Canada -- History -- Sources; Great Britain -- History -- Sources
After the action near Chippawa, General Riall retreated to a
position near Fort Niagara, and the American army took post at
Chippawa. The British force in Canada had been at this time
augmented by the arrival at Quebec of some transports from
Bordeaux, conveying veteran troops which had served under Lord
Wellington in Spain. On July 25th, General Drummond, arriving at
Niagara, found that General Riall had moved forward to the Falls
in order to support the advance of his division at that place;
and he despatched Lieut.-Col. Morrison with the 39th regiment and
detachments of two others, in order that he might, if necessary,
act with the united force of the army, against the enemy posted at
Street's creek, with his advance at Chippawa. General Drummond,
proceeding to join General Riall, learned that the Americans were
advancing in great force; and, pushing forwards, he found that
the advance of Riall's division had commenced their retreat. He
immediately drew up his troops in line of battle, when his whole
front was warmly and closely engaged. The Americans gained a
temporary advantage, during which General Riall, having been
severely wounded, was made prisoner. In the centre, the enemy's
repeated and determined attacks were resisted with the greatest
steadiness and intrepidity by the detachments of the Royals and
King's and the light company of the 41st; and so obstinate was
the encounter that the British artillerymen were bayoneted while
in the act of loading, and the muzzles of the enemy's guns were
brought within a few yards of those of their opponents. The action
continued from six in the evening to nine, when there was a short
intermission, during which the Americans were employed in bringing
up the whole of their remaining force, and with this they renewed
their efforts to carry the height on which the British were posted
till about midnight. The gallantry with which they were received
and their severe losses at length obliged them to give up the
contest, and retreat with precipitation beyond the Chippawa. On
the following day they abandoned their camp, threw the greatest
part of their baggage and provisions into the Rapids, and, having
set fire to Street's mills and destroyed the bridge over the
Chippawa, continued their retreat in great disorder to Fort Erie.
General Drummond estimates the enemy's loss at not less than 1500,
including several hundred prisoners; their whole force, rated at
5000, having been engaged. The British force during the first three
hours of the action did not exceed 1600 men, and the additional
troops under Colonel Scott did not augment it beyond 2800 of all
descriptions. Of these, the loss amounted in killed, wounded and
missing to 878. In this manner was defeated another attempt of the
Americans to penetrate into Canada; respecting which, it cannot
escape observation that, although British valour and discipline
were finally triumphant, the improvement of the American troops in
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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