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AN ACCOtNT
or THK
BATTLE OF LUNBY'S LANE
.■*
FOtGHT IN 18149
BirrWEEN THfi BBinSH & AMERICAN ABMIESi
PROM THE BEST AND MOST AUTHENTIC S0UIICE8.
I /
( I
DRUMMONDVILLE:
nUNTib AT THE OFFICE OF THE WSLLANP RBPORTIR.
1853.
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To the Reader.
A grfst ivaat bM been ftit by -vlslton to • s^t m celebrated In Hlc^
torjr as tbe Battlf Field of Iiiindy** IJaney of t^n Impartial dcMriptlom
of tbat great conilletf vrbere tbe Britieb and Amerlean Armle* met in
tbe 'vrar of 1814* In coneequenccy tbe Propria t^r of tbe Observatory
on tbe spot wbcre tbe battle -w^m ftongbt) in order to fltcilitate tbe ex«
planations required by Tisitors) bas tbougbt it desirable to select firom
tbe despatcbes of tbe Generals of tbe respceti-ve armiesf tbe report of
eaeb to bis Govemment at tbe time*
Tbe flrst selection is fkrom tbe Despateb of General DrnmntondyUbe
Ciommander of tbe Britisb Amty) and tbe second is ftom tbe Despateb
•f Ctencral Browny tbe Commander of tbe An^erlcan Army*
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ttXTRACT FROM THE DESPATCH OF OENERAt,
DEUMMOND.
fii
Frtm Smithes" Canada, PastfBresentftmdFutmt.^'
I amlMuind on board His Majesty's schooner "Sedjf at Xork, on
fiandaj eTening, the 24th instant, and reached Niagara at daj-break
#e following morning. Finding from lieutenant-Colonel TucJEer, that
Amor-'General Bialll was nnderstood to be moving towards the Falli gf
Niagara, to siqtport the advance of his division, which he had pushsd o«
tr that place, on the proceeding evening, I ordered Lieutenant-^^donal
Morrison, with the Eightf-ninth Begiatent, and a detachment of '4ie
-Rojrals and King's, drawn from Forts Greorge and Mississaga, to pro-
iceed to the same pioint, in <Nrdei' that with the united force I migjht aot
^^pinst the eneuiy on my arrival, if it should be found expedient. I or-
-derad Lieutenant-Colonel Tucker, at the same time, to proceed on the
r%ht bank of the river, with three hundred of the Forty-First, and about
two hundred of the Royal Scots, and a body of Indian warricurs, sujqpont-
••d on the river by a party of armed seamen, under Captain Dobhs, R.
Nt The object of this movement was to disperse or capture a body of
^ nneny, which was encamped at Lewiston. Some unavoidable de-
,laf having occurred In the march <^ the troops up the right bank, the en-
^mj had moved off previous to Ideiitenant-Colonel Tucker's arrival.
Having refreshed the troops at Queenstown, and having brough{t
across the Forty-first, Royals and Indians, I sent back the fcftj'Sitpt
•mi Hundredth regiments to form the garrisons of the forts, and moved
■until the Eighty-ninth, and detachments of the Royals and King's, and
^1^ company of the Forty-first, in all about eight hundred men, to join
Ijlbjw-General Riall's division at the Falls.
