Which British officer commanded the winning force at the Battle of Crysler's Farm?

Joseph Wanton Morrison commanded the British force that won the Battle of Crysler’s Farm.

The battle took place on November 11, 1813, in Upper Canada during the American Saint Lawrence campaign. Morrison led a Corps of Observation centered on the 2nd Battalion of the 89th Regiment. After being reinforced at Prescott, his force numbered roughly 900 men and was supported by gunboats commanded by William Mulcaster.

The Americans, under Major General James Wilkinson, greatly outnumbered Morrison’s troops. Morrison chose favorable open ground near Crysler’s Farm, where disciplined British line tactics and controlled musket volleys could be used effectively. Muddy fields and marshy woodland made it difficult for the larger American force to maneuver and coordinate its attacks.

The British victory helped convince the United States to abandon its attempt to move down the Saint Lawrence and capture Montreal. Morrison is sometimes confused with George Prevost, the senior British commander in Canada, but Prevost did not lead the winning force in the battle itself. Morrison’s later War of 1812 service included the Battle of Lundy’s Lane, where he was seriously wounded.