Battle of Fort George

Before turning to the fighting at Fort George on 27 May 1813, E. A. Cruikshank reconstructs the Niagara community around it. Merchants, orchards, wharves and busy roads establish the town's importance to Upper Canada. Drawing on travellers' accounts and official reports, he describes a trading centre beside a fort whose timber defences and exposed position gave its commanders cause for concern. The work began as a paper read in March 1896.

The military account connects this local landscape with the wider War of 1812. Winter crossings over frozen Lake Erie, reports from refugees and deserters, and the movement of small British forces help explain American preparations along the frontier. Cruikshank pays close attention to distances, supplies and uncertain intelligence. Readers interested in Niagara history will find both a picture of the settlement before its destruction and an account of the practical conditions that shaped campaigning on the border.