Causes of the War of 1812 | War of 1812: 101 | 1813: Success on Lake Erie, Indecisiveness Elsewhere
Twisting the Lion's Tail
When the war began in June 1812, the fledgling US Navy possessed fewer then twenty-five ships, the largest being frigates. Opposing this small force was the Royal Navy which consisted of over a thousand ships manned by over 151,000 men. Lacking the ships of the line required for fleet actions, the US Navy embarked on a campaign of guerre de course while engaging British warships when practical. To support the US Navy, hundreds of letters of marque were issued to American privateers with the goal of crippling British commerce.
With news of the defeats on the frontier, the Madison Administration looked to the sea for positive results. The first of these occurred on August 19, when Captain Isaac Hull, nephew of the disgraced general, took USS Constitution (44 guns) into battle against HMS Guerriere (38). After a sharp fight, Hull proved victorious and Captain James Dacres was forced to surrender his ship. As the battle raged, several of Guerriere's cannonballs bounced off of Constitution's thick live oak planking giving the ship the nickname "Old Ironsides." Returning to Boston, Hull was feted as a hero. This success was soon followed on October 25 when Captain Stephen Decatur and USS United States (44) captured HMS Macedonian (38). Returning to New York with his prize, Macedonian was bought into the US Navy and Decatur joined Hull as a national hero.
Though the US Navy endured the loss of the sloop-of-war USS Wasp (18) in October when it was taken by HMS Poictiers (74) after successful a action against HMS Frolic (18), the year ended on a high note. With Hull on leave, USS Constitution sailed south under the command of Captain William Bainbridge. On December 29, he encountered HMS Java (38) off the Brazilian coast. Though he was carrying the new governor of India, Captain Henry Lambert moved to engage Constitution. As the fighting raged, Bainbridge dismasted his opponent and compelled Lambert to surrender. Though of little strategic importance, the three frigate victories boosted the confidence of the young US Navy and lifted the public's flagging spirits. Stunned by the defeats, the Royal Navy understood the American frigates to be bigger and stronger than their own. As a result, orders were issued that British frigates should seek to avoid single ship actions with their American counterparts. Efforts were also made to keep the enemy ships in port by tightening the British blockade of the American coast.
All Wrong Along the Niagara
Onshore, the events in the field continued to go against the Americans. Assigned to command the attack on Montreal, Dearborn dallied most of the fall raising troops and failed to cross the border by year's end. Along the Niagara, efforts moved forward, but slowly. Returning to Niagara from his success at Detroit, Brock found that his superior, Lieutenant General Sir George Prevost had ordered British forces to adopt a defensive posture in the hopes that the conflict could be settled diplomatically. As a result, an armistice was in place along the Niagara which allowed American Major General Stephen van Rensselaer to receive reinforcements. A major general in the New York militia, van Rensselaer was a popular Federalist politician who had been appointed to command the American army for politic purposes.
As such, several regular officers, such as Brigadier General Alexander Smyth, commanding at Buffalo, had issues with taking orders from him. With the end of the armistice on September 8, Van Rensselaer began making plans to cross the Niagara River from his base at Lewiston, NY to capture the village of Queenston and the nearby heights. To support this effort, Smyth was ordered to cross and attack Fort George. After receiving only silence from Smyth, van Rensselaer sent additional orders demanding that he bring his men to Lewiston for a combined assault on October 11.
Though van Rensselaer was ready to strike, severe weather led to the effort being postponed and Smyth returned to Buffalo with his men after being delayed en route. Having spotted this failed attempt and received reports that the Americans might attack, Brock issued orders for the local militias to begin forming. Outnumbered, the British commander's forces were also scattered along length of the Niagara frontier. With the weather clearing, van Rensselaer elected to make a second attempt on October 13. Efforts to add Smyth's 1,700 men failed when he informed van Rensselaer that he could not arrive until the 14th.
Crossing the river on October 13, the lead elements of van Rensselaer's army achieved some success during the early parts of the Battle of Queenston Heights. Reaching the battlefield, Brock led a counterattack against the American lines and was killed. With additional British forces moving to the scene, van Rensselaer attempted to send reinforcements, but many of his militia refused to cross the river. As a result, American forces on Queenston Heights, led by Lieutenant Colonel Winfield Scott and militia Brigadier General William Wadsworth were overwhelmed and captured. Having lost over a 1,000 men in the defeat, van Rensselaer resigned and was replaced by Smyth.
With the conclusion of 1812, American efforts to invade Canada had failed on all fronts. The people of Canada, who leaders in Washington had believed would rise up against the British, had instead proved themselves to be stalwart defenders of their land and the Crown. Rather than a simple march to Canada and victory, the first six months of war saw the Northwest frontier in danger of collapse and stalemate elsewhere. It was to be a long winter on the southern side of the border.
Causes of the War of 1812 | War of 1812: 101 | 1813: Success on Lake Erie, Indecisiveness Elsewhere
