FORT ERIE, Canada, a post village in Welland County, Ontario, on Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, opposite Buffalo, N. Y., with which it is connected by a railroad bridge. Three railways enter the town, which is a port of entry and has an American consu late. Pop. about 1146. The present town stands upon the site of old Fort Erie, which was the scene of considerable fighting during the War of 1812. On 28 May 1813 the British forces abandoned the fort and partially demol ished it, and during the next few months, with the varying fortunes of war, it was held alter nately by the American and British forces. Early in July Maj.-Gen. Jacob Brown (q.v.) with 5,000 troops, backed by 4,000 New York militia, which had been ordered out and authorized for the war, invaded Upper Canada from Buffalo, and one of his first objects of attack was Fort Erie, which surrendered to him on 3 July. Two days later at Chippewa he successfully attacked General Riall, who lost 511 men killed and wounded. After the bloody
battle of Lundy's Lane (q.v.) on 25 July, fought between the American generals Brown and Winfield Scott and the Canadian Feneral Sir Gordon Drummond (q.v.), the American forces, numbering about 2,000 men, under command of General Ripley (both Brown and Scott having been wounded), were forced to return to the fort, having suffered a loss of 743 men as against a British loss of 878. The American forces were shortly afterward (7-14 August) unsuccessfully attacked by Drummond, who, after an almost constant bombardment during the seven days, retired with a loss of 500 men. Brown was, however, blockaded within the walls of the fort until September. The fort re mained in possession of the Americans till 5 November, when, upon retiring from Canada, they blew up the fortifications. These were never again rebuilt. See UNITED STATES-THE WAR OF 1812.