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SIR

CAMPAIGN OF 1814

COLONEL BAYNES TO LIEUT. GEN. DRUMMOND

(War-1812)

HEAD QUARTERS, QUEBEC 5 January 1814

By order of the Commr of the Forces, I have the Honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 23d December accompanying one from Major Gen Proctor of the 14th of the same month, and His Excy commands me to inform you and to request you will acquaint Majr Genl Proctor, that having thought proper to transmit his official Report, for the consideration of His Majesty's Ministers that it is His Excly's intention to await their further instructions and that His Execy does not deem it expedient to comply with the Major Genl request for a Public Investigation of his conduct, in consequence of all the principal officers of the Right Division having become Prisoners of War and remaining in the possession of the Enemy the necessary evidence cannot now be obtained to elucidate the causes and events which have led to the disgraceful defeat and capture of the Troops of the Right Division placed under his command1

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Herewith I have the honor to transmit two abstracts of disbursements in the Indian Dept. at Michilimackinac between the 25th december 1812 & 24th June 1813, with the several vouchers accompanying them.

These abstracts not being certified by the Supt. of the North West Indians, by whose Requisition it is presumed the goods & canoes were purchase;

1 Proctor, put to it by reason of unfavorable comments on his conduct, had made previous requests for an official investigation.

and the Store Keeper at Michilimackinac not having given any explanation of the transaction, I do not think myself authorized to sign the abstracts in the usual manner, altho the signature of Captain Roberts commanding that Post leaves no room to doubt that the goods were purchased for the use of the North West Indians. I therefore beg leave to submit these accounts to your Honor's consideration.

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In reference to Your Excellency's Letter of the 2d Inst:, I have the honor to state, that Major General Stovin arrived at Burlington, on his way to Turkey Point, on the 31st Ulto. The Major Genl reports that he had fully expected Lieut Colonel James' had proceeded towards the westward; but found he had not from the want of sleighs, and the roads having become impassable for that mode of proceeding by a heavy thaw, the project of endeavouring to surprize the Enemy's advanced Party of Foragers at Camden has necessarily been abandoned for the present,--But Lieut Colonel James has been directed by Major General Stovin, immediately on the roads being again fit for sleighing, to set out upon the expedition, should the Enemy not have previously retired to Detroit.

A Person lately escaped from thence reports that the Enemy has made Detroit extremely strong. The Fort of Malden is heavily picketted all round. --Twenty two Pieces of Ordnance are in the Place; five 18 Pounders, two brass 12s two 9s and one Mortar, being mounted.

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LIEUT. GEN. DRUMMOND TO SIR GEORGE PREVOST

(War-1812)

SIR

KINGSTON January 12th 1814.

I have the honor to acquaint Your Excellency that my latest Reports from Major General Stovin state that the Enemy had passed Arnold's (near Dalson's) in number about 130, on their return to Detroit, on the 20th ultimo; followed by their Cavalry, about 60, on the 22d. They took off with them all the Flour and grain in that Direction, for the purpose of depositing it, with the rest of the Provisions they have seized, at Detroit. They burned Arnold's Barn, on retiring.—

The Roads from Delaware Town are stated to be in a most impassable degree bad; so that Lieut. Colonel James, could not have made his intended movement with that rapidity which would have ensured surprise, even had the enemy remained at Camden; and had the attempt been made sooner the roads were in such a condition as to have precluded all hope of success.

It has also been reported to me, from a person who crossed over at Fort Erie Ferry on Saturday last, that the Enemy have brought on to Buffalo 150 Pieces of Cannon, and that they intend taking possession of Fort Erie again as soon as the weather permits. That they are raising two Regiments of Colour. And that Sergeant Powell, of the 19th Light Dragoons, is at Eleven Mile Creek, in a most deplorable state; extremely anxious either by exchange or on Parole, to be permitted to come to Canada.

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MAJ. GEN. PROCTOR TO LIEUT. GEN. DRUMMOND

(War-1812)

SIR

YORK 14 Jany. 1814. I have the honor to acknowledge the Receipt of Your Letter of the 13th Inst. together with the refusal of His Excelly. the Comr. of the Forces to my request for a Public Investigation of my conduct respecting the Right Division of the Army during the Period they were placed under my command. The reason assigned by His Excelly. the absence of many of the officers concerned did not even in the first instance escape my consideration. I felt this in its fullest extent, had that not been the case I should have urged in the strongest manner my just claim to an immediate Public Investigation in my letter to Majr. Genl. de Rottenburg of the 3d NovmGreatly painful as my feelings have been in submitting to the slander of the Public, Consideration for the service and those absentees alone prevented me so long as I could with honor or justice refrain from it. the General order of the 24th November last left me no option and put an end to forbearance on my part. I shall only observe that those orders speak for themselves-The consequences that must result to me from their having been forwarded to His Majesty's Ministers uncontroverted by me, together with His Excelly's remarks thereon not to mention the odium excited by their circulation are but too obvious, if I should neglect by every means in my power to do myself justice. My wounder honor, the service, my Family & friends all demand this of me more I do not seek, situated as I am I can no longer be useful to the service, until I have cleared my reputation of the stain cast upon it by those orders, I must therefore earnestly request to be permitted to immediately proceed to England to ask Justice where it never was denied, nor any individual condemned unheard at all Events to suspend the decision of the Government and avert the consequences until an investigation may take place. As it cannot be expected that I can await patiently the result of measures calculated to ruin me and submit to have my reputation destroyed not only in this Country but in Great Britain in the attainment of the above important end, having lost many of my Papers, I have earnestly to request that all my official letters as well as Copies of those to me from His Excelly's or written to me by his order during my Command of the Right Division may be furnished me, and in order to guard against accident and the serious consequences that must arise from any delay in my reaching England, I beg you will be pleased to forward to His Excelly. after persual the accompanying Packet directed to His Rl. Highness the

This strong appeal from Proctor proved effective, but he was not granted permission to go to England at this time. After the war he returned and died at Liverpool in 1859 aged 84

Comr. in Chief with my earnest solicitation that he will be pleased to forward the same the first opportunity, to be submitted by His Royal Highs. to the gracious consideration of His Rl. Hs. the Prince Regent

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With the most poignant regret, I feel myself called upon to approach Your Royal Highness for Protection and that Redress which has been refused me by His Excely. the Comr. of the Forces in this Country.

The accompanying Papers will explain the unfortunate cause that has led to this application; I had been less urgent for an immediate investigation for the reason assigned by His Excellency in his refusal until the General order of the 24th November, removed all doubt that there was supposed to be a sufficiency of Evidence against me as I conceive myself by those orders to have been condemned and punished to a degree short only of Cashiering with the aggrevating circumstance of its being applied to be founded in part on my own report, until this solitary instance, I could feel on gratification from the conduct to me of those under whom I have served How painful must be the exception especially after the flattering testimonies received here also great must have been my good fortune or great indeed the Errors and neglects of Two or Three Days to destroy the Fruits of Two and Thirty Years service, after having obtained my utmost wish, the object of my highest ambition, the Public approbation of His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, I am not insensible to the serious losses that have been sustained in the District of Upper Canada in which I commanded and that the Public have a right to expect the strictest scrutiny into the causes and events which have led to those results. I am most anxious to give an account of my conduct in those transactions and trust I shall be able to do so if not with credit to myself at least without disgrace. In a letter from His Excel

1As previously noted the Duke of York, son of King George III, was at this time commander in chief of all the forces of Great Britain.

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