USA > Michigan > Monroe County > History of Monroe County, Michigan : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people, and its principal interests Volume I > Part 14
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No danger did the sentry fear No wakeful watch at midnight drear; But Ah! the foe approaches near Through forests frowning darkly.
And ere the sun had 'risen bright Fast flashing mid the stormy fight The thundering cannon's livid, light Glared on the sight most frightfully.
Then deadly flew the balls of lead! Then many of the foremen bled And thrice their branded legion fled Before Kentucky 's Chivalry.
And long our heroes' swords prevail; But hist! that deep and doleful wail- Ah! freedom's sons begin to fail Oppressed by numbers battling.
But rise! Ye volunteers, arise ! Behold! your right hand column flies! And hark! your shouts which rend the skies! When Indians yell tumultuously.
Rush o'er the bloody field of fame, Drive back the savage whence he came! For glory waits the victor's name Returning home exultingly.
'Tis done. The dreadful fight is o'er Thick clouds of smoke are seen no more,- The snowy plain is red with gore Where fell the friends of liberty .-
CHAPTER VIII
WAR OF 1812
SURRENDER OF DETROIT-AMERICAN SOLDIERS MARCH FOR DETROIT- ARMY SURRENDERS TO BRITISH HANDFUL-BOMBARDMENT OF DETROIT -THE FORT SURRENDERED-PATRIOTISM FULLY AROUSED-COLONEL CASS BREAKS SWORD RATHER THAN GIVE IT UP-BRITISH INDIAN ALLIANCE-RIVER RAISIN MASSACRE-CANADIAN COMMENTS ON HULL'S SURRENDER-HULL COURT-MARTIALED-FROM A PRIVATE VIEWPOINT-BRITISH CHANGE OF BASE.
The historian always approaches the task of chronicling this unhappy event in the history of Michigan with emotions of sorrow, chagrin and of the deepest indignation; that the first instance of such flagrant dis- loyalty and cowardice in the United States army should have occurred on Michigan soil is too bitter a recollection even at this distant day to be entertained with any degree of patience or equanimity, an act which dis- graced its perpetrator, and set back for months the ending of the war at great cost to the nation in money and in loss of its brave soldiers. The consoling reflection is that Hull was not a Michigan man. The events of the war of 1812 in a purely military point of view were of such politi- cal and social importance to Michigan that an outline of them at least is necessary to the complete comprehension of the situation in and around Monroe, the point in the northwest most deeply interested; for its loca- tion on the very borders of civilization and its close contiguity to the boundary lines between the two countries, placing it in the very midst of the war zone, gives it, necessarily, the most thrilling interest. This in- volves, unavoidably, a reference to the surrender of Detroit in the early months of the war.
THE SURRENDER OF DETROIT
Upon this event; whatever may have been the laudable desire of per- sonal friends and relatives to remove obloquy from an officer of kind heart and many good qualities, there has been an almost unanimous agreement among military men and others, as to the circumstances and the character of this most disgraceful and lamentable occurrence, which have been many times, already, made familiar by historians. Especially in Lossing's "Field Book of the War of 1812" has it been given with fullness and accuracy. It will be useless to go into the particulars at great length.
The conduct of our War Department in delaying important prepara- tions, and in not using greater diligence and expedition in sending out information of the declaration of war, was most reprehensible. And so far as it really interfered with any military successes, the excuse should be, and has been allowed to all officers and others who did their best. But it is also no more than reasonable to discard from such allowance, any dif-
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ficulties or dangers, which, although they might have been possible, either had no effect upon results or did not exist; or if they did exist were not of such a threatening character that any one should have acted rationally upon them. The delays and difficulties were not confined to American movements and preparations; and the fears of some "wise men" and good officers at a distance from the scene concerning the precise nature of perils on the frontier, could not have been entertained had they been on the spot, and been acquainted with the conditions of affairs on both sides of the line.
