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Historical Collections. Collections and Researches Made by the Michigan Pioneer and Historical Society

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Historical Collections. Collections and Researches Made by the Michigan Pioneer and Historical Society Library of Congress Historical collections. Collections and researches made by the Michigan pioneer and historical society ... Reprinted by authority of the Board of state auditors. Volume 15 HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS COLLECTIONS AND RESEARCHES MADE BY THE Michigan Pioneer and Historical Society VOL. XV REPRINTED WITH NOTES BY JOSEPH GREUSEL AND A SKETCH OF GENERAL HENRY PROCTOR BY CLARENCE M. BURTON LC LANSING, MICHIGAN WYNKOOP HALLENBECK CRAWFORD CO., STATE PRINTERS 1909 F561 M775 Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1890, by the MICHIGAN PIONEER AND HISTORICAL SOCIETY; In the office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington, D. C. D. of D. FEB 2 1915 LC PREFACE Historical collections. Collections and researches made by the Michigan pioneer and historical society ... Reprinted by authority of the Board of state auditors. Volume 15 http://www.loc.gov/resource/lhbum.5298f Library of Congress F. B. M. 1915 3 8 The collection of original documents as an aid to historical research, in which the Michigan Pioneer and Historical Society is at present engaged, has in the present volume its ample justification. The war of 1812 formed an interesting epoch in the history of the American continent; and while in a general sense the facts relative thereto are familiar to the general reader, now for the first time are brought together in print the official reports and correspondence of the British officers in command on the Canadian frontier and in Michigan; and in this volume can be found that portion of the British official story of the first two years of that war which forms a page in the annals of Michigan, together with such parts thereof relating to Upper Canada as was found inseparable therefrom. But even to the unprofessional reader, these letters and reports cannot fail to have a lively interest, as showing the inner causes which tended to the final result; and here, too, the story of Gen. Hull's surrender of Detroit finds further illustration, and the judgment that at best Gen. Hull was a weak man unfitted to the rank he had attained. The importance of the island of Mackinac, as a strategic point, is also shown in a most vivid manner, while the methods of the British in dealing with and cajoling the Indians into their support find ample illustration. A succeeding volume will contain papers of similar interest, bringing the story down to the final evacuation, by the British, of Michigan soil. The committee deem themselves fortunate in having been able to secure from the Archive office at Ottawa, Ontario, those copies of the original documents which are there guarded with the most jealous care, and that they are here brought together in a form convenient for distribution, study and preservation. MICHAEL SHOEMAKER, Chairman Historical collections. Collections and researches made by the Michigan pioneer and historical society ... Reprinted by authority of the Board of state auditors. Volume 15 http://www.loc.gov/resource/lhbum.5298f Library of Congress HARRIET A. TENNEY, Secretary JOHN H. FOSTER A. D. P. VAN BUREN Committee of Historians Lansing, Mich ., June 25, 1890 b PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION The first edition having been exhausted it became necessary to reprint volume XV, and accordingly it is herewith presented. There is no change in page or text, the letters appearing here as they were faithfully transcribed from the archives of the Dominion government at Ottawa—verbatim, literatim et punctuatim. The text has been illustrated by historical, biographical and explanatory notes, by Joseph Greusel. For the most part these notes will be found in the appendix, but where it could be done without affecting the original paging of the volume they appear as footnotes. An interesting addition to the volume is a sketch of General Henry Proctor by the President of the Society—Hon. Clarence M. Burton. Material assistance in the preparation of some of the notes has been rendered by Hon. Charles W. Casgrain of Detroit, great-grandson of James Baby, 1763– 1833, who kindly furnished the records of the Casgrain, Baby and Perrault families; also by the privileges accorded by the Windsor Public Library which is unusually well supplied with works relating to the history of Canada. A new and more perfect index by Mrs. Marie B. Ferrey, increases the value of this official transcript of events of the war of 1812 as recounted by the chief actors therein in letters and reports made day by day. The volume in consequence contains the substantial frame work of the militiary history of the period it covers. Detroit, October, 1909. Historical collections. Collections and researches made by the Michigan pioneer and