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and Burlington in Vermont. His estimate of the troops at those 

 places agreed in the main with information secured from other sources, 

 and he reported a general disposition among the inhabitants of both 

 states to refuse to take any part in the war except in case of invasion.* 



On August 3, a light canoe arrived at Montreal from Lake Su- 

 perior by way of the Ottawa river with some officers of the North- 

 west Fur Company, bearing the welcome and scarcely credible news 

 of the surrender of Mackinac in an official despatch from Captain 

 Roberts with a report that the American troops had been three 

 times repulsed in attempts to cross the River Canard, t 



Two days before this, information of the repeal of the obnoxious 

 Orders in Council forwarded in all haste by Mr. Foster from Halifax, 

 had reached Prévost at Quebec, and he immediately directed the 

 Adjutant General to go to the headquarters of General Dearborn to 

 propose a general cessation of hostilities until the decision of his gov- 

 ernment in this greatly altered situation could be definitely ascertained. 

 Colonel Baynes actually arrived in Albany on the evening of the 8th, 

 his journey from Quebec having occupied only five days, including 

 a detention of some hours at Burlington by direction of the com- 

 manding officer, who seemed reluctant to allow him to pass. Dear- 

 born received him most politely and declared that he entirely agreed 

 with the amicable sentiments contained in Prevost's letter and greatly 

 regretted that his instructions would not permit him to conclude an 

 armistice at once, but said he would have no hesitation to give orders 

 to his subordinate officers on the frontiers of New York and Vermont 

 to confine their operations strictly to measures of defence and in the 

 event of his action being disapproved he would immediately notify 

 the Governor and all officers in his command would be instructed to 

 abstain from hostilities until the expiration of four days of twenty- 

 four hours each from the time that notice was given by the party de- 

 nouncing the agreement. To this proposal Baynes readily assented. 

 Dearborn then observed that although General Hull was nominally 

 under his command, he was actually acting under special instructions 

 from the War Department; but he was willing to write to him recom- 

 mending a similar course, if at all compatible with his orders. Letters 

 were at once despatched by Baynes to the officers commanding at 

 Kingston, Niagara and Amherstburg by the same messengers who 

 carried Dearborn's orders to the American officers on the fi-ontier, 

 directing them to remain strictly on the defensiv ■ on receiving an 

 assurance of a similar intention on the part of the enemy, but warning 

 them at the same time to be vigilant and prepared for any emergency 



*Deposition of Baron de Diemar; De Rottenburg to Prévost, July 14. 

 fVincent to Baynes, August 4. 