It will be remembered that there was opposition to the declaration of war, and of course it was among the possibilities that no declaration would be made. The vote in congress on the question was very close, and the issue remained in doubt for some days before the decisive vote was taken. It appears from various sources, and especially from those brought to light in General Hull's behalf, that he was opposed to it at that time and especially to declaring it so early as likely to endanger his civil jurisdiction, and the people living under it. He claims also to have been opposed to the invasion of Canada on similar grounds, (although a letter written by him bears a different construction) and for the reason that he considered it too strong to be overcome by the American forces; he was reluctant to accept a military command, fearing that he would be expected to invade Canada and conduct a vigorous campaign.
AMERICAN SOLDIERS MARCH FOR DETROIT
As a matter of fact from the twentieth of July, the army was hourly in expectation of orders to march on Malden. The enemy's weakness was well known, and it was believed, since confirmed, that the English would have made but little resistance. But time passed on and no such orders were issued.
On the 17th of August marching orders were given; at eleven o'clock tents were struck and loaded and the wagon train was moving; but in- stead of moving down the road in the direction of the enemy, it was driven to the landing and ferried across the river, and stationed on the common north of the fort. Orders were issued during the night to break camp, and the army marched to Detroit. This act created astonishment and indignation among the soldiers, and it was freely whispered that Hull had disgraced the army, and himself. This act of General Hull is the more astonishing, as it was known that the enemy's force was weak, and becoming still weaker by desertion; from six hundred and sixty Canadian militia to one hundred and fifty; from one hundred Indians under Tecumseh, to sixty, with but two hundred and twenty-five regulars. It was also known to Hull that the British officers had already sent their most valuable effects on board their vessels in port, preparatory to a precipitate evacuation of the post.
ARMY SURRENDERS TO BRITISH HANDFUL
On the other hand, according to the official report of the Brigade Major, acting as Adjutant General of the army, the forces under General Hull numbered two thousand, three hundred effective men, well supplied with artillery, in addition to the guns of the fort and advance batteries. There was an abundance of provisions, stores and ammunition for a month's siege; nothing, in fact, was wanting to secure the most favorable action of the troops. But with this superiority of numbers, with the en- emy already demoralized by fear, and ready to surrender, General Hull ignominiously surrendered Detroit and his entire army to a handful of
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British ! How this was brought about, and in what manner it was ac- complished, is told in the following words by one of Hull's officers: "On the 9th of August, a strong detachment was marched down the road, with orders to attack the enemy who had crossed the Detroit river in considerable force, and taken up position nearly opposite the center of Grosse Isle, cutting off communication with Ohio over which supplies were expected. The detachment reached them at three o'clock in the afternoon and immediately charged their lines, driving them three miles to their boats, in which, as it had become dark and was raining heavily, most of them escaped to Malden. In this action the Americans and British were about equal in numbers. The British brought into action a large part of their regulars, together with all the Indian contingent, all under the command of Major Mier. The following day the American de- tachment, after sending forward the mails and dispatches returned to the fort. The American loss was sixty-eight men; the English somewhat less. This action is known as the Battle of Brownstown. The principal development in this affair, was the fact that a largely increased force of Indian allies had joined the standard of Tecumseh, who had circulated the news of the fall of Mackinaw among the tribes, and summoned them to him by promises of plunder. Instead of sixty-men (Indians) he now had nearly six hundred; and by the 16th seven hundred warriors had joined him, who as a single body of savages were probably never equaled for bravery.
"A suspicion now grew in the minds of the most active and intelligent of the volunteers, which soon increased to a point that left no doubt about the complete failure of the valor and patriotism of the command- ing general. A Round Robin was proposed, prepared and signed. This was a written document, the names thereon being signed in a circle, in order that it should not show who signed first. This was sent to the Ohio volunteers, requesting the arrest or displacement of the general, and placing the oldest of the Colonels, Colonel McArthur in command."
