o Upper Canada Mr. Foster sent
no notice whatever of the war, and Major-General Brock was left to learn
it officially through the circuitous and dilatory channel of the
governor-general. Happily, individual diligence made up for this
unpardonable neglect; and the war was known by private expresses at
Montreal, in Lower, and at Fort George, in Upper Canada, on the 24th of
June, or in six days after its declaration at Washington.

At this period the exigencies of the Peninsular war, which depended
chiefly upon English arms and English money, required the almost
undivided attention and energies of the British ministry, who are thus
entitled to some excuse for their neglect of North American affairs; but
they will still remain amenable to the charge of having been guilty of
the folly of too much despising the new enemy arrayed against them at
that most busy and critical moment. The want of a sufficient force for
the protection of the Canadas[54] might have proved fatal, at least to
the Upper Province, had not Major-General Brock, from the first moment
of being placed at the head of his government, been convinced that war
was inevitable; and that in consequence every exertion should be used to
place the province in as respectable a state of defence as his very
limited means would admit. The instant the navigation opened in the
spring, a supply of ordnance and other stores was hurried up to fort St.
Joseph; and its commandant, Captain Roberts, was instructed to be
constantly on his guard. Similar precautions were adopted relative to
Amherstburg, to which post Major-General Brock paid a visit early in
June, and fortunately took with him a reinforcement of 100 men of the
41st regiment. But in the execution of his plans he had to encounter
many obstacles, among which the subordinate nature of his command was
not the least formidable. Even as late as the 27th May, Sir George
Prevost does not seem to have considered hostilities so near, as on that
day he recommended to Major-General Brock the most rigid economy in
carrying on the public service, and in avoiding all expense that was not
absolutely necessary, on the plea of the great difficulty of raising
money. Sir George has, however, been wrongly accused of not sending any
instructions whatever to Major-General Brock for some weeks after he
received intimation of the war, as he did so from Montreal on the 7th
and 10th of July, or in less than a fortnight afterwards; but, either
f