BATTLE OF PLATTSBURGH

Battle of Plattsburgh

As peace negotiations played out in Europe, British commanders attempted a major invasion down the Lake Champlain corridor, hoping to carve off parts of northern New York and influence the terms of any treaty. American forces under Brigadier General Alexander Macomb fortified positions around Plattsburgh while a small naval squadron under Master Commandant Thomas Macdonough prepared to contest the lake. When British warships sailed into the bay, Macdonough’s careful anchoring plan allowed his outgunned vessels to fight at close range and even rotate to bring fresh broadsides to bear. On land, American troops and militia held against British attacks that depended on success at sea. The British fleet’s defeat forced the invading army to withdraw, blunting the offensive. The outcome helped convince British negotiators that sweeping territorial gains were unlikely, strengthening the American hand at Ghent and preserving the nation’s northern border.