Battle of Lundy's Lane
Lundy's Lane, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
What happened
British and Canadian forces under Lieutenant General Gordon Drummond fought an American army under Major General Jacob Brown and Brigadier General Winfield Scott. In the summer of 1814, an American army invaded Upper Canada near Niagara Falls. The battle began in the evening and went on into the dark, close to the roar of the falls. The Americans captured the British cannons on a hill, and both sides fought until they were exhausted; neither held the field.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It was one of the bloodiest battles of the War of 1812 and one of the deadliest ever fought in Canada. Afterwards the Americans withdrew to Fort Erie, and their invasion lost its momentum.
What came next
Part of the battlefield is preserved beside Drummond Hill Cemetery. It became a National Historic Site of Canada in 1937.
Did you know?
Laura Secord, a Canadian heroine of the War of 1812, is buried in Drummond Hill Cemetery on the battlefield.
Timeline
- 25 July 1814The Battle of Lundy's Lane is fought.
- July 1814The Americans withdraw to Fort Erie.
- 1895The Soldier's Monument is unveiled.
- 1937The battlefield becomes a National Historic Site.