manded his immediate surrender. Moreover,
he warned the Americans that his Indians
could not be controlled should a battle de-
velop, and they were all subject to massacre.
Boerstler refused at first, demanding to see
the British forces in the field, when 200 addi-
tional redcoats under Col. Bisshopp suddenly
arrived. This infusion of new troops con-
vinced Boerstler that his position was hope-
less, and he surrendered his remaining 484
unwounded soldiers to a force less than half
their size. It was a stunning bluff reminiscent
of the one employed earlier by General Brock
at Detroit. It forced the Americans to con-
strict their lines ever closer to Fort George
and allowed General Vincent to conduct raids
directly across the Niagara River into western
New York.
The victory at Beaver Dams had immedi-
ate repercussions on the American side, for it
prompted Secretary of War John Armstrong
to relieve the tottering theater commander,
Henry Dearborn, of his post. Fitzgibbon,
meanwhile, was widely hailed for his
achievement and received a gold medal as
well as promotion to captain within the Glen-
garry Fencibles, an elite light infantry force.
However, a minor controversy arose when
that officer failed to give his Mohawk allies
proper credit for their role at Beaver Dams.
In the words of Chief Norton, “The Caugh-
nawaga fought the battle, the Six Nations got
the plunder, and Fitzgibbon got the credit.” It
was not until 1818 that Fitzgibbon filed the
correct military papers acknowledging the
contributions of Native Americans and the
dispute was resolved. He also spent the bal-
ance of the war performing screening and
outpost duty, with none of the fanfare of his
earlier accomplishments.
After the war, the Glengarry Fencibles
were disbanded and Fitzgibbon retired on
half-pay. He became a militia colonel in 1826,
but his advance up the social ladder of Cana-
dian politics was always thwarted by a lack of
social standing. Nonetheless, Fitzgibbon re-
mained loyal to the established order and ren-
dered useful military service during the so-
called Patriot War of 1837. This was a violent
uprising by lower classes against the so-called
Family Compact, an elite group of rulers who
literally controlled the entire colony. But de-
spite his own humble origins, Fitzgibbon
faithfully served the established political
order. Moreover, his quick actions helped dis-
perse several groups of rebels, but he re-
ceived little recognition for these efforts. Dis-
gusted by official neglect and burdened by
debts, he finally left Canada in 1847 and never
returned. He managed to secure a small al-
lowance as a military knight at Windsor Cas-
tle and used his Canadian pension to pay off
his debts. Fitzgibbon died there somewhat
embittered by his lack of social advancement
on December 12, 1863. However, his victory at
Beaver Dams 50 years earlier remains one of
the most cherished episodes in Canadian mili-
tary history.Bibliography
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University of Toronto Press, 1998; Chartrand,
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K. The Battle of Beaver Dams: The Story of
Thorold’s Battle in the War of 1812. St.
Catharines, Ontario: Slabtown Press, 1996; Fitzgib-
bon, Mary A. A Veteran of 1812: The Life of James
Fitzgibbon.Toronto: W. Briggs, 1894; Johnson, J.
K. “Colonel James Fitzgibbon and the Suppression
of Irish Riots in Upper Canada.” Ontario History
58 (1996): 139–155; Jones, F. L. “A Subaltern of
1812: Fitzgibbon.” Canadian Army Journal 9
(1955): 59–68; Keefer, Frank H. Beaver Dams.
Thorold, Ontario: N.p., 1914; Mallory, Enid. The
Green Tiger: James Fitzgibbon, Hero of the War
of 1812.Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1976;
McKenzie, Ruth. James Fitzgibbon: Defender of
Upper Canada.Toronto: Dundurn Press, 1983.FITZGIBBON, JAMES