to the patriotism of Ohio, was successful. Twelve hundred men were enrolled as volunteers, and, divided into three regiments, were marched to Dayton, where Mr. Cass, with the united voice of his comrades, was assigned the command of the third regiment, and commissioned as colonel.

Having formed his command in a hollow square, and planted the American standard in the center, Colonel Cass opened his military career with the following energetic words:

"Fellow-citizens! The standard of your country is displayed. You have rallied around it to defend her rights and to avenge her injuries. May it wave protection to our friends and defiance to our enemies! And should we ever meet them in the hostile field, I doubt not but that the eagle of America will be found more than a match for the British lion!"

The young volunteers received, with rapturous enthusiasm, this brief but thrilling address of their youthful Colonel, and assured him that they were eager to meet, under his command, their proud enemy. The other two regiments were commanded by Colonels McArthur and Findlay, and this volunteer force, marching to Urbana, was there joined by three hundred regulars, under the command of Colonel Miller. The entire force was under the command of Brigadier General William Hull, a captain during the Revolution, and then governor of the Michigan Territory.

The plan of the campaign, as formed at Washington, had, for its ultimate object, the conquest of the Canadas. The intention was to invade, simultaneously, at Detroit and Niagara; and the armies from these places were to be joined, on their way to Montreal, by a strong force to be collected at Plattsburgh, and thus a combined attack to be made upon that capital.

In the fore part of June, the military forces at Urbana left that place for the theater of war. Detroit was the point of destination, and the distance to be traveled was more than two hundred miles. Their march, the greater part of the way, lay through a wilderness, and much of it without a road. The creeks and rivers were not bridged, and in many places, in fact, most of the way, it was necessary to level the forest in order to make a way for their provisions and munitions of war. Swamps, filled with miasma, had to be waded, and the command frequently halted to relieve the suf ferings of the sick. Block houses were erected at intervals along the route, for the use and convenience of the army, and the better

protection of the country. The privates suffered much, and it became the imperative duty of the officers of the volunteers to give good examples how to endure, with patience, privation and fatigue, lest the men, unaccustomed to such hardships, should turn back in discouragement. Colonel Cass showed himself equal to the duties and responsibilities of his new position, and enjoyed the unreserved confidence of his men. He did not omit to enforce the first rudiments of a military education, discipline and obediAnd whilst actively and strictly discharging this branch of his duties, he did not make for himself an austere and repulsive character, but mingled freely with his force, as a companion and friend, and thus possessed himself of all their wants, feelings and desires. And whilst his command were daily becoming more and more proficient in drill and movement, they at the same time acquired the important lesson, that this knowledge, in the hour of battle, would enure as much to their own personal safety, as the good of their country.

After traversing a region unbroken by a single settlement, the army reached the rapids of the Maumee, on the thirtieth day of June. The sensations of Colonel Cass, on reaching this point in the march to Detroit, were penned by himself, thirty-one years afterwards. "We were heartily tired of the march, and were longing for its termination, when we attained the brow of the table land, through which the Maumee has made a passage for itself, and a fertile region for those who have the good fortune to occupy it. Like the mariner, we felt we had reached a port; like the wanderer, a home. I have since visited the three other quarters of the globe, and passed over many lands and seas, but my memory still clings to the prospect which burst upon us on a bright day of June, from the valley of the Maumee-to the river, winding away beyond our view, to the rapids, presenting every form of the most picturesque objects, to the banks, clothed with deep verdure, and to the rich bottoms, denuded of timber, as though inviting the labor and enterprise of the settler."

On the twenty-sixth, four days previous, General Hull had received, by express, a letter from Mr. Eustis, Secretary of War, written on the morning of the eighteenth, the day on which war was declared. But this important fact was not announced in this letter, but it contained expressions indicating that the declaration would soon be made. Supposing that the British could not be in

possession of such important intelligence earlier than himself, General Hull, for the purpose of disencumbering his army, and facilitating his march, chartered a sail vessel to convey to Detroit his sick, his hospital stores, and a considerable part of his baggage. This vessel sailed on the first day of July, and was captured by the British off Malden, who had been two or three days in possession of the information that war was declared. With General Hull's private baggage, had been placed on board the vessel, what he should have better guarded, his trunk of papers, and by means of which the enemy became possessed of his confidential correspondence with the government, and the returns of his officers, showing the number and condition of his troops. The intelligence of the declaration of war was received by General Hull on the second day of July, in a second letter from Mr. Eustis, under date of June eighteenth, not forwarded by express, but by mail. His first despatch directed him to push on to Detroit with all possible expedition.

There was an Indian village at Brownstown, on the American side of the Detroit river, and as war was actually existing, it was anticipated that the army would be attacked and annoyed by the Indians, and by detachments from the British garrison on the opposite side of the river. The army, however, resumed its march, and on the fifth of July reached Detroit, without molestation from the enemy.

