Capture of Detroit National Historic Event of Canada, Port Dover, Ontario
Posted by: 
colincan
N 42° 47.032 W 080° 11.941
17T E 565515 N 4737125
Port Dover was a staging point for General Isaac Brock in his 1812 campaign to defeat the American Army of the Northwest. Ultimately Brock struck west from York (Toronto)and besieged Detroit where with First Nation help he forced a capitulation.
Waymark Code: WMTVH9
Location: Ontario, Canada
Date Posted: 01/10/2017
Views: 9
Port Dover on Lake Erie was a point of rendezvous and embarkation for General Isaac Brock on his way to relieve Fort Amherstburg (Fort Malden) and ultimately to capture Detroit in 1812. Fort Detroit at the time was the principal base of operations for American General Hull and his Army of the Northwest. Hull had already crossed the frontier in July as one of three active invasion armies in the first year of the War of 1812 but had backtracked upon news his co-nationals had lost Fort Michilimackinac, key to the northern territories, and that Fort Amherstburg was being reinforced from the Niagara front. On August 5th Brock prorogued the Legislative Assembly in York (Toronto) and worked his way to Port Dover where he prepared an assembly of boats to convey 40 regular troops and 250 militia west. Their journey was arduous and involved dragging vessels across the Long Point Portage. By August 13th nonetheless the flotilla had reached Amherstburg. Brock assessed the situation and decided an attack on Detroit was a workable strategy. The Capture of Detroit is commemorated by two plaques currently on view in Port Dover. The plaque in the east harbour beside the Port Authority office is the newer of the two, the one entitled “The War of 1812” in Powell Park an older (probably decommissioned) plaque that is for whatever reason still displayed. The Capture of Detroit is also commemorated in Windsor by yet another HSMBC plaque. The designation of national importance was made in 1923 and the earliest federal plaque went up four years later.
Classification: National Historic Event
Province or Territory: Ontario
Location - City name/Town name: Port Dover
Link to Parks Canada entry (must be on www.pc.gc.ca): [Web Link]
Link to HistoricPlaces.ca: Not listed
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