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DRUMMOND

ISLAND

THE STORY

OF THF.

BRITISH OCCUPATION

181S-1828

SAMUEL F. COOK

AUTHORS EDITION

LANSING MICH

i8q6

k 1

METROPOLITAN

TCn ■ ■]

CEiV I fi ,L

LIBRARY

Hjstofy

Entered nccoi(lrii«- to Act of Conjrress, in the year 18%,

Hy Samvki, F. '"ook,

III tlie Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.

Sr^^O

ptcei of

IRobci't Sinitb ptiiitiuii Co.,

lansiud, ftiich.

MMiiiiiiBiii

Hon. %\ist\i\\ H. i^tcex-f,

THK KII'K SCHOLAR AND EMINKNT JIKIST,

THK ARDENT COI.I.KCTOK OF RARE VOLUMES OF

HISTORY AND I.EOEND OF THE

GREAT NORTHWEST,

AND CAREFUI, STUDENT OF THEIR VARIED

CONTENTS,

THIS IJTTr.E VOI.l'ME IS

MOST KESI'ECTFII.I.V

DEDICATED.

JUllTISH OCCUPATION

1 ■;

DRUMMOND ISLAND

Lying across the nortljern end of Lake
Huron, and separated from the main land of
tlie upper peninsula of Miohigau by the strait
of the Detour, is an ish^nd, twenty by thirteen
miles in extreme length and breadth, and com-
prising an area of about one liundied and
eighteen square miles. Its shores are lined
with beautiful harbor bays, which are thickly
studded with snmll islands whose high lying
surfaces are decked with a dense covering of
l)erennial green. Streams and small woodland
lakes abound on the island, which is densely
Avooded with both the larger and smaller
growths native to that northern clime.

K. S

British Orciipdtioii

What may be called the southwestern corner
of this island, is a long point of high rocky for-
mation, averaging less than a mile in width, the
sunny southeastern slope of which looks out on
a bay in which are numerous islands, and
affords both 1 uid and waterscape views of no
ordinary beauty. On the west side or this point
is the DetoDi strai — the pathway of the im-
mense commerce passing through the St. Mary's
river. On the eastern side of the point, in a lo-
cality which seems to have been chosen more
on account of its beauty than for its value for
military strategy, the British flag Hoated and
the red coats i)erformed garrison duty, during
a period of thirteen years, in defiance of the
treaty of Ghent, the award of Ihe boundary
commissioners thereunder, and the comity of
nations.

A recent visitor remarks of this once impor-
tant spot, that ''It is wonderfully beaiitiful and
interesting in its ])i'<'sent loneliness, but to
nearlv everv one, in these later times its his-

of Di'iniimoiid Iftland.

toiy is a scaled book." Where once was the
life and bustle of a military post, j?arnsoned by
warlike Uritftn!?*. now are only the remains —
and s;id ones — of the populous and w* 11 built
garrison town. There are bi'oad and well
{graded avenues lined with Lombardy poplars,
roads upon which was handled the heavy artil-
lery, great chimneys of stone with their ample
fireplaces, marking where stood upwards of
fifty buildings, kitchen garden plats grown up
to luxuriant grass, wild flowers and under-
brush intermingled with I'ose bushes which
still bear their sweet blossoms, while apple,
cherry, plum and pear trees are not infrequent,
and still yield their fruit. And at no great dis-
tance lies the city of the sleeping dead, who
since their comrades were driven thence, hav(!
been undisturbed by the sunrise gun, and over
whom the winds alone have chanted re(iuiems.

*
* »

Today, the town and garrison sites may be
readily traced, and with the aid of the map

Ilk

■•

lirltish OccupatUm

Avliich lias Imh'H ((mstvuetod partly from the
sketches of the engineer officers, and partly
from the detailed accounts sent forward to
headipiarters by the commandants, the lines of
the fictvernment buildings and the private
houses, with th(Mr sro'»ids- '"'V^' ^><^ readily
made out. Home of the houses were of large
si/e. and were warmed during the long and
severe winters by means of enormous stone
chimneys having huge fireplaces on two of
their sides. A few of the chimneys show that
the houses which were about them were two
storied structures; but this was true of but a
few. In addition to the more solid and com-
fortable homes of the more opulent of the in-
habitants, very many of the people found not
uncomfortable shelter in structures called
''bark lodges." These were made of a frame-
work of poles, covered over, roof and sides,
with cedar bark. Houses of that kind were
very comfortable while new, but decayed very
rapidly, and were liable to take fire and bo con-
sumed almost in a breath. When Col. T. L.
^McKenney, the traveler and writer on iudian
affairs, visited the place in 1827, cmly the year

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of Dntmmond Island.

before it« abandonment, he found the post snr-
jjeon, who had recently aiiived from London
with a yonns bride, lionsed in a structure of
this kind, and seeminjily contented with his
home and its appointments.

*
« »

Darin}? tlieir stay, neitlier .-iti/.ens or civil-
ians seem to hav«^ been la}iS'ii'<l i" ^''^^ matter
of providinj-- for their own comfort, expectinii',
as we can but infer, that there was to be tlieii
liermanent home. The kitchens of the lar}»er
liouses, of which the locaticm of twenty-two
can be made out with reasonable certainty,
were separate from the houses, and in some
instances at quite a distance away. There are
now no traces of an oven in connection with
any of the houses, nor indeed any cranes in the
tireplaces, and it would seem that the private
as well as the public bakin}"- was done in the
large bake house, situated on a little neck of
land projectinjj; into the bay, and nearly sur-
rounded bv water. The nearness of the rock

British Occupation

to the surface, rendering the digging of cellars
too onerous, resort was had to surface cellars,
some of which are yet so well preserved as to
give evidence of their purpose.

* *

A short distance south of the town are the
remains of a lime kiln, and an open quarry
close at hand. The quality of the lime which
was burned there, must have been excellent,
since it has withstood the action of the
Aveather for two-thirds of a century, with but
slight evidence of decay. The structures which
surrounded those chimneys crumbled to mold
more than half a century ago, but the chimneys
themselves stand as witnesses to the quality
of their building. On the east side of the long
arm of the bay extending north of the town
was at some time a saw mill, as is shown by
the vestiges of the tlume, the dam and the foun-
dation timbers which have been preserved by
the action of the water. Neither the traditions
of the island or the main land record anything

of Drnmmoml Islond.

more of this mill than is evident to the eye to-
day. It is evident that sawed lumber was used
to some extent in the buildings, since even now
a few boards can be found hidden in the rank
grass covering the spots where houses formerly
stood, bearing the nail mark:3! peculiar to roof
boards. It is fairly certain that the mill does
not belong to any recent date, and it seems
probable that by its aid, the lumber necessary
to give to some of the houses, at least, an air
of finish, was prepared.

»
* *

\)'i

The structures used by the garrison were
unusually large for log houses, and were also
more scattered than was usual in those days
for military posts. The parade ground fronted
on the bay, and the barracks and commissary
buildings were at its western border, while
back of these a rocky hill rose suddenly. The
officers' quarters were scattered here and there
in such manner as, judging from the appear-
ance at the present time, they chanced to be

Jiritlsh OccKpathn

dropped dovMi. without assijiunient of location
by the engineer or reference to the other build

The boulevard which ]>assed on the east
front of the town site lots and thenci' to the
parade ground, beyond which it again appears
as the artillery road to the shore of the Detour
strait, is now after the lapse of so many years,
as perfect in form as when constructed. Deej)
gutter lines at the edges of a well rounded
roadway, cari'y the water quickly away, and
the summer torrents and dei)arting winter
snows have not succeeded in injuring its true
alignment. This roadway, for the distance of
about two thousand feet, its northerly end be-
ginning some five hundred feet from the bay, is
treble the width of the artillery road.

The bold curve of land into the bay at the
east side of the boulevard was reserved, with-
out any buildings, for gardens, and near its
center is the ruin of an unusually large cellar
which must have furnished ample storage for

=ssBass^s^sa^^^BSSSm

,,;LiROPOLITAN

TORONTO
CENTRAL
UDPARY

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of Dnimiiiond Island.

tilt' ])i'o(oclion of all llio jiotatoes and other
v('}i('tabU'S lUH'dcd by the jiavvison foi- a. scasou.
On eilhor Hide of the I'oadway was a space of
twenty-live fe 't for lawn, and then a row of
Lonibardy pojilars, qnite a ninnber of Vvliich
are yet sustaininp,' a vijioroMs life, drawn from
the porous limestone rock, with the aid of very
liHle soil. The labor and expense incident +o
tlie construction of this boulevard were not
slight; and considering: the fact that during all
the period of the occujiation the local army
chest was hani])ered for funds for the n«'eded
re]»air of the buildinjjs of the post, it may be
believed that the expense was met from
sources other than those apparent. The in-
habitants, no doubt, made contribulions of
money and labor, but it would not be strange
if considerable quantities of the ])resents
charged out as distributed by the Indian de-
partment were used in jiayment for the labor
exiiemled on this excellent piece of road, which
was not of easy construction. Tlie same is
(rue of the artillery road, which was deemed
by those in command at the post as necessary
for the transport of the heavy cannon to the

British Oiruftaiiou

otlu'i- sia»' of the I'idjie in case tluMV sliould be
iit'iHl to warn away or ciifiafic an cnciny ap-
proacliinii- by way of I be Detour strait. When
buili. ■■■^ ni.ide a wonderfully fine drive, but the
orders from lieadiinarters did not allow of any
expenditures of that kind. Uuilt it was. and
yet remains, grass }i,rown and euiboweri'd in
thick shacv , as a jtroof of unwillinj;ness to sub-
mit to the inevitable.

