Author: Ernest Alexander CruikshankPublisher:
ISBN: 9781330487167
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 56
Book Description
Excerpt from The Battle of Lundy's Lane, 25th July, 1814 The month of December, 1813, was marked by the retirement of the American troops from their lines at Fort George, which they had occupied since the preceding May, under circumstances which tended to cover their arms with disgrace. Under the pretext that it was necessary to deprive their adversaries of shelter upon that frontier, the remaining inhabitants of Niagara were driven from their homes and the entire village committed to the flames. With the same intention Queenston was deliberately bombarded with red-hot shot from the batteries at Lewiston. Many isolated farm houses were destroyed by marauding parties of soldiers, or, when they proved too substantial for instant demolition, were rendered uninhabitable by removal of the doors and windows. The few cattle still remaining in the possession of the country people were mercilessly slaughtered or driven away, and their grain and flour removed or destroyed. On the 10th of December, General McClure wrote exultingly from Fort Niagara to Governor Tompkins of New York: "The village is now in flames and the enemy shut out of hope and means of wintering in Fort George. This step has not been resolved on without counsel," he added, "and is in conformity with the views of the Secretary of War, made known to me in previous communications." This, however, was strenuously denied by the latter. "My orders," he asserted, "were to burn it if necessary to the defense of Fort George, and not otherwise. But he does not defend Fort George, and then burns Niagara. My orders were given on the report of the General that the attack of Fort George might he covered by Newark." Almost before the ink as dry on McClure's letter the flames of Niagara had become the signal for the rapid advance of a small British corps of observation, under Colonel John Murray, which lay at Twelve Mile Creek. Putting his men in sleighs, the British commander hurried forward through a blinding snowstorm, and fell upon the incendiaries before their work of destruction was completed. The village of Niagara had been already reduced to ashes, but the barracks and defences of Fort George were left comparatively uninjured, and the retreating garrison left the whole of their tents standing in the works they had so precipitately abandoned. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.