^, ^ ^ <**>. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 1.1 1^121 125 ttt Wk 12.2 S 144 ■" Z l£o 12.0 u 6" Sciences Corporation 23 WIST MAM STRHT WnSTIR,N.Y. 14SM (71«)t72-4»03 CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHIVI/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Cenadian inttitut* for Historical Microraproductions / institut Canadian da microraproductiont historiquaa ■»;? '.'.V/'^ ^Mi' Tachnical and Bibliographle NotM/Nota* taohniquaa at bibliographiquaa Tha Inatituta haa attamptad to obtain tha baat original copy availabia for filming. Faatiiraa of thia copy which may ba bibliographieally unlqua, which may altar any of tha imagaa in tha raproduction, or which may aignificantly changa tha usual mathod of filming, ara chaclcad balow. □ Colourad covars/ Couvartura da coulaur I I Covara damagad/ Couvot tura andommagAa □ Covars rastorad and/or laminatad/ Couvartura raataurAa at/ou palliculia □ Covar titia miaaing/ La titra da couvartura manqua I I Colourad mapa/ D D D D Cartas gtegraphiquas an coulaur Colourad ink (i.a. othar than blua or blacic)/ Encra da coulaur (i.a. autra qua blaua ou noira) I — I Colourad platas and/or illuatrationa/ D Planchas at/ou illuatrationa an coulaur Bound with othar matarial/ RaliA avac d'autras documanta Tight binding may causa ahadows or diatortion along intarior margin/ La re liura sarrAa paut cauaar da I'ombra ou da la diatortion la long da la marga inttriaura Blank laavaa addad during raatoration may appaar within tha taxt. Whanavar poaaibia, thaaa hava baan omittad from filming/ II aa paut qua cartainaa pagaa blanchaa ajoutAaa lora d'una raatauration apparaiaaant dana la taxta. maia, iorsqua cala Atait poaaibia, cas pagaa n'ont paa At* fiimAaa. Additional eommanta:/ Commantairaa supplAmantairaa: L'inatltut a microfilm* la maiNaur axamplaira qu'il lul a M poaaibia da aa procurar. Laa dAtaila da cat axamplaira qui sont paut-Atra uniquaa du point da vua bibliographiqua. qui pauvant modiflar una imaga raproduita, ou qui pauvant anigar una modification dana la mAthoda normala da fiimaga aont IndiquAa ci-dassous. toi D D D □ Q D D D D Colourad pagaa/ Pagaa da coulaur Pagaa damagad/ Pagaa andommagAas Pagas raatorad and/or laminatad/ Pagas raataurAaa at/ou palliculAaa Pagas discolourad, stainad or foxad/ Pagas dAcolorAas, tachatAaa ou piquAas Pagas datachad/ Pa^as dAtachAas Showthrough/ Transparanca Quality of print varias/ QualitA InAjgala da I'impraaaion Includas supplamantary matarial/ Comprand du matArial supplAmantaira Only adition availabia/ Saula Adition diaponibia Pagas wholly or partially obacurad by arrata alips, tissuaa, ate hava baan rafilmad to anaura tha bast possiMa imaga/ Laa pagas totalamant ou partiallamant obacurciar par un fauillat d'arrata, una palura, ate, ont AtA filmAaa A nouvaau da fafon A obtanir la maillaura imaga possiMa. Th( po( of filn Ori bai th< aio otr fin aio or Th ahi TIf wl Ml dif an ba rig Thia itam is f ilmad at tha raduction ratio chackad balow/ Ca document ast filmA au taux da rAductton indiquA ci'daaaoua. 10X 14X 1RX 22X aix aox v 3 12X lex aox MX 28X 32X TIm copy fllm«d h«r« has lM«n r«produe«d thanks to tha o«n*rositv of: National Library of Canada L'axampiaira filmA f ut raproduit grAca k ia ginArositi da: BibiiothAqua nationaia du Canada Tha imagas appaaring hara ara tha bast quaiity possibia oonsidaring tha condition and iagibiiity of tha original copy and in icaaping wKh tha filming contract spacifleations. Original copiaa in printad papar covers ara filmad beginning with tha front covar and anding on tha last paga with a printad or illustratad impras- slon, or tha back covar whan appropriata. All othar original copias ara filmad iMginning on tha first paga with a printad or iliuatratad (mpras- sion. and anding on tha last paga with a printad or iliuatratad imprassiqn. Laa imagaa auhrantas ont 4t4 raproduitas avac la plus grand soin, compta tanu da la condition at da la nattatA da l'axampiaira film*, at 90 conformity avac las conditions du contrat da filmaga. Laa axamplairas originaux dont la couvartura en papiar aat imprimAa sont filmis an comman9ant par la pramiar plat at an tarminant soit par la darnlAra paga qui comporta una amprainta d'impraasion ou d'illustration. soit par la sacond plat, salon la cas. Tous las autras axamplairas originaux sont filmte an commandant par la pramlAra paga qui comporta una amprainta d'impraasion ou d'illustration at an tarminant per la damlAra paga qui comporta una talla amprainta. Tha iaat racordad frama on aach microficha ahall contain tha symbol ^-^^ (moaning "CON- TINUED"), or tha aymbol V (moaning "END"). ¥vhichavar appliaa. Un das symbolaa auhrants apparattra sur la darniAra imaga da chaqua microficha. salon la caa: la symbols -^ signifia "A SUIVRE". la aymbola ▼ signifia "FIN". Mapa. platas, charta, ate. may ba filmad at diffarant reduction rattoa. Thoaa too larya to ba antiraiy included in one exposure ere filmed beginning in the upper left hend corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many framea aa required. The following diegrems illustrate the method: Lee certes. plenches. tableeux, etc.. peuvent itre fllmto A dee taux do rMuction diff Arents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Atra raproduit en un aeul clichA. 11 est filmA A partir da I'angle aupArieur gauche, de geuche A droite, et de heut en baa. en prenant la nombro d'images nAcessaire. Las diagrammas suivants illuatrant la mAthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 8 'i^ v> ".*';*f--' •») \ ^ r:- 1"^* I. >* raSFl5N€E 5f> OK MaaaiHKtt G^^fi^aAL B^saE^ ~7 " „ /.' / ■# r »1 ' ■!( ^VJ ,&1»#- s > »«.«■ ». V?*. '^■'JV, <•■ f ,^' i" y ■/ .^:.i^ L, ■■^■ ,n '■ / ■j-fi' y >-"•> %L/:^' '/ « ,, P^r^ f // '/(/<'■ b!:. / OEFENCE ^-^■: or BBIGADIEB G£y£kAL W. HULt. SdinNd bcAm the Gcnaad CoutliKtM, of nUd M^jor Ctaand WITH AX AODEESS TO THS CITIZENS OF THE imiTEO SPATES. tV&ITTBH BT HIMSELF. Ccvied ftin teariglod Binuanlpt, ind poUiihed Iqr hU Mdi^ To «Mdi an pnAttd, THE CHARGES AGAINST BRIGADIER GENERAL HULL, AS SPECIFIED BT THE GOVERNMENT. ^. ^ BOSTON : PUBLISHED BY WELLS AND LILLT. Comt-Stnet. ••••«■•••••• 1814. «< DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS. TO WIT i Dittrkt Cltrk't Q#br. BE it lemanlxBod, that on Uie nintbdBy of Jane, nnodamiol dijbMNi knot dredttid fiwrteoi, and in the thiity-dgiitli year of tbeirnkpendeMeaf the Vni> ted StatctoT America, William WeUi and lUbm Lilly of the nid Diitiiet, have depodted in thiiollloethe title of a book, the right whereof they efadm m Fnprieton, in the woida lbUowin(, to wit: Oefeneeof Brigadier Oenend William Roll. Delivered befbre the gaeml Cgurt-Martial, of wUeh Uti. Oen. Deaibom ww Pmident, at Albany, March, one thounnd right bandied and foortaen. Withan Addrewtothe Citiicntof the United State*. Written by himielf. Ct^iedfimm the original manoicript, and publiihed by hit authority. To whieh are preflxed, the Cbvget agaiMt Ocne» ni Hull, a* ipeeifled by the Oorcmmem. ' IneanfarmitytotlKActorthe'CoagreU;ofthetTnitedStatef,Intitle^"AnAct Or the Eneoungement of Learning, by Hearing the eopiei of lAipe, Chara and Bodki, to the Authort and Proprietor* of ludiCopie*, during the timet therein mentioned;" and alio to an Aat intitled, " An Aet tupplemaitary toan Aet, intitled, an Aet for the Encouiagement of Leaning, by Kcuring the Co^et of Map*, Charu and Booki, to the Authou and Proprieton of radi Copiet during the timet therein mentioned; and extending the BcneAti thereoftothe Arttof Detigning, Engiavingand £tdiing Hiitorical, and other Prinu." WILLIAM S. SHAW. { ^jf^^SS^K** T4 ■■<. ',-tfmm'>nmi.ie^^. '■pcnJCTjiw r- ' ^ v H ' m m uiM Kmm*- • ADDRESS 4 TO THE CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES. ^*>!'a ' : 'M rclIow>Citiiaif, Iir submitting my defence to your consideration, and m making my appeal to your judgment, I have only to ask you to examine with candour, and decide with impartiality. I am sensible the fate ctf j precedents in other countries, and perhaps, as^ patriot, I ought to be satisfied. It is unfortunate for the administraticm, and for the other generals who have conducted oiir armies, that it cannot have the effect. In coun- tries, where the people are hardly permitted Xf^ ifi'iiiilBiiilii i'li'r" )i^-i^^0^*i^i0^S£!^^'^'^- .'ikJ^'*:'?*-- :'" -W^m^'^i:'^:>isii^: iv •'^ ADDRESS OF think, and their only prerogative is obedielice, in« nocence n no shield ; and becauie there can be no inquiry, the most elevated merit is often brought to the scaffold for the most meritorious conduct But in a country where justice is the basis of its government, where the people are enlightened by science, and understand both their rights and du* ties, such outrages on justice cannot with impu- nity be committed. Under a government thus constituted, when public misfortunes occur, those to whom the ad- ministration is intrusted are in the first instance responsible. They well know the public ven« geance will fall on them, unless they avert it, and too often have no other means of justification, but in the condemnation of otherjs. The power they possess, and the patronage they can give, afford great facilities in effectmg the object. It is how- ever our happy lot, that, when this power and pa- tronage are unjustly exercised, a remedy exists ; and that remedy is an appeal to your justice. Ta that justice I now appeal, in the confident expec* tation, that you will be satisfied of the purity and rectitude of my conduct, that you will reverse the unjust sentence which has been pronounced, against me, and restore me to that honourable standing in society, which had been acquired by the services of nearly half a century. X i.*--»' "-*»«. .^. -/^r*^- •'^, t V. * *^'^. ^fr-!^ .i .: r • i»'?'-iSXilP*H'*'n»«*H'i ^'••— ^^w^itr is m^ I I • .^.wt »■ '. fl ADDRESS OF When the new court wu ordered for my trial at Albany, and I wai fiumiahed with the volume of capital chargea, exhibited againit me by the gOTemmenty why did I voluntarily appear before the Court, and submit to my trial, when it wai in my power bo easily to have avoided it ? Why, after the trial, did I return alone and unattended to my residence in MassachuRetts, and there wait the sentence of the Court Martial ? — I do presumcT your answer must be^ Ihat this conduct only could hare resulted from a consciousness of innocence, and a full conviction that I had done my duty. I now ask you to consider the conduct of the go- vernment, in relattion to me. Did ihtiy believe the black catalogue of charges they exhibited against me was true ? If they diet, could the iTdministration have been justified in leaving me at perfect liber- ty, for more than a year after I had been furnish- ed with a c(^y of these charges ? Did the mem- bers of the Court Martial, who pr(Hiotmced the sentence, in their consciences believe I was guilty, 'and deserved punishment? If they did, how cab^eir conduct in directing me, the day after the sentence was concluded, to return to my home in Massachusetts, without any kind of restraint, :j^ without requiring any kind of seci^ rity for my 1||i^ance to receive the execution of the senteio^Tfais direction was given the .V . neral Sheafe arrived from Montreal with the rein- forcements, immediately after general Brock's departure from Fort George, is likewise a fact well knpwn. That at this time, on the ninth of GENERAL HULL. iA August, a cessation of hostilities had been con- cluded, which extended from fort Erie, on the east part of lake Erie, to Quebec. In my next number, I shall produce documents to prove the facts I have here stated. They are, howeveri . all so public,* ai|d so well known, that I am fully authorized in stating them without the documents. That on the day of the capitulation', the sixteenth of August, general Brock well knew that a cessa- tion of hostilities below had taken place, is certain, because on that day he gave me information of it, and that the orders in council had been repealed, and observed, he hoped it would be the founda- tion of a peace. It is likewise well known, this measure was disapproved by the President, and principally on account of the effect it would have on my army. When general Dearborn was or- dered by the President to make diversions on tlie enemy's posts below me, and ought to have been co-operating with me with all his forces, he was sitting at his ease at Greenbush, and making arrangements, which were one great cause of the destruction of my army». And yet this same general Dearborn was appointed the president of the Court IVfartial which has condemned me for the misfortune, which his own misconduct had been a great cause in producing. lo sacriGcing me, he has undoubtedly made some atonement for his own faults, in the opinion of the administration, >.-. ?^^ 7// :'-,)l »«^%«♦^,,J,^*^» ,"~'Ar'^-«c-;;^^^ sii «* ADDRESS OF and may be permitted to remain in the possessioii of his nominal rank, and in the enjoyment of his emoluments, in the degraded t iid disgraceful situ- ation, to which he has submitted for more than a year. . Thus has general Dearborn, by adopting a meae!!re, which brought the pripcipal part of the enemy's force against my army, exhibited his profound skill in military operations, and his talents and qualifications as commander in chief of the American army. I shall now proceed to consider that part of the President's message, of the fourth of November, eighteen hundred and twelve, which developes the objects of my unfortunate campaign. It is in the following words. /*< Previous to its declaration, [the declaration " of war] it was deemed proper^ as a measure of "precaution and forecast, that a considerable " force should be placed in the Michigan terri- " tory, with a general view to its security, and in " the event of war, to such operations in the up* " permost Canada, as would intercept the hostile " influence of Great Britain over the savages, " obtain the command of the lake on which that **part of Canada borders, and maintain cp-ope- " rating relations with such forces as might be " most conveniently employed against other parts. \ °^I?«'higan territory, it wus my duty to induce the government to provide means foK its safety. About the eleventh of April, after I had beea appointed to the command of the north-western army, unsolicited^ and even undesired on my 1* tiJ •■*IS«!*WWi<* .:^.^^-:i^,S5..fe^;^^:J^^;»^-.. xvi ADDRESS OF part i I then presented to the Presidentt througk the medium of the Department of W if, another communication, in which I represented in the strongest and most explicit terms, the necessitjr of our. having a naval force superiour to the ene- my on the lakes ; and that without it, and unless the army I was to command was strengthened by additions to its numb«rs, and unless it were followed by detachments to keep open the com- municaticn, and insnre its supplies from Ohio ; and unless it was supported by co-operations on other quarters, my army could not be able to maintain itself at Detroit, much less carry on offen- sive operations in the enemy's country.. % After these CfMnmunications, and under the cir« cumstances in which I was placed, I ask you, my fellow-citisens, whether I had any reasqn to be- lieve it to be the expectation of the government, that I should have obtained the command of the lak€S ? But in this I was mistaken. It really ap« pears, that it was, because the President says, in the Message I have quoted, " Our expectation of " gaining the command of the lakes by the inva- ** sion of Canada from Detroit having been disap- ** pointed,' measures were instantly taken to pro^ ** vide on them a uxvfA force, superiour to that of ♦♦ the enemy.' ft ' ^--A.,., iJWi- 'ITSS-J^t;"" GENERAL HULL. svii The other object was, ** to maintain c6-operat- ** ing relations with such forces, as might be most *' conveniently employed against other parts." I opened a road of two hnndred miles through a savage wilderness, invaded the enemy's coun- try, remained a month in the possession of it, waiting for co-operating relations, until I was in^ formed I should receive none i and until general Dearborn, instead of co-operations, agreed to a cessation of hostilities, which afforded the enemy an opportunity of concentrating his whole force against my little army. By the documents of the government, it thus appears, that these were the objects of my expedi- tion ; and because I disappointed the expectations of the administration in not obtaining the com- mand of the lakes, with the few Ohio militia I com- manded, and did not maintain co-operating rela- tions with other forces, when there ^ ere none to co-operate with me, I have becr^ condemned. I do expect, my fellow-citizens, when you be- come acquainted with the true history of my case, you will reverse the unjust sentence which has been pronounced agsunst met I am now perfect- ly supported by a consciousness of having done my duty in the most faithful manner, and my only '• 'u" ' . I'' !* xviU ADDRESS OF GEN. HULL. detire is, to convince you and posterity of the purity of my motives, and the correctness of my conduct. Under this support I am tranquil and happy. Had I pursued any other course, I should Want the consciousness which I now feel, and in Mncerlty I can adopt the language of Pope, ' * One Kir apgnfiag ham wMe yam oatwdijl i "OfttupidtUKnandofloudhttssM; ^ "And more true Joy MareellMadMfteU, ** Thn Cmmt witb a MMte at hii hedt." William Hullk Newton, (Mass.) June Ist, 1814. - ■ '—r »)'•'<»*' ■«- ^ -, I -■■ -.-.•..»,-■,..,..■,.- CHARGES. //' AtavamalCoartlbrtiaKonlaed I17 the Prnkknt of the United 8tatM}« Tcned at Albmy, in the State of Mew«Yaric, on the thiid day of Jannarjr one thouiand eight hundred and fimrteen, and continued bj a^onnnnentt to the twenty-flAh day of March fidlowing, brigadier geneml William Hull, of the army of the United State*, wai tried on die firikminc chaigca and ipecUca* tioni, viz: CHARGE I. rpRSABON against the United States, between the ninth of April and the seventeenth of August, eight- een hundred and twelve. First, specification. In this : That on the first day of Juljr, in the year eighteen hundred and twelve, before that time and ever since, an open and public war was, and is yet carried on and prosecuted by and between the United States of America and their ter^ ritories, and the united kingdom of Great-Britain and Ireland, and the dependencies thereof: and that Wil- liam Hull, a brigadier general in the army of the said United States, a citizen of the said United States, owing allegiance to the said United States, and late commander of the north-western army of the said United States, well knowing the premise, and trai- torously and unlawfully designing and coi-^triving to send and convey intelligence to the said enemies of the said United States, touching a declaration of war by the said United States, against Uie said united kingdom of Great-Britain and Ireland, and the de- pendencies there(^{ and, also, touching the expedition on which the said north-western army under his coio- n CHARGES AGAINST mand at aToreiaid vai employed; and, also, touching the numben, itate and condition of the taid north-west- ern array ; in prosecution of the said traitorous and un- lawftil design, on the said first day of . .ly, in the year aforesaid, at the rapids of the river Miami of the lalce, in the territory of iMichigan, the said William Hull (then and Uiere bein^* a brigadier general in the army of the United States^^ and l^ing then and there com- mander of the said rorth-Mrestem army as aforesaid,) did traitorously hire or cause to be hired an unarmed vessel, with the pretended purpose of transporting therein certain sick soldiers, and the principal part of the hospital stores belonging to the said north-western army, f^m the said rapids of the river Miami of the lake to Detroit, in the said territory of Michigan, but in truth, traitorously contriving and intending that the said unarmed vessel, together with all persons, papers, and things put on boa>'1 thereof, should be captured by the enemies of the said United States, on the passage of the said unarmed vossel fVom the said rapids of the river of the Miami of the lake to Detroit Bforesaid, in the territory of Michigan aforesaid : and that the taid William Hull, in further prosecution of his said traitorous and unlawful design and contri- vance, (being then and there a brigadier general in the army of the United States as aforesaid, and being then and there commander of the said norih-westem army as aforesaid,) did then and there traitorously put, or traitorously cause to be put on board of the said unarmed vessel, a trunk containing (among other things) the official correspondence of the Secretary of the Department of War and the said brigadier general William Hull, as well touching the expedition on which the said north-westefn army under his com- mand as aforesaid, was then employed, as touching a declaration of war by the said United States against the said united kingdoin of Great-Britain and Ireland, and the dependencies thereof, and also, certain offi- ^9\ moiter-rolls, reports, and returns, of the numben, I ■^ ^ '■w I I " I.. ■•»■ GENERAL HULL. txl •((lie and eondition of the itid north-wettem amy, under his command at aforeiaid : and thatafterwanli, to wit : on the second day of July, in the year afore- iaid, the mUI v^eMel, lo ai aforeiaid traitoronily hired or traitorously caused to be hired,' by the laid briga- dl«^r general William Hull, on iti paiiage from the wiia rapids of the river Miami of the lakje to Detroit aforesaid, was captured by the said enemies of the United States, liaving on board thereof, at the time of the said capture, the said trunlc containing the said official correspondence, ai well touching the said ex- pedition, as the said declaration of tvar, and- the said official muster-rolls, reports and returns, of the num- bers, state, and condition of the said north-western army (together with certain sick soldiers, and the principal part of the hospital stqres belonging to the said northhwestem army,) and by means of the said capture, and in fulfilment of the said traitorous and unlawful design, contrivance, and intendment of the •aid brigadier general William Hul^ the said official correspondence, as well touching the said expeditionyt as the said declaration of war, and the said official muster-rolls, reports and returns, of the numbers, state and condition of the said north-western army, (to- gether with certain sick soldiers, and the principal part of the hospital stores of the said north-western army,) came to the possession, knowledge and use of the enemies of the said United States ; giving infor- mation and intelligence to the enemies of the said United States, as well toqching the said expedition, as touching the said declaration of war, and, also, touching the numbers, state and condition of the said north-western army of the said United States, then and there under the command of the said brigadier genera] William Hull as aforesaid; whereby the said William Hull, on the first day of July, in the year aforesaid, at the rapids of the river Miami of the lake aforesaid, in the territory of Michigan aforesaid, (being then and there a brigadier general ift the army ,„.,»...... •■'-•'«! »dl CHARGES AGAINST «f the United States and being then and there com* mander of the said north-Trestem army as *afore8aid) and being then and there a citizen of the said United States, owing allegiance to the said United States,) did thfen and there traitorously and unlawfully hold correspondence with, and give intelligence to the enemy, and did then and there •traitorously, by the means aforesaid, adhere to the enemies of the said United States, giving them aid and comfort. Second specification. And also, in tins : That afterwards and during the said war, so as aforesaid carried on and prosecuted by and between the said United States of America and their territories, and the said united kingdom of Great-Britain and Ireland, and the dependencies thereof, the said north-we?tem army of the said Uqited States, under the command of the said brigadier general William Hull as afore- said, having entered the said British province of Up- per Canada, and haviu <; established a military post at cr near Sandw^ph, in the said British province of Upper Canada; which it was the duty of the said brigadier general William Hull to maintain and de- fend, in order that tt said war might and should be advantageously carried on and prosecuted on behalf of the said United States, and more especially that a certain British foft called Maiden, otherwise called Amherstburgb, in the said British province of Upper Canada, occupied by the enemies of the said United States, might and should be advantageously attacked and taken by the said north-western army of the said United States, under the command of the said briga- dier general William Hull as aforesaid, yet the said William Hull, (a brigadier general in the army of the United States, a citizen of the said United States, owing allegiance to the said United States, and com- mander of the said north-western army of the said United States as aforesaid,) well knowing the premi- ses, on the eighth day jo( August, in the year one thousand eight hundred and twelve, at Sandwich GENERAL HULL. xxiii sforesaid, in the British province of Upper Canada aforesaid, did then and there traitorously and unlaw- fully conspire and- combine with certain enemies of the said United States, (whose names are unknown) to quit and abandon to the enemies oi the said United States, the said military po^t established by the said north-western army <^ the said United StatcHs, at or near Sandwich aforesaid, in the British province of Upper Canada aforesaid, and to prevent the said British fort called Maiden, otherwise called Amherst- bui^h, from being attacked and reduced, or an attempt being made to reduce the same, by the said norlli- westem army of the said United States, under the command of the said brigadier general William Hull as aforesaid ; and that the said William Hull, (then and there being a brigadier general in thearmy of the said United States, then and thete being commailder of the said north-western army of the said United State?) and then and there being a citizen of the said United States, owing allegiance to the said United States) in prosecution of the said traitorous conspiracy and combination, did then and there traitorously qiui and abandon, and did then and there traitorously c^u^^; to be quitted and abandoned, the said military po€|:,^._^^ established by the said north-western army <^ Um^I^'^'v§^^, said United states as aforesaid, at or near Sandwich ' ^r^^H^^ as aforesaid^' in the British province of Upper Canttda v : •> aforesaid, and did then and there traitorously neglect and omit to make the proper preparations for attack- ing and reducing, or attempting to reduce the said British fort called Maiden, otherwise called Amherst- burgh, but on the contrary, did then and there traitor- ously prevent the same from being attacked and re- duced, and an attempt beingmade to reduce the same by the said north-western army of the said United States, then and Cxere under his command as afore- said : and, in further prosecution of the said traitorous conspiracy and combination, did then and there trai- torously march, withdraw and remove, and traitorously c ' • i iff. XXIV CHARGES A0AIN9T order to be marched, withdrawn and removed, the main body of the said north-western army of the said United States, from the said military post established by the said north-western army of the said United States, at or near Sandwich aforesaid, to a place out of the said British province of Upper Canada, to wit; to Detroit aforesaid, in the territory of Michigan aforesaid ; whereby tne said William Hull, on the said eighth day of August, in the year one thousand eight hundred and twelve aforesaid, at Sandwich aforesaid, in the said British province of Upper Ca- nada, (being then and there a brigadier general in the army of the said United States, and being then and there commander of the said north-western army of the said United States, and being then and there a citizen of the said United States, owing alle^ance to the said United States,) did then and there trai- torously conspire, combine, and hold correspondence with the enemies of the said United States, and did then and there traitorously and shamefully quit and abandon, and traitorously and shamefully cause to be quitted and abandoned the said military post, so as aforesaid established by the said north-western army of the said United States, at or near Sandwich afore- said, in the British province of Upper Canada afore- said, and did then and there traitorously neglect and omit to make the proper preparations f^ attacking and reducing, or attempting to reduce the said fort called Maiden, otherwise called Amherstburgh, in the said British province of Upper Canada, but did then and there traitorously prevent the said British fort called Maiden, otherwise called Amherstbui^h, in the said British province of Upper Canada, from being attacked and reduced, or an attempt being made to reduce the same by the said north-western army of the United States, under his command as aforesaid, and by the means aforesaid, did then and there trai- torously adhere to the enemies of the said United States, giving them aid and conif(Nrt. r. r^^^.