DATE: June 24, 1813
LOCATION: Beaver Dams, Upper Canada
VICTORY: British
COMMANDERS: Lt. Col. Charles G. Boerstler (American)/ Lt. James Fitzgibbon and Chief John Norton (British)
CASUALTIES:
AMERICAN................ (600 men) 484 - CAPTURED
BRITISH/INDIANS...... (50 men and 465 Indians)


BATTLE DESCRIPTION:
In the summer of 1813, American forces had made incursions into Canada and had occupied Fort George, which was opposite Fort Niagara. On the night of June 23, Laura Secord, a resident of Queenston, overheard Lt. Col. Charles Boerstler and other American officer billeted in her home, planning a raid on British Lt. James FitzGibbon's outpost at Beaver Dams, located 20 miles away. Secord walked the 20 miles to warn FitzGibbon and his force of 50 men of the 49th Regiment, 465 Seventh Nation Indians, and militia. She told them of the impending raid of around 600 Americans. The advance warning may have had an effect on the outcome of the subsequent Battle of Beaver Dams. Acting on this intelligence, he assembled a group of 50 British soldiers and marched in support of the nearby bands of Native American allies under Dominique Ducharne. The latter force tracked and ambushed the American army, pinning down some elements with sharp musketry and overwhelming others in brutal hand-to-hand combat
The following day, when FitzGibbon and Mohawk chief John Norton surrounded the Americans and forced Boerstler to surrender, persuading him that he was vastly outnumbered by 1,500 regulars and 700 Indians.
Fitzgibbon employed the same ruse that Gen. Issac Brock had used in forcing the capitulation of Detroit a year earlier. Fitzgibbon told Boerstler that he would be unable to restrain the Indians from butchering the American soldiers. Boerstler, unaware of true British numerical inferiority, complied. Upon surrendering, he found that he had surrendered 484 officers and men to a force less than half their number.
The defeat discouraged further American incursions along the Niagara frontier for the remainder of the year. The calamity at Beaver Dams had severe repercussions for the Americans along the Canadian frontier and back in Washington, D.C. British Gen. John Vincent strengthened his positions near Fort George and conducted raids near U.S.-held Fort Niagara across the Niagara River. The criticism in the U.S. Congress of Gen. Henry Dearborn's conduct of the war on the frontier led to his removal by Secretary of War John Armstrong.
In Canada, the battle is remembered largely for the heroics of Laura Secord.
__________________
British Lt. James FitzGibbon, was stationed at the Decew Falls supply depot and was sent into the area to cause trouble and harrass the American forces there. The American commander at Fort George, Gen. John Boyd, decides that FitzGibbon must be captured or driven out of the area.
Lt. Colonel Charles Boerstler leaves Fort George and travels down the River Road with a force of about five hundered and fifty men and three cannon. The men under his command consist of his own regiment, the 14th U.S. Infantry, also known as the Maryland Infantry, a company of the 23rd U.S. Infantry, and a comapany of the 6th U.S. Infantry. In addition to these troops there were 20 members of the 2nd Light Dragoons and a company of Light Artillery.
They arrive at the the village of Queenston in the evening. In an effort to keep his plans secret, Colonel Boerstler posted guards all around the village so no one could leave. While in Queenston the American commander stays at the home of James and Laura Secord. Mrs. Secord over hears Colonel Boerstler and his men boasting of their mission. She slips away to warn FitzGibbon. It is quite possible that Lieutenant FitzGibbon was already aware of the impending American attack, but he was indeed appreciative to Mrs. Secord.
Early the next morning the Americans got underway.
FitzGibbon's force at Beaver Dams consisted of about 80 British regulars and 250 native warriors, most of them were Caugnhnawaga Mohawks from Quebec. The native forces were commanded by Dominique Ducharme, and it was these natives that would do the majority of the fighting.
The Natives waited in the woods to ambush the Americans.
Maj. Chapin and about 50 of his men were on horse back as an advance party of the American forces. As the Americans rode by a wooded area, the trees erupted in musket fire and Indian war cries. Many men were killed or wounded, the remaining American advance guard tried to take cover in a gully, but everywhere the Americans turned, they were met by heavy musket fire. Boerstler orders the support companies and the dragoons to stay and guard the wagons and supplies. He then orders the men to set up the cannon.
The native warriors charged from the woods just as the American gunners set up the cannon. A single blast of grapeshot from the cannon killed five chiefs and severely wounded one Indian boy. Boerstler led his men through the woods and here the Americans met a large force of native warriors who slowly pushed them back, many casualties were taken. By now, many of the American officers had been killed or wounded causing more confusion among the men.
Boerstler regrouped his force. His plan was to now return to Fort George, but he was surrounded. The Americans then faced another heavy attack from the Native warriors. Boerstler himself had been wounded twice in the thigh, his troops were very dazed. The British troops were visiable now in all directions. Boerstler could not make out how many British troops there were. He knew it would be difficult to fight his way back to Fort George, as they were very low on ammunition.
A short time passed when out of the woods came a British Officer on a horse and offered them a way out. To surrender they would be offered protection from the scalping knife. The Americans felt they had no choice and surrendered there troops and 3 cannons to the British, unaware that they outnumbered the British and Native warriors.

Text of the Surrender Terms: