During the War of 1812, on the morning of December 19, 1813, British forces and their Native allies from Canada attacked Lewiston after capturing Fort Niagara hours earlier, intent on destroying the town in retribution for the Americans' burning of Niagara On The Lake, then called Newark, days before. Poorly defended residents fled for their lives as civilians were killed in the rampage and parents struggled helplessly to save their children. When hope seemed lost, a small group of Tuscarora men ran down from their village atop The Escarpment and offered the first resistance the attackers had encountered. Their ingenious tactics created the impression that their numbers were legion, and the enemy, fearing a trap, halted long enough for citizens to escape. Though outnumbered 30-to-1, the Tuscarora men risked their lives, stood courageously, and came to the aid of their Lewiston neighbors, saving dozens of lives.