^^-^1 ^li GENERAL HULL. XXV Third specification. And also, in this -.—That Bfterwards and during the said war, «o as aforesaid carried on and prosecuted, by and between the said United States of America and their territories, and the said united kingdom of Great-Britain and Ireland, and the dependencies thereof, to wit : on the sixteenth day of August, in the year one thousand e||;bt hun- dred and twelve aforesaid, at Detroit, in the Michi- gan territory aforesaid, the said William Hull was then and there a citizen of said United States, owing allegiance to the said United States, and was then and there a brigadier general in the army of the said United States, and was then and there commander of the north-western army of the said United States, and was then and there commander of a certain fort, called Fort Detroit, and belonging to the said United States, erected at or near the toWn of Detroit, upon a bank of the river Detroit, in the said territory of Mi- chigan; the works whereof, and the guns and gun- carriages belonging thereto, then were, and long be- fore had been decayed, dilapidated, and out of repair. And that the said brigadier general William Hull, then and there did traitorously conspire and combine with certain enemies of the said United States, (whose names are unknown,) then and there traitor- ously and shamefully to surrender and abandon to the enemies of the said United States, the said fort, called Fort Detroit, lielonging to the said United States as aforesaid, and then and there under the command of the said brigadier general William Hull as aforesaid, with all the troops, regulars as well as militia, then and there under the command of the said brigadier general Hull as aforesaid, and . all the public stores and arms, and all public documents, including every thing else of a public nature, appertaining to the said fort, called Fort Detroit, and to the said north-west- ern army of the said United States, under the com- mand of the said brigadier general William Hull as aforesaid. And that in prosecution of the said trai- i ■11111 JMmr.t' "i \n ./<^ •A XXVI CHARGES AGAINST torous conspiracy and combination, the said brigadier general William Hull did then and there wilfully and traitorously neglect and omit to repair and strengthen the works of the said fort, called Fort Detroit, then and there under his command as aforesaid, and to piit the same (together with the said guns and gun-car- riages belonging thereto) Into a proper state and condition for resistance and defence against the ap- proaches, attacks, and assaults of the enemies of the said United States. 'And did then and there wilfully and traitorously neglect and omit to fortify the places and passes at and near to the said fort, called Fort Detroit, by and through which the troops of the ene- mies of the said United States might then and there reasonably be expected to approach, and did approach the s'-id fort, called Fort Detroit, for the purpose of attackiirf «aA subduing the same. And did then and there traitorously neglect and omit to oppose, resist, re];)el and defeat, and to attempt to repel And defeat the troops of the enemies of the said Unked States, in their hostile preparations, and approach to and towards the said fort, called Fort Detroit, for the purpose of attacking and subduing the same. And that in further prosecution and completion of the said traitorous conspiracy and combination, the said briga- dier general William Hull did then and there traitor- ously and shamefully abandon and surreAder the said fort, called Fort Detroit, then and therd under his command as aforiesaid, (which it was his duty then and there to maintain and defend,) together with all the trOope, regulars as well as militia, then aAd there in the said fort, called Fort Detroit, then and there belonging to the said United' States as aforesaid, and then and there under his command as aforesaid, and all the public stores and arms, and public doctimi^nts, including every thing else of a public nature, in and appertdning to the said fort, called Fort Dc;ti>oit, and to the said north-western army of the said United States, then and there under his conunand as afore- OENfiRAL niTLL. xxvli •aid, unto the enemies of the said Unit^ States, to 'wit;-rto the British forces then and there under the command of mfyor general Brock; whereby the said William Hull, on the said sixteenth day of August, in the year one thousand eight ' hundred and twelve aforeraid, at Detroit aforesaid, in the territoiy of Mi« chigan aforesaid, (being then and there a citizen of the said United States, owing allegiance to the said United States, and being then and there a brigadier general in the army of the said United States, and being then and there commander of the said north- western army of the said United States, and being then and there commander of the said fort, called Fort Detroit, belonging to the said United States as afore- said,) did then and there traitorously and shamefully abandon and surrender the said fort, called Fort De- troit, to the enemies of the said United States, to wit: —to the said British troops under the command of nuyor general Brock as aforesaid; and did then and there by the means aforesaid, traitorously adhere to the enemies of the said United States, giving them aid and comfort. CHARGE II. Cowardice at and in the neighbourhood of Detroit, between the first day of July and the seventeenth day of August, in the year one thousand eight hundred and twelve. First sbecification. In this :— -That during the said war so as aforesaid carried on and prosecuted by and between the said United States of America and their territories, and the said united kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland^ and the dependencies thereof, the said brigadier general William Hull, c sions of the invading general ; a shade was cast upon the reputation of the American arm«; and the service t/^.<.*J! lt0IiNEttAL HULL. xxix of the said United States, in tlie proseeutlon of tlie said war, Butfered great detriment and disadvantage. Second specificatioit. And, also, in tliis :— That during the said war so as aforesaid carried on and prosecuted by and between the said United States of America and their territories, and the said united king- dom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the dependen' <;ies thereof, to wit : on the fifteenth day of August, m the year one ^thousand eight hundred and twelve aforesaid, the enemy having raised certain batteries on the banks of the said river Detroit, in the said British province of Upper Canada, opposite the said fort Detroit, and certain American posts and batteries estaUisKed and erected near the said fort Detroit, in the said territory of Michigan, and a cannonade being commenced from the said batteries of the enemy against and upon the said fort of Detroit and the said American posts and batteries established and erected near thereto, in the said territory of Michigan, the said brigadier general William Hull, on the said fif- teenth day of August, in the jetmone thousand eighty hundred and twelve afbresaid, at Detroit aforesaid, im the territory of Michigan aforesaid, (being then and there commander of the said fort Detroit, and of the vaid American posts and batteries established and erected near thereto, in the said territory of Michigan, and being then and there commander of the said north-western army of the said United States,) did then and there during the continuance of the cannon- «de aforesaid, shamefully misbehave himself before the enemy, and manifest great fear and apprehension oS personal danger by a course oS conduct and con- versation evincing personal alarm, agitation of mind, and privation of judgment, and particularly by various timid and cowardly actions and expressions then and there used and uttered in the oresence of the officers and soldiers^ then and there belonging to the said north-western army ctf the said United States, and then and there under ms command as aforesaid, as well in ¥ Si zzt CHARGES AOAINSli' I the public street of the town of Detroit, as in place* aiyacent to the said fort of Detroit, and the said American posts and batteries establbhed and erect- ed near thereto, in the said territory of Michigan; whereby a fatal encouragement was afforded for the hostile enterprises of the enemy, a {temicious example (calculated to intimidate and to disorganize) was given to the American troops, and the service of the United States in the prosecution of the said .war, was exposed to hazard, shame, and disappointment. Third specification. And, also, in this : — That during the said war, carried on, and prosecuted by and between the said United States of America and their territories, and the said united kingdom of Great Bri- tain and Ireland, and the dependencies thereof, to wit : on the sixteenth day of August, in the year one thoo- sand eight hundred and twelve aforesaid, the British forces under the command of major general Brock hav- ing crossed the said river Detroit, having landed at a place vailed Spring Wells, otherwise called Spring Hill, in the said territory of Michigan; and having thence marched towards the said fort of Detroit, with the design to attack the same, the said brigadier ge- neral Hull, on the said sixteenth day of August, one thousand eight hiandred and twelve aforesaid, at De- troit aforesaid, in the said territory of Michigan, (be- ing then and there commander of the said fort of JDetroit, and being then and there opmmander of the said north-western army of the said United States) did then and there, during all the time of the enemy's crossing the said river Detroit as aforesaid, landing at the said Spring Wells, otherwise called Spring Hill as aforesaid, and marching towards the said fort Detroit as aforesaid, with the design to attack the same as aforesaid, shamefully misbehave himself be- fore the enemy, and manifest great fear and appre- hension of personal danger, by various timid and cowardly actions and expressions then and there used and utter^ed in the presence of the officers and soir n GENERAL HULL. xxsi dien beloB^g to the 4R nortb-'westem army of the »aid United States, then and ther ^mder hia com- mand as aforesaid; by avoiding ak. jjersonal d .ager from malcing an attempt to prevent the enemy^s cross- ing the said rivet to DMroit and landing at the said Spring Wells, otherwise called Spring Hill; avoiding all personal danger from reconnoitering and encoun- tering the enemy in battle on the said march of the enemy towards the said fort of Detroit; by hastily sending flags of truce to the enemy with overtures for a capitulation ; by anxiously withdrawing his person from the American troops in the open field to a place of comparative safety, within the walls of the said fort Detroit; by an irresolute fluctuation of orders, sometimes inconsistent with each other, and some- times incoherent in themselves; by forbidding the American artillery to fire on the army on the said march of the enemy towards the sai !. Detroit ; by calling the American troops from the held, and crowd- ing them in the said fort Detroit, while the enemy was on the said march towardo tho said fort Detroit; by a precipitate declaration to the eremy, that he surrenderwi the said fort Detroit, and.^^.said north- western army of the said United StatesTttefore terms of capitulation were signed or considered, or even suggested; and generally by a course of conduct and conversation evincing personal fear, agitation of mind, and privation of judgment; whereby the said fort of Detroit, and the said north-western army of the United States, then and there under the command of the said brigadier general William Hull, were then and there rendered an easy and certain conquest to the approach- ing enemy; the ofiicers and soldiers of a gallant army (compelled by the obligations of military law to ohef the orders of their commander) were exposed to un- merited mortification and reproach ; and the service of the said United States, in the prosecution of the 8a^ zzsU CHARGES AGAINST FovRTH BPEoiFioATioN.^nci, alio, in this : — Tliat during tlie said war so as aforesaid canried on and pro* secuted by and between the said United States of America and their territories, and the said united kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the depen- dencies thereof, to wit : on the sixteenth day of Au> gust,, in the year one thousand eight hundred and twelve aforesaid, at Detroit aforesaid, in the territory of Michigan aforesaid, the said fort Detroit being tlien ■and there well garrisoned and supplied with cannon, ammunition, and provisions; the said north-western a^iny of the said United States being then and there well supplied with arms, ammunition, and provisions ; and the officers and soldiers thereof being then and there in liigh spirits, and eager to meet and encounter the enemy in battle ; and a fine train of artillery being then and there subject to the orders and disposal of the said brigadier general Hull, for the purposes of defence or attack, yet the said brigadier general Wil- liam Hull (then and there being commander of the said fort Detroit, and of the said north-western army of the said United States) acting upon the impulse of per- sonal *■ enEiifot flt0ls» cxxt itoeMTS fMNMivioif . Juidi tiloi In ihto »•««• TIM Miir Hi mM «w iQaifiiiwlMidl MfrM w ngil^gMr^Nit Main^^a^ K^ria> pni4«lie qMBd ^ Itt wlM •!! nr about ^ l!li« tarilfeB^ V l«filiiff« oToiidiMb ttini^ ib^l^ liiip^pic lyi^lteimit .aaase to fk» fllAiitrriM eiNi* ^nA tli# t#tf|«diiin, aii4 the mM ittilMWiiM iir Oveat JRiiaiii aadvlialaad, aiirtpAnNABiiMtlltoa^^^i^^ <£%:«iii||r M««Mttl0 tflwlneli^ligr ttim aal tlmw ^lirfmpo^iMteto^^U afriiKVBMil ▼#»!,««« pifCiliig or afim^ to ba put eo board ^tliefeoi; to ba tmiMporCcid b^^it^^paMago ftom the said la^ oT the tl«er Imoii of the lake^ to Detvolt afeietald» rthe laid biigBiQer genefal WttHaaA QaU having wif^ fieieBt eaoie to kiMtrir br to believe the immiiieiit danger of eaptnrO by the enemy to which the said ananned veiiel an tha poiMg^ *'^'*«Btoid| would be exposed) eartahi sifik audiOni^ and a gim part of the hospital stores Ibelonglng to tha said arny, to- gUher irilh a imnk, con^atoing (attenK other tldngn) the jMi«ni hereinliftar mehtiiHie^ vluch it was the dntf iir Oie said brigadier general WiU^am Matt most cami^^to Iceep and preserve from the knowled^^ and Vieir of dia eheiny, that is to say: the oflieial conespon^feoace ofthe Secretary of the Department of War and the iiid brlgpidier general Wqyttam dull, aa tr^ll toiicfaittg ^ espeifBtioftOli i^eh tiie said north- ■1^1 •- Si xixvi ClfAMES AdAINST Weateni Ai% ttiia«r lil» eoiiiiniiiid^ «s ftlbieMi^, ir» then employied, as touotdii^ • didJamtion-cl war t^ tlie said iThiteS SCafesof Ameilea'fl||aliitt the iaw imlted iBittdoiii pt Oceat Bittaln and Iralaod) •fnA the depenaencie* therectff^ and, also, owftaiii otk«r official muster ro^ reports; «(idrettiRiSJreJN^, was eaptmed-bgr the^'^'^n^ hKHmt ohbpaird'^re^ at tli» tlnMof sadft e«pl»^ Ttlie sidd idek solmers, the said hdipttid^itoires^ and tha said tmnk, eontainii^; the aaid oi^d e^aeafi^ dfence, and, adso, tlie said imuAerrolla»;|Bpoit8,. {and retikniB cf the minibers, staite, aiii^ dMH^tiDii of the said army I whereby the said sioli s^jM^eraweye made prisonert of war; £he said Impi^^^stori^ were loiHt td the United States ; and Uie said offieial «9niapQi|» dence, and the iaid muster ioU%reports,>aikd<'retunii! of the numlMtfs, statej and eondkion of the sfid ani^ Cftme' to the p08^eask>lir lukowled^^ and use :of ti;^ enemies df ttie United States, to the greM mmy, of the said United^Stat^s; THtKD sPKCiFiCAtioK. And, also, in tbis >— Thai during the said war io as aforenid cani^oa and prosecuted by and betwe«a the said United States ji(tf America and their tendtori«s, and tlif said ludted kingdpm gf Great Britain and Ireland, and the^P- pendencies thereof, th0 sidd Mpdi^r gfNpmal ^H- fiamHnll, having arrii^W ?*»« '®'* ? ihstMit wei» nbo dtmaged upS q## raaiin ajid, %oi«d4iept/in jfoper ip^F «najPspfiS|, faa eittty '^ neglei^of ^Mr % iwgleeling and 9i«ittoj5,>^- ^ ^ M tiii» i^, nii |i98ie8^!pii ai^ |Con|tii»nd.as ^ifore«a^i» ^iiij^rijtiid^^s^^ ji^iMu^^^rewir Mlstletyhetfj^ OMiso to tie fopaire^aiid ^rcpitjli- ^iwdf ^i# *oilt8 of tte wild M ^#^%t#^n4itlni^ opitt^ and 5V!^o|>6f^l«te and eoi^tion for r^^^^ HefiBHeo^ igf tbe «vopt of m loi^atlonJwid attack by the enomy; whereby the said fort Betroit wif leqian easy oolD^^i to tbe^iiemy » t^ faid guns ai|d giin- earrl^» b^g alt«rw>diMiMI for the aei^ice of the aaW^flitid Bta||», in. flioirjaali m^P^^ ^ ^llppor Canada^ were st^ foimd^tviftt for tianaf^rta- ^^ott>«nd^nse } great tipe was eenaumoti in p^e^ng ft^ fitting ]^m for the said •ervko$;^jaid^he ra ^^DiMK^ the w«r werp^ JatoJJyt J>bstn|<^ and sus- JNttj^n 8«aBciFicATioif . And, also, in ^^|b : — Tlttt/dnrlBg the said war so as aforesaid carruid on nnd pAMeottted by «ndbetween the said tTniM^tates of Ametteaand theif larrifod«»».and the said united idogdom of fiieftl Bfttain and Ireland, and thede- xxxrai CHARGES AOAINST pendeneieB thered") the said birigadiergcporM Wl£^ liam Hidl, dfecluing and ayonfiog m ipt^tiOQ aid design* wUh the aaid nori^weSftiexB afmj vin«« ef lT|Mier Clftni^» to invest und attack i|ie ^rit^fort culled Haldeii^ otherwise called Amhentbuigl|» in the. said Bri^ province, and to mdnttyyo^d ei^a^e hit pppHkai and possebsipiis inthe saidBritiwkprpvjpfMB^.'^ wctt knowing that expeditipn, rescjution, and enieigjr were indi^pensihle to the prosecution i^ad ac(|Bo mp< iiJ? g i e iit of such int^htion and de^g|B*.aiid liaving MidYed at Detrditiiforesaid, in iJhe tcriitoiy c;f MN^!SWa|iH» said, on th«i seven^ idajr of Jwy, in ^e yw one thousaiid «igh|l^, hundred imd iymlfj^'Miv^^ and having invadi^ the said Bnti^ pf|xi^ii^ UVjgigi^ Catiadil^ Oft the twelfth da;jr of Jn%, in the j^aip aforesaid^ and tlie|^m Inl^jpas poBacaa»W|l l^T ilit^^ ^wb of Sandwich aforesaid and halving lir|^ j^ ,jnfl|iii JiKidy of liis iaid annjT evacuated the said Bi^tj^pii^ vince otUpper Canada on the eighth dajr «^ Au^wt*. in the yeai* afpresaid, was guilty of ne||teeil; 9C didy and unofflcerlike conduct, % n^ aeas(im|^%;i^p^ ingjfi^tin^, and ti^ai|}|iorti|ig^ or cauauig tobe r^pi$rcd» ^tte^ and transported, ^ guqs and {pp-caf|iaj|f» which were necessary to the operation m tl^ wArin the si^d British province of Uj^r Cani^ byjMk •useless, and injurious waste qf time and ci|H^rovince of Upper CaiMida, and the neighbouring Indians, without resorting to a more effectual dlaplay o^ a militsury power, capacity, aud disposition to maintain the lu^^uititionB of con- quest, and to perform the promises of protection; by l»o6cpor>ing in the first instance^ aud bf abandoning GENERAL. Hl/LL/ xxxiie British fort ealled M«lde», oflierwise called Anih^rstr bdrgh, and fay fioally eVa^tii^ the said BrifUh pro- ving bf Vpptt Canada, ivhttoatlilvlilig; provided effettiiaily; ik any rctftect, for the safety of the inha- tdtants titelpeof Vrhohad accepted tb« said biicadiejr general William Httll's invitatlcta to join the Ameri- can standard, and without having, in any degree, ac cOMplhihed the said intention aid design of the said brigadier gei^rai William 0iiU, so as aforesaid de- claredand avowed upcitt the invasion of the said Brit- ish province as aforesaid; whentiby ba cpportonity was larded to the enen^ io bring into suspicion and eontempt the power and tlie cor^uet of the Ameri- can coihrnander; to • collect ahd dotmbine the British forces; to s^u^ei itttimldate, and ei^gt^e the In- dians ; t«> awe into submisdon the waveii^g inhabi- taals of the liaid Bif tbh prcvvinee pf Upper Canada; to reinfotrce the siM^British t6n cabled Maiden, other- wise (Balled'Aildiar8tbui|(h; and to prepare for invest- ing and attacking the sfdd fort of Detroit, in the said terrftoiy of M icmgan ; while on the other hand, the said «ni^ of the uid lJnitc$d States, under the com- maiul (rf the said br^adierigrneral William Hull, aa afi^NBsaidf diminishing hi effective numbers in con- sequeitce of sickness and other casualtiesf theofficera and soldiers natwaHy became dissatisfied and 4is- gustdd" with a scene of such inactivity, irresolu- tion, and procrastination; the hope of support and eoNjperation, as'welt fronr the Indians as- from the British inhabitants of the said British province of Uppei* Caioda* was destroyed, and the general ardour of the troops. In the prosecution of the war, insensi-^ biy abated. PivfH aPSGiriCATioir. And, also, in this :— That during- the continuance of the said war, carried oa and prosecikod as aforesaid, by and between the said United States of America and their territories, aai\ the said ufiited kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland* o2 it>wftM£a!tA^ 3h CHARGES AOA^KST tad the ^epeadeEciea Utereof, the mid iNrigwIidt' geneml WiUiasi Hully with the taid nortb-weftteni army of the «akl United Btatedimder biseomiuaidaf aforesaid, arrived, at Detroit aforesaid) in iSle tertkory of MieHgan lt£i»esBid, to wit: on tke^ aerenlb dajr of Jutyv»in tbe year :one thoosand e^bt hundred and twelve aforesai in the year eoe thousand «i|^t hundred «nd twelve afbresaid, to and in^odinfthe said sixteenth day of August, in the year afinPNald* it was of high importance to the eeourity and tofifiy of the aaid fort Detroit, and the s^id .trmy of -tiie iutld United States, under the command of the said MgeK ^r general William Hell as aforcsud, that a free and ^en ccnnmunication shdidd be had and preserv- ed between the said fort vX Detroit and the saidnmy of the said United St-^^es, under the command vi Hbe sud brigadier gei ral William Hall as aforesaid, and a certam American settlement and militaiy post made-uid established at the river Raishi^ in the aaid territory of Mkhigian; and that the said brigadier general William Htdl, well knowing the premiaefv but nnmindful of tiie trust reposed in hho^ was goifity ^ neglect of duty and vnolSeeriihe eonduel, by mf* \v. GENERAL HULU iOt. Ijering tibe enemy to interrapt and ont off tlie said oom* ii!Kink»tion between the said fort of Detroit and the ■aid amiy of the aidd United States under his eon- mAnd aa aforesaid, and the said American settlement nnd fiDJIHtaty port made and established at Ihe river Raiidn aforesaid, in the territory of Michigan aforC' ■aid, t(> wit. ; mi the fint day of August, in the year one thousand e^t himdred and twelve aforesaid, or oa some other day of the said month of August^ or ton sc^e day of the preceding month <^ July, in the year t^resald ; also, by afterwards, to wit : on tiie fourth day criT' August, in the year aforesaid, detaehing; miE^or Thomas B» Van Hmn of colonel JFames Find* lay's regiment of Ohio volunteers, with an inadequate force, {tiie uHA Inriga^er gcmeval William Hull having suffil^ent cause for knowing or believing the snooe to be Inadeqiiate) to attempt again to ojpen the said com- ^anroicailon between the aid foK Detroit, and 4be said Krmy of the said United States, under the command 6[ the said brigadier generid WUtiam H«dl as afore- said,' «nd the: i^id American settiement and militaij poet en said river Raisin, in the territo'y of Miciiigan aferaaald; also, by afterwardsj to wit ; on the eightir da^of August, in the yearaftwesaid, detachii^ lirate- tiaat -«olond Jfames Miller, of the fifth regiment of United' States faifanbry, with the number Or about the iiiimber of five'hundred men to att^i|;t ::^in to open the said comniunicatirovisb^^ waii fiimi^^ «nd forwartfef; to theni iit i^ tteiar Browustown iR>re- saidjViaid, also, by aftcnrWhrds; to \r\ii on ihb fi>ur* teentb di^ of August, in the ^'Car aforeisald. delaichliig eolonet DuncaU Mac Arthui^ cohmel of a Kgiment of Ohio volunteers, and colonel Lewis Cass, c^iloiiiEil of another regiment 6f Ohio voInntec», win tito ntifn- ber or about the number of four hundred men, as well to attempt again to open the/«yid c6ii)mQni<$a- ,tion between the said (ort DetA>i{ antf the sdd army of the said United States, tUMtt the conuttanH of the said biig^er getfcrat William Hull as iifore- «aid, and the said American psttlement a^d mili- tary post at the Hver Kaisin aforesaid^ in the teiti- tory of Michigan aforesaid, as to escoii isertain ptp^ visions froift the said American settlement and mi- litaiy post to Detroit afonresaid, without issuing, fur> nishing, and forwarding, or caiirang tobe issued, fvdnilsh- ed and fiMrwarded to the said last mention^ de^cb- ment an adequate supply i^pirovfidonslbr the service on which th^y trerc en^toyed a» aforesaid, (the said brigadier genem) WilHam Hull having sufBcient catiiO to know or to ^lieve that the said last mentioiied de-' tacbment was in want of a fiirther supply of prd^i- sions lipOn the service aforesaid, and ttiat they coiild npt prosecute and aecom|1i6h the said service Unlii^s^ such further supply was" issued, fgroished, BndtM'^ w:uded to them;) whereby the said detikcbmeht, lin- ger the sAid mi^or ThOmas B. Van Horn, being en- countered bv the enemy witit a superiouir fore ?, waf^ defeated and returned to ]>eti^!t albresaid, withoutat^"^' eompHshing the service on whieli they were employ- ed as aforesaid; the said detachment under the said lieutenant colonel James Miller, having achieved. i^ signal victory over the enemy during the maielkoii rr^-^^^asr' .