1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,960 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of iHeartRadio. 2 00:00:05,640 --> 00:00:09,480 Speaker 1: Hello and welcome to This Day in History Class, a 3 00:00:09,560 --> 00:00:13,520 Speaker 1: show that tallies the wins and losses of everyday history. 4 00:00:15,080 --> 00:00:18,840 Speaker 1: I'm Gabe Lucier, and today we're talking about a lesser 5 00:00:18,920 --> 00:00:22,560 Speaker 1: known battle of the War of eighteen twelve, a British 6 00:00:22,600 --> 00:00:25,880 Speaker 1: sneak attack in the dead of night that dashed America's 7 00:00:25,880 --> 00:00:34,120 Speaker 1: hopes of conquering its neighbor to the north. The day 8 00:00:34,640 --> 00:00:40,879 Speaker 1: was June sixth, eighteen thirteen. British forces launched a surprise 9 00:00:40,960 --> 00:00:45,839 Speaker 1: attack on US troops encamped at Stony Creek, Ontario. It 10 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:49,080 Speaker 1: wasn't the biggest or the bloodiest battle of the War 11 00:00:49,159 --> 00:00:52,800 Speaker 1: of eighteen twelve, but the skirmish struck a crucial blow 12 00:00:52,880 --> 00:00:56,720 Speaker 1: to the Americans' chances of capturing Upper Canada, as they 13 00:00:56,720 --> 00:01:00,520 Speaker 1: had been poised to do. Instead, the night rand put 14 00:01:00,520 --> 00:01:03,920 Speaker 1: the invading US forces on the defensive, and after the 15 00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:07,840 Speaker 1: Battle of Beaver Dams two weeks later, the American threat 16 00:01:07,880 --> 00:01:12,080 Speaker 1: on the Niagara Peninsula was well and truly finished. As 17 00:01:12,120 --> 00:01:15,280 Speaker 1: a colony of Great Britain, Canada was caught up in 18 00:01:15,319 --> 00:01:18,679 Speaker 1: the War of eighteen twelve and was invaded several times 19 00:01:18,720 --> 00:01:22,640 Speaker 1: by American forces. The latest in a series of attempts 20 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:25,680 Speaker 1: began a few weeks before the Battle of Stony Creek, 21 00:01:25,920 --> 00:01:30,560 Speaker 1: when approximately four thousand American soldiers and militiamen landed on 22 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:34,679 Speaker 1: the Lake Ontario side of the Niagara Peninsula. They marched 23 00:01:34,680 --> 00:01:38,520 Speaker 1: to the small town of Newark, Ontario, and easily captured 24 00:01:38,560 --> 00:01:41,920 Speaker 1: Fort George, an outpost used by the British Army and 25 00:01:41,959 --> 00:01:45,920 Speaker 1: the Canadian militia. From there, the majority of the US 26 00:01:46,040 --> 00:01:49,880 Speaker 1: invasion force headed west in pursuit of the retreating British. 27 00:01:50,440 --> 00:01:53,280 Speaker 1: The goal was to wipe out the remaining Red Coats 28 00:01:53,440 --> 00:01:57,000 Speaker 1: and then capture the Upper Canadian capital of York or 29 00:01:57,440 --> 00:02:02,160 Speaker 1: Toronto as it's known today. If that mission had proven successful, 30 00:02:02,480 --> 00:02:05,280 Speaker 1: the year long war likely would have been over in 31 00:02:05,320 --> 00:02:07,960 Speaker 1: a matter of weeks, and the young U. S. Nation 32 00:02:08,280 --> 00:02:11,639 Speaker 1: would have gained itself vast new territories to the north. 