This is a list of War of 1812 battles, organized chronologically and by the theater in which they occurred.^{[NB 1]}

Major theaters

The War of 1812 was fought in four major theaters: the Atlantic Coast, the Canada–US border, the Gulf Coast, and the American West. There were also numerous naval battles at sea, almost all of them in the Atlantic. Actions along the Canadian border occurred in three sectors (from west to east): the old Territory, the Niagara Frontier, and the St. Lawrence River.

Battles (chronological order within theater)

1813

Atlantic Coast

Attack upon George & Federick's towns by a detachment of boats from The R. Hon. Sir J. B. Warrens squadron under Rear Admiral Cockburn in April 1813

• Warren's Chesapeake Bay Campaign (March–September, 1813): A major naval initiative, commanded by Admiral Sir John Warren, with the goals of blockading Chesapeake Bay, gathering intelligence concerning American strength, destroying the USS Constitution, interrupting commercial traffic within Chesapeake Bay, capturing of American vessels and supplies useful to the British and eventually extending the blockade to include Delaware Bay and Long Island. Although Warren remained the senior commander, many of the operations were conducted by ships under the command of Vice Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane. Cochrane was much hated by the Americans because of his aggressive actions on-shore, such as destroying the private property of civilians in villages and towns that opposed his landings.
• Battle of the Rappahannock River, Virginia (April 3, 1813): A British foray up the Rappahannock River, which empties into Chesapeake Bay forty miles north of Hampton, Virginia, during which they captured or destroyed fourteen American ships.
• Raid at Frenchtown, Maryland (April 29, 1813): A raid conducted by a British landing party during Sir John Warren's harassing operations in Chesapeake Bay (March–September, 1813) on a small settlement about fifteen miles up the Elk River on the road between Baltimore and Philadelphia.
• Raid on Havre de Grace and Principio Foundry, Maryland (May 3, 1813): A raid conducted by a flotilla of boats under Rear Admiral George Cockburn's command. When Maryland militia resisted the landing at Havre de Grace, the Royal Marines burned and looted homes, burned a warehouse and appropriated or killed livestock. At the Principio Foundry they destroyed a number of guns and the works in which they had been manufactured.
• Raid at Georgetown and Fredericktown, Maryland (May 6, 1813): A raid conducted by a landing party from HMS Mohawk on two villages on the Sassafras River flowing into the northeast corner of Chesapeake Bay. The landing party destroyed uninhabited homes, four schooners and stores of sugar, lumber and leather.
• Assault on Craney Island, Virginia (June 22, 1813): An important victory for the United States fought on an island at the mouth of the Elizabeth River, in which a British landing party failed to overcome a much smaller force of Americans defending the island. This defensive victory thwarted a British attempt to occupy the port city of Norfolk.
• Capture and occupation of Hampton, Virginia (June 25–26, 1813): The successful British occupation of Hampton, Virginia, following their humiliating failure to secure Craney Island. During the one-day occupation of the town, the British took guns, ammunition, wagons, horses, livestock and other foodstuffs. French troops that were part of the force were reported to have participated in looting, vandalism, raping and killing. British casualties were 5 killed/33 wounded/10 missing.^[1]
• Raid at Ocracoke Inlet, North Carolina (July 12–16, 1813): A successful British naval operation in the Ocracoke Inlet, a channel through the Outer Banks off the coast of North Carolina into Pamlico Sound, a route used by American merchantmen during the British blockade of Chesapeake Bay. The raid captured a number of American vessels and confiscated stores and livestock from the villages of Ocracoke and Portsmouth.

