Leading the
American land forces during the battle was Brigadier General Zebulon Pike. Born
in 1779 in New Jersey ,
Pike quickly became a distinguished member of the American Army. He was
stationed at a number of different frontier posts before being ordered to lead
an expedition to explore the southwest.
The Pike
Expedition, as it was later known, discovered a mountain that expedition members
attempted to climb. This mountain was later called Pikes Peak and is located in
Colorado .
Eventually Pike’s expedition got into trouble when they mistakenly entered
Spanish controlled New Mexico
and Spanish authorities captured Pike and some of his men. Pike learned a great
deal about the frontier during his expedition and subsequent detention by
Spanish authorities.
Zebulon Pike |
By 1811, Pike
was serving with the 4th Infantry Regiment during the Battle of Tippecanoe. By
1812, he was promoted to colonel and then quickly promoted again to brigadier
general in March 1813. Pike earned the admiration of his superiors who believed
he was a zealous and dedicated officer who would have a promising future in the
military. When Pike was placed in charge of the attack on York ,
he issued detailed instructions to his subordinates on how to proceed with the
dangerous landing at York .
Pike landed
with the bulk of the American forces in the middle of fierce skirmishing near
the woods outside York .
At about noon as the Battle of York raged Pike organized his men for a major
push toward Fort York . At the same time, General Sheaffe
gave the order for the British regulars to retreat toward Kingston
and for Fort York ’s main magazine to be blown. The
explosion of the magazine wreaked havoc on Pike and his men who were about 200
yards away. The shockwave knocked men on their backs and flying debris struck
Pike and his men. Pike was struck by a boulder that crushed his spine and left
him clinging to life. Pike was quickly transported to the American ship Madison
where he died, resting his head on a British flag that was captured during the
battle and given to him as proof of the American victory.
The American
victory was marred by the loss of Pike, along with another 55 dead and 265
wounded. The Americans stayed in York
for a few days looting, freeing prisoners from the local jail and harassing
citizens, with the help of local American sympathizers. The American also
burned many public buildings, including the legislature buildings and the
library.
This
Saturday, April 27th, marks the 200th anniversary of the Battle of York. The
City of Toronto
has many events planned throughout the city to commemorate this historic event.
Click here to find out more.