Fighting in North America 1814

Canada - American Border Map

                    With the war in Europe was dying down and the war against the United States entering its third year, the British government commenced on a massive reinforcement of their colony in North America, with the object of decisively forcing the United States to terms. The first regiments from Wellington’s Army chosen to make for North America were the 6th and 82nd Regiments, as those two corps presently were detached from the main army performing garrison duty at Bordeaux and also being somewhat recruited in strength. At the end of April, therefore, the 82nd boarded ships at Bordeaux and set sail for Canada. After almost a month a sea (no doubt a trying experience for the men, it being a long voyage in the cold and unforgiving North Atlantic) the regiment reached the town of Quebec sometime in late May, where it came ashore. Upon offloading, the regiment mustered 590 bayonets[1].

The 82nd landed at Quebec in late May 1814 after a month's voyage across the Atlantic from Bordeaux. It was the vanguard of a huge British reinforcement of North America.

        Many officers of the regiment, including George Wood, had not made this voyage, instead remaining in Europe for various reasons. We sadly therefore no longer have Mr. Wood’s first-person accounts of the corps’ activities, although another account does exist to a limited extent. Col. Grant did come to Canada with the 82nd and was to remain, at least nominally, the Commanding Officer until the end of August. None of the regiment’s other two subordinate Lieutenant Colonels and only two of the four Majors listed as belonging to the regiment made the trip to Canada with Grant. Of the twenty Captains listed with the colours, ten only came to Canada. Actual acting command of the 82nd in Canada, however, appears to have devolved to Major Henry Adolphus Proctor once the corps reached the Niagara front, although this is not a certainty. The fact is that the record shows that Proctor was present at all actions with the regiment in Canada while Grant, although known to have come as far as York, is attested as being present at none.

The March to Niagara, May – September 1814

            The situation in the Canada’s in the Spring on 1814 was hopeful for the British, as the main American invasion towards Montreal the previous campaigning season had ended in ignominious defeat and withdrawal, while concurrent operations on the Niagara front had seen the retreat of the American Army across the frontier, the British capture of Fort Niagara and the burning of Buffalo in retaliation for previous ravages at York and Newark by U.S. troops. Into this stalemated situation now began to flow many thousands of British redcoats, while other sea-borne British forces prepared to stage amphibious operations along the weakly-defended American coast. Nevertheless, the American administration of George Madison was prepared to continue the invasion and so there was to be much hard fighting in 1814.

            Upon arrival at Quebec, the 82nd was allowed a short rest to recoup from the long ocean voyage. On June 4, the King’s Birthday, Col. Grant was gazetted a Major General, although likely he had no inkling of this at the time. He had for a short time in 1813 commanded a brigade under Wellington, including the battle of Vittoria. Of his courage in battle, there can be no question, as his many wounds attest. He was not to see action with the corps again. Before long, the 82nd was ordered to advance west to the town of Montreal. This was the commencement of an epic journey for the 82nd, over some of the most abominable roads (if they could be called such) imaginable. Because the contest between the adversaries on the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario was not yet conclusive, maritime transportation, by far the easiest and most desired mode of  conveyance in the New World, was not feasible. The obligatory spring rains had turned the already rough tracks and paths of Upper and Lower Canada into muddy morasses, making travel on them a tedious and exhausting business. So through the wilds of North America the 82nd struggled. Hopefully their marching legs from Europe had not abandoned them on the sea-voyage over. At least they didn't have French cavalry nipping at their back this march, as in 1812.

By mid-June the 82nd had reached Montreal, where the no-doubt tired soldiers were allowed another short rest, before being ordered on to Kingston a few weeks later. On the 3rd of July, the American army had once again crossed the Niagara frontier and invaded Upper Canada. The arrival of veteran reinforcements was therefore much desired and anticipated by the officers commanding in Upper Canada. The 82nd, upon the news of the invasion was therefore immediately hastened on toward Kingston, in two wings to facilitate provisioning. By July 16, the corps had reached the fortress town, and was again concentrated. Here, the British Commander of the 'Right Division' in Upper Canada, Lt. Gen Gordon Drummond, prevaricated sending on the 82nd to Niagara. He had just sent on another large regiment, De Waterville's’ foreign corps, leaving Kingston, his head-quarters, weakly held.

The Barracks at York, which the 82nd passed through at the beginning of August 1814 on the way to Niagara

Events made the advance necessary however, as it became clear that the major American thrust for 1814 was to be at Niagara, and an attack on Kingston not likely forthcoming. Drummond hastened by land towards the frontier and from York on July 23, ordering the 82nd to follow him from Kingston, pending the arrival of the 6th Foot, marching from Montreal. Once again, the 82nd advanced, in two wings. Two weeks later, on the 16th of August, the first wing of the 82nd had reached the military depot at Burlington while the second wing was at York. Gen. Drummond, now in command on the frontier, ordered them to make all haste to join his army. Two days later, on Aug. 18, the first wing of the 82nd arrived in camp outside Fort Erie, after a journey of well over 1000 miles. Six days later, the second wing followed up and the corps was again concentrated.

