Elsie's Journey on Inland Waters

to the Fair; but the sun had not yet set when again they all gathered upon the

be so young!" remarked Mr. Din

I can't say that the events here, or anywhere else, for that matter, of the war of 1812-14 have increased my love for the British. Thin

God and Nature. 'God and Nature!' repeated the Earl of Chatham in scornful tones. 'Those abominable principles and this most abominable avowal of them demand most decisive indignation. I call upon that right reverend bench (pointing to the bishops), those holy ministers of the Gospel and pious pastors of the Church-I conjure them to join in the holy work, and to vindicate the

"But did any of the British people disapprove of the

rical mention of the fact," replied Mr. Dinsmore, "except among those wh

tawatomies fired upon the whites are quite

the entire theatre of the events of that dreadful d

had not been so obstinately determined to do as he thought best, regardless of the opin

ary of War. Hancks, who was in command, did not know, had not heard of the declaration of war, though he might have been informed of it nearly a week earlier than the news reached the British commander of Fort

!" pleaded little Elsie, and drawing her t

uered us.' Perhaps you may remember what I told you some weeks ago about the attack of the Indians upon the people in the fort. The Indians were playing ball outside the walls of the fortress, and, pretending to be very friendly, invited the garrison

rt, armed with hatchets which their squaws had concealed under their blank

the western military posts being surrendered to the Americans by the British, and in 1812 the fortress, then called Fort Holmes, was garrisoned by fifty-seven men under the command of Lieutenant Hancks of th

er," remarked Grace, "but must be dr

in those days, surrounded by hordes of savages ever ready to raise

ews should have reached them. There had been rumors of expected hostilities brought by traders, but the first intimation that there had been an actual declaration of war was given by the arrival of the

he brig Caledonia, which belonged to the Northwest

Hancks he had reliable information that the Indians were assembling

a conference on the matter, at which it was decided to send a messenger to St. Joseph to l

n, and he set off upon his errand

ust getting dark, too?" asked Elsie.

eplied the captain. "But he had gone only fifteen miles when he met the

kill him and s

ction of a British guard for themselves and their property, and not give Lieutenant Hancks any information of the approach of the enemy. Also he was to warn

anybody warn the poo

savages. But it was too late; the enemy had already landed and taken one of their two heavy guns to the top of the hill at the back of the fort, placing it so as

n with his officers and the American gentlemen in the fort, and all agreeing in the opinion that it would be impossible to defend it against such o

hose of Great Britain substituted in their stead. The prisoners were all paroled, a

American would want to stay here

would not take the oath of allegiance to the British gover

he Indians kill anybod

odthirsty savages, for one of the British, who had command of 280 of the Indians, said in a letter to Colonel Claus at Fort George, 'It was a fortu

great loss to our country, was

ity to the people of Detroit and other Western pioneers. It gave the enemy command of the upper lakes

unpardonable negligence of the Secretary of War!" she exclai

d Detroit too fell into the hands of the British; for

furnished with arms and other necessaries; and in the meantime the British made their preparations for further attacks upon us. They got valuable stores at Mackinaw, to

ian militia, and seamen. They took with them twenty-four bateaux loaded with ordnance, and found on the island a large body of Indians waiting to join them as allies. That was in April, 1814, and about the same time Commander Arthur St. Clair with a little squadron consisting of

r. "What splendid work he did there, t

ckinaw on the 26th of July. They soon learned that the enemy was very strong in position and numbers, and it was a question between St. Clair and Croghan whether it w

gust, landing without much molestation, but was presently met by the garrison, who were strongly supported by the Indians in the thickets; also a storm of shot and shell was poured upon them

naw. The two vessels cruised about for some time till the garrison was threatened with starvation or surrender in order to avert it; but early in September they were both captured by British and Indians sent out from the fort. They came in five bo

er of the expedition, said in his report of the affair that the defence of the vessel did credit to her officers, who were all severely wounded. They and the crew were all sent prisoners of war to Mackin

wo miles anchored for the night. At dawn the next morning the British ran the Tigress down alongside of her, the concealed soldi

lant over the capture, as I rem

neral Baynes actually reported in a general order that the vessels had crews of 300 ea

errupted by the not unwelcome