historical society ... Reprinted by authority of the Board of state auditors. Volume 15 http://www.loc.gov/resource/lhbum.5298f Library of Congress CONTENTS Preface to First Edition iii Preface to Second Edition iv Contents v Biography of Gen. Henry Procter—C. M. Burton vi Copies of papers on file in the Dominion archives at Ottawa, Canada, pertaining to the relations of the British government with the United States during the period of the war of 1812: Relations with the United States and events preliminary to war 1 Declaration of War—Campaign of 1812 63 Campaign of 1813 210 Campaign of 1814 467 Appendix with elaborate notes to Second Edition 689 Index 721 Index to appendix 745 BIOGRAPHY OF GEN. HENRY PROCTER C. M. BURTON It is somewhat singular that so little can be found in printed volumes relating to the life and family connections of Henry Procter. His name is connected with the history of the territory of Michigan, which included the present state, the northern parts of Ohio, Indiana, and Historical collections. Collections and researches made by the Michigan pioneer and historical society ... Reprinted by authority of the Board of state auditors. Volume 15 http://www.loc.gov/resource/lhbum.5298f Library of Congress Illinois and a portion of the state of Wisconsin, by reason of his being the military and civil governor, under British rule, during a period of the war of 1812. It is said that he was of Welsh descent. He resided, at one time, in Douglas in the Isle of Man and he may have been a native of that Island. In one of his letters he says he entered the army in 1781 and the military records show that he was an ensign in the 43d regiment on the fifth of April in that year. The records of the War Office, in London, contain the further information that he was lieutenant, December twentieth, 1781, captain, November thirtieth, 1792; major, May thirteenth, 1795; brevet lieutenant colonel, June first, 1800. During this time he was connected with the 43d regiment. He became lieutenant colonel in the 41st regiment of foot on October ninth, 1800; brevet colonel, July twenty-fifth, 1810, and received his final promotion to major general, June fourth, 1813.1 1 His name was gazetted as brigadier general February 8, 1813.— Doc. His. Can. part 5, page 60. He was in command of Fort George, on the Niagara River, in 1807 with the 41st regiment, or a portion of it, and continued to reside at that place until preparations for war were made at Fort Malden (Amherstburg) when he was sent to that place.2 2 His brother, Lieut. William Procter, married Joan Crooks, at Niagara, December 11, 1807.— Ont. His. Soc., Vol. III, p. 58. A short time after was declared between the United States and Great Britain in 1812, General William Hull, civil governor of Michigan Territory, arrived in Detroit with a small army of regulars and Ohio militia. He soon invaded Canada and occupied a position at Sandwich opposite the village of Detroit. Historical collections. Collections and researches made by the Michigan pioneer and historical society ... Reprinted by authority of the Board of state auditors. Volume 15 http://www.loc.gov/resource/lhbum.5298f Library of Congress Here he issued a bombastic proclamation inviting the Canadians to desert their country and join the Americans. At this time Procter was secure in viii Fort Malden, some twenty miles down the river, but he had not troops enough to undertake to resist the invasion. Hull feared to attack Fort Malden. His troops were largely the militia from Ohio and Michigan and they complained that they were not employed to invade foreign territory or to leave the United States, and threatened to return to Detroit. Fearing a defection in his army, Hull only remained a few days on Canadian soil and then withdrew to the Fort at Detroit. His troops other than foraging parties had at no time been more than five or six miles from that place. General Isaac Brock (afterwards Sir Isaac Brock) was with the parliament of Upper Canada when Hull's invasion took place. The day that parliament was prorogued he hastened to Fort Malden with a few reinforcements, and assumed command. Hastily collecting his troops and the assembled Indians, he started to attack Hull and was soon at Sandwich. He erected two or three small batteries and began to bombard the city and Fort. On the day he appeared at Sandwich, August 15, 1812, he sent to Hull a demand to surrender. Early the same day Hull had dispatched a considerable portion of his troops down the Detroit River, on the American side to escort a train of supplies coming from Ohio. This detachment was under charge of Colonels Duncan McArthur and Lewis Cass, two of the best officers in the small army. Hull's remaining troops were, as he thought, much inferior to Brock's army. No matter whether he was right or wrong, when Brock demanded a surrender and threatened to turn his Indians loose on the inhabitants of the village if his demand was not complied with, Hull was badly frightened.
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