On August 22, 1812, Captain William Elliott writes to Colonel Procter about how he was captured by some American soldiers who did not believe that General Hull had surrendered. He was kept a prisoner for awhile. His letter is reproduced below:
CAPTAIN Wm. ELLIOTT, 1st EEGT. ESSEX MILITIA, TO COLONEL PROCTER
Amherstburgh 22 Aug 1812
Sir, I liave the honor to inform you that agreeable to my orders rec from his Honor Major General Brock at Detroit on the 16th Ins' I proceeded to the River Eouge, where I met Col McArthur's Detachment who surrendered himself & the Detachment agreeable to General Hull's letter; and I left them in charge of Major Dixon, as the Detachment under Capt Brush with the provisions had not joined Col McArthur, and was supposed to be on their march, Col McArthur wrote on the back of General Hull's letter an order to Capt Brush, to conform to the terms of surrender with which letter & the copy of the terms of capitulation.
I proceeded to the River Reizen which place I arrived at, at two oclock in the afternoon of Monday, when I was at the distance of about half a mile from the fort stop(p)ed by a guard of twelve men, commanded by a capt who disarmed me & the three men, blindfolded us then conducted us to the Fort, as soon as we were within, the gate it was shut & nailed up. Brush, the commandant ordered all his men under arms to see me hung as he said, and told me the papers I brought were forged after detaining me about an hour in the sun I was put into one of the block houses w(h)ere I was kept until dark, when Capt Brush and his officers told me in the morning the (y) would give me a final answer, as they had learned from some of their men who had arrived that the papers I had were genuine, about twelve at night I was awakened by the noise of the men & waggons leaving the Fort, and was shortly afterwards liberated by Col Anderson who command the Militia of that place, Col Anderson proposed to surrender his Reg provided I would on the part of the Commander, His Honor General Brock, promise them the same terms that had been granted to the 1st Regt of Michigan Militia, this I undertook to do, agreeably to this arrangement Co' Anderson ordered the men composing his Reg' to parade at two P.M. when they laid down their arms, and surrendered to me the Fort with all the stores a schedule of which I subjoin, on Wednesday evening after imbarking the arms &° sett out for this place, but was detained by head winds ixntill the next morning, when on being informed of Co' Elliott's arrival I returned up the River, and remained until the next morning when I took Col Elliott into the boat & returned to this place
I proceeded to the River Reizen which place I arrived at, at two oclock in the afternoon of Monday, when I was at the distance of about half a mile from the fort stop(p)ed by a guard of twelve men, commanded by a capt who disarmed me & the three men, blindfolded us then conducted us to the Fort, as soon as we were within, the gate it was shut & nailed up. Brush, the commandant ordered all his men under arms to see me hung as he said, and told me the papers I brought were forged after detaining me about an hour in the sun I was put into one of the block houses w(h)ere I was kept until dark, when Capt Brush and his officers told me in the morning the (y) would give me a final answer, as they had learned from some of their men who had arrived that the papers I had were genuine, about twelve at night I was awakened by the noise of the men & waggons leaving the Fort, and was shortly afterwards liberated by Col Anderson who command the Militia of that place, Col Anderson proposed to surrender his Reg provided I would on the part of the Commander, His Honor General Brock, promise them the same terms that had been granted to the 1st Regt of Michigan Militia, this I undertook to do, agreeably to this arrangement Co' Anderson ordered the men composing his Reg' to parade at two P.M. when they laid down their arms, and surrendered to me the Fort with all the stores a schedule of which I subjoin, on Wednesday evening after imbarking the arms &° sett out for this place, but was detained by head winds ixntill the next morning, when on being informed of Co' Elliott's arrival I returned up the River, and remained until the next morning when I took Col Elliott into the boat & returned to this place
Schedule
114 muskets, 80 Bayonet's, 63 Cartridg-e boxes— 7 Riffle's,
10 Powder horns, 6 Horsemens swords, 12 Pistols, 1 . 2 f inch
brass hoit, (Howitzer), 19 shot, 46 barrel's of flour, 12 ditto
pork, 3 waggons, —
The arms I have delivered to M Wood of the field train, and four barrels of the Pork to the commissary at this place, the Remaining articles were left by me at the River Reizen in charge of a M'' F. Lascelle —
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