Over those roads the dwellers there, no
doubt, took their carriaKt" drives with their
wives, their children or their sweethearts. Nor
,nin Ave doubt that al(Uif>- those charming
stretches of boulevard and mountain road,
many ha]>py moments were spent by |);'ople
who, shut off from the world at large, had the
tact and sjiirit to ]»rovide themselves with
IhoK" comfortable surroundings which should
remove the disagreeable from their lives.

The little cemetery, situated about half way
between the town and the toi» of the ridge to

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of Dnitinimnd IsJaiuL

the west, was an object of no little thouj-ht an-l
careful attention. At the j»resent lime it is so
fille<l with rank {irowlhs of trees and bushes
that it .is obseured from view even from tlie
artillery road which passes it not more than
fifty feet away. This place for burial was laid
out one hundred by one hundred and fifty feet,
and was surrounded by a fence made of cedar
posts hewed uniformly six inches square, and
set in the ground four inches apart. It would
seem that the death-rate at the post must have
been unusually large for that healthful cli-
mate, since as nearly as can now be made out
very little room was left within this inclosure,
unoccupied, when the last interment was made.
It is known, however, that the first to l)e laid
here Avere a large number of soldiers who
Avere so sadly neglected by the govern-
ment they served, as to their food supjily
and the medical care thereby rendered
necessary, that they were carried oft" bv
the scurvy. This little hamlet of the dead
was not for those alone whom death had
discharg<'<l from the sei-vice of the King, but
iiuy of liis faitliful subjects who for anv cause

lirltish Orviipation

Avcrc (Iwcllns in Hint vcf-ioii when their tiiial
suiMiiKtiis «jini('. found Iumm' a icstinji- i)lii(r.
Tlic intcnncnts Jippcar to have bej^nin iit the
southwest cornel- and to have been in i'e«;uhiv
rowH with litth' sjjace between the jjraves. All
the certain vacant space now reniaininj--. is a
]»art of tlie last row on tlu' east sid<'. Around
three of the ;;raves are neat i>alinji,s of ]»ickets.
At a number of the jjraves are larjie head
boards, thick and substantially prepared. Over
the I'ounded top is an iron band to protect the
<;rain of the wood from the weather, and the
inscrii)tious made with black i>ain1 show not
only unusiial skill in leltt'rin^, bi't a rare (lual-
ity of i»aint which has withstood the weather
sulTich'ntly to remain after the rain and wind
of half a century has W(»rn away the wood
anmnd the letters so that they stand out in re-
lief as thoufih emVtossed.

Only a little more than half a century seems
to have effaced from the memory more than it

■na

of J)riiiiiiii()ii(l IsUiikL

lijis been able to fioiii tlu* fju'c of the island;
for tlie story of the cstablisbiiKMit, bjiildinji;.
oc*c'ui»aii<y and rclinciuishnicnt of the niilitarj'
]»ost sccniH w(dl nij;h forji'ottcn, even by those
wliosc lives have licen spent in the immediate
neij^hboi-hood. IJut the oJKicer who found<*d
the ]»ost. and his suecessors in command as
well, were }i<)od letter writers who neglected
no o]»|>()rtunity to inform their superiors of the
occurrences there, nor omitted from their re-
]»orts tlu* rumors wafted to them from far dis-
tant i-ejiions. Their letters analyzed and com-
I)ared. furnish the story of this well nigh for-
gotten spot in (he midst of the great unsalted
seas.

British Occupation

11.

Tlic sijiniiiii' of the tivaty of (ilicnt, Dcccm-
bei- 28, 1814, found tlic island of Miuddnaw.
with its foi-tincations, in tlic possession of tli--
liiitish; but nndci- tlic Icrnis of tlu,' livaty this
island bocauie aj-ain the proiKU'ty of tho Tuitcd
States, and made necessary the transfer of the
British j^arrison to scnne other itoint. Whe!'e
that point should be, was to be determined by
the an^Mely of the F.ritish otticers in command
in America, to retain conlnd of the i)assa{ie
between the upper and lower lakes, and per-
chance, to found a second! Jibraltar, whose fiuns
should comi)el oViedience to the royal mandale;
but more especially the anxiety to retain the
]iresliji(' auionji' Ihe Indian tribes for which
they had labored so hard and had enjoyed so
lou^-. 11 is a matter of note thai th<> news of
Ihe siy-ninji' of Ihe treaty, and the consetiuent
close of the wai' was so hm^' a time in reaching
the northwestern frontier that hostilities did
nol cease in the vicinity of Maekinaw until late

of Dniinmoiid Island.

in the spi'ii)g of 1815. The messenger sent with
the dispatches and orders relative to the carry-
ing ont of the treaty, was two months on the
road from Yorlc, now IVu'onto, to ^Mackinaw;
and rumor had ample time to convey to the
]>ost commander the general nature of (he
news which he might ex])ect subsequently to
learn officially.

Tt was not until Mux 11, 1815, that Lieut.
Col. ^NlcDonall, in connnand at Mackinaw, re-
ceived the offii'ial dispatches, with a cojty of
the treaty, and instructions to prepare for the
turning over of that post to the United States
military authorities. Those instructioit.s c(»m-
](relund('d not only the evacuation of that, to
the Diitisli, important post, but the comman-
dant was enjoined to select some place in the
same neighborhood which could be a i)oint of
defense and offense, there to irect tem])orary
(piarters for the garrison and shelter for the
government stores, and to remove his com-
mand lhilh(>r.

British Occupation

liv tlu'Si' instructions McDoniill was sorely
]MM|ilt'X('(l. His siM-viccs on tlic frontier had
made liiiu tlu' sjioivcsnian on behalf ol' the Kinj;
\vith the indian tribes of the whole northwest.
The country included in his connnand Avas, to
use his own words, };Tea1er in extent than the
whole of Lower Canada ; and from his intimate
relaticuis with the indian tribes, and the pioni-
ises he had In'ld out to them on behalf of th;'
Kin^', it seemed to him that in relimiuishinji
the island of ^lackinaw. for a lonj;- period a
favorite resort for numerous ti-ibes who were
accustomed to <iather there from re^icujs as
far distant as the basin of the .Mississi|»i)i and
the Ked riv<'r of the north, he would be leav-
ing' them to a fate which they did not des<'rve,
while the Uritish would lose the intluence
which they had souji'ht and so lonj>' maintained
o -er these allies. To him it appeared botli
]»olitic and necessary ths)t the new post slunild
be so situated as to be easily accessible to the
itidians. and capable lA' beinj;' made of even
more stratejiic importance than Mackinaw.
The fort he had in contemplati(»n must, with
its surroundin^'H, be such 'is t(t insure the re-

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of Jtriiiiniiond Island.

spt'ct of the allied tribes, :ni(l cause lliem to
look Avitli disdain upon ^hickinaw as the rep-
resentation among them of an inferior power.

To build a new army post in that country and
at that time was no easy task, for the British
military system was not supple, and Hie red
tape necessary for even tiilling expenditures
from the military chest was well nigh unlim-
ited. r»ut the urgency of the matter was great.
The Tnited Stales authorities, fr<nn the Secre-
tary of Slate d<»\vn lo the subalterns in com-
mand of fnmtier outposts, were i)ressing com-
jiliance with the terms of the treaty, and frame
excuses for delay as he would, INfcDouall real-
ized at the outset that no great length of time
could elapse before he must yu'ld to the inevit-
able, lie n\ust remove his garriscm, but where
should he i)lant the Hag of the King? In his
dispatches to his superiors he discussed every
sj»ot that seemed to him available; the St.
Marv's river, St. .Iose])h island, the (Jreat

British Occupation

liliinitonlin island and the island just east of
Point Detour, for which he jiave no name. The
Falls of St. Mary, with many advantafj;es, was
a i)()int too far removed from Mackinaw. St.
Joseph island, although occu]>ied by the North-
west com])any as a trading i»ost, and where
they had buildings which luid cost six thou-
sand ]»ounds sterling, was unfit for fortiflca-
lion, and no locality on the (ireat ]\ranitouliu
seemed to nu'et the demands of the case. But
nu»ve he must, and seeing as yet no way out of
the dilemma. :McDonall began the shipnu'nt of
(luantities of commissary and Indian stores to
St. Joseph island, where they could be conve-
niently stored in the amjtle warehouses of the
Northwest com]»any.

There was one (|uestion which caus(»d Lt.
Col. .McDonall no little uneasiness, and to
which lie constantly reverted in his disjtatches
— whether wherever the new i>ost might be lo-
cated it would not tinallv be acceded to be on

(if Dnnninoud Island.

tiM-ritory bcloiiyiiiji' to tiic rnitcrt States. With
this tVelin}>' of donl»t in his luiiul, tlu* pros and
cons of each locality weiv dis<nsscd in his let-
ters, and while as a thovonjih liriton he could
see no justice or reason in allowing; any of the
assumptions which he felt sure the United
States would nu\ke, he evidently feared that
his j-'overnnient would yield until the British
were crowded from that jiart of the country.
But Mcl)<uiall. from his i)oint of view, re-
moved fnnn any of the reverses of the war,
failed to rcijli/.e that the I'nited States had
(■oiKiiicml tlie terms of the treaty, and so he
protested in stronj>' terms that the noble nation
whose humble servant he was, should not sur-
render their honor to the i>usillanim(ms Ameri-
cans, and thus, while renderinj;- themselves
desjiicable in the minds of the Indians, lose all
hold ujton the }>reat northwest. In the light
of liistory, his fears and ju-edi' tions have al-
most the t(me and force of a realized prophecy.

