The Patriot War

Itwillbs remembereil by the pioneer of Michigan, and not only ly them, but by all others ot that time along the frontier lino bulweon the (Juitod States aud (Junada, Úiatduriug t lie winter of 1837-38 occurred what was kuovn as the " Patriot War." Tho object of tliis war was umlerstood to be a revolutiou tliat sfaould separato the liiitish possessimis ót Canada trom tho muther couutry that they might erect thtünseïvos into Boverelgn au. i independent States. [11 oonsequenoa ot the liuandal onuh nud hard times theu prevailing , there wero many adventurous, roekloos and ídle persona in the States who took part with tha Patriota, Tlie anxiety that grew out of our Btevolutionary war and the war of 1812 towarJs the Uritish may have slumbered but was not forgotten, and it took but littlo to awakeu that old fceling. [t was revived along the wliole length of the frontier, aud was not confiued to our sido only ; it was fully reciprocated by our loy al ncighbors. At that time, as it may bo now, thore were mony half pay Engüsh military officera who would have hailed a "War betwcou the United States and Kugïaiid as a God send to thom, (or in that event they would be restored to active sürvice ou iull pay and stand their chancea fox promotion, The Uoatile feeliug hud reached such a dcgree of intensity that General Scott was orderyd to the froutier with troops. Tho stoamer Carolina, that was supposed to bB in the service 01 the Patriots, was captured 111 the Niágara rivur by tho Bhtish torces, and sent over the falls and it was supposed with part of the crew ou board. The Patrióte liad at that t iniv? i considerable torce on Navy i&land. A Roclcet Brigade was statioñed at Windsor. Oodauional musket shots were tirod from Wiudsor into Detroit and a correspondenee was opened between the uuthorities on each sido with a view (o stop tliis roeklessuess. Tho late Adjutent (Hneral Johu K. Schwartz oonduoted the correspoudence on the pait of ot Michigan. He read it to thé writer of this paper. About this time I visitod Detroit, stopped at the National Hotel as the Kussell House was theu called, and before I had tiine to warm myseli I met Col. Smith, then a meraber of the Iiegislature from Monroe County, who invited me iuto the back parlor whcre I met Governor Masou who or.lered me back to Anu Arbor to raise a company of militia and report to Col. Smith, who was theu uuüer orders from the Goveruor to march dowu the Detroit river aud break up the encampment of l'atriots in tho neighbopiiood ot Gibraltar, a smnll villago near the mouth of tho titer, and drive them away. T had also au order, addressed to the late Col. Slingerland, to muster his (the 6th liegiinenf) from which to recrmt my company by voluuteers, if possible, or by draft. The Colonel issued hts orders and did his duty, but fio strong was the sympathy in favor of the Patriota and against tho Énglish, that not over thirty men out of about six hundred composing the regiment obeyed the Colonel's order. Of course I was obliged to report my inability to report the compauy urdured. My recollection is that Colonet Smitli made a similar report aud the encampment renlainefi undisturbed. The leaders of tin? Patriota had organized a secret society known as " Huuters," with lodges in every village along the frontier. Tliey had their secret sigus, grips, and pass-words, uud wero sworn t j secrecy. A large proportion of the able bodied men were " Hunters, that is niembers of " Hunters' Lodges." I mention these facts to show the state of public feeling with regard to the I'atriot war and the reason that Govoruor Masou could n3t furuish the uecessary torce to march ou the Patriot encampment and disperse the lorce there encamped. Before the close of Iiavig&tion :m expedition was organized by Brigadier General Theller, of tho Patriot service, tor the purpose of captunug Fort Malden. He emburked 111 thesloop Ann, aud when sho arrived off the Fort was iired iuto and her ligging so ent up that. she became unmanageable and drilted asbore. The general and Colonel Dodge (I believe his namo was) and the crew were taken prisoners. That winter a landing of a Patriot torce was made ou the Cauada shore above Wiudsor aud a battle fought which proved disastrous to the iuvaders. Another battle was fought at Poiut au Pelee where the Patriots were victors. From these fiets it can be seen that the magazine was ready and it ueede 1 but a spark to explode it,- that is to iuvolve the country in war. When these events were takiug place, but before the fight at Poiut au Pelee, " General " Suthei lanl, of the Patriot army, made his appearance at Ann Arbor in full unitorm aud posted hand-biils notifying the public that he would address them at the court house ou the subject of the Patriot war. The court room was filled and the General was listened towitli respect and attention. Bofore the meeting dispersed a committee w-as appointed to wait on the " General," at lus "quarters," to confer with him. Tho writer was mie ot that committee. The committee called on t!iu "General" that eveniug, at his room, aud spent an hour or two with him. From Anu Arbor he went to Manchester to address the good peoplo of that village. His object wus to get men and meaus to carry ou the war. A short time afterwards I received a package of papers from the " General." Aruoug them were enlistmeut rolls and a long He wished me to jom the " Patriot army " and raise a battalion of men for the Patriot service : but osteusibly as volunteer ruilitia, hold elections for commissioned olücers as directed by the militia laws of Michigan, and apply to Governor Mason for commission.s. He said that as I was a personal and political friond of the Governor there would be no difliculty in getting tho couïmissions. This accomplished I was to put myself and battalion under the orders of the " General," and as soon as the Detroit river was frozeu over so as to make a passage safe