William Wadsworth ( officer ) William Wadsworth ( 1765 in Durham , Connecticut – 15 February 1833 in Geneseo , New York ) was an officer in the New York State militia , before and during the War of 1812 . As a Brigadier General , he commanded the New York militia contingent in the American army at the Battle of Queenston Heights . He waived his right to command over Lieutenant Colonel Winfield Scott , of the United States Army . During the battle , he faced the enemy at all times so that he would not be shot in the back and thus appear to be cowardly . Waving his sword and swearing at the troops back across the river , hoping to instill the fighting spirit in them , Wadsworth made a genuine but vain attempt to get the militia to cross and reinforce their position . At the end of the battle , Wadsworth was taken prisoner when the American force , cut off on the Canadian side of the Niagara River , surrendered to avoid a massacre by Indians under John Brant attached to the British force . Family . William Wadsworth was a scion of the prominent Wadsworth family of Connecticut . He was a sixth generation descendant of William Wadsworth ( 1595 – 1675 ) who was one of the Founders of Hartford , Connecticut . In 1790 , with his charismatic brother James Wadsworth , they moved from Connecticut to the Genesee Valley of Western New York State . Settling in " Big Tree " on June 9 , 1790 , on the east bank of the Genesee River , William and his brother were the leading pioneers of this unsettled region , and ultimately became one of the largest wealthiest land holders of the area . As the settlement in the area increased , William was elected Town supervisor for 21 years . Before and during his tenure , William created and took charge of the area ' s local militia and eventually took command of the Genesee Valley militia . By the time hostilities broke out between the U . S . and Great Britain in 1812 , William Wadsworth was promoted to Brigadier General . William never married and history records no known children . Visit from the Duke . Despite the fact that William and his brother were now by any standard wealthy , they were still living in their first log cabin when , in the summer of 1795 , the Duke François Alexandre Frédéric , duc de la Rochefoucauld - Liancourt came riding up the road from Canawaugus , New York with his entourage of a young Englishman , servants and a poodle named Cartouche . The duke , who had letters of introduction to " those great American Landlords , Messrs . James and William Wadsworth " , was somewhat taken aback by their manorial dwelling . He described it in his memoirs as being " a small log house as dirty as any I have ever seen " It was cluttered with stores of all kinds and live chickens . The duke says , " It stank so I could hardly bear it . " The duke ' s dog apparently had eaten one of Wadsworth ' s chickens and his servant Jenny told that " eminent nobleman " just what she thought of him and his dog . William ' s hospitality extended him an invitation to " stay for a week , " which was hastily declined . The duke did stay the night , but William could not see them off properly , as Captain , he had to attend to the muster of militia early that following morning . The duke left that day for Buffalo and eventually continued on his " Grand Tour " into Canada . Treaty of Big Tree . Between August 20 , 1797 and September 16 , 1797 , William Wadsworth acted as host to the delegation for the Treaty of Big Tree . This was a formal treaty between the Seneca nation and the United States of America . A meadow between the Wadsworths ' cabin at Big Tree and the gigantic oak by the river , which gave the place its name , was the site of the conference . In attendance were nearly three thousand Seneca and other members of the Six Nations of the Iroquois . Representing them were the Chiefs Cornplanter , Red Jacket , Farmer ' s Brother , Tall Chief , Little Beard and others , the Clan Mother s of the nation , and also Mary Jemison . Those in attendance representing the United States were Colonel Jeremiah Wadsworth , Commissioner representing the US Government , Thomas Morris representing his father , Robert Morris , General William Shepard representing Massachusetts , Theophilus Cazenove and Paolo Busti , representatives for the Holland Land Company , Captain Israel Chapin , representing the Department of Indian Affairs , Joseph Ellicott , Land surveyor , and James Rees as acting secretary . All of the treaty delegates for the United States were housed in William ' s log cabin and new cobblestone house . The treaty was signed on September 16 , 1797 after nearly a month of , at times heated , back and forth negotiations . This treaty opened up the territory west of the Genesee River and established ten Reservations for the Seneca in Western New York . Battle of Queenston Heights . On June 18 , 1812 War was declared between the United States and Great Britain . On that same day , William Wadsworth was promoted to Brigadier General and put in command of the 7th Brigade , 1st Division , that was made up of the 18th , 19th , and 20th regiments of the New York State Detached Militia . These regiments represented the Counties of Seneca , Cayuga and Ontario respectively . The 20th Regiment contained the various companies of Ontario County , New York in which was William ' s original Geneseo Company now under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Peter Allen . At the outbreak of the War of 1812 , the Niagara Frontier was unprepared for the defense of its settlements . Along the Niagara River , which separates Canada from New York , the citizens were alarmed by the military activity on the Canadian side of the river . They wrote to New York Congressman and Quartermaster General , Peter B . Porter , on April 15 , 1812 , about their concerns of the lack of arms and ammunition , adding " there is not