October 13th, 1813 - The Battle of Queenston Heights

Conflict: War of 1812

Combatants: Americans vs. British

Location: Ontario, Canada

Outcome: British victory

As the middle prong of a multi-pronged invasion of Canada, Americans under General Stephen Van Rensselaer marched into Ontario from the state of New York. Six hundred American troops captured Queenston Heights and the British commander. Sir Isaac Brock, was killed in the fight. The British forces soon rallied some one thousand soldiers, however, and drove the Americans back into New York.

Queenston, Death of Brock by John David Kelly

Points of Interest:

• Brock had been knighted in August for the surrender of Americans forces at Detroit.

• Van Rensselaer had anticipated reinforcements form the New York militia, but those troops refused to leave their home state.

Major General Sir Isaac Brock by George Theodore Berthon

Stephen Van Rensselaer Portrait by Gilbert Stuart

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Sources:

Borneman, Walter R. (2004). 1812. New York: HarperCollins.

Dupuy, R. Ernest & Dupuy, Trevor N. (1993). The Harper's Encyclopedia of Military History. New York: HarperCollins.

Eggenberger, David (1985). An Encyclopedia of Battles: Accounts of Over 1,560 Battles from 1479 B.C. to the Present. New York: Dover Publications, Inc.