When the Americans overran the fort in 1813, the British commander, before he scampered out of the back door, blew up the gunpowder magazine. This happened near this memorial area, and killed or injured many of the attackers, including their leader, Brigadier-General Zebulon Pike. After he'd pondered the oddness of a battle in which the winners lost twice as many men as the losers, Mr Monkey examined the outside of the Brick Barracks, where the ordinary soldiers lived.
You can read about the the Battle of York at the War of 1812 website.
Copyright Rik Shepherd and Mr Monkey. This page last modified 16 November 2004