The Battle of Malcolm's Mills was the last battle of the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

fought in the Canadas. A force of American mounted troops overran and scattered a force of Canadian

militia A militia ( ) is a military or paramilitary force that comprises civilian members, as opposed to a professional standing army of regular, full-time military personnel. Militias may be raised in times of need to support regular troops or se ...

. The battle was fought on November 6, 1814, near the village of Oakland in Brant County, Upper Canada, and was part of a series of battles fought by American Brigadier General Duncan McArthur on an extended raid into

Upper Canada The Province of Upper Canada () was a Province, part of The Canadas, British Canada established in 1791 by the Kingdom of Great Britain, to govern the central third of the lands in British North America, formerly part of the Province of Queb ...

, known variously as McArthur's Raid or Dudley's Raid. Marching over into Canada, the Americans returned to

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

on November 17 after 11 days of raiding the Ontario Peninsula.

McArthur's raid

In October 1814, the American force of about 700 mounted riflemen under Brigadier General Duncan McArthur advanced rapidly as they left

and raided the Thames Valley. The plan was to devastate the Grand River settlements and the region around the head of

Lake Ontario Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north, west, and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south and east by the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. The Canada–United Sta ...

which supplied flour to the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

forces on the Niagara frontier. When the raid was launched, the British Army had just raised the

Siege of Fort Erie The siege of Fort Erie, also known as the Battle of Erie, from 4 August to 21 September 1814, was one of the last engagements of the War of 1812, between British and American forces. It took place during the Niagara campaign, and the Americans ...

on the

Niagara River The Niagara River ( ) flows north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario, forming part of the border between Ontario, Canada, to the west, and New York, United States, to the east. The origin of the river's name is debated. Iroquoian scholar Bruce T ...

at the eastern end of the Niagara peninsula, and an American army under Major General George Izard was beginning a cautious advance from Fort Erie. McArthur was delayed for two days in crossing the swollen Thames, but his force subsequently moved so rapidly that they reached the weak British post at

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic states, South Atlantic regions of the United States. It borders Maryland to its south and west, Pennsylvania to its north, New Jersey ...

on October 30 before any warning of their approach was received. McArthur maintained his rapid pace partly by leaving exhausted horses wherever fresh horses could be commandeered from Canadian farms or settlements. Major Adam Muir, the local British commander, ordered the Norfolk Militia to assemble, first at Culver's Tavern in Woodhouse township, then in Burford. McArthur arrived at

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

on November 4, where his men ransacked the village in search of forage and provisions. He learned that the militia were assembling at Burford and warned the inhabitants of Oxford that the property of anyone who warned them would be destroyed. Two men nevertheless alerted the militia under Bostwick, they were betrayed and their dwellings were duly razed.Ernest A. Cruickshank, ''The County of Norfolk in the War of 1812'', in Zaslow, p.237 Bostwick, having been warned, retired to Malcolm's Mills. He was joined by Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Ryerson and Major George Salmon with further members of the Nolfolk Militla. Major Muir had gone forward to secure the ford over the Grand River, and enlist warriors of the Six Nations. However, Lieutenant Colonel Parry of the 103rd Regiment, commanding at Burlington had feared for his post and had already summoned most of the warriors there. Bostwick was left with a force of about 400 men, who were discouraged by reports of overwhelming American strength. On November 5, McArthur advanced to Burford, where there was no opposition, and continued on to Brant's Ford on the Grand River. The ferry had been destroyed, the river was swollen and an unknown number of enemy disputed the crossing. As it was growing dark, McArthur encamped for the night. During the night, he learned that the American army under Major General Izard had called off its advance and was retiring across the Niagara River. As there was no longer any need to make a distraction to assist Izard, McArthur therefore decided against attacking Burlington and instead decided to disperse the militia at Malcolm's Mills before continuing his raid.Ernest A. Cruickshank, ''The County of Norfolk in the War of 1812'', in Zaslow, p.238

Battle of Malcolm's Mills

Early on November 6, 1814 McArthur's men encountered 550 Canadian militia commanded by Colonels Ryerson and Bostwick at Malcolm's Mills. The militia occupied what appeared to be a strong position, on high ground behind an unfordable creek. While a Kentucky battalion began careful skirmishing to pin down the defending force, a dismounted flanking force went downstream unseen to ford the creek at an unguarded dam of logs and driftwood. Two columns outflanked the defenders' position on both sides. The militia were caught by surprise and the Americans quickly drove them from the field. The Americans destroyed the local mills and stores of grain, depriving the British and Canadian forces in Canada of their major source of flour. In his journals, McArthur stated that his cavalry lost 1 man with 6 wounded. The Canadian militia suffered 18 dead and 9 wounded, and 126 taken prisoner, the remaining troops escaped in the panic that ensued during the rout. One British sergeant, attached as an instructor to the militia, and a militiaman were reportedly butchered and scalped.Ernest A. Cruickshank, ''The County of Norfolk in the War of 1812'', in Zaslow, p.239

Battles of Dover and Savareen Mills

McArthur next turned westward towards Dover in pursuit of the recently routed forces. The Americans captured 65 Canadians at Savareen Mills and burned the mills and continued to Dover, where another thirty militia surrendered and two more mills were burned.

