Amphibious Assault at Fort George

In October 1812, the New York State Militia under General Stephan van Rensselaer was supposed to attack the British at Fort George at the northern end of the west bank of the Niagara River. General Alexander Smith was supposed to support Rennselaer with a contingent of the U.S. Army. Unfortunately, Smith decided on his own that the attack was not worth the effort and returned to Black Rock Naval Base.

Undeterred, Rensselaer began a bombardment of Fort George from his position at Fort Niagara. Fort George got the worst of the attack which set several of the buildings on fire in the town next to the fort.

Rensselaer crossed the river with the troops under his command in an attempt to take Fort George. His assault was repelled at what is known as the Battle of Queenston Heights with heavy casualties and Colonel Winfield Scott was the senior American officer captured.

In a different action, the U.S. Navy squadron in Lake Erie landed about 600 men from the U.S. Army and New York State Militia at York (modern-day Toronto) in October 1812 and captured the town and a large quantity of military supplies. After holding the city for several days, the Americans withdrew to the lake's south shore.

Some of the supplies were moved to Fort Niagara where Colonel Winfield Scott, who had been paroled during the winter in an exchange of officers, was now commander of the U.S. forces in the area. He was also General Henry Dearborn's, the man we would call today the theater commander's chief of staff. Scott reorganized the forces at the eastern end of Lake Erie and began to plan an operation to take Fort George.

Scott and the senior Naval officer, Oliver Hazard Perry in the area decided to take Fort George by landing his men from ships in Lake Ontario, rather than trying to cross the Niagara River. Scott had 4,000 men, most of whom would be carried in 12 armed schooners and who would come ashore in four waves.

Preceding the amphibious assault, the guns at Fort Niagara would bombard Fort George with hot shot – cannon balls heated until they were glowing before they were shoved down the cannon's barrel and fired. The corvette Madison and the brig Oneida would provide naval gunfire support to the landing along with the cannon on the schooners.

Scott's army quickly established a beachhead and moved toward Fort George.

Defending Fort George, the British Army had about 1,300 men and several heavy cannon. Their attempts to repulse the landing led to heavy British casualties. Each time the British Army tried to counterattack, the guns from the schooners, Madison and Oneida helped force the British back.

Within a day, Fort George was captured. The U.S. now had control of the Niagara River and could move ships from Lake Ontario to Lake Erie. The U.S. held the fort until the war's end when it was returned to the British as part of the Treaty of Ghent.