American Northwest

• First Battle of Frenchtown, Michigan Territory (January 18, 1813): A skirmish in which an American detachment from Brigadier General William Henry Harrison's winter camp on the Maumee River (near present-day Toledo, Ohio) succeeded in driving a British force consisting of Canadian militia and Potawatomi and Wyandot warriors out of Frenchtown, a village at the mouth of the Raison River about twenty-five miles south of Detroit (near present-day Monroe, Michigan).
• Second Battle of Frenchtown, Michigan Territory (January 22, 1813): A British victory achieved when a force of regulars, militia and native warriors surprised the Americans in a pre-dawn attack, and after several hours of heavy fighting, accepted the surrender of the entire American command. The battle came to be known as the Raison River Massacre on account of the massacre the following morning of numerous American wounded waiting to be transported to Fort Malden. This defeat caused Brigadier General William Henry Harrison to end his winter campaign to recapture Detroit.
• Siege of Fort Meigs, Ohio (May 1–9, 1813): An unsuccessful attempt by a British force consisting of regulars, militia and over a thousand warriors commanded by Tecumseh to capture the recently construct fort at the rapids on the Maumee River about twelve miles from its mouth (near present-day Perrysburg, Ohio).
• Investment of Fort Meigs, Ohio (July 21–28, 1813): A second unsuccessful attempt by the British to capture the fort, this time by a force containing more than three thousand warriors from the Fox, Menominee, Ojibwa, Ottawa, Sac, Sioux and Winnebago Nations under the command of Tecumseh.
• Ball's Battle, Ohio (July 30, 1813): A battle that erupted between a party of Indians loyal to the British and an American force (including Pennsylvania volunteers under the command of Maj. James V. Ball) en route to Fort Stephenson. The action occurred near Fort Seneca located about eight miles south of Fort Sephenson and thirty-five miles southeast of Fort Meigs.
• Assault on Fort Stephenson, Ohio (August 2, 1813): An unsuccessful attempt by the British to capture Fort Stephenson, a fort on the Sandusky River near present-day Fremont, Ohio.
• Battle of Put-in-Bay, Ohio (September 10, 1813): The pivotal naval battle, also known as the Battle of Lake Erie, in which a squadron under the command of Captain Oliver Hazard Perry defeated the British squadron under Commander Robert Heriot Barclay, giving the United States complete control of Lake Erie. With their supply line cut, the British in southwestern Lower Canada were forced to abandon Detroit and Fort Amherstburg and retreat eastward toward the Niagara Peninsula.
• Battle of Moraviantown, Upper Canada (October 5, 1813): An American victory at Moraviantown, a village on the Thames River close to the location of present-day Chatham, Ontario, over the British army retreating from Detroit and Fort Amherstburg. The battle is also referred to as the Battle of the Thames. Tecumseh and Roundhead, a Wyandot chief and a loyal member of Tecumseh's Confederation, were both killed during this battle.
• Skirmish at McCrae's House, Upper Canada (December 15, 1813): A British victory over a small contingent of American troops deployed on the Thames River about twenty-five miles southwest of Moraviantown. The only time Canadian Militia defeated a regular American force.

