War of 1812: In the Battle of Stoney Creek, considered a critical turning point in the war, a British force of 700 under John Vincent defeats an American force twice its size under William Winder and John Chandler.

The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States declared war on Britain on 18 June 1812. Although peace terms were agreed upon in the December 1814 Treaty of Ghent, the war did not officially end until the peace treaty was ratified by the United States Congress on 17 February 1815.

The Battle of Stoney Creek was a British victory over an American force fought on 6 June 1813, during the War of 1812 near what is now Stoney Creek, Ontario, Canada. British units made a night attack on the American encampment, and due in large part to the capture of the two senior officers of the American force and an overestimation of British strength by the Americans, the outcome of the battle was a total victory for the British, and a turning point in the defence of Upper Canada.

General John Vincent (1764–1848) was the British commanding officer of the Niagara Peninsula in Upper Canada when the United States attacked in the spring of 1813. He was defeated at the Battle of Fort George but was able to rebound and establish the new lines at Burlington Heights. He directed the campaign during the summer and fall that eventually forced the Americans to abandon the Niagara area in December 1813, thanks in large part due to his victory over the Americans at the Battle of Stoney Creek. Due to illness he was replaced by General Phineas Riall, though of the several officers of the 49th Regiment who reached high command during the War of 1812, Vincent was the longest-serving of them. British and Canadian accounts of the War give the impression of a modest, well-liked and generous officer, who gave whatever help he could to other commanders. From 1814, he had held the sinecure post of Lieutenant-Governor of Dumbarton Castle.