_Anticipating the formal declaration of war President Madison of the
United States during the winter of 1811-12 commissioned Gov. Wm. Hull of
the Territory of Michigan as a Brigadier General to command the Ohio and
Michigan troops at Detroit, with the understanding that immediately upon
the announcement of war he was to invade all that part of Canada
contiguous to Detroit. On June 24th, 1812, Gen. Hull with several
thousand troops had arrived at Fort Findlay. Here he received despatches
from Washington to hasten his forces to Detroit and there await further
orders. When the troops arrived at the navigable waters on the Maumee
(or Miami) Hull determined to relieve his tired men of as much baggage
as possible by dispatching it by water. Accordingly a considerable
portion of the stores and intrenching tools, Hull's and his staff's
personal baggage, and the trunk containing Hull's instructions and the
muster rolls of the army together with other valuable papers--also three
officers' wives, Lt. Goodwin, Lieut. Dent with thirty soldiers were
transferred to the Cuyahoga packet and an auxiliary schooner. Both
reached Maumee Bay where Toledo now stands on the evening of July 1st.
On the morning of the 2nd of July the Cuyahoga and the schooner entered
the Detroit River and while sailing past Fort Malden (Amherstburg) the
British armed vessel Hunter went alongside of the Cuyahoga, and vessel
and cargo became a prize, while the crew, troops and passengers were
declared prisoners of war. Lossing says that the auxiliary schooner
bearing the invalids, being behind the Cuyahoga, escaped and reached
Detroit next day. The author of the journal says that this auxiliary
vessel which contained only the stores was also captured later in the
day and brought in under the guns of Fort Malden. Col. St. George, the
commander at Fort Malden, had received the news of the declaration of
war on the 30th of June, while Gen. Hull only received it on the 2nd of
July when he immediately despatched an officer to the mouth of the
Raisen to intercept the two vessels, but he arrived too late. In the
capture of these two vessels valuable stores and yet more valuable
information fell into the hands of the British. The journal of the
Surgeon's Mate begins July 1st and some of the events that lead to the
final surrender of Detroit and the forces under Gen. Hull's command are
recorded in the journal from such observations as were possible to a
prisoner on a vessel, and from stray information. The journey from
Malden to Quebec is recounted and the subsequent imprisonment there on a
ship in the harbor until he with others were sent to Boston for
exchange._