When anrived within a few miles of that positi(m, I met a report froiji
MJyor-G«neral Riall that the enemy was advancing in ^at force. I
inN»ediM»ly pudied on, and joined the head oi Lieutenaat-Colonel M(W-
,nma?» column, just »s it reached the road leading towards the Beav«r
Dam, over the lummit of the hill at Lundy's Lane. Instead of the
whole of Major-General llinll's division, which T expected to Bnd occu-
pying^ this position, I found it almost all in the occupation of the enem/,
w|io9e columns were if ithin six hundred yards of the top of the hill, and
the surrounding woods filled with his light troops. The advance of Ma-
jor-General RialPs division, consisting of the Glengarry light infantry
and incorporated militia, having commenced thejr retreat upon Fort
George, I ceuntermandcd these corps^ and formed the Eighty-ninth and
the Royal Scots and Forty-first light companies in the rear of the hill,
theh> left resting on the great road ; my two twenty-four pounder brass
field {guns a little advanced in front of the centre on the summit of the
hill ; the Glengarry light infantry on the right, the battalion of incorpo-
rated Militia, and the detachment of the King's Regiment en the left of
the great road ; the squadron of Nineteenth Light Dragoons in the rear
of the left, on the road. I had scarcely completed this formation, when
the whole front was warmly and closely engaged. The enemy's princi-
pal efforts were directed against our left and centre. After repeated
attacks, the troops on the left were partially forced back, and the ene-
my gained a momentary possession of the road. This gave him, how-
ever, no material advantage, as the troops which had been forced back
formed in the rear of the Eighty-ninth Regiment, fronting the road and
securing the flank. It was during this short interval that Major-Gene-
ral. Riall, having received a severe wound, was intercepted as he was
passing to the rear by a party of the enemy's cavalry and made prison-
er. In the centre, the repeated and determined attacks of the enemy,
were met by the Eighty-ninth Regiment, the detachments of the Roy-
als and King's, and the light company of the Forty-first Regiment, with
the most perfect steadiness and intrepid gallantry, and the enemy was
constantly repulsed with very heavy loss. In so determined a manner
were these attacks directed against our guns, that our artillerymen
were bayoneted in the act of loading, and the muzzles of the enemy's
guns were advanced within a few yards of ours. The darkness of the
night, during this extraordinary conflict, occasioned several uncommon
incidents: our troops having for a moment been pushed back, some of
our guns remained for a few minutes in the enemy's hands ; they wefe,
fcowtver, not only quickly recovered, but the two pieces, a six-poimdery
and a five and a half-iuch howitMr, wbicb the «nemy bad brought up,
were captured hy us, together with several tumbriU' ; and in limbering
up our guoa, at ode period, one of the enemy's six-pouadera was put bj
mistake upoa a limber of ourii, and one of our six-pounders limbered on
one of his ; by whieh means the pieces were exchanged ; and thus
though we captured two of his gunii, yet as he obtained one of ours^ we
have gained only one gun. , ,
About nine o'clock, the action having commenced at six, there was
a short intermission of firing, during which it appears the enemy was
employed m bringing up the whole of his remaining fbrce, and he short-
ly afterwards renewed his attack, with fresh troops, but was every where
repulsed, with equal gallantry and success. About this period the re-
mainder of Major-General RialPs division which had been ordered to
retire on the advance of the enemy, consisting of the Hundred and
Third Kegiment, under Colonel Scott ; the head-quarter division of the
Koyal Scots, the head-quarter division of the Eighth, flank companies
of the Hundred and Fourth, some detachments of militia, under Lieu-
tenant-Colonel Hamilton, Inspecting Field-Officer, joined the troops en-
gaged. The enemy^s efibrts to carry the hill were continued until about
midnight, when he had suffered so severely from the superior steadiness
and discipline of His Majesty's troops, that he gave up the contest, and
retreated with great precipitation to his cairip, beyond the Chippawa.
On the following day he abandoned his camp, threw the greatest part of
his baggage, camp-equipage and provisions into the rapids ; and, having
set iire to Street's mills and destroyed the bridge at Chippawa, contin-
ued his retreat in great disorder towards Fort Erie. My light troops,
cavalry and Indians are detached in pursuit, and to harass his retreat;
i mils? «!* ■ ,f»awtm<y.:
*.♦.♦
d
.,*
d
IIVCIBEIVTS
-;Und aUi^u iifd' Ji'Upn
ftJ
^H&M MANSFIELD'S LIFE OF GENERAL SCOTT,
PUBUSHED BY A. 8. BARNES AND CO., NEW TORK.
.m
The anny of the north had scarcely rested from its labors at Cfaippa«
'wa, when it was called to the still more* sanguinary field of Niagara.
