Written By Glenn Stott
The Battle of Longwoods fought on Wednesday, March 4, 1814, was not a major battle in the context of the War of 1812 but its story endures for a number of reasons. As a result of this battle, George Ward, one of the only European residents of Paint Creek (now Wardsville) in 1814, lost his pension and his reputation as he was seen leaving the American encampment at Twenty Mile Creek and was suspected as a traitor by those who saw him. He spent the remainder of his life seeking justice.
Long time residents of the Thames, William Shaw’s and his wife’s, 18-year-old son, William, was mortally wounded during the battle and buried in their family plot at Kent Bridge; the only known burial from the Battle of the Longwoods.
The family Graeme from Inchbrakie, Perthshire, Scotland, lost their 25-year-old son Lieutenant Patrick Graeme of the 89th Regiment at the battle. They were left only with a picture of him, aged five, and a lock of his hair which was put into a mourning ring, worn by his mother. Graeme was buried somewhere on the east side of Twenty Mile Creek in a “shallow soldier’s grave”.
The American commander, Captain Andrew Hunter Holmes, for a brief time became an American hero and gained a promotion to Major, only to lose his life at the battle of Mackinac Island in August 1814.
Captain John MacGregor of the Loyal Kent Volunteers eventually had his arm amputated after he was struck by two bullets in the battle.
There were examples of bravery on both sides. The Americans, facing a superior force were encouraged to stand, fight and die, if necessary, for the flag by Ensign Morgan Heard. On the British side, Captain David Johnstone, leading his Royal Scots, reached within 3 metres of the front of the American position when he was gunned down. The Americans refused to plunder the dead and wounded British, after the battle, because of the courage they had shown.
Over 20 British, Upper Canadians and American soldiers lost their lives over the almost 90-minute struggle. Fifty lives of the soldiers were altered forever when they suffered wounds from the battle. Young Benjamin Springer, son of Captain Daniel Springer, described his house in Delaware as resembling a slaughter house after the surgeons were finished treating the British wounded over the next two days.
The First Nations, over 40 of them, had again come to the aid of the British at Longwoods only to eventually lose their land and hope of proper recognition by the Crown and later, by Canada.
What started as an American raid upon the Port Talbot settlement on Lake Erie led by Captain Holmes ended up as an attempted attack on the British encampment at Delaware. However, it was foiled by Caldwell’s Western Rangers, who as advance scouts, discovered the American camp of 180 soldiers entrenched behind an abatis at Twenty Mile Creek. The British, alerted by the Rangers, dispatched 150 British Regulars from the Royal Scots and 89th, as well as about 40 Loyal Kent Militia and 40 First Nations to the scene. The British arrived at about 5:00pm under the leadership of Captain James Basden. The militia and First Nations flanked the American abatis while the British under Basden led a frontal attack across the ravine and up the slope to the front of the abatis. The battle itself lasted over an hour with catastrophic results.
So, a battle fought in over a foot of snow, at Twenty Mile Creek, in the future Mosa Township did have a major impact. The British lost and the Americans won, but both retreated. The loyal settlers of the Thames Valley found themselves totally abandoned by the British, who after March 10, 1814, retreated to east of the Grand River and to Norfolk County. It led to much loss and damage of personal property, livestock, and farm produce as the Americans soon realized that they had almost free range of the total region, using it to supply their bases at Detroit, Fort Gratiot and Fort Malden.
When the Upper Thames Military Reenactment Society (UTMRS) and residents of Southwest Middlesex assemble at 2:00 pm, on Sunday, March 2, 2025 at Battle Hill in Mosa Township to commemorate the Battle of Longwoods, we honour not only those who fought, but also remember that the cost of war is and always has been horrible, cruel, wasteful and life changing.
