tile Indians were preparing to attack them, from behind the bank. Captain Heald immediately ordered his company to ascend it; and they had scarcely done so, when an action commenced in which, after firing one round, and charging with great velocity, upon the Indians, the latter were obliged to give way in front, but joining the party on the American flanks, they kept up their fire, and got possession of all the horses, provisions, and baggage, of every description. The friendly Indians standing aloof, refusing to take part in the contest, and apparently awaiting the issue, that they might determine on which side to belong, made it necessary for captain Heald to draw off his few men, and take possession of a small elevation, in an open priarie, out of shot of the bank, or any other cover. Here he received an offer of protection, from an Indian chief, on condition of his surrender; which, without much reliance on its faith, he accepted, because of the great disparity of force, the Indian warriors amounting to nearly five hundred. Their loss was about fifteen. Of the Americans, twenty-six regulars, and all the militia were killed among them, captain Wells and ensign George Roman, both officers of great gallantry. Two women, and twelve children were also killed. The Indians had it now in their power, to move to any part of the country, through which the communication had been formed between the river Raisin and Detroit, and numbers of them were accordingly posted at several points on that road, whilst a stronger party proceeded against fort Wayne. Their absence was taken advantage of, by captain Heald, whom they had taken to the mouth of St. Josephs, and who now, with his lady, procured a conveyance to Michilimackinac, where he was received politely by the commandant, captain Roberts. Mrs. Heald was wounded by six shot-the captain by two.

Any attempt to accelerate the transportation of the provisions, would now be useless, for on the thirteenth, the British had taken a position opposite Detroit. They were occupied in throwing up breastworks, during that and the two following days; at the end of which time they had completed a battery, of two eighteen pounders, and an eight inch howitzer, without any interruption from the American fort. Major Denny, of the volunteers, who had been left in garrison at Sandwich, with two hundred

and fifty infantry, and a corps of artillerists, was obliged, on their approach, to make his retreat across the river. This he effected, in good order.

On the fifteenth, a flag of truce was received from the British, with the following summons: "Sir-The force "at my disposal authorises me to require of you the sur"render of fort Detroit. It is far from my inclination "to join in a war of extermination, but you must be " aware, that the numerous body of Indians who have attached themselves to my troops, will be beyond my હા controul, the moment the contest commences. You "will find me disposed to enter into such conditions as "will satisfy the most scrupulous sense of honour. Lieu"tenant-colonel M'Donnell and major Glegg are fully au"thorised to conclude any arrangement that may lead to "prevent the unnecessary effusion of blood. I have the "honor to be, &c. ISAAC BROCK, Maj. Gen.

"His Ex. Brig. Gen. HULL, com'g at fort Detroit." To this summons it was returned for answer, that the "town and fort would be defended to the last extremity." The British then opened their batteries upon the town, and continued to throw their shells into the fort, from four o'clock until midnight. The fire was returned until dark with little effect. At day light the next morning, the firing again commenced, whilst the British, under the protection of their ships, were landing their forces at Spring Wells. At about ten o'clock they proceeded in a close column, twelve in front, along the bank of the river towards the fort.

From fort Detroit the enemy could not have been prevented from landing, had he attempted it, even in its more immediate vicinity. Its situation had been originally chosen without skill; the town actually standing between it and the river, and the foot of the scarp being more than two hundred rods from it. On the evening of the fifteenth it was therefore suggested to general Hull, that the British should be opposed on the margin of the river, that there was a position at that point, whence they could be destroyed, with the utmost certainty, as fast as they could land; and that a strong battery, well manned there, would be a better security than the fort of Detroit. The suggestions of general Hull's officers, were too often disregarded. The enemy had now