American withdrawal

Finding himself and his forces over two hundred miles from the American border, and in the midst of hostile country where the population, militias and hostile Indian tribes were seeking them, McArthur began his withdrawal on November 10. He was shadowed by over 1,100 of the combined British and Canadian forces, including a troop of the

19th Light Dragoons The 19th Light Dragoons was a cavalry regiment of the British Army created in 1781 for service in British India. The regiment served in India until 1806, and in North America during the War of 1812, and was disbanded in Britain in 1821. History ...

led by Major Peter Chambers, for a large part of their return to Detroit, but they were never able to get within seven miles of the Americans. McArthur's force rode along the Lake Erie shore, then headed north and back to the Thames and along the southern shore of

Lake St. Clair Lake St. Clair () is a freshwater lake that lies between the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Michigan. It was named in 1679 by French Catholic explorers after Saint Clare of Assisi, on whose feast day they first saw the lake. ...

They reached Sandwich, Ontario, across the Detroit River from Detroit on October 16. They crossed the river the next day, and the men were honorably discharged to return home to Ohio and Kentucky.

Aftermath

The battle at Malcolm's Mill was the last land battle of the War of 1812 fought in Upper Canada. McArthur's Raid destroyed many of the mills on which the British army on the Niagara depended for flour and bread. Only three mills in the southern part of the Niagara peninsula were spared, either because of the close pursuit, as the British claimed, or through the entreaties of some American officers to spare the district from famine during the coming winter. Although the British commanded Lake Ontario at the time and were able to use their fleet to resupply their army on the Niagara before the lake froze, the region was so badly stripped of resources that the British were unable to mount any operations against Detroit before the end of the war.Elting (1995), p.281 Additionally, the Americans killed, wounded or captured and paroled over 450 of their enemy, which was accomplished with only the loss of one killed and six wounded. The raid has also been known as "Dudley's Raid", after the commander of the 550 Kentucky mounted riflemen.

Orders of battle

American forces participating in McArthur's raid

*Commander - General Duncan McArthur **Adjutant General - Major Charles S. Todd **Brigade Major - Captain William Bradford, 17th U.S. Infantry *Mounted Ohio Infantry (250 men) *Battalion - Mounted Kentucky Infantry (550 men) **Major Peter Dudley, Kentucky ***Adjutant - Captain Elisha Berry ** Kentucky - Companies ***Captain Thomas P. Moore - Boyle County ***Captain John Miller - Hardin County ***Captain Elijah McClung - Montgomery County ***Captain James Sympson - Clark County ***Captain Martin H Wickliffe - Nelson County ***Captain Isaac Watkins - Franklin County ***Joseph B. Lancaster - Fayette County

Canadian forces engaged at Malcolm's Mills

* 1st Regiment of Middlesex Militia - Major John Eakins *1st Regiment of Oxford Militia - Lt. Col. Henry Bostwick *1st Regiment of Norfolk Militia - Lt. Col. Joseph Ryerson and Major William D. Bowen *2nd Regiment of Norfolk Militia - Major George C. Salmon

Citations

References

* Anderson Chenault Quisenberry, ''Kentucky in the War of 1812'', first published 1915, Kentucky State Historical Society, Kentucky, USA. Reissued by Genealogical Publishing Co. 1996 * * Major R. Cuthbertson Muir, ''The Early Political and Military History of Burford'', La Cie D'Imprimerie Commerciale, 1913. * Stuart A. Rammage, ''The Militia Stood Alone - Malcolm's Mills, 6 November 1814'', Valley Publishing, 2000. * Zaslow, Morris (ed) ''The Defended Border'', Macmillan of Canada, 1964, * Zig Misiak, ''Western Hooves of Thunder, McArthurs Raid on the Six Nations, 1814'', , Published 2011, Brantford, Ontario, Canada {{DEFAULTSORT:Malcolm's Mills Battles of the War of 1812 Military history of Ontario November 1814 Battles in the Old Northwest