The Siege of Fort Erie, September, 1814

Map of the Niagara Peninsula

            On July 3, 1814, an American army under the command of Maj. Gen. Jacob Brown crossed the Niagara River and began the third invasion of the Niagara Peninsula in as many years. Two major battles followed. At Chippewa on July 5, a British force under Maj. Gen. Phineas Rhiall met the Americans and was defeated. The American army, after the hard lessons of two campaigning seasons, was now an efficient fighting force in the Niagara theater, well-officered and well drilled. At Lundy’s Lane on July 25, the largest and most bloody battle of the war was fought*: a confused and desperate night action that resulted in the Americans being left in possession of the field and therefore the victors. The strategic result, however, was stalemate. The shattered American brigades retreated and took up a defensive posture at Fort Erie, near the confluence of the lake of that name and the Niagara River. Here General Gaines, taking over from a wounded Gen. Brown, prepared a vigorous defense. Gen. Drummond followed and began a siege on August 13. Two days later, on the night of the 15th, a major two-pronged sally was made by the British on the fortification. Although at first successful, it ended in dismal failure when a magazine exploded, killing many British officers and men, including Drummond's own son. Despite this disaster and its attendant effect on morale, the British Commander ordered the commencement of a more formal siege. A few days later, on the 18th, the leading wing of the 82nd arrived in camp.

Fort Erie lay at the entrance of Lake Erie into the Niagara River

  It was not long before the South Lancashire's saw action, as the American Commander, General Gaines, staged an active and spirited defense. The day after the first wing of the 82nd arrived, a second+ battery of four guns and two mortars commenced to pound the fort, to which the Americans responded in kind. The next day, the Americans made a sally against the new battery, but were beaten back with some loss by a party of Indians allied with the British. The next day, another sally was made by the Americans to no great effect and with more losses. The British next commenced the building of a third battery somewhat closer to the fort, and detail's of the 82nd were set to work on it and to guard it. Not far behind these two batteries lay the British camp, a wretched collection of shacks and hovels, but it was high summer so the men did not suffer yet overly much. On the 24th of August, the second wing of the 82nd arrived in camp and the corps was now concentrated. Cruickshank states the corps mustered roughly 500 bayonets upon arrival[2], 90 less from the commencement of the march from Quebec in late May, but a later official return after some severe fighting states a higher figure, so it is likely both his figures are low. 

                The next day, the 82nd saw fighting, as its piquet's protecting the work on the new battery were attacked by a party of American regulars under a Captain Wattles. It was a baptism of sorts for the regiment in the somewhat unconventional fighting methods of the New World.  In the words of E. A. Cruikshank, who wrote an excellent account of these operations…

“He [Wattles]…advanced rapidly in the direction of the working party, but was met and repelled by the piquet's of the 82d Regiment. Two privates of that corps were killed and thirteen wounded. In this affair, and on the part of the Americans Captain Wattles and two privates were killed and five or six wounded. It was remarked that the loss of the 82d Regiment was greater than it should have been because they were not expert at taking cover, this being their first experience in the woods. Accordingly, after this, when the men of this regiment and the 6th were placed upon piquet duty they were accompanied by some Glengarry Light Infantry and Incorporated Militia until they acquired experience in bush-fighting.”[3]

                The siege continued, and on Aug. 30 the new battery, with four powerful guns, was unleashed upon the American Fort. The British batteries were directed not to affect a breach, but rather to cause casualties in the garrison, and this was accomplished to good effect, as many men, including Gen. Gaines himself, were made casualties from the bombardment, while still more were lost to disease and desertion. Between August 16 and September 1, 59 men in the fort were killed and 147 were wounded. General Brown, now recovered from wounds suffered at the battle of Lundy’s Lane, again took over command of the fort. On September 1, those old comrades of the 82nd from the 7th Division: the 6th Foot, arrived in camp, 500 strong. No doubt there was much revelry and ‘catching up’ that day, as the two veteran corps re-acquainted themselves, shared tales and sang old army songs. The two corps had fought many battles and campaigns together, at times side-by-side, such as at the Maya Pass and Orthez. The 6th immediately volunteered to construct yet another fourth battery, which was finished and armed on the night of Sept. 4, but not unmasked, as the breach was not to be made until another approaching corps, the 97th Foot$, arrived in camp.