33 00:02:12,200 --> 00:02:15,760 Speaker 1: But of course that's not quite how things played out. 34 00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:19,360 Speaker 1: The U. S. Army, under the command of Brigadier General 35 00:02:19,480 --> 00:02:22,480 Speaker 1: John Chandler, finally caught up to the British on the 36 00:02:22,520 --> 00:02:25,800 Speaker 1: evening of June fifth. They decided to make camp for 37 00:02:25,840 --> 00:02:29,320 Speaker 1: the night at the Gage Farmhouse. About five miles east 38 00:02:29,400 --> 00:02:33,760 Speaker 1: of the village of Stoney Creek. Meanwhile, British General John 39 00:02:33,880 --> 00:02:37,760 Speaker 1: Vincent and his forces were holed up at nearby Burlington Heights. 40 00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:41,400 Speaker 1: They were visited there by a local teenager on horseback 41 00:02:41,520 --> 00:02:44,639 Speaker 1: named Billy Green, who had caught sight of the approaching 42 00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:48,480 Speaker 1: Americans and happily shared their position with Vincent and his men. 43 00:02:49,160 --> 00:02:53,480 Speaker 1: The general dispatched his right hand man, Lieutenant Colonel John Harvey, 44 00:02:53,720 --> 00:02:57,120 Speaker 1: to scout the camp at Stoney Creek and confirm Green's story. 45 00:02:57,600 --> 00:03:00,680 Speaker 1: When Harvey returned, he reported that the am Mayamerican camp 46 00:03:00,840 --> 00:03:03,680 Speaker 1: was right where Green had said, and better, yet, it 47 00:03:03,720 --> 00:03:06,800 Speaker 1: seemed to be in total disarray, with only a few 48 00:03:06,880 --> 00:03:10,720 Speaker 1: centuries posted around the perimeter, and the remaining troops positioned 49 00:03:10,760 --> 00:03:12,840 Speaker 1: in such a way that they wouldn't be able to 50 00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:16,760 Speaker 1: form battle lines very quickly. If that weren't promising enough, 51 00:03:17,040 --> 00:03:20,639 Speaker 1: the British had also obtained the counter sign or password 52 00:03:20,919 --> 00:03:24,040 Speaker 1: that would grant them access to the enemy's camp. It's 53 00:03:24,160 --> 00:03:28,320 Speaker 1: unclear how exactly Vincent came to possess that information. Some 54 00:03:28,520 --> 00:03:32,120 Speaker 1: sources say Billy Green supplied it, having observed the counter 55 00:03:32,200 --> 00:03:35,560 Speaker 1: sign himself, but others say that Harvey learned it from 56 00:03:35,600 --> 00:03:39,320 Speaker 1: a recently paroled prisoner. In either case, the chance to 57 00:03:39,400 --> 00:03:42,280 Speaker 1: catch the Americans off guard was just too good to 58 00:03:42,360 --> 00:03:45,960 Speaker 1: pass up. Even though the British were outnumbered more than 59 00:03:46,040 --> 00:03:49,800 Speaker 1: four to one, Vincent ordered a daring nighttime raid on 60 00:03:49,880 --> 00:03:53,640 Speaker 1: the American camp. He delegated control of the operation to 61 00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:56,880 Speaker 1: Lieutenant Colonel Harvey and set out with him in seven 62 00:03:56,960 --> 00:04:00,840 Speaker 1: hundred soldiers at about eleven thirty pm on June fifth. 63 00:04:01,520 --> 00:04:05,200 Speaker 1: The small force quietly marched east through the darkness, with 64 00:04:05,320 --> 00:04:08,640 Speaker 1: Billy Green leading the way through the forest. Hoping to 65 00:04:08,720 --> 00:04:11,640 Speaker 1: keep the element of surprise, Harvey ordered his men to 66 00:04:11,680 --> 00:04:17,240 Speaker 1: remove the flints from their muskets to prevent any accidental firing. Unfortunately, 67 00:04:17,560 --> 00:04:21,160 Speaker 1: some of the soldiers ignored that order, and around two am, 