Our men gave way – Battle of The Thames

By September 1813 on the Western frontier the British were dealt a devastating defeat on Lake Erie. The American victory at the Battle of Put-in-Bay on September 10, 1813 meant that Lake Erie was under American control and that British forces along Lake Erie were vulnerable to attack.

Major-General Henry Proctor decided to withdraw all British forces toward Burlington Heights up the Thames River to escape superior American forces. Tecumseh, the leader of the native Western Confederacy, was opposed to a retreat and wrote “We must compare our Father's [Proctor’s] conduct to [that of] a fat animal that carries its tail upon its back; but when affrighted, it drops it between its legs and runs off.” Despite Tecumseh’s objections, Proctor began the withdrawal with Tecumseh and his warriors reluctantly agreeing to follow.    

 

Map of the Battle of The Thames

As the British and native allies moved toward Burlington Heights, Proctor, with Tecumseh’s encouragement, decided to stop at Moraviantown to meet the approaching Americans. Tecumseh’s forces were primarily positioned in the woods with the British forces, mainly comprised of men from the 41st Regiment of Foot, were positioned on the open field between a small swamp and thick woods.

Shadrach Byfield was among them and succinctly describes the battle, “The attack commenced on the right, with the Indians, and very soon became general through the line. After exchanging a few shots, our men gave way.” Byfield retreated to the woods were he was met by a number of native warriors who informed him that Tecumseh had been killed. Byfield goes on to describe his short adventure with the natives before being reunited with his regiment.

The aftermath of the Battle of The Thames/Battle of Moraviantown proved to be a devastating defeat for the British. The British had over 500 men taken prisoner, almost half of their forces present at the battle. The defeat meant that the Western portion of Upper Canada was now open to American influence, and with Tecumseh’s death many Western natives decided to make peace with the Americans, effectively ending Tecumseh’s dream of a native Western Confederacy.

This weekend you can experience the 200th anniversary of the Battle of The Thames taking place in Thamesville, south of London. There will be a number of events happening on Friday and Saturday with a battle re-enactment at 3 p.m. on both days. Click here to find out more.

The British – turn out the guard

The capture of Fort Niagara on December 19, 1813 was an overwhelming success for the British. After the burning of Newark (Niagara-on-the-Lake) the British quickly retaliated with not only capturing Fort Niagara but by burning the length of the American side of the Niagara. A private in the 41st Regiment of Foot named Shadrach Byfield participated in the capture of Fort Niagara in 1813.

Byfield joined the military in 1807 as part of the militia before joining the 41st. His mother was so distraught that she died three days after he left. By 1809, Byfield was on a transport for Quebec and by the time of the War of 1812, he served extensively in Western Upper Canada, Michigan and Ohio before coming to the Niagara in 1813.

 

Fort Niagara

Byfield recounts that the 41st flank companies, along with the 100th Regiment of Foot, crossed the Niagara in the early hours on December 19, 1813. Byfield proceeded to Youngstown were a prisoner was taken and the countersign was obtained for the guards protecting the fort. Byfield describes that a sergeant,

“proceeded to the gate [of Fort Niagara], and was challenged by the sentry inside, he gave the countersign, and gained admittance, but the sentry cried out ‘The British – turn out the guard.’ Our force was fully prepared, and in a very short time we had possession of the fort, with very little lose.”   

Byfield later participated in the British destruction of the American side of the Niagara in the days following the capture of the fort. As a reward for the capture of Fort Niagara, the soldiers who participated in the attack were awarded prize money for their actions. As a private, Byfield would have received two pounds for his participation in the attack on Fort Niagara.  

If you want to learn more about the capture of Fort Niagara, you can visit the fort this weekend for their Annual 1812 Encampment event. Battle demonstrations and living history programs will occur during the day along with the re-enactment of the British capturing Fort Niagara on Saturday night. Click here for more details.