The city of Detroit, Michigan, 1701-1922; / Clarence M. Burton, editor-in-chief, William Stocking, associate editor, Gordon K. Miller, associated editor. [Vol. 2]

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CITY OF DETROIT

and they were quite as unwilling to receive punishment for their refractory
acts. Some of them even refused to march at Urbana.
From Urbana to Detroit, a distance of some 200 miles, a pathway had to
be cut through nearly unbroken forests. The line of march, as laid down upon
a modern. map, indicates that Hull passed from Urbana through Kenton and
Fort Findlay, and reached and crossed the Miami River near the Falls, not far
from where the battle of Fallen Timbers took place in 1794. Following down
the northerly bank of that river until near the site of the present City of Toledo,
Hull took a direct course for Monroe, or French Town, as it was then called, on
the River Raisin, and thence proceeded along the line of the government roadthen probably an Indian trail-and hugged the shore line of the Detroit River
until he reached Detroit. Four block-houses were built on the way, in which
were left the invalids and a few soliders for the protection of convoys.
War with Great Britain was declared during the time Hull was on his wearisome journey to Detroit. Not until July 2d did the letter containing the information of the fact reach him. That the administration was seriously in error
in not forwarding the information to Hull sooner, there is no doubt. By some
this neglect is charged to President Madison, but it was just one of many mistakes of this campaign. It is comparatively easy, in after years, to show where
individuals made mistakes, even when they were earnestly working to do the
right and proper act. There was, however, a serious delay in notifying Hull
of the declaration of war. While warlike preparations were openly being made,
no formal statement that war existed had been issued and until such a notice
was given both sides were at liberty to proceed about their own affairs without
fear of molestation. As before stated, the declaration was dated June 18th,
and notice was at once given to the British officials.
News of the declaration came to General Brock by special express from
New York, sent by John Jacob Astor to Thomas Clark of Niagara Falls. The
British made haste to convey the news across the border and the soldiers in the
various garrisons and the militia officers were notified as quickly as special
messengers could carry the news to them.
On the other hand, the President trusted to the slow motions of the mail
carriers to give the notice to Hull, which to him was of more importance than
to any other American. When Hull was at Findlay, Ohio, he received one
letter, announcing that war would soon be declared. This letter was dated
June 18th, the very day that the declaration was issued, but upon this fact
the letter was silent. Hull proceeded with his army until he had crossed the
Maumee (Miami) River and was on his way to Detroit before the second letter
containing the official news reached him on the 2d of July. The two letters,
both dated June 18th, were sent by different modes of conveyance. The one
which contained no news of importance was sent by special messenger and
reached him at Findlay: the other, containing the news of the greatest possible
importance, reached Cleveland in the ordinary mail and might have remained
there several days longer if it had not been for a young attorney named Charles
Shaler, who was hired for $35 to take the letter forward. This inexcusable
delay, or error in dispatching the letter, resulted in serious loss to Hull.
CAPTURE OF THE CUYAHOGA
On July 1, 1812, Hull arrived at the Maumee River, where he chartered the
Cuyahoga, a small schooner, or packet, belonging to a Captain Chapin, to carry