Which American general was killed during the capture of York in 1813?

The American general killed during the capture of York in 1813 was Zebulon Pike. York, now Toronto, was the capital of Upper Canada and a British military and naval base on Lake Ontario. On April 27, 1813, an American expedition commanded overall by Henry Dearborn and supported by Commodore Isaac Chauncey landed west of the town.

Brigadier General Pike led the attacking troops as they advanced against the outnumbered British, Canadian militia, and Indigenous defenders. The Americans captured the fort, dockyard, and settlement, but the victory came at a heavy cost. As the British garrison withdrew, its soldiers ignited the fort’s gunpowder magazine.

The resulting explosion sent stones, timber, and other debris through the advancing American formation. Pike was struck and mortally wounded; he died the same day. The blast also killed and wounded many other American soldiers. The capture of York was an American victory, but it did not destroy British control of Lake Ontario because the more strategically important naval base at Kingston remained in British hands.

Pike was already famous for leading western expeditions, and Pikes Peak in Colorado was later named for him.