[CRUIKSHANK] HARRISON AND PROCTER 127 
Americans and in the event of which I am confident they will look upon 
us as their betrayers and worst enemies.”’! 
He had already received a letter from Brock approving of his 
movement against Fort Wayne. “But it must be explicitly under- 
stood,” he added, “that you are not to resort to offensive warfare for 
purposes of conquest. Your operations are to be confined to measures 
of defence and security. With this view, if you should have credible 
information of the assembling of bodies of troops to march against you, 
it may become necessary, to destroy the fort at Sandusky and the road 
that runs through it from Cleveland to the foot of the rapids. The 
road from the River Raisin to Detroit is perhaps in too bad a state to 
offer any aid to the approach of an enemy except in the winter, and if 
a winter campaign should be contemplated against you it is probable 
that magazines would be formed in Cleveland and its vicinity, of all of 
which you will of course inform yourself. In carrying on your opera- 
tions in your quarter it is of primary importance that the confidence 
and good will of the Indians should be preserved and that whatsoever 
can tend to produce a contrary effect should be carefully avoided. I 
therefore most strongly urge and enjoin you acting on those principles 
on every occasion that may offer, inculcating them in all those under 
your influence and enforcing them by your example, whether in your 
conduct towards the Indians or what may regard them or in your 
language in speaking to or of them.’”’? He was advised never to call 
out the militia except in cases of urgent need and only in such numbers 
as might be indispensably required. A reinforcement of regular troops 
was promised when circumstances would permit. 
During Muir’s absence the Queen Charlotte was directed to make 
a demonstration in his favour by cruising off the south shore of Lake 
Erie between Cleveland and Sandusky and Procter began to remove the 
cattle and other supplies from the eastern settlements in the Michigan 
territory without much ceremony. He announced his intention of 
leaving no provisions in that quarter for the enemy’s subsistence and 
that he should be made to pay dearly for every inch of tenable ground.* 
He foresaw that a forward movement would not be long delayed since 
several undesirable persons who had been permitted to leave Detroit 
might be relied upon to expose the weakness of his force. The Governor 
General had indeed recommended the total evacuation of Detroit and 
the entire territory of Michigan to enable Brock to withdraw a greater 
number of regular troops to the Niagara frontier, but that capable 

* Procter to Brock, Sept. 30, 1812. 
? Brock to Procter, Sept. 17th. 
* Procter to Brock, Sept. 30, and Oct. 3, 1812. 
