The Niagara Campaign of 1814: The Battle of Chippawa "Why, those are regulars, by God!" British Brigadier General Phineas Riall Further Reading The Americans Take Fort Erie: Prelude to the Battle of Chippawa The Iroquois Clash in the Forest at Chippawa John Norton Meets the Iroquois From New York After the Battle of Chippawa The Battle of Lundy's Lane

The Battle of Chippawa By early afternoon on July 5, 1814, Jacob Brown, Commander of the American Army of the North, has had enough of the snipers in the forest who have been harassing his pickets all morning. From his American front line, now north of Street's Creek, Brown summons Peter B. Porter who has just marched up from Fort Erie with over a thousand men. Porter is ordered to prepare his 350 warriors, 200 militia, and 60 regulars to enter the forest and flush out the snipers. The portly general is not thrilled with the prospect of sacrificing his brigade to what could be a British trap, but he is aware that his reputation has suffered of late, and that a victory in battle would be just what's needed to salvage it. The snipers hidden amongst the trees are actually small groups of over-enthusiastic tribesmen and militia acting at their own discretion. They accompanied John Norton on a reconnaissance of the American position earlier in the day, but decided to go ahead and rattle the American pickets. Brown pulled his left flank back to avoid the sniping. This leads Norton to believe the Americans are weak on this side. Norton estimates the American numbers, and returns across the Chippawa unaware that Porter's force has just arrived. The British do not realize that their force of 2000 is outnumbered by about 1500. Based on Norton's inaccurate information and his own scout's reports, Phineas Riall devises a plan: Norton will lead a combined force of British light infantry, militia, Iroquois and other tribesmen through the woods to flank the Americans. Meanwhile, the remainder of the British will cross the Chippawa and surprise the Americans head on. Riall has reason to be confident about a frontal assault; experience has shown American regulars to be ineffective against well-drilled British soldiers. He gives the order to move out at roughly the same time that Peter B. Porter enters the woods. On the south side of Street's Creek, Winfield Scott is putting his men through the maneuvers they have been executing every day for months. Scott has already assumed there will be no battle since it is late afternoon. Only when word of the the intensity of the battle in the woods reaches him does Scott have a change of heart. When the Americans out front discover Riall's position just ahead, the British lose their element of surprise. Wasting no time, Scott marches his men out to meet the British as Porter's men come bursting from their short but bloody engagement with Norton's brigade in the woods. The commanders of both armies are somewhat bewildered by the quick developments, but both realize that a clash is now inevitable. Scott's men advance in an orderly fashion despite fire from Norton's force in the woods to their left and the screaming artillery shells being lobbed by the British. Riall believes these gray-clothed troops to be only Buffalo militia. As they push forward steadily, filling the gaps where men have fallen to British fire, Riall is shocked to admit that these must be well-trained regulars. The British are astonished to find the Americans adhering strongly to the rules of European-style warfare. The armies are separated by only 100 meters and firing volleys into each other, but Scott's men do not yield. Their devastating fire has cost the British many officers, causing a confusion of command among in forward lines. The crack American artillery has also virtually silenced the British forward cannon as Scott's solid line performs an unorthodox U-shaped maneuver to outflank the British on both ends. Despite Riall's riding up and down the lines encouraging the troops, it is the British who begin to give way. As Winfield Scott bellows the order to charge with fixed bayonets, Riall opts for a full withdrawal. In less than half an hour the British have gone from mounting a confident surprise attack to a less than graceful retreat across the Chippawa, ripping up the planking of the King's Bridge as they go. The Americans do not pursue since Riall still holds a strong position across the river. For the moment, Scott's men forget their heavy casualties in the elation of an unprecedented success. They have met a superior British force in a classic field battle and emerged victorious.