242 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1812. 



send, adopted the most vigorous 

 measures for the safety of that part 

 of the frontier wliich had been 

 attacked. In these measures he 

 was most opportunely aided by the 

 fortunate surrender of Fort Michi- 

 limachinack, which giving spirit 

 and confidence to the Indian 

 tribes in its neighbourhood, part 

 of whom assisted in its capture, 

 determined them to advance upon 

 the rear and flanks of the American 

 army, as soon as they heard that 

 it had entered the province. 



The certainty of the expected 

 reinforcements, and the weakness 

 of the enemy on the Niagara fron- 

 tier, had, in the mean time, induced 

 General Brock to detach from the 

 garrison of Fort George, £0 men 

 of the ^Ist regiment, under Cap- 

 tain Chambers, into the interior 

 of tlie country, for the purpose of 

 collecting such of the Indians 

 and militia as might be ready to 

 join him, and of afterwards ad- 

 vancing upon the left flank of the 

 enemy. Sixty men of the same 

 regiment were also detached from 

 that garrison to Amherstburg, and 

 40 to Long Point, to collect the 

 militia in that quarter. Having 

 made these dispositions, and hav- 

 ing previously sent forward Col. 

 rVoctor of the 41st regiment, to 

 Amherstburg, — where he arrived 

 and assumed the command on the 

 26th of last month— Gen. Brock 

 proceeded himself from York on 

 the 5th instant, for Fort St. 

 George and Long Point on Lake 

 Erie, which last p'ace he left on 

 the 8th following for Amherst- 

 burg, with 40 rank and file of the 

 4Ist regiment, and 260 of the mi- 

 litia forces. 



Whilst General Brock was thus 

 hastening his preparations for the 



relief of Amherstburg, the pro- 

 spects of the American army under 

 General Hull, werebccoming every 

 day more unfavourable, and their 

 situation more critical. The intel- 

 ligence of the fall of Michilima- 

 chinack had reached them, which 

 they knew must expose them to 

 an attack of the Indians on one 

 quarter, at the same time that 

 they were threatened on another 

 by the force approaching, under 

 Captain Chambers. An Indian 

 tribe of the Wyandotes, whom 

 they had in vain attempted to 

 bribe, aided by a detachment of 

 the -ilst regiment from Amherst- 

 burg, had succeeded in cutting 

 off their supplies on the opposite 

 side of the river, and in inter- 

 cepting their dispatches, which de- 

 scribed in ver}' strong terms their 

 apprehensions and despondency. 

 The losses they had sustained in 

 their different actions upon the 

 Canard river, as well as those for 

 protecting their supplies, together 

 with the mode of warfare pursued 

 bj' the Indians, had greatly dis- 

 couraged and dispirited them, and 

 had convinced General Hull how 

 hopeless any attempt would be to 

 storm Fort Amherstburg, without 

 great reinforcements and a batter- 

 ing train. 



It was under these circum- 

 stances at this critical period, and 

 when the enemy were beginning 

 to consult their security by en- 

 trenching themselves, that Gen. 

 Brock entered Amherstburg, with 

 a reinforcement, which he was 

 fortunately enabled to do on the 

 12th instant, without the smallest 

 molestation, in consequence of our 

 decided naval superiority on the 

 lakes. To his active and intelli- 

 gent mind, the advantages which 



hie 



