The runner from Captain Montgomery’s company had hardly completed his report as Colonel Charles Boerstler galloped up to the head of the column to see for himself. Captain Montgomery reported that about a company of redcoats were now in the woods overlooking the bridge on the road to Fort George. “Captain Montgomery, move your men on line and commence firing into the enemy as soon he exposes himself. Leave plenty of room on your left. Any questions?” Montgomery grinned from ear to ear. “No, Sir!” He saluted as the American colonel rode off back down the line. Montgomery issued orders with parade ground precision. “Company halt. Left face. Forward march!” Montgomery brought his company right up to the bridge, lined them up in a three-rank line, and prepared them to open fire upon command. Meanwhile, Boerstler ordered Captains Fleming and Karney to bring up their men on Montgomery’s left. He then galloped off to tell Captain Grindage to march on, past the three companies, and to seize the bridge on the St. Davids road. [See map turn 4].
Captain Peterson of the 41st Foot moved his company through the woods, ordering the men to remain concealed from sight as they took up firing positions on the south edge of the woods. He gave the order to fire prematurely as only half of his men were in good positions. Nevertheless, the opening British volley caught the Americans before they had leveled their muskets. Dozens fell. This opened a ragged but highly destructive fire fight between three American companies in the open and a single British company in the partial cover and concealment of the forest. Numbers told and while Montgomery’s company took a heavy beating, Peterson’s company evaporated as soldiers stopped firing in order to carry their wounded comrades to safety. Peterson knew he could not hang on in the face of this short range exchange and he ordered his men to withdraw to the far edge of the woods. There he would rally his forlorn command and gather the wounded. He feared that he had just ceded the bridge to a powerful American attack. Boerstler, seeing dozens of wounded in Montgomery’s company, turned to Captain Fleming. “Take your men across the bridge. Clear those woods and keep any other British from approaching the bridge.” Fleming left half a dozen dead and a few wounded where they lay and he formed up his men into column and started toward the bridge.
With the sound of the firefight to his left fading away, Captain Grindage marched his veterans at a quick step in an effort to seize the bridge to his front. However, that was not to be. Grindage hardly heard the whistle when the woods to his front right exploded in smoke and noise. Carefully aimed bullets pierced his solid formation and dropped six men. It was the Glengarries! Grindage saw that his men could not return fire in their current position so he ordered the men to face right. He advanced the right of his line to bring the men parallel to their opponents when a second volley, equally destructive to the first, tore through his ranks. But these American regulars lived up to their reputation and fired volley after deadly volley into the wood line.
Boerstler, watching Fleming crossing the bridge, heard the firing behind him and raced off to see what was going on. Was his column in the middle of an ambush? Were there any enemy behind him? “Captain Cummings. Take your men and assault those woods from your right. I’ll bring up support. Now move!”
Captain Cummings saluted and immediately issued orders to his white-coated recruits. [See map turn 6]. Officers and non-commissioned officers thumped soldiers who were slow in responding. After agonizing minutes, Cummings had his company roughly on line and moving toward the woods. Without being ordered to do so, the Glengarries in the line of attack shifted their fire from Grindage’s blue coats to the emerging threat. Bullets ripped sporadically through the ranks of the nervous men. In ones and twos they stopped marching forward despite the best efforts of their leaders to keep them moving toward the line of woods. More fell to the expert fire of the Glengarries hidden in the trees. “Keep moving! Keep moving!” screamed Captain Cummings but to no avail. One soldier dropped his musket and broke for the rear. That was all it took as fear of death overcame the new recruits. Soon the entire company disintegrated, men fleeing, some without weapons, most still carrying them. They ran past the rest of the American column, jeered by the veterans and gazed at in silence by the militia.
