Colonial Wars |
American Wars |
War of 1813 Raids & Skirmishes in 1813
Occupations, Raids & Skirmishes of 1813
February 2, 1812, West Florida: From Pearl River to Perdido River to Mississippi Territory (U.S. admits West Florida) - On February 2, Senator Samuel Smith of Maryland proposed that only West Florida be occupied by the United States.
By a sectional vote of 19 to 16, the U.S. Senate reversed its December 1811 resolution and supported Smith. Accordingly, during the first week of February, orders went out to halt the Tennessee Brigade from the offensive operation to attack parts of West Florida.
Conclusion: American Victory.
February 4, 1813, Ogdensburg, New York (Battle of Ogdensburg)- On February 4, a British detachment from Prescott crossed the ice on the St. Lawrence River. When they entered the town of Ogdensburg, they captured a few American prisoners Navy
Conclusion: British Victory. Casualties: Americans: 3+c
February 7, 1813, Elizabethtown, Upper Canada (Battle of Elizabethtown) - On February 6, Maj. Benjamin Forsyth left Ogdensburg, at 10:00 A.M., at teh head of about 200 regulars and volunteers. He marched to Morristown, 12 miles up the St. Lawrence River, and crossed over it at 1:00 A.M. on February 6. They took the town of Elizabethtown by surprise. Forsyth freed the American prisoners from the city jail and took 52 British prisoners. The American force had made a 28 mile march from Ogdensburg and attacked Elizabethtown with only 1 man wounded. Forsyth's performance convinced the British commanders that that Ogdensburg had to be neutralized.
Conclusion: American Victory. Casualties: Americans: 1w; British: 52c
March 30, 1813, Odeltown, Upper Canada ( Occupation of Odeltown) - Late in March, Gen. ?? Wilkinson received word that the British were reinforcing Upper Canada, he decided to distract the british by a movement along the Richelieu River, which would appear to threaten Montreal. In order to save the American government $30,000, he had given up the idea of building huts for his troops at Plattsburg. Therefore, it was necessary to keep the troops moving in order to keep them warm. On March 30, at the head of 4,000 men, Wilkinson entered the town of Odeltown without a struggle. By 3:30 P.M., he had advanced beyond the town to where the road crossed La Cole Creek.
Conclusion: American Victory.
April 15, 1813 in Mobile, Alabama (Mississippi Territory) Capture of Fort Charlotte - In 1812, the United States had added the land from the Pearl River to the Perdido River to the Mississippi Territory. Maj. Gen. James Wilkinson recieved orders to occupy it only on March 14. He and Capt. John Shaw joyfully set out to take Mobile. On April 11, Shaw landed 400 men around 3 miles below Fort Charlotte, which guarded Mobile. On the evening of April 14, Shaw anchored 5 of his gunboats in a close line 200 yards from the fort. The men who had been landed below the fort now joined with 200 more men. The force formed a column in front of the fort. On April 15, Wilkinson sent in a summons to surrender, and the Spanish commander, who had 50 guns but only 80 men, complied with the summons. Thereafter, Wilkinson reconnoitered the entire area the United States had taken over and made note of places which needed his attention.
Conclusion: American Victory. Casualties: Spanish: 80c
May 3, 1813 in Principio, Maryland (Battle of Principio) - After the British victory at Havre de Grace, Adm. Sir James Cockburn was astride the main highway between Philadelphia and Baltimore. He stayed there for some hours, but hugged his water base. His men rowed far up the Susquehanna River, burning American boats along the way. At Principio, where there was one of the principal cannon foundries in the United States, Cockburn destroyed 68 cannon. He then drew back from the head of the bay and passed eastward toward the Delaware River, using the Susquehanna River.
Conclusion: British Victory.
May 4, 1813 in Georgetown, Maryland (Battle of Georgetown) - Adm. Sir James Cockburn sent 2 Americans ahead to warn the town of Georgetown that resistance to the oncoming British force would bring destruction to the town. Defiantly, the local militia confronted Cockburn with a column of about 400 men. Cockburn easily defeated the militia and brushed them aside. True to Cockburn's threat of destruction, he burned down the town. Afterwards, Cockburn crossed the delaware River to the north bank, and headed for Frederickstown.
Conclusion: British Victory.
May 5, 1813 in Frederickstown, Maryland - After Adm. Sir George Cockburn's victory at the town of Havre de Grace 2 days earlier, he crossed the Sassafras River to the north bank. After he entered the town of Frederickstown, he did not encounter any resistance from the Americans. The British force looted and burned the town. The village close by did not offer any resistance, and because of this, it was not harmed.
Conclusion: British Victory.
June 25, 1813 in Hampton, Virgina (Battle of Hampton)- Foiled at the battle of Craney Island, the British invaders passed northward across Hampton Roads to attack the small town of Hampton. As before, they moved at night and attacked at daylight on June 25. The Americans could not hold out long against Col. Sir John Beckwith's army. Nothing about the skirmish made it notable except for its aftermath. The Chasseurs Britannique, French prisoners enlisted in British service, looted and raped in European style.
The American report said, "The sex hitherto guarded by the soldier's honor escaped not the rude assault of superior force." For their excesses, the Chasseurs were withdrawn from combat and sent off to Halifax late in June, but Americans as usual blamed Adm. Sir George Cockburn for their behavior.
