248 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1812. 



N. B. No time to take on in- 

 ventory of ordnance stores, &c. and 

 no return could be procured from 

 the American officer. 



Proclamation by Isaac Brock, 

 Esq. Major-Gencral commanding 

 his Majesty's forces in the province 

 of Upper Canada, &c. 



Whereas the territory of Michi- 

 gan was this day, by capitulation, 

 ceded to the arms of his Britannic 

 Majesty, without any other con- 

 dition than the protection of pri- 

 vate property ; and wishing to 

 give an early proof of the mode- 

 ration and justice of his majesty's 

 government, I do hereby announce 

 to all the inhabitants of the said 

 territory, that the laws heretofore 

 in existence shall continue in force 

 until his Majesty's pleasure be 

 known, or so long as the peace 

 and safety of the said territory 

 will admit thereof; and I do 

 hereby also declare, and make 

 known to the said inhabitants, that 

 they shall be protected in the full 

 exercise and enjoyment of their 

 religion, of which all persons, 

 both civil and military, will take 

 notice, and govern themselves ac- 

 cordingly 



All persons having in their pos- 

 session, or having any knowledge 

 of any public property, shall 

 forthwith deliver in the same, or 

 give notice thereof to the officer 

 commanding, or Lieutenant-Col. 

 Nicholl, who are duly authorized 

 to receive and give proper receipts 

 for the same. 



Officers of militia will be held 

 responsible that all arms in 

 possession of militia men bo im- 

 mediately delivered up, and all 

 individuals whatever who have 

 in their possession arms of any 



kind will deliver them up without 

 delay. 



Given under my hand, at De- 

 troit, this 16th Day of August, 

 1812, and in the 52nd year of his 

 Majesty's reign. 



(Signed) Isaac Brock, 



Major-General. 



From the London Gazette, Saturday 

 Oct. 10. 



Admiraltij-qffice, Oct. 10. 



Copy of a letter from Vice- 

 Admiral Sawyer to John Wilson 

 Croker, Esq. dated on board his 

 Majesty's ship Africa, at Halifax, 

 Sept. 15, 1812. 



Sir, — It is with extreme con- 

 cern I have to request you will 

 be pleased to lay before the 

 Lords Commissioners of the Admi- 

 ralty the inclosed copy of a letter 

 from Captain Dacres, of his Ma- 

 jesty's late ship Guerriere, giving 

 an account of his having sustained 

 a close action of near two hours on 

 the 19th ult. with the American 

 frigate, Constitution, of very supe- 

 rior force, both in guns and men 

 (of the latter almost double), when 

 the Guerriere being totally dis- 

 masted, she rolled so deep as to 

 render all further effiDrts at the 

 guns unavailing, and it became a 

 duty to spare the lives of the re- 

 maining part of her valuable crew, 

 by hauling down her colours. 

 The masts fell over the side from 

 which she was about to be en- 

 gaged, in avery favourable position 

 for raking by the enemy. A few 

 hours after she was in possession 

 of the enemy, it was found impos- 

 sible to keep her above water ; 

 she was therefore set fire to, and 

 abandoned, which I hope will sa- 

 tisfy 



