rvants continued with their old
Masters down to the time of the adoption of the State Constitution"
(in 1835) _ibid._, p. 338, note.

Before Detroit and its adjoining territory were given up by the
British to the Americans under Jay's Treaty, August, 1796, there were
many instances of slaves escaping from the United States territory to
British territory in that neighborhood and vice versa. One instance of
escape from British territory will suffice.

Colonel Alexander McKee, a well-known and very prominent Loyalist of
Detroit, lost a mulatto slave in 1795 and his friend and colleague
Captain Matthew Elliott sent a man David Tait to look for him in what
is now Indiana. Tait's success or want of success is shown by his
affidavit before George Sharp a justice of the peace for the Western
District of Upper Canada residing in Detroit. The whole deposition
will be given as it illustrates the terms on which the two peoples
were living at the time in that country, and shows that even then the
charges were made which were afterwards made one of the pretexts for
the War of 1812. It is given in the _Mich. Hist. Coll._, Vol. XII, pp.
164, 165.

"DEPOSITION

"I being sent by Captain Elliott in search of a Molato man name
Bill the property of Colonel McKee, which was thought to be at
Fort Wayne, But on my Arrival at the Glaize was inform'd by the
officer there that he was gone, they said he had gained his
liberty, by getting into their lines he being stole from their
Country.

"They abused the Gentlemen in this place very & Told me that
Governor Sancom (Simcoe) Colonel England and Captain Elliott
caused bills in print to be dropped near their fort, Encouraging
their Soldiers to desert.

"They called Coll McKee & Capt Elliott dam'd rasculs and said
that they gave the Indians Rum to make them Drunk to prevent them
from going to Counsil & That Capt Brent they said was a Dam'd
rascul and had done everything in his power against them. But
they said in Course of Nine Months that they Expected to be in
full possession of Detroit and all the Country between their & it
& I begged liberty to withdraw when Major Hunt told me to make
the best of my way from Whence I came, while I was getting ready
to return the Serjeant of their Guard came & Told me it was the
Majors orders that I should leave the place immediat