General Brown took prompt measures to secure the advantages derived from the capture of
Fort Erie (see
Canada), for it was known that
General Riall, who was then in chief command on the
Niagara frontier, was moving towards
Fort Erie.
Early in the morning of July 3, 1814, he had sent forward some of the
Royal Scots to reinforce the garrison.
At
Chippewa, at the mouth of
Chippewa Creek, they heard of the surrender of the fort, when
Riall determined to make an immediate attack upon the
Americans on
Canadian soil.
Hearing that reinforcements were coming from
York, he deferred the attack until the next morning.
To meet this force,
General Brown sent forward
General Scott with his brigade, accompanied by
Towson's artillery, on the morning of the 4th.
Ripley was ordered in the same direction with his brigade, but was not ready to move until the afternoon.
Scott went down the
Canada side of the
Niagara River, skirmishing nearly all the way to Street's Creek, driving back a British advanced detachment.
The main portions of
Brown's army reached
Scott's encampment on the south side of Street's Creek that night, and on the morning of the 5th the opposing armies were only two miles apart.
At about noon
Scott was joined by
General Porter, with his volunteers and
Indians.
The
British had also been reinforced.
The two armies were feeling each other for some time, when preliminary skirmishing was begun by
Porter with marked success.
The
Indians behaved gallantly under the leadership of
Captain Pollard and the famous
Red Jacket.
The
British advanced corps, severely smitten, fled back in affright towards
Chippewa.
Porter pursued, and found himself within a few yards of the entire British force, advancing in battle order.
A desperate struggle ensued.
Finally the
British made a furious charge with bayonets.
Hearing nothing from
Scott,
Porter ordered a retreat.
It became a tumultuous rout.
It was now towards evening.
Brown had been watching
Porter's movements with great anxiety, and had ordered
Scott to cross Street's Creek, when
Porter's
[
146]
flying troops were observed.
Riall had sent forward some Royal Scots, part of another regiment of regulars, a regiment of
Lincoln militia, and about 300
Indians.
 |
|
Street's Creek Bridge in 1861, looking North. |
These composed the force that fought
Porter.
Scott crossed Street's Creek in the face of a heavy cannonade, and very soon the battle raged with fury along the entire line of both armies.
Several times the
British line was broken and closed up again.
Finally a flank movement and a furious charge were made by
Major McNeill with
Colonel Campbell's 11th regiment, and a terrific fire from a corps under
Major Jesup in the centre made the
British line give way. It broke and fled in haste to the intrenchments below
Chippewa Creek.
The fugitives tore up the bridge over the creek behind them, leaving an impassable chasm between themselves and the
Americans.
The battle-field (opposite
Navy Island) was strewn with the dead and dying.
The
Americans lost, in killed, wounded, and missing, 355 men; the
British lost, by the same casualties, 604 men, of whom 236 were killed.
On that hot July evening a gentle shower of rain descended, which mitigated the horrors of the battle-field.
Scott was eager to pursue, but was compelled to wait for the tardy
Ripley, who did not arrive in time to participate in the battle or to join in an instant pursuit.
The immediate results of the battle were important.
The Indian allies of the
British were disheartened, and nearly all of them left the army and returned to their homes.
The
Americans were greatly inspirited.