British redcoats stand fast against an American attack

            The 5th of September brought on a sharp skirmish the 82nd. A large skirmish took place between a sally of Americans and a piquet comprising the South Lancashire's. The attack was driven in with considerable loss by the Peninsular veterans. General Drummond, writing to the British Commander of the Canada’s, Lt. Gen. Prevost, stated that “Nothing could exceed the gallantry and good conduct of all the troops…their impetuosity was with difficulty restrained.”[4] Fortunately for posterity, the fighting qualities of the regiment were also noted by a diarist with the army: William Dunlop, Surgeon of the 89th Regiment. In one amusing anecdote, which is undated but may have been the action of Sept. 5, he relates a skirmish in which he witnessed the 82nd in action:

"It is said that in war any new weapon, or any new maneuver, strikes the enemy with terror, and here we had an instance of it. A body of the 82d were opposed to a party of riflemen in the wood. The Captain commanding, to the utter astonishment of all of us old bush-whackers, gave the order to charge, and the order was executed in a very spirited style. This we thought was consigning our men to inevitable destruction; but no such thing: the riflemen had no more idea of a bayonet being pointed at them then they had of being swallowed up by an earthquake; and when the smoke cleared away, and they saw the 82nd within twenty yards of them, moving on at the "pas de charge," it shook their nerves, - they fired, to be sure, but with little effect, and then ran, they were too late however. The flat foots got within their deadly range, that is, bayonet's length - they skivered many of them, and others were shot at two muskets' length, and driven out of the woods to the esplanade of the Fort, where they were treated to a parting volley; and the guns of the Fort immediately opening on us, we took the hint, and withdrew under the cover of the woods."[5]

The American Sortie, September 17, 1814

                As September began, the hitherto warm, dry weather of the summer began to give away to fall showers, and beginning on Sept. 8 no less than 13 strait days of rain are recorded. The nights too began to get cold, adding to the misery. In camp, numbers of men from the 82nd began to take sick from the worsening conditions, while the place itself began to resemble a swamp by all accounts. Observing this state of affairs and in mind of a very precarious supply situation, Gen. Drummond began to contemplate lifting the siege and retiring to better-suited positions. Having ascertained the state of the British position from deserters, General Brown inside the fort fixed on a plan to deliver a strong blow the besiegers and to damage the batteries so as to make withdrawal a necessity for the enemy. On the 15th and 16th the guns of the fort increased their firing significantly, while in secrecy a devious rough path was hewn in a wide arc through the forest up to within 150 yards of the extreme right flank of the British entrenchments.

Map showing the American defenses at Fort Erie and the British siege-works to the north of them. The dotted line through the forest on the left traces the rough path the Americans used in their Sortie on Sept. 17, 1814. 

            The 17th of September dawned cool and sunny, but the attack did not go in until the afternoon, by which time it had began to rain again. With the attacking columns brought up the path and into position, Gen. Brown gave the signal to attack at 2:30pm. In an irresistible sweep of war-whoops, firing and close-in fighting, the British right flank was turned and the works close by were carried by the impetuous assault. Only a stout log blockhouse at the very end of the position held by a detachment of the 8th Foot held out, but eventually it too was compelled to surrender. Within thirty minutes the Americans were in undisputed possession of the third and fourth batteries and commenced immediately to dismantle them and spike the guns. Over 150 officers and men of De Watteville’s and the 8th Regiment’s were made prisoner in this initial dash. American reinforcements then came up and an attack on the second battery was successfully carried. The surviving defenders retreated to the first battery by the river and fighting for it was in progress when the British reinforcements arrived from their camp.

During the initial stages of the sortie of Sept. 17, American soldiers surged forward, driving the British with loss from three batteries

            General Drummond, coming up with the supports and appraising the situation, sent three columns into the attack. The center column was comprised of 7 companies of the 82nd Regiment under the command of Major Proctor and 3 companies of the 6th under Major Taylor. This force was charged with retaking the second battery and set off immediately. Following the first rush and in the heat of the action, the American soldiers at the second battery had become disorganized and the works there were only beginning to be dismantled. It was not until it was too late that they noticed a line of redcoats advancing at the drum-beat through the forest toward them. As the American officers tried desperately to form a line, the companies of the 6th and 82nd closed up and delivered several shattering volleys into the confused mass, following which they charged with the bayonet. During this spirited counter-attack, according to William Dunlop in his memoirs, a striking scene occurred at one of the battery ports, where Major Pattsion of the 6th Foot led two companies of the 82nd forward:

“They poured a volley into the mass of the enemy, who were huddled together into so small a space that they could not return it. Pattsion immediately sprung forward, and called out to the American officer in command to surrender, as resistance would only cause loss of life and could do no good. He did give an order to ground arms, and some of his men were in the act of doing so, when an American soldier raised his rifle and shot Pattsion through the heart. In one moment a charge was made by the 82d into the battery, and every soul in it was put to the bayonet…”[6] 

