During the early days of the war, it was involved in several exchanges of artillery fire against the British at Fort George on the other side of the river.

Later during the year, almost all the regular soldiers on the Niagara front were redeployed to Sacket's Harbor to take part in an attack down the Saint Lawrence River against Montreal.

They had briefly been replaced by regulars from the western theatre under William Henry Harrison, but in November these too had been ordered to march to protect Sacket's Harbor, which had been stripped of troops to furnish the Montreal expedition.

On 9 October he ordered the troops on the Niagara peninsula to retreat hastily to Burlington Heights at the western end of Lake Ontario.

Earlier in the year, the United States Secretary of War, John Armstrong, had given permission to destroy the nearby village of Niagara (also known as Newark) if it became necessary to prevent British troops finding cover close to Fort George.

[7] As the Americans abandoned Fort George, McClure gave the order to burn down the village with only two hours warning, leaving the inhabitants without shelter or possessions in the depths of winter.

[7] This action was undoubtedly contrary to the conventions which governed warfare at the time, although several similar acts had already been committed by both sides during the war.

Artillery, Captain Frank Hampton's company of the 24th U.S. Infantry, and small detachments (mainly convalescents, wounded or sick men) from other regular units.

He had been attracting unfavourable reports from his superiors since taking charge of the fort in 1812 and was a notorious drunkard,[10] but orders to replace him as commandant had not been carried out.

They proceeded by water to the mouth of the Four Mile Creek, from where Canadian militia carried them overland on sledges to Fort George.

[9] A force consisting of the centre companies of the Royal Scots and the 41st under Major General Phineas Riall followed Murray's troops across the river.