On the ninth of July, General Hull received a letter from the Secretary of War, saying that, "should the force under your command be equal to the enterprise, and consistent with the safety of your own posts, you will take possession of Malden, and extend your conquests as circumstances will allow."

Immediately upon the receipt of this despatch, General Hull called a council of war, of which Colonel Cass was a member, and the great question to be solved was, the propriety of invading Canada. Colonel Cass was in favor of the invasion, and urged that the army, leaving a suitable force for the protection of the post of Detroit, should immediately cross over the river. General Hull hesitated, contending that his force was not equal to the reduction of Malden, and that the savages were under the influence and command of the enemy. Colonel Cass replied to the first point, that their force was greater in number, if any credence was to be given to the reports constantly reaching the post, and that their

ardor and impetuosity would more than equal the discipline of the British. As to the savages, he doubted whether they were prepared to act on the offensive, else they would not have suffered the American troops to pass quietly up the river. General Hull could interpose no rejoinder, with any show of candor, and finally concluded to undertake the enterprise.

The embarkation was made on the eleventh of July, from a point a little above Detroit, and the advanced force, animated with the highest hopes, was composed of Colonel Cass and Lieutenant Colonel Miller. Colonel Cass occupied the bow of one of the boats, and was the first man who landed in arms upon British soil, after the declaration of war. General Hull followed on the twelfth, with the remainder of the army; and on landing in Canada, he issued an energetic proclamation, written by Colonel Cass, for distribution among the inhabitants, which was much applauded at the time by the public press throughout the country. Whatever may have been entertained of the inglorious descent from promise to fulfillment, it was generally regarded as a high-spirited, manly, and patriotic document. It promised protection to all who would join the American standard. Many of the inhabitants accepted the invitation, and others remained peacefully disposed at home; and the Indians were awed into a temporary neutrality. The army took post at what is now called Windsor. Here, entrenchments were thrown up, and temporary defensive works were constructed, and the army remained inactive, awaiting some heavy artillery from Detroit. Hours, and days passed, and no order to march. The delay in receiving the desired ordnance was unusual, and strange to the officers and men. They were anxious to go forward: they desired to attack Malden, and measure swords with the enemy. News reached camp of the surrender of Macinac. This intelligence, instead of disheartening the troops, increased their ardor. Colonel Cass had, time and again, urged the import ance of prompt movements, and demonstrated to the commanding general the feasibility of capturing the fortress at the mouth of the river. Having visited Malden with a flag of truce before the army crossed over from Detroit, he believed it indefensible. But General Hull all the while appeared to labor under the delusion that the enemy was in strong force, and the result problematical. And, in addition, the idea seemed to haunt him, that the woods were alive with savages, ready to give the war-whoop, and brandish

the knife and the tomahawk, as soon as he was out of sight of Detroit. Small detachments occasionally scoured the immediate country, for forage and provisions, and returning to camp, uniformly reported every thing quiet, and no enemy in sight. Colonel St. George commanded at Malden, with a moderate force, as was supposed, and some of the heavy guns had finally made their appearance. The carriages for the same having been constructed, finally, at the suggestion of Colonel Cass, General Hull ordered him and Lieutenant Colonel Miller, with a detachment of two hundred and fifty men, to move towards the British fort, and take possession of a bridge over the river Aux Canards, which commanded the approach to it. This was a wise precautionary measure, so that there should be no delay in the movement of their ordnance, after the main army was once in motion.

Accordingly, on the seventeenth of July, Colonel Cass led a detachment towards the enemy. In the latter part of the day, he reached the Canards, and by ascending the river some distance above the bridge, on the main road, the stream was forded, and the British party surprised and routed, and fled towards Malden. The American detachment remained in possession of the bridge, and Colonel Cass immediately transmitted the following report to his commanding officer. It is illustrative of the first action, and the first blood shed, in the late war with England.

"SANDWICH, Upper Canada, July 17th, 1812. SIR-In conformity with your instructions, I proceeded with a detachment of two hundred and fifty men, to reconnoitre the enemy's advanced posts. We found them at the bridge over the river Canards, at the distance of four miles from Malden. After examining their position, I left one company of riflemen to conceal themselves near the bridge, and upon our appearance on the opposite side of the river, to commence firing, in order to divert their attention, and to throw them into confusion. I then proceeded with the remainder of the force, five miles, to a ford over the Canards, and down on the southern bank of that river. About sunset we arrived within sight of the enemy. Being entirely destitute of guides, we marched too near the bank of the river, and found our progress checked by a creek, which was then impassable. We were compelled to march up a mile, in order to effect a passage over the creek. This gave the enemy time to make