river towards the fort, and halted at about a mile distant: by which time, the Indians had penetrated the enemy's camp. When the head of the British column had advanced to within à short distance of the American line, general Hull, and the troops under his command, retreated to the fort, without making any use of two 24-pounders, advantageously posted on an eminence, and loaded with grape-shot..

Just as the British were about to commence the attack, a white flag was seen suspended from the walls of the fort. So unexpected a measure caused general Brock to despatch an officer in front, to ascertain the fact. Shortly afterwards the capitulation was signed; and the fort of Detroit, its ordnance and military stores, a fine vessel in the harbor, the whole north-western army, including the detached parties, also the immense territory of Michigan, its fortified posts, garrisons, and inhabitants, were surrendered to the British arms.

General Brock permitted the American volunteers and militia to return to their homes, but sent general Hull and the principal part of the American regulars to Montreal; whence they were afterwards removed to Quebec. After issuing a proclamation,† announcing to the inhabitants of Michigan, the cession of that territory to the arms of his Britannic majesty, and after * App. Nos. 6 and 7.

+ Ibid. No. 8.

placing colonel Proctor in command of the fort, at Detroit, general Brock hastened back to FortGeorge; which place he reached on the 24th of the same month.

The editor of the "Sketches of the War" states the force of general Hull to have been, at muster on the morning of the surrender, 1060 men, exclusive of the detachments of "350" regulars, and 300 Michigan militia then out on duty. Having already convicted Mr. Thomson of underrating the American force, even in the teeth of his own official accounts, it would be an overstrained concession to place implicit reliance upon the accuracy of his numbers. However, to do no more than add 50 to his " 350 men," detached under colonels Cass and, M'Arthur, and who, on the day of the surrender, bad, in pursuance of fresh orders, returned in sight of the fort and "were accidentally thrown into a situation, the best for annoying and cutting off the retreat of the British army,"* the force under general Hull would amount to 1760 men; of whom 1060 at least, were entrenched in a superior position, under the protection of a fort, mounting 33 pieces of ordnance, including nine 24-pounders. General Hull, in his letter states, that the "whole effective force at his disposal did not exceed 800 men." But effective is a very vague term: it may include the not willing, as well as the not * Sketches of the War, p. 31.

1

able to fight. Nor, is it probable, that his sick amounted to 260, or to half the number; otherwise the American historians would have taken advantage of the circumstance.

It was natural for general Hull to magnify the British force; which he did to an extent that enabled him, assisted by the previous diminution of his own, to urge to his government the "great inequality" between the two armies. Mr. Thomson, however, has exerted himself, as successfully in the one, as he had in the other case, to disprove the general's assertion. Without answering for the authenticity of the alleged document, or the purity of the channel through which it reached Mr. Thomson, here follows a statement, purporting to be taken from the return of major-general Brock's quarter-mastergeneral:

British regulars, infantry and artillery,

Indians, principally Chippeways, Hurons, 7
and Putawatamies,

382

650

Militia, in regular uniform," or, rather, in
coats and jackets of all colours and shapes,

}

362

The best evidence that these figures are, correctly transcribed, is the trifling amount by which they exceed the round numbers stated in major-general Brock's despatch. Were it not for that, we should be warranted in relying upon * Sketches of the War, p. 33.

the American colonel Cass's letter, published in the "National Intelligencer." He says:"I have been informed by colonel Findlay, who saw the return of their quarter-master-general, the day after the surrender, that their whole force, of every description, white, red, and black, was 1080." In another part of his letter the colonel says:-" I was informed by general Hull, the morning after the capitulation, that the British forces consisted of 1800 regulars, and that he surrendered to prevent the effusion of human blood. That he magnified their regular force nearly five-fold, there can be no doubt."-Except to blame general Hull for “the folly and ruin of crowding 1100 men into a little work, which 300 could fully man," the editor of the "History of the United States" has not touched upon the force of either party, in his brief notice of the surrender of Detroit.

No account of ordnance-stores found in the fort appears in the British official returns, for which a reason is there assigned. The editor of the "Sketches of the War," satisfies us that there was no deficiency in this respect, by stating, that the American troops had, among their stores, "400 rounds of 24-pound shot, already fixed; about 100000 cartridges made up; 40 barrels of powder; and 2500 stands of arms."*

One reason for general Brock's marching so * Sketches of the War, p. 30. 31.

comparatively small a force against Detroit, was a deficiency of arms wherewith to equip the Upper Canada militia. Many of the latter were obliged, in consequence, to remain behind; and even the arms that had been distributed among their companions, were of the very worst quality so that general Hull's "2500 stands of arms," which were, indeed, of the very best quality, became a valuable acquisition. The success that attended this first enterprise in which the militia had been called upon to act, produced an electrical effect throughout the two provinces. It inspired the timid, settled the wavering, and awed the disaffected; of which latter there were many. It also induced the Six Nations of Indians, who had hitherto kept aloof, to take an active part in our favor.

So determined appears Mr. Thomson's hostility towards general Hull, that he declares the American commander surrendered "to a body of troops inferior in quality as well as number." Upon what ground that assertion is made, other than the superior gallantry displayed by the Ameri, ican troops in the few skirmishes already recorded, no where appears; and how widely diffe rent were the sentiments of the commander of those inferior troops, Mr. Thomson has made known to us in his preceding page. "When," says he, "general Brock said, that the force at his disposal authorized him to require the sur