^ — GENERAL HULL. loai Ihe Hffviee aftHresaid, «t or naar Brofwnitown aiferer ■liid, were nererlheleiR compdled^ from the want oC W a«kqimte supply ot praviiiioiiiy to abandon the ler- vi^e OB wUeh thejr were enmloyed as ainteiaid, and toretnpi to Detfc^t aforaiaid$ the viid de^hment liudef t||e lald c^oMlI Duncan Mac Arttnr "vaA the •aid.6<4fli>el Lewis Cass, firom want of an adequate vaf^lf^ of iHTOvisioBi wtsife unable to prosecnie and a«f c4>Q^[$di the senviee on whlehthey owere empkqred as albteiaid, ait4< weie returning to Detit^ afore- said, «t ttp tinie of the ab^ndraunent and ninen- der of the said ilbrt Detroit and the said ar^Ay of ihe United .States to the British forces under the oopuninid of mjw j^neiaf Brock a« aforesaid t and finally, the. said eommonlcatfon between the said fort Detrmt and the wtAA anny of the United States, under tlie cooifliand <^ the said brigadier general Wil- liam Hull, iwd the said American setttement and mi^ litary post at the laid riv«r Raisin, in the territcny of Mitfaigan aforesidd,' bj reasons of the said Jie^ects and omissions of the said brigadier general WiUitt« Htttt as aforesaid, was, and remained interrupted and totally cut (rff by the enemy, to wit: from the said first &y of August, in the year afore; aid, or from some other day in the said month of August, or in the pre* ce^ng mmith^of Ji^y* in the year fiforesaid, to aiui imslnmiit the said sIxteeQth day of August, in the year &ix«n 8i*KcivicATioNw And, idso, in^is :-^Th8t during the continuance of the said war, so as aforesaid carried on and prosecuted by and between tiie said United 6tat^ of .^nerica and thdr territories, and the' said^nited kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, imd the depemlenoies thereof; the said brigadier ge- neral William fijUtl, with the iK^id n^rth-western army of the.Q^d Unitoil States, under his command as afore> said, having ittvaM and entered the said British pnK vinee of Upper Canada as itf inentof the said army onder hia command aa rtfore- aaid, led by the- said' eokmel Xewia Cass, aiid the aaid lieutenant colonel James Miller, ha^^ng attaek- ed and repulsed he enemy, and seised upon a cei^ tain bridge over the river, called the river Aux Car nard, on the 4roat fttmi Sandwich, in the said Bri- tish province of Upper Canada, to the said British fort called Maiden, otherwise called Amfaersth**rgh, and- an opportunity having thereby been offer r for an immediate investment and attack updn the said British fort called Maiden, otherwise called Amp herstburgh; yet the said Iw^aitter general WilKam Hull, well knowing the (Mremises, and unmindful of the trust reposed in him,' to wit: on or about the eighteenth day of Ju^, in the year one thouKand eight hundred and twelve afoi^esaid, at Sandwich aforesaid, in the British province of Upper Canada aforesaid, was guilty of neglect of du^ and uc- «fficerlike conduct, by neglecting and omitting to advance with the said army under his command as aforesaid, to maintain or attempt to maintain the possession of the said bridge over the said river^ call- ed the river Aux Canaid, and by neglecting and omitting to'-proeeed to the iumediate investment and attack of the said British fort called Maiden, otherwise called Amherstburgh« in the said British pro- vince of Upper Canada, whereby the advanta|^ of acquiring and keeping possessimi <^ the said Imdga over the said river called the river Anx Canard, laa aforesaid, was improvidently losf, and the prospeot of a successful investment and attack i^iop the siddr-Bri- tish'fort called Maiden, otherwise cidledAmhertt* burgh j speedily vanished. >,t>. SevENTH spEoxFieATioN. And, also, in tbiiiTirrr' ' That during the continuance of . the said war^aoaa aforesaid carried on and provecuted by andiietvifiea GENERAL HULt. Hv Urn Mid United Statee of AmeriM aad Uieir tenitoriM, •od the laid united kuMMloni of Great Britain and Ire- land, and the depeBdfficiei thereof^ the said brigadier general Wttliam Hull, with the said UMrth»we>tem^ar- nqr of; ''e said United States under his command, as afoMsald, having evacuaM the said .Brittsli province oC Upper Canada, returning thence to .Detroit afore- said, in the t^muiry pf Michigan afpresaidi the ene- . my having aftenvMds taken possession of the bank of Ae said -river Detrcnt, opposite to Detroit aforesaid, andsthereott erected batteries wherewith to< attack and annoy as well, the sud fort of Detroit, and the Ameri- can posts atid batteries erected and established near thereto, as the town of Detroit in the said territory of Michigan; the enemy havii^ also manifested an in- tention Itnd cfesign to.invade and enter the said terri- tory of Michigan, and CO invest and attack the said fortDetrcdt; and the enemy h&ving also afterwards, in pursuanoe of such intention and design, landed at a plaro called Spring Wells, otherwise called Spring Hill, in the neighbourbo^ of the said fort petroit, in the territory of Michigan aforesaid ; yet the said brigadier general Wiiliam Hull, well knowing the premises, and unraindl'ul of the trust reposed in him, to wit: irom the. eleventh day of August, to and in- dudii^ Ae sixteenth day of August, ki the year one tiioosand eight hundred and tufelve afooresaid, was guilty of neglect of duty and unofficerlike conduct, by neglecting and oniitting to prevent, and to attempt to prevent the enemy from erecting the said batteries on the bank of the said river Detroit, opposite to the said f the Mid ^ DctNM with the air and eiHdldmice «C alrimiiDh* • A.J BAIXAIB, ■•WiaSsr*'! iaiiiiiiiir -^y^^^^^'^ ^■''^''^^"^^'^^^^ BEFENCE »T V- BRIGADIER GENERAL HULL. Mir* PMidBnt^ AadO^itlamtn of dw CMurt^Mwtiai, I HATE too long, and too severely felt the effects of public pr^udice, excited by unfounded reports and groundless clamours, not to r^oice, that the time has arrived, when I may speak in my own vindication, before an tn^ftto/ and honouraHfle tribunal. The charges, upon which you are now to decide, have been propagated through the union, with a seiU and tfuluAfry, to which my age, my cAfl|acter, and my former services, have b<^ in vain oppii^fid. My reputation and feelings have been tiie sport of every one, who either from malicious, selfish, or poli- tical motives, chose to traduce me. The time has been, when no one would have dared to couple^ho- nour ^ith my name; when my heart has exulted to, find myself mentioned amtHig those who desei^i^ well of their oountry. But since my jefforts to serve 2 ^'0C'-"^-'.: -^-Tt*!^ ^M8 2 DEFENCE OP her, have been unsucceMfuI, how have I been tortorad with crnel and unfounded accu^tions !— Even con- scious innocence has not always given me fortftiide to bear with ^his ii\ju8tice, unmoved.— Knowing the integrity of my own motives, and how lealously I have sought to discharge my duty to the public, my heart lias often swollen wiUi indignation, when lliave seen the indefatigable pains that have been taken, by repetitions of the foulest calumnies, to excite, and k«ep alive, prejudices against me. Your own knowledge. Gentlemen, of what has been passing in tha world, will convince you, that this id not declamation^; but I shall shew you, in the course of my defence, that men» from whose profession and whose rank it was not to be expected, have been parties in this iiyustiee. At length, however, the time I have so anxiously desired has arrived, when my conduct must be tested by dddencCi instead of the misrepresentations of my enemies. And I do eel a confidence, that when you hav« pronounced upon that evidence, I may ap- peal to your ju^;nient to refute the clamourt- which have been jaised against me. ' ^ I cannot but think, IMtr. Prerident, thut the charges against me are exhibited in a form, hitherto unprece- dented in proceedings of this nature. It was not to be expected^ that in a court where the accused* whatever may be.|hi8 infirmitieft or incipacity td at> tend to tiis own ifltefence,. is not permnted to have the benefit of counsel, the charges would be envek^> ( I f: '^i^^'^^^r^'tr^.'^^ GENERAl. HULL. » •d fai toch a profusion ef words, that it it diffloult Tur oiie,^iKrt aecuttomed to the teclmical fomis of pleidings in the eivil courts, to understand them, and be so eompHoated by repetitions, that it is still more diffi- cttlt to reduce them to any order or analysis. It is extremely important, however, that the Court shoidd ascertain, and always bear in mind, precisely of what I am accused. The course of proceeding, which has been adopted by the Court, renders this the more necessaiy, as testimony has been given, which certainly cannot be applied to any of the spe- ciAcations. The Court have thought proper to ad- mit it, with an intimation, that any further objection, which I might offer to its propriety or relevancy, when I arrived at this stage of my defence, would be con* sidered.— In submission to this decuion of the Court, I have omitted to make otgections on this ground in •eyeral instances. i iMI not attempt to offer an argument to the Court, to plov« the injustice of making one charge against a penon, and trj^g and coiivicting hin|0|^|- other, l^d however understand from what pHK when I fiist submitted to the Court an objection of this nature, ihat an opinkm was enteitained by some oi the tfMmbers, that thoqgh the testimony might not apply to any^specificat^i, yet if fte fact intended to be proved would come^^illder dtter of the general charges, tliejr iestfanony w& be proper. If tliis' were so, then there woidd be no Hie in the specifications. Indeed mm M % ■^- E*> DEFENCE OF they vould be worse than uaeless, for they would only mislMid the accused, and induce hun to prepare against one accusation, when he might he tried on another. The impropriety of a^teutting any thing rai- der the general clnu^e, for which tiiere k not a spe« cification, I think will appear manifest Let us sup- pose, that & general charge is made of unofficer>like conduct, and the only specification, insulting a supe- rioiir. Suppose that under this general charge and specification, testimony should be offered of absence without teave. This would also, be unoffice^like con- duct, and therefore would come under the general charge. ^ But would it not be the height of injustice to try the accused for absenting himself; a cnn^ (^ which the chains gave him no notice. I trust the Court will see the validity oS the objection I am con- sidering, and that they will be careful to give no weight to any part of the testimony, which does not apply to some one of the specifications. I do not think it necessary to occupy the time of the Court with a recapitulation of the charges, nor shall I exhaust your patience by attempting, in my qPH^, to follow the vobtme on your tabl% through all its reiterati >.^. GENERAL HULL. I, feiieJB into «one cfnupasB, and fo be the better vajAet' stoodM-I shall particularly notice the charges, which the Judge Advocate, in his opening, ttkentioned as those which he expected would be substantiated, and I ^all not mnitto malce ny defence i^ainst every accvisaticm, ^hich theri^ lias been tiie least testimony to support The cardinal accusations, If I may be permitted so to express myself, are founded upon an alleged delay at Sandwich, the retreat from Cuiada, and the sur- render at Detroit. If I can sati^/y tiie Court that tiiese acts were in tliemselves necessary, ot justifiable, it will then remain for me to answer such of the ac- cusations as relate to the manner in which these acts were done, and to answer also some chaiges not im- medfately connected with these transacticns. This course will embrace the whole <^ my defence. "Of this latter description, is the first 8pecificati<«, under the «lHffge of treason, which relates to the vessel sent from the Miami, I shall therefore give this a separate considerati 1 liave already protested against the authority of this Court io decide upon this charge, because trea* son is a crime of which a court martial has no c(^- mzance. Their power is confined to such militarv 2* ■v*-i 6 DEFENCE OF crimes -as are specified in the articles of war. And their jurisdiction rs so limited, notonljr bjr the ccmsti'' tution, but by the Teiy articles th make and insist on this protest, Tot Uie sake of repellkg a dangerous example, and not as it respects myself, i>r the case now onder yeur consideration; for my only desire is to accjuit myself of the criminal acts and mo- tives which liave been so wantonly imputed to me. If I cannot succeed in this, I am indifferent as to the names by which the crimes may be called, and if I do not acquit myself €S the other charges, which are the most wounding to the feelings of a solcUer, I am equally indifferent to the punishment that may be in- flicted. I have no desire to preserve a life, that shall be stigmatized by a conviction of tins Court oh the charges of cowardice. The first specification, under the chaise of treasor ^elates to sending the vessel, on the first of July, from, the Miami, with hospital stores^ sick, Vaggage, and army documents. As to sending the vessel with what she had on board, except the last article, it is not dis- puted; but that for the reasons, which according to the testimony of general Mac Aitiiur, I assigned for it at the time, it would not have been an improper measure had not war been declared. The whole .ciiminality then, in this respect, rests on the truth, of the allegation, that I despatched the vessel, knowing of the war; and with a design to give traitorous in- tell^ence to the enemy. GENERAL HULL. tt is very certain that I had no direct intell^nce cf the "^m on the first of July, when the vessel was desfiatched. I had ^n the twentf-sixth tii June re- cdved a letter from the Secretary at War, dated on the day war was declared, the eighteenth of June; and I afterwards received another letter from him of the same date, announcing to me the declaration of war. It seems to have been intimated that the letter of the eigliteentb of June, wMch I received on the twentynsixih, was the letter announcing the war. But I thhd^ the testimony of general Mac Arthur settles that point. He acknowledges that I shewed him the letter which I received on the twenty-sixth of June at the time I received it. And also the letter which I received on the second of July, at the time that letter came to my hands. But if the testimony of general Mac Arthur^ »id other witnesses, left any douM on this subject, it must be removed by a reference to a letter from me to the Secretary at War, which has been read by the Ju^je Advocate, dated at Fort Find- lay on the twenty-bixih Jime, which acknowledges the Kce^t (tf the letter from him of the eighteenth of June, which I had then received. In which I say, "in ^ event of a mar^** it will be necessary to pur- sue c^rtaiik measures. I think this is evidence, not only that the letter, which I had received on the twen- ty-si^rlh of June, was'not the letter which announced the war, but that the letter which I did receive, gave me no expectations that war was declared when X wrote;. ■% N M t:* J ) Ff*'V i jmvimcm of It may be add, however, in the bmgtkage of eome of the specificai&HiS, that thongh I had no certain in- formation of the declaration of ifpff when I despatch- ed the vessel, I had ** sufficient cause to know or be- *' lieve that warthen existed." As I have said the first letter fromthe Secretary at War dated on the eighteenth of June, gave me no cause to know or t>eiieve the fact, r!1 that is in that letter which could hysay possibility be supposed to have relation to sudi an event, are these few w(Mrds, "circumstances have recently oc* " cunvMl, which render it necessary you should pursue *< your niarch to De^it with all possible expedition." This was hut a reiteration of my former CMders. In the letter from the Secretary at War of the juiuth of April, I am directed ''to repair with as little delay as ** possible to Detroit.** How then was I to infer, from this letter, that war had been declared ? I did never suppose, that if war was declared, I should receive a peremptory order fnnn WashingtK* 1 Ul ,: ' .-- to DEFENCE OF to convenatioiu he had 'with me when ! received Uie ' letter firom the Secretary 4t War, on the tiventy-Blxth Junej and when I despatched the vessel on the first of July, that I bad ** sufficient cignse to know or *' believe that war then existed.*' . General Mac Arthur's testimony on this sulgect is AS follows : ** On the evening of the twenty-sixth of ** June, an express arrived ttom Chillicothe, bearing a ** letter for me, another for general Hull. I went " with the bearer to general Hull, who opened hb let- ** ter and handed it to me. It was from the Secretary ^* at War, dated June eighteen, eighteen hundred and *' twelve. It stated, that circumstances had occiwred ** that made it necessary that the General should pro- ^ ceed to Detroit, take measures for defence, and wait ** for further orders. I also received a letter from a friend, quoting a postscript to a letter from general " Worthington, a senator in congress, which iMMtscript said, * before this reaches you. War will be declared.* V I stated to Uie General, that col• GENERAL HULL.' If General Mac Artliur fiirtfaer testifies, ** that on the « inorcing of the day on which we left the encamp* ** ment near the Miami, the General sent for me to *' his tent, and stated that he thought (tf sending the ^ bag^ge by water from that place. I said I thought " it hacardous, that possibly the British might have " informatiim of war, and might take the vessel. "The General replied, he could not imagine ''^ there was any duiger, the wind was fair and the ves- ** sel would pass in a short time ; adding that he could " not take upon himself the responsibility of carrying " on the teams any furUier. I think there was a ver- "■ bal or written order to embark the baggage. I stat- *^ ed to Ae General that I did not like to send on my '* baggage,, but if it was a general order it must be *< complied with. We proceeded on towards Detroit, *' and on the first or second evening after, the com- ** mandants of cixrpB were called to the tent of general '* Hull, and were informed, that a letter had been re- « ceived from the Secretary at War, announcing the *' declaration of war.*' The witness further stated in some part of his examination, that notwithstanding the order, he sent nothing by the vessel but his mesa boxes. I mntit beg leave first to remark to the Court, that thi» t«38timony of general Mac Arthur affords strong evidence of the fallibility of his memory. Foriie states, that the letter from the Secretary of War, which I shewed to hiin at Fort Findlay on the twenty-sixth i->^'. . .#'' . ■j fH i i a i iM i «i »»«»*j'i; I 12 DEFENCE OF ¥/•■ • I ! i ' ^ L ] w W"'- \i hf, k\-. J of June, ordered me to " proceed to Detroit, tak<^ mea- sures for defence, and wait for further orders.*' An order to prepare for defence would have been a much more significantintimationof a declaration of war than anj thing the letter c6ntaiaed. A copy of the letter fur- nished by the War Pepartment is before the Court, and will prove how far general Mac Arthur may be mis- taken. The expretisions which he gives, as having been contained in the letter which he saw on the twenty-sixth of June, are contained in the letter an- nouncing the war, which was shewn to him on the second of July. It cannot be pretended, that he might have seen this last mentioned letter on the twenty- sixth of June, because if that had been so, there could not have been, after the explicit information contain- ed in that letter, any such debate, as he states there was between us on the twenty-sixth of June, as to the possibility of war having been declared. I do not mean to charge general Mac Arthur with a wilful mis- representatbn. I have no doubt but that the zeal, which he has manifested for my conviction, has led him into this mistake. As this is the highest charge i^ainst me, he probably has felt the most anxiiety that it should be substantiated ; and his mind has adopted as the impressions of his memory, what are only the results of his wishes. I mark this inaccuracy of ge- neral Mac Arthur the more particularly, to shew, that inasmuch as he was so materially mistaken, with re- spect to the contents of the letter which he states he had in his hand, and deliberately perused, and has confounded what passed at one time with what occur- '>v.^ ^^^> ■'m- - "p >' *flHBLMifc^ %».- ^w' ilM?,'B2i^ 'i^'r*'' \^^k£" JT^ ^s<*^'f;fj»^ts;* "- - •■ ■1. ■; « 7 ? • y^ r V u irfW^»V<« when I tanoa ^ ^ ^ fi|»t <^^. fty« Jjijri had ^«fPl|^#Bi;^ "Pff^Hipr to w^ w^«nevef.wv wjm d^l^J^ I w^# p^i^^Oiiiti^ jlpif^ wliifib bad l^yey^ ^cf^i p i i^ifji wa^^ py^Oiwmgli gemdntl Mac Arjiliiir, b^ i^P,o()iar rofv^ttoiitlifii^.^a ni- moun and exp^.tati^nf, w)a^b h|u| |lt^«i|j9|^,afloat throiigtMWut the co^nti7.-rPne ,cfareunp|i^e,^^ai a •trong inducement to t»flieT§,, U^ Uie ji(eli»U$)pi,. Qf peace with dreat Biita^i J^ not b«^,ii|tiPnill(lted« When I left Wfshlngtc^ to^ me*. it was not eip^^ted that war ¥roiild^b4,<|$h clared Miinpe the fqiirtb of Juljr. ^bi», if a facf, ihongb tile Secrdai^ at ]Rrar bap answcpfe^ io) tb«p ^tb interro|atoi7 addrepsed to Idm, Ibf t ** ll^. Md jMitlt ipi«b /'a fecoIle^Uqii of. the cpqyeii^i^n lifit-Hfeja, «p i|e- " specting j^e probable time of the declffaUon t^yrjt^i *Va> to enable him to answer eatisfiMtorily on that ^•nlject." ^ a f < , pntaalhfdniQton the first <^,.|uljr, wlwn Idea- patched the vesseli received ifagwU any infennation of the declaration of war, I was to presunw, that the encniy, i^ould npt baye l^^ |p[^[||p4 of that eyent It appeared io me an iiiacfmUBil|!l^..||ptt^ 9n the lid|i|in||tEation, ^m^p^ it,|^4ble, that they woi^ f^e^, informfition c^inteiidf^ |9BtiUties W be.convey- ed to the enemy, before it could reach their own l6e- nerak— Yet it was fourteen days after war was der elared b^fofe ,1 bad anjr ^cKijiatiQn of it : ItMHigb It appeajs^ that a .letterfromtiiie Secretary at War, ■'^'^i^^KSiK^S^ •"^■'VPii »P''~ ^J««l^' .j«yf^; GENERAL H^L. 15 iilMl'tIi <)i^ liMKiigtliy^'laMi the ^» eveb I Drko^ ^'yiy letter iru''yhii!beA t4 me 1^ ^ ii the ^hteieiith or niitetMifili oT Jmii^yeiiiidf dot liij^e tiliv^ itt « greater rate thin thflfy mflii a day. vc W»r, I tbinic, after this statement, the Court viUmit My, that it -wMtfiosmablein me to conclude, thai it was impOMible the adiirfhittration should hftve left ine ig- norant of the "irar, when it might be known to the enemy. I beg to direct Oie ittention of the Court to testimony of genert^f dass upon this points He had ^^' :r ^*0 10 DBFENCB OP « ptifBet taowMist «r ill tb» eiramtaMM, wlih VMiSV wHBPMPVHM|VnvBOT'*Hflil| TVMNr*0PiBv'''iMVt i^,^y^li*^^i> jj^i^jj'^i^k M^aii jfcV^f m iht'iiiiiilli iniiiiiifi clM|illi|^«liiilMttBiiig; t> 9i6 iM^aMUlillMEOf wa^, Ulkii-^91Um-:' 'Vm- Mmdoet is entire^ faieoinbtMit xrUk lli^'^'" GSNEHAL HtTLL. 