The engagement was marked by intense musketry at close range and instances of friendly fire on both sides amidst the smoke and confusion, which caused several units to break entirely.

On 3 July 1814 an American army under Major General Jacob Brown launched an attack across the Niagara River near its source on Lake Erie.

Commodore Isaac Chauncey, commander of the American ships based at Sackett's Harbor, New York, was waiting for new frigates and armed brigs to be completed before he challenged the British squadron.

[14] Instead, Brown ordered an advance north, intending in turn to force the British to recall Tucker's column to protect Fort George.

Jesup sent Captain Ketchum's light infantry company to secure the junction of Lundy's Lane and the Portage Road.

As Ripley and Porter relieved Scott's brigade, Brown ordered the 21st U.S. Infantry under Lieutenant Colonel James Miller to capture the British guns.

They fired a volley of musketry that killed most of the gunners and followed up with a bayonet charge; this captured the guns and drove the British centre from the hill.

[citation needed] Meanwhile, the British column under Colonel Hercules Scott was arriving on the field, already tired from its unnecessary diversion via Queenston.

These were recovered by a charge by the light company of the 41st Foot, but were either abandoned again[18] or remained in British hands but could not be brought into action as the drivers and gunners had been scattered.

[20] While the Americans tried to deploy their own artillery among the captured British guns, Drummond (who had been wounded in the neck) reorganized his troops and mounted a determined attempt to retake his own cannon.

The Americans beat back the attack after a short-range musketry duel over the abandoned British guns, in which both sides suffered heavy casualties.

[23] While the combat was taking place, Winfield Scott led his depleted brigade (which had been reorganized into a single ad hoc battalion under Major Henry Leavenworth) in an unauthorized attack against Drummond's centre.

Shortly before midnight, Drummond launched a third counter-attack, using every man he could find,[25] although by this time the British line consisted of mixed-up detachments and companies, rather than organized regiments and battalions.

Drummond had ordered some units to hold the Portage Road and left some light infantry outposts near the Americans, but had withdrawn the remainder a short distance west along Lundy's Lane.

One American 6-pounder gun had been lost earlier during the close-range fighting, when its drivers had been hit by musket fire and the horses drawing it had bolted into the British lines.

The American army fell back to Fort Erie, first deliberately destroying the old British fortifications along Chippawa Creek and burning the bridges behind them.

[31] In respect to the effect of the battle on the War, the British won a strategic victory, as the Americans on the Niagara had suffered so many casualties that they were now badly outnumbered, and were forced to retire to Fort Erie.

[5] Donald Graves, a Canadian historian employed at the Directorate of History, Department of National Defence Canada, says "British records state that four officers and 75 Americans of other ranks captured at Lundy's Lane were imprisoned at Quebec in the autumn of 1814.

Veteran British officers, who had fought against French armies in the Peninsular War, were horrified at the carnage they had witnessed at Lundy's Lane.

Many of the other British regulars had been serving for over two years in Upper Canada, had suffered heavy casualties in earlier actions and were consequently war-weary.

Towards the end of the battle, the loss of several colonels and the fact that there were few complete regiments present rather than mixtures of detached companies handicapped their final attacks.

[38] By comparison, the Incorporated Upper Canada militia battalion rallied and held the British left flank despite being surprised by Jessop and losing their colonel and reserve ammunition.

[39] Evidence compiled by Donald Graves argues that General Drummond failed to use skirmish pickets to protect his guns, which were consequently captured by the Americans.

Other memorials added to the site include: Commander, Upper Canada (Lieutenant General Sir Gordon Drummond) Note: Left Division, United States Army (Major General Jacob Brown) Notes: Catherine Lundy was born in the late 1700s to Elizabeth Garvey and Lieutenant Daniel Shannon of the British army.