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about 14 miles from Detroit, and four from Brownstown, he fell in with 75 men of the 41st regiment, 60 militia, 120 Indians under Tecumseh, stationed on the left of the militia, and 70 Indians from the lake, under Caldwell, on the right of the regulars: the whole under the command of captain Muir of the 41st. This force one American editor has augmented to 200 regulars and 500 Indians, in order that he might make it "more than one-third superior" to his own, which he has, in his old way, reduced below the number stated in the official account. Nor is there a word of the two 6-pounders.

Here the first trigger was pulled between the British and Americans in the late war. The firing commenced on our side; and, very soon afterwards, the whole of the lake Indians fled. This gave an opportunity to the American troops to outflank the British regulars; who, to prevent being surrounded by four times their number, retired, but, in such order, that the Americans did not attempt to follow, contenting themselves with firing a few distant shots. The British drew up again, at a narrow way, within half a mile of the scene of action, intending to dispute the enemy's passage, but he advanced no further. The British lost three men killed, captain Muir, lieutenant Sutherland, (since dead,) and 10 men wounded. The Americans have stated the Indian loss at 100 killed, and their own at 83

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killed and wounded. Colonel Miller, completely frustrated in his design by the trifling force opposed to him, returned to Detroit the following night.

It is perfectly consistent, that the American editor who can make so free with his own official accounts when they are not sufficiently extravagant, should here boast of a victory; but who expected he would resort to the silly expedient of representing the British regulars as almost naked, and frightfully painted, sending forth such dreadful whoops and yells, as "might have appalled almost any other troops,"* than those, whom Mr. Thomson afterwards dig. nifies with the title of " heroes of Brownstown." This ridiculous stuff would excite our laughter, but that feelings of disgust and indignation are suddenly called forth by a paragraph in the "National Intelligencer", (the American government-paper,) stating that, "when the American militia returned to Detroit from the battle of Brownstown, they bore triumphantly on the points of their bayonets between 30 and 40 fresh scalps, which they had taken on the field."

The American captain Brush, who was still waiting at the river Raisin for an escort, received orders to remain, and defend himself at that place, or to proceed by an upper route, crossing the river Huron; whither the militia Sketches of the War, p. 27.

of Raisin had been ordered to attend him. On the evening of the 13th, general Hull despatched colonels M'Arthur and Cass, with 400* of their most effective men, by an upper route through the woods, to form a junction with captain Brush, and to assist in the transportation of the provisions.

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On the same day that the battle of Maguaga took place, captain Heald, the American commander at Fort Chicago, near the head of Lake Michigan, received orders to abandon his position. Accordingly, on the 15th, after delivering to the friendly Indians, in conformity to his instructions, all the goods in the factory, and such provisions as could not be taken away, and destroying all the surplus arms and ammunition, he commenced his march, with 54 regulars and 12 militia, and was escorted by captain Wells, of Fort-Wayne, and a few Indians of the Miami tribe, sent thither for that purpose. Americans were afterwards met by a hostile band of Indians, attacked, defeated with great slaughter, and made prisoners. Captain Heald and his lady fortunately effected their escape; and, says one American account, "procured a conveyance to Michilimacinac, where they were politely received by the commandant, captain Roberts," Mrs. Heald, it appears, was wounded by six, and her husband by two shots.

* App. No. 9.

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General Brock had just arrived at FortGeorge from York, when he heard of general Hull's invasion. It was his intention to attack, and there is no doubt he would have carried, Fort-Niagara; but, sir George Prevost not having sent him any official account of the war, nor any order to guide his proceedings, the general was restrained from acting according to the dictates of his judgment, and the natural energy of his mind. After issuing a proclamation, to defeat the object of that circulated by general Hull, general Brock returned to York, to meet the legislature of Upper Canada; which, on account of the war, he had called together for an extra-session. This session was short; and, on the 5th of August, the general again left York, for Fort-George, and for Long-point on Lake Erie. On the 8th he embarked at the latter place, with 40 rank and file of the 41st regiment, and 260 of the militia forces; leaving the important command on the Niagara frontier to his quarter-master-general, lieutenant-colonel Myers, an able and intelligent officer.

General Brock and his little party landed safe at Amherstburg on the evening of the 12th ; when that enterprising officer lost not a moment, but, with the reinforcement he procured at this place, pushed on for Sandwich. Here he found that the Americans had evacuated and destroyed a small fort which they had con

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structed soon after their arrival. On the morning of the 15th general Brock sent across a flag of truce, with a summons, demanding the immediate surrender of the garrison to which an answer was returned, that "the town and fort would be defended to the last extremity." That being the case, at four o'clock in the afternoon, the British batteries, which had been constructed for one 18-pounder, two 12-pounders, and two 5 inch howitzers, opened upon the enemy, and continued to throw their shells into the fort until midnight. One shell killed three or four officers, and produced great alarm in the garrison. The fire was returned by seven 24-pounders, but without the slightest effect.

At day-light the next morning the firing recommenced; and the major-general, taking with him 30 of the royal artillery, 250 of the 41st regiment, 50 of the Royal Newfoundland regiment, and 400 militia, crossed the river, and landed at Spring-well, a good position, three miles west of Detroit. The Indians, 600 in number, under the brave Tecumseh, had effected their landing two miles below; and they immediately occupied the woods about a mile and a half on the left of the army. The direction of the batteries on the opposite shore had, in the mean time, been left to an intelligent officer.

At about 10 o'clock the troops advanced, in a close column, 12 in front, along the bank of the

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