Editing Bennet C. Riley (section)

==Military career in the War of 1812==
Riley volunteered for service in the [[War of 1812]],<ref>Durwood Ball, ''Army Regulars on the Western Frontier, 1848–1861.'', University of Oklahoma Press, 2001, 9780806133126 [https://books.google.com/books?id=t7wzjM5IHgMC&dq=Bennet+Riley&pg=PA215 p. 8.].</ref> and on 19 January 1813, he was appointed Ensign of [[Regiment of Riflemen (United States)|Rifles]]. In March of the same year, he became a third lieutenant and in April 1814 a [[Second Lieutenant#United States|second lieutenant]] in the First Rifles. He saw action at [[Sackets Harbor, New York]], in [[Second Battle of Sacket's Harbor|second]] of two battles for control of the shipyards on [[Lake Ontario]]. He gained a promotion to [[First Lieutenant#United States|first lieutenant]] in March 1817. Riley was further advanced to [[Captain (United States)|captain]] in the [[5th Infantry Regiment (United States)|5th U.S. Infantry]], and by 1821 he was transferred to the [[6th Infantry Regiment (United States)|6th U.S. Infantry]].<ref name=Davis /><ref name=Obit />

===Skirmish near the garrison of Ogdensburg===
[[Benjamin Forsyth]] needed firewood for his barracks. Forsyth sent Bennet C. Riley with about a half dozen riflemen upriver to gather some wood in a boat. Riley and his men tried to stay by their side as close as possible and as stealthily as possible. But a group of British gunboats spotted Riley's boat crea and set upon them. Benjamin Forsyth and his riflemen rowed out on their boat providing sniper covering fire for Riley's crew. The British gunboats were held at bay as Riley and Forsyth both withdrew safely back to their fort in their boats.<ref>"The Insolent Enemy" by DE Butters Pages.41-42.</ref>

===Spearheading and raiding York===
[[Benjamin Forsyth]] and Bennet C. Riley spearheaded a raid in York. It would be a massive large force of 1,700 regulars including riflemen in 14 armed vessels. Forsyth and Riley led the way with their riflemen at the front to make a beachhead. Forsyth, Riley, and the riflemen landed at the beach. The Americans engaged the British regulars, Indians, and Canadians who were trying to set up a defense. Forsyth, Riley, and their riflemen hid behind trees and logs and never exposed themselves except when they fired, squatting down to load their pieces, and their clothes being green they were well camouflaged with the bushes and trees. The place chosen by the Americans for landing was very advantageous for their troops, being full of shrubs and bushes. The Americans immediately covered and cut off the British-allied forces, with little or no danger to the Americans. The British and their allies, suffering many casualties, withdrew from the field. The Americans suffered moderate casualties from resistance from British-allied remnants, magazine explosion, or other circumstances. The American raid at York was successful, however it was not without some controversy. Even though the civilians were not harmed, many of their belongings were looted by the Americans and much private property was burned to the ground. This was in spite of the explicit instructions of the American commander, Pike (who was killed in this raid), not to loot or burn private property. The Americans, after conducting their raid, withdrew from York. Forsyth, Riley, and the rest of their riflemen also withdrew.<ref>"The Insolent Enemy" by DE Butters Pages.68-76.</ref><ref>"The Documentary History of the Campaign Upon the Niagara Frontier" by Lundy's Lane Historical Society Pages.193-200.</ref>

===Capturing and interrogating prisoners===
Riley, Forsyth, and their riflemen were performing paramilitary operations in British Canada in support of America's invasion. Riley and his riflemen were out patrolling and acting as sentries. They captured two Canadian teenage boys who were acting as spies. Riley brought them before Forsyth. Forsythe and Riley did not wish to kill these captured teenagers, as they were just young boys whom they had no intention of killing. Forsyth and Riley bluffed their captured prisoners into talking by pretending to threaten them with death. The ruse worked, and the boys told Forsyth of valuable intelligence about a blockhouse that was being built to contest the American advance. Then Forsyth and Riley released both teenagers. Forsyth sent Riley to inform the American generals of the blockhouse. After Riley informed the American generals, the American army easily overtook the blockhouse and routed the British-Canadian defenders.<ref>"The Insolent Enemy" by DE Butters Pages.141-143</ref>

===Spearheading and besieging the British blockhouse Lacolle Mills===
Benjamin Forsyth, Bennet C. Riley, and their riflemen spearheaded an attack on British-allied forces who were retreating back to a blockhouse. The main American army followed behind. The British and their allies fell back into their blockhouse. The British and their allies were deeply entrenched and fortified in their blockhouse. Riley, Forsyth, their riflemen, and the American army besieged the blockhouse with rifle/musket fire and artillery. But the British held them off to great effect. After a long siege, the American force withdrew.<ref>"The Insolent Enemy" by DE Butters Pages.157-162.</ref>

===Long-range patrol===
[[Benjamin Forsyth]], Bennet C. Riley, and 70 of their riflemen went out from their base from Chamberlain to patrol near the Canadian border. While the Americans were patrolling in a loose skirmishing V formation. Forsyth stopped his men and had a secret conversation with Riley. Forsyth whispered to Riley that he sensed that there were Indians and Canadians hiding in ambush. Forsyth commanded Riley to tell the rest of the riflemen to casually withdraw so as not to cause the Indians and Canadians to be eager to launch their ambush. Riley suggested to Forsyth that they should withdraw to a tavern on the outskirts of this town and take shelter in it. Riley explained that they could conduct sniper fire from within the cover of the tavern. While Riley and Forsyth were marching their column casually for ten minutes. The Canadian-Indian force caught up and opened fire. All 70 American riflemen opened a simultaneous volley fire killing or wounding many Canadians and Indians. The Americans retreated by leapfrogging. One group of riflemen would provide covering fire while one group of riflemen retreated. The American repeated this process until they reached the tavern. Riley, Forsyth, and all their riflemen went inside the tavern. The Americans sniped at the enemy from behind covered and concealed positions within the tavern. The Americans killed or wounded many Canadians and Indians. After this intense engagement, the enemy fully retreated. The Americans were victorious. One American rifleman was killed and some wounded. The Americans later withdrew back to American lines in Chamberlain.<ref>"The Insolent Enemy" by DE Butters Pages.172-176.</ref>

===Ambushing and killing an enemy leader===
On August 10, 1814, Riley and a dozen American riflemen would conduct a mission behind enemy lines to kill or capture an enemy Canadian Indian tribal partisan leader named Captain Joseph St Valier Mailloux. Riley and his dozen riflemen infiltrated Odeltown in Canada silently. There was an enemy sentry. One of the American riflemen crept on the sentry and silently killed him with his tomahawk. Riley and his men hid the dead sentry's body. One of the American riflemen put on the dead sentry's uniform to trick captain Mailloux into a false sense of security when he came in to check on the sentry. The American rifleman disguised as the sentry stood guard while Riley and his other riflemen concealed themselves behind the bushes. Captain Mailloux came by and came closer to the sentry imposter to check up on him. Then Riley and his riflemen rose out of their concealment and demanded captain Mailloux to surrender. Captain Mailloux ran away. Riley's riflemen fired eleven shots hitting Mailloux eleven times. Mailloux was badly wounded. Riley and his riflemen carried Mailloux back to American lines in Chamberlain. The Americans tried to nurse Mailloux back to health, but Mailloux succumbed to his wounds and passed away.<ref>"The Insolent Enemy" by DE Butters Pages.181-184.</ref><ref>"Guidebook to the Historic Sites of the War of 1812: 2nd Edition, Revised and Updated" by Gilbert Collins Pages.234.</ref>