Siege of Fort Erie

Siege of Fort Erie
Part of the War of 1812
The British night assault on Fort Erie
Date August 4 – September 21, 1814 Location Fort Erie, present-day Ontario 42°53′36″N 78°55′26″W / 42.893351°N 78.923969°W / 42.893351; -78.923969 Result American victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom  Upper Canada	United States
Commanders and leaders
Gordon Drummond	Edmund P. Gaines Eleazer Wheelock Ripley Jacob Brown
Strength
4,800[1]	2,800
Casualties and losses
At least 285 killed 508 wounded 748 captured 12 missing[nb 1] Total: 1,551	213 killed 565 wounded 240 captured 57 missing[nb 2] Total: 1,075

The siege of Fort Erie, also known as the Battle of Erie, from 4 August to 21 September 1814, was one of the last engagements of the War of 1812, between British and American forces. It took place during the Niagara campaign, and the Americans successfully defended Fort Erie against a British army. During the siege, the British suffered high casualties in a failed storming attempt; they also suffered casualties from sickness and exposure in their rough encampments. Unaware that the British were about to abandon the siege, the American garrison launched a sortie to destroy the British siege batteries, during which both sides again suffered high losses.

After the British abandoned the siege, the reinforced American army followed up cautiously and forced a second retreat at Cook's Mills but, with the onset of winter and shortage of supplies, they withdrew. They demolished Fort Erie before leaving the area. The attempted siege ended one of the last British offensives along the northern border, the other being the failed British assault on Plattsburgh.

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