British Ocvuimtion

About the middle of June, Capl. V;\\m\
Royal Knsineci's, and Cii\)\. Collier. Koyal
Navy, having arrived at :Mackinaw for that
purpose, the three officers set about determin-
ing the site for the future post. They cruised
about among the islands at the north end of
Lake Huron, and on the 24th. McDonall re-
ported that the location had been agreed upon.
He described its advantjiges, but gives, in his
letter, no name for the island to which he was
to remove. However, in a speech he sent a
few days later to the Indians in the region of
the Mississi]tpi, he said: "I invite you once a
year to the King your great Father's new fort
at Pontaf/anip!/:' This then, was the indian
name for the island; but it doi's not appear in
any of the letters sent to head(iuarters. His
first dispatch after arriving at the island was
dated simply "Alanitoulin Island," while the
next and all subsequent ones were dated
"Drummond Island." We may well believe
that this name for the island was selected by
the officers who made choice of it for a military
post, in honor of the then ''Lieutenant Gover-

TORO;n'0
CEKlR«L

Hislotv

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of Dnniimoiul Island.

nor and Coniniandci' <.f the Forces in Canada,'
^^ir Gordon Drnminond.

«
* *

In his dispatch aniKMincin*-- tlie location of
tlie new post, McDonall said: "The situation
combines several important advantajres, viz.,
an admirable harbor, proximity to the Indians,
and will enable us also to command the pas-
sage of the Detour, },nvin}i our vessels the
double advantage (►f a good anchorage in that
strait, in addition to a fine harbor adjoining.
The ground fixed upon for the new post and
which was best calculated for the harbor is
very rocky and will be diftinilt to work."

Near the southwesterly point of Drummoud
island, as already described, a beautiful bay
studded with islands pierces the land from
southwest towards northeast, and is divided

/>/-/7i.s// Orriiixitioii

from the Detour strait by a hifjli rujjficd ridge
of liincstoiK' rock, which averages a little less
tlian a mile in width. On the east side of this
ridge and fronting on the bay in which a large
fleet might ride at saf<' anchorage, was the site
chosen for the post. liy means of artillery ad-
vantageously ]»laced on the other side of the
ridge, it was expected to command the naviga-
tion of the strait on the west, and thus be able
to control the commerce between the lower
lakes and Lake Sujierior. The site fixed upon
tor the new ]»ost, and tlie fort which the officers
did not doubt would be built, was on land
afterwards descrilted by the United States land
survey as Section 1, Townshij) 41 north, of
Kange 4 east; a selection which for military
purposes Avas well nigh useless, but as a ren-
de/.vous from which to retain influence over
the Indians, and as a spot surpassingly beauti-
ful, was admirably cliosen.

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of Dntmmniul LHlaiul.

Oil Cjijtt. I'jivnc, Ko.val Knjiiix'crs. dovolvod
the duty of iiiakiii<>- i-ciidy for tlic occnjKUicy of
tlu> place, and with the limited means at his
command he entered up<m the task of clearing
off the timber, gradin}*' the surface, and erect-
ing- the buildings necessary for the use of the
garrison. J Jut the commandanrs plan for the
l)(/st contemjdated more than the consti'uction
of a foilitication; there Avas to be a trading
post of impoi'tance, and as a necessary adjunct
thereto, a l<»\vu of reasonable dimensions. In
conformity with this ]»lau, as rajtidly as the
labor (d' clearing the ground jtermitted. ('ai)t.
Payne laid oul (he lines of the fort, near which
he nuu-ked an amj)le ]>arade ground, and staked
oul the future town. This, on the plat sent to
headipiarters for approval, Wiis named "Col-
lier," and had its streets, jiark and fair sized
lots. The dimeusio!is of the h»ts intended for
residence ]»urp()s;'s were unifoi)iily fifty by one
hundred and tift v feet.

Hita

British Occupation

III.

It was the ISth of July Avlieii the British }?ar-
rison finally took its (le])ai'tui'e fi-oiii Macki-
naw, and sailed away to a new rendezvous.
The date for their leaving had been set for July
1st, and the United States troops who were to
occupy the place, arrived on that date; but the
J?ritish had made so little progress in the re-
moval of their stor(\s, and were so scantily pro-
vided wi(h transi)orl that they begged for fif-
teen days more in which to get themselves
away. Col. Butler did not wish to be disoblig-
ing, and having agreed to the delay asked for,
encam])ed his troops on the low ground south
of the f<»rt and awaited the convenience oi the
JJritisii commandant. The boats to be had
were small, and uiade but slow progress in
theii- sailing, and as there was no wharf at
Drummond, the unloading was accompanied
with serious hindrance. When the IHth of the
month arrived, so much yet remained to be
moved tliat a further post]>onement of three

of Drummaiul Island,

days w.'is Rrantt'd. at which time the Stars and
Stripes were again unt'nrled from llie HagstaiV
at the fort, before the departing lUitisli had
reached their boats at the dock.

*
«- *

The force whicli Lt. Col. McDonall had
under his command, consisted of one company
of the 81st, and two companies of the Royal
Newfoundland regiments. The term of enlist-
ment of the last two companies had already
expired, and they were relieved and sent home
late in the autumn. To the number of those
under arms are to be added about twenty-five
men in the employ of the Indian departmeni:,
together with a large number of families be-
longing to the soldiers, and the numerous at-
taches of the Northwest trading comitan.y.
\Vhile no accurate return has been left of the
nund)er of people who on that July day, 1815,
found themselves in the wilderness of Drnm-
mond island engagcMl in the task of i)roviding
themselves shelter, u careful estimate from the
6

British Occupation

(lata at hand ])lac('s tlic nuiiibci' at Ix'twcen
tlireo liundix'd and lit'ty and four hundred. t'X-
clusive of the indians, who in large numbers
were proini)t to accompany them, in order to
share in their food supi>lies.

For the task of buildinp; a new town and the
necessary public structures, the garrison seems
to have been unequal; they lacked the ingenu-
ity and ability necessary to clear away the
timber with readiness, and to make use of the
material at hand for the erection of the needed
buildings. The commandant began at once a
c*om]>laint of the inefficiency of his men for the
labor at which he was com]>elh'd to em])loy
them, and chimoi'ed for some companies of
trained artisans to be sent in lieu of those he
had. It seems more than probable that the
two comj>anies of the Newfouiidhind regiment
Avhose term of enlistment had closed with the
war, and who were anxious to be sent home,
failed to exhibit any special energy in the pio-

of Dniiiiinnnd Island.

neor labor of folliii}; trrcs, I'ootiii}'' out stnuips
and hewing timbt'i* for \o^ lionscs wliicli would
only benefit those who should take theii'
])laces. The first attention was necessarily
given to the nmtter of barracks for the soldiers
and shelter for the people and the stores cui
hand, and there was no opportunity to do more
in Ihe matter of fortification than to make
plans relative thereto. Rut there was another
reason for the delay in the building of the
promised fort — the uncertainty whether the
island they had chosen would be awarded by
the commissioners under the treaty, to the
British King. So serious was the doubt on this
subject in the nund of the liome goveruuu'Ut,
that under date of October l(>, of that year.
Earl liathurst wrote from Downing street,
directing that no steps be taken t(»\vard the
construction of fortifications on Drummond
island until the conmiissioners sIkmiIcI make
their report.

» »

British Occupation

Lacking everything in the way of building
material which S( ned to him i-equisite to the
pm'])ose,McI)onal, |.i'oposed to hischief in com-
mand that the buildings on St. Joseph island,
belonging to the Northwest company, be pur-
chased, taken down and re-erected at the new
jtost.

\Nhen, in 1S12, war having been declared be-
tween the United States and Great Britain, a
British express was sent to the northwest
posts to inform them thereof, he found a cap-
tain and forty men stationed on St. Joseph
island, together Avith the employ(:is and retain-
ers of the trading comiiauies; and it was from
there that the successful raid which resulted
in the capture of :Mackinaw by the simple de-
mand to surrender, was organized and started.

Wlum the British left IMackinaw island in
17!M), they removed to St. Joseph island in St.
Mary's river, and there established a small
post. As Iha) location had no advantages from
a military point of view, nor indwd from any
other that can be discovered, it is probable
that the choice of location was made by tl>e fur
com]»anies, prompted by the desire to be suf-

■

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IX
UJ

II ;

of Jhumiiumtl Island.

flciently near to Mackinaw to retain their trad-
ing relations witli the inilians wiio passed
tlirous'li tlie Mackinaw straits or came from
Lake Sujtei'ior. Tliere the military defenses
were slight. A "blockhouse,'' surrounded with
a picketing, a magazine and a commandant's
house, seem to have been all the government
provided for itself; but the fur com])anies had
for their uses some large and well built strui.--
tures. The "blockhouse" was ])robably nothing
nun-e than a large log house. Lieut. Kobert
Cowell, commanding there in 1801, said that it
contained but three rooms, which did not fur-
nish sufficient accommodations for the officers.
However, he speaks in his letter of the "fort
and its enclosures." The nuigazine, which was
a stone structure, remained in good repair uj*
to and during all the time of the occupation of
Drummond island, and Avas used as the storing
place for the ammunition of that post. ]?ut
the buildings belonging to the trading com-
panies were extensive in size and number, and
were not a little tem]»ting to the garrison
wliich was in need of c(unfortable slielter. The
lu'gotiations for the purchase rt'sulled only in

British Occitpaiion

securing some of the larger oues for the use of
the post, and the officers were obliged to buy
the dwelling houses on their individual ac-
count. The commandant and a portion of the
officers were thus able to house tliemselves
comfortably before the winter set in, and the
others followed their example the ensuing
season.

