William Hull American Hull at Fort Detroit Hull's Proclamation Eyewitness accounts of Hull’s defeated army as they are marched from Detroit to Quebec by British and Canadian troops in the fall of 1812.

After his retreat back to Detroit, Hull was even more indecisive. His officers became increasingly dissatisfied. Some of them went so far as to circulate a petition “requesting the arrest and displacement of the General.” Hull apparently lost all confidence in his mission as well as his ability to command. Some of his concerns however, about the viability of his campaign were justified. To start with, he had been assigned weak senior commanders and a U.S. war administration which was slow to provide adequate supplies and accurate information about British movements. Most significantly, the administration failed to provide support in the form of simultaneous American attacks on other fronts as they had promised. When challenged directly by Brock, Hull was overcome by doubt and subsequently capitulated. He reasoned that surrender was the only way to prevent the slaughter of the troops and civilians at Detroit. But Hull’s critics couldn’t see past the fact that he had surrendered more than 2,200 soldiers and 33 cannon to a significantly weaker enemy whom he hadn’t even engaged in battle. Hull faced a court martial for neglect of duty, cowardice, and treason in the winter of 1814 - 1815. He was found guilty of the first two charges and sentenced to be shot. The court also recommended mercy, however, citing his “revolutionary services and advanced age.” President James Madison followed the court’s advice and spared the life of the only American general officer ever sentenced to death. William Hull spent the rest of his life with his family in Massachusetts. He made two written attempts to clear his name and explain his actions at Detroit: Defence of Brig. Gen. Wm. Hull (1814) and Memoirs of the Campaign of the Northwestern Army of the United States: A.D. 1812 (1824). He died in November of 1825.