Raid on Sodus was a Early Republic and War of 1812 engagement fought in New York, 1813. It was a British victory.
On the morning of June 19, 1813, a British landing force of 100 soldiers came ashore near the village of Sodus, New York. A body of 40 militiamen offered a brief stand against them but ultimately had no choice but to fall back. That defiance carried a price: the British responded by plundering the settlement and setting it ablaze in its entirety.
On the morning of June 19, 1813, a British landing force of 100 soldiers came ashore near the village of Sodus, New York. A body of 40 militiamen offered a brief stand against them but ultimately had no choice but to fall back. That defiance carried a price: the British responded by plundering the settlement and setting it ablaze in its entirety.
Once the fighting at Sacket's Harbor concluded on May 29, with the Americans coming out on the losing end of that second clash, Isaac Chauncey made the decision to pull the American fleet back into harbor, hoping to guard against further British aggression on Lake Ontario. This withdrawal, however, left the waters open for British vessels to roam freely along the New York shoreline. Two weeks later, on June 13, British forces struck at Charlotte, a settlement not far away. This assault convinced the Americans that Sodus would be the next target for a British landing. In response, a substantial body of Militia gathered and held their position there, waiting through the night until the morning of the 19th brought no sign of the expected attack. With the threat seemingly passed, most of the militia departed that same morning. It was only after they had gone that five British ships materialized off the coast, prompting riders to gallop out in a desperate attempt to summon the militia back, an effort that ultimately proved unsuccessful.
Under cover of darkness on June 19, a force of 100 British troops slipped ashore close to the settlement of Sodus, New York, managing to avoid detection. Captain E. Hull, commanding 40 New York militiamen, positioned his men behind a stand of trees overlooking the approach to the village. It was from this concealed position that the militia unleashed their initial volley, prompting the British to answer with fire of their own. The exchange proved brief but costly, with three British soldiers killed and seven wounded, while the Americans suffered one dead, three injured, and two taken prisoner. Facing these losses, Hull's militia pulled back from the field. The British likewise withdrew, making their way back to the vessels that had carried them ashore.
Once the American forces had withdrawn, the British came ashore again the following day, meeting no opposition. They moved through the settlement, making off with 230 barrels of flour along with a small amount of pork and whiskey. Every piece of public property fell to their plundering, and the village itself was reduced to ashes. At Charlotte, the New York militia offered no fight, and because of this the town escaped the fate that had befallen Sodus.
Approximate location. The nearest recorded settlement is shown; the exact site is unrecorded.
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