The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-10-16


in the month of December 1887, and January, 1888,
to the number Of between and three thousand TO
repel pected invasion from rebels and American
brgands assembled on Navy Island and on the Anne
rican shore Schlosser. the officer in actu-
al command of the forces then and there assembled.
SIR +. b. Head was at Chippewa more than once dur
ng the months named. The force assembled there
| by his directions i assumed the command by his
der, directed to Colonel of the third regiment OF
Gore militia The Governor General of the two Pro-
vinces was not at Chippewa at the time mentioned.
l entrusted the command of the expedition for the
purposes aforesaid to Captain A. Drew, Royal Navy.
Seven boats We're equipped and left the Canada shore
do not recOllect the number of men in each boat.
Capt Drew held the rank of commander in her Ma
Jestys royal navy oTdered the expedition and first
communicated 1t TO Captain Andrew Drew, on the
beach where he embarked, a short time previous
| To their embarkation. They embarked at the mouth
| OF the Chippewa river. | was there when they en-
baIked, and when the boats showed off. | had been
there about quarter of hour. | noticed most OF
the persons going into the boats. stood within ten
or twelve feet OF most of the boats the men went
board and while they preparing, was walking
about among them, which afforded me the means OF
knowing who embarked. know Alexander Mcleod,
| late deputy sheriff Of the Niagara district. Have
known him for about five six years. My acquaint-
once with him was OF professional nature. The
nature of my intercourse with him professional.
think saw and spoke to Alexander Mcleod two or
three times while was in command Of the forces al
Chippewa do not recollect when il was saw him
or the nature of his business. think saw him on
the day previous to the destruction Of the Caroline
and in what place and what business do not re-
collect did not see him when the boats showed off
to destroy the Caroline He was not in my presence
that evening. think the boats returned about two
hours after they left the Canada shore do not re-
collect the hour The boats seemed to 90 on in the
direction of Navy Island when they left. l was on
the shore when the boats returned and was near some
of the boats when the men landed. saw the faces
of several of the men who landed perhaps half of the
uhnIa "A, ii M,T do not
know where he He not in my presence.
saw the Caroline fire, going down the river, after
the boats had left the Canada shore. heard two or
three shots in the direction of Schlosser. l think
made a return to the Lieutenant Governor of Upper
Canada of the officers and men who destroyed the
! Caroline. l am sure the name of Alexander Mcleod
was not among them, because he was not one OF the
party. Therefore his could not have been In
| any return made by me- l was not in command when
the forces took possession of Navy Island. Captain
Drew is now at w Woodstock in the Brock district of
this province.
Cross-eramination- have resided in the Gore Dis
riot for about IL years. Am native OF Canada, and
have always resided there, | was commanding officer
of the whole force of Chippewa, naval and military
Was not attached to any vessel. lsaw Alex. Mcleod
during the week preceding the destruction OF the
| Caroline. do not recollect the particular day, the
hour of the day, or the p ace at Chippewa, but think
it the day before the destruction. have no recol-
| lection of conversing with him, of hearing him con-
verse or of speaking him the destruction Of the
| Caroline. do recollect, at any time, McLeod's
informing me that he had been at Buffalo and the
| Caroline that she was repairing to come to Navy
Island; nor did he describe to her size, her equip
mens character; do | recollect his telling me
anything about her But do recollect that the nor-
nation which induced me to order the destruction Of
the Caroline was not received from Alex. Mcleod.
did not at any time, before after the destruction Of
the Caroline, during the day or night,go with Mcleod
in large boat a small boat, round Navy Island
After heard that she was coming down to assist the
rebels and after the officers appointed by me to watch
| her movements, had reported to me- | made up my
mind to have her destroyed. This was on the day Of
her destruction. did not communicate my intention
to Mcleod in his presence, nor do think that he
could have known hing about it. did not the
boat at Schosser 1t may have been reported to me
that she had returned to the American shore, but
| have recollection of that circumstance. Mcleod
| d d not inform me- | commenced preparing for
the attack Immediately after the report was made to
me Of her having landed the men and cannon at Navy
Island. This the day of her destruction. ]
was on the shore when the boats returned and went
from thence TO my own quarters. do not recollect
being at Daviss the day. after the burning of
the Caroline, did see have any conversation
with, Alex. Mcleod on the day or any other day,
after the burning the Caroline the subject Of the
destruction of that boat | not present at the
burning of the Caroline at Schlosser. ordered the
expedition for that purpose was present at the en-
barkation Of the expedition from Chippewa, and saw
it embark. There the Shore at or near where
the embaIkation took place, about TO to 100 men.
| think knew them all. The boats used COM
monty named ships cutters, as understand. think
there were seven Gig hit men in each boat. The
boats were nearly of the same size and description
They were seven in NUMBER but as l had not the
personal direction of the boats, cannot speak posi-
lively. think knew all who embarked on the ex-
pedilion. saw the faces of most them, aud recog
| niZed those | have no knowledge that there
was any person Of the name of Mcleod in the expe
dltion If there had been person of that name
think should have known it.
There no wharf or pier where the expedition
| embarked. The boats in which the expe luton EN-
barked all lay at The landing place, each
other, and started about the same time. The boats
did not all return at the same time. Five arrived
about the same time-two at different time, but dc
not recollect whether before after the others. They
dsembarked nearly at the same place they startec
from. cannot say | saw and recognized all the per
sons that embarked. do not think that any OF then
belonged to the royal army. Some of them belonged
10 tie royal navy. Others were militia men. ht
force under my command volunteered their service,
on being called on by the Lieut. Gov. of the Province
from which force the petition composed of mer
selected by Capt. Andrew Drew under my orders.
thnk the men composing the ex petition marched u
the boats down the the place of enbarkatio
The expedition was under the immediate orders o
Capt. Drew, who superintendent the embark atom
As before stated they to that point in body
and on their return marched to their quarters in bo
dy, without any particular military display. They
were not at that time provided with uniform: The
party armed with pistols and cutlasses. TIL,
pistols belonged to provincial Dragons then
service under my command. l think the cutlasse
| were procured from the Queens stores. After tn,
expedition the men composing it continued duty
until the forces under my command disbanded
ab"ut the end of January the beginning of Febru
any, 10 the best Of my recollection. II about mid
night when the force dsembarked. 1t was not moon
light night. think it cloudy. do not recollec
} whether the moon was up or not. The force, afte
their return, went to their respective quarters. Do
know whether they were together at sunrise not
They were quartered in different houses in and abou
Chippewa have seen the men engaged in the ex
petition since, (on parade some of them armed an,
equipped as militia men, cannot give their names
;. the period when them. Some of them wer
subsequently ordered board of schooners lying il
the river cannot say that have seen the same bo
dy ofmen together, armed and equipped as they wer
! on that expedition. The expedition embarked abou
10 O'clock P. NJ. There were some of the assain,
party wounded in the attack-Lieut Mccormick Sc