BUFFALO, NY - When you think of a battlefield, places like Gettysburg, Normandy, and even Ridgeway, Ontario may come to mind, but Grant Street? Probably not.
However, right there, below the 198 over-pass, on opposite sides of Scajaquada Creek, one of the most pivotal conflicts of the War of 1812 was waged.
The Battle of the Scajaquada Creek Bridge occurred on August 3rd, 1814, as much of the American manpower was entrenched around Fort Erie. The British wanted to cut off the shipment of arms and food, so they planned to attack that route between the villages of Black Rock and Buffalo.
It is just one of many chapters of this neighborhood's exciting, sometimes tragic, sometimes inspirational history. A history that is on displayat the Black Rock Historical society. Doreen Deboth, a society co-founder and artist painted two pictures depicting the battle, and the American strategy. "They started their attack around 2 in the morning and the Americans knew what was going to happen, so they started taking out the planks on the bridge." DeBoth explains that Major Ludowick Morgan, commanding 240 riflemen, ordered the dismantling of part of the bridge so that the British would not see it until they got to the top of the arched bridge. The British troops were ordered to advance, while the American riflemen cut them down in their tracks.
The Americans were severely outnumbered and out-gunned... but it was the British who were outsmarted. Major Morgan's command was brilliant and he was considered the hero of the battle.
Morgan died in battle a short time later and is buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery today.