Battle of Stoney Creek

Infobox Military Conflict


caption=
conflict=Battle of Stoney Creek
partof=the War of 1812
date=June 6, 1813
place=present day Stoney Creek, Ontario
result=British victory
combatant1=Flagicon|UKUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
combatant2=
commander1=John Vincent
John Harvey
commander2=John Chandler + #
William Winder #
strength1=700
strength2=3,400
casualties1=23 dead,
135 wounded
55 missing or captured [J. Harvey, Dep. Adj. Gen., "Cruikshank p.10]
casualties2=17 dead
38 Wounded
100 missing or captured [J. Johnson, Asst Adj. Gen., "Cruikshank p.25]

The Battle of Stoney Creek was fought on June 6, 1813, during the War of 1812 near present day Stoney Creek, Ontario. British units made a night attack on an American encampment. Due in large part to the capture of both American brigadier generals, and an overestimation of British strength by the Americans, the battle was a victory for the British, and a turning point in the defence of Upper Canada.

Background

On May 27, the Americans had captured the British position at Fort George. The British, under Brigadier General John Vincent retreated to Burlington Heights (at the west end of Burlington Bay). The Americans under the overall leadership of General Henry Dearborn, who was elderly and ill, were slow to pursue. When they did so, a force numbering 3,400 under Brigadier Generals John Chandler and William H. Winder advanced to Stoney Creek, where they encamped on June 5. The two generals set up their headquarters at the Gage Farm.Extract - Niles' Register - Vol 11, pp.116-119, October 19, 1816, "Cruikshank pp.30-38"]

One of Vincent's staff officers, Lieutenant James FitzGibbon, reconnoitred the American position and determined that it was badly placed and inadequately protected. He recommended launching a nighttime attack to take advantage of the element of surprise. A British column of 5 companies from the 8th (King's) and the main body of the 49th Regiment, about 700 men in all, was formed.Letter, Lt. Col. Harvey to Col. Baynes - June 6, 1813, "Cruikshank, p.7"]

At this point, the story of Billy Green comes to light. Billy Green was a 19 year old local resident who had witnessed the advance of the Americans from the top of the Niagara Escarpment earlier in the day. Billy's brother-in-law had been briefly captured by the Americans, but was released after he convinced them (truthfully)Fact|date=August 2008 that he was the cousin of American General William Henry Harrison. In order to be able to pass through the American lines, he was given the challenge response password for the day - "Wil-Hen-Har" (an abbreviation of Harrison's name). He gave his word of honour that he would not divulge this to the British army. He kept his word, but did reveal the word to Billy Green. Green rode his brother-in-law's horse part way, and ran on foot the rest of the way to Burlington Heights. Here, he revealed the password to FitzGibbon. He was provided with a sword and uniform and used his knowledge of the terrain to guide the British to the American position.cite web | title = Battlefield House Museum - Billy Green, the Scout | url = http://www.battlefieldhouse.ca/billy_scout.asp | accessdate = 2008-05-26] Berton, pp.72-80]

Battle

The British left their camp at Burlington Heights at 11:30pm on June 5. While Vincent was the senior officer present, the troops were placed under the conduct and direction of Lieutenant Colonel John Harvey, who led them silently toward Stoney Creek. They had removed the flints from their muskets to ensure that there were no accidental firings and dared not utter even a whisper. A sentry post of American soldiers was surprised either captured or killed by bayonet.Letter, Lt. James FitzGibbon to Rev. James Somerville - June 7, 1813, "Cruikshank p.12"] . Billy Green is said to have bayoneted one of the American sentries personally, although this is not mentioned in any official British record. The British continued advancing toward the American campfires in silence, however the Americans had withdrawn behind their fires. As a result, the fires illuminated the British advance and may have been to the advantage of the Americans.Fact|date=August 2008 As the hope of catching the Americans unaware and bayoneting them in their sleep was now lost, the British fixed their flints to their muskets and attacked. Major Charles Plenderleath led the charge with 40 men of the 49th, capturing the American field guns. [Hitsman, p.160] The remaining British forces followed soon after.Letter, Brigadier General Vincent to Sir George Prevost - June 6, 1813, "Cruikshank p. 8"] The ensuing fight lasted less than 45 minutes, but was intense and led to heavy casualties on both sides.

