WAR WITH GREAT BRITAIN. 191 



only fifteen days after they had left Dayton. Within this time, 

 they bad marched one hundred and twenty miles, built block 

 houses, at suitable points on their route ; cut their roads through 

 a dense forest; and marched through, about forty miles of 

 swamp, knee deep, at every step, to the men. Doctor Eu.stis, 

 the secretary of war, had despatched a special messenger, to 

 General Hull, conveying a letter dated the 18th day of June, the 

 same day which the President signed the act declaring war. 

 This messenger, with a letter specially sent to Governor 

 Hull, by the secretary of war, overtook the army in the black 

 swamp, on the 26th day of June. In this letter, the secretary 

 forgot to mention, as a trifling circumstance, the declaration 

 of war, but, hinted that something of that sort, might bo 

 expected, soon. Four days after the reception of this letter, 

 General Hull reached the lower end of the rapids, of the Mau- 

 mee, and passed over the river in boats. He chartered a lake 

 vessel to carry his most valuable baggage and effects, from the 

 Maumee, to Detroit. In this vessel, he put his trunk, coniaiii- 

 ing all his official papers, and a full account of his strength; the 

 names of all his officers, payrolls of his army, and every thing- 

 which could be of much value to the enemy, and ordered this 

 vessel off, past Maiden, the British garrison, which it miist 

 pass, in order to arrive at Detroit. This vessel, thus freight- 

 ed, under the command of a Lieutenant and thirty men, fell 

 necessarily into the possession of the enemy, at Maiden. Any 

 man of sense must have known such would be the result, of 

 such folly. 



The British legation, at Washington city, had sent express- 

 es with the news of war to all their posts on the upper lakes, 

 whereas the first news of the war that our army received, was 

 through a common newspaper, which reached them through 

 the common mail .route. The army arrived at Detroit on the 

 5th of July, and being quite fatigued, after their toilsome 

 march, they rested several days. On the 2d of July, General 

 Hull received a letter from the Secretary of war, informing 

 him that war was declared. On the 9th he received another 

 letter, from the Secretary, directing him, if consistent with 



