Historical Note
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.