Battle of Lacolle Mills (1812)

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First Battle of Lacolle Mills
Part of the War of 1812
Date November 20, 1812 Location Lacolle Mills, Lower Canada Result British victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom	United States
Commanders
Charles de Salaberry	Henry Dearborn
Strength
530	600
Casualties and losses
None	5 Killed 5 Wounded [1]

v • d • e St. Lawrence/Lake Champlain frontier 1st Sackett's Harbor – Gananoque - 1st Lacolle Mills – Lake Ontario - Elizabethtown - Ogdensburg – York - Sackett's Harbor – Chateauguay – Crysler's Farm – 2nd Lacolle Mills – Fort Oswego – Big Sandy Creek - Plattsburgh

The Battle of Lacolle Mills was fought on November 20, 1812, during the War of 1812. In this relatively short and fast battle, a very small garrison of British troops and Canadian volunteers, with the assistance of Kahnawake Mohawk warriors, defended the Lacolle Mills Blockhouse near the village of Champlain, Ontario.

The American invasion force, prepared and led by Major General Henry Dearborn, captured the blockhouse in the early morning, possibly following a brief confrontation with the outnumbered defending forces. In the dark, a second group of American militia attacked the troops at the blockhouse, resulting in a short battle between two groups of American forces. In the aftermath of this confusion, the British forces under the command of Charles de Salaberry launched a counter attack against the shaken American forces, forcing a retreat to Champlain before the American forces withdrew from Lower Canada completely. After this defeat, the demoralized American forces would not attempt this assault again until 1814 in the Second Battle of Lacolle Mills.