[CRUIKSHANK] GENERAL HULL’S INVASION OF CANADA IN 1812 2 
Brock’s envoys could scarcely have arrived at a more opportune 
moment for the success of their mission. They were at once received 
by General Hull, but were purposely detained on various pretexts, from 
ten o’clock in the morning until three in the afternoon, to gain time for 
further defensive preparations and the recall of McArthur’s column. 
They were perceptibly annoyed at this unexpected delay and showed 
their anxiety to get away. At length Hull gave them a written reply, 
firmly rejecting the summons, but at the same time rather weakly 
apologizing for the destruction of Gowie’s house which, he asserted, 
had been set on fire contrary to his orders, and making a similar ex- 
planation respecting the use of the flag of truce at the first skirmish 
near, the Canard bridge.* 
He had restrained his gunners from firing upon the British bat- 
teries at Sandwich when they were unmasked, saying, that he did not 
wish to waste his ammunition, and refused to consider a proposal to 
attack them by crossing the river at night. 
During the prolonged absence of the flag of truce, Brock had con- 
vened a meeting of his principal officers to whom he stated his intention 
cf transferring the main body of his force to the other side of the river 
and investing the American position. Colonel Procter was frankly 
opposed to this, and the only officer who ventured to support the proposal 
was Lieut.-Colonel Nichol, the Quartermaster-General of militia, who 
was not a professional soldier. Finally, Brock put an end to the discus- 
sion by saying abruptly :—“ Gentlemen, I have made up my mind, and 
instead of any further advice, I entreat you to give me your cordial 
support.” He had served under Nelson at Copenhagen, and quoted 
the great seaman’s example on that occasion to justify his action. 
Writing, some weeks later, he declared that he had actually “ proceeded 
upon a cool calculation of the pours et contres. Some one had remarked 
that ‘No step could be more desperate,’ but his answer was that ‘the 
state of Upper Canada admitted of nothing but desperate remedies.’ ” 
It seldom happens, indeed, that a commander is favoured with such 
complete and absolutely reliable information from the enemy’s camp as 
he possessed in the captured correspondence. From the private letters 
of officers and men he had ascertained, to use his words, that “ confi- 
dence in the General was gone, and evident despondency prevailed 
throughout.” ? The psychological moment for making the attack had 
undoubtedly arrived. Hull’s own letters showed that he had been on 
the brink of despair several days before and his position since had 
steadily grown worse. Brock’s armed vessels and gun boats gave him 
entire command of the river below the town. Their guns could cover 


1Forbes, Trial; Hull to Brock, August 15th, 1812. 
? Brock to his brother, September 3rd. 
