21/07/2024
July 5, 1814: Battle of Chippewa.
In the summer of 1814, the 100th Regiment was stationed on the Niagara front. When the Americans invaded on the 3rd of July, Major General Phineas Riall marched the 100th, 1st Royal Scots and 8th Kings south to relieve Fort Erie. Meanwhile, Major Jacob Brown’s army began marching north to attempt to take Fort George. The two met at Chippewa Creek on the evening of July 4 and halted to consolidate their forces. Riall was unaware that Fort Erie had been captured, and believed that the enemy force would be occupied with a siege to their rear. Intelligence of the enemy was further distorted by scouting reports that failed to detect the arrival of American reinforcements later on July 5th. Riall and his 2,000 troops believed they were facing an equally strong opponent when in fact the American army and allies numbered 3,500. It is also possible that British were deceived into thinking they faced a great number of less experienced militia rather than disciplined American regulars dressed in plain grey coats.
Riall ordered an advance on the enemy the afternoon of the 5th. The offensive was to begin with a surprise attack in the woods on the American left. The regular Light Companies, including one from the 100th, the Lincoln Militia, and First Nations allies, many of them from Haudenosaunee from Six Nations, were tasked with this flanking maneuver. Unfortunately for the attackers, General Peter Porter and Seneca Chief Red Jacket had been sent to reinforce the American left at the same time and stumbled into the light infantry while they were taking their positions. After a brief but bloody fight, Riall’s men forced them out of the woods but the element of surprise had been lost. The flanking force provided some initial supporting fire for the British but were eventually driven off by the 25th U.S. Infantry. After this particular engagement, the Haudenosaunee largely withdrew their participation from the war after seeing the devastation their warring kin had brought upon each other.
The British line infantry meanwhile advanced on the American position over open ground under heavy artillery fire. The Regulars marched onto the field in column with the 100th Regiment in the lead. When army formed into line, this unit was on the left next to the Niagara River. With the Light Company fighting in the woods, the 100th Grenadiers took position on the extreme left of the line as the only remaining flank company. The Grenadiers faced the worst of the artillery fire with the enemy guns positioned directly in opposite. Riall described his formation: “I immediately moved up the King’s Regiment to the right, while the Royal Scots and the 100th Regt, were directed to charge the Enemy in front, for which they advanced with the greatest gallantry under a most destructive fire.” The Americans held their ground and poured canister shot into the ranks. Brigadier General Winfield Scott, who had worked hard to improve the combat capability of the American infantry over the winter, commanded the 9th, 11th, 22nd and 25th, U.S. Infantry Regiments opposite the British. The fire was so devastating, nearly every man in the 100th line received injury. Lieutenant John Stevenson recalled in a letter soon after the battle:
“I cannot describe to you the dreadful and destructive fire that was kept up on both sides for three quarters of an hour, much less the scene of carnage in the field of battle. Our regiment has been entirely cut to pieces. I know not except under the mercy and kindness of Almighty God how I escaped. Men were falling beside me like hail. I am slightly wounded in one of my fingers of my left hand by a musket shot.”
Among the wounded was the Regiment’s new Lt. Colonel, George Hay the Marquis of Tweeddale, who arrived just that day to take command.
“I spoke to the captain of the grenadier company to move forward, he was at that moment killed. I then spoke to the lieutenant he was severely wounded, the second subaltern was killed. All I could do I could not get them to advance. The officers were all killed or wounded and the men suffered very severely. The Colonel of the Royals [Scots] did all he could to get the men to advance, he got shot in the mouth and became speechless. At the same time I got shot in my game leg that cut the tendon Achilles in two. I could not move they put me on my horse, we retired.”
After suffering such heavy casualties, the British were unable to comply with the order to charge and were instead instructed to withdraw back under the cover of their own guns. They retreated back across Chippewa Creek and destroyed the bridge behind them. The Light Companies provided an effective rearguard. The Americans advanced north after the victory but were unable to cut-off the defeated British Army before it could escape. They would soon encounter additional British reinforcements later in the month.
After the battle the 100th was reported to have suffered 69 dead and 134 wounded out of 460 rank and file, the Regiment had suffered nearly half of the British casualties sustained in the battle. It is difficult to estimate the exact number of casualties suffered at the Battle of Chippewa. The American infantry made significant use of smaller buckshot in addition to standard musket balls which inflicted more serious injuries rather than immediate deaths on the British line. It is likely that many died as a result of their wounds in the days following. The 100th Regiment’s ability as a fighting unit was severely diminished after Chippewa and the earlier loss of a company at Fort Erie. After eight years in Canada, and having survived previous battles, shipwrecks, diseases and hardships, this proud and effective military unit was completely devastated in less than a hour.
The unexpected withdrawal also caught many behind the line off-guard. The 100th had been ordered prior to the battle to leave their packs behind which they were forced to abandon during the retreat. Maria Hill, who crossed over Chippewa Creek after the fighting had begun, was run over by a cart escaping the battle. Late in her life, she clearly recalled being evacuated back to Cornwall with the rest of the wounded, and that a local Captain had failed to make adequate preparations for their arrival. George Hay was also sent back with the wounded and received a visit from Sir George Provost, the Governor General, asking about conditions on the front. He recalled that “I could only speak of my own regiment which I told him appeared to be composed of fine men. Their appearance was better than anything I had seen before in the British army.”
For King and Canada pp135-153
Iroquois in the War of 1812 pp160-164
Recollections of George Hay, Eighth Marquis of Tweeddale
