Harbor, NY 13685 315-646-1000 www.seawaytrail.com/quilting March 31 Oswego County War of 1812 Symposium A day of lectures by noted historians focusing on the War of 1812 on the New York-Canadian frontier. American Foundry 246 West Seneca St. Oswego, NY 13126 www.visitoswegocounty.com April 1 - November 30 War of 1812 Walks 1812-themed walks presented by the Great Lakes Seaway Trail Volkssport Association Erie, PA Buffalo, NY Williamsville, NY Lewiston, NY Youngstown, NY Pultneyville, NY Oswego, NY Sackets Harbor, NY Ogdensburg, NY www.seawaytrail.com/volkssport April 27-28 War of 1812 Symposium Seminars and presentations on the War of 1812 presented by the Fort La Présentation Association. Freight House Restaurant 20 Market St. Ogdensburg, NY 13669 www.fort1749.org/war-of-1812-symposium May 25 - September 3 "Weapons of War" Collection Collection of 1812 period weaponry loaned by Col. (ret.) Clayton Nans on exhibit at the Lieutenant’s House Gallery in the Navy Yard. Sackets Harbor Battlefield Sackets Harbor, NY www.sacketsharborbattlefield.org May 29 Presentation: The War of 1812 at Sackets Harbor and Kingston Presented by by MJR John Grodzinski; 7:00 PM. Sackets Harbor Battlefield Sackets Harbor, NY www.sacketsharborbattlefield.org June 14-17 Sailing Seaway Clayton Celebrate St. Lawrence River maritime history and the War of 1812 Bicentennial with tall ship deck tours, DockDogs Competition, farmers market, music, and more. Clayton, NY 315-686-3771 www.sailingseawayclayton.com June 16-17 1812 Declaration of War Weekend Marking the 200th Anniversary of the Declaration of the War of 1812 on June 18, 1812, Old Fort Niagara will present artillery and musket salutes, foodways of 1812, uniform programs, and dedication of a new marker about 1812 heroine Betsy Doyle. Old Fort Niagara Youngstown, NY 716-745-7611 www.oldfortniagara.org June 17 Sackets Harbor’s International War of 1812 Bicentennial Peace Garden Dedication 2:00 PM West Main Street at Ray Street Sackets Harbor, NY www.sacketsharborbattlefield.org Mid-June through Mid-August War of 1812 Living History Camp Wednesdays through Saturdays 10:00 am to 4:30 pm (weather permitting) Sackets Harbor Battlefield Sackets Harbor, NY www.sacketsharborbattlefield.org July 4 War of 1812 Songs & Stories from New York and Beyond Featuring musician Dave Ruch; bring lawn chairs and a picnic; 2:00 PM Sackets Harbor Battlefield Sackets Harbor, NY www.sacketsharborbattlefield.org July 7 - August 18 Boots & Slippers On the Ground: The War of 1812 in Sackets Harbor Spearker's series on different topics; Saturdays 11:00-11:45 AM Sackets Harbor Battlefield Sackets Harbor, NY www.sacketsharborbattlefield.org July 9 - August 24 Blue Coats Along the Niagara An interactive daily program that focuses on the United States Army at Fort Niagara during 1812-1813. Tours, musket demonstrations, foodways, artillery firings, hands-on activities for families. Old Fort Niagara Youngstown, NY 716-745-7611 www.oldfortniagara.org July 20-22 Pultneyville Homecoming & War of 1812 Bicentennial Festivities include 1812 characters, reenactment, antiques, vintage cars, parade, fireworks, 5K, Gilbert & Sullivan show, and concert. Pultneyville, NY 315-589-9892 www.w-phs.org July 21 President Monroe Looks Back on the War of 1812 Appearance by first-person interpreter Dennis Bigelow; 2:00 PM Sackets Harbor Battlefield Sackets Harbor, NY www.sacketsharborbattlefield.org August 3 The Civil War of 1812 Talk by Pulitzer Prize winning author Prof. Alan Taylor on his acclaimed War of 1812 book; 6:00 PM Sackets Harbor Battlefield Sackets Harbor, NY www.sacketsharborbattlefield.org August 4-5 War of 1812 Living History Weekend Reenactment, living history traditions, camp life, cooking, music, military maneuvers. Sackets Harbor Battlefield Sackets Harbor, NY www.sacketsharborbattlefield.org August 11 Henderson Heritage Days & Juried Craft Show Featuring 1812 re-enactors and Indians; 1812 puppet show by the "Histerical" Society Players; free and open to the public; music, food, entertainment, and activities for families Henderson Historical Society 12581 Harborview Rd. Henderson, NY 13650 315-955-2800 www.hendersonhistoricalsociety.com/hhs101.html September 1-2 War of 1812 Encampment American and British forces recreate the War of 1812 on the Niagara Frontier. Programs daily from 10 am - 4 pm and a night battle on Saturday at 7 p.m., depicting the 1813 British capture of Fort Niagara. Old Fort Niagara Youngstown, NY 716-745-7611 www.oldfortniagara.org October 12-14 Battle of Queenston Heights Commemoration Reenactment of October 13, 1812 Battle of Queenston Heights Lewiston, NY www.historiclewiston.org/battleofqueenstonheights December 15 Flames Through Lewiston Reenactment of Dec. 19, 1813 burning of Lewiston Lewiston, NY www.historiclewiston.org 2013 May 29 Rededication of Sackets Harbor Battlefield War of 1812 Centennial Monument Rededication on anniversary of 2nd Battle of Sackets Harbor Sackets Harbor Battlefield Sackets Harbor, NY www.sacketsharborbattlefield.org August 3-4 War of 1812 Bicentennial Reenactment & Crown Forces Memorial Dedication Sackets Harbor Battlefield Sackets Harbor, NY www.sacketsharborbattlefield.org December 19 Tuscarora Heroes Monument Unveiling Monument dedicated to Tuscaroro Heroes who helped save residents during 1813 burning of Lewiston Lewiston, NY www.historiclewiston.org 2014 August 2-3 War of 1812 Weekend Sackets Harbor Battlefield Sackets Harbor, NY www.sacketsharborbattlefield.org