* «

In order that the Indians might still be im-
pressed with an overpowering sense of the
greatness of the British, notwithstanding their
reverses and enforced relinquishment of the
island of INIackinaw, Col. McDonall conceived
that an extensive system of fortifications for
ott'cnse and defense was necessai'y. When leav-
ing .Miickinaw, he had told the Indians that at
the place he was going there would be a larger
fort and bigger guns than those he was leav-
ing, and that those who remained true to their
allegiance to the King should be able to look
with disdain upon those who remained with the
Americans. The place selected, on Drummond

of Dnmniiontl Inhnid.

island, was choson for its supposed adaptabil-
ity to tlio i)ni'p<)si's of fortitioation ; and tlio tirst
•nnonji: liis thouj^lits, on his arrival there, was
how to carry out his plans in that direction.

Just what Col. McDonall's plans for fortifi-
cation were, or how extensive they were, it is
not now possible to determine, since he seems
to have withheld the details of his dream of
Sreatness from his superiors, p;iving only here
and there a hint as to the possibilities and pro-
pri(4y of niakinj? a veritable stronghold of the
rocky neck of the island which he had chosen
on behalf of his Kin}?, and was holding- in his
name. Rut from the scattered hints to be
found in his letters, as well as the sketches
and memoranda from the engineer department,
and the ruins of what constituted the defenses
which were actually constructed, we may with
reason conchuh' as to the plans which the
doughty colonel harbored in his mind, and as

!ft

Jiritlxh O.TKixition

fill- !is lie wiis iiblc. i»ut into taupbh' tiiiilHT
jind sloiic.

« »

The first (Iciiiiiiul in tlu' inl crest of siifcty
wliii'li ln' tried to meet. Wiis sonietliiiifj; in the
AVJiy of defense from ontside atlju-ks; iind for
lliis Col. M<I)onjill conceived tliat a "block-
honse" wonld meet tlie necessary reiiuireinent.
IJefore tlie ccminiand had itself housed for the
ai»i»roachin}i- wint<'r, the timber for the pro-
]»osed structure had been cut. hewn and jiotten
on the firound where it was to be erected. This
was on the i»<»int of a hill lyin^' due north from
the barracks, some eighty rods, and which
seemed to offer more than ordinary induce-
ments for fortification. The ed^es around the
soul hern jioint of this hill were orij-inally steep,
and were made more so by dinjiinji", so as (o pre-
sent a sharp declivity about lifteen feet hi^h,
up Avhich an attackinj;' party wo\ild have ditti-
culty in climbiiifi. On the toj» of this hill, it
was proposed to construct the wished for
blockhouse. J5ut instead of i>ermissi(m to use

of l>riiiniiioii(l IhUiiuI.

I lie i»nl)lic iiKUM'.vs for tlic biiildinn; ,,f this most
ill-dent l,v i'<*pn's«'ii(('(l ikmchsjiiv iiicjiiis of de-
fense, the order cjinie from liomhm to expend
absolutely nolliiiiy in tlie eonstriieHon of mili-
tary works njxMi the island nntil (he d<'eisi(m of
the (jiiestion as to the Ixmndarv was had, and
the Islaiwi was assiire<l as bel<Mij,'injf to theKinj^'.
Notwitlistandinjj: this jiosilive proiiibition,
which was accoiiijtanietl with the reasons
theii'for, at frecpient intervals up to the time
of the announcement of the boundary award,
the authorities at Quebec were iir^fed in lan-
j-iiajic stronjicr than mo«lern militarv etiquette
would all<)w, to consent to the bu'.ldinj;' of this
blockhouse. The authority was never jiiven.

*
* ♦

It may not be difticiilt to understand that a
lack of authority for the expenditure <>f money,
may mean simply the char^inji of the expendi-
ture to some other account. Before the order
not to fortify Fort Collier arrived, the enj;ineer
at the post had exjiended nearly three hundred

i: f

If:

British Occupation

l)ouii(ls in fjcttiiifr ready for the l)lo('kliouso.
lie liiul Jiln^iuly {iradcd the hill to suit his
lihms, and he had crcctod on the top an earth-
work (a heavy breastwork of stone) fifty fei^t
square on Ihe inside, with the necessary j»lat-
f(n'ni8 for the handling of the heavy artillery.
Ueing- cut off from his ])roje('ted blockhouse
which was intended to be formidable in size,
and to serve the double jnirpose of barracks
and fort, a small blockhouse, twelve feet
s(|uai'e at its base, and i»res\imably sixteen
feet square in its ujtper story, was built a short
distance north of the northwest corner of the
o]»en earth-work, which miji'ht siM-ve as a j;\iar<l
houst' for the detail in charge of the artillery,
and from which they might tire upon maraud-
ers with musketry without exposing theni-
selves to danger.

The earth-work, and the ruins of the little
blockhouse may yet be seen as silent witness<'S
of the ardor of the oltlcers who built them, as
well as of their constant fear of the hordes of
Indians which visited them every year clamor-
ing for gifts, and seeming to be ready to take

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of DniDiinoiKl Island.

for t)\(-iiis<'lvos wliatev(M' was dt'iiitnl to thoir
requ(\st.

lint bovond evory other ooiiBiderjition, Col.
^rcDoiiiill i'('<>i)r<l(Ml tlic coinniiuul of tlio Detour
liiissji«>(' by tlic Kiii}«'s iirlillcry as of the very
liiHliest iiMi»ortanee. He was not at all at peace
with the United States, and evid«^ntly exitected
tliat the treaty whicli liad been nuuh' by tlie
Kinj>- wonid be of short life. He seemed io
think that the navy of the Tnited States would
sail uji the lakes and attenii»t the (•ai>ture of
the points north of Drninmond. in violation of
the treaty and the e(nnity of nations. The re-
ports to head(iuarters show that the rujij>-ed
contour of the point which had be<'n chosen by
]\IcI)(MjaII and his broth;'r ollicers, had been
selected for tin' reason that there, nun'e advan-
taj;eously than elsewhere, the Kinji's cannon
might be so placed as to comi»el obedience to
the demands of the Kinj-'s othc<'is. He seems
to have been oblivions to the fact tlnit the pas-
sage around the eastern end of the island was

]iriti}i1i Ofciipation

equally Rood and easy to make, and that lie
mifi'ht tlnindcr fortli his wrath at his pleasure
from the heif^hts of the i>oint he had set him-
self down upon, while the wily Yankee could
lau}ih him to scorn as his }>ood boat danced
ovei' the waters of the eastern jtassage.

A little more tlian half a mile to the north-
west of the jiarrison town, rises a hill, steep,
and of contour to win the heart of him who
\v(>uld plant a canncm to be used at lonj; range.
Its side abuts on the western shore of the
island, and its summit stands one hundred and
s(^venty-iive feet above the water. From the
clearing* made by the liritish, for the fort
which they hoped there to ere<'t, (me of the
finest views in all the lake country may be had.
Sitting at the door of a cottage there i)laci'd by
a homesteader in se.arch of the romantic, on
any evening dtiriiig the season (►f navigation,
one may see five nuiriner's beacons casting
their kindly light over the waters to guide hiiu
on his way, — the Spectacle Keef, Detour Point.
Frying l*an island, and Pipe island lighthouses,
and one of the river range lights; one Hash

of Drummond Island.

■

light (iT(l and white), two wliito lijilits and two
red lights.

It was from this very spot that Col. McDon-
all hoped to sound the lion's growl at will, and
from there send forth the note of defiance from
the deep throated sunset gun. His hopes were
not realized; the fort was never built. Under
the regime of his successors, the clearing he
had made for the erection of a lofty fortress
w^as turned to the uses of agriculture, and the
ten-acre field, enclosed by a rail fence which
still remains as a relic of the departed Britons,
yielded jiotatoes for tlie sustenance of the
King's soldiers.

But a fort situated at such an altitude that
the guns of a ship could not hojie to reach it so
as to cause any disturbance to those behind its
ramparts, was not enough to satisfy the de-
mands of the time and place; a water battery
seemed necessary to ensure to the Britisli com-
plete control of the strait. On the soiithern
arm of the Portage bay, was found a spot

ff-r. 1

British Occupation

suited to this purpose. Trotectcd by broad
shoals of rock in front. aji,ainst even the ar-
tacks from small boat.i, it seemed a place
where a battery of thirty-two pounders might
command respect. Whetlun* any of the work
necessary for the handlinji' of the guns at that
point was ever done is now uncertain; but the
road ovei' which the heavy jafuns could b.'
hauled to the spot was so thoroughly made as
that today it might be used for a similar pur-
pose.

