166 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 
office as “an artful, designing, ambitious young man” who was endeav- 
ouring to “ingratiate himself with his own government and to court 
popularity.” The Territory of Michigan was placed under martial law 
and one hundred and four of “the more suspicious and turbulent 
characters”, among them Captain Brevoort and William Macomb, 
whose son was a colonel in the United States army, were ordered to 
proceed under military escort to Niagara. A few of these were British 
subjects; but the majority had actually become prisoners of war under 
the capitulation and had given their parole.! A report that Harrison 
had again advanced to the Miami with an overwhelming force em- 
boldened twenty-nine of these malcontents to meet and pass a series 
of resolutions protesting against this order as “an unjustifiable and 
wanton invasion of private rights,” and “a flagrant and gross violation 
of the third article of the capitulation.” They declared their intention 
of maintaining a “strict and exemplary neutrality,” adding that if 
there were any among them “whose conduct and behaviour does not 
strietly comport with the spirit and meaning of the preceding resolution 
they ought not to be screened from punishment.” Woodward was 
requested to present these resolutions to Colonel Procter and urge him to 
revoke the obnoxious order. He took advantage of this opportunity 
to complain that some of the prisoners and some inhabitants had been 
killed by the Indians since the action at Frenchtown, and some houses 
burnt, and to propose a new convention on behalf of the residents of 
Detroit. He asked that a military force should be stationed there 
to protect the inhabitants “from slaughter, conflagration and plunder” 
and that they should be armed and organized for their own defence. 
All Indians should be prohibited from entering the region extending 
from the River Aux Ecorces to Grosse Point and from carrying scalps 
through the town. Procter was requested to name eighteen persons 
from whom they would choose six as hostages, while they would name 
eighteen from whom he might select six to act as commissioners “to 
apprehend all persons who should violate their neutrality or give rise 
to probable suspicion thereof.” This agreement should then be sub- 
mitted to the American commander for his ratification. Woodward 
cited the conventions adopted by Montgomery at Montreal and the 
Marquis de Bouillé at Tobago in support of his proposal. Procter was 
greatly enraged. He declared that Woodward’s letter was “insolent” 
and that the resolutions were “indecent,” and ordered the deportation 
of the suspects to be put into effect without delay. Woodward was 
required to name a day to substantiate his charges respecting the 
murder of prisoners. Many residents of Detroit were British subjects 
by birth, and Procter now proposed to arm for their own defence all 


2 Procter to Sheaffe, 4th February, 1813; Farmer, History of Detroit. 