"The suspicion and distrust of the Army," says Colonel Hatch, "was now increased, by General Hull's peremptory refusal to allow Captain Snelling to cross the river in the night to carry and destroy an unfinished battery which was being constructed on the opposite bank, under the direction of Captain Dixon of the Royal Artillery. This was the only battery of any consequence established by the enemy, and the only one which injured the Americans. It opened on the afternoon of the fif- teenth and continued its fire during the morning of the sixteenth, when a ball from one of its guns struck and instantly killed Lieutenant Hanks, who had been in command at Mackinaw. The same ball continued its course and wounded Surgeon Reynolds, of the Third Regiment of Volun- teers. On Thursday, August 13th it became necessary to exercise the greatest vigilance, and that the outlying pickets should be increased. At eleven o'clock on that evening, a boat was discovered approaching the fort from the Canadian side of the river, and as it neared the shore, it was seen that two men were sitting aft, with two others at the oars. The boat was challenged and came up to the shore, when one of the men gave the countersign. He was well known to have the confidence of the com- manding general more fully than any other officer" says the same au- thority already quoted, "and in almost every case, had been intrusted with the duty of communication by flag of truce, with the enemy. The other man appeared, by the dim light, to be young, of good figure, and of military bearing. They directed their steps to the headquarters of the commanding general, remaining there three hours. They then returned to the boat and crossed to the Canadian shore. The boat came back, but only one of the two men was with her. He gave the word and passed on.
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At that hour of the same night, the capitulation of the fort and the sur- render of the Northwestern army was agreed upon. The parties to that agreement were General Hull, on the part of the American army, and Major Glegg on the part of the British. Major Glegg was one of the aids-de-camp of General Brock. Just previous to this date a reinforce- ment of two hundred and thirty men, under the command of Colonel Henry Brush, of Chillicothe, Ohio, conveying supplies, including one hundred head of cattle, had arrived at Frenchtown, on the River Raisin, only thirty-five miles from the fort. Here they halted in consequence of the threatening attitude of the enemy, and reported to the commanding general, who issued orders on Friday afternoon, August 14th, for a de- tachment of about three hundred men, under command of the colonels of the First and Third Regiments of Ohio Volunteers, to march at twi- light on the line of a circuitous route or trail, which crossed the River Rouge several miles above its mouth, continuing far into the interior, passing the Huron, and striking the Raisin a few miles west of the French settlement, and passing down the stream to Frenchtown. After a short delay the detachment were ordered to join Colonel Brush, which they failed to do until arriving back at Detroit. Here both detachments joined, and in readiness to participate in an engagement with the enemy before the fort. "We resumed this unusual march, and without halting until we arrived," says a young captain of the Ohio troops, "about mid- night, at the edge of the woods; when to our amazement, consternation and hot indignation we beheld the British flag floating from the flag staff of the fort, and the Indians in the large common, driving off the horses and cattle. The fort of Detroit and the Northwestern army had sur- rendered. The detachment that we had just followed was included in the surrender, as well as that under Colonel Brush, at the River Raisin." Colonel Brush, however, decided that he and his men would not be sur- rendered. He detained the British flag sent to inform him of the capitu- lation long enough to obtain supplies for his soldiers, when the whole force started for Ohio, where they arrived in safety.
The arrival of the British officers and the report that General Brock had demanded the surrender of the post, gave the first intimation to the citizens and soldiers of the proximity of the British General. The following is the document demanding the surrender :
"HEADQUARTERS, SANDWICH, Aug. 15, 1812 .- Sir: The force at my disposal authorizes me to require of you the immediate surrender of Fort Detroit. It is far from my inclination to join in a war of extermina- tion ; but you must be aware that the numerous body of Indians who have attached themselves to my troops will be beyond my control the moment the contest commences. You will find me disposed to enter into such conditions as will satisfy the most scrupulous sense of honor. Lieut. Col. McDonald and Major Glegg are fully authorized to con- clude any arrangement that may prevent the unnecessary effusion of blood.
"I have the honor to be your obedient servant,
ISAAC BROCK, Major General, etc.
"His Excellency Brigadier General Hull, etc."
To this letter General Hull returned a decided refusal to comply with the proposal, although the latter portion of the letter appears to be apologetic for certain transactions not mentioned further. The following is General Hull's letter in reply to that of General Brock :
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HISTORY OF MONROE COUNTY
"HEADQUARTERS, DETROIT, Aug. 15, 1812 .- Sir: I have no other reply to make to you than to inform you that I am prepared to meet any force that may be at our disposal and any consequences that may result from any exertion of it you may think proper to make. I avail myself of this opportunity to inform you that the flag of truce, under the direction of Captain Brown, proceeded contrary to the orders and without the knowledge of Colonel Cass, who commanded the troops which attacked your picket men near the river Canard bridge. I like- wise take this occasion to inform you that Cowie's house was set on fire contrary to my orders, and it did not take place until after the evacu- ation of the fort. From the best information I have been able to get on the subject it was set on fire by some of the inhabitants on the other side of the river.
