Chippawa Battlefield Panel 5

As the battle raged, more American artillery deployed to the middle of the plain between the 11th U.S. and the lone 25th U.S. company, less than 100 meters from the British line. General Brown then led Ripley's brigade across Street's Creek to the west in an effort to envelop the entire British force, but the creek was chest deep, the undergrowth thick, and Ripley's men never joined the fight on the plain. Meanwhile, with point-blank canister raking his line, the opposing 9th and 22nd Infantry standing their ground, and the 25th U.S. preventing his line from deploying, General Riall ordered a withdrawal. The British troops slowly moved back, firing as they retired, covered by the 19th Light Dragoons and the guns of Fort Chippawa until the brigade crossed the Chippawa River and again destroyed the bridge, temporarily leaving some Native allies on the American side. For the first time during the War of 1812, the U.S. Army had defeated equal numbers of British regulars in open battle. Brown reported 58 killed, 241 wounded, and 19 missing, while Riall listed 148 killed, 321 wounded, and 46 missing. Although difficult to estimate, the combined Native warrior casualties from both sides exceeded 100 killed and wounded. The soldiers killed during the Battle of Chippawa were buried the next day on the battlefield by the Americans. Militia citizen soldiers served on both sides at the battle, often supplied cast-off regular army uniforms or simply making do with civilian attire, as male citizens in Canada and the U.S. from age 16 to 60 were expected to perform military service.

Ontario · Canada