Battle of Plattsburgh

Overview

The Battle of Plattsburgh, also known as the Battle of Lake Champlain, ended the final British invasion of the northern states of the United States during the War of 1812. Two British forces, an army under Lieutenant General Sir George Prevost and a naval squadron under Captain George Downie converged on the lakeside town of Plattsburgh, New York. Plattsburgh was defended by New York and Vermont militia and detachments of regular troops of the United States Army, all under the command of Brigadier General Alexander Macomb, and ships commanded by Master Commandant Thomas Macdonough.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle of Plattsburgh ended the final British invasion of the northern United States during the War of 1812. A British army under Prevost, numbering approximately 11,000, converged on Plattsburgh alongside a naval squadron under Downie, facing a combined American force of around 3,500 regulars, militia, and naval vessels under Macomb and Macdonough. British casualties stood at roughly 300 against approximately 200 American, reflecting the scale of the repulse. By halting this invasion, the battle removed British leverage over the northern frontier at a moment when peace negotiations were already underway, denying Britain a territorial foothold that could have altered the terms of the Treaty of Ghent.

Tactics

Forces & casualties

Commanders (6)