five muskets that is fit to use in this place & they are not to be had in this quarter . " Governor Daniel D . Tompkins was made aware that the New York Militia was destitute of arms , camp equipment , blankets , and other items . Particularly , at the settlements of Black Rock , now a part of Buffalo , New York , and the settlement at Lewiston , New York . On June 25 , 1812 , one week after his promotion and the declaration of war , Governor Tompkins ordered Brigadier General William Wadsworth , his newly formed 7th Brigade , with two cannons and ball , to command the Niagara Frontier and reinforce the 400 regular army at Black Rock . The Governor ’ s instruction made it clear Wadsworth was " at liberty to act offensively as well as defensively " according to the circumstances along the river . Wadsworth confessed to the governor , in a letter , that he lacked military experience and was " ignorant of even the minor duties of the duty to which you have assigned me , " and asked to have an experienced " military secretary " assigned to him , a request to which the governor complied . The Governor later assigned the more experienced Major General Amos Hall to overall command of the Niagara Frontier militia on July 28 , 1812 , until Major General Stephen van Rensselaer could assume the command on August 11 , 1812 . It was for these reasons Wadsworth earned the epitaph “ the reluctant general . ” Wadsworth marched his column of about 900 men from Canandaigua and reaching Batavia on July 1 , picking up U . S . regular troops along the way . These consisted of the 13th U . S . Infantry Regiment under Lieutenant Colonel John Chrystie and Major James Mullany ; the 23rd U . S . Infantry Regiment under Lieutenant William Clarke ; and the 3rd U . S . Artillery Regiment under Captain James McKeon . Wadsworth reached Black Rock on July 3 with a combined force of 1600 men . He immediately dispatched militia reinforcements to Fort Schlosser at Niagara Falls , New York and to Lewiston and sent the detachment of regulars on to Fort Niagara . About a week later four more companies of volunteer militia attached to the 20th regiment arrived , along with 20 horsemen acting as courier riders . This group brought General Wadsworths combined strength to nearly 1 , 900 men at arms ( including invalids , and absentees ) by July 10 , 1812 . General Wadsworth immediately appraised the defenses between Buffalo and Fort Niagara . He reports that Fort Niagara " is very much decayed " and under gunned . He requested heavy ordnance and field artillery . He asked that the Governor dispatch 2 , 000 more troops and that he immediately send food , tents , shoes and equipment for the men currently there . He went to work building batteries and breast works , but this was nearly futile " without axes , hoes , shovels or anything of this kind . " Per Wadsworth ' s request , Governor Tompkins sent his personal assistant , the engineer and artillerist Nicholas Gray , to assist Wadsworth . Upon his arrival on July 18 , Gray reported to Tompkins that he was impressed with General Wadsworth who ' s " camps were in good health and orderly " and that he " had ordered a military school , both for officers and soldiers . . . and pays unwearied attention to the troops , and is forming a system which has as its objective the organization of the staff and camp duties . " On July 24 , 1812 Major General Amos Hall arrived at Buffalo and took command , but this was only temporary , as both Wadsworth and Hall knew they were to be replaced soon . On August 11 , 1812 Major General Stephen Van Rensselaer arrived to Lewiston and took Command . On September 4 , 1812 Major General Van Rennselaer writes in his general orders " To the Commanding officer of the 7th Brigade [ General Wadsworth ] and to the Colonels of the 18th and 20th Regiments [ Wadsworth ' s original Company ] , the General tenders his acknowledgments , for the strict discipline of their troops and the preservation of their health . " This order following months of successive general orders issuing complaints and instructions to the officers about the troop ' s lack of discipline , order , and sanitation . Stephan Van Rensselaer was a popular Federalist politician and an opponent in the gubernatorial candidacy of New York in 1813 . His rival , Governor Tompkins , had appointed him to command the American army for political purposes , perhaps to get rid of him , as he was an inexperienced commander . Under presidential pressure from Washington , D . C . Van Rensselaer began making plans to cross the Niagara River from his base at Lewiston , NY to capture the village of Queenston , Ontario and the nearby heights . He ordered Brigadier General Alexander Smyth to join him in Lewiston with his troops on October 11 , 1812 . However , Smyth , of the regular US Army , commanding at Buffalo , had issues with taking orders from him . Believing van Rensselaer ' s hasty maneuver unwise , he and his men remained conspicuously absent from the campaign that followed . In the pre - dawn hours the morning of October 13 , 1812 , Lieutenant Colonel John Chrystie in command of the first landing party , made their way in darkness across the river . Col . Chrystie ' s boat came under surprise fire , and his crew turned and fled back across to Lewiston . Captain John E . Wool , having landed , took command of the 13th United States Infantry Regiment , led a group of American soldiers up a fisherman ' s path to the British artillery stationed on top of the heights . His men were able to take out the British artillery emplacements on Queenston Heights . Upon realizing the Americans had landed , British Major General Isaac Brock sent a message from Queenston to British Major General Roger H . Sheaffe at Fort George , requesting immediate reinforcements to block the American landings . In the meantime General Brock ordered his men and