U I

In the autumn of that year — ISl;") — the out-
look for the future of his new town had as-
suiiM'd, in <'orrespondence with the ruddy glow
of the fo:'''st foliage, such roseate hues, that
McDonall turned his thought to the purchase
for and on behalf of his royal nuister, of the
entire island from the Indian claiuuuits. He
stated in a lettei- to the military secretary of
the department that "the i>riiiciiKil right and
title to this island is vested in a ('hii>pewa
chief who usually resi<les at Sagana bay, be-

I V

of DriiiiinioiHl Txhnid.

twefii this and Detroit, and some of his rela-
tions.'' Indian Ajjent John Askin reported
that tlie owner was "Xebawgnaine, Cliipitewa
chief, who was wonnded in tlie arm at Proc-
tor's defeat." I'nder McDonall's direction, the
indian a}>'ent called thos;' who had claim to
the island toj;ether, and the two enthusiastic
officers were able to formulate with the indian
chiefs a conditional aj!,reement that in case th*}
determinati<ui of the boundary line was favor-
able to continued liritish occupation, the
island should be rejiularlv ]>urchased and ]>aid
for. To bind the barj;ain which was simply
one of {>()od faith for future contin};ent fulflll-
nient, the Indians were f;iven "the frc^'dom of
the city, and a kej« of rum" with, which to as-
suaffe their ji'rief over the prosj)ective loss of
their projierty. A kej-- of rum, as ])ut u]» for a
present to Indians, contained three f;allous.
Each succeedinji' year, when Nebaw}»naine y'n-
ited the post, as indeed he did not fail to do, he
was treated with the most marked attention,
lavish ]>resents and the unfailinj;' kej;' of rum to
lijihten the toils of iiis homeward journey, it
appears (hat the barj;ain was held to be in

British OcvuiHifion

fovve as lone: as the IJritish were able to remain

on the mneh coveted island.

*
* »

The commandant was delighted to report the
arrival on the 4th of October of a company of
sajnters and miners, for which he had nrgently
asked, and his hopes for the future of the post
were correspondingly raised. He also reported
that owing to the jiurchase of houses from St.
Joseph island, by the officers of his command,
the former settlement there could then be
scarcely traced. This statement must have
been nuide under the inspiration of his deter-
mined enthusiasm over the bright ])rospect for
the new town, since in fact a number of those
houses were not removed until Hie following
spring, and cpiite a number of the buildings
were never removed at all, but continued in
use as late, at least, as the summer of 1820. Ho
also boasted that as a result of the removal of
houses ready for i)utting together the new
town **is rapidly rising into notice. Fourteen

of Dniuinioml Tshnuh

lots facinj; the harbor have already been
jjranted to as many respectable individnals, be-
side nearly as mauv on another street." A con-
dition which he appended to each grant of a
lot, provided that "the houses are to be built
the ensuing year, uniform (in front only), not
less tlian forty foot front and twelve high, well
finished and in a manner that will admit of
their being wliitewijslied or painted." He had
hopes that by this means "the town will have
a tine effect from the beautiful picturesque
harbor, between which and the proposed fort
ther<' is already a noble ]iarade on which a
strong brigade might maneuvre upon the
smooth, solid rock." So sanguine were his
anti(i])ations for the future of the place that
he asked for himself the grant of the lot about
his house on the same conditions as the others.

*
* *

The si»riiig of ISK; found the garrison the
victims (►f a severe type of sea scurvy, which
resulted in Ihe loss of a large number of men.

Jiiittsh OccKinitloii

The two coinpiinics of tho :?7th ivfjimcnt, which
had fonucily seivcd in India, had come thitlier
from Anihei'stbui'}»: the antnnin before, worn
ont with the fever and aj>ne enjicndered in the
low country ahni}"- the h)wer Detroit river, and
theii- debilitated condition made ihem easy vic-
tims of tlie exclusive salt diet to which they
were confined. There seems to have been an
entire lack of ready resource on the part of all
concerned, for they were able durin}"' the win-
ter, to secure but few fish in a locality where
they are known to plentifully abound, and
there is no evidence of any attem]»t to secure
wild ^ame, althoujih there was a larp' number
of Indians and Canadians (presumably half-
breeds) at the post the entire winter, who
ou}i,ht to have been exercising; tiieir skill in jiro-
vidinji- a supply of the luscious wild meats for
which that rejiion has so lonj^- been famous.
Early in June the strenj;th of the jiarrison was
decreased by sendin}-' away the company of tht'
Slst. and one company of the 87th re}»iments,
leavinji' only a decimated com]»any of the 87th,
and a i)art of an artillery comjiany. The only
labor reported as haviufi,' been done that seiisoii

of DruDDiiond Island.

Avas the natlu'rinji' tof^ctlicr the licavv timber
Avhicli had been }»otteii out the ju'evious season
for a blockhouse, and i)ilin}»' it up to ensure its
preservation from decay.

Durinj? the first year on the island, ^McDonall
had ])urchased a good frame house from the
Northwest tomi)any, on St. Joseph island, had
taken it down, transferi-ed it to his new town
and i-e-erected it for liis own use and at his own
expense. Findinjj' that his dreamsfor the future
were not socm to be realized, he negotiated a
sale of his house to the governmeiit, and asked
to be relieved from the command at that point.
On June LMith, Lt. (V)l. Maule arrived at the
]>ost, and to him McDonall resifjned his com-
mand, and left for Kinj^ston and (Quebec. A
little later he returned to England, a broken
hearted man. During his stay at Mackinaw Ik;
had studiously taught the Indians that Eng-
land was a mighty nation, wholly invincible in
war, and that the United States were not

Britlnh OcciiiKition

woi-tliy the notice of liif>h iniiul:'*! |>('<»i)h'.
When force' 1o retire to Diuniiiioiul isliiiul he
liad told tlK'iii tluit there wouhl be si greater
fort and heavier guns ther^lhan at Mackinaw,
and tlio action of his }>-overnnient in yieulin}^
np those inijiortant i)hices. or even in dehiyin.;^
to assert tlieii- siipei-iority and <h'l;'rniination
to remain in tliat ref^ion, seemed to liini to he ;i
direct l)h>w at liis diaracter as a j'ciiih'nian of
lionor. Jle carri;'d tlie stinji' of this Icclinj;- to
Ins f^ravc?.

The year 1817 witnessed no ciian};(' in the
atfairs of the ishnm. The enj-ineei* dei>artnient
s;'nt forward fresli ]>hinsfoi' forlitication which
were promjttly i-ejected on the j-round tliat the
tith^ to the island was not yet secure. Durinu;
the y<>ar iSlS, Lt. ('(d. Manle was relieved by
Thomas Howard .Major 7(llh K;'jiiment. and he
by .lames Winnell. Major <>Sth lA^ht Infantry.
The work of the year consisted of a thorouj«li
rejtair of the buildinj;s. The year isr,> passed
with nolhinji' iu distnrb tlie nionotonv of the

of l>ruiin)ioml InJumJ.

record. On the 251 li of .Innc, ISL'O, n forest liiv
swj'pt over the isliiinl, jiimI a slnni};- j^jilc drove
llic fliinics Jowjird I lie lowii. \\\ tlie ctlorls of
llic j-jii-risoii, assisted by about four linndred
iiidiaiis who were visiliii}>' the post at the time,
no daniajic was incurred except the destruction
of the square timber wliicli liad been prepared
for th<' blockhouse.

» »

Tlie commissary department had bi'en stirn-d
to action by the h)ss of life from scui-vy durin^f
thesprin}-' <)f ISKI, and «'acli sumnu'r thereafter
a number of beef catth' were sliipp(«d from Am-
iierstburji' t(> this post. Tliere was e.vceUent
pasturaj^c on St. Josepli island, but none on
Drummond, and the catth' were sent to St.
.Joseph and cared for by the s(|uad whicli kept
j;uard over tiie majiazine. Durinj'' tlie winter
lliese <-attIe were driven across the ice to the
post to be shiujihtered as neeih-d. On .January
2l', 1S21, wliih' tills was l)ein^- done, a iiumbei-
of tlie cattle broke through the ice, and ono
was lost.

liritish Occupation

Major Winuett and his command were re-
lieved June 10, 1822, by a detachment of the
Tfith Itefriment, INIajor Goff commanding. It
was dui-ing this year that the determination of
the commissioners under the treaty, that
Drummond ishuid did not belong to the King
became known at the post, and was the cause
of no little (•()rresi)ondence and query as to
what to do next. There Avas, however, no
haste on the part of the British authorities to
withdraw from United States territory. The
transfer of the post io some other point was
discussed, but no satisfactory location was
lix<Hl upon. They seem to have regarded the
removal as a nuitter to be attended to at their
con\ enience. '

*
» «

As a meiisurc i»r«']»aratory to the evacuatiim,
however, in -lune, 1S2:?. a lH>ard of otliccrs made
an inventory of tlie government proi)erty on
Ihe island and appraised the value of the eight-
een buildings used for the purposes of the gar-
rison. Thev found the total value of the struc-

of Dvuinmond Island.

tmvs on Di'iinimoiKl island to be twelve hun-
dred and seventy-three jjounds, Halifax cui-
rencj-, and of those on St. Joseph island, ninety
pounds.

^fajor (Jotr, with his command, was relieved
in June, 18li4, by Lieu(. James J. Gaston, with
a ])art of a company of the 70th Regiment, who
remained until June, 1S27, when they were re-
lieved by Lieut. Thomas Carson, with luilf of
a company of the (i.Slh Kegiment.

From the time when it became known that
ihere must be an entire relimpiishment of
Drummond island, the garrison devoted them-
selves to the one pur|»ose of making themselves
comfortable, and their routine of duty as little
irksome as possible. While the military au-
thoritit's discussed where the new post should
be located, the real work and expense of the

liritish Occiipaiion

]»()st AViis for the beiu'tit of llic indinns who
were all too ready to visit any place where
they would he fed Avithont labor on their part,
and where their jiri<'f for the reverses whieli
had befallen their liritish friends could be as-
suaged by eoi)ious draughts of the King's rum.

