Battle of Lacolle Mills (1814)
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| St. Lawrence/Lake Champlain frontier |
|---|
| 1st Sackett's Harbor – 1st Lacolle Mills – Lake Ontario - Ogdensburg – Sackett's Harbor – Chateauguay – Crysler's Farm – Fort Oswego – 2nd Lacolle Mills – Plattsburgh |
The Second Battle of Lacolle Mills was fought on March 30, 1814 during the War of 1812. American Major-General James Wilkinson planned another invasion of Canada to make up for his humiliating defeat by the British at the Battle of Crysler's Farm. He gathered 4,000 soldiers and prepared for an attack on about 80 British troops from the 13th Regiment of Foot led by Major Handcock barricaded inside a wooden blockhouse and a stone mill.
The Americans planned to bombard the British with their artillery, including 12-pound shell guns and a massive 5-and-a-half inch mortar. The Americans could not bring an 18-pound gun into action because of soft ground around the area.
After the first rounds of the bombardment, the British responded by firing Congreve Rockets at the American positions, followed by several unsuccessful infantry charges against the guns. The British kept up rifle fire and wounded the American artillery commander and his replacement. Hearing the gunfire two miles away, a company of the Canadian Voltigeurs and the Grenadier company of the Canadian Fencibles marched to reinforce the defenders, wading through icy water and slipping through the American lines. The reinforcements then attacked the Americans and were driven back.
More reinforcements, including the Royal Navy, soon arrived to swell the British forces to about 500 men. The Americans, seeing the reinforcements and having little success against the defenses, withdrew into the United States territory.
Sources
- [The Battle of Lacolle Mills by Robert Henderson]
- [The Canadian Fencibles at the Battle of Lacolle Mills]
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