238 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 
build a small redoubt at Gowie’s house on the water side to command 
the river.” The remainder of the field artillery and most of the cavalry 
were brought over. Some non-combatants timidly returned to the 
village during the day. 
On the following morning a strong patrol of Ohio riflemen was 
sent out on the road to Amherstburg to reconnoitre and distribute pro- 
clamations in the Petit Cote. They advanced as far as Turkey Creek, 
where they found the bridge destroyed and discovered signs of a deserted 
bivouac. They were assured by an inhabitant that Indians were lurk- 
ing in the vicinity and returned to the camp, taking with them a couple 
of horses supposed to be the property of officers of the Essex militia, 
which General Hull received as a lawful prize. At night a false 
alarm put the entire camp under arms.? The fortifications about the 
encampment were completed on the 14th, and Colonel McArthur, with 
a party of dragoons and three companies of his own regiment, was 
instructed to march across to the Thames to disperse a body of Indians 
reported to have gone from Amherstburg in that direction, and obtain 
provisions, distributing proclamations along the route, and, if possible, 
getting in touch with the disaffected inhabitants. All the carpenters 
and other artificers that could be assembled, were formed into a separate 
corps under Captain Thorpe, and set to work repairing gun carriages 
and building floating batteries for the conveyance of heavy artillery, 
and a number of sealing ladders were also constructed for the contem- 
plated assault on Ambherstburg.* A number of men, representing 
themselves as deserters from the Essex militia, daily came in desiring 
permission to return to their homes, which was readily granted, although 
some of them were suspected of acting as spies. In fact, the militia 
assembled by St. George complained so bitterly of their hard fate in 
being called awav from their farms in an apparently hopeless contest 
at a time when their crops were fast ripening and their families needed 
their assistance in the harvest field, that he gave permission to some of 
the oldest and least efficient to return to their homes. So many others 
went away by stealth without leave, in three days, that the number under 
arms was reduced to 471.4 Those who remained seemed well disposed, 
but greatly intimidated by reports of the numerical superiority of the 
invaders. They had no uniforms and lacked arms and equipment to 
make them efficient in the field. Some of their officers were too old 


7 Hull to Eustis, 13th July, 1812, and 15th JU RE: 
* Lucas, Journal, pp. 377-8. 
* Walker, pp. 54-5. 
‘Lucas, Journal, p. 378; Forbes, Trial: St. George to Brock, 15th July, 
1812, (Can. Anche Oona ELITE 
(4 