Other than the year it started or that it gave birth of the Star Spangled Banner, most Americans would be hard pressed to tell much more about this conflict that greatly affected the Empire and Keystone States.  The War of 1812 ranged along much on the Great Lakes’ coastline.  From Plattsburgh, on Lake Champlain, to Presque Isle, on Lake Erie, American, British and Native American forces clashed for control of the heart of the continent.

Today, most Americans know little about this war because so little changed.  The outcome was a return to the status quo, to the conditions before the fighting began.  As a result, it has been said that this is the war that the Americans think they won and that the Canadians know they won…and in the end the ones who lost the most may have been the Native Americans.  

Two hundred years later, visitors from across the state and across the country will see a wide range of bicentennial events that will honor the heroes and heroines, sites and events of the War of 1812.

The causes of the war varied from region to region across the new United States.  Coastal areas were deeply affected by British interference with American shipping and the seizure of American sailors.  Others saw this as an opportunity for the growing nation to add parts of British Canada.   Still others, especially on New York’s western frontier used the war as an opportunity to end British support of the Native American alliance in the Ohio Valley.  Here in New York and northwestern Pennsylvania, all three causes would be played out over the two and a half years of fighting.

The Great Lake Seaway Trail runs through the geographic heart of the War of 1812 in the northeast.  So, let’s take a look at the War of 1812 in each of the Seaway Trail’s five regions:

Lake Erie

Ask anyone from Chautauqua about their participation in the War of 1812, and they will tell you that the first shots on Lake Erie were exchanged near Dunkirk, NY.  Legend holds that Captain Martin Tubbs and local militiamen fired on the Lady Prevost, a British Schooner, which was moored near Canadaway Creek.

As the war progressed, control of Lake Erie became crucial to both sides, as water transportation was the easiest way of moving men and supplies to posts in the west.  Looking to create a presence on Lake Erie, the fledgling American navy considered using the shipyard at Black Rock near the village of Buffalo, but due to the British guns across the river at Fort Erie, it was decided to create a naval base at Presque Isle, now Erie, Pennsylvania. 

Throughout the summer of 1813, Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry oversaw the construction of the Lake Erie fleet.  In August, Perry’s fleet of nine ships sailed west, and on September 10, 1813, defeated Commodore Barclay’s squadron.  The victory near Put-in-Bay, Ohio gave the United States control of Lake Erie and forced the British to withdraw from their western outposts, most notably Amherstburg, opposite Detroit.  It also paved the way for the defeat of the Native American warrior, Tecumseh, at the Battle of the Thames, which effectively ended indigenous resistance in the Ohio region.

