The American force under Gen. Jacob Brown had gone into winter quarters around Malone and French Mills on the Salmon River, but in early February 1814 began to retreat to Plattsburgh to rendezvous with the rest of James Wilkinson's Army.

[2] The British force in the Cornwall area consisted of regulars from the Canadian Fencibles and the 89th and 103rd Regiments of Foot, as well as local militia and native warriors, and it waqs decided to launch a series of raids against the winter encampments in New York.

[1] A detachment of Militia was dispatched to Four Corners, while the main army under Scott and Morrison pulled into Malone during the evening of the 19th and proceeded to search the neighbourhood for arms and provisions left behind by Wilkinson's forces.

[1] Capturing suitable supplies, they advanced to French Mills while the Militia at Four Corners had arrived early on the morning of the 20th, and soon discovered a large cache of provisions, amounting to 150 to 200 barrels of flour, beef, pork, and whiskey.

[1] Scott and Morrison returned to Cornwall on February 23 with the captured supplies reaching Summerstown at dusk, having lost only one sleigh with its team and cargo to the river when it broke through the ice.