Old Fort Erie

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Fort Erie National Historic Site of Canada
Fort Erie.JPG
Location350 Lakeshore Road
Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada
L2A 1B1
Coordinates 42°53′35.70″N78°55′25.74″W / 42.8932500°N 78.9238167°W / 42.8932500; -78.9238167 Coordinates: 42°53′35.70″N78°55′25.74″W / 42.8932500°N 78.9238167°W / 42.8932500; -78.9238167
Built1764 (original fort)
1805–1808 (present fort)
Original use Military fort
Current use Living museum
Governing body Niagara Parks Commission
Canada Southern Ontario location map 2.png
Red pog.svg
Location of Fort Erie National Historic Site of Canada in Southern Ontario
DesignatedMay 28, 1933

Old Fort Erie, also known as Fort Erie, or the Fort Erie National Historic Site of Canada, was the first British fort to be constructed as part of a network developed after the Seven Years' War (known as "the French and Indian War" in the colonies) was concluded by the Treaty of Paris (1763), at which time France ceded its territories east of the Mississippi River (all of New France) to Great Britain. The installation is located on the southern edge of what is now the Town of Fort Erie, Ontario, directly across the Niagara River from Buffalo, New York, United States. [1]

Contents

The fort and surrounding battlefield are owned and operated by the Niagara Parks Commission, a self-funded agency of the Ontario provincial government.

History

The British established control of their new territory by occupying the French forts and by constructing a line of communications along the Niagara River and Upper Great Lakes. The original fort, built in 1764, was located on the Niagara River's edge below the present fort (parking lot on Lakeshore Road). It served as a supply depot and a port for ships transporting merchandise, troops and passengers via Lake Erie to the Upper Great Lakes. [1] In 1795, the fort consisted of some wooden blockhouses surrounded by a wooden palisade (dropped from the plan was a magazine, officer's quarters, storehouses and guard house). Provisions were stored inside the fort, and just outside was a large wooden magazine (original plans were to have it built inside the fort), as well as houses for workmen. [2] The fort was damaged by winter storms and in 1803, plans were made for a new fort on the higher ground behind the original. It was larger and made of flintstone but was not quite finished at the start of the War of 1812. [3] [1]

The fort served as a supply base for British troops, United Empire Loyalists Rangers, and allied Iroquois warriors during the American Revolution. The little fort at the water's edge suffered considerable damage due to continuous winter storms. In 1803, planning was authorized for a new Fort Erie on the heights behind the original post. The new fort was made more formidable as it was constructed of the Onondaga flintstone that was readily available in the area.

War of 1812 (1812–1815)

Depiction of a failed night assault by British forces during the Siege of Fort Erie, 1814. British taking of the Northeast Bastion during the night assault on Fort Erie, August 14, 1814.png
Depiction of a failed night assault by British forces during the Siege of Fort Erie, 1814.

Fort Erie was the site of the bloodiest battles during the War of 1812. This new fort was unfinished when the United States declared war on June 18, 1812. Part of the garrison of Fort Erie fought at the Battle of Frenchman's Creek against an American attack in November 1812. In 1813, Fort Erie was held for a period by U.S. forces and then abandoned on June 9, 1813. The fort had been partially dismantled by the small garrison of British troops and Canadian Militia as they withdrew.

British reoccupation followed American withdrawal from the area in December 1813. The British attempted to rebuild the fort. On July 3, 1814 another American force landed nearby and again captured Fort Erie. The U.S. Army used the fort as a supply base and expanded its size, adding to defensive fortifications. At the end of July, after the Battles of Chippawa and Lundy's Lane, the American army withdrew to Fort Erie. They were besieged by the British for an extended period. In the early hours of August 15, 1814, the British launched a four-pronged attack against the fortifications. A well-prepared American defence and an explosion in the North East Bastion destroyed the British chance for success, and they lost more than 1,000 of their men.

