About 200 regulars and militia About 40 militia Location Gananoque, Canada | Date 21 September 1812 | |
Results American victory;, Stores seized and government depot burned Similar First Battle of Sacket's Harbor, Battle of Rappahannock River, Sinking of HMS Reindeer, Skirmish at Farnham Church, Capture of HMS Frolic | ||
The raid on gananoque
The Raid on Gananoque was an action conducted by the U.S. Army on September 21, 1812 against Gananoque, Upper Canada. It resulted in the capture of stores and prisoners and the destruction of the storehouse.
On September 21, 1812, during the War of 1812, a United States force of some 200 regulars and militia under Captain Benjamin Forsyth attacked Gananoque, Ontario. The village was an important forwarding point for supplies moving up the St. Lawrence River from Montreal to Kingston and was garrisoned by a detachment of the 2nd Leeds Militia under Colonel Joel Stone. After a spirited resistance, Colonel Stone withdrew his force comprising two subalterns and about forty soldiers, and the Americans seized the stores and burned the government depot. As a result of this raid, a blockhouse was begun in Gananoque the following month and completed in 1813.
Forsyth led a force of approximately 100 regulars and militia in boats from Ogdensburg, New York to Gananoque, arriving on September 21, 1813. The Americans surprised the 2nd Regiment of the Leeds militia. A large portion of the Leeds militia retreated under American fire. The remainder, under the command of Captain Joshua Adams of Glen Tay, at the storehouse, numbering fewer than Forsyth's troops, were forced to surrender the government stores, including arms, ammunition and food.