"I am, very respectfully, your excellency's most humble servant, "W. HULL, Brigadier General, etc.
"His Excellency Maj. Gen. Brock, etc."
The impression that would naturally be made upon the mind of the reader of the opening lines of General Hull's letter could be none other than that he intended to defend the fort to the last extremity, and that he and his men would yield only with their lives the flag of their country to the invader. In this view of the case, how can the subsequent con- duct of Hull be accounted for except on the logical conclusion that he became panicstricken with fear and dismay by the very first step taken by the British general to enforce the surrender ? or that some "under- standing" existed with him ?
BOMBARDMENT OF DETROIT
A short time before sunset on the day in which the above communi- cations passed between the two generals, the British who had been al- lowed, unmolested, to erect their works on a commanding point of ground at Sandwich, commenced firing upon Detroit. The bank of the river be- ing higher there than on the American side gave them an advantage in throwing shot and shells into the fort. But little damage was done, how- ever, and but one man was injured and that only slightly in one arm. The fire was returned from one of the batteries which had been built near the centre of the town. The attack upon Detroit by the enemy con- tinued until near midnight when it was suspended for a few hours. At daylight on the 16th it was resumed on both sides, opened by the British. The firing on our side was kept up until orders were given to stop firing, but continued on the other side, for fifteen or twenty minutes after our batteries became silent; during this time two commissioned officers, a surgeon and two privates had been killed. Soon after Captain Hull, son of the commanding general, was sent across the river with a flag of truce.
During the bombardment of Detroit many incidents, amusing or otherwise, occurred. At its commencement the citizens, being unaccus- tomed to the roar of artillery, the rattling of shot against the sides and upon the roofs of the houses and the explosions of shells, kept a vigilant eye upon the movements of the enemy upon the south side of the river ; whenever the flash or smoke of cannon appeared from that quarter they dodged behind some building or other place of shelter. In a short time, however, they became accustomed to the new order of things and paid less attention to the tumult and the flying missiles. Judge Woodward, one of the judges of the Territorial Supreme Court, at that time, was living in his bachelor apartments in a stone building standing on the north side of Jefferson avenue, which was the principal street of the town and running parallel to the river. Between this house and the river there
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stood a large brick storehouse belonging to the government and near this one of our batteries was built. A shot passed over this building and struck the stone house in which the judge resided. He had just risen from his bed in the morning and was standing beside it when the shot crashed into his room and struck the bed and pillows and drove them into the fireplace, the spent ball rolling out on the floor. The judge was some- what startled by the close call, but coolly picked up the cannon ball, placed it on the mantel piece and afterwards labeled it: "Souvenir of my first caller on August 16, 1812, who came unannounced."
On the evening of the 15th a large shell was thrown from a mortar placed at a point opposite where Woodward and Jefferson avenues now intersect. As it came hurtling through the air it was watched with an anxious eye by those who saw it as a messenger of death, perhaps, to some fellow mortal unconscious of his approaching fate. The fuse was burning brightly as it flew on its errand of destruction. It passed over Jefferson avenue and fell upon a house standing at the present corner of Woodward avenue and Congress street. Passing through the upper rooms of the house it fell upon a table around which the family was seated and thus descended through the floor into the cellar, the fuse hav- ing burned down nearly to the powder. The family stood not upon the order of their going, but fled precipitately to the street, which they had barely reached when the shell exploded, tearing up the floors and carry- ing away a part of the roof. No fatalities, however, occurred to the citi- zens during the attack by the British, though many of the buildings bore evidence of the effect of the Sandwich (Windsor now) batteries upon their walls.
The fort occupied high ground, back some distance from the river, the barracks being upon the north side. A shot passed over the front wall, penetrated the barracks, and killed three officers who chanced to stand in range. Another shot struck the top of the front parapet and, passing through it, struck a soldier on the breast, over the heart, killing him instantly without breaking the skin where it struck.
