About dawn of the morning of the 17th of July, a flotilla from St. Joseph's Island at the mouth of the Ste. Marie River, consisting of a brig of the Northwest Company, ten batteau, and seventy canoes, arrived at Mackinaw Island with British forces. At ten in the morning, a piece of artillery was in a position on a height commanding the American garrison.[1] Lieutenant Hanks was greatly surprised, as he had not received official notice of the declaration of war. His entire force was only 61 persons, and he was obliged to surrender.[2] The British troops were composed of 40 regulars, 260 Canadians, and 482 Indians. Capt. Charles Roberts was in command of the whole, and Robert Dickson was at the head of the Sioux, Folle Avoine, and Winnebago Indians, and John Askin was the leader of the Ojibways and Ottawas. Askin, in his report,[3] expressed his indebtedness to his subordinates, Michel Cadotte, Jr., Charles Longlade, and Augustin Nolin. He wrote to his superior officer: "I firmly believe not a soul of them would have been saved," if the Americans had fired a gun, and also, "I never saw so determined a set of people as the Chippeways and Attawas." Among the British traders, in this expedition, were Crawford, John Johnson, Pothier, Armatinger, La Croix, Franks, and Rolette.
AMERICAN TROOPS BURN HOUSES AT SAULT STE. MARIE.
The Scorpion, under command of Lieut. D. Turner of the United States Navy, during the last week of July, 1814, landed at Sault Ste. Marie a detachment of infantry under
- ↑ Report of Hanks, Niles's Register, vol. ii.
- ↑ Report of Captain Roberts in the appendix to James's Naval Occurrences of the Late War mentions that the Mackinaw garrison consisted of 2 first lieutenants, 1 surgeon's mate, 3 sergeants, 4 corporals, 5 musicians, 6 artificers, 39 privates, total 61.
- ↑ Report of Askin in Niles's Register, vol. ii.
