Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1812-09-21


, look OF cowardicc approached the eye
Every man expected a proud day for his
and each was anxious that mis- III
dividual exertion should contribute to the |
general result.
When the head Of their column arrived
within about 500 yards OF our line, orders
were received from General Hull for the
whole to retreat TO the Fort, and Tor the 24-
Founders not to open on the enemy. One
univ ersal burst of Indignation was apparent
upon the receipt of this order. Those,
whose conviction was the deliberate result OF
II dlspassionate examina ion of passing e.
vents, saw the folly cIimpropriety Ofcrowding
100 men into little work, which 500 could
fully man, and into which the shot and
shells ct the enemy were falling The
Fort was in this manner flied the men were
directed to stack their arms, aid scarcely
was an opportunity afforded Of moving
| Shortly after white flag was hung out up.
| on the walls. A British officer rode up to
enquire the cause. A communication pass
| ed between the commanding generals, which
| ended in the capitulation Submitted 10 YOU.
lii entering into this capitalization, the general
| took counsel from his own feelings only
Not one officer was consulted. Not one am
ticipated a surrender, till he saw the white
flag displayed. Even the women were in
dignant at 50 shameful a degradation OF the
American character, and all felt as they
should have felt, but he who held IN his hand,
the rclns of authority.
Our morning report had that morning
made our effective men present tit for duty
1860 without including the detachment be-
fore alluded to, and without Including 800
| OF the Michigan militia on duty. About
dark on Saturday evening the detachment
sent TO escort the provisions received order.
from gen. Hull TO return with as much cx
petition as possible. About ter o'clock the
next day they arrived within sight of De-
! troit. Had firing been heard, or any re-
Sistance visible, they would have Immediate
ly advanced and attacked the rear of the en-
| envy. The situation, in which this detacb
ment was placed, although the result of ac
cldent, was The best for ANNOYING the enemy
and cutting off his retreat that could have
been selected. With his raw troops enclos-
ed between two fires and no hopes of sue
cour, 1t is hazarding little to say, that very
few would nave escaped.
have been informed by col. Findlay, who
saw the return OF their quarter master ge-
neral the DAY after the surrender, that their
whole force of every description, white. red
and black, was 1880. They had twenty-ninc
platoons, twelve in a platoon, of men dress
| ed IN uniform. Many of these were evident
ly Canadian militia. The rest of their mill
ID increased their white force to about Sc
ven hundred men. The number of their In
| dams could not be aSCertained with any de-
gree or precision; not many were visible.
And IL the event of an attack upon the town
and iort, 1t was species of force winch
could have afforded no material ADVANTAGE
to the enemy.
In endeavorng TO appreciate the motive,
and TO investigate the causes, which led Ia
| an event so unexpected and dishunorable il
is impossible to find any solution in the reia-
tive strength o. The contcnding parties, or in
the measures of resistance in our power
That we were far superior to the enemy:
that upon any ordinary principles of calcu-
laton we would have defeated them, the
wounded and indignant feelings Of every man
there will testify.
y few days before the surrender. | wa,
informed by general Hull, we had 400 rounds
CT "a pound shot fixed and about Ice. 0O0
Cartridges made. We surrendered with the
tort 40 barrels of powder and $500 stand of
arms.
The state of our provisions has not been
generally understood. On the day of the
surrender we had fifteen DAYS of urovisi-
IN of every kind OIL hand. OF meat
there was plenty in the country, and ar
rangements had been made for purchasing
and grinding the -four. 1t was calculated
we could readily procure three months pro-
visions, independent Of Isl barrels -four 3OO
head of cattle which had been forw arded
from the STAKE Of OHIO, and which remained
* the river RaiSin under captain Brush,
within reach Of the army.
But had we been totally destitute of pro-
visions, our duty and our interest undoubt-
eddy was to fight. The enemy invited us TO
meet him in tie field.
By defeating him the whole Country would
have been open to us, and the object of our
expedition gloriousy and successfully OBJ
taioed. If we had been defeated we had no.
thing TO do but to retreat To- the fort. and
make the best defence which circumstances
and our situation rendered practicable. But
baSely to surrender without firing gun
tameiy to submit without raising baycnet
-disgraceiully TO pass in review before an
enemy as inferior in the quality as in the
number of his forces, were circumstances,
which excited feelings of Indignation more
easily felt than described. TO see the whole
of our men flushed with the hone of victory,
eagerly awaiting the approaching contest, to
see them afterwards dispirited. hopeless and
Responding, at least 500 shedding tears be-
Cause they were not allowed to meet their
country's foe, and to fight their country's
battles, excited sensations, which no Ameri-
can has ever before had cause to feel, and
which, trust in God, will never again be
felt, while one man remains to defend the
standard Of the Union.
am expressly authorised to state, that
Col. M'Arthur and Col. Findlay and Lieut..
Col. Miller viewed this transaction in the
light which / do They know and feel, that
no circumstance in our situation, none in
that of the enemy, can excuse a capitutqti-
n IN On nIcupuCVnh ia and ttntugttEokIo