STUDIES IN THE NAPOLEONIC WARS 088
The Fall of Fort Detroit
11. The Fall of Fort Detroit (7)
From the modest hall of the Provincial Assembly Brock hastened across the Niagara peninsula to the spot near the eastern end of Lake Erie where his boats were waiting for him, and in five days of difficult navigation, rendered miserable by much rain, brought his little flotilla to Fort Maiden, where he was rejoiced to find the detachment of the 41st, under Colonel Proctor, still holding out. Things might have been otherwise, for the American Army of the West had now been a full month on Canadian soil. But General Hull, like his superior Dearborn, was a procrastinator. He only saw his own difficulties, not those of the enemy: he had started with over 2,000 men, one regiment of United States regulars, three of Ohio and one of Michigan militia. Opposite him there had been nothing save Proctor’s three companies, a few hundred Indians, and the untrustworthy militia of Essex County, the one weak element in the local levy of the Upper Province, as we have already mentioned. The majority of them were either French-Canadians or Americans, and they had melted away from their officers save some few scores. Nevertheless, Proctor made a show of defending the Rivière aux Canards, the marshy stream between Hull’s position at Sandwich and his own at Fort Maiden, though he knew that he must give way if he were attacked seriously.
But the attack never came! Hull issued a verbose and magniloquent proclamation on the day of his crossing the frontier, in which he assured the inhabitants of Upper Canada that, “separated by an immense ocean from Great Britain, they had no share in her councils, no interest in her conduct. They were tendered the invaluable blessings of civil, political, and religious liberty, and their necessary results—individual and public prosperity. The arrival of an army of friends must be hailed with a cordial welcome, for it would emancipate them from tyranny and oppression, and restore them to the dignified status of freed men.” This was all fine enough, but the General did not advance—he pleaded sickness among his men, shortage of stores, the want of heavy artillery, the need for awaiting the reinforcements which were moving up to him from Ohio, and he failed to give the decisive push forward, which must have been successful.
Presently Proctor, emboldened by seeing his adversary so dilatory and cautious, pushed small detachments across the Detroit river, to harass Hull by breaking his line of communication with Ohio. On August 5th, an Indian band headed by Tecumseh cut up a large American party moving out to bring in a convoy. Using as his excuse the necessity for reopening the road, Hull moved back into Michigan three days later, and settled down under the guns of Fort Detroit—so ended the invasion of Canada! He made on August 8th an attempt to open up the southward road, but though he brushed away for a moment the trifling force which Proctor had sent over the water, he failed to get into communication with the friends with whom he was hoping to join hands.
Five days later General Brock and his little flotilla reached Amherstburg, the village below Fort Maiden, and joined Proctor. He made but a short survey of the situation, but judging from general report, confirmed by some intercepted dispatches, that the enemy had a weak and downhearted general, and had lost all confidence in the success of their campaign, he resolved to attack at once. He knew that the number of the reinforcement which he had brought was overestimated, and that Hull had a vague belief that Indians in thousands were coming in for his extermination. Against such an opponent vigorous action, accompanied by any amount of preliminary “bluffing”, was permissible. On August 15th Brock boldly sent in to Hull a summons to surrender Fort Detroit and his army, adding, with splendid mendacity, that the force at his disposal authorized a demand for instant submission. Hull sent the proper negative reply, but trembled at his own temerity.
On the following morning Brock crossed the Detroit river with his whole disposable force—350 regulars, 400 militia, between 500 and 600 Indians—and advanced against the fort, driving in the American piquets. He had chosen a favourable moment. Four hundred of Hull’s men, with his two best colonels, were out on an expedition in search of food. The fort was full of sick; the Michigan Militia had begun to desert: the General himself thought that he was in a helpless position. One of his officers describes him, while the redcoats were seen advancing: “He sat on an old tent on the ground, leaning his back against the rampart. He kept, apparently unconsciously, filling his mouth with tobacco, putting in quid after quid, till the spittle, coloured with juice, dribbled out on to his neck-cloth, cravat, and vest. He seemed preoccupied, his voice trembled, he was greatly agitated and anxious, believing that ultimately the fort would fall, and dreading massacre for all, including the many women and children in the place.” Just as Brock had placed his men under cover, and had ascended the brow of a rising ground to reconnoitre the fort, he saw, to his intense surprise and glee, a white flag advancing from the side of the enemy. Hull was sending out word that he was prepared to surrender, in response to yesterday’s summons!
In consequence the British took possession of the fort within an hour, and found that a force considerably larger than their own had surrendered to them. Hull had with him nearly 400 of the 4th United States regulars, a battery of regular artillery, some 300 Michigan militia, and 700 or 800 Ohio militia, with 33 guns. In addition, he—quite in the style of Dupont at Baylen—consented to include in his capitulation the large foraging party which was absent from the fort at the moment, and a small garrison which he had left at the river Raisin, a half-way house to his base in Ohio. Brock says in his dispatch that 2,500 Americans in all surrendered to him, but this must include many sick, and possibly the civil population, which had taken refuge in Detroit. The total of efficient fighting men seems to have been not more than 1,700.
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