Combat· War of 1812
Capture of York
American forces struck across Lake Ontario at York, the capital of Upper Canada and the site of the modern city of Toronto.
General Henry Dearborn's troops, carried and supported by Commodore Isaac Chauncey's squadron, made an amphibious landing west of the town and drove in the British defenders. Marines aboard Chauncey's ships took part in the operation, covering the landing and the advance. As the British abandoned the place they blew up the grand magazine, an explosion that killed and wounded many of the attackers, including the American General Zebulon Pike. The Americans took York, burned its parliament buildings, and withdrew, unable to hold so exposed a position. The destruction of the public buildings gave the British a grievance they repaid the next year by burning Washington. York was a clear tactical success but brought no lasting strategic gain.
Podcast episodes on War of 1812
Record no. 222