T HE BAT T L E OF C RY S L E R S FARM, 1813

v o n i x n v . s s s 1 u u i o
Donald E. Graves
Foreword by
John R. Elting
Colonel, United States Army (Ret.)
Maps by
Christopher Johnson
A List of the Cryslers Farm and
Chteauguay Medal Recipients by
Stephen Pallas
Marine Art by
Peter Rindlisbacher
Field of
Glory
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Dragon Rampant: The Royal Welch Fusiliers at War, :,,-:8:,
Frontline Books & Robin Brass Studio, :oIo
Fix Bayonets! A Royal Welch Fusilier at War, :,,o-:8:,
Robin Brass Studio & Spellmount Publishing, :oo,
Century of Service: The History of the South Alberta Light Horse
The South Alberta Light Horse Regiment Foundation & Robin Brass Studio, :oo,
More Fighting for Canada: Five Battles, :,oo-:,
Robin Brass Studio, :oo
Another Place, Another Time: A U-boat Ofcers Wartime Album
(with Werner Hirschmann) Robin Brass Studio, :oo, :oII
In Peril on the Sea: The Royal Canadian Navy and the Battle of the Atlantic
Canadian Naval Memorial Trust & Robin Brass Studio, :oo,
C. P. Stacey. Quebec, :,,,: The Siege and the Battle
Edited and with new material by Donald E. Graves. Robin Brass Studio, :oo:
Guns Across the River: The Battle of the Windmill, :88
Friends of Windmill Point & Robin Brass Studio, :ooI
Fighting for Canada: Seven Battles, :,,8-:,,
Robin Brass Studio, :ooo
Field of Glory: The Battle of Cryslers Farm, :8:
Robin Brass Studio, I,,,
J. Mackay Hitsman. The Incredible War of :8:z: A Military History
Updated by Donald E. Graves. Robin Brass Studio, I,,,
South Albertas: A Canadian Regiment at War
South Alberta Regiment Veterans Association & Robin Brass Studio, I,,8, :oo
Where Right and Glory Lead! The Battle of Lundys Lane, :8:
Robin Brass Studio, I,,,
Soldiers of :8:: American Enlisted Mens Memoirs of the Niagara Campaign
Old Fort Niagara Press, I,,o
Redcoats and Grey Jackets: The Battle of Chippawa, :8:
Dundurn Press, I,,
Merry Hearts Make Light Days: The War of :8:z Journal of
Lieutenant John Le Couteur, :oth Foot
Carleton University Press, I,,,
Normandy :,: The Canadian Summer
(with W. J. McAndrew and M. J. Whitby) Art Global, I,,,
The Rockets Red Glare: Sir William Congreve and His Weapon System
Museum Restoration Service, I,8,
Contents
Foreword by John R. Elting, Colonel, United States Army (Ret.) xi
Preface xv
Note to the Reader xix
Prologue: A Miserable Night in November I8I, I
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I Hark, now the drums beat up again ,
Origins of a Campaign, June I8I:June I8I,
: How uncomfortably like a civil war it seemed :o
The Long Summer of I8I,
, Two heads on the same shoulders make a monster ,I
Order, Counter-Order, Disorder, SeptemberOctober I8I,
God knows when we shall set out
Last-Minute Plans and Preparations, October I8I, o,
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, Le diable au corps 8,
The Chteauguay Campaign
o The Yankees are coming ! II,
On the St. Lawrence, I Novembero November I8I,
, There is a spell on us I,8
The Pursuit down the River, , NovemberIo November I8I,
8 Take the Kings shilling ! Io:
Soldiers and Soldiering in I8I,
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, Jack, drop cooking, the enemy is advancing ! I8,
II November I8I,, o ..x.: v.x.
Io They came on in a very gallant style :o,
II November I8I,, :.oo,.,o p.m.
II Charge mit de dragoons ! :,,
II November I8I,, ,.,o.oo p.m.
I: Field of Glory :,I
II November I8I,, .oo8.oo p.m.
