The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-08-03
From the Detroit Commercial Bulletin, July II.
en-. Cass-Surrender of Detroit

The House then adjourned
From the Detroit Commercial Bulletin July a.
Gen Cass-Surrender Of Detroit
We ask attention to the following letter of OF the
oldest settlers and pioneers of Michigan twill be found
to be very interesting as narrative OF historical acs
and conclusive refuallon OF the malignant ISLANDERS
made upon General Cass by the wing and Taylor presses
KALAMAZOO, July IT, 1913.
Editors of the Commercial Bulletin:
DEAR SIRs: The "Detroit Advertiser of the sh inst
was placed in my hands yesterday, with request that
would read the article under the caption "General Cass
at the surrender of Detroit" From that article quote
the folowng ndeed, there is not evidence that Col
Cass ever urged Hull to hazard an engagement with
Brock-none that previous to the surrender that he was
of opinion that he coud have beaten him. If there be
such evidencewe mean OF bona hde recommendation
challenge the friends of Gen. Cass to produce IL" Now
for the facts in reference 70 the above quotation On the
euenng Of the l4h Of august, 1872 Coils Macarthur and
Cass marched from Detroit with detachment of voun-
ees under the orders of Hull to open communication TO
the river Raisin, Col Macarthur in command OF the de-
tachment At that time il was not known that General
Brock was nearer Detroit than Fort George, on the
Niagara river About the middle OF the day OF the 18th,
boat with white flag from the British shore was OBJ
served making for the public wharf Captain Smelling,
who was on duty near by, requested me to walk with
him. did and when the boat reached the wharf,
two British officers noticed in it. They made them
selves known to Captain Smelling as the aids OF General
Brock and informed him they had letter from their
general to General Hull. They were conducted to the
house OF Colonel Hunt which was near by, and LETT in
ported their arrival to General Hull This the FIRST
inmation that Brock the opposite shore; and
the letter brought by Brooks aids to Hull was
demand for the surrender of the place little before
sundown-probably about three hours after the BRIT
ish officers return, fire commenced from the British
batteries on the town and fort, and kept up brisk
fire until 10 or II o'clock at night, when it ceased
until daylight next morning, U6th,) when 1t commenced
with renewed vizor, and continued until surrender OF
the place, about or 10 O'clock m. short time be-
fore the surrender Capt Burton, OF the 4th infantry was
ordered by Gen Hull 10 mount the ramparis and EXHIBIT
white flag, which is presumed was discovered BY the
enemy as the firing Immediately ceased. Gen. Brock,
with his force, crossed the river at Sprngwes, about
o'clock a. M, and Immediately formed and marched upl
the river tor Detroit until they reached the ravine, near
where Robert Abbott used to reside, and under OF
that bank they renamed until the white flag was hoist
ed and in a few moments after, Brooks aid Capt.
conducted to the General, to know what the flag meant
surrender followed shortly after General Cass had no
part or lot in this matter nor 40 believe any 9eer IN
or advised surrender; and it sudden and
unexpected. that the first lntmaon had OF i was the
head of the British column marching up the lane that
led from the late Colonel Hunts residence 10 the
fort The first ntimaton Colonel Cass had Of General
B. with his force) being, on the Detroit river was
made known to him by letter from Gen Hull to Col.
Macarthur, which received by Macarthur on the
evening of the 18th, about 20 miles from Detroit, in the
swamp and thick woods not far from where Ypsant
now stands Those who know the situation of the
country at that dayan almost trackless wilderness, in
erspersed with marshes and small streams difficult TO
pass-can readily Judge OF the delays that would nev
aby occur in moving body OF men over country thus
situated They, however commenced a return forced
march at daylight on the morning OF the 10TH and be-
tween and 10 o'clock, M, reached the river Rouge,
having marched ii miles, near where the late Col Ten
Eyck resided here they halted to breakfast, and it was
here, shortly after they left this place. that they heard
the cannonadng at Detroit, which must have been not
hour before the surrender OF that place, they were
not three miles IN advance OF the ground where they
halted for breakfast, when they informed by
one OF their spies, who had seen Frenchman from
Detroit, that the place had surrendered and was then
in the hands OF the enemy; and shortly AFTER flag
reached them from Brock and Hull corroborang this in
formation The idea advanced by the editor Of the Adver
tise that foot soldiers could march miles two hours
and men, too, out with fatgues preposerous But
even if it could have been accomplished nothing would
have been gained by IT. as Detroit acdS an the hands Of the
enemy before they could haze reached SpringwHs: 1t
must be self evident TO any man that will not read with
jaundced eye, from the editor of the Advertisers own
statement that Col Cass had no hand in the surrender of
Detro and it is presumptuous for him to challenge the
friends of General Cass to produce evidence that he
(Cass) urged Hull to hazard an engagement with
Brock None preends 10 say that he did; for ii was
not suspected by single officer OF Gen Huls COM
mand, that Brock would be arayed against them But
have often heard and so have all the officers of that
my, Col Cass urge the General time and time again. to
move against Maiden; and it was during Of these
interviews that the General permitted him go and at
tack the enemy at the river Aux Canards, where rumor
stated that he held strong position; and but for
foreseen accident the British force at the bridge would
have been captured. Some prisoners, however, We're
taken, from whom important information received
Col Cass and all the officers in his command for
moving against Malden and nothing prevented the cap
ture of that place at that time but order from Gen
Hull for them return. After the surrender an officer
of the British troops d. McGrego) informed me that
if Col Cass had followed up the detachment he had
driven from the Canards he (Cass) desired he
would have found the fort Maiden deserted and on
the pages of the history of the late war with England
you would not find recorded of the surrender
Of Detroit, of the agca bloody scenes at Raisn the
investment OF Fort Melgs, the attack on Sandusky
Hundreds, may thousands OF lives would have been
spared well millions OF property saved Gen. Har-
rlson would not have had the glory of defending Fort
Megs Croghan the honor OF resisting rumphanty the
enemy Sandusky. The elements of would have been
transferred to the enemys country, and vast amount OF
blood and treasure would have been saved ours And
all this would have been achieved if the urgent entrea-
ties of Col Cass and his officers had been carried out las
they might have been) by Gen Hull | speak the words
of truth and sobemess What my eyes have SEEN and
ears heard, know be true and to do Justice to one
who think has been Improperly assaled [ knew Col
Cass Intimately when colonel of volunteers from the
time of his joining the army at Dayton. as volunteer up
to the day of the surrender at Detroit saw him con-
stany during the day from the time we marched Iulls
army from Dayton to Detrot-saw him after the army
arrived at Detroit-was IN boat to him when the
army invaded Canada-saw him leap from his boat the
first the Canada shore expected TO have seen
him pierced with balls, the enemy few minutes be-
fore had been considerable force near the place OF
Handing The colonel highly esteemed bv The Off
GERS of the army, and, although young soldier all con
coded he combined his person the elements 10 make an
accomplished commander.
will quote other passage from the editorial herein
referred TO- and then done with it as unworthy of
any further notice: Crooks boats almost unguarded
lined the shore Of the Detroit river within the immediate
reach of the detachment Why seize them and pass
immediately down the river to the mouth of the RasIn "
And now permit me to this question: first, be-
cause II was not IN the power OF the detachment TO reach