The second day after the battle of the 5th, the American troops forced
their way over Chippawa River. In this, ScOttls brigade led, and die
enemy retreated before him. '••^
In the afternoon of the 25th of July, amidst general relaxation, Cr^n-
eral Brown received a note from a colonel of militia, whose regiment
occupied two or three posts on the American sidie of the Niagara, iKH-
ting in the most precise terms, that the enemy had thrown a thousand
men across from Queenstown to Lewistown, nine miles below Chippa-
tva, for some object not exactly understood. Brown conjectured that
there was an intention to capture our magazines at Scholsser, and to
intercept siHpplies coming down from Buffalo. In order to recall him
from this object. Brown immediately determined to threaten the forts
at the mouth of Niagara. In less than twenty minutes Scott's com-
mand was put in motion for that purpose. His force consisted of four
small battalions, under Colonel !6rady, and IMajors Jesup, Leaven-
worth, and McNeil ; Captain Towson's artillery, and Captain Harris's
detachment of regular and volunteer cavalry ; in all amounting to tiiir-
teen hundred men. There was not time to call in i^e guards which
belonged to those corps.
About two miles from the camp, and just above the Falls, Seotf dUi-
covcred a few British officers, mounted, who, as it turned out, were in
advance to reconnoitre. He soon learned that the enemy was in some
little force below, and only intercepted from the view by a narrow
wood.
In this situation, Scott for a moment reflected on what course should
be pursued. He was instructed to march rapidly on the forts, under
positive information, (given as we have narrated to General Brown,)
that Riall had, three hours before, thrown half his force across the Ni-
ifara. Reflecting that the wtic.e bad been beaten on the 5tb inst., he
^
• '5 np^
ITT, i
lost ^ time in recontioited^ Wt ijaahed Coriiari U> 4ispers« ivliat k*
tbQiight w«3 tke T^\mw^ of the British army opposed to bim^ ; . .,, - 1
After, di^pAtcbing Assistant Adjutant-General Joaes tor G^nera^
Itrown^th the, information that the enemy was in front he procqcdg^
tq pass ti>c wopd, just below Forsythe's House. There he was great!/
a^oisbird to %d^ djirectlj in front, drawn up in order of battl^;, Qn
Lundy's Lane, a larger force eyen than that he had encountered^^
C^l^ppa^^ twenty days before I The position be was k> was extremely
ciil^Qal. To stand fast was out of the .question, being ah-eady under a
lieavjr fire of t|ie ejii^my's artillery and musketry^ To retreat w^
ei|i^ly I)i^zardous ; for there is always,, in such a case, the probability of
{iQiA^Qyand»a,t this time, the danger of creating a, panic in the reserve,
tJb#Q;8uppQ8ed,to be coming npi and which bs^d not be^n in the previous
■, ^oitt flaw tiiat no measure but one of boldness would succeed, lie
ilJbiepefoEe dftterniaed to maintain the bait|le against superior numbeif
jipd position till iho jreserve «ame up, thus giving General Eialltl^ idea
thf^t the- the whole American «j:ny was at band. This would prevent
hkn fvoni prc^tinf by his miuerieal. strength to, attaek our flaidcsaiid
Ke^. He would thus lose the initial, % matter of no smaU Mnportf^ncft
fo ppilitafy ^ntej^pri^s. The schen^e succeeded. For a long time the
^emy wa* Is^t qnthe dei^i^ve, t^l the.4^ri<f»» r^sflry^ M^pjM MP
^di^pteinedinto tl^ action.,. . i„,wj .- a'.ii?>n "..;♦ .i-^ncn- ?,• r? ^r!:-
,.j; J^ the xw^nw^tile S(»tt bad,Eent ba&l^ to G«qeral Bro\ya, Lieut4nai)t