Niagara Frontier

• Battle of York, Upper Canada (April 28, 1813): A relatively easy American capture of Fort York and the adjacent town of York (at the location of present-day Toronto), achieved by an amphibious assault of troops from Sackets Harbor. The entire American force withdrew by May 8, but only after vandalizing and looting much of the town and burning the buildings of the provincial legislature. The burning of the Capitol Building during the British raid on Washington was retribution for the American actions in York.
• Battle of Fort George, Upper Canada (May 27, 1813): An American victory in which Fort George, the westernmost British fort on Lake Ontario, located at the mouth of the Niagara River, was captured during an amphibious attack across the river by troops from Fort Niagara on the American side of the river.
• Battle of Stoney Creek, Upper Canada (June 6, 1813): A British victory achieved by a night attack on American troops encamped along Stoney Creek, a creek flowing north into the western end of Lake Ontario about forty miles west of Fort George. The defeat forced the American forces at Fort George to abandon plans to advance further into Upper Canada.
• Second raid at Charlotte, New York, at the mouth of the Genesee River (June 15, 1813): A raid by a landing party from Commodore Sir James Yeo's Squadron that was unopposed and succeeded in confiscating five hundred barrels of flour and a boat containing twelve hundred bushels of corn.
• Battle of Beaver Dams, Upper Canada (June 24, 1813): A successful British ambush by warriors of the Six and Seven Nations, commanded by a British officer, of an American detachment from Fort George on its way to attack a British outpost near Beaver Dams.
• Blockade of Fort George, Upper Canada (July 1 – October 9, 1813): A British attempt to reoccupy Fort George following their victories at Stoney Creek (June 6, 1813) and Beaver Dams (June 24, 1813). There were frequent skirmishes (Ball Property) and raids (Black Rock) during this period. The blockade was lifted in order to redeploy troops in response to developments elsewhere along the Canada–US border, especially Wilkinson's Campaign on the St. Lawrence, which began in October, and the British defeat at Moraviantown in Upper Canada, which occurred on October 5.
• Raid at Fort Schlosser, New York (July 5, 1813): A successful British raid across the Niagara River on Fort Schlosser, during which the raiders seized a field gun, arms and ammunition, a gunboat and two bateaux, food and entrenching tools, and sank a number of additional boats.
• Skirmishes at the Ball Property, Upper Canada (July 8 – September 6, 1813): A series of skirmishes that occurred just west of Niagara, Upper Canada, between the American and British lines during the blockade of Fort George (July 1 – October 9, 1813).
• Raid at Black Rock, New York (July 11, 1813): A British raid on Black Rock, New York, shortly after the British initiated their blockage of Fort George. The initial phase of the raid was very successful, but the British suffered heavy casualties during their withdrawal.
• Raid at York, Upper Canada (July 31 – August 1, 1813): A brief amphibious American incursion in which the Americans freed some prisoners, confiscated military baggage and supplies and a number of bateaux. Before leaving the Americans burned buildings on Gibraltar Point in retribution for the British raid on Sodus, New York, on June 19.
• Loss of the two American schooners Hamilton (1809) and Scourge (1812) (August 8, 1813): The loss, during a violent storm, of the schooners Hamilton and Scourge. The two schooners were part of Commodore Isaac Chauncey's squadron, which was about to go into action against Commodore Sir James Yeo's squadron in Lake Ontario just six miles north of Twelve Mile Creek near the Niagara River.
• Battle of Nanticoke Creek, Upper Canada (November 13, 1813): An expedition of Norfolk and Oxford Militia to capture American loyalist marauders who had been active in the area around Nanticoke Creek, near Lake Erie about sixty miles west of Fort Erie.
• Burning of Niagara, Upper Canada (December 10–11, 1813): The unprovoked burning of Niagara by a small force of American troops under the command of Brigadier General George McClure. McClure felt that his position at Fort George was untenable, and ordered that Niagara be destroyed as he evacuated his command to Fort Niagara.
• Capture of Fort Niagara, New York (December 18–19, 1813): An unexpected night attack by British infantry on the under-strength American garrison at Fort Niagara at the mouth of the Niagara River, which resulted in the relatively easy capture of the fort. Fort Niagara remained under British control for the rest of the war.
• Raid at Black Rock and Buffalo, New York (December 30, 1813): A British raid launched following the capture of Fort Niagara by the British to retaliate for the burning of the town of Niagara, Upper Canada, by the Americans on December 10–11 and to annihilate all American forces on the Niagara Frontier. The raid achieved all of its objective, and, for the time being at least, the British were in complete control of the Niagara River region.