* *

During all their stay at the island, the Brit-
ish were untiagging in their zeal to retain their
influence with and control over the Indians
who resided in United States territory. In tho
treaty they had agreed to relincinish all claim
and effort in that direction. b\it the fur tra<le
and the immense ])rotits resulting therefrom to
those who were in gov<Mnment eniploy, over-
came what little of honor they possessed, and
specious arguments framed for the <M-casion
were a sutticient excuse for enticing Ihoso
whom they had agreed to relinquish, to still
visit and trade with them. The jtost at Drum-
mond island was regularly supplied each year
with a vast amount of "Indian goods," which

(►

of Drummo)i(l Island.

iiiclndcd cvcrytliiiifi,- in \\\v way of wearinj? ap-
parel, jiinis, anmiunition, cookiii};' uti'iisils and
the inevitable nini, all of whieli was distrib-
uted to their dusky visitors, or «at least charged
up on the accounts of the indian department
as so distributed.

The average number of Indians who were
regular annual visitants at Drummond from
the territory now included in northevn Michi-
gan, \Vis<-onsin, and Minnesota, as shown by
the returns nuide of these visitors who came
with their wives and children, was fully four
(housand live hundi-ed. At each recurring visit
they were fed and sup]»lied at the King's ex-
l>ense. Hut between the military officers and
the traders, the Indians were sorely cheated.
On their arrival they must needs have a taste
of rum for friendship's sake. This was abso-
lutely necessary in order to facilitate trade.
NN'hen the trading was ovei\ they had very
little to show for il. The furs they ha«l brought
with them had disa|>peared, and in return the}'
had a supply of useless but gaudy baubles. The
King's oflicers gave them presents; the traders
purchased the presents with I'um. Stripped of

^»

British Occupation

their season's labor, with no supplies with
which to carry on their next season's hunt, the
traders made tlieni up an outfit which they
were to pay for with the peltries they sliould
bring on their visit the succeeding year. In
this way the traders, by the aid of the com-
mandants, kept a perpetual mortgage on the
(ntire catch of nearly eyery one of their indiau
de]»endants, and reduced them to practical
slavery. The King's otticers and treasure were
actively engaged in this league of robbery, and
there can be no doubt that the officers profited
more largely than the traders, since the trad-
ers were there on suH'erance, and if the tribute
was not satisfactory, some excuse would read-
ily be found for sending the offender to (Juebec
to answer for his misdeeds, either real or
trumped up. With this fear constant before
their eyes, it is not strange tluit the traders
were ready to be the obedient servants of their
military ])r<)tectors.

of rtrummond Island.

Lt. Col. McDonall had persisted from the
outset in disregarding tlie treaty provisions
rehitive to the Indians, wliich as a niiliiary
officer it was his duty to carry out. He seems
also to have been intent on picking a (luari'el
with the Ignited States, as represented at
Mackinaw. When, in the spring of ISUJ, his
men were dying for want of proper food and
medical supplies, he requested the loan of such
articles, from the commandant at Mackinaw,
as were sorely needed, not only were the arti-
cles sent without parley, but the United States
surgeon was also sent, in order to render any
possible relief. Notwithstanding the gentle-
manly treatment he had received, he wrote fre-
quent letters comjdaining of the doings of the
officers at Mackinaw relative to certain per
sons resident there who retained their alle-
giance to the King, and also in regard to In-
dian affairs, sonu> i>f which, at least, were
couched in terms none too polite.

*
* »

British Occupation

One of till' amusing featui't's of the relations
Avitli the Indians at that time, was the readi-
ness with which, in their search for rnni, the
noble red men carried tales to both parties.
After a visit to INfackinaw, where they were
treated as fjovernment wards, resident in
United States territory, and where they had
told of the wrong- doing of those at Drummond,
and the taunting, ugly speeches they had heai'd
there, and had tasted of "a keg of milk, that
they might know how to sing," a visit to Drum-
mond was stealthily nuule, and with the
strongest protestations of regard for the King,
they prevailed upon the officers to "moisten
their lips that they nught tell the truth" in re-
gard to what they had but recently seen and
heard at Mackinaw. By this means some of
the shrewder of the old men among the Indians
wei-e able to subsist in comjtarative ease, and
enjoy fi-eipient debauches, as well, fiut the re-
sult of this method of madness «m the part of
the tale bearers, was to kee]) the officers of
both posts in a constant state of irritation and
])etty alarm. 'In i'ei)ly to a letter written by
Alchonall to Lieut. Col. ('haml)ers. command-

of Dniiinitoiid Island.

<■

inj>- at Mackiiunv, and wliich was referred to
AVilliani Henry Putott", local agent of indiau
affairs, Mr. Putoff wrote as follows:

"It has been repeatedly observed *^o nie by
the Indians tliat you in coiineil with them on
Druniniond island, in the name of your {govern-
ment have forbidden them to trade with the
Americans, have ordered them to biinji- their
corn to their British Father, or, if i)revented by
stress of weather, to leave it with British trad-
ers only, on the island of Mackinaw, or bury it
until sprinj--; that you have sent your order to
an Indian trading at L'Arbre Croche for
]Michael Douseman, forbidding- him to trade
for or deliver his corn to an American; that
you have a few days since held a council at
wliich barrels of rum were ojxMied to them,
minute j>uns w<M-e fired and they were inf()rmed
that the tomahawk would a^ain be raised early
in the spring; that red vvamjaim and tobacco
mixed with vermillion was distributed; and
they were advised to be on the iilerl as it was
the intention of the Americans to invite them
to this island with a view to massacre them;
that you would again apju'ar in the night with
II)

British Occupation

your bis S"" upon the island of Mackinaw and
that the Americans would not dare to op])ose
you. These and many other reports of a like
character have been repeatedly made to me."

The methods instituted by McDonall were
faithfully followed by his successors, as long
as the supplies of presents and food for so
doin}? were sent forward; and even when the
(juantity of supplies was curtailed, there was
no diminution of effort to secure the regular
visits of the Indians.

of Dntmmoud IslamL

TV,

The necessity for removal from Drnmmond
island being conceded, and the Prince Regent
having expressed a wish that a post should be
located at some point near the boundary be-
tween the two countries having equal advan-
tages for communication with the Indians and
watching the operations of the United States
in those regions, a commissioner was sent to
examine all the practicable locations and re-
port thereon. His report set forth that the site
of the Northwest company's buildings at Sault
Ste Marie w^ould cost eighteen hundred pounds
to purchase, but that in order to reach their lo-
cation, vessels must pass directly under the
guns of the American fort, which was distant
only a mile and a quarter. Hence that site was
totally unfit for a military post. Portlock's
Harbor, thirty miles north northwest of Urum-
mond, he regarded as out of the question on
account of the diilficulties of navigation. Al-
though i)ossessed of a good harbor, it would be

4:.iJ

liritifih ()cciii>(iti(in

cut off bj' the ici' in wiiitci', and the ])assaf»e up
the rapids was sh)w and unceitain at any time.
Tlif. location on St. .Iose]»h island, where the
post had been prior to 1S12, i»leased him best,
but the ex])ense incident to the entire rebuild-
inj? of a fortification at that place made it seri-
ously objectionable. In view of all the eou-
tinji'encies. the chief anxiety bein};- for a point
readily accessible to the Indians, I'enetanfiiii-
sliene. near the southeast corner of the (leorfi,-
ian bay, seemed to present the fewest disad-
vantag'es.

This report, dated Se])t(Muber 9, 1825, had to
run the j;auntlet of officialism to such an ex-
tent that fully three years more had ]>assed
before the order for its adoption was promul-
fiated. And so the seasons came and went,
until at last, the i)atience of the United States
government beinjj well nigh exhausted, with-
out having ])rovided any jdace for the recep-
tion of the garrison or the safety of the stores,
and with no more of ])rei»aration than though
tiicy wei'e escaping from an advancing and
overpowering foe, they hustled themselves
awav.

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I-

isim

of Drummouil Island.

The order for the abjindoninent of the post
and the transfer of the small garrison to Pene-
tanguishene on Matehedash bay, having been
given, as well as the arrangement for turning
over everything (except the garrison movables,
to an officer of the United States, a brig, the
Duke of Wellington, of one hundred and thirty
tons burthen, luid been sent from Fort Erie to
effect the transfer. It was now later in the
season than it was usual to attempt navigation
on Lake Huron, but the evacuation could not
be longer delayed. The post was to be left be-
hind very much as it had been first occupied,
without adequate means for the removal, and
witli a haste amounting to precipitancy.

For thirteen years tliis island had been tlie
abode of a large number of people. Entering
upon it in a wilderness state, they had made
for themselves real homes, and accumulated
about them quantities of those things which
are necessary to home life, and without which

Jiritish Occu>mtioii

fi'ontior life would be unbciirablc. The family
cow. the hoi-rie, tlic i>ij>s, the sheej*. poult ly,
snul the luoduce of their well cnvea for j;ai'-
dens, were now to be abandoned. The dei»art-
ure of the few soldiers whose presence had
been their needed and only protection, made it
necessary for them to remove with, or soon
after the {iarrison should be jione.

TJie officers and their families, accustomed
as they were to but short residences at any
place, had been obliged to provide for them-
selves there, as they wotdd not have done at
locations where it was ]»ossible to jjurchase the
ordinary comforts of life, and so they had had
their j-ardens and tlieir domestic animals. The
soldiers, as well, had en^ajicd in aj^riculture,,
and so well had they succeeded that they left
behind them at departure, over two thousand
bushels of potatoes whidi they had secured for
their winter's supply. None of those Ihinjis
was it jiossible to remove with them.

of Dnimiuotnl Island.

