The War of 1812 (6 page)

He added that his force was strong enough to conquer the province and warned that anyone fighting alongside the Indians against his army would be killed. He also sent agents to tell the Grand River Indians they would be left alone if they remained neutral.

Many Canadian militiamen did go home, and at least sixty deserted to the American army. By July 15, St. George found that half his militia had left and he did not think the remainder would be reliable. Chief Norton could promise only forty to fifty warriors from the Grand River, for most of the Six Nations remained neutral.

Hull and his army were nonetheless in more danger than they realized. Upper Canada's defences were in strong hands.

Far to the north, at St. Joseph, Captain Roberts had only forty-five soldiers, whereas Lieutenant Porter Hanks at Michilimackinac had sixty-one regulars in a sturdier fort. But Roberts knew that Brock expected him to act vigorously and what defence was more effective than an unexpected attack?

The North West Company fur traders were very willing to help him. The company provided a ship and 180 Canadian voyageurs whom Roberts took along with his soldiers and about four hundred Indians. His men landed on Michilimackinac Island at 3 a.m. on July 17. Dragging a small cannon, they climbed a hill overlooking the fort and about two hours before noon, Roberts called upon the Americans to surrender. Hanks gave up without a fight. His position was hopeless, and he feared that if he lost the battle, the Indians might kill everyone in the fort. This American fear of Indians killing prisoners would again and again affect the course of battles. It increased the effectiveness of the Indians as British allies and decreased American desire to fight.

This small victory had great consequences. Hull received the distressing news at Sandwich on August 2. That same day, Wyandot Indians who lived near Detroit crossed the river to join the British. Robert's success was bearing fruit quickly by gaining the British many allies among Indians in the Michigan Territory.

William Hull was a civilian who had last seen military service in the American Revolution thirty years earlier. He had not held high rank then and had been appointed to lead the North Western Army because of his status as governor of the Michigan Territory, not because of military ability. He did not want the appointment and never showed the drive of his British opponents.

Before Michilimackinac, Hull had sent raiding parties into Upper Canada and his men had clashed with the British along the Canard River south of Sandwich. Now the whole position had changed. Hull wrote to the governors of Ohio and Kentucky asking for reinforcements, and to the Secretary of War in Washington expressing his fears that masses of Indians would attack Detroit. He dispatched the letters under guard of a two-hundred-man force that he was sending to escort a supply column from Ohio. At Brownstown, Indians led by Tecumseh ambushed the Americans, who fled back to Detroit. This attack
increased Hull's fears. Even more important, his letters were captured and sent to Brock.

Brock had been busy ever since he had learned of the declaration of war. He instructed the militia along the St. Lawrence to be ready to meet an attack. He called out the flank companies of the Lincoln militia to reinforce the 41st Regiment along the Niagara River. He did not fear an American attack there at this time, but he wanted to show both Americans and Canadians that the province would be defended.

About eight hundred militiamen turned out and Brock put most of them on guard duty along the Niagara. But they soon became concerned about getting in the harvest, and by mid-July, Brock was forced to allow half of them to return to their farms.

As the bad news of Hull's invasion and of militia desertions came from the West, Brock began to fear that nothing could stop Hull from marching eastward. What could be done, he did. He sent Colonel Henry Procter to take command at Amherstburg and issued a proclamation of his own, defending British rule in Canada and warning that American control would bring oppression. For the moment, he could not take more positive action such as going to Amherstburg himself because he was required to meet the legislature in York.

Brock felt terribly frustrated by being tied down with politics at York, but instead of giving way to despair, he acted decisively and positively. His attitude was best summed up by his own comment: “Most of the people have lost all confidence — I however speak loud and look big.”
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At last came the encouraging news: Roberts had captured Michilimackinac. As soon as Brock ended the meeting of the legislature, he hurried to the Grand River. On August 7, he talked to a council of the Indians who promised to send warriors to help him. By evening, he reached Port Dover, on Lake Erie, where militia and regulars were gathering. The next day, most of the force embarked in small boats for Amherstburg.

They had over three hundred kilometres to travel on a lake where storms could blow up quickly. Fierce rain and wind almost stopped their progress but Brock pushed on day and night until they reached Amherstburg late on the thirteenth. When General Hull heard that Brock was on his way, he took most of his army back across the river to Detroit. On August 9, he sent another force, larger this time, to escort the supply train. They were ambushed near the village of Maguaga by regulars, militia, and Indians under Tecumseh. The Americans drove off the attackers, but instead of pushing on to meet the supply
column, they camped where they were. After a night spent in pouring rain without tents, they returned to Detroit. More than ever, Hull feared enemies were all around him. He recalled the rest of his troops from Upper Canada, thus ending the first American invasion.

Soon after arriving at Amherstburg, Brock met Tecumseh. Each impressed the other and a real friendship seems to have been born. There is a legend that Tecumseh turned to his followers and said of Brock, “This is a man.”
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Brock later wrote, “He who attracted most my attention was a Shawnee chief, Tecumseh . . . a more sagacious or a more gallant warrior does not I believe exist. He was the admiration of everyone who conversed with him.”
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(Ironically, the two most courageous leaders in this war would both be killed in defence of their cause.)

