Lewiston, a few miles below the Chippewa. It was thought that the
object of this movement was to capture the American magazines at
Schlosser and cut off supplies from Buffalo. General Brown having
determined to threaten the forts at the mouth of the Niagara, General
Scott's command was put in motion for this purpose. It consisted of
four battalions under Colonel Hugh Brady, and the commands of Majors
Jesup, Leavenworth, and McNeil, Captain Towson's artillery, and
Captain Harris's detachment of cavalry, the whole force aggregating
thirteen hundred men. After a march of two miles some mounted British
officers were discovered on a reconnoitering expedition, their forces
being a short distance off and hidden from view.

General Scott's orders were to march on the forts, as information had
been received that Riall had divided his forces, sending a thousand of
them across the river. He, however, determined to move forward and
give battle. Dispatching Adjutant-General Jones to General Brown with
information that the enemy was in his front, he moved on, and was
astonished to see drawn up in line of battle on Lundy's Lane a larger
force than he had fought at Chippewa; but he determined to give battle
and rely upon re-enforcements being rapidly sent to him. Lieutenant
Richard Douglass was now dispatched to inform General Brown of the
situation. On the night of the 23d Lieutenant-General Sir Gordon
Drummond had arrived at the mouth of the river with re-enforcements.
This was not known to General Brown. Riall had marched down the road
which Scott was to have taken on the 26th, coming by Queenstown, and
had not sent any troops across the Niagara. His re-enforcements were
coming up rapidly. The battle opened late in the afternoon. The
British line, eighteen hundred strong, posted on a ridge in Lundy's
Lane running at right angles with the river, was in front of Scott.
The left of this line was on a road parallel to the river, with a