Raid on Fort Oswego

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Raid on Fort Oswego


caption=The attack on Fort Oswego, 1814.
partof=the War of 1812
date=May 6, 1814
place=Lake Ontario, New York
result=British victory
combatant1=United Kingdom
combatant2=United States
commander1=James Lucas Yeo
Karl Viktor Fischer
William Mulcaster
commander2=George Mitchell
strength1=200 sailors
400 marines
550 soldiers
8 warships
strength2=290 regulars
casualties1=18 dead
73 wounded
Total: 91
casualties2=6 dead
28 wounded
25 missing
Total: 59

The Raid of Fort Oswego was a partially successful British raid on an American fort and village in May 1814 during the War of 1812.

Background

During the early months of 1814, while Lake Ontario was frozen, the British and American naval squadrons had been building two frigates each, with which to contest command of the lake during the coming campaigning season. The British under Commodore Sir James Lucas Yeo were first to complete their frigates on April 14, but when the Americans under Commodore Isaac Chauncey had completed their own, more powerful, frigates, Yeo's squadron would be outclassed.

Lieutenant General Sir Gordon Drummond, the Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada, suggested using the interval during which Yeo's squadron was stronger than Chauncey's to attack the main American harbour and base at Sackett's Harbor, New York. Most of its garrison had marched off to the Niagara River, leaving only 1,000 regular troops to garrison it. Nevertheless, Drummond would require reinforcements to mount a successful attack on the strongly-fortified town, and the Governor General of Canada, Lieutenant General Sir George Prevost, refused to provide these.Hitsman, p.208]

Instead, Drummond and Yeo decided to attack the smaller post at Fort Oswego. This fort, with the nearby village of Oswego, New York, was a vital staging point on the American supply route from New York. Ordnance, food and other supplies were carried up the Mohawk River and across Lake Oneida, to Oswego, before making the final leg of the journey across the south-west corner of Lake Ontario to Sackett's Harbor.

Drummond and Yeo had reliable information that the garrison of the fort numbered only 290 regulars, and believed that thirty or more heavy guns intended for Chauncey's ships at Oswego were waiting there. They planned, by capturing Oswego, to capture these guns and thereby retain Yeo's advantage over Chauncey.Hitsman, p.209]

Attack

Yeo's squadron embarked the landing force and set out from Kingston late on May 3. They arrived off Oswego early in the morning on May 5. The troops prepared to land shortly after midday, but a southerly breeze sprang up, which made it impossible for Yeo's ships to get close enough to the shore to provide support from their guns. [http://www.napoleon-series.org/military/Warof1812/2006/Issue3/c_ogli.html Napoleonic series site] ] That evening, a storm blew up, forcing the British ships to withdraw for the night.

The British ships returned to Oswego at eleven o'clock the next morning, and the landing proceeded. The landing force consisted of a battalion of Royal Marines under Lieutenant Colonel James Malcolm, a company of the Glengarry Light Infantry under Captain Alexander MacMillan, a company of De Watteville's regiment and a detachment of 200 sailors armed with boarding pikes under Captain William Mulcaster. Four more companies of De Watteville's regiment were in reserve. Lieutenant Colonel Victor Fischer, the commanding officer of De Watteville's regiment, was in charge of the landing.

Opposed to them was an American force of 290 men, mainly from the U.S. Artillery, as Yeo and Drummond had correctly surmised. Their commander was Major George Mitchell. The fort was in a state of disrepair, but the delay imposed on the landing had allowed them to shift extra guns to face the lake, with a total of five guns in a battery in the fort.

While the two British frigates (HMS "Prince Regent" and "Princess Charlotte") engaged the fort, the guns of six sloops and brigs swept the woods and landing beaches.Roosevelt, p.198] The British landed at about two o'clock. Almost all the troops landed in deep water and their ammunition was soaked and made useless. Nevertheless, they fixed their bayonets and advanced under heavy fire. While the company of the Glengarry Light Infantry cleared woods to the left of the main attack and the sailors advanced on the village, the main body of the troops made a frontal attack against the fort. American foot soldiers drawn up on the glacis fell back into the fort. As the attackers reached the top of the glacis, the defenders abandoned the fort and fled.

The Americans lost 6 men killed, 38 wounded and 25 missing. The British lost 18 killed and 73 wounded. Captain Mulcaster was seriously wounded by grapeshot, losing a leg. [Hitsman, p.210]

Result

The British gathered 2,400 barrels of useful supplies of all description; flour, pork, salt, bread and ordnance stores. They also captured a few small schooners, including the USS "Growler"; this had previously been captured by the British the year before but then recaptured by the Americans. The "Growler" contained seven of the invaluable cannon destined for Chauncey. Although the Americans had hastily scuttled the schooner to prevent it being captured, the British were able to raise her. [Roosevelt, p.199] After destroying the fort and barracks and stores which could not be moved, the British withdrew at about four o'clock in the morning on May 7.

The British had missed twenty-one more guns which had still been en route to Oswego, and were twelve miles away at Oswego Falls. Yeo mounted a blockade of Sackett's Harbor to prevent them reaching Chauncey. The Americans tried to move them to Sackett's Harbor in launches and small boats but were intercepted. British marines and sailors then mounted a "cutting-out" attack against thme but failed, with 200 marines and sailors ambushed and captured at the Battle of Big Sandy Creek.

Once Chauncey had received the guns and fitted out his squadron, he commanded the lake from the end of July 1814 until late in the year.

Notes

References

*Hitsman, J. Mackay, "The incredible War of 1812", Robin Brass Studio, Toronto, ISBN 1-896941-13-3
*Roosevelt, Theodore, "The Naval War of 1812", Modern Library, New York, ISBN 0-375-75419-9

External links

* [http://www.napoleon-series.org/military/Warof1812/2006/Issue3/c_oswego.html Contemporary British account of the battle]