An American sortie on September 17 captured two of the British batteries and the American troops were able to spike the guns in one of them before being driven back to the fort. In the American sortie, NY Militia Brigadier General Davis died at the front of his column. Colonel Gibson was cut down as well. Brevet Lieutenant Colonel Eleazer D. Wood was also killed leading this sortie. Shortly afterward, the British lifted the siege and retired to positions to the north at Chippawa. After an unsuccessful American attack at Cook's Mills, west of Chippawa, news reached the American forces that the eastern seaboard of the U.S. was under attack. On November 5, 1814, with winter approaching, the Americans destroyed the fort and withdrew to Buffalo. [1]

Mid-19th century (1814–1866)

The Treaty of Ghent was signed December 24, 1814, ending the War of 1812. Fearing further American attacks, the British continued to occupy the ruined fort until 1823. Some of the stones from the fort were incorporated into the construction of St. Paul's Anglican Church in 1824. It was rebuilt after fire and explosion in 1892. [4] Today the church is adjacent to the later constructed Niagara Parkway 3 km (1.9 mi) north of the fort.

The town of Fort Erie began to develop north of the fort when a rail terminus and station were constructed to the area.

Fenian Raids (1866)

Map depicting the routes taken by the Canadian Militia, and the Fenians during the Fenian Raids into the Province of Canada. Fenian Raid of 1866.jpg
Map depicting the routes taken by the Canadian Militia, and the Fenians during the Fenian Raids into the Province of Canada.

The Fenians, Irish-American veterans of the American Civil War demanding independence from Britain for Ireland, mounted several raids on Upper Canada. One was quite large, attacking Fort Erie on June 1, 1866 after crossing the Niagara River with a large force of 1,000 to 1500 men (depending on the source of the report). [5] The Fenians occupied the town and demanded food and horses. The only payment they could offer were Fenian bonds, which the townspeople would not accept. The Fenians cut the telegraph wires and tore up some railway tracks.

Afterwards, they marched to Chippewa and the next day to Ridgeway, where they fought the Battle of Ridgeway, a series of skirmishes with the Canadian militia. [6] The Fenians returned to Fort Erie, where they defeated a small force of the Canadian militia.

Unable to get reinforcements from across the river, which was guarded by the Americans, and worried about the large force of British and militia that was approaching, the Fenian commander decided to retreat to the US. Some of his troops deserted. Approximately 850 surrendered to forces of the American navy. This was the last notable Fenian raid on Upper Canada. [7] [8]

Recent history (1866–present)

The fort lay vacant with old parts of the barracks, walls and mill still standing. It was eventually settled by military pensioners and others until it was sold to the Niagara Parks Commission in 1901. [9]

Entrance to the Fort, with a re-enactor dressed as an American soldier in the background. The fort is operated as a living museum, administered by the Niagara Parks Commission. Guard Leaves The Gate.jpg
Entrance to the Fort, with a re-enactor dressed as an American soldier in the background. The fort is operated as a living museum, administered by the Niagara Parks Commission.

The reconstruction of the fort was started in 1937 (featuring only the walls and two barracks). The reconstruction was jointly sponsored by the Provincial and Federal governments and the Niagara Parks Commission, and was a way to invest in a long term project while providing employment during the Depression. The fort was restored to the 1812-1814 period and officially reopened on July 1, 1939. During the restoration, a mass grave of 150 British and 3 American soldiers was uncovered. A monument was erected at this site, in the ruins, in 1904.

The Niagara Parkway was constructed starting at Fort Erie and continues 56 km (35 mi) north to Lake Ontario. Sir Winston Churchill was quoted saying that the parkway was "the prettiest Sunday drive in the world." Each year, during the second weekend of August, hundreds of historical re-enactment enthusiasts come together to re-enact the siege of Fort Erie.

On June 28, 1985 Canada Post issued 'Fort Erie, Ont.' one of the 20 stamps in the "Forts Across Canada Series" (1983 & 1985). The stamps are perforated 12½ x 13 and were printed by Ashton-Potter Limited based on the designs by Rolf P. Harder. [10]

Affiliations

The Museum is affiliated with: CMA, CHIN, and Virtual Museum of Canada.

