of Brigadier General, coupled with fictitious accounts and vitriolic cartoons showing smiling British troops and their officers standing by as the massacre occurred, filled the pages of American papers for months to come. The event even became a rallying cry, as “Remember the Raisin” entered the American lexicon of famous sayings related to the War of 1812.
Once again an American invasion had been thwarted, although at a long-term cost of raising the level of American determination to recover their lost territories and continue the war. In the short-term, however, it had the effect of making the American administration, and its new appointee to the position of secretary of war, Major General John Armstrong, wary of conducting operations at such a remote distance from its centre of supplies and logistics. Instead, Armstrong looked at pursuing the main American spring campaign at points along the St. Lawrence River, Lake Ontario, and on the Niagara frontier. Unfortunately for the American plans, the British forces on the St. Lawrence corridor had other ideas on that score.
THE RAID ON OGDENSBURG,
FEBRUARY 22, 1813
From the outset of the war, the fact that the St. Lawrence River was being the single line of transport into Upper Canada had been a significant weakness in the British war effort. However, despite this obvious fact, the Americans made little real effort to dominate the waterway when war was first declared. In fact, apart from some initial skirmishes between gunboats, the only real cross-border incident came when the Americans made a sortie on Gananoque, just to the east of Kingston, on September 21, 1812.
However, the potential threat level rose in early October, when a force of the First Rifle Regiment under Captain Benjamin Forsyth and several companies of New York State militia under Brigadier General Jacob Brown were sent from Sackets Harbor to garrison the small community of Ogdensburg, directly opposite the British fortifications at Prescott. Up to this point, the civilian populace of Ogdensburg had maintained a friendly and highly profitable neutrality with their “enemy” by supplying cattle and other food to the Prescott garrison. This communication was now halted and British boats were fired on as they plied the water of the river.
In retaliation, the garrison at Prescott, under Colonel Robert Lethbridge, attempted to mount an attack against Ogdensburg on Sunday, October 4, 1812. Because Lethbridge made no effort to disguise his preparations, the British intentions were clearly telegraphed to the Americans, allowing the Ogdensburg garrison of around 1,200 men to be fully prepared when the attack commenced. As the British boats approached the enemy shore, they came under heavy American artillery and musket fire, which inflicted significant damage on the vessels and casualties amongst the tightly packed men. Unable to sustain the attack, the assault collapsed, to the humiliation of the British and the added prestige of the American military commanders. In response, Colonel Lethbridge was replaced by a far more experienced combat officer, Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Pearson (23rd Regiment), who undertook to bring the garrison at Prescott up to a proper state of battle readiness and made detailed plans for the destruction of Ogdensburg. Unfortunately, Prevost’s non-aggression directives vetoed any immediate retaliation.
Detail from a map showing the fortifications at Prescott. What was later named Fort Wellington is at centre right, while a small stockaded military compound lies just to the left (west).
Library and Archives Canada, NMC, C-24808.
With the New Year little seemed to have changed, as the uneasy stalemate of truce continued. However, at the beginning of February Captain Forsyth received reports that a number of American troops were being held and mistreated in the jail at Elizabethtown (Brockville). Without verifying the information, and against general orders, Forsyth organized a raiding party consisting of around two hundred U.S. riflemen, supported by Ogdensburg militiamen under Colonel Thomas Benedict. Crossing the frozen St. Lawrence River undetected on the night of February 6–7th, the Americans swept down on the detachment of Leeds County Militia garrisoning the post, capturing them almost without a shot being fired. Releasing the few prisoners that they found in the jail cells, the Americans then arrested a number of local citizens to add to the twenty or so militiamen already captured and returned to the Ogdensburg with over fifty prisoners, one hundred twenty muskets, twenty rifles, two casks of ammunition, and several barrels of food.[4] As far as Colonel Pearson was concerned, this escalation in enemy activities only confirmed his determination that the American position at Ogdensburg needed to be permanently neutralized as soon as possible. However, as he could not contravene Sir George Prevost’s injunction against engaging in offensive warfare, he sought to gain the appropriate approvals.
Only days later, on February 21st, and to the surprise of everyone, Sir George Prevost himself arrived at Prescott, accompanying a supply column of sleighs. His mission, taken in the depth of winter, was no casual journey; instead it was being made as an urgently needed measure to quell the growing criticism of General Sheaffe’s administration of Upper Canada. In addition, Prevost wanted to make a personal assessment of Sheaffe’s plan to completely revise the militia system of Upper Canada and establish a series of full-time militia units, including a troop of Provincial Light Cavalry, a troop of Provincial Artillery Drivers, battery companies of Provincial artillery, and, most importantly, three battalions of a new “Incorporated” Militia infantry.
Discussing the current American offensive activities, Prevost heard out Colonel Pearson’s request to attack Ogdensburg, but replied by reaffirming his position that no offensive actions were to take place that might disturb the status quo with the Americans. Prevost also notified Colonel Pearson that he was transferring him to Kingston to take over command of that important post, as part of the reorganization Prevost was undertaking among the upper echelon military command in Upper Canada. Pearson’s replacement, Major “Red” George Macdonell, of the Glengarry Light Infantry, was appointed effective immediately — as Pearson would be accompanying Prevost when he left the following morning.
Conscious that the Americans had probably received intelligence of his arrival with the supply column and might attack the convoy, Prevost chose to leave early in the morning and without fanfare. As a diversion, Major Macdonell was directed to exercise and parade his troops on the ice-covered St Lawrence River — a practice well established by the British once the weather had created this natural parade ground.
Following orders, Macdonell turned out the garrison for the “demonstration” at dawn. However, once the convoy of sleighs was well on its way, instead of recalling the troops and dismissing his men, Macdonell decided to implement the plan of attack previously developed by Colonel Pearson and take his chances over the official reaction. Forming his force into two columns around 7:00 a.m., Macdonell ordered his men to advance in rapid time across the intervening span of the river to attack Ogdensburg and the hopefully unprepared American garrison.*[5]
Two views from the 1813 earthen ramparts of Fort Wellington at Prescott. The existing central blockhouse is a post-war construction. The far bank, beyond the St. Lawrence River, is the United States, clearly indicating the fort’s strategic position in controlling waterborne traffic upon the river.
On the American side of the river no serious consideration had been given to mounting an attack on Prevost or the convoy, and in keeping with the bitterly cold weather only the sentries were outside, manning their lonely and frigid duty posts. As the light of day improved, the sight of the British troops parading up and down on the river ice below their fort was nothing out of the ordinary