The next day, Brock held a conference with his officers, Tecumseh, and other Indian chiefs, at which he outlined his plan to attack Detroit. Colonel Procter opposed it, thinking the risk too great. Having read the captured letters, however, Brock knew the state of Hull's mind. He concluded that the Americans had lost confidence in their general and would not be eager to fight. Tecumseh supported Brock's plan.

Brock sent a demand to Hull for immediate surrender. Knowing the American fear of Indians, he warned that the warriors might get out of control in a fight. Hull rejected the demand.

British cannons at Sandwich began filing at Detroit and the Americans shot back, but neither side did much damage. During the night of August 15, about six hundred Indians crossed the river. Early the next morning, Brock took 330 regulars and four hundred militia across. The guns of the
Queen Charlotte
and the
General Hunter
covered the landing, but Hull had left the river bank unguarded.

Brock marched his little army towards the fort. Some of his militia were dressed in soldiers' tunics, which made Hull think he faced mostly regulars. As the British advanced, they could see American gunners standing by their cannons awaiting the order to fire. Brock's force was in the open and cannon fire would have shredded their ranks. Brock seemed to have put his force in a very dangerous position.

Hull thought himself in even greater danger. During the morning, British shells had landed in the fort killing several men, and the
Americans had seen what appeared to be two to three thousand Indians crossing an opening in the woods; in fact, Tecumseh had cleverly marched the same group of warriors through the clearing three times. The American commander was not at the wall giving orders or vigorously organizing the defence; physically sick and mentally disordered, he simply sat on an old tent in a corner of the fort chewing tobacco.
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Suddenly, Brock and his men saw a white flag go up. They were amazed. Without consulting his officers, Hull had decided to surrender. The American general gave up everything in his command: the fort, its garrison, and even the troops outside. An American army of almost 2,200 men (nearly 600 of them regulars), along with 35 cannons, 2,500 muskets, 500 rifles, ammunition, and the brig
Adams
were taken. Brock proclaimed British rule over the entire Michigan Territory. Soon afterwards, British regulars and militia marched south and took possession of American supplies and destroyed blockhouses as far south as the Maumee (Miami) River.

Brock issued a general order praising the regulars and militia while also recognizing the important role of Tecumseh and the Indians. Together, these two men had accomplished a great victory, but they would never see each other again.

American strategy in the West lay in ruins. The Americans had lost all posts north of the Maumee, their main army in the region, and any hope of influencing the Indians. The weapons and supplies taken would be of great help in the defence of Upper Canada.

On the Canadian side morale soared, for people began to believe that the province could be defended and that American conquest was not going to be so easy after all. Michael Smith, a recent American immigrant who had travelled extensively in Upper Canada while compiling information for a book about the colony, wrote at the time,

After this event, the people of Upper Canada became fearful of disobeying the government . . . and the friends of the United States were discouraged and those of the King encouraged. The army now became respectable, and a dread fell on those who had opposed the government. The people now saw that it was as much as their property and lives were worth to disobey orders, and now what they had been compelled to do, after a while they did from choice.
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The government no longer had to tolerate a pro-American attitude among the people and could begin to insist that every man perform militia duty when called upon. Also affected were the Grand River Indians. Norton and his warriors had not played a large role at Detroit. Now the Six Nations began to drop their policy of neutrality and actively support the government, with very important consequences.

General Hull was to face a court martial a year and a half later. The court dropped the charge of treason but found him guilty of cowardice and neglect of duty. He escaped the sentence of execution by firing squad because President Madison pardoned him on the grounds of his Revolutionary War service.

Brock hurried back to the Niagara frontier, perhaps fearful of what he might find. The news was good. Prevost had sent another general officer, Major-General Roger H. Sheaffe, to assist him along with more regulars, including the 49th. With the province's defences thus strengthened, Brock wanted more than ever to strike at the Americans. In particular, he wanted to attack Sackets Harbor in order to prevent the creation there of an effective American naval force on Lake Ontario. His plans were blocked by a cease-fire and by Prevost's orders.

Prevost had proposed a cease-fire when he heard that Britain had repealed the Orders in Council and wanted to stop the fighting. Major-General Henry Dearborn, the American commander for the area from Montreal to the Niagara River, readily agreed because he was far from ready to launch an invasion.

Henry Dearborn was another example of a politician appointed to military command because of his political prominence rather than his military talents. As a military leader, he acted slowly and was easily discouraged. Perhaps he was not as bad as Hull, but he achieved so little that Madison would finally dismiss him in July 1813.

The truce, which did not cover Hull's army, took effect on August 9. President Madison, however, refused to agree to it with the result that it terminated on September 4. Still, Dearborn was not ready to attack Canada.

When the cease-fire ended, Brock expected the Americans, who were growing in number every day, would quickly attack on the Niagara frontier. But he did not realize the extent of the problems in the enemy's
camp, such as widespread sickness among the men and a severe shortage of food and weapons. The militia, untrained and discontented, wanted only to return to their farms while regular officers would not cooperate with militia commanders. Disunity at higher levels worked to Canada's advantage. Peter B. Porter, a prominent New York politician and militia commander, complained bitterly to Secretary of War Eustis, “For God's sake . . . arouse and put forth the energies of the nation. The poor but patriotic citizens of Ohio and the frontiers of New York are . . . alone called out because their march to the frontier is shorter, and therefore cheaper, while the rich inhabitants of Pennsylvania are lolling in security and ease.”
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