he would give me au order tor arms, ammunitions, blankets $cc, and he would direct when and where the invasión should take place. I confess to a complete surprise,- more I was astonishod. We were almo?t entire straugers to oach other; we had never met except at Aun Arbor, and theu only for an hour or two, and knevr nothing ot each others antecedents. During the visit of tho committee at the General' room I endoavored to draw him intoaconversatiou upon military subjeots, tactics, history Ac, but ho evadedit, aud I formcd a small opinión of his military capaoity or knowleügo. And when lie divulged to me, an almost ontiro strangor, tiis plan of operations I lost confidenco in him as a military leader. I remembered of rending an anecdote of Washington who was aske 1 by an intímate frieud and true Whig what his plan of campaigu was. Washington asked, " Can you keep a socret ? " " Yes,General." So can I was the response. When the legislativo committee visited General Jackson and demauded of him his plan for the defeuse of New Orleaus, he raised a lock of hair from hls liead aud said, " Geutiemeu, if 1 supposed this lock of hair knew what was passing in my iirain on that subject 1 would cut it oft' and burn it." I havo desenbed the ieeliug along the dividing line between the States and Cauada. I remember that Sutherland saiil that 0110 of his principal objeets was to iuvolve the two coun:ries 111 war with each other. Doing this In: would attaiu the height ot his ambition. 1 üeliove there woukl have been but littlo dimculty in euhsting the number ot men to till the four companies required, and it seemeii plain to me that after receiviiig our commissious, aud betore the ink of the Governor's siguature was fairly dry on them Sutherland would have ordered a forward moveinent at a. place where we would have been met by an overwhelmiug forco and boen compelled to surrender. 1 could come to no other conclusión than ;hat Sutherlaud was false to the cause he pre:ended to espouse. If we had been takon arisoners ot course we would havo claimed the :reatment of prisoners of war This raay have [een accorded to us in consideratiou ot our commissions and we not have been hanged as Cunningham, Linn, Louutand others were. If :he invasión had takeu "place that might liavo have been regarded by our Canadian neighbors as a commencement of hostilitiea on the partof the United States and as a surh'cient ustification for the Kocket lirigado to open on Detroit aud buru it. At that time there were no troops thoro except tho Brady Guards, an excellent coinpany of volunteor militia ot less than one hundred men. What tho cunsequences would have beon if Suthorlanu's orders had been oboyed others may infer. I remembered that Sutherland told me that he liad called meetings and made speeches through Uakland County as he had in Washtenaw. My duty seemed plaiu and simple, aud I lost no time in going to Detroit with this package of papers. I louud the Goveruor in liis oñico in tho old capítol, and as soou as we were left alone 1 told him my errand and laid Lho papers before him. Ho read them attöntively and arose from his chair and walked the oflice lor somo miutes without uttering a word, It was plain to be seen that a storm was brewing. At length it burst out in language more forcible than polito,- too forcible for me to repeat in this paper. My improssi'n wus that if Sutherland had been present he would havo telt the weight of tho Governor's arm, A moro angry man I have seldom seen. Aïter the engagement at Point au Peleo occurred, Sutherlaud, under the pretenso of ioining the victorious Patriots at the Poiut, attempted to pass Fort Malden with a borso aud cutter on the ice aud was captured by somO of the garrisou of the Fort, which he probahly lutemlo.i lo he, aud with Theilur and Col. Dodge waa hohl as a prisouer until thc spring oponed wheu the thieo W6T6 takcn to Quehcc, aud oonfined in a cell ni one oí the forti essea there. Theller and Dxlge m:ido thoir escnpii from the prisou and, arter returuiují, Thollor told me that 011 ílieir journey down, which vras by prívalo eonveyanee (there were DO railioads thenj, hn aud Dodt: wero confín I in juiU nigiitd but Sutherland Was tmtertainod at hoto la. ')n roachmg thetr prison, the threu wero shut up in the sumo leU tor awhile, bul 8o stront wete their inaprossióna that Sutlierbmd va ín BHtibb pay and a tiaitor to tlio I' ttriot i'au-e that they laid plan t 'et rui ut him. They belle voit hun a spy n them ; they lumiil hira a óowarJ aml ïo wórkéü upon mis leun nut i I he wus removed, Ai ti Iheller iiii'l Dotlge liad tlio üüM to they ftpplied ihern-iílvi'.s to work aud ctV.oio! the ir tsc.ipe and rulurueü to M tohijau. 'J'hu Can.idiaii Bt'Utf){lo tor tmtioutil iudpoiid uce waa uiifluocessful. Another uxpciiit ion was piaitiiötl tt Detftiïi íor the oiptuiu ot Fort Maldon nnd waa lo s.iil from that city ondee the oommaud ot ú " (niieml " liom Cleveland. It had been ascoi tailiod tlntt ttiti garriapn was lodged in the Queon's wurc-housc at the foot ot the vh;nl', and the 0iHcei8 tj[uartei'ud at Jiotcls nt tho Vlllagd OÍ A.Rmerfltbúrg, aud that ot nlgm there was hut a Btnoll fu ice on guard at tho t'ort. Throu steamboats were to be employed, and when they arriveJ off the fort one boat was to lay BOFOia tho Jiead of the wharf, and the otlicv two one on eauh side ; one party should maroh directly to tlie tort und take it ; tlie Becond should capturo the yarrison in tho warcHbuse ; and tho third should capturo the oflicers. Tliis was to be done in the niglit. And however fcasible tlie pian was, it was hiuted that the " üoneral " lucked tlio nerve to undertake it. It was like the " causo " a faiUire. Altor tlio escape of Theller and Düdgü, Sutiieriaud was set at liberty without trial ani without punishment, provin further, tliat lic was a tiaitor to tho l'atriots. He wandered to the far West, to the verge of civilizatimi, and aftr a few years dicd.