Raid on Elizabethtown facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Raid on Elizabethtown
Part of War of 1812
Date February 7, 1813 Location Elizabethtown, Upper Canada Result American victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom	United States
Commanders and leaders
Unknown	Benjamin Forsyth
Strength
Unknown	200 regulars and militia
Casualties and losses
1 wounded American prisoners freed 52 British prisoners	1 wounded

The Raid on Elizabethtown was a surprise attack during the War of 1812. It happened on February 7, 1813. Major Benjamin Forsyth led about 200 American soldiers and local fighters across the frozen St. Lawrence River. Their goal was to take over Elizabethtown, which is now Brockville, Ontario, in Canada. They wanted to grab military supplies, free American prisoners, and capture British soldiers.

This was the second successful attack by Major Forsyth along the St. Lawrence River. He had already attacked a place called Gananoque. Because of these successful raids, the British decided they needed to fight back. This led to a bigger battle known as the Battle of Ogdensburg.

Why the Raid Happened

After a temporary stop in fighting between British General George Prevost and American General Henry Dearborn, the Americans faced a problem. They didn't have enough supplies in northern New York. To get more supplies, they attacked a British supply point at Gananoque. This place was along the St. Lawrence River, between the big British bases of Montreal and Kingston.

Major Benjamin Forsyth led this first attack, and it worked well. The British didn't do much to get even, except adding more defenses at Gananoque. Americans were very happy about Forsyth's success. He then moved his command from Sackets Harbor to Ogdensburg. A few days later, on February 4, 1813, some British soldiers from Prescott crossed the St. Lawrence River on the ice. They captured a few American prisoners in Ogdensburg.

The Attack on Elizabethtown

On February 6, Major Benjamin Forsyth and about 200 of his soldiers and local fighters left Ogdensburg at 10:00 PM. They traveled by sleigh to Morristown, New York. This town was about twelve miles (19 km) up the river and right across from Elizabethtown.

Under the cover of night, Forsyth and his men crossed the frozen river to Elizabethtown. They arrived at 1:00 AM on February 7. The town was completely surprised. Forsyth left a small cannon on the ice. This was to protect his group if they needed to retreat.

As Forsyth's group moved through Elizabethtown, they placed guards, called pickets, on the streets. They then moved to take over the courthouse square. Only one American soldier was hurt, and one British soldier was wounded. Forsyth's group met very little resistance. They captured 52 British soldiers from the town's defense. One of the captured, a doctor, was immediately allowed to go free after promising not to fight again (this is called being paroled).

After taking the courthouse, Forsyth's men freed the American prisoners from the jail. They also took supplies, muskets, and rifles. Forsyth then set fire to the soldiers' barracks. After that, they began a 28-mile (45 km) march back to Ogdensburg. They returned without any more fighting.

What Happened Next

After his second successful attack, Major Forsyth was given a special promotion. He became a brevet lieutenant colonel. This means he had the rank but not necessarily the pay or full command that usually came with it. His success made the British commanders realize they had to deal with Ogdensburg.

Later that month, on February 22, a British force attacked Ogdensburg. This force was led by Lieutenant Colonel George MacDonnell. They drove Forsyth and the American soldiers out of the town. Forsyth's commanding officer refused to try and take the town back. This forced Forsyth to move his troops back to Sackets Harbor. Later, Forsyth was moved to a completely different fighting area. This was a political decision to make the local people happy.

The British attack on Ogdensburg was the last major land battle in that area. However, American gunboats from Sackets Harbor continued to attack British supply convoys. This forced the British to bring their own naval forces and gunboats to the area.