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I, Beat the drums slowly and play the fes lowly :o,
The Residue of Glory
I The fault is with the generals, not the men :,,
The Winter of Discontent, November I8I,February I8I
I, And gentle peace returning ,I,
The Fate of Generals and of Men
Epilogue: Lochaber No More ,,,
The Fate of the Battleeld
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A Weapons and Weapons Performance at Cryslers Farm ,,
B Order of Battle and Strength: Major General Wade
Hamptons Division, United States Army, :o October I8I, ,,o
C Order of Battle and Strength: Lieutenant Colonel Charles
de Salaberrys Command, Left Division, British Army in
North America, :o October I8I, ,,,
D Order of Battle and Strength: Major General James
Wilkinsons Army, United States Army, November I8I, ,,,
E Order of Battle and Strength: Brigadier General John Boyds
Command, United States Army, II November I8I, ,oo
F Order of Battle and Strength: Lieutenant Colonel Joseph
Morrisons Corps of Observation, Centre Division,
British Army in North America, II November I8I, ,o:
G The Cryslers Farm and Chteauguay Medals and Recipients ,o,
by Stephen Pallas
H The Military Heritage of the Battles of Chteauguay
and Cryslers Farm ,,,
I The Battle of Cryslers Farm or Bushs Hill? ,,8
Locating the Battle and Cryslers House
End Notes ,8,
Bibliography o,
Index I,
Charge mit de dragoons!
:I
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:o
watched the ,th shudder from the effect of Craigs re, then recover and
steady itself. The two ofcers had observed the approach of the American ar-
tillery, but since the enemy brigades appeared to have reformed they thought
that they were about to receive a major infantry attack supported by artillery.
As Harvey later commented, the enemy began to advance again in a more de-
termined manner supported by three or four Field pieces.
I,
As soon as Craig
opened up, the two British ofcers realized they had a problem his guns
were outside good musket range, while their line was within canister range.
They would either have to pull back or advance to remove the threat.
Suggesting to Morrison it would be impossible in our advanced position
to stand long against the Grape from his Field pieces, Harvey advised him
to move the ,th against the enemy artillery in line with the 8,
th
in Eschel-
lon [sic] supporting in plain words, Plenderleaths unit would charge the
American guns.
I
This was a somewhat risky proposition, for the ,th would
be advancing directly at Craig without benet of direct support since the 8,th,
in echelon to its left rear, could not bring musketry to bear on the American
gunners to keep their heads down. It was a difcult situation but Joseph Mor-
rison not only had to accept it, he had to deal with it he ordered Plenderleath
to advance.
The ,th marched straight into disaster. As its grey line approached, Craig
and his subordinate, Lieutenant William Smith, doubled their rate of re,
while Pearces Sixteenth Infantry to the left and Aspinwalls Ninth Infantry
to the right, their ammunition having been replenished by the hardworking
dragoons, opened a heavy long-distance re of musketry.
Plenderleath soon realized it would not work. It was impossible to move
faster to close with the American guns because, as Sewell commented, the ,th
had to cross ploughed, heavy, wet ground intersected by two parallel snake
fences, that we had to pull down and which much retarded the regiments
progress because once over or through these obstacles it had to pause to dress
its ranks.
I,
On the other hand, if Plenderleath halted to deliver re against
his target, the ,th would continue to take heavy losses from the American
artillery. Sewell later claimed that not a shot was red to cover our advance,
and consequently there being nothing to disconcert the enemies re it was
well directed on us from riemen and artillery and in the short space of ten
or less minutes we lost II ofcers out of I8 killed and wounded and men in
proportion.
Io
Among the casualties was Sewells company commander, Cap-
tain Thomas Nairne, killed when a Ball entered his head above the left Ear &
passed thro on the other Side, he fell lifeless in the same Instant.
I,
Lieutenant
Daniel Claus immediately moved over from the left of the front rank to the
One by one, the four o-pdr. guns were slowly and carefully driven down
the slope of the ravine, the gunners, assisted by extra men from the other
detachments, using bricoles or shoulder harnesses hooked on to the carriage
to brake the heavy and bulky vehicles lest they turn sideways in the mud and
tip over or run down the team in front. Other men tried to control and soothe
the horses, who, already disgruntled at being demoted from cavalry chargers
to mere draught animals, were made even more unhappy by the continuous
loud bangs of shrapnel shells, the rattle of musketry and the general terror and
confusion. Having arrived at the bottom, each o pdr. (which weighed about
a ton with its carriage) was in turn dragged to the opposite slope through
the ooded creek at the bottom, which came up to the axles of the gun car-
riages. Now the gunners helped push and pull the carriage up the far slope,
cursing when they lost their footing in the slick, wet ground until the weapon
nally reached the top. When the rst gun was in place, the same process was
repeated for the other three. It was a tiresome business to get the four o-pdrs.
across the ravine, and before it was nished gunners, horses and carriages
were plastered with a thick coating of Upper Canadian mud.
Craig was now directly opposite the ,th Foot. He was also somewhat ex-
posed, since the collapse of the Twenty-Fifth Infantry, which had taken place
while he was moving up from the highway, had removed the nearest infantry
support and the main British line, which by now had ceased re to conserve
ammunition, was ,oo to oo yards away. This was good range for roundshot
and long range for canister but, as the latter projectile was more destructive,
Craig opted to use it. He opened re at the ,th Foot, each of his guns ring
in turn to reduce the smoke and confusion in the gun position.
