to injure us we left to the ten der mercy f the enemy the refe rable canadians who had joined us and the protect m we afl rded them was but a paflport to venge ance this fatal and unaccounta ble ftep difpirited the troops and neftroyed the little conlidence which a feries of timidity irrcfolute and iniecifivc meafures had left in the commanding officer about the tenth of auguft the enemy had a reinforcement of ab- outoomen on the t2tb the commanding olicers of three of the regiments the fourth was ab- fent were informed through a me dium which admitted of no doubt that the genera had ftated that a capitulation would be neceftary they on the fame day addrelledto gov meis of ohio a letter of which the following is an extract w believe all the bearer will tell you believe it however it may uftonifh you as much as if told you by one of us kven a c is talked of by the the bcar er will fill the vacancy the doubtful fate of this letter tendered it necefiarv to ufe circum- there po d of the cromy would have been cx- fed i he refidue of the mich igan militia were in the upper part of the town to refill the incurhons of the favaoes tvro 24 pounders loaded with rape hot were poil- eo upon a commanding eminence ready to fweep the advancing col- umiii in this fituation theiupen- ority of our poiition was apparent and our troops in the eager expec- tation of victory awaited the ap proach of the enemyi not a figh of difcontent broke upon the ear not a look of cowardice rnct the eye every man expected a proud day for his country and each was anxious that his individual exertion mould contribute tc thegeneral 1 e- fult when the head of the column arrived within about five hundred yards of our line orders were re ceived from gen hull for the whole to retreat to the fort and for the twenty four pounders not to open upon the enemy one univerfalburft of indignation was apparent upon the receipt of this order taofd whole conviction was tlie deliberate refult or difpaf- the 1 ct fpection in its details an fore thefc blanks were left word capitulation will fill the iirft and commanding general the other as no enemy was near us and as the fuperiority of our force w3 miaife we could fee no ne ceffity for capitulating nor any pro priety in kludinai to it we there- fore determined in the laft refort to incur the reponfibilitv of divert ing the general of hs command this plan was eventually prevent ed by two of the commanding of- icers of regiments bcinq ordered cpon detachments- on the 13th the britifli took a pontion oppofitcto detroit h be- pan to t th r 0 v u p w o r k s i u r i ryr they purfucd their object without i ruw uti ne law interruption ardeftabiimed a bat the white flag difplayed even the tery for two i8pounders and an woman wefe indignant atibfhamc- ned with any degree of preciilon not many were vifiblc and in t lie event of an attack upon the town and fort it was a fpecies of force which could have afforded no material advantage to the ene my in endeavouring to appreciate the motives and to investigate the caufes which led to an event fo uncanceled and difhonorable it is r impoilible to find any foiution in the relative ftrcncih of the con- tending parties or in the meafures of rcfiftancc in our power that we were far fupcrior to the ene my that upon any ordinary prin ciples of calculation we would have defeated them the wounded and indignant feelings of every man there will teftify a few days before the furrcn i was informed by general hull we had 400 rounds of 24 pound mot fixed and about 100- 600 cartridges made we furren- dered with the fort 40 barrels of powder and 2500 ftand of arms the ftate of our provifions has been not generally underftood on the day of the furrender we der ces confifted of 1 800 regulars and that he f dered u prevent the effufi human blood that he magnified their regular lorce nearly fi there can be no doubt whether tie philanthrope rcafon affigncd by him is a fuffiawt jtifificsi for f urrendering a fortified town ail army and a territory i for the government to determine con fident i am that had the courage and conduct of the genera been equal to the fpirit and zeal of the troops the event would have been brilliant and fuccefsful as it nowis difafirous and difhonorable very refpectfully fir i have the honor to be your moft obedient fervant lewis cass cold reg ohio vol the hon wm eustis sccrctarv of war 4f fite dd d not fee the riecefiity of laying ail blame of the difgraceful capitulation at detroit at mr ma- clifons or at general hulls door there is as much as they can m v ui wau w- kju iiic ciay or me iurrcncicr we i nere is as itmctt as ronate examination of paffing ev- had fifteen days provisions of eve- faultier weekly mts faw the folly and impropriety ry kind on hand of meat there f crowding l i co men into a little was plenty in the country and ar mis vork which 300 dduld fully man fangements had been made for crrjlnd expe1 en of crowding work which 300 dould fully man and into which the hot and hells of the enemy were falling the fort was iritbis manner filled the men were directed to ftock their arms and fcarccly was an opportu nity afforded of moving shortly after a white 11 upon the wails rode up to enquire the cauf a communication paivcd between the coniinanding generals which end ed in the capitulation lubmittcd to you- in entering into this capitu lation the general took couikil an oiflcer was coniultcd- not one anticipated a furre der till he faw was hung out a britifli officer iiht 8 inch howitzer about funfet on the evening of the f 4th a detach- ful a degradation the american r character and all felt asthevfhom men of 350 men from the regi havefelt but he who held i s cnts commanded by colonel m- hands the reigns of authority arthur and myfelf was ordered to march to the river raifm to e- fcort the provisions which had fome time remained there protect ed by a party under the command or captain brufn on saturday the 15th about one o clock a flag of truce arrived from