17 Im^ that TeiMl to siieli a eoBT«yiiioe» or oTon for BM to put with them fai anj way, whether hi peace or war. But I tnut It hae aatMutoril j appeared to the Court, ftoni the teitlmony ofoaptalii Hull, that this waa owing to an aieoldent, i^hich might have ha|^ pened to the moat careful eommaader. I had ordered my baggage to be put on board the veiscl, m>t np- poting It poaallde that the trunk, eontalidng my pa- pen, could have been considered by ray aida^e^amp Included In that order, and it was not till after the ves- sel had departed, that with equal surprise ;uid regret I leamt that n^ alds'^densa ip had, with rny bi^;gag«, ahlpped a trunk which contained noticing but papers. There Is one allegation In this charg';, that I feel my- self anthoriud to repdi with ome lov^^gha&m' becauiwledge of the declaration of war from the papeia lirand on board the vessel, is re- pelled by the fact, fTjallMs vessel had no documents oji board which cc^jld possibly give them that information. 3* _ IS B^BNCK OF She eoold not have 1|mI, Ibr I M ao meh d«eamiili in mj poMeanon at the tine shaiaile^fiwn ti^e Rii{^ of the Miami. Itisalso'«&ir vt^hvisnownotorioiip* that the enemy bad roeeived infenu^n o&t^e passing of the act declaring war# seveial 4ay • b^we I l»d any communication front Washington on the sul^ject It is as ungenerous as it is mymU to chaige the enmny's prior knowledge of the deekuraiiott of war to any a^ ofndne. y -■-■-■ I have now dosed my defimce on this ftist spteii- cation imder tlw chai|^ of treason. And aj^hoii^i persistinmy oiyectionto tbuConrfs taking cQgnisaac;^ of that crime, yet I have givf»n thechai^e a foU exani- nation, because tihe same facts ore specified iini^r« the chaige of mu^cer^eeondttot. Andlshallt^ ^pion what I Uave now' said fwn^ vindkatjoa apdnst the specificatioii whiiA relatea to ihb snlgiecl nndcv that <$haige. y To sustain fliis charge of trMson there are two other specifications, one relating to the supposed.deIay in at- tacking Maiden and tiie retreat from San^ich : the other to the surrender of Detroit^ Bnt aa tiiore is a repetitiMi of these specifications under the two other charges, I shall not now notice them further than to Observe, that these speeificatkms, ui^r the chai^ of treascm, allege, that tiie d^y, the retreat, andiba si««* render, wer« all in pmniaace of a traitoreos eomttlapip Hon and ceen adq;»ted, yet if I sliould sa> tiafy the members of this Court, that in my conduct upon these eccasitnu, I have been actuated by the purest motives, and a sense of duty, I trust I sluJl not be judged criminal. I shall not pretend, that I may not have erred, but error and crime are not con- vertible terms. When I accepted a commission from the govern- ment, I pledged to them my utmost zeal and abili^, in discharge oi the duties of the appear to this Court, that on some occasions my judgment may have misdirected me. The pn^ession of a s(ddier would not be longer honourable, if neither the purest intentions, nor the most zealous exertions could shir Id him^frcm criminal imputations on the errors (^ his judgmeqt My defence, Mr. President, on these ppints, as well as all others, will be a rdatiion of facts and cir- cumstances, and an exposition of the considerations and motives which have governed my conduct You cannot, Gentlemen, form a just decision upon my case, nor judge of the considerations which have influenced my conduct, unless you understand what were my views, and the views ancl expectations of the ,>:i £#*Ka^^^j 6ENEHAL HUIX. 2i •xecntlTe offieen of the govemmeiit of the Umted i>»((^ 111 Mij^t tD^he^i^^ tll)ii> i&d ot^eett^ irfaen f iMceptMl my eommlBiion in Apili,'^ . And while my country is engaged in such a ccmtest, let my former services to her, let my fionner character shield me from the suspicion, that I woul^ voluntarily say one word," that shall lessen the confidence of my |: I m jm '■^■.v^sSffii. '•■-*»*■ 't?,. at DEI«EN€BOir^ countiymen in tJhoce, ondlr wttow atui^iees our bat' tiM mwt be fought, «licl# #lJbM%lld<»m and tir^'^ our miifortiuieB are to b(^ redeemed, and our honour iii) to be- saved. * . ' l'i),W(' Bntin my oi«m 'vtetteattdn^vna in d^ftnee of ihat lienoiir, whleh^(i«ego>(heMM&eiiitlikTi/ ^iNrtibtWirtaii; lam obl%edlo«iy, tuit thivinty I eMliiiMii^Mik^ not that cooperation and rajtport, whlcb,%tM#'I W cepted my commisBion, the govemment gave me rea> aonf b^Hpeet, aUd ^imkni^liili^^pmpUM BhoaM b«v«fv y^m the (M^ lliil %l& fi^^ liiy^jibiilittiBid^ hiif^iK^ of <^ii^til|tf Mi^ o|»efitionB agii^ tlj^i' CinUffli^ ''nS ^iriii y^l plaeed my aiiiiy; uid^'in 0Bib^m»^i^1^ti^ situation, in which it was, after ito' anivarSii tilWit^ ten of lake Erie. I'^ When I aeeeptdl the conunand of the nwth-west- em army, I did not suppose, that, in tibe event of a war wiUi Great Britain* the force of that army would be ojJIbgfiNifo to (|e maters, and sr: other eooi- " ittunication with them.'' It is i>sie, this n?0in«rial Was ^vritton Ir dnh, of \y^we, hat ^ saggestiou, as fa the naral foroer eoidd only'he-v5th-refeTenodtoit»wfeii»'?vaR ■■ * ft I do not Imow ku^ ^«liat|»lrpc<;o'^s manlorinl was read by the Judge Advocate, unless it w«re to lAiew, of what importance I thought our possession of De- troit . tSir, my opimtota on &at sal^et has eve# haen, and is y«t tiie sa^ie, JBS etspMSM^iii Ikat tmmtiM. I thoi^ht the admiiiistratleB had the same auitfrnants, and tiierefore I wa« the nuMre firmly persuaded, that fh^woaidliave taken eveiy possible aiieanslo sup- port the army, wUch vras sent for Hsn^^tl««h^ Mallsh, a^fikfeeniMiBdff^^ wMeh was altant a month befbre I was appointed to a cdnmBMid^ iahlkit «a»iiqr>^J sMMsspiMii ' aoillMr inte- nM9ial to the adnnttistration, whiekis aatppovtant LHi^uih^'^;^ V""-*^ -->— I Sk:«ii«tt^ GENERAL HULL. 26 losliew my views, \vith respect to the force to be di- rected iftgainst Ui^er Canada in the event of a war, that 1 beg leave to read the whole of it It is In the following words : (copy,) *< Washington, March 0, 1812. « Bia, " The prompt manner in which you have adopted measures Tor the protection of Detroit, attd the other settlements in the territory of Michigan, inspires me with confidence, that such ulteriour arrangements will speedily be made, as the peculiar situation of that section of the United States may require. **How far the measures already adopted will give security to»that part of the cpuntry, in the event of war with Qreat-Britain, is a subject worthy of con- sideration. « Officers of a company have been appointed, with orders to recruit in the territory. .■irt*» "The Secretary, acting as Governour, has been ait* ihorized to make a detachment of four eompauies of militia, and call them into actual service. "■W " The commanding (^Bcer of Fort Detroit has been directed to erect batteries on the banks c^ the river Detfoiti for the protection of the town. 4 /' 3*uJ-^„ WH^p*^'-, ^t:^j:M,jLM.Mt- 2d DBPENCE OP W ;'>V:(* •( Tbese, u inoipient oieaMirei, I very muchapprove. and was pardculariy pleated with the decisive man- ner tiiey were adopted. li most be apparent, how- ever* they add no phifsiaU strength to that section of the country; the force already there is only better organized and prepared to be called into, action*. The comparing of this force with the force which may be opposed to us, will evince the necessity of additional means of defence, if the country is worth presevtii^. "In the fort of Detroit, Ir understand by the last re< turns, th^re are less than ono hun^teed' regulars. The population of the territory, is less than five thousand, and this p<^ulation of the territory principally Of Ca- nadian character. Connected with the post of De» troit, and three hundred miles north, is the island of Michilimackinac, /vthere is a fort garrisoned by a company of regulars. Near the south bead of lake Michigan, <« the westerly side, ia Fort Deaabon^, likewise garrisoned by a company oS regulars. " Thb is all the force on which we can at present calculate,, for the safety of ourfiontier, and for the protection m" the Indians, which the United States we bound by treaties to afibcd* " No support can be dcriv^ firam tie Indian.nations* even in the event of war, because our oflBcers are in- structed, to. advise them, to remain neuter, and iiot to accept their servicM if they should be offered. Ui. ;fi' GENERAL HULL. af ** 1 will now conalder the Biitish foree oppoMd to this part of the United States. A fort at AulieiiiV^ burgh, at the mouth of the Detroit riter, gartfsoiied by about one hundred British troops. Another foH u ' of savages* * There is nothing in my opinion (in the event of war) can prevent this state of things, but an adequate force on the Detroit river, opposite to the settlements in Upper Canada. "It may be asked, how is this force to b^ placed there, and how is it to be supported ? If, Sir, we can- not command the ocean, we canibommand the inland lakes of our country. I have alwaya been of the opinion that we ought to have built as many armed vessels on the lakes as would have commanded them. We have more interest in them than the British na- tion, aikl can build vessels with more convenience^ If however there .is no 4ntention of the kind, that communication must be abandoned until we tak^ possession of the Canadas. (( The army which marches into the country must open roads through the wilderness, and the supplies of provisions, and whatever else may be necessary, must pass by land through the state of Ohio. ** If the conquest of the Canadas is the object of the Government, they will there have an ari^y ia a ■/J GENERAL HULL. 20 proper siftiation to commenee opeimttons, and at the lame time protect the defenceless inhabitant!, and controul the Indians within our territory. The answer proliably may be, it is more expedient to leave ihp Michigan territory to its fate atad direct the (brce to Montreal. Thb will prevent all communication by the St Lawrence with Upper Canada, and it must of eoune surrender. In this expectation I think it probable there ttroidd be a disappointment, if a force is not sent sofflcietft to oppose the British force, which may be (collected at Amherstburgh and its vicinity. Detroit, Michilimackinac, and* Chici^o must fall. The inhabitants must once more change their alle* glance, and the Indians become the exclusive friendii and allies of the king, their great father. in % fi ** In the garrisons at these places they will find latge quantities of arms and military stores of every kind. Upper Canada and our countiy,of which they will be in the possession, will furnish them with provisions. How then will Upper Canada be conquered, by pos^ sessing Montreal? They will be in the quiet posses- sion of their country, and a part ot ours, nod how are they to be approached? You cannot approach them by water, because they command the lakes. In ap-^ proachittg by land, you must pass through a wildeiv ness, filled With savages, under British controul, and devoted to British interest. — The consequences of such an attempt may probably be best learned JTrom ^e Mstory of the cunpaign in that ,veiy country* ««M|ductedby generals Haimer, 82. Clair, and Wayne^ 4* / ,\"A •/■ V s \ . 90 DEFENOI OP Id Upper Canada ih9j hh- \ goveraour, who ii a nu^or-general in their army, uua .rho conunandt the regular troops, the militia, and the Indiani. The whole force of the country is therefore combined under his command, and may be directed to a single point without any collision. 'i ** From the preceding statement of facts and obser^ vations it must be apparent, that Fort Detroit and the settlements in its neighbourhood, and lil(ewise Michilimaokinac and Chicago, under present circum- stances, are in th^ power of the British, and that their possessicm of them would be extremely calamitous to the United States. N^ " In the event of peace with England, I am of the opinion, that the northern frontier ought to be better (Hotected than it is at present In the event of war, and the (direct being the reduction of the provinces* of tipper and Lower Canada, I think it must be evi- dent, that the establishment of an army at Detroit, suflloient to defend that part of the eountiy, controul the Indians, and commence q)erationson the weakest points of defence of the enemy, would be an incipient measure, indispensably necessary. With respect to the other points Of attack, I shall make no observa* tions, as I probably shall have no agency in them. I r i \ dl ** In considering this sulgect, I have endeavoured to divest myself of all local feelings, and have grom^ed y observations and opinions on public connderationa f ' GENERAL HULL. •1 alone. Two thlngt appear tajne to be eertaiiit one if, that in tiie event of war, tlie enemj will attempt to take poMenion of that country, with a view to obtain the ambtance oT the Indians residing In our territory; and the other, that under its present circunutancet of defence it will be in their power to do it A part of your army, now recruiting, may be as well support- ed and disciplined at Detroit as at any other place. A foi^e adequate to the- defence of that vulnerable point, would prevent a war with the savages, and pro- bably induce the enemy to abandon the province of Upper Canada without opposition. The naval force on the lakes would, in that event, fall into our pos- session, and we should obtain the command of the waters, without the expense of building such a force. " The Britbh cannot hold Upper Canada without the assistance of the Indians, and that assistance they cannot obtaii» if we have an adequate force in the 8ituatit ttie meafluile. " i am veiy respectfuiljr, *' Your most obedient servant, "William Hull.'* To tbis docmneiit is iuinexed a copy of a letter from me tr tbe Secretaity at War, and the two tdocu* ments are certified as authentic documents in the fol-: lowing w(Hrds : " Copy of the original on file in the Waroffice. "D. Parkee, Chief Clerk.**^ Can it be supposed, after tiiis exposition of my views of what would be the enemy's force and situa- tion, that I could ever have taken the command of about four hundred regular troops, and sixteen hun- dred militia, to effect, by means of such a fince, with- out any assistance or co-operation, the conquest of a province, a part only of whic'. I had represented as containing fifty thousand inhabitants? That I could ' have contemplated an attack on an enemy ,liaving at its disposal, a body d regular troops, the controul over countless savages, and the great advantage Of , the command of the lakes and waters? This memorii^ was received and approved by the Government. Thi» in Ljself is proof of their adoption oi its sentiments, and that it was their opinion, as well ae nune, that in the event of a war, such an army as was pirt under my command could do nothing (tensive, unless we- Ml (i Wl "of I "thj *wi GENERAL HULL. 33' had a naval foree en the upper lakes; and without a co-operatknM>n other parts of the eneuiy's territory^ which should dutract hjs attention, and prevent his bringing the greatest weight of his power on a single point. A few days after I was appointed to the command of the north western army, I presented another me* morial ta the President, 4l>n>ugh the War- Depart- ment, in which I was explicit, as to what might be expected from such a force, as I was tO- lead; as. to the necessity of reinforcements; of our com- manding the lakes ; and of a co-operation in other quarters. My drafSt of this memorial I have lost, in the way which I shriti hereafter explain. The ex- istence of the original, and its- general purport, is proved by Mr. Eustis, who, in his answer to the sixth and seventh interrogatories, addressed to him, say8« ** I have a perfect recollection of your having present- '* ed the memorial referred to in the interrc^atory. I ** recollect," he adds, '* your attendance, by :'ppointp " ment, at the War Office. The memorial, or that part ** of it which related to the naval defence of lake Er*e, ^* was referred, or communicated, to the Secretary of **the Navy, who was present. The bi% Adams, " which had been employed as a transport, under di- " rection of the War Department, became the sulgect ** (rf* conversation. Whether she was (being then on '* the stocks repairing) actuaUy transferred to the Navy <* Department, I do not distinctly recollect. If that ^ was the case, the evidence is on rtcord,'' m I .... ■^v*-* .F % ■'. 34 DEFENCE OF Yet Hub menuNriiil, or a citpj of it, I have neve^' been aUe to obtain. I hare applied foibit to the Se- cietaiy at War. He referred me to the SecretMy of the Navy; the Secretary of the Navy to Mr. Dallas; to him I applied^ and he referred me to the present Judge Advocate, who knows nothing of it. And finally, when my tiial commenced in this city, I addressed a lette|| to the President of the United States, requesting Mm, to inteipose his wotho- rity to procure me a document, which I considered so important in my d^ence* I I It was, Sif, too much f- lo^iog worth : «' Wak Office, Febmaiy 12th, 1814. am, ¥oua letter of the first instant, addressed to the Pre- sident of the United States, has been referred to me. In answer to which, I have the honour to state, that aH your eomnninicati(«s to theWar Department, after you were appointed brigadier general in the array, have been kuismitted to P. S. Parker, esquire, judge advo- cate of the court-martial, now sitting at Albany, togeth- er with such otlien as you had required, as far as they could he fdund on the files of this office. The pub- lic records of papers of the War- Department have been constantly within my observation and chaige for several years past, and I assure you. Sir, I have never seen or heard of a memoir, pointing out tiie ne- cei^fity of a navy on lake Erie. " Since the receipt ofyour letter, I have carefully examined the files, and Inquired 'of every gentlemaa attached to the Department, without being able to give any information on the subject. ** I have the honour to k , Sir, " Veiy respectfully, your obedient servant, *^ Daniel. Parksr, C. C " BRIO. GEN. WILUAM HULL, " ALBANt." I * i m • t - n 30 DEFENCE OF w- ^ Jsixth of Jul; n hundred and twelve. To this letter, from the War l^epartmeAt, 1 wish particu- larly to direct the attention of the Court. It shews, that the government well understood the situation of my army, and how much it stood in need of assistance and support. By this letter I am informed, that govemour Meigs has been directed to furnish troops to guard the road, and insure the transportation of provisions; — that general Winchester had been ordered to reinforce me with fifteen hundred men;—- that a force w^s collecting at Niagara; — that the conmiander in chief would be apprised of my situation, and directed to take measures to afford me the necessary suppwt It is not my intention, at this moment, to shew, that none oi the expectations, which this letter au- ii i IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 1.1 11.25 ■JO ■=" ■■■ m u no U il.6 Photographic Sdeoces Corporadon 23 VMBT MAIN STRUT WnSTiR, N.Y.I 4SM (716)«72-4S03 44 DEFENCE OF thorized, wiere ever realized. I now rder to it, onlf* as I have mentioned, to prove, that the officen ci the executive government must have coiuidered n. 7 army, situated as it was, incompetent to carry m Be- rn, ac- di- ,ve lis to On the twentieth o( August, the Secretary of War addressed a letter to me, which I did not receive, l)ut firom which I hoe quote a paracraph, to shew how necessary he thought co^eradon was fiv my ax^ port. The paragraph is in the following w.>-.■>.'?*«■• 'f^*«*'S*5p«'«*; ^. >?!'■ 'h 4a DEFENCE OF uras entirelj changed. From that moment, I saw* that although it was poasible that I might obtain temporaiy advantages, yet that theyt^ould eventuate in the greatest disasters, unless I was aided and sup- ported from other qnarters. il Thus, Gentlemen, I have endeavoured to shew you, that I took the command under the expectation, that, in the event of a war, the operations of my army wouhl be assisted, by a competent force upon the lakes, by detachments to keep clear the communica- tion wldch I had opened through the wilderness, and liy the coH^ration, or at least such a demonstration of force against other parts of the enrasy's territones, as would prevent his directii^ all his energies to the point where I might meet him* But it unfortunately happened, that none of these expectations were fdl- filled. The effects of these dit^appointments will after- wards be considered. 1 now resume my vindication oi the measures, which form ihe most prondnent features in my accusation ; that is to say, the dday at Skndniek ; the retreat Jrom thence s voiA the surrender at DOreit. «. It is necessaiy fo^ipe to expIaSn the views and intentions I had, wheb T yielded to the importmiities €i my officers, and crossed to the enemy's country. It must be recollected, that the order I recernM in ihe letter of the eighteenth c^ June, which annoaiical ^ ■/'^r'v..;. GENERAL HULL. m the war, directed me to proceed to Detroit, and (here to wait for furtber mrden. Finding that an impatience to croM^ had betti ex- cited in the armyt which was Hkely to be extremely inguriom to my authority, and the discipline of the troops, I called a cooncil of war, and lud before Uie officers, the orders by which I was then hwmd; and asked their admcy as to the expediency of crossing. The council, notwithstanding my orders, were of opinion, that I ought to cross. I did not feel- myself at liberty to follow their advice, and determined not to do so. But on the same day, I received the Se- cretary of War*s letter of the twenty-fourth of June, in which he says, <* should the force under your com- " mandbe equal to the enterprise, consistently with the " safety of your own posts, you will take possession " (^ Maiden, and extend your conquests, as circum* "stances may justify.*' in ' I did not think the force, under my command, equal to the conquest of Maiden, nor did I think, that with such a 2m^fc of Une tf communicatimt, as it was re* quisite for me to keep open, I oi^t to make the atr tempt My letter to the Secretary at War, dated on this same ninth <^ July, which I have already quoted, expresses this opinion of the incompetency of my force, in terms not to be ndaunderslood. Tet, as soon as I had received this last mentioned letter from the Secretary, I detennined to Uk neithejr the Michigaii legion, <» the Michi^ gan militia, crossed with the, army into Canada.. And besides, there were, as the Court will recollect has been testified by several of the witnesses, a portion of the Ohio T cross. This magar >ber wae about one Jmndred and eighty. .:* -"^PC -*KK,^-^?WiWKf 5^* ' -k GENERAL HULL. 53 mitfor JetBup further tettifles, " That Bome time "early in August, a few days previous to leaving " Canada, he was called into a council of war, to et- " plain a report of brigade, and that there were then " eighteen hundred effective men in Cmmia mtd at "DUrtit, The Michigan legion were included in " the eighteen hundred, but the Michigan militia were "not" Now, if there were but eighteen hundred belonging to the brigade at this time, including all that were either with ale in Canada, or at Detroit, and includ- ing the legion, how could sixteen tir eighteen hun- dred have crossed with me ? At the time that this report of mi^r Jessup's was made, we had lost but few of the troops that had crossed; and'^from the Amount, which he gives of 'tiie whole forces, at that time, to ascertain what was the number that crossed, ' must be deducted the Michi|an legion, and Ihe Ohio volunteers that refused to jifM the river. Thil will leave an amount much short of the sixteen or eighteen hundred, with which, nuyor Jessup says, we passed into Canada. The Court will remember, that by a muster roll and return, made af Fort FiQdlay on the twentynsixth of June, which has been exhibited by the Judge Advo- cate, the whole force which I then had under my tsommand, amounted to one thousand, nine hundred and lUty^> I was obliged to leave detachments, at Mac Arthur's Block-house, at Fort Findlay, and at 6* ■■;* *! 