68 00:04:21,200 --> 00:04:23,320 Speaker 1: as they reached the edge of the camp, some of 69 00:04:23,360 --> 00:04:27,560 Speaker 1: the men fired their muskets a little early. The Americans 70 00:04:27,640 --> 00:04:31,080 Speaker 1: awoke to the noise and found themselves surrounded, but it 71 00:04:31,240 --> 00:04:34,160 Speaker 1: wasn't the total blood bath you might expect, as most 72 00:04:34,200 --> 00:04:37,200 Speaker 1: of the British hadn't reinserted their flints yet and were 73 00:04:37,279 --> 00:04:40,960 Speaker 1: virtually unarmed. By the time the British were ready to fight, 74 00:04:41,279 --> 00:04:44,279 Speaker 1: many of the Americans had already scrambled a higher ground, 75 00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:48,560 Speaker 1: making their attackers job that much harder. The darkness added 76 00:04:48,600 --> 00:04:52,080 Speaker 1: to the general sense of confusion as both sides struggled 77 00:04:52,080 --> 00:04:57,000 Speaker 1: to identify anyone who was illuminated by firelight. American General 78 00:04:57,080 --> 00:05:01,120 Speaker 1: John Chandler had an especially tough time. At one point, 79 00:05:01,240 --> 00:05:03,440 Speaker 1: he ran to give orders to a group of men 80 00:05:03,560 --> 00:05:06,640 Speaker 1: he thought were his own, only to be captured at 81 00:05:06,640 --> 00:05:11,919 Speaker 1: bayonet point by some highly amused British soldiers. Another American 82 00:05:11,920 --> 00:05:16,159 Speaker 1: officer was also captured, along with all the field artillery 83 00:05:16,279 --> 00:05:19,640 Speaker 1: in the camp. Those losses dashed the hopes of an 84 00:05:19,680 --> 00:05:22,520 Speaker 1: American comeback, but since it was hard to tell who 85 00:05:22,560 --> 00:05:26,599 Speaker 1: was winning, the British decided to retreat anyway. The entire 86 00:05:26,720 --> 00:05:30,000 Speaker 1: fight had lasted about an hour and ended with both 87 00:05:30,080 --> 00:05:34,640 Speaker 1: sides believing the other had won. In terms of casualties, 88 00:05:34,760 --> 00:05:38,360 Speaker 1: the British came out worse, having lost twenty three men 89 00:05:38,520 --> 00:05:43,000 Speaker 1: compared to the Americans seventeen. However, the British had taken 90 00:05:43,040 --> 00:05:47,040 Speaker 1: more prisoners, including two commanding officers, as well as vital 91 00:05:47,080 --> 00:05:51,520 Speaker 1: supplies and weapons. As a result, the Americans were forced 92 00:05:51,560 --> 00:05:54,440 Speaker 1: to beat a hasty retreat back to Fort George, with 93 00:05:54,520 --> 00:05:58,440 Speaker 1: British scouts, chasing them all the way. It quickly became 94 00:05:58,520 --> 00:06:01,960 Speaker 1: apparent that despite their losses, the British had won a 95 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:05,760 Speaker 1: decisive victory at the Battle of Stony Creek, because even 96 00:06:05,800 --> 00:06:09,360 Speaker 1: though the Americans still controlled Fort George, they were now 97 00:06:09,480 --> 00:06:13,600 Speaker 1: penned in by British outposts and indigenous warriors, making it 98 00:06:13,640 --> 00:06:17,200 Speaker 1: nearly impossible for them to extend their gain any further. 