Two weeks later, it was the 14th’s opportunity to fight. Boerstler led his regiment along with some smaller detachments to attack a suspected British force and supply point several miles north of Fort George. At Beaver Dams, Boerstler’s column was surrounded and attacked in the woods by a large force of Indians. Unable to extricate themselves and their wounded, Boerstler, himself wounded, was very much concerned that his men would be massacred. He surrendered his command to Lieutenant James FitzGibbon and the men of the 14th were sent off to captivity.
Fortunately for many of them, Winfield Scott raided York in July and freed the men of the 14th imprisoned there. The British, however, kept the regimental colors. Boerstler was not at York but he was eventually paroled and returned to the U.S. to await official exchange. Boerstler ended the war in Washington, working for the Secretary of War. After the war, a court of inquiry cleared Boerstler of any charge of misconduct, ruling his surrender as justified under the circumstances.
The 14th participated in the Chrysler’s Field campaign under Lieutenant Colonel Dix as part of Brigadier General Robert Swartwout’s Brigade. By this time, a fourth company had been recruited and joined the regiment. The regiment started the campaign with approximately 267 men. However, due to sickness and the requirements to guard their boats, there were only about 125 officers and men with the regiment on the battlefield that day. The 14th, like several other American regiments that day, fought poorly.
As the officers attempted to form the men from column to line, some of the men stopped to fire. Confusion reigned as the British opened a rolling fire that stopped the 14th in its tracks. Dix was cut down and the soldiers fell back in confusion, pursued by Canadian Voltigeurs. The 14th gained no glory. Dix died from his wounds three days later and was replaced as regimental lieutenant colonel by E. L. Whitlock.
When the 14th went into winter quarters at French Mills, New York, it reported a strength of 295. French Mills is virtually unknown to Americans but the weather and conditions were every bit as fierce and bitter as at Valley Forge. Leaving French Mills, the regiment participated in the abortive campaign at La Colle Mill. Falling back to Plattsburgh, the 14th was assigned to Daniel Bissell’s Brigade in Major General George Izard’s Right Division. By this time, the regiment reported an effective strength of only 137 fit for duty. The Right Division spent its hours training in order to eradicate the obvious shortfalls revealed in the Chrysler Fields campaign.
In August 1814, Izard began his long march westward to reinforce Jacob Brown’s Left Division then holed up in Fort Erie along the Upper Canada side of the Niagara River. On 16 September, the 14th arrived at Sackett’s Harbor and after a short rest, departed Sackett’s Harbor by water. Disembarked at the mouth of the Genesee River, the 14th, along with the rest of the Right Division, continued their foot march. Finally arriving on the Niagara Frontier on 5 October, Izard brought his division across the river and tried in vain to bring Major General Gordon Drummond to battle.
As fate would have it, the 14th fought the last action along the Niagara at Cook’s Mill on 19 October. Izard sent General Daniel Bissell and his brigade to seize some flour located at the mill. Knowing that the British were low on food, Izard hoped that the loss of flour would prompt Drummond to come out from his defenses and give battle. Major Isaac D. Barnard commanded the regiment in this short but sharp engagement. The 14th performed well, changing formations quickly and firing briskly and with discipline.
This action failed to bring on a larger battle and Izard withdrew his division to Fort Erie and eventually returned them to Buffalo to prepare for the campaign of 1815. The 14th had barely settled in to winter quarters when Izard ordered them to march to Greenbush, near Albany, New York. After a tough march, the regiment closed on the barracks in Greenbush in mid January 1815. By then, however, the war was over. After the war, the enlisted men of the 14th were consolidated with the 18th, 20th, 36th, and 38th Infantry regiments to become the new 4th U.S. Infantry.
14th U.S. Infantry Unit History: War of 1812
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© Copyright 2005 by Rich Barbuto.
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