Field of Glory: The Battle of Crysler's Farm, 1813 [Paperback]

Donald E. Graves (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 15, 1999

One of the turning points in the War of 1812. In the fall of 1813 the largest army yet assembled by the United States invaded Canada, determined to capture Montreal. The courageous but ill-trained and badly led American forces were defeated by British, Canadian and native troops in two important encounters: the Battle of Chateuaguay and, above all, the Battle of Crysler's Farm, fought on a muddy field beside the St. Lawrence River.

Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Robin Brass Studio, Inc.; 3rd Printing edition (June 15, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1896941109
• ISBN-13: 978-1896941103
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,036,817 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Magnificent Account of a Debacle, November 22, 2005

By 

Robert Zebian "Bob Zebian" (Colleyville, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Field of Glory: The Battle of Crysler's Farm, 1813 (Paperback)

Donald Graves writes a detailed and enjoyable account of one of the worst-managed campaigns in U.S. Army history, the fall 1813 invasion of Canada, that resulted in the debacle at Freeman's Farm.

The invasion was led (if you can call it leading) by General James Wilkinson. Wilkinson is easily the biggest scoundrel to ever wear an American uniform. While leader of the U.S. Army, he was also in the pay of Spain, to promote Spanish "interests" in America. He participated in the Aaron Burr conspiracy, only to switch sides and testify against Burr. He also tried to get Kentucky to secede from the Union. During the Freeman's Farm campaign, he dosed himself so heavily with laudenum that the soldiers thought he was drunk. Due to illness and medication, he never appeared at the front. Which fits his character, as he did not believe that a general's place was at the front. How this farce ever got and held command is unbelievable!

Yet he did, and thanks to his lack of talent, and to the ineptitude of other officers and politicians, the lives of many brave American soldiers were wasted. But Graves is quick to point out that from this disaster a new American army arose months later. This army was stripped of the incompetent officers and led by a new breed of warriors; men such as Jacob Brown and Winfield Scott. This army would go on to victories in 1814, and set the standard for the professional U.S. Army of the early 19th century.

Graves' writing is excellent. He can make movements of armies clear, and still go into detail about the travails of common soldiers. The battle descriptions are very good, helped by several excellent maps. These make it easy to follow the flow of the battle.

Having read this book, I ordered "Where Right and Glory Lead! The Battle of Lundy's Lane, 1814" and "Red Coats & Grey Jackets: The Battle of Chippawa, 5 July 1814" by the same author. I can't wait to read those books!

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Montreal or Bust in 1813!, May 9, 2002

By 

Roger Kennedy (USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Field of Glory: The Battle of Crysler's Farm, 1813 (Paperback)

The 1813 campaign against Montreal must rank as one of the most dismal episodes in US Military History. No wonder it takes a Canadian like Donald Graves to write about it, as no American historian has wanted to touch it! Yet there is much food for thought here, and we as Americans have a lot to learn from our poor showing at the battles of Crysler's Farm and Chatanquay. In America we are often found of pointing out how the British professionals lacked imagination and iniative. This seemed to be so during the Revolution. How did it change for the War of 1812? The fundimental difference appears to be that the 13 Colonies took a defensive posture against the Britishin the Revolution, while in the War of 1812 the United States was deffinitely the aggressor. Yet the laws of the United States did not provide well for offensive operations. State Militias could deny crossing international boundries, and did so freqeuently during this conflict. Also, the leadership in the United States army was exceedingly poor in this period. With the likes of James Wilkinson, John Boyd and Wade Hampton leading the US invasion against Montreal, what else but failure could be expected! Here we have the classic example of political patronage and connections providing an officer corps that was totally incompetent. In contrast, the British, often accused of having such in their army, were made up totally of competent, professional individuals.