landed, and no obstruction could prevent his approach, until he should be either in the rear of the town, or of the fort, when all the strength of the latter might be successfully brought against him. The fourth regiment was stationed within the fort; the Ohio volunteers, and part of the Michigan militia, behind pickets, from which the enemy's whole flank could be annoyed; the residue of the militia were in the town, to resist the Indians; and twe twenty-four pounders, loaded with grape shot, were posted on an eminence, from which they could sweep the advancing column. The superiority of position was apparent on the side of the Americans, and their force at least equal to that of the enemy. They had four hundred rounds of twenty-four pound shot, already fixed, and about one hundred thousand cartridges made. Their provisions were sufficient for fifteen days, and every man of them, awaited the approach of the enemy with a full and eager expectation of victory. The head of the column had advanced within five hundred yards of the American line, when general Hull ordered the troops to retreat to the fort, and not by any means to open the twentyfour pounders upon the enemy. The feelings of the soldiers were not now to be restrained, as they had been a few days before at Sandwich. Indignation at the conduct, and contempt for the capacity of the commanding general, could not longer be disguised, and they loudly uttered their discontent. They entered the fort, however, which, though crowded so that any movement was impracticable, was scarcely capable of containing them. Here they were directed to stack their arms, and they had the mortification to see the flag of their country struck to the invaders, and the fort surrendered, without the discharge of a single gun. A white flag was suspended from its walls, and such was the astonishment, even of the enemy's troops, that a British officer rode up, to ascertain its meaning. It was the first instance, perhaps, which they had ever known, of the surrender of a military post, without a previous arrangement of the terms; and they had little expectation of so tame a submission. Those brave troops, who had but eight days before beaten, and put this same enemy to flight, were now obliged to march out in review, and lay down their arms to an inferior force, who

had done no other thing towards the capture of the garri son, than shewing themselves before it.

Not only the heroes of Brownstown, but the detach ments then absent from the fort, the volunteers and all the provisions at Raisin, and those of no inconsiderable amount, the fortified posts and garrisons, and the whole territory and inhabitants of Michigan, were delivered over by capitulation, to the commanding general of the British forces. Forty barrels of powder, two thousand five hundred stand of arms, and an armament, (consisting of twenty-five iron, and eight brass pieces of ordnance) the greater part of which had been captured from the British in the revolutionary war, were surrendered with them. The detachment which had been sent out under colonels Cass and M'Arthur, had received orders the night before to return; but when they arrived within sight of Detroit, before which the enemy was already stationed, it became necessary to use excessive caution in their nearer approach. They were accidentally thrown into a situation, the best for annoying and cutting off the retreat of the enemy, which could possibly be selected; and if they had heard any firing, or had seen any indication of an engagement, they might have attacked the rear of the column, and placed the enemy's raw troops, between their own fire, and that of the fort. They could not imagine what measures were in operation, when an uninterrupted silence prevailed between two hostile armies, within fighting distance of each other; the arrangement for a surrender, was the last among their surmises, because they knew that the garrison was superior to any force which could then be brought against it. Their doubts were relieved by a message from general Hull, to the following effect: "I have signed articles of capitulation for the "surrender of this garrison, in which you and your de"tachment are prisoners of war. Such part of the Ohio "militia as have not joined the army, will be permitted "to return to their homes, on condition that they will not serve during the war. Their arms, however, will be "given up, if belonging to the publick." This despatch was forwarded by colonel M'Arthur, to captain Brush. The volunteers and militia returned to their respective homes; but general Hull, and the fourth regiment, and part of the first, were taken to Montreal, whence they

were destined for Quebec. General Brock issued his proclamation, announcing to the inhabitants of Michigan, the cession of that territory to the arms of his Britannick Majesty, and establishing regulations for its civil government. The capitulation of an immense territory, and the surrender of the whole north-western army, which was composed of men, feelingly alive to the honour of their country, ambitious of distinguishing themselves in arms, and most of whom had left their families, and their friends, to encounter the fatigues and dangers of a long campaign, excited a sensation among the people, from one extremity of the country to the other, not less indignant, than that which was felt by the troops themselves. When general Brock said, that the force at his disposal authosised him to require the surrender, he must have had a very exalted opinion, of the prowess of his own soldiers, or a very mistaken one, of the ability of those which were commanded by the American general. The force at his disposal was inferior to the garrison of Detroit, even in the absence of the detachments. In a letter to sir George Prevost, he states the American force at two thousand five hundred-which however could not be correct, as it had met with losses in the different skirmishes-and his own at six hundred white troops, and six hundred Indians. By the return of his quarter-master general, it consisted of,

British regulars, infantry and artillery
Indians, principally Chipaways, Hurons and

Putawatamies

Militia, in regular uniforms

382

d}

650

Of these, few of the Indians were visible, as they generally skulked in the woods, and did not advance upon the fort with the British column. The force of general Hull's army, by the morning report, was one thousand and sixty, exclusive of the detachment of three hundred and fifty men, and three hundred Michigan militia, then out on duty, which would have made seventeen hundred and ten; superior to the enemy by three hundred and sixteen. On the arrival of captain Brush from Raisin, his total force