See also

Related Research Articles

The colonial militias in Canada were made up of various militias prior to Confederation in 1867. During the period of New France and Acadia, Newfoundland Colony, and Nova Scotia (1605-1763), these militias were made up of Canadiens, First Nations, British and Acadians. Traditionally, the Canadian Militia was the name used for the local sedentary militia regiments throughout the Canadas.

Fort Erie, Ontario Town in Ontario, Canada

Fort Erie is a town on the Niagara River in the Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada. It is directly across the river from Buffalo, New York and is the site of Old Fort Erie which played a prominent role in the War of 1812.

Battle of Lundys Lane War of 1812 battle

The Battle of Lundy's Lane, also known as the Battle of Niagara, was a battle fought on 25 July 1814, during the War of 1812, between an invading American army and a British and Canadian army near present-day Niagara Falls, Ontario. It was one of the bloodiest battles of the war, and one of the deadliest battles ever fought in Canada, with over 1,731 casualties including 258 killed.

Chippawa is a community located within the city of Niagara Falls, Ontario.

Peter Buell Porter American politician (1773–1844)

Peter Buell Porter was an American lawyer, soldier and politician who served as United States Secretary of War from 1828 to 1829.

Fenian raids Irish military campaign in Canada in between 1866–1871

The Fenian raids were carried out by the Fenian Brotherhood, an Irish Republican organization based in the United States, on British Army forts, customs posts and other targets in Canada in 1866, and again from 1870 to 1871. A number of separate incursions by the Fenian Brotherhood into Canada were undertaken to bring pressure on Great Britain to withdraw from Ireland, although none of these raids achieved their aims.

Battle of Ridgeway Part of the Fenian raids

The Battle of Ridgeway was fought in the vicinity of the town of Fort Erie across the Niagara River from Buffalo, New York, near the village of Ridgeway, Canada West, currently Ontario, Canada, on June 2, 1866, between Canadian troops and an irregular army of Irish-American invaders, the Fenians. It was the largest engagement of the Fenian Raids, the first modern industrial-era battle to be fought by Canadians and the first to be fought only by Canadian troops and led exclusively by Canadian officers. The battlefield was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1921 and is the last battle fought within the current boundaries of Ontario against a foreign invasion. The action at Ridgeway has the distinction of being the only armed victory for the cause of Irish independence between the Irish Rebellion of 1798 and the Easter Rising in 1916.

Battle of Chippawa War of 1812 battle

The Battle of Chippawa, also known as the Battle of Chippewa, was a victory for the United States Army in the War of 1812, during its invasion on July 5, 1814 of the British Empire's colony of Upper Canada along the Niagara River. This battle and the subsequent Battle of Lundy's Lane demonstrated that trained American troops could hold their own against British regulars. The battlefield is preserved as a National Historic Site of Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Capture of Fort Erie</span>

The Capture of Fort Erie by American forces in 1814 was a battle in the War of 1812 between the United Kingdom and the United States. The British garrison was outnumbered but surrendered prematurely, in the view of British commanders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siege of Fort Erie</span>

The siege of Fort Erie, also known as the Battle of Erie, from 4 August to 21 September 1814, was one of the last engagements of the War of 1812, between British and American forces. It took place during the Niagara campaign, and the Americans successfully defended Fort Erie against a British army. During the siege, the British suffered high casualties in a failed storming attempt; they also suffered casualties from sickness and exposure in their rough encampments. Unaware that the British were about to abandon the siege, the American garrison launched a sortie to destroy the British siege batteries, during which both sides again suffered high losses.

Battle of Cooks Mills

The Battle of Cook's Mills was the last engagement between U.S. and British armies in the Niagara, and the penultimate engagement on Canadian soil during the War of 1812. After about a half-hour, American forces out-maneuvered the British column and destroyed all grain and flour.

War of 1812 campaigns

The following is a synopsis of the land campaigns of the War of 1812.

The Niagara Parkway, formerly known as Niagara Boulevard and historically as the Niagara Road, is a scenic road in the province of Ontario that travels on the Canadian side of the Niagara River from the town of Fort Erie to Niagara-on-the-Lake. The portion north of Table Rock in the city of Niagara Falls is designated as an Ontario Scenic Highway. Niagara Boulevard originally referred only to the section from Fort Erie to Chippawa.

