Military General clasp Egypt,
J. Little, 8th Foot, wounded left thigh and left arm, and taken prisoner of war at the storming of Fort George , Upper Canada, 27 May, 1813
With copy service papers, b. Armagh, attested August 1798, transferred to 4th veteran Battalion , on release December, 1813 and discharged on disbandment of that unit, September 1815 and in consequence of being unfit for further duty in consequence of his wounds.
Fort George was the westernmost of the British fortified posts on Lake Ontario, the others being York, the provincial capital of Upper Canada, and Kingston where most of the ships of the Provincial Marine were based. The fort was situated on the western bank of the Niagara River near its mouth. On the American side of the river lay Fort Niagara. Fort George was constructed to replace and counterbalance Fort Niagara, which the British lost to the Americans after Jay’s Treaty in the year 1796.
on May 25 they began to bombard Fort George from their positions along the river and from Fort Niagara, and also from Chauncey’s schooners. The gunners in the fort and the nearby batteries were using cannonballs which had been heated in furnaces until they were red-hot, then quickly loaded into cannons and fired. Several log buildings within Fort George burned down, and the women and children in the fort were forced to take shelter within the bastions.
On May 27, an early morning fog dispersed to reveal the American vessels off the lake shore to the west. Vincent believed he saw 14 or 15 vessels and 90 to 100 large boats and scows each with 50 or 60 soldiers. Scott’s troops began landing west of the mouth of the Niagara River, while Perry’s schooners silenced the nearby British batteries.
Scott advanced from the beach but was counter-attacked by British troops (the remnants of the troops which had already engaged Scott, plus five companies of the 8th (King’s), Runchey’s company and 100 other militia) which had been concentrated in a ravine out of the American fire. Scott was driven back, but once again the fire from Perry’s schooners caused heavy losses among the British. Scott’s force was reinforced by the leading troops of Boyd’s brigade, which was just landing, and the British were driven back in turn.
As Winder’s brigade also began landing, Vincent realized that he was outnumbered and outflanked and decided to evacuate his soldiers before they were completely encircled. He ordered an immediate retreat south to Queenston. Although he ordered the fort’s guns to be spiked and the magazines to be blown up, the task was so hastily performed and Scott pursued so closely that the Americans were able to secure the fort substantially intact. One small magazine did explode, and the blast threw Scott from his horse and broke his collarbone.
Scott continued to press after Vincent and the American batteries bombarded the retreating British from the other side of the river. Vincent’s rearguards held off Scott although several stragglers were captured. Brigadier General Boyd brought him orders from Major General Lewis to abandon the pursuit and return to Fort George. Lewis feared that the British would lead Scott into an ambush.
The U.S. Army lost 111 officers and men killed, while another 192 were wounded.
American tallies of British casualties numbered, 107 killed, according to their burial parties, with 175 wounded brought in and another 105 unwounded prisoners
A lovely conditioned medal and a fine award for the War of 1812
