"The hamlet [Amherst] had barely taken shape when, on June 19, 1812, the United States Government declared war on England.
While no battles took place in Amherst, its proximity to the strategic Niagara Frontier reflected in its history. 


The conflict was so near that the settlers were in constant fear. Troops gathered in the vicinity before war was declared, and many died of camp diseases.
During the winter of 1812, General Alexander Smyth was repulsed when trying to invade Canada
and retired to quarters built along the creek, by which Garrison road received its name.


A Tablet erected by the Buffalo Historical Society at Main street and Garrison reads
ŽU.S.Barracks of 1812". Along Garrison Road to Creek and extending southeast were log barracks of General Smyth's army during the winter of 1812.
These buildings later were used as hospitals.


Later on, in 1813, the local barracks were enlarged as a hospital with Dr. Mann as the surgeon in charge and eleven hundred sick and wounded,
included some British prisoners were transferred here from Lewiston , N.Y. the entire area became a hospital base. 


Soldiers who died in the military hospital were buried in the cemetery on Aero drive which was located in Amherst until the New York State thruway
was built nearly 150 years later, when the cemetery became part of Cheektowaga. It is interesting to note that ,
of the 205 soldiers buried there, only 12 were from New York State. Others, infantrymen and artillerymen, were from
New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland,
Virginia North Carolina, Ohio, and Kentucky.


In the center of the cemetery, which was deeded to the Buffalo Historical Society in 1898, is a cannon inscribed:
"This American Field piece was captured by the British during the war of 1812".


In 1936 it was graciously present to the Buffalo Historical Society by Frontier Post No. 17, Canadian Legion of the British Empire Service League."


The entrance to the cemetery is flanked by two large boulders.
The Cemetery is circled by a wood rail fence, it has a large rock with a plaque on it
and there are small white wooden cross's scattered throughout the cemetery.
The Town of Cheektowaga, maintains the cemetery. 


The first burial was on 4 August 1814
and the last, 16 July 1815

 

SOURCE: Cheektowaga Town Historian Town of Cheektowaga, New York

 

 

Also in addition to this article one thing really stood out in this cemetery. All the graves are marked with wooden crosses, each grave has a American flag and an English one, some even Canadian, there is a cannon at the entrance of the cemetery. Other things that stand out is that there are no women buried here and its very very small so i believe that the cemetery itself has may unmarked graves and is much larger then what the town has made it to be meaning that its possible some of the graves are paved over by aero drive and the warehouse in back of it. Although this place is mild in activity and none of the soldiers died of battle wounds this is one of the oldest if not the oldest cemetery in the Cheektowaga area.

 

Rick-AngelOfThyNight