Fort Wellington Historic site in Ontario, Canada

Fort Wellington National Historic Site is a historic military fortification located on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River at Prescott, Ontario. The military fortification was used by the British Army, and the Canadian militia for most of the 19th century, and by the militia in the 20th century, until 1923, when the property was handed over to the Dominion Parks Commission, the predecessor to Parks Canada. The fort was earlier named a National Historic Site of Canada in January 1920.

The Battle of Malcolm's Mills was the last battle of the War of 1812 fought in the Canadas. A force of American mounted troops overran and scattered a force of Canadian militia. The battle was fought on November 6, 1814, near the village of Oakland in Brant County, Upper Canada, and was part of a series of battles fought by American Brigadier General Duncan McArthur on an extended raid into Upper Canada, known variously as McArthur's Raid or Dudley's Raid. Marching over 200 miles (320 km) into Canada, the Americans returned to Detroit on November 17 after 11 days of raiding the Ontario Peninsula.

Fort Mississauga

Fort Mississauga National Historic Site is a fort on the shore of Lake Ontario, at the mouth of the Niagara River in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada. The fort today consists of a box–shaped brick tower and historic star–shaped earthworks. The all–brick fort was built from 1814–1816 during the War of 1812, to replace nearby Fort George. It was built on a foundation of brick and stone salvaged from rubble left after retreating United States forces burned the nearby town of Newark in December, 1813. It would help in the defence of Upper Canada the following year, as part of a regional network that included Fort George, Navy Hall, and Butler's Barracks. However, the fort would not be completed until after the war.

Battle of Frenchmans Creek Battle of the War of 1812

The Battle of Frenchman's Creek took place during the War of 1812 between Great Britain and the United States in the early hours of November 28, 1812, in the Crown Colony of Upper Canada, near the Niagara River. The operation was conceived as a raid to prepare the ground for a larger American invasion. The Americans succeeded in crossing the Niagara and landing at both of their points of attack. They achieved one of their two objectives before withdrawing but the invasion was subsequently called off, rendering useless what had been accomplished. The engagement was named, "the Battle of Frenchman's Creek" by the Canadians, after the location of some of the severest fighting. To contemporary Americans, it was known as, "the Affair opposite Black Rock".

The Canadian Volunteers was a unit composed of pro-United States citizens or inhabitants of Upper Canada which fought for the United States of America during the Anglo-American War of 1812.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Old Fort Erie History". Niagara Parks, Canada. Archived from the original on 15 August 2010.
  2. François-Alexandre-Frédéric duc de La Rochefoucauld-Liancourt (1800). Travels Through the United States of North America: The Country of the Iroquois, and Upper Canada, in the Years 1795, 1796, and 1797. R. Phillips. p.  382.
  3. "Old Fort Erie History". Niagara Parks. Archived from the original on 28 April 2017.
  4. "St Paul's Anglican Church Fort Erie - Fort Erie, Ontario". JoinMyChurch.com. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
  5. "Ontario during the American Civil War Era". Ontario Ministry of Government and Consumer Services. Archived from the original on 7 January 2020.
  6. "The Fenian Raid 1866". The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada. Archived from the original on 30 August 2005.
  7. "The Fenian Raid 1866". 23 February 2012. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
  8. For the figure of 850, see: H.W. Hemans to Lord Monck, telegram June 3, 1866, in [s.n.] Correspondence Relating to the Fenian Invasion and Rebellion of the Southern States, Ottawa: 1869. p. 142; also Colonel Lowry, Report, June 4, 1866, Miscellaneous Records Relating to the Fenian Raids, British Military and Naval Records "C" Series, RG8-1, Volume 1672; Microfilm reel C-4300, p. 282. (Public Archives of Canada)
  9. "HistoricPlaces.ca - HistoricPlaces.ca". www.historicplaces.ca. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
  10. "Canada Post issued 'Fort Erie, Ont.'". Archived from the original on 5 March 2017.

Further reading