In 1813, the United States launched its most ambitious campaign of the War of 1812: a massive two-pronged invasion with over 7,000 soldiers to capture Montreal and sever Canada from the British Empire.
One of these prongs, an armada of 7,000 men under Major General James Wilkinson, descended the St. Lawrence River. Harassing their rear was a tiny, 900-man British “Corps of Observation.” Annoyed, Wilkinson detached 2,500 of his best regulars to “brush aside” this force.
The result was the Battle of Crysler’s Farm—one of the most lopsided and decisive victories of the war.
Join us as we break down the tactics of this pivotal, bloody afternoon. We explore how Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Morrison, on a flat, muddy field he chose himself, used the “Thin Red Line” to shatter an army more than double its size. We analyze:
– The “Wall of Lead”: How the discipline of the 49th and 89th Regiments—firing devastating, rolling volleys—annihilated the American “attack columns.”
– Failed Charges: The brutal repulse of the 2nd U.S. Light Dragoons, who charged the British line and were shattered by its disciplined fire.
– Cavalry vs. Infantry: The decisive bayonet charge that broke the American army and sent them fleeing back to their boats.
– A Tale of Two Commanders: The professionalism of Britain’s Morrison versus the shocking incompetence of America’s James Wilkinson, who directed the battle from his sickbed on a boat.
This is the story of how 900 men, on a cold November day, stopped an entire invasion and saved Canada.
Credit to : Victorian Era Stories