'ip'i ■^ 54 DEFENCE OF the Miami. T>i«re were about forty invalids -talten in tlie vessel, that sailed Arom the Miami. I left some sick at the river Raisin, and the whole force with which I arrived at Detroit, I am convinced, did not exceed fifteen hundred men. And I am conft* dent, that the force with which I passed into Canada, did not exceed fourteen hundred. What proportion of the militia, which I had with me at Sandwich^ would have been effective to lead against the enemy, the Court may judge from general experience. : Mijor Van Horn has testified, that when detach- ments were ordered, it was always found, that not man than two thirds of the command ordered could be marched. I do not believe, that at any time, I could have led thirteeen hundred eflbctive men against Maldeq. Of these, there was only colonel Miller's regiment, of less than three hundred, that had seen any service. The rest were militia, who, though they were very ardent and j^atriotic in their expressions liad had no experience, and neither men nor offlcers, had ever been tried. It is not extraordinary, that I sVouId have felt some want of confidence in these raw troops, for such a contest, as we must have ex- pected before Maiden; when it appears, by the testi- mony of colonel Miller, that their own <^eers were not willing to be responsible for their firmness in an assault Colonel Miller states, that In a cotmcil, in which the propriety of attacking Maiden w'as discuss- ed, at Which general Mac Arthur, generalCass, and colonei FindtJly»^were present; ** General Hull said,. ^rfe^- >r ^ OENBBAL HULL. 45 <* if tM wcMdd AiMwer for our men, he would lead in " to Maiden. I told him, I would aniwer for the men " I commanded ; but the others tald, they wouM not ** be retponiible for their men, but belicTed they would " behave well." ^ 1 know, sir, that it may be.iald, that my proclama- tion to the Canadians, and niy letters to the Secretary at War, hold a different language. That in these I speak with confidence of attacking Maiden, and of the excellence and sufficiency of my force. And I presume the specifications refer to my proclamation, and to these letters, when they allege that I had declared and avowed my intention of attacking and subduing Maiden. I cannot conceive, that these declarations could prove me guilty, if my measures without them would not luwe bufi so, I do not see, that they can in any way be made the test of the propriety, or impropriety, of the course I pursued. It would be hard, indeed, if every general were to be judged criminal, who did not accomplish aU the in- tentions he may have avowed — ^this would be a rule, which 1 presume there are mmy generals would not consent to establish. If it were adopted, no change of circumstances would justify the relinquishment of a design, once formed. I think, whe^ it is considered undef ^|hftt circum- stances mjr proe^mation was publisheji,4iwill not be thought just, io adduce i| as eviden|j||ig9il|Mt me on this occasion. I was then in an eneinyV country, the inhabitants of which wei« sufficient, independent '' '.-(.■■if 56 DEFENCE OF k(. iv of his regular force, which was establbhed near me, and of his Indian allies, to overwhelm the army 1 commanded. I had no prospect of even maintaining myself, much less of making conquests; unless I could induce a great portion of those inhabitants to forsake his standard. 4t was incumbent on me to use all means to deprive him of aid from the savage tribes. I knew that these two objects could only be effected by representing myself as having the utmost confi- dence in the force I commanded, and that it was able to overcome all opposition. With these views I pub- lished the proclamation. And, indeed, the force I, commanded, would have been equal to all I represent- ed, had the same spirit of desertion and defection con- tinued, which had manifested itself in the enemy's countiy, when we first invaded Canada. But unfortunately, before we retreated, all calcula- tions founded on this basis had failed. In my letters to the War Department, down to the latter end of July, I speak with confidence of attack- ing Maiden, whenever the field artillery shall be pre- pared. But I beg the Court to recollect, that this confidence was grounded upon the expectation, that I then entertained, that the enemy would be weaken- ed by the desertion oi his militia, and the abandon- ment of the Indians. In all my lettcfs, which speak (^ the intended attack, I mention also the didly de- sertions frtHU the enemy's standard. That I did not rely on the competency of my own force, till the ene- my's should be reduced, must appear from my letter .^■iJBW GfiKTERAL HULL. 57 of th« ninth ot July, to yrbich I have more than once referred. Ahout the first of August, we received the account of the fall of Michilimackinac. On the fourth, I wrote a letter to the Secretaiy, from which the follow- ing are extracts. " At the time the army under my command took *^ possession of this part of the province of Upper " Canada, every thing appeared favourable, and all " the operations of the army have been successful. " Circumstances have since occurred, which seem " materiany to change our future prospects. « The. unexpected tnine^iider of Michilimackinac, ** and the tardy operations of the army at Niagara, ** are the circumstances to which I allude. I have " every reason to expect, in a very short time, a laige '' body of savages from the north, whose operatit^na " will be directed against this army," &c, After these observations, I do not believe, that the Court will think, that it is to be justly inferred, either from my proclamation, or from my letters, that I ctm- sidered my force under any circumstances, whicii existed before we left Canada, competent to the re- duction of Maiden. The force of the enemy, lieutenant Forbish states, was, towards the last of July, about one hundred and ^T... .u*^" Si '$■■ DEFENCE OF Reventy regulars, and five hundred and fifty militia. The Indian force could never be ascertained with any precision; it could not have been less than near a thousand. I always supposed the enemy's force greater than this information makes it. But tv hatever may have been the force of tho enemy, it must have been estimated as very considerable, by some of my officers,!^ well as by myself. The Court will recollect, that when I made the detachment under colonel Van Horn, to the river Raisin, and colonels Cass and Mac Arthur remonstrated with me against the sufficiency of his force, they each proposed to go on that expedition with his regiment. If tiie enemy had not appeared ta be somewhat formidal^e to them, they could never have advised me to makfe' so large a detachment as six hunditd men, on a service in which they could only have expected to meet a small part of his force. Colonel Mac ArUiur has afforded other evidence of his opinion of the power of the enemy. For when I proposed to leave him, with his regiment, on the Canada shore, he charged me with having an intention to sacrifice him, by leaving him with such a force at that post ; although he would have been in an entrenched camp with artillery, where he would also have had scmie protection from the gims at Detroit, and would be in reach of instant support from thence. The fort at Maiden, I was well acquainted with. In time of peace, I had often been in it: I knew that it was capable of being made a place of strength, and .-^■'^ ■'-. / ''W-'ii:^- GENERAL HULL. 60 that, in contemplation of a Var, the British for some time had been *k' , great exertions to put it in the best possible statv ni defence. I knew, that for near twenty years, a field officer had commanded, and about an hundred regular troops had constantly been stationed in it ; and that there always had been a regu- lar corps ai British artillery attached to the com^ mand. The question was, whether, with the troops I had under my command, so few of whom had ever been tried, I was to attempt to carry this fortress'witb the bayonet ? For myself, particularly, when I con- sidered, what would |pave been the consequences (tf an unsuccessful attempt, I had a strong conviction that it would be wrong to make the effort, till we could have the advantage of heavy artillery. But finding that many of my officers, who had seen no service, were impatient at delay, and were destroying my influence with the arm;^ and its discipline, by their complaints and censures — for their satisfac- tion, and not for my y e- at Mi- he ' en a* on on Or GENERAL HULL. 99^ that if the army I commanded were beaten in battle, th^re would be nothing to restrain the ravages of that part of our enemy, which, when a battle is decided in their favour, makes the vanquished, and their de* fenceles8,^ountry and people, their prey. , ' In the ungenerous letter which colonel Cask wrote to the government, (and which, as I ttdak, waa mojit unwarrantably published) he seems to think* that these are philanthropic considerations, unworthy a soldier. But, Sir, though brought up in the field, and though I have seen something of the hoirours of war, I am not yet such a <«Uler, av that I can think of such scenes with indifference. When I considered what would HI the condition of the territory, over which I had ae long presided, and Qver which I was then Govemour, in case the force I ccmimanded should be beaten in battle, and the inhabitants be left to the mercy of the savages, without any stipulation or fofee for their protection, I thought I should deserve the heaviest curses, if I risked a battle, before I had taken livery means in my power tq insure victojfy. These were the considerations, that induced me to resist the ui^encjt of my oflBcers to mova to ti<«: attack of Maiden, till the eighth of August* It had Ijeen ascertained on the sixth, that the cannon would be ready on the eighth; and on the sixth I issued an order for the army to prepare to move to the attack on the e^hth. Every thing was in readiness for the enterprise on the seventh. But on that evening, I ^.dM^ *9» "•■•*■:. 3«w(aBr»s «^ ll j''i«i'»' H DEFENCE OF crosied with the whole army |o Detroit, except a de* tachment of about three hundred men, under mi^jor Denny, which was left intrenched at Sandwich, and which was also moved over on the eleventh. -ie ' This retreat froin the enemy's shore is ote o( the acts of treason, cowardice, and unoflRcer-like conduct, of which I am accused. I proceed to submit to your consideration my answer to this accusation, and the reasons which then governed my conduct, and which I yet believe to have been correct v*» About the first of August, as appears by my letter of the fourth, I received an account of the fall of Mi^ chilimackinae. Lieutenant Hanks, wSh his men and some Indians, hptd arrived at my encampment. The effect of this great misfortune was immediatdy seen and felf in the vicinity of my post. The Wyandot InTdians settled at Biownstown, who had previously shewn the most friendly dispositions, and given the strongest assurances of their neutrality, joined the Brituh. For though they passed over under the pretence <^ having been made prisoners, the circum- stances which then occurred left no doubt but that they had formed an alliance with the enemy. This procedure of this tribe of Indians, was not only evi> dence of their own, but ct the defection of the sur-* rounding nations, who are all united by some sort of confederacy, in w hich the Wyandots have a superiouF influence, which is acknowledged b^^ the other tribei^ speaking of them as their faihers^ When, theire(os^. f f { I 1 1 t t in 8 t II b I t c U a ??^SS^,^-'— ..--/. QSNERAL HULL. M I letriied that thii natkn Bad joined tha itandaid of the enemy, I knew that the Chi[nMwayt» OttaHrayt, Pottawattainief, Mudaees, the Shawaneei,. Senefcaa, and other tribes, who altogether cnold Aimiah between two and three thousand warriours, would alio be an addition to his force.. Atjfhe same time I received intelUgence, as ap- pears by another letter of mine to the Secretary at War of the same date, (fourth of Aagust,) that a iBrltish officer, with fifty-five r^ular soldiers and two brass field pieces, had landed on the west part of lake Ontarioi had penetrated to the head waters of the river Le Trench, and was collecting the militia and Indians in that quarter to lead them against my army. From the information I had received, I had reason to think, and so. I mention in my l«tter. to the. Secre- tary, his force would amount to six or seven hundred. The fall of Michilimackinac also changed the dispo- sition <^ the inhabitants of Canada, and from the time that accounts were received ot that event, there were no more d" their militia came over to us. I had also been informed <^j the arrival c^ the British colonel Proctor at Maiden, and it wiA generally believed, that he had brought with him some reihCbrcementB, as well naval as military. To the enemy's naval force I had nothing to oppose. By it, the enemy might command the lake; obtain his supplies without the least intenruption ; transport his troops at his pleasure, and co-operate with land movements on the margin of the waters. I had also intercepted a letter fitun a 7* 66 DEFENCE OF ■V -*> ii {( Ui* Mm KMttie»at Fort W^|Mun, to a Mr. MMlntMb, «t 4aBdwi«b» dtt«d the iiilteteentli ^of July, firaoi wblefc tlw folkmiBg are cgrtrutib : ^.^ ■ ■ . . ■■•J'L:/ ■ -^vsr ** The declantkm ' of war leached .jm on t^ J^- " toenth instant, but we are neitbel «itoliiihod nor alarmed. Our agents ordered a general muater, which amounted to twelve hundred, eveluaive iHjtbtinl ** hundred of the natives. We are now equal; in all, ''to dxteen or seventeen hundred strong. Om (^ " our gentlemen started on the seventeenth, #rith ** several light eaaoes, for the interlonr eouhtiy, to ** roino the natives to activity, which Is not hai(d to ** do on the present oocasion. We likewise despateh- ** ed messengers in all directions with the npm. I ** have not the least doubt but our foree will, in ten ** dl^s Innee, anwunt to at least five thousand effec- '* tiff) niiBn< Our young gentlemen and engi^;ees '* oflfenid most handsomely to march imndl^tely for *' Miehilimaekinac. Our chief, Mr. Shaw, expressed ** ids gratitude, and drafted one hundred — they are to "prd^^ tUs evening for St. Joseph's. Betakes ** about as many Indians. Could the vessel eontiin "them, he might have had four thousand iBkiitlB, It " noW' depends on what accounts we rerelve fNMn St. '* J6Beph% whether these numerous trioes flrom the ^ Interiour will proceed to St. Joseph's or not ^. At the tiine that this intercqited letter fellinto hi^ hands,' I was informed liy lieutenant Hanks^Hilt be>> fore he left Miehilimaekinac, levetal agentto bf ^ ■**■*. . ■'.>■■ % ' ->fc. ^n. GENERAL HULL. 67 lidHlftiritt tertitoiy hail «Mved at that poat, after Ita a i tnu l ii, fron Fort Wiittam, on the north aide of like 8ii|Mrtoar, wMMated, that a large force of Oan«iiaw ■hd Indiana m^ colleeted at Fort William, read/ to dtoMBd the takea, and that there was alio a force of the same description, collected at the outlet of lake Supoioor. I was further informed by lieutenant Hanki^^t immediately after the surrender of Michi- limackinae, wMch was on the eighteenth of July, the British commander had sent an express to Little To4t ; tt^d it was supposed, that on the return of the express, all the forces which had been collected and w^ do not know it to thii day from any triaU of their courage I ivho detpisedall prec^tion, and thought all generrivhip eonaisted in inconsiderate and impetuous advances—I knew well, would pursue the condtact wbkh they afterwards did, and, by representing a re- treat as proceeding from the most unworthy and u»< justifiable motives, destroy the efficiency of the army, by robbing me of its confidence. The cabals, which had riien to such a hei^t as to mature a plan of nm* tiny, in which ray chief officers were to be the ring- ' UaderSt could not be entirely concealed from me; although, till I saw the confession published to the world, by one of the conspirators, I did not know the extent of their design. Under these.awfbl ciroumstances, dangerous as the attempt on Maiden appeared to me to bet I thought it might be less so, than a retreat. I determined to attack Maiden, and on the sixth of August Issued orders to have every thing prepared for the move* ment of the army on the eighth. And, Gentlemen, there is no part of my conduct, since I have been a joktter, that I reflect opMi with so much self cfe.»;Vr^?" - ' * '. '^' ."" < ^"' ■ " ^ -L -^. .i-ot**,-*..,,^,] M w DEFENCE OF I look back with regret upon the moment when l yielded to the councils of the inexperienced officers I commanded, *■-■ ■'■'-ti^^* ^,ll&iL«''3^, \k K- ! i^ DEFENCE OP * 1 ?;<*■■ trate my forces at Detroit, that I might from ikelndt open and secure my commimteatioii with the state olf Ohio; upon which, in my judgment, the salvation of the an^y dq[)ended. This considenitiom had so much influence on my measures, not cmly at this time^ but throughout the canq>aign, and in the final surren- der, that it will be proper to present it to the Courts in such a view, as that they may judge of its imp<»^ tance. from Urbana to the lHliami of the lake, ife a per* feet wilderness. Throi^h this wUderneiSt a distance fX a hundred and twenty miles, and through a country of which the Indians wei^ the inhabitants and pny* prietors, the army had to cut a road, when they ad* vanced i; and it was the only road by which supplies bf any kind could be received. Frotal the Miami to the settlements On the Detroit river, the country is little better than a wilderness, there being only two Or three little settlement*. Along the D^etroit river the country is partially cleared and cultivated. The improvements extend from half a mile to a mile back from the river, and in part oi these improve^ ments, on the margin of the streights,' is the road to the town of Detroit The whole country from Ur* bana to the toWn of Detroit is filled with savages, all of whom, with very unimportant exceptions, be- ldame hostile to us, and infested every part of the road which was not protected by an armed force. From the Miami to Detroit, a distance of seventy- two miles, the road runs so near the waters of lake U'f 14 'i I GENERAL HULL. n i-m £rie, and of the streights, that the enemy having the command of those waters, could, with the greatest fa- cility, transport from their shore, and from one point to another, detachments to intercept the communi- cation. Their vessels too, would always afford them a secure retreat, in case of disaster. There were, in the whole Michigan territory, less than five thousand white inhabitants; about two thousand or whom were settled <||ong the Detroit river. The soil, though fertile, was but little cultivated: the inhabitants greatly relying for their support upon the supplies of fish and venison, which the woods and waters afforded. The territory has never furnished sufficient provi- sions for its own inhabitants ; there are annually, as appears from the testimony before you, large quanti- ties of pork and beef brought in from the state of Ohio; and, notwithstanding the testimony of some of the witnesses, I assert, that at the time the army was in that quarter, they could not have taken the neces- sary supplies from the country for any length of time, without distressing the inhabitants. It has been proved, that even in time of peace the few troops who were stationed at Detroit were fed by supplies from Ohio. The country must afford insufficient provisions for an army, or there could be no necessity for furnishing general Harrison from the western states, at the immense expense, which his supplies have cost. The testimony of general Mac Arthur affords some evidence of the state of the country in respect to provisions. He stated that' from the morn- ing of the fourteenth of August, when he marched 8 "7 ■ '.(.'I ■( i, I '^'•''•1 74 DEFENCE OF s .1 si' m from Fort Detroit with a detachment, till the sixteenth, when they met with and killed an ox, in a march of near thirty miles, he saw nothing that was footl for man, except some unripe corn and some honey. The opposite shores of tfie enemy were not more produc- tive in supplies. The whole of the country border- ing on the straights and on the lake, is a wilderness, except the Settlement at Amherstburgb, and a very thin population on the banks of the DetBttt river, and a small place on lake Erie, known by the name of the New-settlement. Above, on the river Trench, at about the distance of sixty miles, is the most fruit- ful and valuable part of the country. Independent of these settlements, which had been exhausted by the two armies, the whole is wilderness. After the fall of Michilimackinac, when all the hives of northern Indians became hostile, and were let loose upon us, when the north-west company, as appears by the let- ter of Mr. Mac Kenzie, had arrayed against us their numerous retainers, and when the navigation of the upper as well as of the lower lakes was free to the enemy, no supplies could have been obtained from the river Trench, or the bordering country. It must be remarked, that from the time the army arrived at Detroit, not one pound of provisions had been received. From the moment the declaration of war was known to the enemy, he had intercepted the only line of communication, nnd thus cut off all sup- plies. ' ••■>"««9f;»^ GENERAL HULL. 7J It appears from a return made on the day the army arrived at Detroit, and which is mentioned in the minutes of a council of >var, held on tlie ninth, that there vrere then in store * 125,000 rations of flow, and 70,666 rations of meat. This stock, as it wa^^ never replenished, must have been proportionately exhausted, at the time of the re- treat from Canada, and at the time of the final surren- der. And, indeed, would have been entirely so, had we not drawn, as far as we could, our supplies from the country, which every day became the more stripped, and the less able to afford them. A return made to me by the contractor, on the twenty-fifth of July, shews not only the quantity of provisions on hand at that date, but it shews, by a comparison with the return of tlie ninth of thd same month, the rate at which the provisions were con- sumed. This return has been proved and read in evidence. It is as follow!^: *' Provisions on hand at , " Fort Detroit, twenty-fifth of July, eighteen hundred " and twelve — " 70,000 rations flour, " 21,000 sa/led meat, " 100,000 whiskey." It has been said by generals Cass and Mac Arthur, and by other witnesses, that they, never heard com- ll i ■ .i^j a m "««S9r^wif.. VI 70 DEFENCE OP plaints of a want of provision. This is certainly tlrae. There was not, previously to the surrender, an actual want or deficiency of provisions. Our stores were not then entirely exhausted; but there was a certain- ty that they would soon be so. Such then was my situation when I determined to retreat from Canada. I had above me hordes of hos- tile savages. I had below me an enemy in a fortress, which I believed to be a work of strength, and suf- ficiently manned for its defence. I found that he had been left at liberty to augment his force, by drawing his troops from all other points. I commanded an army, the troops of which (except a few regulars of the fourth regiment) had no experience, and had never been tried; and this army was otficered by men, the chief of whom had not hesitated to express, in the most indecent terms, his want of confidence in me. I was told, that I must not expect any co-operation or assistance ; I saw that my provisions would be soon exhausted, and that neither my own nor the enemy's country would afford supplies for any length of time. I saw that my only communication was cut off, and unless it were opened the army would be subdued by want. Under these circumstances, 1 determined torecross the river, take the principal part of the army, not with an intent, as I have said, to relinquish the en- terprise against Maiden and the Upper Province, but to wait for a co-operation and assistance, which might afford more favourable prospects, and in the mean ■o. ^^^mm^- GENERAL HULL. n _ time, which I considered a duty of the first impor- tance, to open the onfy communication by Tvhich I could obtain supplies. An attack en Maiden was an alternative, which, as I have said, presented itself to ^ my mind. It was one which I had the most powerful inducements to adopt. I well knew' what rewards of honour and glory awaited an- achievement, which my country had been led to expect with so much certain- ty and anxiety. I knew what were the expectations of my officers, and what resentment a disappointment would create. I knew a retrograde movement would expose me to censures, and to the malice of my ene- mies ; but in deliberating on this alternative, I could not but take into view the possibility of a defeat in the attempt, ahd the consequences which, as I have before mentioned, would result not only to the army, but to the people of the territory. A more decisive consolation, however, induced me to reject this al- temaflVe, I then felt confident, and I do now feel most confident, that if I had attacked Maiden, and had been successful, it would have been but a useless waste of blood. It would have been utterly impossible to have maintained the fortress. It must have fallen for want of supplies. It must be remembered, that the waters of the lakes were shut against us. There could have been no possible communication with the fortress, but by the road whicn I had c iit through the wilder- ness. How was that road to have been kept open ? Most probably, after an engagement, or after car- rying the works by storm, I could have taken into 8* ■y*| ^ :.*!