On the 12th the American plan was matured and concentration begun at Lewiston, opposite Queenston.  Large detachments came in, under perfect cover, from Four Mile Creek behind Fort Niagara.  A smaller number marched down from the Falls and from Smyth’s command still higher up.  The camps at Lewiston and the neighbouring Tuscarora Village were partly concealed from every point on the opposite bank, so that the British could form no safe idea of what the Americans were about.  Solomon Van Rensselaer was determined that the advance-guard should do its duty this time; so he took charge of it himself and picked out 40 gunners, 300 regular infantry, and 300 of the best militia to make the first attack.  These were to be supported by seven hundred regulars.  The rest of the four thousand men available were to cross over afterwards.  The current was strong; but the river was little more than two hundred yards wide at Queenston and it could be crossed in less than ten minutes.  The Queenston Heights themselves were a more formidable obstacle, even if defended by only a few men, as they rose 345 feet above the landing-place.

There were only three hundred British in Queenston to meet the first attack of over thirteen hundred Americans; but they consisted of the two flank companies of Brock’s old regiment, the 49th, supported by some excellent militia.  A single gun stood on the Heights.  Another was at Vrooman’s Point a mile below.  Two miles farther, at Brown’s Point, stood another gun with another detachment of militia.  Four miles farther still was Fort George, with Brock and his second-in-command, Colonel Sheaffe of the 49th.  About nine miles above the Heights was the little camp at Chippawa, which, as we shall see, managed to spare 150 men for the second phase of the battle.  The few hundred British above this had to stand by their own posts, in case Smyth should try an attack on his own account, somewhere between the Falls and Lake Erie.

At half-past three in the dark morning of the 13th of October, Solomon Van Rensselaer with 225 regulars sprang ashore at the Queenston ferry landing and began to climb the bank.  But hardly had they shown their heads above the edge before the grenadier company of the 49th, under Captain Dennis, poured in a stinging volley which sent them back to cover.  Van Rensselaer was badly wounded and was immediately ferried back.  The American supports, under Colonel Christie, had trouble in getting across; and the immediate command of the invaders devolved upon another regular, Captain Wool.

As soon as the rest of the first detachment had landed, Wool took some three hundred infantry and a few gunners, half of all who were then present, and led them up-stream, in single file, by a fisherman’s path which curved round and came out on top of the Heights behind the single British gun there.  Progress was very slow in this direction, though the distance was less than a mile, as it was still pitch-dark and the path was narrow and dangerous.  The three hundred left at the landing were soon reinforced, and the crossing went on successfully, though some of the American boats were carried down-stream to the British post at Vrooman’s, where all the men in them were made prisoners and marched off to Fort George.