.0^1^» 9^>^e^ <^ Major Jones, to report the comd^tion of afikirl.r^
tPhe4i?<it wa«| ti» report that the remnant of EialKs army was man<»uver-
i$g,^j^Q4(%^i4b« :detacbp^nt thrown over tlie Niagara; the second
was to inform the general, that so far from being diminished, the JBfit-
\fi^ a!nmy'W|^,;i9«tually re-iafprced, and thus to hasten up the ,rc-
^(/fhe b»|tle hegafi about forty minutes l^fore sunset, and, i^e ilistpre-
4«9iesf»pr a^^]|ijpj^^{hyrW^ the closing dranw of ^ long and warm
summer's day,> iUJI^e.,^l^,tic^,,it si^lu^acp^ tli& tt£hk^ .o|f «ia/Bn
|kj|in^jjiv^9J)^^worl(l,of luturehad bften fend^ed lUustriimv by
W> of tl^ji^i^: lan^ .g}(u-i|^us w^k^ of Go^. iSYk^ the .batl^. "ffi*
%
ib
^st^ tbey fcD upon t)ie ^prity, wMeh edntiiiMIly gbih il^,'1il^' y<ik^i
from the deep, dashing torrent of Niagara. .The hriji^t fight wiiklH^
ded into its primal hues, and a rainbow irdke from fhi^'^tiM; eik^Miiir
the hiead of the advancing column ! In a more ^tiperititibtait age^ sitfm
a sign would have been regarded, like the Roman aiigiiriies,' lU ai )^
eursflNr of victory. Even now, this bow of promise fbhiished mi fii^
^tibn of hope, with the colors of beau^. ''"i^'
The line which now openedits fire upon Seott, at tbii distance dfbjbe
hundred and fifty paces, was alirea^ eighteen hundred Strong. 'It Wis
well posted in Lundy's Lane^ a ridge at right ang|les vHth the Kiitgant
River, a Httle below the cataract. Its left was on th6 road pttnlttel Id
the river, with a space covered with brushwood, of some twt> hU^fArtd
yards, between. Scott observing this interval, soon dr^i^red'MMIijiB^
Jesup, sustained by Colonel Brady, to take advantage of it, andj''^liti^
cealed by the boshes and twil^t, to turn the enemy's left.' Hfe other
tiattalibns had been before promptly deployed into line, and the iktSttdn
jokiedby it (Brady on the right) and Tbvrson's artilleryi Ifte'snill
^taehiaents 4f <iaValry dn both sides #^ h^ld in T^Mffvt. Tite ^liil^
my, finding after some ^e that he ontflaiidced us on Ihlft'leftj threw fbt**
ward a b&ttallion to tak^ us in flank and rear. Scott, aliftough wtdi'
inferior numbers, caused this movement to biBfnromptly.niet anJdt«|iiMed
by Major M'Neil's battallion, but with great loss on both aidtai'- At
the same moment, the action in front was 4Mperatdyeontetlfkl''lly
Brady, now in line, and by Leaveaworth and Towson. Major ' J\ewp
had succeeded in his movement. He had taken JV&gw^enend Blitf^
and several other, jHisoners, and then gallantly chai^d backj (cvttittg'dl^
ii portion of the enemy's left wing,) reappei^ng, and rtsumng hb^^wi*
tioninline. ,ii.:vi-^,.^i:j,a$.Miia-fji.>^w
' The battle which hud commenced before stinslii '^onftinittd ttfd^
night. Twilight had gone, and it was now nine o'clock. The enMl^
right had been beaten back from its iUink assault with great loai. ^
feft was tamed and out ^. His eentre alon« renttined iim» It'
)ioitad OB a ridge, and stqiportiMl by nine ^^fedM of arfiller|'.
TMrne battnlKons of Drummond's reinforeements had aM#flrtfi%d
tod al6iirth Wis only a few miles behind. Su^-was the Mftlli of fitf
Uta/^MMajor-Otneral Btwrii trritM, « iMbiii tdviMkUvPl^
i-'UMV
11
'W(lff9\lM^ iwM oa w^vipig^l ^pvticulari, reported (Q ^,|rf-
jIHdmlf ^,4^ dittooh^d |taff--o^r»'nieiiti«ned, «f|t)ai|ied and coii(ifi9-
f,f^ t^rliw bj.JtIw Ufn of Scott. . A,t tbispcnat, General Btawn, in Us
.<^fScial refioift M^kes up the oarrative; fromhts oii^a personal obserTation.
We select a few extracts in continuaQce of the historjr.
