Bold, Brave, and Born to Lead by Mary Beacock Fryer

Author:Mary Beacock Fryer
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781459721036
Publisher: Dundurn

When Dickson’s reply reached Brock at Fort York on July 14, the United States had already declared war. Dickson, however, had understood exactly what Brock intended. He replied to the message on June 18, the very day the war officially began, news that reached Brock at York on June 25. Dickson had gathered together 250 to 300 “friends” and would lead them to Fort St. Joseph immediately. Assisting Dickson was John Astin, Jr., the storekeeper for the Indian Department at Fort St. Joseph. Between them they had gathered four hundred warriors by July 15 when Dickson arrived to join Captain Charles Roberts at St. Joseph’s Island.

Roberts, too, was prepared. He had received a letter from Brock ordering him to take Michilimackinac as soon as he learned that war had been declared. Actually, Brock had sent two other letters, the first asking him to forbear, the second telling him to use his own judgement. Brock had received another warning from Prevost to be cautious. A letter to Roberts from Prevost carried the same warning. Too late, this message reached Fort St. Joseph. Roberts knew the fort he commanded was even weaker than Michilimackinac. Should the Americans be reinforced, they could easily capture his post. He would leave only a caretaker garrison of six soldiers behind, taking every able-bodied man with him. He had no time to waste.

While Dickson had raised the Native warriors — Sioux, Ojibway, Ottawa, Menominee, and Winnibago — and about 180 Canadians, some of mixed blood, Roberts had recruited the local Nor’Westers and their schooner, Caledonia. The expedition set out on July 16 in canoes and aboard the Caledonia for Mackinac Island, a fifty-mile sail away.

Fort Michilimackinac was built of logs and protected by a lone 9-pounder gun. It stood on a limestone promontory above the harbour, at the southeastern corner of the island. Not far off was a higher hill with no defences. The garrison was of sixty-one United States regulars, commanded by Lieutenant Porter Hanks. They were unaware that their country was at war. Hearing of the large gathering at Fort St. Joseph, Hanks had sent a spy to investigate. This man was captured and taken aboard the Caledonia. Dickson and Roberts landed their forces on the northwest side of the island, out of sight of the fort, and released their prisoner. The time was three o’clock on the morning of July 17. The failed spy went among the inhabitants of the small village below the fort warning of the presence of the Native warriors, a sure way to spread terror. Meanwhile, some of Roberts’s men hauled a 6-pounder gun to the top of the hill overlooking the fort.

At ten o’clock Roberts called on Hanks to surrender. Fearful that the Natives might attack in force, Hanks agreed. Next, Roberts’s regulars and volunteers conducted a thorough search of the fort and outbuildings. These yielded stocks of flour, trade goods, wine and whiskey, arms, ammunition, furniture, bedding, and clothing, all removed and divided up among the soldiers, with Roberts entitled to the lion’s share.

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