146 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



result of outpost affairs near Amherstburg had been delivered to him 

 on the road. Baynes had not yet returned from Albany, but the 

 copy of a newspaper containing an account of the repeal of the Orders 

 in Covmcil was immediately sent on to Brock with instructions to have 

 handbills with this news printed and distributed, remarking: — 

 "although I much doubt whether this step on the part of oui Gov- 

 ernment will have any effect on that of the United States, the circu- 

 lation of a paper evincing their conciliatory disposition may tend to 

 increase and strengthen the divisions which subsist among the people 

 upon the subject of war." * 



Baynes arrived next day and Prévost was naturally well satis- 

 fied .with the result of his mission as he thereby gained time for strength- 

 ening his defences and forwarding troops and supplies to Upper Canada. 

 Still Dearborn's conciliatory attitude did not induce him to entertain 

 any extravagant hopes of a speedy termination of the war. Letters 

 were received a few days later from Anthony St. John Baker, the 

 British charge d'affaires in Washington, forwarded by a flag of truce 

 through the lines at Odelltown, reporting that he had been instructed 

 by Mr. Foster to communicate the repeal of the Orders in Council to 

 the American Government and at the same time state that in the event 

 of an agi'eement to suspend hostilities Admiral Sawyer and Sir John 

 Sherbrooke would postpone judicial proceedings respecting all maritime 

 captures brought into Halifax. Mr. Monroe had replied that his govern- 

 ment had the strongest desire not only to terminate hostilities, but to con- 

 clude a permanent peace and had already authorised Jonathan Russell^ 

 the Minister of the United States, who was still supposed to be in 

 London, to enter into an armistice with that object, but added that 

 the present proposal for a suspension of arms could not be agreed to 

 as it did not appear to be reducible to any practicable form to which 

 the President could give his assent until the result of the overture 

 made through Mr. Russell could be learned and that no decision would 

 be made until then. It is probable that favourable reports of the in- 

 vasion of Canada by General Hull were expected which might ma- 

 terially improve their position in negotiating, t 



Instructions were given to fortify Isle aux Noix as an advanced 

 post and three hundred men from the 1st and 3rd Battalions of 

 Embodied Militia volunteered for this service with the utmost cheer- 

 fulness. Sherbrooke forwarded $50,000 in silver taken in American 

 prizes and a thousand stand of arms fi-om the depot at Halifax which 

 came to hand very opportunely. X 



*Prevost to Brock, August 12. 



fAntlioiiy St. Jolin Hakor to Provo.st, August 10 and 14. 



^Sherbrooke to Prévost, August 24. 



