Engagement at the Forty: June 8, 1813

Engagement at the Forty: June 8, 1813. The War of 18 12. , By the afternoon of June 6th the American army at least 3,300 strong were in full retreat, in total confusion, from the battle at Stoney Creek. Both General Winder and General Chandler, along with numerous commissioned officers, had been captured by the British during the night leaving the American forces without effective leadership. The retreating American army made camp at the Forty, where they had camped enroute to Stoney Creek and later that evening were much relieved to be joined by Col. James Miller with 400 reinforcements from Fort George. Major General Morgan Lewis, who General Dearborn ordered to take command of the American forces and engage the enemy, was to have arrived at the Forty with Col. Miller, but due to poor weather did not arrive until late afternoon on June 7th. Lewis immediately began making plans to resume his march on Burlington Heights and engage General Vincent's forces., Having set out from Kingston, Commodore James Yeo, with a squadron 7 ships and several small gunboats, along with 280 troops of the Kings 8th Regiment bound for General Vincent arrived at York on the morning of June 7th. Upon learning of the battle of Stoney Creek and the American retreat to the Forty, Commodore Yeo immediately set sail for the head of the Lake but due to light winds did not arrive at the mouth of the Forty until sunset., At day break June 8th Commodore Yeo found himself close to General Lewis’ camp but as there was a dead calm the larger vessels could not get close to shore. Commodore Yeo ordered 2 small schooners, the Beresford and the Sidney Smith (each with 2 long guns and various carronades) be towed within gunshot of the American camp and began firing on the American position. At the same time a band of Indians under John Norton began firing down on the American troops from the brow of the heights and some of the local militia began harassing General Lewis’ rear guard., The American artillery companies of Towson and Archer replied to the Beresford and Sidney Smith from 4 field-guns using hotshot heated in a field furnace hastily constructed for the purpose. After a short but fortunately harmless cannonade, the British vessels retired out of range and the whole squadron bore away toward Burlington Heights., By ten o’clock the same morning General Lewis [and] the American army was in full retreat to Fort George. Their baggage and camp equipment were embarked on 20 bateaux and the men in charge proceeded toward the Niagara River. Having learned of the Americans retreat Commodore Yeo sent the fastest schooners and gun boats after the bateaux and 12 of them were captured. The other eight went ashore and were abandoned by their crews and also became a prize for the British., Commodore Yeo, succeeded in landing his 280 man detachment, under Maj. Evans, on the beach at the Forty in the late afternoon where they were joined by companies from the 41st and 29th who marched overland from Burlington Heights. On entering the deserted American camp they found 500 six man tents, 100 stands of muskets, 140 barrels of flour and 70 wounded Americans who were promptly taken.