Ghosts of 1812 - The Battle for Fort George Traditional Cache

Part of the "Ghosts of 1812" series.  The cache is a round cammoed container approximately 3 1/2" in diameter and 6" high.  There is a pad and pen and some small swag.  There's plenty of room for trackables and trades.  Take note that the cache is not located within the fortress walls, however a tour of Fort George is highly recommended!

In 1796, the British complied with the terms of the 1783 Treaty of Paris, which had granted Fort Niagara to the United States.

To protect their interests in Upper Canada, the British set work immediately to construct a fort across the Niagara River. Control of the river supply route was essential to the survival of the forts west of the Niagara region.

By 1802, Fort George had been completed and became headquarters for the British army, local militia and the Indian Department.

The imposing new fort stood guard over transportation on the Niagara River and protected Navy Hall, a vital warehouse and wharf facility. It was a substantial installation, boasting six earthen and log bastions linked by a wooden palisade and surrounded by a dry ditch. Inside the walls, the Royal Engineers constructed a guardhouse, log blockhouses, a hospital, kitchens, workshops, barracks, an officers' quarters, and a stone powder magazine. The superbly designed magazine survives still.

During the War of 1812, Fort George served as the headquarters for the Centre Division of the British Army. These forces included British regulars, local militia, aboriginal warriors, and Runchey's corps of freed slaves. Major General Sir Isaac Brock, the saviour of Upper Canada served here until his death at the Battle of Queenston Heights in October 1812. Brock and his aide-de-camp John Macdonell were initially buried within the fort. Fort George was destroyed by American artillery fire and captured during the Battle of Fort George in May 1813. The U.S. forces used the fort as a base to invade the rest of Upper Canada, however, they were repulsed at the Battles of Stoney Creek and Beaver Dams. After a seven month occupation by, the fort was retaken in December and remained in British hands for the remainder of the war. After the war, the fort was partially rebuilt, and by the 1820's it was falling into ruins. It was finally abandoned in favour of a more strategic installation at Fort Mississauga and a more protected one at Butler's Barracks.

During the 1930's, the original plans of the Royal Engineers guided the reconstruction of Fort George as a National Historic Site.  Guided tours are available for the public as well as the occational entertaining "Ghost Tour" put on by the Friends of Fort George.

En 1796, les Britanniques respectent les termes du Traité de Paris de 1783 qui cède le fort Niagara aux Américains. Pour protéger leurs intérêts dans le Haut-Canada, les Britanniques entreprennent la construction d'un fort sur l'autre rive de la Niagara, car le contrôle de cette voie d'approvisionnement maritime est essentiel pour la survie des forts à l'Ouest de la région de Niagara. En 1802, le fort George est terminé et devient le quartier général de l'armée britannique, de la milice locale et du Indian Department. Le nouveau fort défend le transport sur la rivière Niagara et protège Navy Hall, où se trouvent un entrepôt et un quai essentiels. Le fort forme un ensemble imposant de six bastions faits de terre et de bois rond reliés par une palissade en bois et il est entouré d'un fossé sec. À l'intérieur de ses murs, les Royal Engineers construisent un poste de garde, des blockhaus en bois rond, un hôpital, des cuisines, des ateliers, des casernes, un logement des officiers et une poudrière en pierre. Extrêmement bien faite, cette poudrière est parvenue jusqu'à nous. Pendant la guerre de 1812, le fort George sert de quartier général à la division centrale de l'Armée britannique qui réunit des soldats de l'Armée régulière, des miliciens locaux, des guerriers autochtones et le corps de Runchey, composé d'anciens esclaves. Le major-général sir Isaac Brock, "le sauveur du Haut-Canada", sert au fort jusqu'à sa mort à la bataille des hauteurs de Queenston, en octobre 1812. Brock et son aide de camp John Macdonell sont d'abord enterrés dans le fort. En mai 1813, le fort George est détruit par l'artillerie américaine et capturé pendant la bataille du fort George. Les forces américaines s'en servent comme base pour aller envahir le reste du Haut-Canada, mais elles sont repoussées lors des batailles de Stoney Creek et de Beaver Dam. Après sept mois d'occupation américaine, les Britanniques reprennent le fort qu'ils conservent pendant tout le reste du conflit. Après la guerre, le fort est en partie reconstruit et, en 1820, il tombe en ruine. Il est finalement abandonné en faveur d'une installation plus stratégique, le fort Mississauga et d'une autre, mieux protégée, les casernes de Butler. Au fil des ans, le site est utilisé à des fins agricoles et intégré à un terrain de golf avant de servir d'hôpital militaire pour le camp Niagara. Dans les années 1930, les plans originaux des Royal Engineers orientent la reconstruction du fort George en tant que lieu historique national.

Be sure to visit all the caches in this series! So far, the series includes the 18 caches listed below...

Ghosts of 1812 - Battle of Queenston Heights GC3P0M2

Ghosts of 1812 - Decew House GC3NVYK

Ghosts of 1812 - Engagement at the Forty GC62DG2

Ghosts of 1812 - Raid on Port Dover GC6374A

Ghosts of 1812 - Shirmish at Butler's Farm GC3VHKE

Ghosts of 1812 - Siege of Fort Erie GC62BWX

Ghosts of 1812 - The Battle for Fort George GC3R61W

Ghosts of 1812 - The Battle of Beaverdams GC3PJP9

Ghosts of 1812 - The Battle of Cook's Mills GC3WNPX

Ghosts of 1812 - The Battle of Frenchman's Creek GC424AM

Ghosts of 1812 - The Battle of Lundy's Lane GC3P22C

Ghosts of 1812 - The Battle of Stoney Creek GC3QAQE

Ghosts of 1812 - The Battlefield at Chippawa GC6382A

Ghosts of 1812 - The Burning of Niagara GC3V685

Ghosts of 1812 - The Capture of "Ohio" and "Somers" GC62DE6

Ghosts of 1812 - The Destruction of Fort Chippawa GC3QATK

Ghosts of 1812 - The Fall of a Warrior GC64FF3

Ghosts of 1812 - The Trek of Laura Secord GC3X4J2