The Americans counter-attacked on the Detroit frontier, a January offensive by General Henry Harrison led to an aggressive counter-punch by Procter at Winchester's isolated and exposed American command at Frenchtown (now Monroe, Michigan) on January 22, 1813, and in the desperate fighting which resulted, the companies of the 41st present suffered over 50% casualties. The 41st earned the Battle Honour "Miami" (the Maumee River was also called the "Miami" at this time). 1813 was a hard year for the regiment, with only men from the flank companies still providing a fighting force. However back in Britain the regiment had already started recruiting new troops to join the battalion already in Canada and their arrival in May 1813 allowed the 41st to continue as an effective force.
In 1813, men of the Regiment's two battalions had been stationed spread out from Montreal to Fort Malden - and Captain Richard Bullock of the Grenadier Company commanded the garrison at Mackinac from September 13, 1813, to May 18, 1814 The Regiment had seen much hard service on all fronts. It was decided to merge the 1st and 2nd battalions into one battalion; this mixed the battle hardened soldiers of the 1st Battalion with the fresh troops of the 2nd. Traditionally in regiments of the period a battalion was comprised of 10 companies, a light company of the left flank, made up of the smaller agile men who would act as skirmishers during battles, 8 centre companies comprised of men with no particular specialities but would perform general duties and on the right flank, the grenadiers, who historically were the largest men who threw the grenades they were named for. But as tactics changed they would be made up of the soldiers who would act as shock troops, a company mixed of the biggest and the hardest fighters.
It appears that the best men were put in to the flank companies and continued to see heavy action, while the regular line companies were utilised mainly in support roles.
By December 19 1813, the combined battalion supplied flank companies for the assault on Fort Niagara, while the line companies helped capture Lewiston.
On December 30 1813, an attack was launched on Black Rock & Buffalo, with 250 men of the 41st participating, suffering casualties of 2 killed, 5 wounded, and 3 missing.
On 9 January 1814, Drummond ordered the 41st ordered to York; on February 8, they were ordered from York to Kingston.
The 41st found itself back on the Niagara Peninsula in time to help repel the last major American offensive of the War.
At the Battle of Lundy's Lane in July 1814, the Light Company of the 41st under Captain Glew managed to distinguish itself.
In Drummond's subsequent operations in pursuit of the retreating Americans, Colonel Tucker (with most of the 41st under his command) managed to bungle an attack on Black Rock. This was a relatively unremarkable occasion except that Shadrach Byfield was wounded, losing an arm, and started on his long journey back to his Wiltshire home.
The Regiment participated in the siege of Fort Erie, with the flank companies taking heavy casualties in the failed night assault of August 15. At that point, the Regiment was pulled back to form part of the garrison of "the forts" at the mouth of the Niagara River: Fort Niagara, Fort George, and Fort Mississauga. It was found that the 41st was the most useful unit to garrison Fort Niagara, as other units placed there suffered from excessive desertion rates.
Eventually, the Regiment was withdrawn to York, then Kingston.
It had earned its 4th Battle Honour in the War of 1812: "Niagara", for its participation in the 1814 Niagara Peninsula campaign. |  |
