BY PETER RINDLISBACHER
The American squadron approaching Fort York, on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario, 27 April 1813.
boats, whose troops ended up wading ashore a half mile to leeward of their assigned positions and beyond the protection of their naval covering batteries. The squadron’s ships adjusted their positions. As soon as they had the British shore batteries under fire, the first wave got underway, led by Major Benjamin Forsyth’s rifle regiment. The action was “sharp and severe for nearly half an hour—the enemy were repulsed by a far less number than their own.”8 They met with stiff opposition from a small, combined force of British regulars, militia, and First Nation warriors under the command of Major General Sir Roger Hale Sheaffe. As the American troops made it ashore, they soon outnumbered the defenders, who withdrew to the cover of their batteries. Chauncey’s squadron landed 1,800 infantry, led by US Brigadier General Zebulon
Pike. Sheaffe’s troops totaled only about 600, including companies of the Grenadiers of the King’s Regiment, the Glengarry Light Infantry Fencibles, the Newfoundland Fencibles, ship carpenters, and a few civilian volunteers. As the invaders approached the fortifications, a British mobile magazine exploded, killing and wounding dozens of defenders. Shortly thereafter, Sheaffe ordered a withdrawal and the demolition of the fort’s grand magazine, the burning of the ship-sloop Sir Isaac Brock—then on the stocks, and naval stores. The tremendous explosion did more damage to the invading army than the skirmishing: the US Army suffered 222 wounded and 38 killed, including General Pike, who was crushed by an enormous boulder thrown by the magazine explosion. The American forces captured and destroyed naval and
military supplies and burned storehouses, the town blockhouse, and the parliament building. They seized the 10-gun schooner Duke of Gloucester and sailed her to Sackets Harbor. The British forces at Amherstburg would sorely miss the captured supplies and ordnance that were intended for Fort Malden. During this action, the American squadron suffered eight sailors wounded and four killed.9 Though the re-embarkation of the troops went smoothly, adverse winds kept the vessels from departing. This caused Chauncey great concern because of fatigue and illness among the men. On 30 April, he ordered Lieutenant Joseph Smith in Asp to take on board the wounded and stores, and, with the schooner transport Gold-Hunter, deliver them to Sackets Harbor, along with the body of the fallen General SeaHistory.org
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