On February 22, 1813, about 500 British soldiers and Canadian militia marched across the frozen St. Lawrence River and took Ogdensburg, N.Y., by force. In doing so, the troops under Major George MacDonnell resoundingly ended the American threat to the Upper Canada supply route at Prescott, Ont. This daring action also launched some half-true or fanciful stories that continue to find their way into discussions of the war.
