river with his little army, unopposed, at the Spring Wells, three miles
below Detroit, the landing being effected under cover of the guns of
the _Queen Charlotte_ and _Hunter_. General Brocke formed his troops
upon the beach, into four deep, and flanked by the Indians, advanced
for about a mile, when he formed this miniature army into line, with
its right resting on the river Detroit, and the left supported by the
Indians. He then made preparations for assault, and was about to
attack, when to the surprise as much, it is said, of the American as of
the British regiments, a flag of truce was displayed upon the walls of
the fort, and a messenger was seen approaching. It was an intimation
that General Hull would capitulate. Lieutenant-Colonel McDonnell and
Major Glegg were accordingly sent over to the American General's tent
where, in a few minutes, the terms of capitulation were signed, sealed,
and delivered in duplicate, one copy for the information of His
Britannic Majesty, and the other for that of Mr. President Madison, the
chief of the authors of the war. To Mr. Madison, the information that
General Hull had capitulated to the Governor of Upper Canada, with two
thousand five hundred men, and thirty-three pieces of cannon, and that,
in consequence, the whole territory of Michigan had been ceded to Great
Britain, could only have been as disagreeable as it was animating to
the people of Canada. So entirely indeed were the Americans unprepared
for a blow of such extraordinary severity, that no one could be brought
to believe in it. It seemed an impossible circumstance. It was felt to
be a delusion. It seemed as if some one had practised a terrible hoax
upon the nation. Until officially made known to the sovereign people,
the disaster was looked upon as a lying rumour of the enemy. Another
Henry had been at work, tampering with the New England States, or the
federalist minority had set it afloat. True it could not be. It was
indeed something to excite surprise. The trophy of a British force,
consisting of no more than seven hundred men, including militia, and
six hundred Indians was the cession of a territory and the surrender of
a General-in-Chief, a strong fort, the armed brig _John Adams_, and the
two thousand five hundred men, who were designed not to defend their
country only, but to wrest Upper Canada from the Crown of Great
Britain. To General Hull's fears of the savage ferocity of the Indians,
this bloodless victor