One of the French citizens who lived in a small house near the river, while the shots and shells were flying over and around him, stood in his doorway unconcernedly smoking his long clay pipe. Presently a shell whizzed past his face, taking with it the pipe from the Frenchman's mouth. He was unharmed, but so indignant at this unceremonious lib- erty and the loss of his pipe that he seized his musket and, rushing to the river, waded out as far as he could and fired at the battery across the stream until his ammunition was exhausted, accompanying the valorous onslaught with a volley of picturesque French profanity until that also was exhausted.
In the meantime, under cover of his batteries, General Brock had crossed the river with his forces, landing at Springwells a mile or two below the town. Here he formed his line and marched up the narrow lane leading to Detroit, halting at a shallow ravine just below. Here he remained entirely unmolested, partaking at his leisure of a sub- stantial lunch, while he dispatched an officer with a flag to ascertain why the American general had sent a flag of truce across the river, when he, the commanding general was on this side.
THE FORT SURRENDERED
General Hull sent Capt. Snelling with a note to General Brock, which he delivered; the purport of this note was that he had agreed to surrender the fort. Thus was Michigan again under the flag of
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Great Britain .* A month having elapsed subsequent to the surrender of the Northwestern army, and the fort and town of Detroit, and no official report having been received at Washington, of the transac- tion, Colonel Cass, who was in the capital on parole, prepared and submitted to the secretary of war, the following communication con- cerning this disastrous affair :
"WASHINGTON, Sept. 10, 1812 .- Sir: Having been ordered to this place by Col. McArthur, for the purpose of communicating to the gov- ernment, such particulars respecting the expedition lately commanded by Brigadier General Hull, and its disastrous result, as might enable them to appreciate the conduct of the officers and men, and to develop the causes which produced so foul a stain upon the national character, I have the honor to submit to your consideration the following state- ment :
"When the forces landed in Canada, they did so with an ardent zeal and were stimulated by the hope of conquest. No enemy appeared within sight of us, and had an immediate vigorous attack been made upon Malden, it would doubtless have fallen, an easy victory. I know that General Hull afterwards declared he regretted this attack had not been made, and he had every reason to believe success would have crowned his efforts. The reason given for delaying our operations, was to mount our heavy cannon, and allow the Canadian militia time and opportunity to quit an obnoxious service. In the course of two weeks the number of their militia who were enrolled and organized had decreased by desertion from six hundred to one hundred men- and in the course of a few weeks (probably three) the cannon were mounted, the ammunition fixed and every preparation made for an immediate investment of the fort. At a council, at which were present all the field officers, held two days before the completion of our prep- arations it was unanimously agreed to make an immediate attempt to accomplish the object of our expedition. If by waiting two days, we could have the service of our heavy artillery it was agreed to wait,- if not it was determined to go without it and to attempt the capture of the place by storm. This opinion appeared to correspond with the views of the General, and the day was appointed for commencing our march. He declared to me that he considered himself pledged to lead the army to Malden. The ammunition was placed in the wagons,
* The following incident in connection with the Surrender of Detroit by General Hull, and relating to the act of GeneralCass, which is now a part of the histori- cal narrative of that deplorable event, was written by an eye witness to the act; and is taken from the Zanesville (Ohio) Aurora, printed in 1848:
ZANESVILLE, OHIO, JUNE 19, 1848.
To the Editor of the Aurora:
SIR: In the Zanesville Courier of this date I noticed an article headed "The Broken Sword; " in which it is stated that the honor of breaking his sword is "borrowed, or rather stolen capital; " that it was Gen. McArthur, and not Gen. Lewis Cass, who broke his sword at the time of Hull's surrender. Now it may be that Col. McArthur did break his sword, for he was a patriot and brave man; but if he did, the writer of this did not see or hear of it at the time. But I did see Col. Cass break his sword at the pickets where Gen. Brock-the British commander -met Colonels McArthur and Cass above the Well Springs, below Detroit. I was standing within six feet of Col. Cass at the time; and I never will forget the indig- nation and mortification he exhibited at the time.
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