Battles & Campaigns · 1814
Siege of Fort Erie
Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada
What happened
In the War of 1812, after the Battle of Lundy's Lane, the American army fell back to Fort Erie on the Niagara Peninsula. The British arrived in early August and shelled the fort, and their night assault on 15–16 August failed. In September the Americans made a sortie and captured several British batteries, and the British ended the siege on the night of 21 September.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It ended one of the last British offensives along the northern border. The other was the failed British attack on Plattsburgh.
What came next
Short of supplies, the Americans blew up Fort Erie on 5 November 1814 and went into winter quarters.
Did you know?
An American battery fired so fast that it was nicknamed 'Towson's Lighthouse'.
Timeline
- 26 July 1814After Lundy's Lane, the Americans withdraw toward Fort Erie.
- 4 August 1814The siege of Fort Erie begins.
- 15–16 August 1814The British night assault fails.
- 21 September 1814The British end the siege.
- 5 November 1814The Americans demolish the fort.