The American Army that went to war in 1812 was as bad or worse than the Spanish army of the period. The American troops were half trained at best, brave yes, but that could not compensate against discipline and professionalism. At the battle of Chantanguay a small force of Canadien Voltigeurs and Indians under de Salaberry managed to rebuff Wade Hampton. Canadians have made much of this action, but in reality with the uninspired generalship of Hampton, defeat was almost assured. This poor showing was compounded a few weeks later at Crysler's Farm where a much bigger American army was roughly handled by a smaller professional British force less than half its size. Wilkinson who lead this part of the army demonstrated leadhership as bad or worse than Hampton. In fact he was ill throughout the battle, leaving command in the field to John Boyd, a mercinary soldier of low fortune. The British, under the inspired Colonel Morrison had only the 49th & 89th regiments of foot and a few light companies and militia to hold off Boyd's horde. Yet, the sheer professionalism of the British and their allies enabled them to do so. Morrison deployed his well-drilled regulars in an enclosed field, forcing the Americans to take him head-on. The bumbling American columns were shot to pieces as they emerged from the woods, yet the prolonged firefight which ensued would prove costly to the Britsih as well. Still, there could be no denying that the Americans were woefully under trained to take on such professionals. Boyd withdrew after two hours of desultry fighting, losing close to 500 men killed, wounded and captured. British losses were less than half. With this second repulse, the American drive on Montreal was ended.

Canada owes a great debt to the professionalism of the British regulars who defended her borders. Popular Canadian history has tried to down-play the contributions of the British troops, while boasting the role of the Indians and Militia. This is nonesense, and Mr.Graves more than sets the record straight here.

Overall this is Mr. Grave's longest and most impressive work. His two previous books on the battles of Chippewa and Lundy's Lane brought these less well known actions to light, dispelling many popular myths in the process. Here Graves has shed light on a very dark aspect of the war for the United States, and one that is not well known in this country. American readers may find it painful to read, yet instructional. Also, in the ashes of defeat would come redemption in the following year when Jacob Brown and Winfield Scott conduct the 1814 Niagara campaign which salvages to some exstent the shattered reputation of the United States army. In reading this book one can see that we Americans are a people that enjoy war, yet are not professional in our conduct of it. These are lessons we need to take to heart for the present day.

In conclusion, Grave's book is well written, full of many interesting bios on the personalities involved, and provides numerous addenda. This reader cannot recommend it highly enough. It is his best work on the War of 1812 so far. Military buffs of the period will enjoy its up-close description of the fighting, providing as it does an interesting example of Napoleanic tactics applied in a secondary theater of war. All War of 1812 nuts should have it in their collection.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars On To Montreal!, October 8, 2000

By 

Kevin F. Kiley - See all my reviews

This review is from: Field of Glory: The Battle of Crysler's Farm, 1813 (Paperback)

Donald Graves continues his expert telling of the tale of the fighting on the Niagara frontier in the War of 1812 with this chronicle of the abortive invasion of Canada by the inexpert American forces under the incompetent command of the treasonous General James Wilkinson. Factual, colorful, and authoritative, this book is a must for any student of the War of 1812 in particular and the Napoleonic period in general. Frequently overlooked as a very small sideshow compared to the huge conflagration in Europe, the War of 1812 is really America's, and Canada's, forgotten war. Fought over immense distances under incredible hardship with very small armies, the stakes fought for were unbelievably high, and the difficulty of waging war in this primitive wilderness, and the hardships endured by the troops, is simply unbelievable. High deeds and much incompetence takes place in this volume, where an outnumbered, but much more skilled and better led, British/Canadian force badly defeats an American army whose only advantage is numbers. However, some of the American regimental commanders take note and learn their lessons, and came roaring back the next year at Chippawa, Lundy's Lane, and Fort Erie to win back pride, prestige, and to fight the British and Canadians to a Mexican standoff, not quite winning, but not losing either. Expertly written by THE authority on the period on the Niagara frontier, with the additional treat of a forward by Col John Elting, noted authority on the Napoleonic period and perhaps the greatest American military historian of the last half of the twentieth century, this book is a treat and definitely a must have.