The Fall and Recapture of Detroit in the War of 1812: In Defense of William Hull

Epilogue

Epilogue Hull’s reputation as a Revolutionary War hero and governor suffered irreparable damage as result of his surrender and subsequent court-martial. In a twist of irony, those who helped bring about the surrender by their intentional as well as unintentional lack of cooperation with Hull during the Detroit campaign went on to achieve surprising political success. Only history can judge whether these careers were justified by merit or were the result of political patronage. Below are short biographies of the principal actors involved in the campaign either to invade Canada or recover Detroit. Isaac Brock Before the week was out after the surrender of Detroit, Brock was on his way back to York, arriving on August 27. He was at the Niagara front on October 13, when U.S. troops made a surprise attack on Queenston Heights. Brock immediately rushed to the scene from Fort George to take command as the Americans, who had scaled the Heights unseen in the half light of morning, suddenly stormed down the hill, driving the British before them. Brock rallied all the men he could in the village and counterattacked . He was shot in the chest and died almost immediately. He never knew that only three days before, he had been appointed Knight Commander of the Bath for his success at Detroit.1 Epilogue 177 Lewis Cass On October 29, 1813, President Madison appointed Cass the governor of Michigan Territory to replace William Hull. Cass proved to be an excellent governor. He was especially adept at negotiating with Indian tribes over the land they controlled within the territory. He also became wealthy through his own land purchases. In 1831 President Andrew Jackson selected him as secretary of war, which placed him at the forefront of Indian policies at the national level. Five years later Jackson appointed him minister to France, one of his attributes being that he spoke French fluently. He resigned in 1842, returning to Detroit to become an influential figure in Democratic Party politics. His name was one of several entered in his party’s convention for president in 1844 but the nomination went to Martin Van Buren. The following year the Michigan legislature elected Cass to the U.S. Senate, where he became an active spokesman for President Polk. In 1848 he was selected as his party’s nominee for president at the Democratic National Convention but lost to Zachary Taylor in a close race. After being reelected to the Senate in 1849 and 1851, he once again was considered for the presidency during the Democratic Party’s convention in 1852, only to lose to Franklin Pierce on the 49th ballot. Cass remained in the Senate as a leader of the Democratic Party until 1857 when President James Buchanan appointed him secretary of state. The two did not always agree on policy and Cass resigned in 1860. He spent the rest of his life in Detroit.2 Henry Dearborn Dearborn’s military record as commanding general in New York was disappointing , with a defeat at Queenston on the Niagara River followed by a march to the Canadian border that did not achieve anything. His career took a turn for the better in the spring of 1813 when he captured York (Toronto ) in April and Fort George on the Niagara River in May. But by July Secretary of War Armstrong had lost faith in his leadership and removed him from active duty at the front lines, placing him in administrative command of New York City. In the spring of 1814 he served as president over the court-martial of William Hull. Dearborn was honorably discharged from the army on June 15, 1815. Seven years later President Madison selected him as the U.S. minister to Portugal, but after two years Dearborn Epilogue 178 asked to be released from duty. He retired in 1824 to spend the rest of his years in Roxbury, Massachusetts.3 William Eustis Lacking the support of those around President Madison, Eustis resigned as secretary of war on December 3, 1812. On June 10, 1815, he left for Europe as envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary to the Netherlands , a post he retained until May 1818, when he resigned because of poor health. In November 1820 he was selected to fill a vacant seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Over the next three years he ran unsuccessfully for governor of Massachusetts while...