*- •■'" -^^"^mmiimF i' "mr-' 78 DEFENCE OF Maiden but a few hundred men. Could I hav0 made sufficient detachment« from the garrison, to have performed this service ? Let it be remembered, that generals Mac Arthur and Cass censured me for sendr ing so small a detachment as two hundred men in this duty; and thought the force ought to have been double or equal to one of their regiments. And when colonel Miller, with six hundred men, two hundred and eighty of whom were almost the whole of the regular force under my command, had defeated the enemy near Maguago, he thought it necessary to send to me for a reinforcement of one hundred and fifty, or two hundred, to enable him to secure hia passage to and from the river Raisin, though his loss in the bat- tle did not exceed eighty, and though he knew at the river Raisin he was to be Joined by the detachments, under captain Brush, and the companies under cap- tains Campbell and Rowland. ^^ If the road <:ou7d have been opened, still no sup- plies could have passed into the fort, without crossing tlie water, and on that the British had a force, to which we had nothing to oppose. If we had possess- ed the fort, it would have been pressed by the north- west company, and its retainers from the north, with all the hosts of savages of those regions. A British force no doubt would have approached it from lake Ontario, by the river Le Trench. On the water it would have been attacked by the naval force, and all this it must have encountered, without the possibility of obtaining supplies, and without the lea^t prospect ofrelief or assistance. o o ^"^^'^W^iWj ■■■f*. Hfr GENERAL HULL. Td My judgment, Mr. President, may mislead me now, as it did then; but yet I think, that if I had led the army I commanded to the conquest of Maiden, under such circumEtances as I have stated, it would have been as great a crime as any of which I am accus- ed. Certain I am, that I should have wanted that consciousness of having acted from the purest motives, and according to my best judgment, which has been my only consolation in all I have suffered. If it be true, as I have stated, and as I think the testimony proves, that my army had not provisions for 4vny length of time, and that neither my own, nor the eneiny's country would have been capable of fur- nishing them, I need hardly state to the members of this tribunal, how important it was for me to keep open the road I had made through the wilderness, the only communication by which supplies could approach me. In modem warfare, the first great object of each contending party, 'is the resources of his enemy. The fate of armies is found to depend upon the abundance of their resources, on their security, and in the facility of keeping up a communication with them. It has be- come a principle to manoeuvre in such a manner, as to cover the places from whence supplies may be drawn; not to go far from them, but with great caution, and ne- ver to cease preserving with them those connections, in which the strength oS an army consists, and on which its success depends. These are the sentiments of a \ \: •1 i-i 'ini»»i|)i,iWBff_ji3PW«i'^ S,*f*** so DEFENCE OF modern military writer of great celebrity. Tlie ex- perience of all military movements in latter times, proves their correctness. I always felt the force of them. It was a ^eat violation of these principles, and therefore as I considered a great mistake, to march the army I commanded, after the war had commenced, to Detroit, leaving a British garrison eighteen miles in our rear, directly upon our line of communication, which from Hi proximity to the lake, and his force upon the water, the enemy had the meanr of intercepting with peculiar facility. But the orders I received in the letter of the Secretary of War, which announced to me the declaration of war, were positive upon this point. They lefl iie no discretion. I was to march to Detroit, and there to wait for further orders. I had seen the necessity <^ keeping open the communication, when I was on the march, and therefore I built and garrisoned block- houses on the road. When in the enemy's country, I felt every day, more strongly, the force of this ne- cessity, and therefore detached major >ran Horn on that service. Whether that was a proper detachment, as it is made a separate charge, will be a subject of sepajrate consideration, in a subsequent part of my de- fence. After the defeat of major Van Horn, and when I found the situation of my army immediately before I left Sandwich, such as I have before describ- ed, I was perfectly convinced that no success, riot even the capture of Maiden, could save it from even- tual destruction, if my communication with Ohio was not opened. . --taaia ■^vmmitfm 4 t GENERAL HULL. 81 The Court will recollect, that general Mac Artliur and general CaBS have stated in their testimony, that when they olyected to the sufficiency of the force I de- tached under mfyorVan Horn, they each recommended that I should send him with his regiment on that duty. This shews what force, in their estimation, was ne- cessary for the purpose. What force colonel Miller thought necessary, I have already stated. If these gentlemen were correct on this point, my army could not be in a proper situation, when I must have stretched back with nearly half and the most efficient poft of my command, to insure me supplies. It must be recollected also, that it was qot a temporary de- tachment, that would have answered any purpose. I must have kept always sepafated from the army, a sufficient force to have kept open the road from De- troit to Ohio, a distance of about two hundred miles. I do not believe, that after the fall of Michilimackinac, when the savages became arrayed against us, and in- fested every part of the road, that my whole force would have been sufficient to have protected so ex- tensive a line. Ill .A If Id ■ T These, Gentlemen, were the grounds on which I made a retrograde movement, with a part of the army, to Detroit. It was from thence to open the only channel, through which it could derive the means of its existence. I repeat, my judgment may have mis- led me. If it did, it continues yet to mislead me ; for every day that I have lived I have become more confident, that I did right to leave the enemy's coun- III I -I *>?" 't means. And now these lettens fnno general Cass to Mr. Silliman, the contents of which it might be so impmiant to me to contrast with the General'^ testimwiy, it i^pears, were intrusted to the General** mfe, and they too have been lost. 9 "'-V* ■! n 86 DEFENCl: OF But I ask the Court, do not even the slander a«!* couDts which we have had of the ctmtents of these letters shew, that general Cass, at the time they were written, did believe that the army would be in want of provisions ?— that reinforcements were necessary "i—m that the fall of Michilimackinac was to have a decisive operation on the fate of the army ?•— that our hopes rested on co-operation from below, and that the situ-, ation of the army was critical in the exteeme ? — If these were general Cass*s sentiments, when he wrote , the letters, I must leave it to the Court to reconcile them to the testimony he has given. The sutrender of the fortress of Detroit, and of the forces in the Michigan territory under my command, is another charge, against which I am now to defend myself. I beg the court to observe, that the course I am pursuing, is to examine, in tfie first instance, the propriety or necessity of these principal measures ; the circumstances attending their accomplishment be^ ing ground of distinct accusation, I propose to give them distinct considerations. -i A9 to the point, on which I am now about to makf my defence, I must beg the Court to bear in mind what I have said in relation to the delay in attacking Maiden, and to recrossing the river ; much of wl"*t I have said upon these subjects will be applicable to the cliarge now nnder consideration. The isame fi^ *8 are reiterated in the specifications in so many different forms, that it is difficult to analyze them, fmd might \ GENERA' HULL. n excuse repetition. But I shall endeavour, as much as possible, to avoid trespassing on the patience of the Court ; and shall not repeat what I have already said, further than may be absolutely necessary io make my- self clearly understood. ..•■'■•■■ is^it?***" " .■ The extent and state of the force under my com- mand, at the time of the attack on the fifteenth and six- teenth of August, must be ascertained, before my con- duet can be duly appreciated; The detaclmients under colonels Mac Arthur and Cass, consisting of foinr hun- dred <^ the most effective men of their regiments, were ahsMit on the expe^tion to tlie river Raisin. ^ On the mormitg of the sixteenth, the brigade nsajor Jessup, as appears by his cross ^lamination, had, by my order, made a report of the effieetive men under my command. He stated the number, as appears by a document before yon, in the three Ohio reginients, to be seven hundred, inclndkig .the Michigan legion and waggoners, iNit not the Michigan miliUa. The arm- ed inhaUtants Which some of the witnesses have mentioned, I presume were not intended to be includ- ed, and indeed should not have been. For althongh it may have been agreeable to the disposition crif some who have testified in this cause, to mention them here, that they might swell my numbon th the eyes of the Court, yet I believe it wilt not be thought, that I ought te have taken them into calcnlaticm in estimat- ing my means of defence. In the field they were •r? 1 'Hi II: I. I ' >i f* ■ r^^.-—" '-.,■,■»!";?»■ B8 DEFENCE OF m only likefy to be the first to set an example of dif(n> dcr, and in a siege tbey would only liave inmeaied' the consumption oC provisions. Miyor Jessup says, that on the fifteenth he received an estimate from one of the adjutants of the number of men fit tor duty^ He thinks it exceeded one thou- sand. This estimate was- not delivered to me, but wa» given to general Cass the day after the battle, for what purpose does not appear. I w'sh general Cass bad produced it on this occasion. . Of the one thousand^ if there were so many «f40- tive, only three hundred and twenty were regulars; that being nugor Shelling's estimate of the effective fome of the fourth regiment on the day of the surren- der. The rest (^ this thousand consisted of the Ohio volunteers and Michigan militia.. In my letteis ta the government, and in myoflBcial account of the iiinfortunate tennlnati^m of the expedition under my commandv I have always spoken of the zeal and bravery of these tro<^s^ in terms (^respect; and I still think they merited all I have said of ih«n in^ these re- spects. Yet, in estimating, their pvobable services in, an arduoiiL conflict, I could not Itot consider their real character. My experience in the revolutionarv war had fixed in my mind a mistrust of the serv. es of un- disciplined militia, however wrdent and valerou» they might by lai^^uage, and evep by actions, when not befcre the enemy, make themselves appear. Indeed I (^UNfiRAL HULL. 89 tjie organization of tli«s militia eorps I had with me 1^88 particularly calculated to create distrust -with re- spect to them. All their officers held their commhh sions in virtue Of an election, mediate or immediate^ ctf the men of whom theywere the nominal comman- ders. My seccmd in command^ colonel Mac Arthur, has prefaced his testimony, by telling you that at such a time he was elected eolonel. Colonel Van Horn was elected mijor; Mr. Mac Commick was elected a lieutenant. From what sta- tions or what occupations these gentlemen were elect- ed to high military rank, I do not know* It would seem, however, that notwithstanding all the experi'^ ence they have had in the field, they have not yet learr:9d even miiitary language ; or foi^otten what were probahly the phrases of thdr former occupa- tions. * General Mae Arthur, m describing the disposition he intended to make of his regiment in case of an attack, spoke as he would of the gate of a cow-pen — of swinging it into the rear line of a hoUow square. And most of the witnesses against me have spoken of the balance of a detachment, al> they would of the foot of an account in a shop book. Elected officers can never be calculated upon as great disciplinarians^ In every station, the elected will be unwilling to in.* cur the displeasure of the electors. Indeed, he will often be found to court their favour, by a famili..Jty And condescension, which are totally incompatible- M :i1 '^'l.'^ ii . 1 00 DEFENCE OF » /* wkh military discipliae. 'The man wli& votes his officer his commission, instead of being implicitly obedient, as every soldier oi^ht to be, will be dispor sed to question and ccmsider the propriety of the offi- cer's ccmduct, before he acts. This sv^tem has not only an injurious effect upon the soldiers, but it has a retro-actiTe effect lipon the officers. They, knonving how far they are responsible to their electors, and what deference is due from them to a miycMrity of votes, are under the influence of their own feelings, in intercourse with their superiours. The Court must have observed, with what confi- dence, the officers who have testified against me, have pronounced every thing to have been done wrcug, that, was not dcme according to their advice. They «eem to have thought, that when a Council of War was called, it was to be governed by the laws of a town meeting ; and that a general was absolidely bound by the voice of a majority. The tesiimoiqr of mi^or Van Horn is a remarkidble elucidation of the ideas of some of my officers in this respect. He seems to think, that I was guilty oS great . vifriation of duty, in not being careful to ascertain aecurately the votes of Jie members then presenk Though, as was actually the case, I had omitted to , take the vote of a gen Jeman, whose opinions co|iij^ cided with my own. Mr. President, my iceas oi a Council of War are> that it is called to advis ? the responsible officer es to OfiKERAL HtLL* or any question which h6 may think proper to subttiit to its memben i that he ou^t to hew and wei*^, with what deliberation ciromnstances will admit, their sentiments and qiinions. But that after all, he is bound to act accordiig to the dictates of his own juc^pnent, be the q>iiii(ms of his officers what they may. And inasmuch^ as the advice of a council will not, in all cases, justify misconduct, I liope it will not be considered, that a measure, althov'igh it should have been wrong, or turned out unfortimate, must be condemned, because it was not sanctioned by a ma- jority of votes. These are cimsideratJons, wbich I think it neces- sary to impress strongly upon the minds of the Court. ' It unfortanately happened, that on most questions, which I submitted to the deliberation of my officers,: their <^inicn and mine did not cmncide, and many of the witnesses seem to think, that therefore they must lie condemned. But such a principle will not, I hope, be adopted by this Court. The decisions of the C(Nmcils should have the less influence, because it must be recollected, that I could not, with the ex- ception only (oS the officers of the fourth regim<£nt, call (or tiie advice <^ any tme who had seen the least service, or liad the least experience. For though most of the witncoses who have been produced on the part of the government, have appeared with tfce ; titles and baclg^ of high military rank, yet it is cer- tain, that most of these gentlemen when they joined my army, knew no more of the duties of a soldier ; ^1 . ^f -•'^inSftfS ^ ■ i — i ^ii i " ' - trf ia -ji» i m,i i Ml DEFENCE OF ihtn wai t»lw learned from militia mmten and pa-? radea about their own homes. What services they may liave since p«rfonBed to entitle them to the honours they hav^ attained, I tan ignorant; and only hope, that their elevated rank (as it ongL to be pre- sumed it was not intended it should,) will not give them any other weight, than they would have had, if they had remained in their former subordinate situa- tions until they had given their testimony against me. i These observations are made, in reference to the principal part of the troops I had under my command $ and to shew, that although, as men, they might be brave and patriotic, as I have always believed they were, and as I have always spoken both of the officers and soldiers, yet from the manner of thdr (nrganisation, and from their want of discipline and experience, they were not that kind of force upon which a com- mander could feel, in an arduous conflict, the firmest reliance. So far as we had any GENfiRAL HULL. 03! y if (hem, according to his statement, to expect their foe« and yet his party was disordered by tlie first fire of the enemy. Notwithstanding all the gallant exer- tions which, as he has stated, he madcv he was unable to rally them, or to preveui iheir flying in confusion in the very first moments of attack by nothing but savages. '*< In submitting to your consideration, Gentlemen* the state of the forces under my command, I must not omit, painful as it is to me, U» advert to the un- happy terms in which I was with my oflRcers. They took RO pains to conceal what they have here testified lo, that they had lost all confidence in me ; many of them maidfestci it, as af^ears from their own testi- mony, by the moat indecent conduct and expressiobs. The Court must recollect the language^ which I forbear to repeat, that my second in commaid, colouel Mac Arthur {turn BrigaSer Oentrdl Mac Artimr^ represents that he addressed to me, when I pn^posed to him to remain with his regiment at Sandwidi. Let it be remembered too, that the Brigadier General has stated, that when we were in the face of the ene- my, and he might hourly be expected to be called to battle, he used this language with an expectation, ^jjfXii he should be arrested : with an expectation, that at such a moment, he would be put in a situation that he Goidd not be called iqion to use his swordt Briga- dier General Mac Arthur has sari*^, that these ex res- »i0D9 were extorted from him) by insinuations of ^ow. ) •■"■•iJfit-.vMWiWS!'* ommf 94 DEFENCE OF urdice. I meant no such insinuation. Hiideciaraliou, that he felt hit single self aHe to cany the fortress at Sandwich against any garrison, left no room to doubt his own good opinion of Jus prowess. When general Mac Arthur addressed such language to me, 1 had never seen any thing thatWv• ,o«nt the «>"»y • '!^^«ny «M«~. f ''"'" wm«if .*«« th. ««" *r •J^." i,, ao« ««««. b very evMent, thtt WWc » „„ court ■« tap«»- .,«., ttet they oo»M««' ^ ;^ ^^^ And y.t ,ig„ific»., both » •» r^'X. my «»*«>»•<«'* it i. very »«T''"^ jX,I»*»ft»«« »» «»» po^er rf th. BriU.h "^^'^a'Tw-.- "«»«>"■ ^ 1 .m a^ '** v» H*-- •*» I^^' ""' detachment »»«»«""»« "^ u-t .ccotding to I did «., «he n»jor ^'Tr^^ hundied Into" , th.lntonn.tlonh.«eM«d.*« ^^ c«««d f«m. «h. BriUA *«^*J ^ cTtadnriyn a,.t to one to^- *• ^"^ ,„.^5,d6«».. "* - nppwr to be ve.y .n-U "^ '^ ^ f«mdd»ble. Ittamnia.o»f>>.bo"e«''*»* •" .J _\ OENEiykL HULL. 07 tto I no IuH' lain. ifted, KNne IniU, ckof lutlt other apres- iry tar td yet ' would intlie nerotts kvaaU a vethat Aing to Indians rty vras dnal e uit> and inldable. IS in that "J ' — inaiy^ quarter had immediately after the fall of Miehili mackinaCi joined the British. I had had in couneil, between the fourteenth and twentieth of July, the chiefs of nine nations, whose warriours amounted to between two and three thousand, or more. Is it not extremely improbable, that with a large force of this nature at their disposal, the British should have em- ployed but a small part of it in their enterprise against Detroit ? Is it not rather to be presumed, that in an undertakinti; in which they must have been very am- bitious of success, they ihonid have employed all their disposable force, whether wldte or red ? The force brou^t against me, I am very confident, was not leu than one thousand whites, and at least as many savage warriours. But it was not only against this force, on our own shores, I was to defend myself. Their batteries from Sandwich were effectually co-operating with them, amd their ships ci war were ready to lend them assis- tance in the moment of attack, to cover their retreat, and to afford them shelter in case of defeat. If the British, landed at Spring Wells, were not much more numerous than my own troops, I knew they ^mtilt have a powerful force in reserve, which they llolitd bring to operate upon me, either by crossing them above the town of Detroit, or by transporting them in their ships to that point, and thus atttick the fort on all sides, and place my army between their fire. 10 m 98 DEFENCE O^ I should not, however, have yielded tO all these eon* fiderations, hisd the war 1 was canyiiig od, been only against civilized men. In that ease, those only who were in the contest, would have sufferedi^ But I knmf how sah^inary and remorseless the savages would be, should my army be subdued, and the fortress be obliged to yield. The whole country would have been deluged with the blood of its inhabitants— nei- ther women nor children would have been spared* The large detachment, which was out under the com- mand of colonels Mac Arthur and Cast, of which I could get no intelligence, and the detachment under captain Brush, at the river Raisin, would most pro- bably have bees the victims of savage fury, which is always excited by battle,, and rendered more sangui- nary by victory. These appeared to me the certain and dreadful consequences of unsuccessful resistance. If, after a conflict, I should have been able for that time to have repulsed the enemy, I might have pur- chased feme, and have avoided all I have sufiiered, and what I now suffer, in being obliged thus, at my time of life, to vindicate my honour, and plead my cause before you. But at what price should I have done this ? How many oi the lives of the brave men I commanded, would it have cost? How many of the persons, who now appear to witness against me, m^ht I not have sacrificed ? It might, indeed, Mr. Presi-i dent, have given me an honourable grave— and if mine were the only life concerned, I wish it had been so, rather than that the foul crimes d* Which I am' accused should be coupled with a name, to which my ■i f GEKERAL Ht^LL. 99 eounUry of kto* as well as heretofore, has acknow* ledged sooie oblations. ^ But I had rather •▼en that this should he. I rather stand before you ac^nued^ as I am, than have useless- ly and wantonly sacrificed i:., single life, though it phould have insured me immortal fame. If the attack of the enemy had been repelled, our triumph would have been but temporary. My nunn hers must have been diminished by losif in battle. ^hey would have daily lessened by the cannon of the enemy trom the opposite shore. The force of the ene- my, augmented as it was by reinforcements under colonel Proctor, miyor Chambers, and the commander in chief general Brock, would have lieen daily aug- menting. The force from Michilimackinac and Bt* Joseph's, which would have amounted to several thou- sand savage warriouro ; the savages, with the addi- tion of some hundred white men^ mentioned in the intercepted letter of Mr. MacKenzie; collected at Fort William, would, in a few days, have descended v*>ou us. The Canadian militia had aU .returned to their allegiance. The enemy's naval forctrand means of transportation on the lakes firere augmented. There was no co-operation v^ith my a. iiy from any quarter. The letters I had received from geneirals Hall and Porter had not only satisfied me that my expectations in this respect were disappointed, but that no diversion in my favour w^as soon to be expect- ed. My army was in a comer, surrounded by a wil- 100 DEFENCE OF m. y fe«- II ' r i ftemera of wat€rs, and a wilderness of woods. All •pommimieation with my coiratry, either by land or water, cut off, my stores of provision and ammunition hut sufficient for « sh«>rt duration i add to all this, that at the moment of expected conflict, I received infw* mation that a part cf my wm troops had gone over to the enemy t and that a larger hoAf mere about to join him. Under such a combination and pressure of ad- verse circumstances, the army muet have yielded in a little time, notwithstanding any temp" I shall now proceed. to make my defence against the other accusations. I shall endeavour to arrange them in the order of time in which the facts, bj the specifications, are supposed to have oecurredL Hitherto, Mr. President, nqr defence has chiefly rested on documentary evidence, or upon facts of m U- v.. GENERAL HULL« 103 general notoriety. At to all that follows, the chaiges depend entirely UfKni parole testioMHiy. It seems extraordinary, that there has not been a witness examined on the part of the prosecution who hrjB not been promoted since he was "under my com- mand. A f^reat minority of the young gentlemen who have been u&lied by the Judge Advocate, have af^eared decOT9ted with their two epaulets. These have been bestowed, and sometimes with the augmentation oi a star, upon gimtlemen who began their milita^^r ca- reer with my unioitunate campaign. By what services many €i these gentlemen have merited such rapid promotion, I have not learned. But if it all arises out of their achievements while imder my command, I must say, that it appears to me that my expedition was more prolific of promo- tion, than any other unsuccessful military enterprise I ev^er heard of. r It cannot be, that it has been intended ti give a weight to the testimony of these witnesses, by giving them ranks and honours, which ii would not other- wise have had. But, Sir, when my military charac- ter »nd measures are to be tested by the opinions of gentlemen, with high sounding titles of militaiy rank, I think it necessaiy to remind the •Court, that, with the exception of a few of the younger officers, there 4 •^fei*Ssa£:;^^.;.. r 104 DEFENCE OF are none of them who have not been promoted tc their h^gh stations, without havii^ had any military experience* and without, so far as I liave heard, ever having discovered any militMj talents or genius. If the' opinions of witnesses on military conduct ought in any case to be listened to, (which I conceive ought not to ^je,) yet, I think the opinions of men <^ these descriptions, ought to be received with the greatest caution. The extraordinary promotions which the witnesses against me, have generally attained, I think may be accounted for by a recurrence to the fact, of which this trial has afforded the most conclusive evidence ; which is, that each of the witnesses, from the gene- rals to. the youngest and lowest officer that has been called by the Judge Advocate, is himself, in his own opinion at least, a htro. !