SECTION II., 1910. [119] Trans. R. S.C. 
VI —Harrison and Procter. 
The River Raisin. 
By Lr.-Cou. E. A. CRUIKSHANK. 
(Read September 28, 1910.) 
The capture of Mackinac had decided General Hull to abandon the 
important but isolated post at Chicago, a measure that had long been 
contemplated. About the first of August he prepared an order to 
Captain Heald, the commandant, instructing him to destroy or distribute 
among the neighbouring Indians all public property that he was unable 
to remove, to dismantle the fort and join him at Detroit, and sent it 
to the commanding officer at Fort Wayne to be forwarded by a trusty 
messenger. At the same time Captain Wm. Wells, the Indian agent 
at the latter post, was directed to assemble a band of friendly Indians 
with whom he was to proceed to Chicago and escort the garrison in its 
retreat. The message to Heald was delivered on August 9th and gave 
him the first information of the fall of Mackinac. His intention of 
evacuating the fort was immediately made known to the Indians who 
rapidly assembled to the number of several hundreds to receive their 
presents. They encamped on the sand hills overlooking the lake a 
mile or two away and their general demeanor was orderly and peaceful. 
The merchandise in the government store and a quantity of provisions 
were given to them; but the spirits and all spare arms and ammunition 
were destroyed, greatly to their disappointment. On the 11th Captain 
Wells arrived at the head of one hundred mounted Indians. Two days 
later Heald began his march along the sandy beach in the direction of 
Detroit, with his Indian escort forming an advance and rear-guard. 
His main body was composed of fifty-four officers and men of the 4th 
United States Infantry, twelve armed civilians, nine women and eighteen 
children, several of whom also bore arms. A small train of waggons 
and pack horses conveyed their baggage and provisions. Two small 
brass cannon were thrown into the river; but no attempt was made to 
destroy the fort or neighbouring houses through fear of provoking the 
Indians. When they rushed forward to ransack the deserted buildings 
they found to their intense disgust that the powder magazine had been 
emptied into the well and that a large number of fire-arms had been 
broken up and barrels of whiskey emptied on the ground. As these 
were precisely the articles that they most coveted, their indignation 
knew no bounds. A numerous party started swiftly in pursuit and 
after running two or three miles at full speed gained a commanding 
