Battle of Plattsburgh

In late summer 1814, with Napoleon beaten, Britain sent a large army under Sir George Prevost south from Canada. The route ran along Lake Champlain, and Prevost would not advance without control of the lake. At Plattsburgh Bay, Master Commandant Thomas Macdonough anchored his squadron so that it could be turned in place with anchors and cables. When the British squadron under Captain George Downie arrived, Downie was killed early, and after a close fight Macdonough turned his flagship to bring fresh guns to bear and forced the British ships to surrender. Prevost then called off the invasion and retreated, an episode that did not help his reputation.

Prevost's decision to withdraw was criticised, and he was recalled to face a court martial but died before it met. Later opinion is divided on whether he was reckless in pushing the naval attack before the fleet was ready or sensible in not storming the town without the lake. The Duke of Wellington's view is often quoted, that command of the lake was essential. The victory was celebrated in the United States as a deliverance, and it is often argued to have strengthened the American hand when peace was settled at Ghent in December. The rooster story is one of several colourful but unverifiable tales told about the day.