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The Raid on Port Dover was an episode during the Anglo-American War of 1812.〔 〕 American troops crossed Lake Erie to capture or destroy stocks of grain, and to destroy mills which were used to provide flour for British troops stationed on the Niagara Peninsula. They also destroyed private houses and other property, prompting British commanders to demand reprisals in other theatres of the war. To some degree, the burning of Washington by the British later in the year was influenced by the American actions at Port Dover. ==Background== In the spring of 1814, the Americans were preparing to make an attack across the Niagara River. As the Americans held undisputed control of Lake Erie, the troops at Presque Isle were no longer needed to protect the improvised shipyard there, and were ordered to join the main American army at Buffalo, New York. The idea of raiding the Canadian settlements near Long Point and destroying the mills there ''en route'' to Buffalo occurred both to Captain Arthur Sinclair, commanding the armed vessels of the United States Navy on Lake Erie, and Lieutenant Colonel John B. Campbell, commanding the troops at Presque Isle. It took some days to assemble the expedition, in particular to obtain volunteers from the Pennsylvania Militia, and Sinclair later considered that the delay and publicity prevented the raid from achieving surprise.〔 On 13 May, 750 troops, composed of detachments of regulars (including artillery) and Pennsylvania militia, were embarked aboard Sinclair's ships. The expedition was accompanied by several renegade Canadian guides, including Abraham Markle.〔Hitsman & Graves, p.219〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア(Wikipedia)』 ■ウィキペディアで「Raid on Port Dover」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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