Battle of Longwoods

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Battle of Longwoods Part of the War of 1812Date March 4, 1814Location Wardsville, OntarioResult American Victory

Belligerents Britain
First nations United States Commanders James Lewis Basden Andrew Holmes Strength 300 180 Casualties and losses 14 dead,
52 wounded,
1 missing [1] 4 dead,
3 wounded [2] v • d • eDetroit frontier Tippecanoe– 1st Mackinac Island– Brownstown- Maguaga– Fort Dearborn– Detroit– Fort Harrison– Fort Wayne– Mississinewa– Frenchtown– Fort Meigs– Fort Stephenson– Lake Erie– Thames– Longwoods – Prairie du Chien– 2nd Mackinac Island– Lake Huron– Malcolm's Mills

The Battle of Longwoods was a battle of the War of 1812 on March 4, 1814, fought near present-day Wardsville, Ontario.

Battle

The full British force arrived at Twenty Mile Creek at 5 p.m. the next day. Under the command of Captain James Lewis Basden of the 89th Regiment of Foot, this force consisted of the light companies of the 1st (Royal Scots) and 89th Regiments, the Loyal Kent Volunteers, Caldwell's Rangers and about forty Native American warriors. In all, this force totalled about 300 men.

Basden ordered the Volunteers to try to flank the Americans to the north while the Native warriors attempted to flank the Americans from the south. Basden himself led the regulars directly up the at the front of the American position. The Americans poured a withering fire into the oncoming British, who suffered 67 casualties, including Basden, who was wounded. The Americans suffered only mild casualties: 4 dead and 3 wounded.

After an hour of fierce fighting, the British retreated, and subsequently abandoned their position at Delaware. Captain Holmes, realizing that he was still significantly outnumbered by the British in spite of the casualties he had inflicted on their force, withdrew his force back to Detroit. Sources:

Stott, Glenn. Greater Evils. The War of 1812 in Southwestern Ontario. G. Stott Publishing, Arkona, Ontario, Canada, 2001

Categories: Conflicts in 1814 | Battles of the War of 1812 | History of OntarioHidden categories: Articles lacking sources from April 2008 | All articles lacking sources