99 00:06:18,080 --> 00:06:21,640 Speaker 1: Two weeks later, with few options remaining, a column of 100 00:06:21,800 --> 00:06:25,080 Speaker 1: US troops left Fort George, hoping to launch a sneak 101 00:06:25,120 --> 00:06:29,000 Speaker 1: attack on a British outpost at Beaver Dams. Once again, 102 00:06:29,040 --> 00:06:32,040 Speaker 1: though the British were alerted to their presence by local 103 00:06:32,080 --> 00:06:35,200 Speaker 1: Canadians and were able to thwart the attack and force 104 00:06:35,279 --> 00:06:39,560 Speaker 1: the surrender of about six hundred US troops. That defeat, 105 00:06:39,880 --> 00:06:43,200 Speaker 1: along with the one at Stony Creek, returned control of 106 00:06:43,240 --> 00:06:47,240 Speaker 1: the Niagara Peninsula to British and Canadian forces, and while 107 00:06:47,279 --> 00:06:50,440 Speaker 1: the dwindling U s Army remained on the defensive for 108 00:06:50,480 --> 00:06:53,440 Speaker 1: the rest of the year, the invasion of Canada was 109 00:06:53,720 --> 00:06:58,000 Speaker 1: effectively over. The Battle of Stony Creek was a bold 110 00:06:58,080 --> 00:07:01,080 Speaker 1: and reckless gambit on the part of the British, one 111 00:07:01,120 --> 00:07:05,320 Speaker 1: whose success depended more on luck than any strategy or skill. 112 00:07:06,120 --> 00:07:09,320 Speaker 1: The chaotic nighttime raid could have just as easily blown 113 00:07:09,400 --> 00:07:12,600 Speaker 1: up in their faces, and very nearly did, But in 114 00:07:12,640 --> 00:07:16,080 Speaker 1: the end it's hard to argue with the results. Plenty 115 00:07:16,080 --> 00:07:19,400 Speaker 1: of Canadians feel the same way, regarding the battle, though 116 00:07:19,440 --> 00:07:22,960 Speaker 1: small in scope, as a pivotal moment in their country's history, 117 00:07:23,480 --> 00:07:26,280 Speaker 1: the day when a foreign invasion was routed by the 118 00:07:26,280 --> 00:07:29,200 Speaker 1: brazen action of a small band of soldiers and the 119 00:07:29,280 --> 00:07:33,880 Speaker 1: unlikely aid of a local teen. To celebrate that historic victory, 120 00:07:34,160 --> 00:07:37,400 Speaker 1: the Gage Farmhouse where the battle was waged was converted 121 00:07:37,440 --> 00:07:40,840 Speaker 1: into a National Historic site, and a monument was later 122 00:07:40,920 --> 00:07:45,560 Speaker 1: erected on the grounds. Now each June, historic re enactors 123 00:07:45,640 --> 00:07:49,720 Speaker 1: from Canada and the US don period attire and gather 124 00:07:49,840 --> 00:07:54,160 Speaker 1: on the battlefield to relive the fateful engagement. Oh and 125 00:07:54,320 --> 00:07:56,960 Speaker 1: don't worry about there being any hard feelings over the 126 00:07:57,040 --> 00:08:00,360 Speaker 1: failed invasion. The real armies of the UN, US and 127 00:08:00,480 --> 00:08:04,920 Speaker 1: Canada have been peaceful allies ever since more or left. 128 00:08:07,400 --> 00:08:10,760 Speaker 1: I'm Gabe Lucier, and hopefully you now know a little 129 00:08:10,840 --> 00:08:14,560 Speaker 1: more about history today than you did yesterday. If you 130 00:08:14,640 --> 00:08:17,680 Speaker 1: have a second and you're so inclined, consider following us 131 00:08:17,760 --> 00:08:23,320 Speaker 1: on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at TDI HC Show. You 132 00:08:23,360 --> 00:08:26,240 Speaker 1: can also rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts, 133 00:08:26,600 --> 00:08:29,280 Speaker 1: or you can write to me directly at this Day 134 00:08:29,600 --> 00:08:34,080 Speaker 1: at iHeartMedia dot com. Thanks to Chandler Mays and Ben 135 00:08:34,120 --> 00:08:37,040 Speaker 1: Hackett for producing the show, and thanks to you for listening. 136 00:08:37,440 --> 00:08:40,520 Speaker 1: I'll see you back here again tomorrow for another day 137 00:08:40,880 --> 00:08:42,239 Speaker 1: in history class.