Fort Niagara

On December 18, 1813, Col. J. Murray and the British 100^th Regiment attacked Fort Niagara. The Americans offered little resistance as the garrison’s commander, Capt. Leonard was spending the night outside the fort with his family and the fort’s gate was left open. The British quickly took command of the fort.

Fort Niagara occupies a strategic position at the mouth of the Niagara River, on the American side. Occupying a similar position on the Canadian side of the river is Fort George, which the Americans had occupied until November 1813. Control of both forts gave control of access to the lower Niagara River, and troops and supplies could then be landed from Lake Ontario at either Queenston, Ontario or Lewiston, NY. 

Beyond its strategic significance, the capture of the fort, and the subsequent bayoneting of some of its garrison is also seen as retaliation for the American burning of the village of Newark, Ontario, as they retreated from Fort George in November.