Tlu' -'Duki' of Wclliii^loir" was not ablo to
take in lici' possible ( iii'no even llu' jiovci-nnicnt
]troi»<'i-ty, and tlic garrison with their families,
and a, snnill Tniled {States schooner — the (Mn
cinnati — was chartered to assist in earryinjj;
away what was absolnlely necessary. But
even this was not suHicient, and Lieut. Carson
was obliji'ed to send a larj;*' (piantity of stores
lo St. Josei»h island for winter stoi*a}i«'. The
}j;overnnient movables were j>otten away, but
the houseludd furniture of the otticers. which
was their jtrivate i>roi>ei-ty, includinji' bed-
steads, chairs, sofas, dressers. ('ui»boards and
the food sui»plies which they had laid in for the
winter, was all left beliind for lack of trans-
l»ort. Nor could these articles be sold, since
those who i-emained on tlie island expected to
<lepart as soon as they could do so, and they
well knew that siiwe these thiujis must be left,
tliey would fall into their hands without pur-
chase.

British Occupation

i»

It was (HI November 14, 1828, tlii^a T.
Pierce Simonton, Lieutenant V. S. A., sent
thither from Fort lirady to receive the surren-
<lei', f-ave his receipt for the twent.v buihlings
which had been occui>i<Hl strictly for yoveru-
ment purposes, and on the KUli tlie two vessels
set sail in a blnsterin}^ snowstorm for their
destination in undisputed IJrilish territory.
The number of pcrscms who that day embarked
from the shores of Druminond island, as sliowu
by the return of D. A. ('. (Jeneral, -lames Wick-
ens, was seven olti<'ers, forty nu'n, flfteen wom-
en, twenty-six children and three servants; a
total of ninety-one peojde. They arrived at
IVnetanjiiilshene on the '2h•^t of the nu.nih.hav-
inj;- endured the sfipnu and the cho]) seas of Ihe
(li'orjiian bay for tive lonj; weary days. Fr(un
that date Urummond island passes oiit of the
realm of British history, in all excei>t tlm
claims for losses to the ollicers and men sus-
taiui'd bv reason of the sudden evacuaticm.

of Drummond Islanil.

There is a strauffe tradition in tlie neiphbor-
hood, that when tlie ]?ritisli sailed away ou
that Nineniber day, they set lire to tlie beauti-
ful little town, thinkiufj thus to cheat the
Americans out of their booty. It is, however,
fairly conclusive apiinst this, that the town
and military structures were not immediately
destroyed, that Lieut. Simonton's instructi(ms
relative to ihe evacuation, included the selec-
tion and employment of a careful man to take
charjie of the iiublic i>roj>erty for the time be-
inj;-.

*
» *

At what time the island was finally descried
is not entirely clear, but liiat the town was not
desti-oyed by the i-eticatinjj,' occui)ants seems
certain. The fannly of .lames Farlinj;', the posr
blacksmith, remained in their home at least for
the wintei'. and all the circumstances seem to

m
m

M
1.4

l.'tr

British Occiipatinii

indicate that tlicy wore iidt lacUiiifi- for com-
IHsny. The civilians who, during all the years
of the occupation had, from various rcaHons of
trade and enii)loynient, in very considerable
numbers uuide it their hcmie, were nol able,
even if they desired, to obtain transport with
the troops, and from the nature of the case
were left to care for themselves. The lateness
of the season compelled tliem. no doubt, to re-
main until the followin}^;' spring.

» »

Neither does the traditiim that the town was
wiped out by tire seem to be borne out by the
]»resent ai)pea ranee of (he site. Tiiere are evi-
dences of forest tires, and i»rol»ably successive
ones, which the rank growths of grass would
greatly facilitiite; but it is vorthy of n(>tice
that even forest tires have not disturbed the
little cemetery with Its cedar i»aliug fence and
head-boards of wood, .lames .1. Strang, tl,"
Mormon king of th;' T.eaver islands, ^aid in his
pamphh (, "Ancient and modern Michilimack-

of Driniunoud TsItiiuL

iliac," that ^lackinaw was ''enlarged and beau-
tified by stealiiij? from the Ignited States tlie
town on Diununond island, surrendered by
(Jreat Britian." Tlie truth of the statement is
certainly within the range of probability. It
is not unreasonable to suppose that the dwell-
ers on Mackinaw island, tindinji' abandoned
structures on Drummond which contained ma-
terial siiited to their needs, shoJild carry it
thence and utiliz*' it as best they uiv^ht for
their own comfort.

* *

The leal destinction of the town may safely
be set down as not the result of human intent,
or yet of accident; but as due primarily to the
ever-actiufi,' forces of nature which hasten to
obliterate the scars inflicted on her bosom by
imperious man. Deserted as human habita-
tions, lacking the r<']>airs necessary for tlieir
preservation, the liousi's, which were either log
structures or bark lodges, soon began crum-
bling to decay,and when at s(»me time the thici;

-r

British OcniiKition

mat of grass was kindled by a spark from some
liunter's fire, tlie ruin was made more com-
plete.

.mm>mi-,^m^^^^m,m^,,^^^^^,..

of Dniuimoiid Island.

11 is ii (11 lions as well as a disajii't't'ablc fact
thai while the Jiiitish records of the occni)a-
ti(m and relin(|nishnH'nt of Drnnuuond island
are fnl! and ]»i'esnnjaMy coin])lete. it has
jM'oven inijtossihle to secure from the I'nited
States dt'itartnients at \Vashin}>ton anythinj;-
bearing upon the evacuation and disposition of
the proi)erty left in the hands of the War De-
j»artnient bv the retiring; Hritish. Kepeat«Ml
i-e(]uests of the War Dejtartuient for cojties of
documents which fiom Ihe very nature of the
case must be in theii- possession, have been
treated as jiinj^crly as thoujih it were a subject
th( y did not dare to uncover.

They have, however, been able to find one
letter, which raises so many (piestions whi<h
other documents oujilit to answer, that it
seems almost stranjic that they have even
diviil^-ed this. It is as follows:

liiitish Occupation

Fort Biadii, IS Nov., /Ni8.
Sik: I liavc tlu' honor to inform \o\i that I
have received a U'tter from the officer comdj--.
the JiritiHh troo|>s at Drummcmd Island inform-
inj.- nu" lliat lie had received orders from the
Commander of n»e Forces to turn over the puh-
lic bnildinj-s to our (Jovernment and requestinji
me to send an ottic<'r to receive them. I have
this day sent lireveted Lt. Simonton to receive
rhem, with directiims to emi»loy a resjM'ctahle
citizen to take charfje of them for the present,
the Itritish trooi»s are to leave there by the

mth or 18th.

AVith great respec(,
(So-d) !>• Wilcox,

(Uipt. oth Uci/t,

Coiintij.

Col.. W. .loNKS.

A(]jt. (li'iil..

Wash ill (/ton Citi/.

It may be noted that this letter is dated <m
the 14th, and that the n'ceipt given by Lu'ut.
Simonton to the British commandant Avas
dj'ted on the loth. ('apt. Wilcox say^. that he

of Drnmmoml Inland.

liiid (lii-('(t('(l Lieut. Siuioiiton to placi' a icspcct-
jiblt' dti7A'ii ill (hiirj^c of the iiroju'ity to b«'
tunuMl over, "for I lie ]>r('8»*iit," incaninj;-. un-
doubtedly, until lie could receive further
orders fjoiu his superiors. It is not to be suji-
l»osed for a uiomeiit that Lieut. Siinontou did
not make formal re]tort of his doinjis at Drum-
niond. on his return to Fort Brady, nor is it
supposable thi't ('a[>t. Wilcox did not at once
report to Adjt. (Jeneral Jones, what Sinionton
had done. Neither is ir in the ranj^c of prob-
abilities that Lieut. Sinionton did not avail
himself of the power conferred on him by his
sujK'rior, to "emjiloy a resju'ctable citizen to
take cliarp' of" the projierty for which he had
jiiveii his receii»t, as the representative of his
}j:overnment.

In view of all tIh' circumstances, it is not a
Mttle strani.'-e that the Asst. Secretary of Vuir
should declare that aft<'r dilij-cnt search in his
ottice no trace can be found of any rejiort Ipiv-
insi' been nuule of the t lansactions attendinjj;'
the evacuation of Drumniond.

British Occupation

YII.

The I'uk's laid down in tlic ticaty of (Ihent
for the detenninjition of the bonndary between
the United State8 and the British poss'ssions,
were not so easily followed ••" :nay have been
thouji'ht i>ossible by their franiers. All jdaces
held by either country prior to the d«'claration
of war, were to be restored, and the boundary
was to be run through the center of the jj;reat
hikes, and in the center of the uuiin channel of
the waters connecting; the lakes. Start inf*- at
the southern extremity of Lake Huron and run-
ning north, the most natural center line led to
the False Detour, at the east end of Drum-
mond island. The custom of navigation has,
since the buildiu}-- of the first locks at the Sault
Ste. Marie, made the western or Detour chan-
nel the main channel; but it is not certain but
that if the sailing- course had been to the east
into the (ieort^ian bay, instead of south throufrh
Lake Huron, the eastern channel mijj:ht have
justly been re}j;arded as the main channel.

.■

!!i'i'

Tml

of Dnnnmond Islunil.

From the nioiiiciit lliat the coimnissiimcrs—
OIK' liiitish Jind Iwo Anu'rican— rntcicd the
Detroit river, tin- Hritish rciMCHcntative
showed a disposition to insist that tlie nuiin
channels were invariably on the west side of
the various islands in their course, and it be-
came ne<'essary. in nearly every case, to make
an examination by nu-ans of small boats,
soundinjis and measurements ()f currents, in
order to c(mvince him that such was not the
case.

