Page:Cambridge Modern History Volume 7.djvu/369

IBIS] Hull invades Canada. 337 his militia embodied, on the score of expense ; the Governor of Vermont in 1814, at a critical moment, followed the example of the Governor of Connecticut. There was a general want of arms, equipment, ammunition, and transport. Yet it must not be supposed that the difficulties were all on one side. Canada, with a population which at this date did not exceed 300,000, was everywhere open to attack ; and her immense land- frontier of 1000 miles was defended by only 7000 regular troops, including invalids. There was also a certain amount of disaffection to the British cause, which showed itself near Montreal, in June, 1812, in armed resistance to the attempt to draft men for the militia under the Militia Act; and, though this resistance was easily overcome, 367 Canadians joined General Hull in his invasion of Ontario, while, late in 1814. eight Canadians were executed at Burlington for high treason. One important auxiliary the British had on their side. Under the leadership of that romantic figure, the Shawnee chief Tecumthe, the Indians of the North- West had in 1811 attacked the Americans ; and, when England became involved in hostilities with the United States, their aid was offered to her and was not declined. On land the war centred mainly about the two extremities of Lake Erie, command of which by a naval force was the deciding factor of success. At the outset the British had the superior flotilla on lake waters. The American plan was to invade Upper Canada, as the province of Ontario was then called, from each end of Lake Erie, by crossing the Niagara and the Detroit, on which latter river the strongest British post was Maiden, near Amherstburg. The first move was made by the American general Hull, who, after a tedious and difficult march through the wild forests of Ohio, crossed the Detroit in July, 1812, with 1850 men, and menaced Maiden. His troops, however, were ill-equipped and undisciplined; he himself was old, timid and unenterprising, except in his proclamations, which threatened the Canadians with a war of extermination if they dared to employ Indians ; and, when at the end of July news reached him that the post of Mackinaw, at the head of Lake Huron, had been captured by the British and Indians, he became anxious about the north-west and his communications, which were now exposed to Indian attack, and hurriedly retired to Detroit. Already the British were moving against him. On August 12 Major-General Brock met the Indian chief Tecumthe at Amherstburg and concerted with him measures against the enemy. Over that meeting floats a halo of romance, and in Canada it is still celebrated in song to this day. Both leaders were of singular capacity and daring ; both were doomed to heroic and premature death in battle. The Indians having cut Hull's communications, Brock boldly moved against him, and with 750 white troops and 600 Indians actually prepared to assault his defences. HulFs position, separated as he was from his supports, was dangerous ; and, seeing only the gloomy side, he 0. M. H. VII. CH. X. 22