The Americans Invade

It is early morning 13 Oct 1812 and the US army is crossing the Niagara River to invade Canada. Their intent is to capture Queenston village to use as a base of operations. Queenston is only lightly held by Capt Dennis’ Grenadier Company of the 49^th Foot supported by the 5^th Lincoln Militia and a heavy gun battery on the heights. The main British/Canadian forces are at Ft George to the North and Ft Chippawa close to Niagara Falls to the south.

The Battle of Question Heights painted bt Capt Dennis 49th Foot

This is the first game in what I hope will be an ongoing War of 1812 campaign using Sharp Practice rules.

The previous day all seemed calm at Queenston Village.

However, sentries at Queenston Landing report American troops massing and preparing boats for the crossing.

The Royal Artillery gunners rush out to man the heavy battery on Queenston Heights to fire across the river and disrupt the American crossing.

Meanwhile Capt Dennis deploys his men to defend the village. Neither the good lady with baby nor the hounds seem unduly perturbed by all these goings on.

The first Americans to land are two companies of the 13^th Infantry led by Capt Wool. Forming up they head towards the heights.

Wool is followed by Lt Sanders leading a detachment of Light Artillery ready to take over any captured British guns. The strong Niagara current takes them further downstream than intended and they end up taking cover in a copse of woods in front of the village.

Sanders’ artillerymen are met by disciplined volleys from the 49^th Grenadiers supported by Hatt’s Volunteers of the Canadian 5^th Lincoln Militia. Taking heavy casualties the Americans are forced back.

Again suffering from the strong current, Capt Belknap’s New York Militia end up landing much further north than they would have wished.

Lt Ball of the Canadian Artillery has brought a 3 lb gun into action at Queenston Landing and opens fire on the advancing New York Militiamen.

The 'Coloured Company' of the Lincoln Militia add their musketry to the discomfort of the New Yorkers. This company was raised at the instigation of Richard Pierpoint, a former slave who fought for the British in the American War of Independence winning his freedom and land to settle in Upper Canada. These men, above all the defenders of Queenston, will do their utmost not to fall again under the American yoke.

Suffering heavy casualties the New York militiamen are shaken and retire with significant casualties. A couple of men show ill-disciplined acts of reckless defiance which animates their comrades to reduce the shock on the unit (Yankee Doodle in the Sharp Practice 1812 supplement).

On the other flank Lt Col Van Rensselaer and Capt Wool lead the US regular infantry up the heights. It is slow going but eventually they make it to the top.

The British decided to concentrate their defence to hold the village. So when the Americans gain the heights the artillerymen spike the guns and withdraw.

Capt Williams’s 49^th Foot Light Company which had been defending the guns also moves off the heights to reinforce the defence of the village.

Capturing the British redan, the Americans make ready to raise the Star Spangled Banner when they are ambushed by a party of Mohawks led by John Norton aka Teyoninhokarawen.

The American colour party is killed and the Mohawk war cry so unsettles the Americans that the the 6^th Infantry recoil in shock (War Cry in the Sharp Practice 1812 supplement).

Capt Wool leads the 13^th Infantry forward to save the day. HIs men unleash a devastating volley into the woods which decimates the Mohawks and severely wounds Teyoninhokarawen.

Sgt Davis of the 13^th, assisted by a drummer boy, picks up the fallen colours and so the Stars and Stripes are raised over the redan, much to the dismay to the British/Canadians.

At Queenston village the 49^th Light Company has been driven back with 50% casualties. American skirmishers close in on the village inflicting casualties on Hatt’s Volunteers. Capt Dennis leads his British Grenadiers forward knowing that if he can take the Americans at the point of the bayonet he will be able to drive them from the field.

With the heights now firmly in American control and the fate of Queenston village in the balance, MGen Sir Issac Brock arrives with a column of reinforcements from Ft George led by the brave York Volunteers.

This signals the end to our game. Both sides can legitimately claim victory. Queenston village is still firmly in British hands and they have suffered fewer casualties than the Americans. On the other hand the Americans now command the heights and the British heavy guns, which disrupted their crossing, are now out of action.

It is up to Major General Brock to see if he can dislodge the Americans from the heights. This will be our next game.

This is the map of our battlefield fought on an 8’ x 6’ table.

We used Sharp Practice rules (using the 1812 supplement) with a group representing one company. I have become a great fan of these rules for small scale actions, having used them in our 1861 Missouri campaign and also at Quebec 1759.