^Miter i^ikingof Scott's brigade, and its position in the fintt part of
tVv!*'
the. IwUler he says — ^''apprehending that these corps were much ex-
,^vptefi, and knowing , tiiat they had suffered severely, I deternui|ied to
•int^fioae a new line wkh the a4vancing troops, and thus disengage Grep-
;!fl|^^^kiptjfc,amdhold his brigade in reserve. Orders were ti^c<!,^f^\m^j
pjtm to.Geoeral B4pley, The enemy's artillery at this moment occ^-
> pM a, 141» which gave him great advantages, and was the key tp the
nf^epeiitiQil* r It was suj^ortedby a line of infantry. To sequre
rlbi-fietoryit was necessary to carry this artillery and sei«e the hoght.
:7lu>-49t7 was assigned to Colonel Miller, -sji.l^l^v^^ , ; .ijA
.'<:^(ii^)He (Colonel Miller) advanced steadily and gallantly to his ob^«i(t
iimA oMiied the height and the cannon. General Rii^ey brought up t^e
834,)Whieb bad^faltered, to his support, and the enemy c^ppeared from
- before thcili. * ^ *<* The enemy rallying his forces, and as is. believed,
kaving received reinforcements, now attempted to drive us from.onr
.•[puMitionandregaiahisartfflery. Our line was unshaken and the ene-
r jB^ rifiilsed. Two other attempts^ having the same object, hi^d the
aame issue. General Scott was again engaged in repelling the former
•f time $ aad the last I taw of lum on the field of .battle, he was near the
bead of his column, and giving to its march a direction that would
;b«ve placed him <» the enemy's right ******* Havmg been for
' SMne tive wounded, and being a good deal exhausted by loss of blood,
it became my wish to devolve the command on General Scott, and re-
^,laftU9m the field, but, on inquiry, I had the misfortune to learn that
1. It WM disabled by wounds ; I.therefore kept my post, and had the sat-
>ll£itctiiOA tp seethe enemy's last effort repulsed.fe@,^j^^^^.y^(|vj45^(tjl^^
jjii<«l%e oiMis of this engf^g^ent was the moment wben the /enemy's
battery, wbichifrj^its position commanded the field of ^ actioo^. iru
„4l«nmMtby.W<r^s rufjmfinU. Thia.chfurge was one of the ^finest
vMbi«?eiPpt»,<^^e4p\ericatf.anigr. Geiteraji Brown ;Sai4 tQ,the ji|l-
^!liiliyiWfr-.$Skr3W.ytu takeOiatbatl^^ ^1,wm' ^
Fl f*
: Ss^.
!'
142
enh lips. Btoit, f(ih6 ma fiftktiAf aieqttaiMbd ivift 'flk |fdyii4J*'Mi-
^tfted MiRer, in th« ()«r1ni«is of tliMiigM, siraiit JSU^Mii^/^^ kd
tbfr Tight direction. He then returned to renew the «l<9Mli in' MM,
in order to favor the Tiiorettent of Miller. i^a i..^o»iih-.»W
iThe enemy's hirtterjr heihg taken, and th6 ridge )ire¥tiMsl|r ^il^ed
Hf the enemy being gained; the Anerieaii unity chained ^xm^HM.'' 'It
ie^ now dt^wn Bp nearly at right angles t6 the lane/vriA fti iMtlAe 4o
th6 river. Seott ivas on the right, Ripley itt ^e ««ntl^ int 'VttiMk>,
Mth the militia, on tile left. In this c«w ptiisitidn,^ tlie JftnU^tf^ ^e
^ettferally acted on the defensive. The British d^redt»r^c«vltf'il^a
gfoand they had lost, and raadie several aasantts. TheMlr^iv ai %ft| n
repulsed, but the en«my woifld again rally and ret^ to' ilift dhjiife.
•^> lit was in 6ne of these contests G«tieFal Brown had IaM«(Mli'6ftl^.