Indian Allies to retake the heights . Major General Van Rensselaer worked to consolidate the position on the Canadian side of the river . Ordering the heights to be fortified , he placed Lieutenant Colonel Winfield Scott in command with Brigadier General William Wadsworth leading the militia . Despite the earlier success , Van Rensselaer ' s position was tenuous as only around 600 men had crossed being 350 Regular Army and only 250 Militia had volunteered to cross with Wadsworth . After Van Rensselaer gave command of the invasion party to Lieutenant Colonel Winfield Scott . Major Isaac Roach recalls that when Scott " took command he did not know there was a General officer on the grounds . The latter [ Wadsworth ] , who was in plain clothes at the time , modestly made his rank known , insisted on supporting Scott , which he did , with zeal and valor , in every combat . " General Brock personally led the British charge up the heights that nearly succeeded , but it ultimately was repelled . Brock , an obvious target with his commanding height and in his general ' s uniform ; he was wounded in the hand and then shot and killed by American sharpshooters . A second charge was made shortly after , now under the command of Lieutenant Colonel John Macdonell . This charge was also repulsed and Macdonell was also killed in action . In this second charge Captain Wool was severely wounded in the thigh . Meanwhile , General Wadsworth with a detachment of militia volunteers and Winfield Scott ' s regulars crossed the river to reinforce Captain Wool ' s position and take command . Wadsworth had hoped " that his example might have a better effect than his orders in making the militia cross . " British reinforcements arrived from Fort George to Queenston , including British artillery . Opening fire from the village , it made crossing the river hazardous . On the heights 300 Iroquois began attacking Scott and Wadsworth ' s outposts . Frustrated , van Rensselaer worked tirelessly to convince the militia to embark to reinforce Scott and Wadsworth . However , the majority of the citizen Militia , low on ammunition , knowing reinforcements were not in the vicinity , hearing the war cries of the Indians , and in full view of the British reinforcements approaching across the river , stood by their known right , as volunteer militia , to refuse to invade or fight in a foreign country . By law , militiamen were not required to cross a border under arms , but could volunteer to do so . Ultimately unsuccessful , Van Rensselaer dispatched a note to Scott and Wadsworth giving them permission " to withdraw if the situation warranted . " Abandoned by the militia , hearing the Mohawk war cries under John Brant and fearing massacre , Wadsworth ' s men retreated . During their retreat Wadsworth was wounded in the right arm . His line collapsing , Scott , too , fell back , ultimately retreating down the slope above the river . With no escape and the Mohawks , embittered over the loss of two chiefs , in pursuit , Scott was forced to surrender the remnants of his command to British Major General Roger Sheaffe . Wadsworth ' s men too , soon ran out of ammunition and were forced back to the edge of the heights where " Thousands could testify to seeing him [ Wadsworth ] standing on . . . land at the edge of the bluff , pleading . . . to his men on the safe bank to join him and save the day . When they would not , he shook his bright sword and cursed them so terribly that one awed eyewitness wrote , ' His language was said to be the worst in the whole American Army ' . " Another witness , after seeing this display , later described Wadsworth as " the most eloquently profane officer in the [ US ] army . " After the bugles hailed the cease - fire , General Wadsworth was brought before General Roger H . Sheaffe . Upon introductions , British Captain James Crooks recalls , Wadsworth " drew his sword and presented the handle to General Sheaffe who said , ' I understand General your people have surrendered , ' to which Wadsworth made no other answer other than bowing his head in token that it was so . " The British tallied the total number captured at 436 regulars and 489 of militia . They released the walking wounded the day after the battle . The militia was released on parole on October 15 . Surprisingly , among them was Brigadier General William Wadsworth , who had further negotiated the release of Major James Mullany and Captain Peter Ogilvie . The release of such high - ranking officers was the cause of much consternation and dismay among the British troops and their Indian allies . General Sheaffe relates that he allowed Wadsworth ' s release in the hope that " his going with the militia will . . . only tend to ensure a strict execution of the agreement . " The other regular officers were released several months later after the terms of the exchange agreement between the parties was honored . Shortly after his parole General Wadsworth returned to his home on the Genesee Valley to recuperate . Though disappointed with the lack of militia to volunteer on that fateful day Wadsworth still defends them . He later writes to Van Rensselaer , " I do not say where the regulars and militia who were not there . . . were , but it is clear they were not where they ought to have been . . . . I am conscious that on the 13th and that on every other day during the campaign , I endeavored to do my duty . With this I shall rest satisfied , however others may estimate my services . I am aware that the militia have their faults , but they have their merit , too , and it is that merit of which they ought not to be deprived , unless it is intended to render them useless in the future . " When William died in 1833 his brother James Wadsworth inherited his estate . His obituary noted that " Few officers . . . have been more universally respected and beloved by their soldiers . "