242 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 
against Amherstburg as soon as the necessary preparations could be 
made for moving the siege artillery... Accordingly, Colonel Findlay 
was despatched with a strong detachment of his regiment the same even- 
ing to re-occupy the Canard bridge. On his arrival there, however, 
he found a strong British outpost again in possession, who had taken 
up the bridge and built a breastwork of timber on the other side. The 
Queen Charlotte was anchored near the mouth of the Canard with her 
guns trained upon the approaches to the bridge. | Two field guns were 
also seen in position. On Findlay’s return with this information, 
Captain Snelling was sent out with two companies of infantry and a 
party of dragoons to patrol the road during the night, and on the 19th 
Colonel McArthur with two hundred riflemen and a field gun was 
despatched to make a careful reconnaissance. Several shots were fired 
at a group of horsemen from a small gun mounted on a row boat con- 
cealed among the reeds, which did no damage but caused great confu- 
sion, and a few Indians crossing the Canard on the timbers of the bridge 
brought on a brisk skirmish in which McArthur’s horse was killed and 
two of his men wounded. After a great expenditure of ammunition, 
McArthur began his march back to camp, but after going a few miles 
he met Cass’s regiment coming to his support with another field gun. 
Although they had received positive orders not to bring on an engage- 
ment, Cass insisted upon returning to the bridge to fire a few rounds 
from this gun. The Queen Charlotte and the gun boat replied, after 
which McArthur retired to the Petit Côte and encamped for the night. 
Next morning Cass persuaded him to advance again to the Canard with 
his whole force, and several hours were occupied in making a purpose- 
less demonstration against the British position, in which a few ineffective 
shots were exchanged from the artillery. In the afternoon they returned 
to camp, having accomplished nothing beyond making their men thor- 
oughly tired and discontented.? 
Deserters still continued to arrive at Sandwich bringing most 
encouraging information to General Hull. On the 19th of July he 
wrote to the Secretary of War, that fifty or sixty militia had deserted 
from Amherstburg every day since his Janding, and that the number 
remaining there was less than a hundred, whom he expected to follow 
this example in a day or two. The Indians were reported to be dis- 
persing nearly as rapidly, while he had a large council of friendly 
nations assembled at Brownstown in response to an invitation he had 
given them before leaving Dore and he had no doube pee ae they 


1Hull to Eustis, 18th July, 1812; Hao. Trial. 
7Tucas Journal, 384-7; McArthur to Morris, 24th July, 1812: Federal 
Republican of Baltimore, 26th August, 1812. Letter from Capt. J. Cook. 
