— Ch. 1 · The Lawyer Who Chose War —
Winfield Scott.
~8 min read · Ch. 1 of 7
On the 13th of June 1786, a boy named Winfield Scott was born near Petersburg, Virginia. He grew up on Laurel Hill, a plantation owned by his father William Scott. His mother Ann Mason raised him after his father died when Scott was six years old. The family held considerable wealth, yet most of the fortune went to his older brother James. Scott stood six feet five inches tall and weighed 230 pounds in his prime. He possessed a hardy constitution that made him physically imposing.
Scott attended schools run by James Hargrave and James Ogilvie before entering the College of William and Mary in 1805. He soon left college to study law under attorney David Robinson. While apprenticing there, he watched the trial of Aaron Burr for treason. During that trial, Scott developed a negative opinion of General James Wilkinson. Wilkinson had provided forged evidence to minimize his own complicity in Burr's actions.
Scott gained admission to the bar in 1806 and practiced law in Dinwiddie County. In 1807, he served as a corporal of cavalry in the Virginia Militia during the Chesapeake-Leopard affair. He led a detachment that captured eight British sailors who tried to land for provisions. Virginia authorities ordered the release of those prisoners because they feared sparking wider conflict. Later that year, Scott attempted to establish a legal practice in South Carolina but failed due to residency requirements.
Battles on the Niagara Frontier
In July 1812, Congress declared war on Britain after years of deteriorating relations over impressment of American citizens. Scott was promoted to lieutenant colonel and assigned as second-in-command of the 2nd Artillery Regiment. He served under George Izard while leading two companies north to join Stephen Van Rensselaer's militia force. The invasion aimed to capture Montreal and cut off Upper Canada from Lower Canada.
On the 13th of October 1812, Van Rensselaer's forces attacked British troops at Queenston Heights. Scott led an artillery bombardment supporting an American crossing of the Niagara River. After Colonel Solomon Van Rensselaer was wounded, Scott took overall command of U.S. forces. A British column under Roger Hale Sheaffe arrived with numerically superior strength. This compelled an American retreat and forced Scott to surrender when militia reinforcements failed to materialize.
As a prisoner of war, Scott received hospitable treatment from the British despite two Mohawk leaders nearly killing him during custody. He was released in late November through a prisoner exchange. Upon returning to the United States, he was promoted to colonel and appointed commander of the 2nd Artillery Regiment. He also became chief of staff to Henry Dearborn, who personally led operations against Canada around Lake Ontario.
Dearborn ordered Scott to attack Fort George on the Niagara River. With help from Navy elements commanded by Isaac Chauncey and Oliver Hazard Perry, Scott landed troops behind the fort and forced its surrender. He received wide praise for his conduct though disappointed that most of the British garrison escaped capture.