Sir Phineas Riall was a British army officer who fought in the War of 1812.
He was born in Clonmel, Ireland, into a wealthy Protestant landowning family. He entered the army as an Ensign in 1794 and rose rapidly through the purchase of commissions.
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Even though he spent seven years on half-pay (i.e. without any regimental or staff appointment), he was Major in the 15th Regiment of Foot in 1805.
He sailed with them to the West Indies and seems to have first seen serious action when he commanded the regiment at the capture of Martinique in 1809.
The next year, he commanded a brigade at the capture of Guadeloupe. After this, he returned to England.
Over the next two years, he received promotions to Colonel and Major General through seniority.
War of 1812
He was then posted to Canada, where initially he commanded the Montreal district, then accompanied Lieutenant-General Drummond to Upper Canada.
On arrival, Drummond immediately halted all withdrawals and mounted an attack on the American side of the Niagara River.
As part of the attack, Riall led a detachment across the river at Lewiston on December 19, 1813, and advanced south. The attack was almost unopposed, as the Americans had stripped the Niagara front of Regular soldiers to furnish an ill-fated attack on Montreal.
The advance was marked by the burning of almost every village in reprisal for the American burning of Newark ten days earlier.
On December 30, Riall again crossed the Niagara River further south and repeated the deliberate destruction at Buffalo and Black Rock, although here there was a Navy yard and several other legitimate military targets.
On July 5, 1814, Riall commanded the "Right Division" of the British Army in Upper Canada on the Niagara River.
At the Battle of Chippawa, he ordered them to attack Winfield Scott's advancing American brigade. The result was a bloody defeat for the British.
Riall's tactics might have been correct had he faced American militia, as he thought, but were disastrous against Scott's well-trained regulars.
On July 25, Riall's troops once again engaged Scott at the Battle of Lundy's Lane. Riall was severely wounded in the arm early in the battle and, while riding to the rear, was captured by American infantry.
While he was a prisoner, a fellow captive (Canadian militia dragoon officer William Hamilton Merritt) described him as "very brave, nearsighted, rather short, but stout."
Final Years
He was allowed to sail for England on parole in December.
On February 18, 1816, he was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of Grenada, a post he held until 1823.
Thereafter, he appears to have seen very little service, although he was knighted in 1833 and eventually became full General on November 23, 1841.
Sir Phineas Riall died peacefully in Paris in 1850.