Battle of Beaver Dams
Near Thorold, Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada
What happened
Kahnawake and Mohawk warriors under Captain Dominique Ducharme and Captain William Johnson Kerr, with a small British force under Lieutenant James FitzGibbon, fought an American column under Colonel Charles Boerstler. In the War of 1812, American troops planned a surprise attack on a British outpost. Laura Secord, a Canadian settler, overheard the plan and walked about 32 km to warn FitzGibbon. When the Americans marched out, First Nations warriors ambushed them in the woods, and about 500 American soldiers surrendered.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It left the American army at nearby Fort George demoralised, rarely patrolling more than a mile from the fort. Laura Secord's walk later became a celebrated story in Canada.
What came next
The Americans abandoned Fort George in December 1813. The battle site became a National Historic Site in 1921.
Did you know?
A local saying goes that the Kahnawake 'got the victory', the Mohawks 'got the plunder', and FitzGibbon 'got the credit'.
Timeline
- 22 June 1813Laura Secord walks to warn FitzGibbon.
- 24 June 1813The Americans surrender at Beaver Dams.
- 10 December 1813The Americans abandon Fort George.
- 1860Laura Secord receives an award from the Prince of Wales.
- 1921The battle site becomes a National Historic Site.