On This Day, 192 Years Ago...

[ADavidB]

December 30, 1813 -

British and Canadian forces capture and burn Buffalo, New York one week after the daring midnight bayonet capture of Fort Niagara by British forces that shifted the balance of power on the Niagara Frontier. Buffalo is burned in retaliation for Brigadier-General George McClure's burning of Newark, Ontario (now Niagara-on-the-Lake) on December 10, 1813 during the American withdrawal across the Niagara River. Thus starts the tit-for-tat war on civilian property that characterizes the final year of the War of 1812.

Dave Baranyi

[rtrapasso]

ORIGINAL: ADavidB

December 30, 1813 -

British and Canadian forces capture and burn Buffalo, New York one week after the daring midnight bayonet capture of Fort Niagara by British forces that shifted the balance of power on the Niagara Frontier. Buffalo is burned in retaliation for Brigadier-General George McClure's burning of Newark, Ontario (now Niagara-on-the-Lake) on December 10, 1813 during the American withdrawal across the Niagara River. Thus starts the tit-for-tat war on civilian property that characterizes the final year of the War of 1812.

Dave Baranyi

The story (legend?) has it the Americans were busy playing Whist when the British got in. The surprise was so complete, one American card player asked "What's trump?" and a British soldier came in and replied "Bayonets are trump".

[kaleun]

Must have been cold on that day up there!

Gives a new meaning to the term "Cold steel"