y must, to some extent, however trifling, be
attributed. General Hull was evidently superstitiously afraid of an
Indian. While asking the inhabitants of Upper Canada to come to him for
protection, he could not help entreating, as it were, protection for
himself against the Indians. If you will not accept my offer, the
General seemed to say, either remain at home or cross bayonets with
American soldiers, but turn into the field one of the scalping savages
of your forests, and we shall kill, burn and destroy, everything that
comes before us. With his regular troops, the unfortunate man was sent
a prisoner to Montreal. He was led into that city, at the head of his
officers and men, and was at once an object of pity and derision. But
the Commander-in-Chief received his prisoner with the courtesy of a
gentleman, and with every honor due to his rank. Nay, he even suffered
him to return to the United States on parole, without solicitation.

In his official despatch, to the American government, Hull took pains
to free his conduct from censure. His reasons for surrender, were the
want of provisions to maintain the siege, the expected reinforcements
of the enemy, and "the savage ferocity of the Indians," should he
ultimately be compelled to capitulate. But the federal government so
far from being satisfied with these excuses, ordered a Court Martial to
assemble, before which General Hull was tried, on the charges of
treason, cowardice, and unofficerlike conduct. On the last charge only
was he found guilty and sentenced to death. The Court, nevertheless,
strongly recommended him to mercy. He was an old man, and one who, in
other times, had done the State some service. He had served honorably
during the revolutionary war. The sentence of death was accordingly
remitted by the President, but his name was struck off the army list,
and this republican hero, who had forgotten the art of war, went in his
old age, broken-hearted and disgraced, to a living grave, with a worm
in his vitals, gnawing and torturing him, more terribly than thousands
of Indians, practising the most unheard of cruelties could have done,
until death, so long denied, came to him, naturally, as a relief.

The circumstance is not a little curious that only three days after
General Hull had surrendered to Governor Brocke, Captain Dacres,
commanding H.M.S. _Guerriere_, had surrendered to Captain Isaac Hull,
after a most severe action with the American frigate _Constitu