Cursing the recruits, Colonel Boerstler ordered his remaining companies of veterans, McIlvain’s and McKenzie’s, to come up on Grindage’s right and add their weight to the firefight. Ignoring the dead and wounded in their blood-stained white uniforms, these veterans moved with speed and precision. Boerstler ordered his pair of six pounders to move to the far right of his line. The artillerists brought the guns into action, firing grape into the woods. Boerstler galloped to the far left of the line to see how the fight was progressing. As he was conferring with Captain Grindage, the first sergeant yelled out, “British at the bridge!” Sure enough, another company of the 41st Foot was entering the fray. Captain Gregg’s company, responding to the news of Americans approaching the British picket line from the west, had marched his company to the bridge to defend it at all hazards. The fight was growing by the minute.
Back at the north bridge, there was a momentary lull as Fleming’s American company moved through the woods in open order. What neither he nor the British Peterson could see was Captain Jones’s company of the 41st Foot moving south on the road from Fort George. It was Montgomery, still at the south side of the bridge, who noticed the advancing red coats. He knew that Fleming was in trouble with the approach of this new threat. However, Montgomery’s orders were to remain in position. In the face of this difficulty, Montgomery sent a lieutenant to report the new situation to Boerstler and to ask permission to move to Fleming’s aid.
Deep in the woods, the British Peterson, ordered his men to fire as Fleming’s Americans came into view. The Americans soaked up casualties but broke into a shout and charged into the thin red line. There was no contest. A few of the 41st dropped their weapons and surrendered. Others broke for the rear, leaving the wounded. Peterson received a flesh wound through his thigh. Seeing the inevitable, he told his officers to rally the men outside the woods. Once in the clear, Peterson saw Jones’s company and ordered his men to gather behind their comrades. To the east, the fighting continued.
“Cease fire! Fix bayonets! Forward, march!” shouted Colonel Boerstler, with his three captains echoing his commands. It was pointless to remain in three ranks in the open exchanging fire with hidden sharpshooters. Grindage, McIlvain, and McKenzie led their companies from the front, right up to the edge of the woods. “Pour it on”, yelled McGregor to his Glengarries. Quickly the green-coated Canadians emptied their weapons into the oncoming Americans, firing as fast as possible. The Glengarries were in open order but nonetheless were determined not to yield any ground at all. As the range between opponents closed, it was all but impossible for the outnumbered Glengarrries to miss. Americans were felled in their tracks. Soon the veteran soldiers stopped marching forward and instinctively loaded and fired their weapons into the now exposed Glengarries. Boerstler saw his attack grind to a halt and did not know how he could get it restarted. As the casualties mounted on both sides, the frustrated Boerstler ordered “Fall back 100 paces!” Dutifully the captains turned their companies about and quick-stepped back to their starting positions, leaving a carpet of dead and wounded.
Boerstler, seeing that his guns were masked by his regulars, sent them to the road. [See map Turn 8]. The gunfire coming out of the woods became sporadic and finally ceased altogether. The American colonel used the break in the action to bring his two militia companies up on his left to face the British threat at the bridge ahead. When he received Montgomery’s request to cross the bridge on the Fort George Road, Boerstler was forced to reconsider his actions. There was still the opportunity to fight his way to St. Davids, but not if he was fighting on two fronts. “Tell Montgomery and Karney to remain where they are. Tell Fleming to pull back toward the bridge and if necessary, to return to the south side of the bridge. Tell all three commanders to defend where they are while I push through toward St. Davids.”
Now the excited Boerstler returned to his unsuccessful regulars. There, he gathered his three company commanders and issued orders. “Men, we are pushing on to St. Davids to finish this raid. I’ve got the bridge to Fort George covered so don’t worry about enemy to the rear. I want you three to form up on line and to clear those woods. Captain McIlvain, you are in the center and I’m putting you in charge. Move cautiously, slowly if need be. Once through the woods, continue moving toward the bridge. By then I’ll have the militia on your left. There are some red coats sitting on the bridge but I don’t expect much trouble from them. Any questions?” The three captains looked around at their exhausted and damaged units. But they were used to hard fighting and saluted the colonel and got busy.