Perry’s victory echoes down through time due to two memorable phrases.  “Don’t Give Up the Ship,” was on emblazoned Perry’s flag, which flew over his eventual flagship USS Niagara, and “We have met the enemy and they are ours,” which was the victory message that he sent to General William Henry Harrison.  One lasting effect of the War of 1812 was the removal of warships from the Great Lakes.  Perry’s ships were returned to Presque Isle and scuttled at the bottom of Misery Bay.  In 1913, Perry’s flagship, Niagara, was raised and rebuilt.  For the war’s centennial, the Niagara was towed throughout ports around Lake Erie.  Today, the Niagara is on display, and frequently sails from, the Erie Maritime Museum.  Events during the War of 1812 Bicentennial will see the Niagara under sail and around Lake Erie once again.

Buffalo/Niagara Falls

Since one major military objective was the capture of British Canada, it is no surprise that the Buffalo/Niagara Falls region was a major theatre of operations for both British and American forces right from the declaration of hostilities.  Following the American surrender of Detroit to General Sir Isaac Brock, two British ships, the Detroit, carrying prisoners and a Northwest Fur Company brig, Caledonia, anchored under the protection of the guns of Fort Erie.   On October 8, 1812 an American force of sailors and citizens from the village of Buffalo rowed across the Niagara River and seized the ships in spirited hand-to-hand fighting.  The Caledonia made it to the Black Rock shipyard, but the Detroit drifted and eventually ran aground on Squaw Island.

Five days later, the United States mounted a much more significant attempt to seize Canada.  American forces under General Stephen van Rensselaer embarked from Lewiston, crossing the swirling Niagara River in a move to seize the heights of the Niagara Escarpment.  In the face of heavy cannon fire, Captain John Wool led a small force to the top of the Escarpment and drove the British from their cannon.  Determined to retake the heights, General Isaac Brock was killed leading the 49th Regiment of Foot towards the Americans.  As the day unfolded, the Americans were unable to take advantage of early successes.  The New York State Militia, exercising their constitutional rights, refused to cross the river to reinforce Winfield Scott and his regulars.  Finally, British and Native American forces regained the heights, ending the invasion of Canada.  Today, the battlefield is topped by a monument to General Brock, which is easily seen from the New York side of the Niagara River.

The following year, 1813, saw another invasion of Canada falter and fail, and the summer was spent in a back-and-forth of guerrilla fighting along the river.  By December, American forces were pinned down in Fort George in the town of Newark, now Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario.  In an attempt to deny the British winter quarters, General George McClure, citing authority from the Secretary of War, burned the town, endangering the lives of innocent civilians.  The affair was roundly criticized on both sides of the Niagara River, but the British vowed vengeance by sword and fire.  On December 19th, British forces under the command of Colonel John Murray attacked and captured a virtually undefended Fort Niagara.

The fall of Fort Niagara led to the destruction of American settlements on the Niagara.  At the same time Murray was attacking the fort, a second British force landed up-river in order to burn Lewiston.  Many fleeing settlers were saved by warriors from the Tuscarora Reservation.  In the following week, the British burned their way to the outskirts of Buffalo and Black Rock.  Then on the night of December 29th, British forces under General Phineas Riall crossed the Niagara River, burnt Black Rock after a brief skirmish and advanced toward Buffalo.  There, they found a spirited but undermanned defense mounted by Dr. Cyrenius Chapin.  Using a cannon from one of Perry’s ships, Chapin bought time for the citizens to flee south and east.  The British and their Native American allies put the village to the torch, burning all but a handful of buildings.

The village remained deserted throughout the winter of 1813-’14, and settlers sought shelter in settlements to the east from Batavia to Canandaigua.  In the spring, General Winfield Scott returned to the Niagara Frontier to begin training the army for a third invasion of Canada.  With US regulars training north of the village, citizens returned to rebuild their lives.  Scott’s invasion of Canada led to some of the most prolonged campaigning of the war.  During the summer of 1814, there were major engagements on the Canadian side of the river at Fort Erie, Chippawa and Lundy’s Lane.  Again, despite early success, Americans withdrew from Fort Erie in November, and the Treaty of Ghent was signed December 24th, 1814, ending the war.

Rochester/Central Lake Ontario

In the wilderness of the frontier, travelling via waterways was most expedient and efficient.  Thus, control of Lake Ontario, like Lake Erie, was of critical importance to American and British planners.  The United States appointed Commodore Isaac Chauncey to command naval forces on the Great Lakes, and he chose Sacketts  Harbour as his base.  Despite harrying the British from one end of the lake to the other, he was never able to score a decisive victory like Perry.