• f^' From general Mac Arthur, who thought himself capable of fighting a whole garrison, down to. the lowest rank, every officer seems to have thought, that if he had been the commanding general, or if I had taken his advice, all would have gone well. No doubt, they have, in justice to themselves, made these representations to the government. And their rank must be considered as a reward for the great things, which they smd they wouid have done, rather than to have been acquired by any actual /services. t '^i^^^" ■^'T^i^jr iiajtH***^ 1 GENERAL HULL. 105 But, Gentlemen, before I proceed to examine the parole testimony, let me call your attention to anotlier subject connec'e^ "with it. . I mean the indefatigable pains, ndiich have been taken, to propi^te and keep alive the most hateful pri^dices against me. Sir, I believe there never was a greater outrage committed on the adminbtration of justice, and towards an in- dividual, than was the publication of colonel Cass's (now brigadier-geneiul Cass,) letter to the government of the tenth of September. That 'yuch a letter should be pubHshed, under the sanction of the administration, against a man, whom the administration was about to put upon trial for his life,'! belieire if d proceeding of which no country on earth has before afforded an example. Thaic the' administration should, under such cii^ cumstances, permit the publication of snclltft letter as general Cass*s, one that labours to represent my conduct in the mvi,*. odious point (^ view, and takes pains to heighten the public resentment i^ainst me, by a colouring which colonel Cass could nil ktaow of his own knowledge, was true, appears to nJA t» be a violation of every principle of justice. ) The Court will please io recollect, that colonels Casfi and Mac Arthur left Detroit with the detach- ment to the river Raisin on the fourteenth oi August, and did not return to the fort till the evening of t!.e sixteenth; of course they could not know, of their own kdO^ledge, what passed in the interim^ A --*-*».-*»iji4M»»»*»-*-« loe DEFENCE OF ■■>< i No person, reading colonel Cassis letter, but would suppose, he was an eye witness of all he relates. It is ini[M>s8ible to discover, that he was absent in the expedition to the river Raisin. Tet general Cass states, as if it was a matter within his own knowledge, that when the troops received orders to retreat into the fort, ** one universal burst of indigna^ " tion was apparent upon the receipt of this order.'* I beg to quote from this letter another paragraph, to shew what was the spirit with which it wae written ) the desigE oi its publication I must leave the Court ^o infer. : .■;*:■ H *> " To see the whole of our men flushed with victory, '* eagerly awaiting the approaching contest; to see '■* them afterwards hopeless, dispirited, and despond- " ing, at least five hundred shedding tears, because " they were not allowed to meet their country's foe, *' and to fight their country's battles, excited sensa- " tioDs, which no American has ever before had." Would not every one imagine, that colonel Cass was here describing a scene which passed before hia own eyes ? Did he actually see at least five hundred men shed- ding tears, or does the Court believe that this is a representation of a fact which really occurred ? If it were so, it is extramdinary that not a witness has testified to it. Captain Mac Commick says, he ob- ■m OENERAX. HULL. loi k absent general liiB own orders to indigna- » order." .grapb, to written j the Court h victory, jl; to see I despond- •8, because intry's foe, ited sensa- e bad." tonel Cass \ before bis a men sbed- hat tbis is a urred? If it ^tness bas says, be ob- served some men shedding tears, but tbis falls greatly short of general CassN five hundred. But who were these weeping troops ? it is not to be presumed, that it w>u intended that we shoi^ld believe they were the! regulars ; they are not commonly mucb given to weep.: ing. They were not the Michigan militia, because a part of them deserted, and the rest were disposed to go over to the enemy rather than fight him. The men then who shewed, this very extraordinary sensi- bility, must have been colonel Cass's patriotic volun- teers. The same vohmteersy who mutinied in the camp at Urbana, and would not march till they were compelled to do so by the regular troops. The same volunteers, who rode the officers of one of their com- panies on a rail. The same volunteers, one hundred and eighty of whom refused to cross into Canada ; and the same volunteers, who, when they had an op- portunity, under major Van Horn, to gratify their eager wishes to meet the enemy in combat, ran away at the first fire, and left their officers to be massacred. If general Cass did not witness this scene, why did he make such a representation ? There can be no other reason, than that this kind of inflated descrip- tion was intended to reconunend hiuweif to the go- vernment, by representing himself and his troops in the most favourable point of view, and me in the most nnfavourable, that even hyperbolical language would admit.' * Sir, this is not the only means that have been re- sorted to, to excite and keep alive the popular t1 N .if-jsmtut-^ IM DEFENCE OF (' -• clamour against me. Othen of my oflScert finding what favour the publication of liis letter gave him, in the eyes of the administration, have seen that the tame road of preferment was open to them $ and the news-p^iers; from one end of the continent to the other, have been filled with letters concerning me* expressed in terms which neither truth, justice, nor even the !aws of decorum can sanction. Down to this very tame, 8ir, the same system is pursued. Now, while I have been on my trial, publications have appeared in the public prints of this city, commend- ing the principal and leading witness, for the manner in which he gave his testimony against me, that those who were to come after him might be encouraged to follow hu example. And, Sir, at this very mom/ad^ at the veiy dow oT this buildingi is hawked for sale, a work printed within this few days in sight of this capitol, entitled Views of the Campaigns of the North-western Army, in which my conduct or motives are most grossly mis- represented. Who are th^ that thirst so for my blood, and take these means to obtain it? ^ It is not the ostensible author of this performance. His msignijicancei and the contemptible talents em- ployed in the work, shew him to be too mean to have a motive of his own. I know not who may be the authors or instigators of such outrages upon justice. If such things are permitted, and can have any influ- ence, then the sades ought to be torn from the hand GENERAL HULL. 100 I him, in that the I and the nt^the ming in«» iBtice, nor Dovrn to Bd. Now, lon« tav® commend' the manner s, that those kcouraged to very Aoot oi tinted within kUttedViewt m Army, in grossly mia- it 80 for my ■ ? ^ • i performance. |e talents em- L mean to have lio may he the upon justice. Lave any infln- I from the band of the figure which adorns the hall wherein you sit. She ought only to be left the sword with which she is decorated, and she ought to wave that as an emblem^ that vengeance^ anfl not justice, is administered under this roof. But, Gentlemen, for whatever purpose these acts may have been intended, 1 rely with a perfect confi- dence that you will rise superiour to them. If I wanted other assurance o it than that which is de- rived from your characters, I should have it in the patience and impartiality with which this proseci»> tion, 80 far as depended on you, has been conducted. Before I enter on an examinatimi of the paiole testimony, I must be permitted to remark, that I can- not but think that the course which has been pursued, of examining each witness in the presence of the rest* has been unfortunate for me. Till this Court de- cided that it should be so, I- did think it was a well estahtished rule of martial law, that the witnesses should be examined separately. The justice and propriety of this rule, I have very sensibly felt on this occasion. In a tase where so much may depend upon the language or phrases in which the witnesses express themselves, it would have been desirable, that each should have been left to the necessity of selecting his ovm language to express his meaning. But according to the course pursued, each witness was at liberty to adopt the words, which had been used by any other witi&ess on the same point. Thfc 11 «9(*'- 110 DEFENCE OF disposition of several of the witnesses to do so, hat been very plainly manifested by their answering, when interrogated as to my personal behaviour, that it was the same as had been represented by a prior witness. t\ It is true. Gentlemen, that the Judge Advocate would not accept these answers, and I presume has not taken them down, but they nevertheless shew the natural disposition of the witness to borrow the words of another, and I have no doubt they have very con- scientiously, and often without knowing it, borrowed ideas also. Gentlemen, in these Courts Martial, where the members, among Whom there may be great inequality of grades, are intended to be put upon an equal foot- ing as judges, care has been*taken, to avoid, as far as possible, the influence likely to arise from authority! It is on this account that the opinion of the youngest member is ahtrays first taken. And it was on the same account, as I conceive, that the rule was es- tablished, that witnesses should be examined sepa- rately, that the younger might not be influenced in his testimony by what might be said by his superiour. It would be contrary to experience of the human disposition, to suppose, that after a subaltern has heard two or three generals and oflScers- of higher rank than himself testify, to whose authority he is perhaps subservient, or to whose good word he may have owed or expects to owe his promotion, he will ■> /. GENERAL HULL. Ill lo «o, hat nsweringv riour, that t)y a prior Advocate esume ha» 18 shew the V the words e very con- It, borrowed , where the sat InequaUty ^n equal foot- old, as far as om autliorityi the youngest it was on the rule was es- :amined separ influenced In his superiour. of the human subaltern has cers of higher authority he Is I word he may motion, he vrlU be willing to contradict what his superiours have said, or even to make a representation which will vary from theirs. If on any ease, Sir, the weight of this sort of influ- ence could be felt on the testimony, the course pur- sued on this occasion would give it the fairest scope. For the witnesses seem to have been arranged and produced, in the first instance, very much according to their rank, (except colonel Miller.) After the Ge- nerals had been examined, then uame the subordi- nates. The exception to this general co:i>;se as to colonel Miller struck me as a little singular. I did not know why he should have been examioed the last, particularly as he was the highest officer of the regular army which had been engaged in the cam- paign. He was with me during the whole time, and had the most intimate knowledge of the transaction < to which the other Gentlemen testified. But when I found that colonel Miller's testimony was much less unfavourable to me than the testimony of the witnesses who had preceded him, and that he would not support them in the most materi<|part8 of their testimony, I was at no loss to account%r this course of proceeding. The next accusation which I shall consider, is spe- cified under the charge of imofficer-like ^'>i«r;ict, and refers to the commencement of the march of the ar- my. It is in substance, that from the time I took the command, I omitted to exercise, inspect, train, review. •*W^"" ■ -V K^il. 112 DEFENCE OF ll ri and order the troops. I cannot believe, dentleilien, that it win be necessary for me to say much on this sulgect. I did expect, that if any part of n./ conduct could have escaped the censure of my enemies, it would have been the manner in which I led the troops through the wilderness. When it is recollected, what an extent of road it was necessary for me to cut; that a great proportion of the men were constantly employed in this duty ; that those who were not so, were mcst generally fatigued with their turn of this la- borious service, I believe the Court will think with colonel Miller, that there was neither time, nor op- portunity, for that sort of discipline and exercise, which, under other circumstances, would have been proper. The commandants of regiments have testi- fied, that, as to their respective commands, there was no omission of what was their duty in this respect. The fault charged to me is then, that in the depths of the forest, through which we were marching, I did not call off my fatigue parties, guards, and advances, and go through the ceremonies of military parade. And yet, as if every thing that I could have done, must, in the opinion of my officers, be condemiied, my omissions to have these parades are not more severely censured than my conduct has been for making some display of the troops, and passing them in review on some few occasions, when I thought it was consistent with our "ituation. When the corps passed me by sections, after we had crossed the Miami, general Mac Arthur thinks it was not a review, be- cause I was not, according to his experience, in the ^. GENERAL HULL. 113 atlemen, I on ttaiB conduct emies, it ;he troops ;ted,\vhat e to cut; sonetantly re not 80, kofthiftla- think with le, norop- d exercise, have been have testi- », there was his respect, the depths of >hing, 1 did d advances, tary parade. I have done, condenuicd, ire not more las been for passing them i 1 thought it len the corps led the Miami, a review, be- erience, in the fitdation which a reviewing general ought to have been ; though, be admits that the officers at the heads of sections saluted me, and he admits that it is possible he might have saluted me himself. At the river Raisiu, I also passed the troops in review. I did the same at Spring Wells, and mar\;hed the troops from thence to Detroit and back. But these parades seem to have excited the indignation of general Mac Ar- thur, as it did, according to his testimony, of other officers i but for what reason I have not been able to learn. The truth is, that from the moment we com- menced our march, the troops were always under my eye. I saw them on their line of march. I saw them in their working parties, and in their encampments. I thought it would be as ridiculous as useless to make parades in the midst of the woods. Whenever the country opened, so that there was any*room for dis- play, I availed myself of it; not only that I might see the troops, and |. ■ally known narched ac- lerstanding, m attack in in front. In ^e were to * form by facing the enemy; and bo in case of an at* ** tack on the left This was a general understanding, *' but I do not recollect to have seen any order to this *' purport, either written or verbal. I understood it " from conversations with general Hull, and I believe " it was so understood by the other officers. The *^ General told me, that the order of march which he " had adopted, was that which bad been pursued by ** general Wayne. I know nothing to the contrary." Colonel Miller adds, *\of the General's having been " almost always, when we were on the march, in a *' situation to direct the movements of the troops. For " the greatest part of the time, the General rode near me *<^ in front. Sometimes he passed to the rear. Gene- ** rally the army encamped in a hollow square. After "we apprehended danger, we commonly formed a " breast-work, and encamped within it. By a general " order, each line was to form in front of its (ents, if " attacked in camp. There was also a general order " for turning out the troops by taps of the drum, pro- " ceeding from head-quarters along the lines. This " method was practised, and the troops were called to **arms every morning, before dawn, by these signals." I believe, Gentlemen, that this 19 the whole of the testimony, on this point, which can be considered as of any importance. It cannot be disputed then, but that there was an ord.ec of battle ; but general Cass's testimony seems intended to leave an impression, that the order did not originate with me, but that it was suggested by my officers, and adopted by them, with I:] 'I 1 i 1 ,1 <' •^ i* ns DEFENCE OF h ' I ■\: my asseii\^, without my having given myself much trouble about it. T cannot but think, that in thit* in- stance there is a display of the spirit with which much of tBBtimony has been given in this cause. It seems to have been determined, that I shall not even share in ihe credit of any thing ihd wor< done that o«j;;ht to have been done. My oflieer* c 'aim every thing that is meritorious) as tinel Findlay, and colonel Miller, all knew what they were to do, if an enemy was to approach us. What foundation is there then for a charge, that t ^n 120 DEFENCE OF ¥r ' IS. no order of battle was made known ? If the subordi- nate officers were not instructed as to their duty, in the event of an attack, was «it not the fault of these commandants of corps and not mine ? Suppose there had been no written order of battle; but that after the order of march, which so nearly approached the order of battle, had been formed, I had explained to the commandants the disposition I intended, in case of an attack; could any man say, I was deficient in duty, because I had not explained my intentions in a writ- ten order ? I believe no one acquainted with military history or practice, will think a general is bound to make an exposure of his plansy in every orderly book in his army. If the witnesses, in whose opinions ' these charges and specifications have been framed, have entertained such erroneous idea^ of the duties of a commander, as this accuention seems to indicate, I hope now, that some of them have attained a rank which may give them the command of aimies, they • will learn, that to give a general publicity in their orderly books to their designs in case of an attack, will be a departure from their duty, and that they may often thereby afford their enemy an opportunity of gaining information, which he ought not to have. As to the order of battle at night, it is proved by the testimony of colonel Miller, that that was settled by a general order, which was made known to all; and when the Court considers what was the nature of our lines of march ; how neariy it approached the only order of battle, which could have been proper. ' .!* . , .^s'^ivti*^- OEKlSlliil) BViL. tH fitiuitfy the o^r of inarch ^Wu mitdelhe order t>f bat- tle; and consiSier alto, that I was alwayii at the head of th<^ timopi while thegr wer6 on the manch, I am p(»rsiiailia'tii6t;dttM^ll thM, th^ id no foundation foVtblfitecilifttieii. IfftliftiK Aottnriglnatedtamaliee, ire^rtaihlf haij Ittlgkio^ftiifie/ Faiii tm^lliiig-tb ^ei^ ifi^ CTduit loikger on a ^flitff^i'whichy iii mfowtk of^liiifni; ii nilBfd^iitly ain- jlWeredf bttt I kno# I ought not to place io much «onfldenc^ in niy own opinion, as not to avail myseir of anything which ^^7 have an influence on the ophifoifte ttf othent. t^iitlBt th^iefo^ advert to other ii»tiiiiOn^, whiJBli I h^i^ti ou^hi (o be cohclusive on this point; I mean ndy lettevt)%the War Department. ThO««i"td vrhi4^ t ill^i refer for This purpose, the CoUrt will fecotleet were riead by ^is Judge A^6^ t;ate. If I had offered theni, they certainly wolildnot have been conclusive evidence in my favour; but when'lhtrbduced oil ttt^ part dr. the prosecution, so far as they establiilli any thing in my favour, they are as good evidence as l^e^' are to prove any thing against me.' It would be a manif*^t violation of jus- tice, if this sort of tebtimcny should be resorted to for my crimination, and t should not he permitted to avail myi^lf of it, so fkr as it might serve for my exculpation. It is a general rule, which applies to the administration of justice in all courts, Ibfit wterever « document is reail^by one side, the whole of it be- comes evidence, of which either party niay avail 142 ''iqii««tie^ which I put to the witness, as beting nnnedlBiss&rjr, because the fa'A... ,-., n After these observations, I cannot but be satisfied, that the Court will th^ik that there was no ground 5,- Ji9*tia^"*' GENERAL HULL. 1^3 for charging me with neglectii.^ to discipline and re- view my troops, or omitting to j^repare and make linown an order of battle. Tlie next accusations tliat I shall consider are, th^ I neglected to repair and put in order the cannon at Detroit ; and to put the place in a state of defence : — that I did not seasonably repair, and put in a state of service, the artillery necessary for the operations in Canada; and that 1 did not transport tliem to the enemy's shore, so soon as I ought to have done. I have already had occasion incidentally to notice thete accusations, and I shall give no further answer to them than to refer the Court to the testimony of captain Dallaba. He states, that when I arrived at Detroit, " the fort was generally in good order, and ** in a good state of repair." On his cross-examina- tion, captain Dallaba says, " the fort was in the state " of defence I liave described, except as to some im- " material matters, on the fourth day of July, before "lh6 arrival of the army. Afterwards, something '' was done with the ordnance stcnres, and mounting ^Hhe cannon; but every ihhfig designed for the de- " fence of the fort exclusively, was completed on the ". fourth of July. After the generars arrival at De- *' troit, industry and exertions were used to put in " order .the field pieces and heavy artillery for the <' siege of Maiden. This was done (says the witness) **■ under my superintendance, and by order of gener$iii <• Hull." # 124 DEFENCE OF Tbii wltneM \va8 examined on the m .> tk al Fe- bniaiy : four days aftenvards, on the twelflh, he i»agBin called, by the Judge Advocate, and then he testifies u follows, V I have before slated, that no altenitions ^nad been made subsequently to the fourth of July, ** for defence of the fort. If: '.■ " Some few artificers, immediately after the arrival " of general Hull, went to work to repair and mount ** some heavy cannon on trueks, to be placed in the " batteries on the banks of ^ liver. And some re* " pairs were made to three bnSs field pieces, and a " small quantity of ammunition was fixed for them. '* But iio order was received, to my knowledge, to " prepare the heavy field artillery, till after the army "went to Canada. I have the order, and think it " was dated on the fifteenth or sixteenth of July.'* I hftve already made some remarks on this test]* mony, and stated, that the onler was in fact given on the fourteenth of July. Till that time, the artificers hadJieen otherwise employed. I will remind the Court here of the otgectiqn I offered, and which was overruled by the>^Coiirt, to this mode of re-examining a witness. If to examine the witnesses in the pre- sence of each other be a dqiarture from the usages of Corurts Maitial, it is- certainly a much wider and more important deviation from that usage, to call up a wit- ness, and to allow him to make important alterations in his testimony, after he has been listening for days \o the testimony of other witnesses. ] now mork GENERAL HULL. 125 ,neii»agatn lie testifies alterations til of July, this irregularity, ai I eonceive it to be, for the lake of presenting it, as ivell as the ftwt of all the witnesses having been, pursuant to a determination of this Court, examined in the presence of each other, to the attention of the Jiigh officer, who has authority to review these proceedings. : the arrival r and mount need in the Lpd some re> ieces, and a ;d for them, lowledge, to ter the army and think it of July.'