Battle of Fort Oswego (1814)

Raid on Fort Oswego
Part of the War of 1812
Date May 6, 1814 Location Lake Ontario, New York Result British victory
Belligerents
Great Britain	United States
Commanders and leaders
William Mulcaster	George Mitchell
Strength
200 sailors 400 marines 550 regulars 8 warships	290 regulars
Casualties and losses
18 dead 73 wounded	6 dead 28 wounded 25 missing

The Raid of Fort Oswego was a successful British raid on an American fort and village in May 1814, during the War of 1812. Oswego was a vital staging point on the American supply route from New York to their main naval base on Lake Ontario at Sackett's Harbor.

The British force consisted of an ad hoc battalion of Royal Marines, a company of the Glengarry Light Infantry, five companies of De Watteville's regiment and a detachment of sailors acting as infantry. Opposed to them was an American force of 290 men, mainly from the U.S. Artillery. The Fort Oswego they were defending was in a state of disrepair.

The British began with a preliminary bombardment. The guns of their flotilla (2 frigates, 6 sloops and brigs), swept the woods and landing beaches and engaged the fort. After this, the British landed at 2.00pm. The Royal Marines had an unfortunate landing due to the fact their ammunition was ruined and destroyed due to water exposure and were only able to fix their bayonets and charge the American troops under very heavy fire. They were successful, but exhausted.

Another simultaneous landing attempt by the army troops was much more successful. The seamen and marines rallied and charged into the American battery instantly achieving their objectives.

By this time, George Mitchell, the American commander, realised that the whole of the fort was under attack and that his soldiers were being overpowered. He decided to retreat into the forests pursued by British soldiers. Captain William Mulcaster, himself leading 200 sailors armed with boarding pikes, was seriously wounded.

The British gathered 2400 barrels of useful supplies of all description; flour, pork, salt, bread and ordnance stores, together with seven guns meant for American commodore Isaac Chauncey's ships. Unfortunately, they missed 21 more guns which had still been en route to Oswego. A later attempt to intercept these on their way to Sackett's Harbor failed, with 200 marines and sailors ambushed and captured.

Source

The incredible War of 1812, J. Mackay Hitsman, Robin Brass Studio, Toronto, ISBN 1896941133