On 7 June 1814, Major General Jacob "Smuggler" Brown received orders to cross the Niagara River above the Falls and with the support of Commodore Isaac Chauncey's fleet, were to move north. Burlington Heights and York (Toronto) were to be the ultimate American objectives.
Shortly after midnight on 3 July 1814, the leading units of the American invasion army, commanded by Brigadier General Winfield Scott embarked at Black Rock, crossed the Niagara River, and landed on the Canadian side exactly where they had planned and without casualties.
A mounted British patrol spotted the enemy, fired a few shots and then galloped off to inform Major General Phineas Riall of the landing. The American second brigade, commanded by Brigadier General Eleazer Wheelock Ripley, followed Scott, and landed at daybreak, and was followed by Brigadier General Peter B. Porter's brigade. By noon 3,500 Americans were ashore. No resistance was encountered at Fort Erie, as its works were open and undefensible on the land side and the garrison numbered no more than 137, whose commander Major Thomas Buck, rather than sacrificing his men, surrendered the garrison as prisoners of war.
Major General Gordon Drummond had hoped that Fort Erie would delay the Americans for several days while Riall could gather his troops, but Buck's surrender enabled the Americans to press forward at once to Chippawa. At the same time a force of American militia was sent from Buffalo to Lewiston to threaten Queenston and Fort Niagara and tie down the garrisons there.
It was 8:00am when Riall, at his headquarters in Fort George, learned of the American landing. At once he set out for Chippawa and, like Brock in October 1812, went on horseback to meet the enemy, gathering the garrisons in the various outposts as he went and ordered them towards the enemy.
As the Americans pushed forward on the morning of 4 July, they encountered the British light troops from Lt. Colonel Thomas Pearson's command at Chippawa who slowly withdrew, doing what damage they could to hamper the American advance and buy time for the arrival of Riall and his reinforcements.
Scott, reaching the Chippawa River at sunset, discovered that he had outdistanced the other two American brigades, fell back behind Street's Creek, and camped there for the night, with Porter's and Ripley's brigades not far away.
1814 : Niagara Campaign Overview - Lundy's Lane
On 7 July 1814, two days after the victory at Chippawa, Major General Jacob Brown started to move northwards. He turned Riall's position at Chippawa, and Riall promptly withdrew his forces. The Americans followed them along the Portage Road to Queeenston. Upon the American arrival at Queenston they found that the British troops had abandoned the region and withdrawn to Fort George and Fort Mississauga. In the distance Brown could see the blue waters of Lake Ontario and searched for the white sails of Chauncey's fleet from Sackett's Harbor. Chaucey's ships would provide the heavy seige guns he needed, would prevent any water-borne reinforcements from reaching the British forts, and shorten his lengthening supply line from Buffalo by utilizing depots on the south shore of Lake Ontario.
On 13 July, Brown sent an urgent appeal to Chauncey, but he did not come being laid up with a fever, and had no intention of allowing his fleet to be used to transport army supplies. Chauncey ignored Brown's appeal.
By 19 July, Brown was slowly withdrawing from the area surrounding Fort George and Fort Mississauga. Brown then abandoned Queenston and moved south towards Chippawa. He had hoped that Riall would be rash enough to attack at once and was dissapointed when he learned that only a few militia had followed im as far as Queenston.
Brown was startled when he learned that British troops were moving south from Fort Niagara on the east bank of the Niagara River. What could this mean but a British attack upon Fort Schlosser, the advanced supply depot he had to rely on in the absence of Chauncey at Sackett's Harbor. To cross the river to aid Fort Schlosser would be too difficult, and to get troops there from Buffalo would take far too long. His response was to threaten Fort George and ordered Winfield Scott to turn about and move his brigade northwards along the west bank towards the mouth of the Niagara River. Perhaps this would prompt the British to halt their advance on Fort Schlosser.
1814 : Niagara Campaign Overview - Cook's Mills
After the unsuccessfol assauld of Fort Erie the previous month, the British lifted the siege beginning on 21 September and withdrew from its lines and retired north. Three days later the bulk of the British Right Division was behind the Chippawa with strong pickets posted between river and Fort Erie. The initiative in the campaign once again passed to the Americans.
Brown waited for Izard before pursuing but it was not until 21 September that Izard sailed from Sackets Harbor and instead of heading for Burlington Bay, he landed on the south shore of Lake Ontario at the mouth of the Genessee River. Izard then marched to Batavia where he met with Brown a week later. Brown wanted him to lay seige to Fort Niagara while he operated on the Canadian side of the river, but Izard was reluctant as he had no heavy artillery.
Izard resumed his westward march and by 10 October had reached Black Rock, where his troops began to cross the Niagara River. As Izard was senior to Brown, the American Left Division came under his orders. Izard moved north to Chippawa and halted at the site of of Brown's old camp south of Street's Creek.
For three days Izard demonstrated before the British position on the north bank of the Chippawa hoping to lure Drummond out of his entrenchments. Drummond declined and Izard remained unwilling to attack the strong enemy position withdrew south on 17 October.
The following day Izard dispatched Brigadier General Daniel Bissell with about a 1,000 regulars to Cook's Mills, on Lyon's Creek, to seize supplies believed to be stored at that place. Learning of this movement, Drummond sent a force of about 700 light infantry under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Myers.