sandwich bcarinrr n f mons from general brock for the furrender of the town and fort of detroit flaring he could no long er reflrain the fury of the favages to this an immediate an cd refofal wis returned about four oclock their batteries bean to play upon the town the fire was returned and continued with- out interruption and with little effect till dark their fliells were thrown till eleven oclock at day light the firing on both fides recommenced about the fame time the enemy began to land troops at the springwells three miles below detroit protected by two of their armed veflels be- our morning report had that morning made our effective men prefent fit for duty io6o wkhcmt irckdinff o michigan militia on duty- about dark on saturday evening the detachment lent toef- corf the provifions received orders from gen hull to return with as much expedition as polible ab out ten oclock- the next day they arrived within zkt of detroit had a firing been heard or anv re- fiitance vilible they would hrivc j- ranoemenrs had been made purchafing and grinding flour it was calculated we could readily procure 3 months provifions in dependent of 15a barrels flour 5 1300 head of cattle which had been forwarded from the ftate of ohio a el which remained at the river raifm under captain brufh with in reach of the army but had we been tatm pfeftv tvte of provifions our duty and our intercft undoubtedly was to the enemy invited us to meet him in the field v acrcuiing ffiflsj the whole country would be open to us and the object of our expedition giori- oufiy and filecefefttlly obtained if we had beer defeated we had no- 1 j thing to do but to retreat to the fort and make the belt defence which circtimftances and our fitu ation rendered prachcabte but fcafdy to furrender without firing aguntamely to fubmrt without railings bayonet difgracefuhy to wfs iri revkw before an enemy as inferiof in the quality s in the number of his forced were cjrcum- ftances which excited feelings of indignation rnre eaiily felt than deicribed to fee the whole of f-f- to keep contented tin ill provided for army to jhoe the bafe footed dotk the de fiit ute and f apply even wad of provifions the emaculate pat riots of vermont i fabricated ad fent to the american catnp mtifburgh thcfollczvin gm news uhad its deftred effect for about twenty four hours covered if tn be noihin more n lefs than a fcoiifl fet of lies good news we fiop the prefs 6 announce the heartfelt fmisfaffion by aq exprefs by the way of albany t david fa3 adjutant general of this state announcing that gov ernor ilarrifon has retaken fort mackinaw fort detroit and has entered canada taken fort maiden and was marching towards fort erie where the britifh arc prcpa ing to make a ftand againft hiiai fort eric is on the canada fide of the river about 27 miles above art wii 9 a ortiiag i czjftzlti dunharft nriw editor of the wafhingtonianv printed in vermont commanded at mkhilli mcicinac for a number dfy cars pre- vious to 1 80 j it is 2 well known fact to many of the officers of the 4ft regiment that during the uuaua- vmuie tney would have terwards difpirited hopelefs and two laft years that captain dun- to this an immediate and fnfrit- immediately advanced and attack- defponding at leaft 500 fhedding ham held ms command he was cd refofal was returned about cd the rear of twn- tu under the neceffity of borrowing r uuvi provilions from the britifli garrit to fight their countrys battles ons to fupply his troops sincfc excited fenfations which no a- the commencement of the prefent merican has ever before had caufe war this tranfaction of captain to feel and which i trull in god dunhams has beeen brought ag- will never again be felt while one ainft him as a mifdemcaixor by hi 0 cd the rear of the enemy the fit- nation in which this detachment was placed although the refult of accident was the beft for annoy 5ng the enemy and cutting off his re treat that could have been felccl cd with his raw troops cnolofed be tween two fires and no hopes of fuccourjit is hazarding little to ay that very few would have efcp- ed i have been informed by col findly who faw the return of their our men fluflied with the hope of victory eagerly awaiting the ap proaching conteft to fee them af terwards difpirited hopelefs and defponding at leaft o ihedding iezrs becaufe they were not allow ed to meet their countrys foe and hadtdinl 7 the day af- 3 too up their line of force of every defcription whiite march 1 hey moved in a clofe column or platoons twelve in front pon the bank of the river the fourth regiment was ra tioned in the iort the ohio vol unteers and a part of the michigan mlrttt behind fomc pickets in a mntioq m which the whte flank red and black was 1030 tlhey had 29 plattoons 12 in a plattoon of men dreffed in uniform ma ny of thefc were evidently canadi an militia the reft of their mi litia increafed the- white iircce to acknn 700 men phe number of their indians could not be afcerttai- man remains to defend the iland- ard of the union i am cprcfsly authorifed to ftate that col m arthur and col findly and lieut col miller view- 0 ed this traniaction in the lioht which i do they know and feel that no circumilance in our fitua tion none in that of the enemy can excufe a capitulation lb iilhon- orable and unjuuiiiable this too is the univerfal fentiment amoiv the troops and 1 mail be furprifed to learn that there is one man who think it was neceflary to mcath his fword or to lay u his mufeet by political enemies the firft time that ever captain dunham publicl- if acknowledged the fact was in his paper of the 2 ft ult in an ant wer to one doctor newton j hfi fays 6c the doctor thinks it brii influence a britrfh commifl dealing out provilions to feed ail american gareifbn in a ftate ftarvation is britifh influence it was fo indeed and a kiuui influence too tor in the winter 7 it kept one hundred met full blooded y a n k e e sfrotuftrt had gen brock exerciletithe t lame iafluencc now it my lit hovs of 1 85