* Colonel Miller testifies, that he "discovered no '' want of exertion in respect to preparing the heavy '' and lighted rid artilleiy, after the amy arrived at "Detroit." General Taylor says, " I believe no time was lost <>' ia prepanilonB. Timber and some large wheels were "got out." Again, the same witness says, that he visited the artificers every day, to hurry the preparations, with orders from general Hull ; " and I mu«t say, (adds the *' witness) that general Hull shewed great anxiety in " getting the artillery ready." I pray leave t6. make one remark on this language of general Taylor's, which I am aware may have the appearance of being hypercritical ; but I beg the in- dulgence of the Court, till I have explained my rea- sons for noticing a circumstance apparently trivial. Why should general Taylor preface his testimony of this fact in my favour, with the phrase, " I must say ?" It seems as if to state any circumstance favourable to me was the result of a compulsion, to which his mind 12* 46 *V U9 DEFENCE OF unwillingly submitted. In this instance, he speaks like apftiUent, whose conscience obliges him to make the acknowledgment of a foct, which his inclination would prompt him to conceaL I had a right to exp4>ct, th^t when the witnesses could testify any thing in my favour, tiiey would qieak in the same unreserved language, which they used, when they intended to expose my misconduct s- >, h- I lytr- Upon most occasions, observations 0D circum- stances apparently so light, m^ht not be proper or necessary. But, Gentlemen, I beg you to recollect, that the witnesses have undertaken to interpret my lookst And have ventured to infer from my<9«urUenance, from my appearance and manner, what was passing .in my mind, and hy what motives I was actuated. They have not hesitated to express opinions derived from no other indications, when they knew, that these opinions might affect my honour and my life, tf cannot be improper then, that I should ask you to remark even the slightest expression of a witness, which" I may think will betray the dispositioa with which he testifies. It is with reluctance that I at- tempt to impeach the testimony of any witness who has been called against*me. I have been taught to iienerate a soldier from my infancy. I know that the profession of arms generally adds histre to the most noble virtues. But I know that men do not change their natures by becoming soldiers, nor by attaining the most elevated rank. And when they ean rec(mcil« to themselves to accuse me of coward .it*- GENERAL HULL. 127 ice, from appearances bo fallacious, surely I may re-^ mark, that expressions they have used indicate bias, partiality, or prejudice. |f Without detaining the Court with a particular re-^ capitulation of more of the evidence on this point, I shall content myself with referring it to the very important and decisive testimony of captain Dyson, to the testimony of captain Bacon, and finally to the testimony of Mi Watson; who says, that after my arrival at Detroit, no man could have been more in- dustrious and indefatigable than I was. I proceed to a v. jv subject, and shall now make my defence against the accusation, which is in sub- stance ; that I did not avail myself of the opportu- nity, which the defeat of the enemy by colonels Casr and Miller, and their possession of the bridge over the river Aux Canards, on the eighteenth of July af- forded of making an attempt on Maiden ; and that I did not maintain possession of the bridge. This forms the sixth specification under the chaise of un^ officer-like conduct. -The exposition I have already presented of my views and designs when I crossed to Canada, would, 1 humbly conceive, afford a sufficient answer to these accusations. I did not think it expedient to attack Maiden, under any circumstances, which existed previous to our leaving Canada. Why I thought it inexpedient I have already explained. The advAa- i1 i l(. m m i 128 DEFENCE OF \w tages which I thought were tQ be gained by delay ; a regard which my orders compelled me to pay to the security of my own posts ; the necessity of keeping open my communication ; the certain consequences of defeat, and the probable consequences of victory, have all been considered, in making my defence against the charge of undue delay in Canada. If I was justifiable, or even excusable, in deferring the at- tack on Maiden, I must be so in having omitted to avail myself of the possession of the bridge, and in not having attempted to maintain it. It wt>uld have been absurd to have attempted to maintain a post so far in a Ivance, unless it was with a view to an im- mediate movement on Maiden. But I beg the Court to advert to the date of this transaction. It was not on the eighteenth of July, as mentioned in the speci- fication, but on the seventeenth, as appears by my letter to colonel Cass. This was the fifth day after we moved into Canada. At that time, the deliberations of my officers in Canada had uniformly resulted in the expression of an opinion, that the attempt on the enemy's fortress should be deferred, till the artillery was prepared; and it was immediately aft'er the council at Sandwich, in which colonel Cass himself, as appears by the testimony of judge Witherill, had advised that the attack on Maiden should not be made without cannon. My views in sending this detachment, or rather in permitting general Cass to march it, appear from his testimony. 1 meant it as a reconnoitring party, and !l^f> m # • .-». GENERAL HULL. 129 by no means intended that the commanding officer should pursue measureis which might expose the de- tachment to be sacrificed, or oblige me to abandon the system I had adopted, by leading my whole army to its support. Colonel Cass testifies, that . a day or two after colonel Mac Arthur was detached to the river Trench, he (colonel Cass,) requested me to permit him to reconnoitre the ground between Sandwich and Maiden ; that I did permit.it, and a detachment of two hundred and eighty men were ordered for that service. General Taylor states, that hfi was present when news arrived that colonel Cass had taken the Aux Canards bridge. " That I expressed my astonishment, *' that colonel Cass should have commenced hostilities, *' as I was not ready with the artillery ; that I appeared " to be irritated, because colonel Cass had taken upon ** himself to act, without my authority : the detach- " ment having only been sent out for observation." r It cannot be doubted, but that general Cass knew my views, and the objects of his detachment. How far he was justifiable, in pursuing measures &o con- trary to them, not only in making an atiack, ,, ich might have forced me to a general and decisive action for his support, but after my verbal orders to retire, persisting to maintain his situation, till ^c tried the effect of a written remonstrance to me, it is unneces- sary now to consider. I do now believe, that the whole of this proceeding was a wonoeuvrc, to afibrd S\ y 1^ DEFENCE OF ^•' / 'W. \ ' Fiv' ; it ri 1 ' grounds for new clamours against me, and weaken my authority. My officers, long before they bad ma- tured their conspiracy to wrest the command •from me by actual violence to my person, had formed a plan, of whir.h I firmly believe this was a part, to place me in such situations as would oblige me to be obedient to their schemes. If any thing successful was done, they would claim all the merit. In case of disaster, the blame could easily be thrown on the commanding general. If I had led the army to the Canards, which probably I must have done to have maintained the bridge, instead of its being alleged against rae as a crime, that I did not do so, do you not believe. Gentlemen, in case we had been defeated, I should have been charged with misconduct, in hav- ing acted in opposition to the advice of all the coun- cil, not to move on Maiden without artillery ? And when it is considered, that colonel Mac Arthur was absent with a large detachmr nt ; that I had received no intelligence from him ; tla . I was under great un- easiness on his account, I do think tb^t if I had left him in my rear, and with only a part of my army had taken ground, which might have been the field of a general action with the enemy's whole force, which was then either in respect to its regulars, militia, or savages, unascertained, and at that time but incon- siderably weakened by desertion, I should have been highly culpable. !,: i -i -^ Colonel Miller's account of this transaction is as follows : '' in answer to a message sent to general Hulj^ '^ GENERAL HULL. 131 <' he sent us an order to return. The purport of his " message was, that he could not soon be rei\dy for " the attack on Maiden, and could not think of divid- " ing the army. We then wrote to him and pressed ^'in strong terms the necessity of maintaining the " bridge, in answer to which he sent a written di«- " cretionary order to us, expressing his anxiety about " general Mac Arthur, &c." This order has been proved. It is in the following words : Sandwich, July 17, 1812. Sir, I have received your letter of this raom- ing. To my astonishment I have received not the least infoFmafion from Mac Arthur. It is possible something unpleasant has taken place. It will pro- bably be a week before the cannon will be mounted. I am sensible of the advantt^s of holding the bridge. I would not, however, hazard too much for the pur- pose. The enemy may pass the ford above, and come in the rear. I will, however, leave it to your discretion, and colonel Miller's, under all the circum- stances of the case to do that which you judge most expedient. Twelve miles is a great distance, and the enemy can either land in boats above the mouth of the river, or pass at the ford to attack you. You know the ground better than I do, and as I before observed, I will leave the measure and the force td 1 'I I 1 ! . * ' 'ni 132 DEFENCE OF f your discretion and colonel Miller's, and the best mode of security to the party. I am very respectfully, your most obedient servant. William Hull, firigadier Ocneml, commanding. Colonel Cass. Colonel Miller further testifies, that, " upon the re- '' ceipt of this letter, the officers were called together, " and it was decided, that unleiss the bridge, being '' twelve or fourteen miles from our camp, and only " four or five from the enemy, could be supported by " our whole force, we had better return ; aud that «f 'We " had not the disposition of the whole force, which " was thought necessary, we ought nof "t6~ take' the *' responsibility." This testimony, I think, developes tod plahily to be misunderstood, the design of these proceedings. 1 was to be compelled to abandon my own [iUins, and to adopt those of my officers. I was to be cofripelled to lead my whole force in a manner under th« walls of.Malden, without being provided with artillery, and I was urged to do this, by4he commandant of the de- tachment, who but a day or two previously had giveh a decisive opinion, in council, that the attack oa MaViien sf'^uld not be made till the ordnance was prepared. .^; i -1 GENERAL HULL. 133 il the best ervant. upon tii« fi- lled together, >ridge, being (ip, and only supported by ludlbatiiC^e fbroe, wMch iftb take *he too plaittly to » proceedings, iwn plilna, and ► be cooapelled nder the walls a artillery, and dant of the de- UBly had given the attack on ordnance waf» . But when it was found, that my order left the offi- 4cers oi the detachment a discretion, and that if an attempt to maintain the bridge should be attended urith any disaster, the officers must share the respon- sibility, then there was no doubt as to the measures to be pursued. It would have disappointed the whole design if I should escape any part of the odium. But however this affair of the bridge has been magnified, it is a fact, that the possession of that pass by the enemy never was contemplated as an obstacle to a movement on Maiden. They, in truth, never •attempted to maintain possession of it. Colonel Cass's rentibntre was only with a reconnoitring party. According to the testimony of, colonel Si^pr, they saw no more than fifty of the enemy. He says they had about twenty five men on the bridge, and about twenty five on our-side, and that some men were dis- covered in the wotfi After this, there were, as ap- peurafrom the testimony of colonel Cass, repeated de- tachments sent from Sandwich to the bridge. They always found it unoccupied by the enemy. It could then have been no object to have moved the army to that post, until the attack on Maiden was determined upcMi. It is curious to observe, what trivial and. irrelevant circumstances ingenuity ca.it bring together to create false appearances. Some of the gentlemen, who were prisoners with the enemy at the time of this transaction, have been produced to testify, that when 13 » r *» n %i *!&.., 134 DEFENCE OF \!i <*- accounts reached Amhentburgh that our detachment . had appeared in the Aux Canardt, it created great consternation ; and it was intended that it should be believed, th&t the enemy were ready to abandon their post at our approach. But it turns out, upon further explanation from witnesses of the same description, that the disposition to fly was only manifested by the town's people, who thought it unnecessary to expose their persons and effects in a place which was likely to be invested. This, so far from being evidence of au intention to yield the place witliout contest, is not an unfrequent measure when the most obstinate re- sistance is intended. «' ' In nllNetter to the Secretary at War of the nine- teenth of July, I mention the affair at the Aux Ca- nard bridge, and say, great credit is due to colonel Cass and his detachment. For firmness, to colonel Cass and the other volunteers, i^j||pn supported by the proportion of regulars, which wec^ with them in this first encountre with any enemy, I did think credit was due, both to men and officers. — ^But when I wrote that letter, I had not the same view of the designs formed against me which subsequent circumstances have expressed. I did not then see, that a plan which has been so successful, was settled to make my destruction a merit, which was to give another my place, and some of his occomplices, rank and fortune. T I am charged with unofficer-like conduct in suffer- ing my communication with the river Raisin to be GENERAL HULL. 135 cut off. This imputation is among the last tliat I •X" pected to find in the catalogue of my accusations. If it had been intended to shew, tliat nothing that^I did, or intended to. do, could escape censure, this spe- cification would afford strong evidence of such a dis? position. Fcur the means that I toolc to open this communication are also made the sulyects of accusa- tion. The detachment under colonel Van Horn, the retreat from Canada, the detachment under co- lonel Miller, and under colonels Mac Arthur Mid Casi^filthough they were all measures which were dictated by the strong necessity, which I saw and felt, to keep open the communication in question, are all set down as instances of misconduct. But I would ask those, at whose instigation these charges have been made, what measures I should have pur^ sued to have effected this olgect ? It must be remem- bered, that it was utterly in vain to have opened the communication to the river Raisin only. No sup- plies could come from thence that were not drawn from the western states. I must therefore have pro- tected the road all the way from Ohio. Was this to have been done by stretching back so great a dis- tance with a sufficient force? If so, my whole army would have been insufficient for the purpose. The two hundred men I sent under major Van Horn my two senior officers thought insufficient. In their opinion, i^nght to have detached, for this duty, one of their regiments. Colonel Miller, after he had de- feated the enemy, had more than five hundred men left, and was within fourteen miles of his destination. 1 m wfT y . ISO DBFENCE OP He thought it necessary to send back to me Cur a re- jnrorcement of one hundred and fifty, or two hundred, Ik fore he could pixweed, althoi^h be knew that at the river Raisin' he was to be joined, tnH. -would be strengthened in bis march back, by \\^^ detachment under captain Brush, -which bad escorted the provi- sions \a the river Raisin. If ^ great a numtyr of men was requisite merely to force a paoMge to the river Raisin and back, how great a portion of my army would have been necessary to keep open the road to Ohio, re the Court, to some of which I have already adverted. ' It is alleged, that I was guilty of misconduct in sending the detachment under mtyor Van Horn, be- •'> ■•^~. GENERAL BULL. 137 oauseit was inadequate to the purpose for which it wai intended. The proof of the inadequacy, I presume) i«, that it was defeated. It appears, however, that it was not owing to want of numbers that this defHit happened. According to major Van Horn's own ac- count, the party that attaclted him, lie judged from the fire, was from one hundred and fifty to two hun- dred. Tliis was conjecture, for more than forty sav- ages were not seen. But these volunteers, the same patriotic men who are said to have v > bitterly because they were not allowed to * Detroit, fled in the first moments of an attack, utmost disorder and precipitation. Had m t. ^n the case tlmietachment wa« sufficient, li it had fought the eaemy, there can be no doubt but it would have made its way good to the river Raisin, where it would have been^ joined by a large detachment under cap- tain Brush. If the detachment had been ever so large, it would have been insufficient, if the men be- haved no better than those m^jor Van Horn com- manded did upon this occasion. But, Sir, the true foundation for this charge is, that I did not think pro- per to be obedient to the advice of ray two senior officers. It was placed in this black catalogue, solely for the purpose of giving them an opportunity of pro- claiming to the world their own superiour si^city and judgment. It was to give them an opportunity to prove by their own testimony, that whatever I did was wrong, and that whatever they advised would have been right. 13* H'^ s^. o *^*>. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 1.1 1.25 12.5 m """ ^" >tt Ui 12.2 2.0 ■It m u KO — lis — 6" s '•^ / 7 PholDgrajdiic Sdenoes CarporatiQn 4^ ^Jk <> ^. 33 MIST MAIN STRHT VinnSTII,N.Y. I4SM (716)l7a-4503 A, ^ ^\ I3g Bfif'BKCl! OF Bat possibljr I ought to have tuifered flie advice o^ these oflcen upon this oeeatioii to have had nuMfe it^lht. I should have rdlected, that they had the bOTI eppOTtunlty of Idiowk^ the eharacter of their 6Wii tnx^ and inight have anttcipated their ^ame- fnl cfmductf but Uim I ttink, I have reason to o,..^ -vi The sext aoeusatiAa is cne, that caa only have been set down to switi the list c^ offieinces imputed to me; for it is without any manner of foundatikm. It eharges me witii unofBceMike eonduet^ in having det»BhedcdloiM Miller on the eighth of August, and not having iuppHed him with provisions^ whm he was uo^ Browastowtt* WtHm Bir, I feel myse'f bound to aclnowl^agfe ih# liberality with which I have been treated hy ^b^ Jd^ Advocate, tit the course of this trial, and the delicacy with which he has in general teflrained fren repeating the odious epithets, which are so prafiucly GENERAL HULL. ISO and w/tkanAj UMd in the tpedlleatioiis, I cannot bat regret, that he has, in respect to thiicliarge, departed from his general observance ; and that be should, upon Bach evidence as was before him, have thought him- self Juslifiabie in impntiog to my misconduct, on this occasion, an useless waste of Anuneon hUod, Sir, the American blood fliat uras spilled in the contest at Brownstoivn was glOfkfMty' shod. U purchased a victory- that did honour to Our ums. True, it was ineffiectually sheA— but to lay the feikire of the enter> prise to me, and to reproach me with this waste of blood, is as ai\iast as it is inbonan. I do not midferstand, l^t I am suiHpoBed to hare done wrong in sentKng ^ detachment; or in not making it of gteater force. "By the testiniMij of ccAonel BIfliM it appears, that he iharched with s^ hmidred men, instead of ive hundred, as is mentioned ita the specification. But the misconduct imputed to me is, «w I understand^ solely, that I omitted to sup> ply toloart Milter wtHi uroviirfons after Ae battie at Browastown. With respect to the want of proviskNn, It appears, that the detaohlH«nt was amply provided When it left Detrdt. The maith tiiey vrere to per* ftMn, was iibont thirty miles; and eolonel Millar states, flj^ they were furnished with a supply for two days wh(^ th^ set dnt But he says, fiiat tiie pro* visions were^rolm away with the men's knapsacto Tfhen they Were attacked, and though he represent the enemy td hUve beeii entirely beaten, and so fiir driven from off %is toot, tiiat captito Maxwell went ''tA 140 DEFENCE OF S^' B'l from him to Browiutown and back, and M^Mrted* that the enemy were all gone; and though colonel Miller states, that he returned to the battle ground with hb whole force, and was, in fact, undisturbed on that ground nearly two days, jwthe says in his cross- examination, that the provisions were not recovered, because he could not suffer his men to separate to take them up. I cannot conceive what necessity ttiere could have been for his men's separating. It appears to me, that he would only have had to march bis whole detachment over the ground where tiie at- tack was made, and the provisions might have been recovered with as much security to the detachment, as when they were remaining inactive in- the position to which they had retrograded. C.harrels of flour, one barrel of pork, and half a baml of whiskey j*^ colonel Miller, which colonr amination says, he suggesteo GENERAL HULL. 141 that the place where the battle was fought wa» about fourteen miles from Detroit, and sixteen to the river Raisin, between M(\guago and Brownstown ; it bdng late in the day before the wounded men coidd be got on board the boats, he knew that he could not get through before the next night, (that is the eleventh) moving as cautiously as they ought to do ; — ^that the men still compiaining of hunger, he concluded that he could send to Detroit that evening, (that is the tenth) and have provisions the next morning; — ^that he accordingly sent an express to me on the evening of Uie tenth, requesting that I would send him two day's provisions;— that no messenger from me came to him till sun down the next day, (that is the eleventh) that the messenger informed him, he had been detained by losing his way;— -that tUs messenger brought him an order from me to return to Detroit, and informed him that he would find provisions at the river4L' n N 144 • DEFENCE OV " Oa the i|ay we CMMued from Canada," say* eolo- nel Mae Arthur, (that U the eighth of August,) «* Colo- ^ nel Miller was sent with a detachment for the pur- ** pose, as waa stated, of opening a communication ** with the river Raisin. The night succeeding colo- ** nel Miller^s battle at Maguago, (pertu^ps the ninth,) **- the General sent for me— the night was wet; he in- " formed me of the battle, and directed me to take one ** hundred of my regiment, to take the boats al<»ig " the river, and to descend to c<4onel Miller^s en- "'Campment, for the purpose of brinf^g up the wound- ** ed men. He directed me to get one day*s provision *' foi cdk>nel Miller's detachment. I called at the ** commissary's and was detained three or four hours in getting it— I got what I could.'* «t It has been my misfortunlipt Sir, that I have not been able to obtain the testimony .of Mr. Beard, the commissary. He has be^ regidariy summoned by the Judge Advocate, at my lyquest; and I have se- veral times written to him» but he has not made his appearance. The Judge Advocate, however, with hu woht«ld candour, has admitted a document which in somemeasure supplies his testimony. It is an order which I issued to the contractor on the ninth oS Au- gust, fw delivering rations to colonel Mae Arthur for > *'nel Miller. " By order of brigadier general Hull, " H. H. Hickman, Ati|pMt9th,lSU. " Captain, Infimtry." " (cOaRECT COPY.) "D. Beard.'* Now, Sir, it appears that general Mac Arthur knew, that one purpose of sending him to colonel Miller's detachment was to cany provisions. He says, I di- rected jiim to take one day*s provisions for colonel Miller's men; that he was detained by the contractor three or four hours, and took what he could get. ^ And it appears that he arrived at colonel Miller's encamp- ment with only two barrels of flour, one barrel of poik, and half a barrel of whiskey. When I had given the order to colonel Mac Arthur, to take the provisions; when I had issued the order to the proper o$cer to issue them to him, had I not done every thing diat was incumbent on me, as commanding officer?. Was it my duly to go to the commissary's store, and to superintend the issues? If colonel Mac Arthur found the commissaiy disobedient to my order, and unduly detaining him, why did he not report to me ? How will colonel Mac Arthur excuse his having departed on this service, without having with him the quantity c^ provisions I had ordered ? Is it sufficient forJiimtosayt that he took what he could g^t? If 14 »^!».^'^(r?V'^~-» p-^ •-^^^ i; •/ 146 DiSPlSMOE OF there wai any defleiencj he ought to have informed me of it; he eooM have had communication with me in five minutei. If want of provisions was the rea* son why the AnMrican blood that was spilled at the battle of ^ Brownstown was ahed in vain, I again ask, was it not mostoi^ust to charge that waste to me ? ¥■'■■' On the tenth of August, I issued another order for provisions for colonel Miller's detachment Thirhas also been read,, and is in the fc^owing words : ** Detroit, August loth, 1812. '*The extractor wiU issue, for colonel Miller*s de- <* tacbment, two thousand complete rations. « A. P. Hull, These provisions were sent by the contractor to colonel Miller's detachment Colonel Miller met them on his return, and brought them back with him. An accusation of the same juiture with that which I last considered, is, that I also oinitted to supply with psovisions the detachment whiclhleft iletioit on the fourteenth of August, under colonels ||ae Arthur and Cass. General Mac Arthujr's testimony On this sub- ject is as follows : That on the fourteenth of Au- gust, atkwt noon, as. he thought, I sent for him, and informed him, that I had just received intelligence from captain Brush, that he had arrived at the river Raisin with provisions, and aaid, I wished to send out a detachment to meet him* That he replied, he ■'^»*^6^» ^ rVX; OfiNERAU HULL. 141 ■^■ WM TMuly to obey my order. OoliDel Cass jiAid the same thtiig.* That they (th# #lllien and eoloBel Cass) then retnfned to camp, and ahortly after receir- ed an ovdet to detach one bundled and ftfly men from each of their cqiiments. That in tiie evenhig I eamo along, and airicedir they were realty to marcfar. The witness answered, that they were not, but aa usua} had not a bite* of any thing to eat ' That I said the de- tachment must not be delayed, and. I would send provisions after them. The witness (hen give* an account of the proceedings of the detachment till lU return to DetM>it,and states, that they never received any provisions firom the fort. I canltot but think, that thb account of geneial Mae Arthur's conduct, thou^ given by himself, will excite the sui^prise of the Court. He was ordered to march a detachment at about twelve o*clook. He does not move till evening, and I thte find that he has not obeyed the order. He gives me to undcntand tbtkt he has been waiting for provlsioosi irihel^was noerderfiori[»rovisiQna»wby did he not apply to me on thesnl^eet? But theiewae one, and I think genend Blae Arthur^s testimony ■hews it '4'-' I :M When he sees me, he does not Complain ol the want of an order, but %t he cannot get the provi- sions. If there was a^^iderj^iid the proper oiBcer did not obey it, why wariet the disobedience report-' 148 DEFKVCE or rf » ed.to nip ? Iwteitt of pOnuliig id obrkm a eowie, cokMMl, Mte Artlnir c6om nther to reiMin in hit ounp ftve or six hours, and if I had not aceldOntaHy met with hini, Imw much longer he w oald Iwve eon- •Idered hb delay warranted by the tame came, it is impoiilble to say. It does appear to me» that thto •onduet of»general Mae Arthur is veiy unacconnta- bte. Peihaps he had no inettnati