Isaac Brock The Fall of Fort Detroit

Brock at Detroit Brock surprised himself with the success of his bold actions. When he landed on the American side of the river south of Detroit, he heard that a force of 350 enemy soldiers was closing in from behind. Pressing on towards the fort, he secured his men in a nearby ravine. Brock then stood off by himself, out in front of his troops. Time was running out as he pondered what to do next. He couldn't make another move without revealing the true size of his force. Fortunately for Brock, his final bluff would simply require concealing his astonishment as an American officer advances, under a white flag of truce, with a note from General Hull. Brock soon negotiated the surrender. He got everything he wanted: the fort, its cannon, its supplies, and all the troops, including those under Colonels Cass and McArthur who had returned to Detroit to reinforce their besieged comrades. The Michigan Territory was now effectively under British control as well. What Brock did not realize so soon after his success was that his victory had provided something much more valuable to the British war effort than military plunder. It has struck a blow against the defeatist mentality present throughout much of Upper Canada since the war began. Brock's letters to his superiors betrayed his concerns about these attitudes, especially among the militia: "..a full belief possesses (the people) that this Province must inevitably succumb... Legislators, magistrates, militia officers, all have imbibed the idea...What in the name of heaven can be done with such a vile population?" The Detroit victory inspired the British regulars, gave hope to the unreliable militia, and secured the support of Tecumseh's Natives. Like it or not, Brock set the stage for an aggressive war when he took Detroit - exactly the kind of confrontation Prevost had hoped to avoid. Armistice or no armistice, the Americans would not seek peace without the Michigan Territory.