To his great surprise, Captain McGregor and his Glengarries were still in position, if seriously depleted in manpower. He knew that he had done all that he could and that another attack would destroy his unit. He gathered his officers and sergeants and put out the word to gather up the wounded and to pull back out of the woods. Once in the clear and out of harm’s way, McGregor saw just how depleted his once strong company was. Unable to offer resistance without putting his wounded in grave danger, McGregor gave the order to cross the creek and move eastward, toward St. Davids and refuge. They would return later to gather their dead. The Glengarries were out of the fight, but not without stopping the American column for valuable time.
Boerstler may have been confident that his northern flank was secure but he failed to anticipate the arrival of more British troops. Captain Barry, commander of a company of the 41st Foot, arrived just behind Jones and the two conferred. Barry was senior to Jones and more aggressive as well. He saw the white-coated recruits near the bridge and decided to capture the bridge and drive off the Americans. Barry sent Jones and his company into the woods with orders to move to the southern edge of the woods and begin firing at the Americans across the creek. Meanwhile, Barry would move his men south along the road and take the Americans under fire as well. [See map turn 11].
Jones moved rapidly, passing the bodies of British and American soldiers alike. Fleming’s men heard the approaching infantry and hid behind the trees ready to fire. As Jones’s men came into view, the Americans took them under fire. Surprised but undaunted, Jones’s soldiers pressed their advance. Outnumbering Fleming’s men, they had no trouble cutting through the Americans. Those who did not surrender were killed. A handful broke for safety and rushed across the bridge, alerting Montgomery and Karney’s men of the impending danger. And just in time too for within minutes, Barry’s proud line approached.
At the eastern bridge the battle progressed in fits and starts. Boerstler’s two militia companies approached the bridge and took Gregg’s line of defenders under fire. The American fire was singularly successful. In the first volley, Captain Gregg was fatally wounded. His men, watching his fall, were momentarily shaken. But the remaining officers and sergeants began firing by platoon. The American cannon added the weight of their firepower to the exchange as grape shot tore through the British ranks. Gregg’s second in command, Lieutenant Cornwall, knew that to remain in place in the face of two cannon was futile. He ordered the company to withdraw to a position just out of the line of fire.
Meanwhile, Captain Barry led his men toward the bridge on the Fort George road. Halting at 120 paces, Barry lost no time ordering his company to fire a volley at the white-coated Americans south of the creek. Within seconds however, the Americans returned fire. With twice as many muskets in action, the results were predictable. The front rank of Barry’s company fell. [See map turn 13]. Barry was amazed. He did not expect such accuracy of fire from Americans, especially recruits. “Pick up the wounded. Retire! Quickly!” Seeing no purpose in remaining in a kill zone, Barry unceremoniously withdrew his men several hundred yards away. Administering to the wounded, Barry’s men re-organized and made ready for further combat.
The focus of action moved, at last, to control of the bridge on the road to St. Davids. After what seemed to be a lengthy period, Boerstler’s regulars emerged from the woods. Smelling an opportunity for success, Colonel Boerstler ordered Captain Hall to take his company of militia and to cross the bridge and form up, on line, to the right, with backs against the creek. As Hall was moving out, Boerstler ordered Captain Stanley to take his militiamen across after Hall and to form up to the left of the bridge.
While these movements were taking place, Boerstler galloped up to Captain Grindage and ordered him to cross over the bridge and to continue marching straight for St. Davids. He warned Grindage that he would probably run into British. “Push them back! I’ll have the artillery and the rest of the column supporting your move.” Riding from company to company, Boerstler put men into motion and demanded that they move out smartly. When he approached Captain Cummings’s recruits, the colonel was intent on encouraging the unit. “You have run once today. You can not allow that shame to remain with you. Redeem yourselves and the honor of your company. Follow behind the guns. Be watchful for my orders. We march on to St. Davids!”
