August 3 1812: Hull's Plan to Capture Tecumseh

On August 3 1812, Robert Lucas recalls that General Hull had come up with a plan to capture Tecumseh. It was a simple plan. Robert Lucas and Captain Knaggs would disguise themselves and go to Fort Malden and try to overpower Tecumseh. Lucas' sensibly notes "I was willing to do anything I was ordered but not to act foolishly, had we made the attempt agreeable to his plan we would been both taken, instead of taking Tecumseh, perhaps that was his wish." The excerpt from Robert Lucas`Journal is reproduced below describing the day in more detail. 

[Monday, July the Twenty-seventh, to Monday, August the Third]

from the 27 th to the 3rd of August the nothing of Consequence was done, there was a fort ordered to be built at Gowris  about a half mile below the Camp, I had prepared to return to Chillicothe agreeably to orders but by the interfer[e]nce of the Colonels and the Gnl I consented to remain with the army, and again attached myself to the rangers, we were frequently engaged in reconnoitering the Countary around the Camp and of nights laying out watching for the en[e]my, during the above periods an express ar[r]ived from Chillicothe informing us that Capt Brush was a Coming with a volunteer Compa[n]y to join us and had with him a quantity of provisions, knowing the Communication was Cut of [f] and that if he attempted to pass Brownstown he would be attacked by the British and Indians Colos McArthur and Cass Solisited the Genl to let them go with a Detachment of men to meet him, and thereby Secure him and the provision their requests were repeatedly refused, and Considerable dissatisfaction prevailed in Camp in Con-sequen[ce] thereof

[Entered on during the above periods Gnl Hull requested of the margin ] me and Capt Knaggs to attempt to take Tecumseh the Indian ch[i]ef he recommended us to disguise ourselves and to go among the Indians at Maldon. I was willing to do anything I was ordered but not to act foolis[h]ly, had we made the attempt agreeable to his plan we would been both take[n], instead of taking Tecumseh, perhaps that was his wish