Conclusion: British Victory. Casualties: Americans: ?k, ?w, ?m; British: 5k, 33w, 10m
July 4, 1813, in Fort Schlosser, New York - In the Niagra valley, the British maintained a punishing harassment. On the night of July 4, a party of 34 Indians and Canadian militia, under Lt. Col. Thomas Clark, crossed the Niagra River from Chippewa and attacked the American blockhouse called Fort Schlosser.
By surprise, they seized the place and a large quanity of supplies. Had they remained, they could have cut the land route for supplying Fort George from Buffalo. Instead, they took the supplies and returned to Canada. Success was attracting more Indians to the british interest.
Conclusion: American Victory.
July 8, 1813 in Fort George, Upper Canada (Skirmish at Fort George) - A war party of western Indians had ambushed Lt. Joseph C. Eldridge, who had gone out from Fort george with 39 men to relieve the guard on July 8. All but 5 of the American force was killed.
Conclusion: American Victory. Casualties: Americans: 34k
July 11, 1813, Portsmouth, North Carolina - Adm. Sir George Cockburn sailed southward to examine Okracoke Inlet off the coast of North carolina. Moving at night as usual, he landed on Okracoke Island on July 11. The british captured the small town of Portsmouth. Finding the vicinity without any major ports, Cockburn returned to Chesapeake bay. He reported that there was not any American resistance, hence, no retaliation. The Americans charged that the british with looting the town. The slaves in the Carolina region, it was said, were ready to respond to the coming of a liberator, but only a modest number made their way to Cockburn and his force.
Conclusion: British Victory.
July 31, 1813, York, Upper Canada - Capt. Issac Chauncey's squadron reached a position before the British stronghold at Burlington Bay on July 29. The wind was adverse for a landing, and the british position was obviously strong. During the night, reinforcements came by forced march from the town of York. When Chauncey learned of this, he gave up the idea of an attack and turned to York. On July 31, Chauncey's force of sailors and a small detachment of soldiers landed at York, virtually unopposed. They destroyed or gave away several hundred of barrels of provisions, captured 5 cannon and 11 boats, and burned the British barracks and public warehouses. For the second time in 3 months, York was gutted. In spite of its importance, the victors once again had to abandon York.
Conclusion: American Victory.
August 24, 1813, Fort George, Upper Canada - Gen. Sir George Prevost implied that Capt. James L. Yeo could do something decisive if he could. As Prevost saw it, the British army in the Niagra Valley was confining an American force twice its size, but was languishing for lack of naval cooperation. He, therefore, ordered Yeo and Maj. Gen. Francis DeRottenburg to concert an attack upon Fort George. Prevost himself appeared in the Niagra theater at this time.
On August 24, Prevost directed an attack upon the American outpost at Frot George. He did this, he said, in order to get close enough to the fort to study its defenses. After incurring some losses, he came to the conclusion which DeRottenburg had already reached, that Fort George was too strong to be assaulted by the British at this time.
Conclusion: American Victory.
November 1-2, 1813, French Creek, New York - Gen. Jacob Brown made camp at French Creek on October 29th, 1813. Brown's force was the advance guard of Gen. Wilkinson's army marching on Montreal. On November 1, a British squadron under the command of Capt. William H. Mulcaster arrived at the mouth of French Creek with two schooners, 2 brigs and 4 gunboats. Mulcaster's main purpose was to disrupt and harass the American troops as they moved towards Montreal.
Mulcaster anchored 3 ships in the bay and began firing on the American position. The Americans responded with cannon fire from 2 brass 18-pounders, which were located on the west side of the creek.
Mulcaster, with some of his ships hit called off the action around dark. The British began firing on the American position the next morning. However, during the night, the Americans had placed more cannon on the west side of the creek and the results were inconclusive. Mulcaster withdrew once again.
Conclusion: Inconclusive. Casualties: Americans: 2k, 4w; British: 1k, 1w
November 18, 1813, abt 20 miles east of Talledega, Alabama (Mississippi Territory) - Eastward of Talledega about 20 miles were 2 towns occupied by Creek Indians called Hillabees. These had informed Gen. Andrew Jackson that they could not oppose the United States, whereupon he summoned their head men to confer with him. While the chiefs were away, Brig. Gen. James White's brigade of Maj. Gen. John Cocke's army fell upon their undefended Indian village at dawn on November 17. The Americans killed 60 Hillabees and captured around 250 of them. White reported this exploit with pride to Cocke. Jackson exploded at the news of this attack, but did nothing except say nasty things about Cocke and White.
Jackson's anger made Cocke less eager than before to report to him, but a longer delay was impossible. He checked in finally at Fort Strother on December 12.
Conclusion: American Victory.
November 29, 1813, Creek village of Autosse, Mississippi Territory (Alabama) - In mid-November 1813, Brig. Gen. John Floyd of the Georgia militia left Georgia with 950 state militiamen and 400 friendly Creek warriors under William McIntosh and the son of Mad Dog. He planned a raid on the hostile Creek village of Autosse on the southern bank of the Tallapoosa River 20 miles above its juncture with the Coosa River. Floyd reached the vicinity of the Indian town on the morning of November 29. He divided his troops into 3 columns with the artillery placed in front of the right column. His original plan was to encircle the town by extending his flanks. However, he discovered another small town downstream. He therefore extended his left flank in order to destroy both towns. The U.S. artillery and small arms fire won the day and by 9:00 A.M. the battle was over with over 200 hostile Creeks killed and 400 dwellings destroyed at the cost to Floyd of 11 killed and 54 wounded. Having achieved his objective, Floyd and his men returned to their base in Georgia.
Conclusion: American Victory. Casualties: Americans: 11k, 54w; Indian: 200+k