The American commander, John Chandler, was alerted by the first musket shots. He immediately mounted his horse and rode quickly toward the front, but his horse fell and he was seriously wounded in the fall. He lost consciousness (or, at least awareness) for a short time, and when he awoke he saw soldiers around him and started giving orders. Moments later, he realized his error when it became clear that the soldiers were British. He was taken prisoner, but remained confident that Brigadier General Winder would call forward the 5th U.S. Infantry (which had been kept in reserve). To his horror, he soon learned that Winder had been captured under very similar circumstances.Letter, Brigadier General Chandler to General Dearborn - June 18, 1813, "Cruikshank p.25"] Major Joseph Lee Smith of the 25th U.S. Infantry saw the capture of Winder and alerted his men to make a quick withdrawal, thereby avoiding capture.Fact|date=May 2008 Command of the American forces fell to cavalry officer Colonel James Burn. The cavalry charged forward firing, but once again in the darkness, the Americans suffered from a case of mistaken identity - they were firing on their own 16th U.S. Infantry, who were themselves wandering around without their commander and firing at each other in confusion. Shortly afterwards, the Americans fell back, convinced that they had been defeated, when in fact they still retained a superior force. [Berton, p.78]

As dawn broke, Harvey ordered the outnumbered British to also fall back into the woods in order to hide their small numbers. The British watched from a distance as the Americans returned to their camp in the daylight, burned their provisions and tents and retreated toward Forty Mile Creek (present day Grimsby, Ontario). By afternoon on June 6, the British occupied the former site of the American camp. They succeeded in carrying away two captured guns, and spiked two more, leaving them on the ground due to their lack of the ability to move them.

For much of the morning of June 6, General Vincent was missing. He had been injured after a fall from his horse during the battle and was found wandering in a state of confusion, convinced that the entire British force had been destroyed. He was finally located about seven miles from the battle scene, his horse, hat and sword all missing. [Berton p.79]

Aftermath

Casualties in the fight had been roughly even,Fact|date=August 2008 but the Americans had been shaken. It is most probable that if their generals had not been captured, the battle may have turned out quite differently. However, the British were able to justifiably claim a victory in this battle. Under the de facto leadership of Colonel Harvey, and with some good fortune, they had successfully forced the Americans back toward the Niagara River. American forces would never again advance so far from the Niagara.

The American troops retreated to Forty Mile Creek, in present day Grimsby, Ontario, where they were met by reinforcements under Dearborn's second-in-command, Major General Morgan Lewis. Dearborn had ordered Lewis to proceed to Stoney Creek to attack the British, but almost as the two groups met, the British fleet under Sir James Yeo appeared in Lake Ontario. Lewis decided to retreat at once, leaving a large quantity of tents, arms and supplies for the British to acquire. The Americans retired into a small defensive perimeter around Fort George, where they remained until abandoning the fort and retreating across the Niagara River into U.S. territory in December. [Berton, pp.79-80]

Brigadier General Winder was later exchanged and subsequently commanded the Tenth Military District around Washington, where he attracted censure following the Burning of Washington.

Legacy

The site of the battle is a National historic site. A stone tower, dedicated exactly 100 years after the battle by Queen Mary, commemorates the British soldiers who died at this location. The Gage farm house is also preserved and serves as a museum. The battle is re-enacted annually on the weekend closest to June 6. [cite web | title = Battlefield House Museum and Park | url = http://www.battlefieldhouse.ca/ | accessdate = 2008-05-28]

The battle is commemorated in the song "Billy Green" by Stan Rogers.

ee also

*8th (King's)
*Fort George
* [http://www.battlefieldhouse.ca/default.asp Friends of Battlefield House Museum and Park site ]
* [http://www.myhamilton.ca/myhamilton/CityandGovernment/CultureandRecreation/Arts_Culture_And_Museums/HamiltonCivicMuseums/Battlefield/ City of Hamilton museum site for Battlefield House Museum and Park]
* [http://www.stemnet.nf.ca/monuments/on/forty.htm Monument to Engagement at Forty Mile Creek]

Notes

ources

Referenced in notes

*cite book
last = Berton
first = Pierre
authorlink = Pierre Berton
coauthors =
title = Flames Across the Border, 1813 - 1814
publisher = Random House Canada
date = 1981
location = Canada
pages =
url =
doi =
id =
isbn = 0-385-65838-9
*cite book
last = Cruikshank
first = E. A. (ed.)
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = The Documentary History of the Campaign Upon the Niagara Frontier - Part VI
publisher = Lundy's Lane Historical Society
date = c.1908
location = Welland, Ontario
pages =
url = http://www.nosracines.ca/e/toc.aspx?id=3660
doi =
id =
isbn =
*cite book
last = Hitsman
first = J. Mackay
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = The Incredible War of 1812 - A military History
publisher = Robin Brass Studio
date = 1999
location = Cap-Saint-Ignace, Quebec
pages =
url =
doi =
id =
isbn = 1-896941-13-3

General

* John R. Elting, "Amateurs to Arms", Da Capo Press, New York, 1995, ISBN 0-306-80653-3
* Jon Latimer, "1812: War with America", Harvard University Press, 2007, ISBN 0-67402-584-9
* Morris Zaslow (ed). "The Defended Border", Macmillan of Canada, 1964, ISBN 0-7705-1242-9