In May 1813, British began menacing the southern shore of Lake Ontario.  On May 13, the British landed at Charlotte, demanding the locals turn over their supplies.  The militia drove them off.  Two days later, they landed at Pultneyville, again demanding stores.  This time, the villagers agreed to hand over their provisions, if the British would leave them in peace.  However, this informal truce broke down, and the British attacked the town with cannon fire.  Several weeks later, a British squadron landed at Sodus Point, yet again seeking supplies, which were intended for American forces on the Niagara Frontier.   The British shore party was attacked by local militia and driven off, but not before burning several buildings and the storehouse. The British squadron then sailed for the eastern end of Lake Ontario.

Eastern Lake Ontario

In the early 1700s, the British and French were engaged in a war of commerce, which sought to bind the Iroquois Confederacy through a network of trade.  In 1726, with the approval of the Senecas, the French began to build a “House of Peace” that served as a trading post and military outpost.  To compete with the French, Great Britain erected Fort Ontario.  Controlling the Oswego River also linked the British to the Mohawk Valley in the East.  Fort Ontario, also called Fort Oswego, fell into disrepair after the American Revolution, but it was rebuilt by the United States with the outbreak of the War of 1812.

Following the naval raids along the southern coast of Lake Ontario, British Commodore James Yeo sailed for the American position at Fort Oswego in June 1813, but believing it too heavily defended, the Commodore chose not to mount an attack.  However, the British fleet returned to Oswego in May 1814, determined this time, to seize American naval stores at the fort that were intended for Sacketts Harbour. 

The American commander, Colonel Mitchell had only 300 men to oppose the British, man the fort’s defenses, and protect the town itself.  Using deception, he lured British forces into a direct attack on the fort, thus sparing the town, but being undermanned, the colonel was forced to withdraw into the woods.  The naval stores, though, were hidden and did not fall to the British.

The American Naval headquarters on Lake Ontario was built at Sacketts Harbour.  Of course, like Perry’s fleet, provisioning a fleet so far from the seaports of the east coast presented a formidable challenge.  Yet, during the war a number of full-sized ships were built there, including USS Superior.  In fact, at one point a nine-ton cable intended for Superior was carried overland for twenty miles on the shoulders of 200 militia volunteers so that naval construction could continue!

Due to its naval significance, the British tried twice to capture Sacketts Harbour.  In July 1812, a British squadron blockaded the entrance to the harbor, and shelled the outpost.  The Oneida attempted to run the blockade, but was forced to return to the harbor.  Some of her guns were off-loaded and used to drive off the British ships.

In late May 1813, Sir George Prevost, Governor-General of Canada planned a combined land-sea attack on Sacketts Harbour.  Knowing that the bulk of the US forces were on the western end of the lake and committed to the attack on Fort George, Prevost and Commodore Yeo expected a relatively easy assault.  The handful of American Regulars were supplemented by the militia under General Jacob Brown.  Fully expecting the militia to break and run in the face of British Regulars, General Brown devised a plan that used the American dragoons to plug the holes until the militia could regroup.  Due to prevailing winds, Yeo could not get close enough to support Prevost, and the British withdrew. 

Thousand Islands/St. Lawrence River:

In the winter of 1813, the Americans and British raided back and forth across the frozen St. Lawrence.  Finally, in retaliation for Major Forsyth’s raid on Brockville, Ontario, the British decided to wage a full-scale assault on the garrison at Ogdensburg.  The British attack struggled to overwhelm Fort de la Presentation, and ended when their cannons mired in the deep snows.  General Brown arrived with reinforcements, but the British had withdrawn, and Ogdensburg was never garrisoned again.

American military planners viewed the Saint Lawrence Valley as the gateway for the invasion of Canada.  In the fall of 1813, General James Wilkinson planned to strike at Montreal, thus dealing a knockout blow to the British.  The strategy called for Wilkinson to join forces with General Wade Hampton moving north out of Plattsburgh.  Hampton’s force was turned back at the Battle of Chateauguay by a British force less the half the size of the Americans.  The Wilkinson’s wing was defeated by a much smaller British force at Crysler’s Farm, and the American invasion faltered.

The fall of 1814 saw twin defeats for the British at Plattsburgh, New York and Fort McHenry, Maryland.  Those setbacks, combined with the expenses of the Napoleonic War, led American and British negotiators to begin the work of creating a peace treaty, which was signed in Ghent, Belgium on Christmas Eve 1814.  Starting in 2012, the US, Canada, England and the First Nations will begin 1,000 days of celebration to mark the events of the War of 1812 and 200 years of peace that followed.

About the author: Doug Kohler teaches 7th grade history in Clarence, NY, serves as Erie County Historian, a Board Member for Great Lakes Seaway Trail and is involved in War of 1812 Bicentennial planning.