St. Lawrence River

• Raid on Brockville (February 7, 1813): A raid conducted on Brockville by American troops garrisoned at Ogdensburg, New York, after a British party from Brockville crossed the St. Lawrence River to enter New York to apprehend deserters.
• Second attack on Ogdensburg, New York (February 22, 1813): A successful British attack culminating in the capture of Ogdensburg, a town from which the Americans could interfere with the movement of supplies by the British along the St. Lawrence River.
• Second attack on Sackets Harbor, New York (May 29, 1813): An unsuccessful British naval and amphibious attack on Sackets Harbor, intended as a diversion while the Americans were bombarding Fort George.
• Capture of the Eagle (1812) and Growler (1812) (June 3, 1813): The capture by the British of two American sloops, Eagle (1812) and Growler (1812), in the Richelieu River on a patrol to prevent smuggling on Lake Champlain. The British renamed them Shannon (1813) and Broke and pressed them into service on Lake Champlain.
• British raid at Sodus, New York (June 19, 1813): A raid conducted by a landing party from Commodore Sir James Yeo's squadron off Sodus Bay about thirty miles southwest of Oswego, New York. During the raid the British confiscated supplies.
• Skirmish at Cranberry Creek, New York (July 1 9, 1813): The ambush of a British force advancing up Cranberry Creek to engage an American force that had conducted a successful attack on a British convoy of bateaux carrying supplies up the St. Lawrence River.
• Murray's Raid, New York and Vermont (July 29 – August 4, 1813): A successful British raid on American posts and towns (including Champlain and Plattsburgh) located along the Richelieu River and Lake Champlain. The British marine force included two former American sloops, the Eagle and Growler, that had been captured in June and renamed Shannon and Broke. The raid was largely unopposed and resulted in the capture of eight vessels, the destruction of a great deal of public property and the confiscation of useful supplies. It also asserted British control of Lake Champlain.
• Capture of the American schooners Julia (1812) and Growler (1812) (August 10, 1813): During a battle on Lake Ontario between Commodore Sir James Yeo's and Commodore Isaac Chauncey's squadrons, the two American schooners Julia (1812) and Growler (1812) became separated from the rest of the squadron and were captured by the British. Yeo renamed them Confiance (1813) and Hamilton (1813).
• First Skirmish at Odelltown, Lower Canada (September 20, 1813): A minor skirmish, following which Major General Wade Hampton abandoned his plan to invade Lower Canada along the Richelieu River and retreated to the village of Four Corners on the Upper Chateaguay River in New York.^[2]
• Wilkinson's Campaign on the St. Lawrence River (October–November, 1813): Part of a plan for a coordinated attack on Montreal by an American force from Sackets Harbor, under the command of Major General James Wilkinson, down the St. Lawrence River, combined with an attack northward along the Richelieu River from Lake Champlain, by troops commanded by Major General Wade Hampton. The offensive foundered when Hampton cancelled the advance of his command following the battle of Chateauguay and the defeat of Wilkinson's army at the Battle of Crysler's Farm.
• Raid at Missisquoi Bay, Lower Canada (October 12, 1813): A raid ordered by Major General Wade Hampton on Philipsburg. Lower Canada, located on Missisquoi Bay (the eastern basin in the northern part of Lake Champlain). The goal of the raid was to reduce smuggling between Vermont and Lower Canada and to divert British attention from his efforts to advance along the Richelieu River from Lake Champlain.
• Battle on the Chateauguay, Lower Canada (October 26, 1813): An unsuccessful American attack on Canadien militia and First Nations warriors defending the lower Chateauguay River, following which Major General Wade Hampton announced the end of his campaign to invade Canada along the Richelieu River and retreated to Plattsburgh, New York.
• Skirmish at French Creek, New York (November 1–2, 1813): An inconclusive attempt by the British to disrupt and harass the advance guard of Major General James Wilkinson's army as it advanced from Sackets Harbor down the St. Lawrence River toward Montreal.
• Battle of Point Iroquois (November 8, 1813): The first battle in Wilkinson's St. Lawrence Camapign when General Macomb's brigade came ashore in Canada and skirmished with the Dundas Militia at Point Iroquois.
• Skirmish at Doran's Farm (November 8-9, 1813): A small skirmish between advancing American Dragoons and Dundas and Glengarry Militia.
• Battle of Hoople's Creek (November 10, 1813): A successful action by the British, which delayed the advance of Major General James Wilkinson's army on Cornwall, Upper Canada, a village at the base of the Long Sault rapids and a landing and storage point for British supplies.
• Battle of Crysler's Farm (November 11, 1813): The British victory over the rear guard of Major General James Wilkinson's Division near Cornwall.
• Occupation of Cornwall (November 11-13, 1813): Following their defeat at Crysler's Farm, the American army advanced and occupied Cornwall, but with no help from Hampton Wilkinson decided to abandon his St. Lawrence Campaign and retreat to New York.