About that time, the latter had twice formed ^maK^^rtiotiis of 'liT'l^U
gaild into eoluain, advanced) charged the British Ifoe, ali^ ^ti^lng,
)^etced}t,AndeoQipeIIedittofallbaok. Iniilcli« hat^^'UMl Mih
lai))etaooa Qoarage, Scott wm neoensarily ^xpoked toall tlteidiiig«fi^f
the field. Two horses were killed under him. In the midkl bf thi M-
tiOn, he was wounded in the sidev At «li»ven o*olodc iri tiM' taiglrt^ * fte
waa disabted by a wound from a musket^bali through tht liffltf: th/tMat.
tii^aid^Iiieutenattt Worth, and his brigade-major. Smithy i^tt« lilfeo
^ both 'sevet'oly wounded. '•-• iMj:':^---..;.'.v...u,a:i'':. iv;''ifinj .bhiu 'ii'tjas
^ ' The contest elbsed.by the i»elMtist0ii' itf 'tl»' lleil 6t •^mUUt^i Ute
•Atterieani>,and th6 captarid of the enemy^s cminon; ^ ^* "^
The world has seen mightier aimilet move«l of» mirk VMttiitlMa
Ileld^,andionow6dbyl0ttderiiote8 of tile fep resounding n«iip0lr #f
feiae ; btrt a bloodier scene fbr those engaged, a severer tinal of «6iiN
hgte and of discipline, (ff one whosa action was mpi-e closel)^ aiM»«ciMM
wfth tile Mblime and, beautiful in natvre, the wortd hab idb iMtt^'^ ^ Tie
armies were drawn out near tit<e«h0r6s el thjpit i«^id'Hv«ri<^biii l!^
1*6*% Minglies lakie with lake. Hard by, was^that eatatr^it wihosd^ikorld
Of wate» rmhesover the preeipSeo, and -M'^hi^^ tottrt krta H^^ffH
belbw ! The eeaset«fts spray risea ap, like ftNiUMe to tlio elbhMI VMIh
JR^I fhe haaitts 5f aun, attd teoon; liftd stttw, •Ml tfeiieM^r «r 'ilit
"iii^ay, and tra aaat back In «Muiy-eol4nd 4mw« t^^iktHmmM^U^l
lit
13
So St was when, wheeling into the field of battle, the slant beams of
the setting sun, retarning from the spray, encircled the adrancing
colmnn with rainbow colors ! The son went down, to many an eye, no
more to rise on earth !
With the darkness came the greater rage of battle — charge after
charge was made. For a time the faint beams of the moon straggled
with the smoke, and gave a little light to the combatants ; but it was but
litde. The moon itself became obscured, and no light, save the rai»d
flashes of musket and cannon, pierced the heavy clouds.
The fight raged in the darkness ef the night. From the height on
the ridge, the battery of the eiiemy still poured its deadly fire.
It was then that the gallant Miller said " I wiljl try.*' It was then
that Scott piloted his column through darkness to Lundy's Lane. It
was thien that brave regiment chained to the cannon's mouth. The
battery was taken. The victory rests with the American army.
It was midnight. The battle is ended. The army, faint and weary,
drags itself from the bloody plain. The well sink to their couch to
dream of homes far away ! The wounded groan in their painful hos-
pitals. Hie dead rest till the last trumpet shall summon them to the last
array! The warrior, with his garments rolled in blood, has left Tlie
scene of struggles, pains, and death ! Some kind friend may have
sought him, whether alive or dead ; but the war- drum had ceased to
beat ; the artillery ceased to roll ; and now the solemn, sonorous fall of
Niagara is to the dead their requiem, &trii to the living their song of
glory!
The battle of Niagara has been, by mistake or accident, commonly
ealled in the United States, the battle of Bridgewater. In the official
report of the British General it was called the battle of Lundy's Lane.
It has been usage, however, to call a battle, or other important event,
from the most remarkable object near the scene of action. Fought,
as this battle was, near the mighty cataract which makes one of the
wonders of nature, on either side of the Atlantic ; fought^ too, with a
courage and constancy worthy of such an association, why should it not
be named from those loud, sounding waters? Let it then be called
Thb Battle or Niagara. Let the memory of the dead, and the
fame of the living, roll oa with those waters to the distant future !