Unknown to the Americans, Captain Gagnon’s company of Canadian militia had entered the battlefield. Lieutenant Cornwall was a regular officer and therefore outranked Gagnon. Cornwall was heartened by the timely arrival of these reinforcements. The Lincoln militia were experienced fighters and had been resisting the Americans for a year now. Cornwall ordered Gagnon to move directly into the woods and to come on line to the right of Cornwall’s soldiers. Together they would form up in the edge of the woods and fire directly upon the Americans who were crossing even then.
Moving with some speed through the increasingly dense woods, the British and Canadians stopped at the edge of the tree line. [See map turn 16]. Barely fifty yards away and caught off guard was Hall’s company of militia. Caught in a heavy fire at near pointblank range, the New York militia were simply blown away. Officers and sergeants could not stop their civilian soldiers from running. Dropping weapons, they pushed their way through Grindage’s men on the bridge. Panicking militiamen plunged into the creek and clawed their way up the steep banks.
Boerstler reacted quickly. He spurred his mount toward Grindage and yelled at the top of his lungs. “Attack them! Push on and into the woods!” With that, Boerstler turned about and ordered Captain McIlvain to follow and support Grindage. Grindage’s voice rang out. “Fix bayonets. At the double quick, march!!!!!” Still in a column of four files with their captain in the lead, the American veterans charged directly into the woods. They didn’t have a chance. The fire from Gagnon’s men was intense and accurate. Grindage fell, his torso riddled with musket balls. Hardly a soldier reached the wood line. Those who did, offered their surrender.
Seeing their fellow veterans littering the trail, McIlvain’s men balked. Sergeants and officers pushed and thumped but soon relented to the overwhelming democratic response. They would not charge to certain destruction. Stanley’s militia, caught on the wrong side of the bridge, opened an unsteady fire into the woods. The Canadian militia, energized by their success, returned the fire with deadly effect.
Trying to regain the initiative, Boerstler called the six-pounders forward to the bridge where they could fire directly into the woods. While Stanley’s militia men were being decimated, the guns came into action. The boom of the guns momentarily startled the British and Canadians, who soon resumed their heavy fire. A runner found Boerstler at the guns. “Colonel Boerstler, sir,” said the panting corporal. “There are about a hundred or more Indians at our bridge. Captain Montgomery asks for orders.”
The mission that looked so promising a half hour earlier had clearly unraveled. Stopped on two fronts, companies at half strength or worse, wounded everywhere, Boerstler had no choice. “Tell Montgomery that I am withdrawing from the field. He is to defend the crossing until I have moved past him. Then I will give him orders to extract his command. Tell Captain Karney the same.” The corporal saluted and ran off, back to the bridge. Boerstler lost no time in implementing his plan. Galloping to the edge of the creek he yelled across to Captain Stanley. “Stanley! Withdraw immediately. Bring your wounded; leave your dead.” The New York militia did not wait for their captain’s orders but grabbed the wounded and hurried toward the bridge. Word spread like wildfire through the American ranks that withdrawal was imminent. “Captain Cummings, draw your men up in line across the road. Cover our withdrawal.” Boerstler continued his ride down the line. “Captain McKenzie. Form your men into column and quick time back along the trail. Take your wounded. Captain McIlvain. Send your wounded to the rear. Continue your fire until I withdraw you. Provide a heavy fire, mind you.”
Boerstler stayed at the guns whose fire covered the retreat of Stanley’s militia. One by one he leap-frogged his units on the road toward the west. As they passed the north bridge, Boerstler withdrew the companies posted there one at a time. Several soldiers had been hit by musket fire from Norton’s Indians but the natives did not press closer to the bridge. The American column looked like a ragged gaggle of refugees as it slowly proceeded to the shore of Lake Ontario in anticipation of rescue by sea.
Twelve Mile Creek A Wargame Scenario
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