Naval battles

• Viper (1806) versus HMS Narcissus (1801) (January 17, 1813): The pursuit and capture of the American brig Viper, while it was trying to return to New Orleans after it had become separated from its companion ship. After springing a serious leak, the Viper was captured by the British frigate Narcissus.
• Hornet versus HMS Peacock (1806) (February 24, 1813): An encounter that occurred off the Demerara River, Guyana, when the American sloop Hornet spotted the British sloop Espiegle at anchor in the river while another British warship, the sloop Peacock (1806) was sailing toward him. The Peacock initiated an engagement and was so badly damaged during the exchange that within half an hour it surrendered and subsequently sank during attempts to rescue the crew.
• Chesapeake (1799) versus HMS Shannon (1806) (June 1, 1813): This battle is noted as the war's only action between frigates of equal strength. The ships exchange broadsides at close range after which Capt. Philip Broke led a British boarding party onto the American ship, which surrendered. The battle occurred off the New England coast between Cape Cod and Cape Ann.
• Attack on HMS Junon (1810) (June 20, 1813): An attack initiated by a flotilla of American gunboats in the Elizabeth River below Norfolk, Virginia, on the British frigate Junon, which was anchored in shallow water near Hampton Roads. The captain of the Junan managed to get his ship underway and fought off the Americans for an hour and a half before breaking off the action and withdrawing.
• Delaware flotilla versus HMS Martin (1809) (July 29, 1813): An attack by the Delaware flotilla, consisting of eight gunboats and two blockships, on the British sloop Martin, which ran aground on a shoal near Cape May while engaged in blockade duty off the mouth of the Delaware River. The Americans broke off the action after about two hours after losing one gunboat. The Martin sustained only minor damage and was subsequently refloated.
• Argus (1803) versus HMS Pelican (1812) (August 14, 1813): A battle between the British brig Pelican and the American sloop Argus in St. George's Channel between Wales and Ireland. The Argus had been attacking shipping off the west coast of England. The encounter caused so much damage to the Argus that it was forced to surrender.
• Enterprise (1799) versus HMS Boxer (1812) (September 5, 1813): An hour-long engagement off the coast of Maine, during which the American brig Enterprise caused such heavy damage on the British sloop Boxer that it was forced to surrender, after which it was towed to Portland. Both commanding officers were killed during the battle, and both were buried with full military honors in Portland.
• President (1800) versus HMS Highflyer (1813) (September 23, 1813): An action off the coast of New England during which the American frigate President captured the British schooner Highflyer.
• Vixen (1813) versus HMS Belvidera (1809) (December 25, 1813): The capture of the American schooner Vixen (1813) off Delaware after a two-hour pursuit by the British frigate Belvidera. The Vixen (1813) had only recently been purchased by the US Navy, and was on its way to New Castle, Delaware, to be outfitted with guns, equipment and a crew.

Gulf Coast

• Battle of Burnt Corn Creek (July 27, 1813) – An American ambush of a party of the Red Sticks faction of Creek Indians that were returning from purchasing guns and ammo from the British at Pensacola. The initially successful Americans were later dispersed.
• Fort Mims Massacre (August 30, 1813) – The defeat of the American garrison at Fort Mims by a party of the Red Sticks faction of Creek Indians.
• Battle of Tallushatchee (November 3, 1813) – A successful attack on the Creek village of Tallushatchee with a force of 1000 dragoons commanded by Gen. John Coffee.
• Battle of Talladega (November 9, 1813) – An action led by Andrew Jackson that broke the siege of the friendly Creek Indian town of Talladega, which was being besieged by an enemy Creek force.
• Hillabee Massacre (part 1) (November 11, 1813) – An action in which Gen. White (under Major Gen. John Cocke's command) burned the Hillabee Indian villages of Little Oakfusky and Genalga.
• The Canoe Fight (November 12, 1813) – A skirmish fought along the Alabama River, pitting Capt. Samuel Dale's 70 militia against a larger group of Red Sticks Creeks, fought entirely in canoes.
• Hillabee Massacre (part 2) (November 18, 1813) – An action conducted by troops under the command of Gen. White (under Maj. Gen. John Cocke's command) during which the town of Hillabee was burned.
• Battle of Autossee (November 29, 1813) – An action conducted by Gen. Floyd, with 950 Georgia militia and 400 friendly Indians, attacked the Indian town of Autossee. About two hundred Indians were killed and the town of four hundred houses burned.
• The Action at Nuyaka (December 17, 1813) – An action conducted by troops under the command of Maj. Gen. David Adams in which the upper Creek village of Nuyaka was burned.
• Battle of Holy Ground – also known as the Battle of Econochaca – (December 23, 1813) – An action in which Gen. Claiborne cleared the mostly evacuated Indian town of Econochaca.

See also

• Timeline of the War of 1812

Notes

References

Bibliography

• Mahon, John K. The War of 1812. Gainesville, FL: University of Florida Press, 1972. ISBN 0-306-80429-8.
• Malcomson, Robert. Historical Dictionary of the War of 1812. Lanham, MD: The Scarecrow Press, 2006. ISBN 978-0-8108-5499-4.