                In a few minutes the battery was carried, with many killed and large numbers of prisoners taken, while the more rest of the enemy fled headlong back towards the fort. Continuing on, the advancing British companies followed the retreating foe out of the forest and into the clearing outside the fort. Here the Americans rallied behind a small ravine and offered battle, but after a hot fight and several more volleys from the redcoats, they retired into the fort. The 82nd then moved out of range of the fort's artillery, which now began to ply the British with grape and shot. The battle settled down now to scattered shooting. For its efforts that day, the combined corps of 82nd and 6th Foot came in for much praise by Gen. Drummond. A District General Order penned the following day states:

“The Brilliant style in which the battery No. 2 was recovered, and the enemy driven beyond our Entrenchments by seven Companies of the 82d Regt. under Major Proctor, and three Companies of the 6th Regt. detached under Major Taylor, excited Lt. Gen. Drummond’s admiration, and entitled those troops to his particular thanks.”[7]  

                A return of casualties prepared the next day shows that the losses to the 82nd were 12 killed (2 Sergeants, 10 rank-and- file), 45 wounded (2 Captains, 4 Lieutenants, 1 Ensign, 5 sergeants, 33 rank-and-file) and 8 missing: a total butcher's bill of 65 casualties and a clear argument for the ferocity of this battle. A day later, Captain J. M Wright and Ensign Cooper Langford from the regiment had also died from their wounds.[8] Despite of this gallantry of the Peninsular veterans and the arrival in camp the next day of the 97th Foot, the outcome did indeed compel Gen. Drummond to raise the siege and take up positions farther north along the Niagara River. On the night of the Sept. 21, the last of the Right Division marched out of camp in a driving rain. The 82nd was cantoned at the old battlefield of Lundy’s Lane and along with De Watteville’s regiment and the 89th Foot, was brigaded under the newly arrived Maj. Gen. Stovin. It had been sometime in September that Major Proctor had taken over official command of the 82nd, although the details of exactly when and why are unclear. His commission to Brevet Lt. Colonel was backdated to Sept. 17, the day of the large sortie, so the promotion may have been at least in part a reward for his performance that day. As for William Grant, he was now a Major General and he likely had taken on other duties in the colony, as he is not attested as being present at a single action with the regiment in the Canada’s. 

The Last Fighting, October - November, 1814

                Following the raising of the siege of Fort Erie, the Americans received a large reinforcement of nearly 4,000 men under Maj. Gen. Izard. Crossing the Niagara River with his force on October 11, Izard took command of the American army and determined to take the offensive, irrespective of the lateness of the season. For a time it looked like another large battle on the frontier was to take place, as Izard endeavored to lure Drummond out of his position on the Chippawa River. On October 19, a force under his subordinate, Brig. Gen. Bissell, engaged the British in a combat at Cookes Mills. The entire 82nd Regiment was present at this battle but being in the reserve did not take part in the action, which ended inconclusively. The next day Bissell retreated and soon Gen. Izard and his army fell back to Fort Erie. Seeing the battered state of the fort and noting the coming of winter, the American commander thought it prudent to go into cantonments on the American side of the River. On Nov. 5, the last Americans had crossed back into the United States and the fort blown. The War of 1812 was over on the Niagara Peninsula. A return of the Right Division from November 8, 1814, shows the non-officer strength of the 82nd as active operations wound down: 477 effectives and 85 sick.[9] If the 48 officers known to have accompanied the regiment to Canada are included, minus the two who perished Sept. 17, the total of the regiment at this time becomes 608. 

            It had been an amazing journey to the Canadian frontier for the 82nd Regiment in 1814 and the corps was fortunate to arrive in time to see some action before the hostilities finally wound down. Several accounts, it should be noted, describe the South Lancashire's as having been present at Lundy’s Lane, which is in fact not true, as the regiment did not arrive until almost a month after the battle. Nevertheless, the 82nd did perform gallant service,  for which it earned the battle Honour ‘Niagara’. The regiment stayed in Canada until 1815, when it took ship back to Europe. It did not arrive in time to fight in the Waterloo campaign, but did go to France and performed a stint of garrison duty at Paris. Its depot battalion was disbanded at Christmas of 1814. In 1816, tragedy struck when a portion of the veterans of the 82nd drowned while sailing for duty in Ireland, a very sad disaster for many who had survived the many vicissitudes of battle. The regiment soldiered on however, performing garrison duties at a number of British colonies, including another stint in Canada in 1843. It was not until 1855 that the regiment again saw action, when it engaged in some fighting at the tail-end of the Crimean War. In 1857, the corps saw action in India, during the Sepoy Rebellion. Only July 1, 1881, the 82nd reorganized as the 2nd Battalion, South Lancashire Regiment (Prince of Wales Volunteers), the title which its holds to this day.

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