C
raigs aiming-point was the colour party of the ,th Foot and his re
soon had effect. Ensign Sylvester Richmond, carrying the Regimental
Colour, was hit, as was the ofcer carrying the Kings Colour, but their duties
were taken over by other ofcers or sergeants. Gaps appeared in the ranks as
Craigs canister rounds, containing between forty-three and sixty-three mus-
ket balls depending on type, hit the unit. They were immediately lled by the
le closers. By now, after more than an hour of ghting and the loss of many
men, the companies had shrunk so much that during pauses in the ring they
were moved closer to each other. The rank and le were not the only ones to
get hit: Captain Edward Davis of the New Brunswick Fencibles, serving on
Morrisons staff, had his horse shot from under him and Plenderleath took a
canister bullet in the thigh but, ignoring it, continued in action.
I:
From their position behind the two battalions, Harvey and Morrison
Charge mit de dragoons!
:,
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::
Morrison later reported that the ,th was directed to charge the gun[s]
posted opposite to ours, but it became necessary within a short distance to
check the forward movement in consequence of a new threat.
:,
Sewell, who
had moved to the company commanders position at the right of the rst rank
after Nairne and Claus had been knocked down, identied this danger. He
could now see more of the enemy and more of the eld and, to his no small
anxiety, the young ofcer observed a squadron of American cavalry gallop-
ing up the high road directly at his regiments right ank.
:o
right to assume command within minutes he was hit in the ankle by a can-
ister bullet, and Lieutenant John Sewell took over the company.
I8
Shaken, the ,th Foot came to a halt as ofcers and sergeants struggled to
keep the ranks aligned and close the gaps which opened when men fell. The
8,th, in echelon to their left rear, could not render their fellow regiment much
assistance and Sewell decided the business could only end in disaster as,
with their ranks broken, the old and bold Green Tigers were helpless under
a deadly and unreturned re.
I,
It was a tense moment but Plenderleath kept his head and issued a series of
orders not contained in the ofcial manual with the sang-froid of an ordi-
nary parade that pulled the ,th back a safe distance, a manoeuvre executed
with the coolness of a review, Sewell proudly recorded, notwithstanding be-
ing made under grape and canister from the enemies guns to which we were
in close proximity.
:o
Reforming in line, Plenderleath then opened a re by
platoons from centre to anks on the American guns at long range.
:I
Having
witnessed his dilemma, Barnes of the 8,th Foot moved his three companies
closer to the American guns to take the gunners under re. To thirty-three-
year-old Captain Samuel Devins Harris of the Second Dragoons, a Bostonian
from a wealthy background (his father had owned the wharf that had been
the scene of the Boston tea party), it appeared as if the separate components
of the British line (Cliffords 8,th, Plenderleaths ,th and Barness companies
of the 8,th) were advancing in echelon on Craigs guns with their whole force
in three columns.
::
The repulse of the ,th Foot was Morrisons rst check. Writing years later
from the point of view of a junior ofcer, John Sewell was critical about what
he considered the unnecessary losses caused by an advance without any sup-
port. In his opinion, any regimental ofcer of the most humble attainments
would have closed with the enemy by wings or alternate companies support-
ing one another as they advanced.
:,
Although resentful about the cost, Sewell
was proud of his regiments behaviour:
The Reader will perceive that the charge of the ,
th
was not persevered in.
Let us inquire why the line, broken as it was, by distance, and impedi-
ments, could not have been re-formed under the enemys re? Had there
been want of courage on the part of the men, or any deciency on the part
of the ofcers or their leader? On the contrary the circumstances under
which the line was formed were more creditable, though not so advanta-
geous as a successful charge.
:
1. The 49th, with the 89th on their left, advance against Craigs guns but are
repulsed. By this time Boyd has reformed his brigades in line at the edge of the
woods, preparatory to returning to the battle.
2. Barnes begins to move on Craigs guns. Craig withdraws three of his weapons
across the second ravine but leaves one gun under Smith in action. Walbach orders
Woodfords dragoons to charge and save the guns and they do so, but are repulsed
by the heavy re of the British advance and Ellis commanding the right ank com-
pany of the 49th. Barnes then advances and captures Smiths gun.
3. Around this time Boyd orders a withdrawal and his brigades move back through
the woods to Cooks Tavern just as Uphams boat guard arrives. The British now
move forward and Upham, badly outnumbered, is forced to retreat.