Battle of Pelee Island

The Patriot War occurred along what is now the Michigan-Ontario border in 1837 and 1838 involving small groups of men on each side of the border seeking to "liberate" Upper Canada.

Prelude
On February 26, 1838 the frozen ice of Lake Erie allowed 300 Canadian and American Patriots under the command of Major Lester Hoadley to take Pelee Island at the western end of the lake. This prompted British Colonel John Maitland to send a force to recapture the island and secure it from further attack. Maitland sent Major George Browne with 126 men, comprising two companies of the British 32nd Regiment and a detachment of the Canadian St. Thomas Volunteer Cavalry to cut off the invaders.

The battle
On March 3, 1838, Browne's force intercepted the Hunter Patriots on the ice off the south western shore of the island and defeated them in a sharp fight. The British and Canadian casualties were 5 killed (4 from the 32nd Regiment and 1 Canadian cavalryman) and 25 wounded. On the Patriot side, Hoadley, his second-in-command, Captain Van Rensselaer, and 11 rank and file were killed by enemy fire, in addition to 1 man who drowned when he fell through the ice. 18 Patriots were wounded and a further 11 were captured, some of whom were also badly wounded.