Battle of Beaver Dams

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Battle of Beaver Dams

Part of: British-American War

date	June 24, 1813
place	near Thorold , Ontario
output	decisive British victory

Parties to the conflict
United Kingdom	United States
Commander
James FitzGibbon	Charles G. Boerstler
Troop strength
50 British, 400 Indians	575
losses
slightly	80 dead or wounded, 462 captured

The Battle of Beaver Dams on 24 June 1813 between British - Indian and American troops took place during the British-American War in Canada near the Lake Ontario and ended with a British victory.

history

After the Americans had crossed the Niagara River and conquered Fort George in May 1813 , the British lieutenant James FitzGibbon was sent with a small force of regular soldiers and Indians to a camp near Decew Falls in order to start a guerrilla war against the American troops . The US commander at Fort George, General John Dewey , then decided to send a command against FitzGibbon and drive him away or take him prisoner.

Colonel Charles Boerstler left Fort George with 550 men and three cannons. The troops marching along the Niagara River consisted mainly of infantrymen from two regular units, 20 dragoons and a company of artillerymen . On June 21, the US soldiers moved into Queenston ( Ontario ), where Boerstler posted guards at all exits to keep his plan secret. The officers stayed in the home of James Secord , who had been badly wounded as a British militiaman in the battle of Queenston Heights the previous year . His wife Laura Secord overheard a conversation between the Americans and learned of their plans. Since her husband was too weak from his injury, she snuck out of the house herself and warned FitzGibbon after a dangerous 32 km hike through mostly pathless terrain. Her courageous act made her a popular Canadian national heroine to this day.

FitzGibbon posted his 80 soldiers and about 250 Indians, most of them Caugnhnawaga - Mohawks from Québec under the leadership of Dominique Ducharme , in a forest to attack the Americans from an ambush. When the Americans reached the forest, they were taken under fire from all directions by the Indians and British, who were probably in a horseshoe formation. The Americans were able to repel a first attack by the Indians with the help of their guns. However, when attempting a counterattack, they were pushed back with considerable losses. The Americans then decided to retreat to Fort George , but found themselves trapped. Boerstler himself had been wounded twice in the hip. Unaware that they outnumbered the attackers, the Americans found themselves in a desperate position with dwindling ammunition reserves. In this situation, FitzGibbon succeeded in winning the surrender of Boerstler's troops with skillful negotiation. A major factor in this was the Americans' fear of the Indians.

In terms of troops and casualties involved, the Battle of Beaver Dams was nothing more than a skirmish. However, it played a major role in demoralizing the Americans, preventing further advances beyond the Niagara River and thus failing the invasion of Canada. The fact that the battle at Beaver Dams is still one of the better known of the war is mainly due to the role of Laura Secord and her development into a Canadian national heroine.