*
* »

Mr. liartlett, the British c<mimissi(mer. was
accustomed to the heavy dinners and hard
drinkinjr connected therewith, of his native en-
vironment, and pursued the .«ime custom on
board the vessel which had been provided by
the United States for the work of the commis-
sion. In fact, it is amonjj; the unpublished rec-
ords of the boundary survey, that he indulji;ed
in the Howins bowl to such an extent as not
only to hinder the work, but also to cause him
at times to be the reverse of amiable in his

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

1.0

I.I

1.25

>.5; llllitt
':• 1116

1.8

1.4 i 1.6

^?'

Photograpliic

Sdences
Corporation

23 WEST MAtN STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580

(716) 872-4503

'^° MP..

:<p

British Occupation

M-

maiuu'i's. While passing np Lake Huron, witli
the charts of tlie hikes and their connecting
waters before them, it was agreed that the
course by way of the False Detour should be
the one taken. In the nu'antinie, Mv. liartlett
had had (? inner and an extra supjtly (►f grog,
and when they had passed the eastern end of
Driininiond island he began, in no very i»olite
manner, to charge that he had been cheated
while dining, and that the course should have
been by th<' Detour i)assage. But as he had
himself given the insti-uctions to the sailing
master, he soon found that the charge of bad
faith against his fellow c()mmission<'rs would
not answer, and (piickly changed his tactics.
He bethought him that it was necessary for
him to consult his instructions, and asked that
the vessel '*lie to" until morning. This being
assented to, the night was spent otf the north
east coast of Drummond island. In the morn-
ing Ml . liartlett had not full}' recovered his self
control, and the suggestion being made that
the line through the St. Mary's river be i>assed
for the time, and linally <ietermined on their
return from Lake Superior, that method was

of Dnimiiiond Tshind.

adopted. During i\w intin-vening pciiod, Mr.
Bartlett diHOOvercd that the liritish had for a
hmg time had ]»ossessioii of and a scnibhince
()f a military post on St. Joseph ishuid. and in-
sisted that that ishuid must, xmder the treaty,
be yet retained by them. 15nt before tlie return
passage of tlie St. :Mary*s river, llie sailing
Huister had become somewhat familiar with
Mr. Bartlett's moods, as att'eited by after din-
ner potati(Uis, and so timed his jiassage tliat
the diflicult jdaces sliould ajtpear for tinal de-
termination when he would be in his most pli-
able moods. Advantage being taken of those
moods, it was slunvn that the true line under
the treaty was by the east e'.annel; but that in
view of the long jiossession of St. .Joseph, if
that island should be accorded to the King, it
would even uj) matters \o such an extent as
that there could be no fault found on either
side. The nu»ment for the tiniil discussion and
determination ha<^ been judiciously chosen.
:Mr. J{artlett ac(iuiesced, signitied to Iha
draughtsnu'U that the line so suggested was
agr<'ed to, and — (piietly \v<'nt to sleep in his
chair.

lirifixh OccKpatioii

Drnniinoiul island, on which was at tliat
time a military ])<>st supjjlicd with ample ai-til-
ItTV and a vast amount of provisions and
stores, was thus lost, and irretrievably, to His
Most Chi'istian ^lajesty. The same element of
]>ei'snasion which iiad been used to influence
the Indian claimants to ]»art Avith it, was able
to cause its linal loss. It is a fact worthy of
note, however, that ])rior to the occupation in
1S15, neither the liritish or Americans had re-
j^arded this island as of any stratejj;ic im[)or-
tance, and there had been no claim thereto,
backed by possessory rijjht. It had been en-
tirely unoccupied by the citizens of either
nation.

tei'ii

m ■

of Brummoml Island.

lit I

YIII.

He whose powers and ju'eiogatives were de-
clared to be "By the (irace of (led, Kinp; of
Great IJritaiu and Irehmd, Defender of the
Faith.'' etc., the head of the Kn}j;lish church,
dhl not accoi'd to his military servants bau-
islied to a lonely spot in the northwestern wil-
derness of the American continent, even the
relijiions care and attention which was ac-
corded to tl»e convicts in his i>risons. For tlie
tliii-teen years of their stay on Drummond
ishuid the Kinj-'s trooi)S were unprovided with
a chajtlain. The residents there were born, mar-
ried, lived, died, and were buried "without
benefit of clerjjy," And this, too, for a consid-
erable pojMilalion, the dutiful servants of "His
Most (Mirislian Majesty. "

*
« *

liritish OccuiHitloti

It was not until 1S2.S, the last season of tlu'ii'
stay on the island, that a cliaiilain was sent to
visit thoni — the Kov. E. Boswell, of Sandwich,
the ref^ular chaplain of that point. The Bishop
of Quebec directed him to make a visit to that
far-away post, and reiinested the Earl of Dal-
housie to direct that his ex])enses be allowed
from the public chest. ^Ir. IJosveirs order was
stated to be "in conse(inence of tlu' destitute
situation of the inhabitants of Drummond
island — military and civil — with regard to
their utter deprivation of the services of any
clergyman." lint, indeed, it had taken His
Holiness a very hnig time to find out that
"utter deprivation," and to take action for
some relief therefrom.

Whih' the State ciinrch was thus unmindful
of its own jK'ople and careless as to the "cure
of souls," it need not be doubt ;•(! that tlu' ever-
toiling, earnest and unwearying Catholic
clergy fi'om the Sault or Mackinaw, or botli,

of Dnimmond Island.

inadi' not infiv(HU'nt visits, jiiid ^^•vve on the
alert for the f^ood of tlieir French and half-
breed faithful, as well as the Indians generally.

♦
» *

Is it unreasonable to surmise that this trip
of Mr. Boswell's was the beginning of the sum-
mer tourist travel of clergymen worn by their
home duties and cares, who, given leave of ab-
sence and a comfortable jiurse by their loving
llockH, seek rest and rei-uperation among the
delightful scenes and quiet i)lace8 which so
abound on the shores of the upper lakes?

liiitish OieKpation

IX.

One of tlic h'f-vnds of tlu' tiuu* of the occiipa-
tioii whicli lias liiijicied in th«* ncijiUboihood is
that of "The liiddcn pot of j-old." The story is
soiiKnvhat cnidc and nnciM-tain in its fonn. It
is related tliat a tiadei- wlio lived in a litnise
located neav the north end of the little island
opposite the f^overnnient wharf, became insane.
He had not, however, shown any danjjerons
tendencies, and was simply being- watched to
see that he came to no harm. One day when he
chance<l to be left alone, he slipped out of tlie
lionse carrying- his wealth of gold in an iron
kettle, and disappeared in the bushes toward
the south end of the island. He was not long
absent, but when he returned he had not the
pot of money with him, nor could he be induced
thereafter to reveal the place of its conceal-
ment.

♦
» «

of Drummond Island.

Like all talcs of hidden ]H)ts of money — and
tliey are of fi'eqnent occurrence — thiw story has
caused no end of laborious search and di}?}i'i"t?
over the jfround at the south end of the little
island. Even to this day, the visitcn- at Druni-
uiond is prone to cast a lonj^in}; look at the
island of about oneanda(iuarter acres area, and
w(uider if perchance it may not be his fortune
to come by accident upon tlie Ion}? buried treas-
ure. It seems to be one of the peculiarities of
secreted {fold, that its receptacle is so uni-
formly an iron cookinj^' pot.

That this particular treasure was not Ion}?
ago recovered and converted to use, is 'lot
known; only surmised. If a store of gold was
certainly known to have been buried in that
small island, there were i)eople enough at the
post in those days to have canied away the
Avhole island in a week in feverish search for it.

l?ut there may have been a foundation for
the legend. Insane peoi»le have more correct

lOo

British Occupation

h: I

ideas and f-ood judf-nu'iit than they are toni-
nionly iivditcd >vith. In the a.itnnn <>: 1815
Assistant Dejtnty Coniniissaiy (Jcneral ?'()iik,
who had been with the IJntish forces at Macki-
naw and had come to Drnnnnond at tlie trans-
fer thither, "from extreme anxiety to ])rovide
for the i»ressin«>' wants of tlie tro()i»s and in-
dians in an exhanstinl country, became de-
ranfjfd in his mind." In other words, the poor
feUow was broken down from overwork to the
]K)int of insanity. In addition to liis duties ;is
j;eneral i)rovider of everytliing needful, he was
the (me in charj^e of and res])onsible for the
army chest. I'nder the circumstances it will
not seem strange to those versed in the science
of alienism, that he should have placed the
funds, in re}j;ard to the safety of which he must
have sulfered a constant anxiety, in some place
of concealment which seemed to him in his im-
jiaired condition of mind would ensure its
safety from the pillaf>e which he constantly
feared was awaiting it.

■.i

IIJ

of Dnimwoinl I sin ml.

101

Tliore is nothinp; in the records to show th.at
he (lid an.vthiiifi; of tlie kind. Rut the records
are ample as to the o<(upanc.v and ownership
o!" I lie little island, which was orijjinally occu-
I)ied by ^'le connnissary dei>artinont, and there,
n<'ar the extreme north end was a hu}i,e balce
house for tlie use of that service. Tlu; necessi-
ties connected with tl»e arnval of the troops
on the island, couii)elled Commissary Clonic to
immediately erect a liouse for liimself, and as
tlie seciuel sliows, it was a better luuise than
thosj' of the otlier otticers. Tlie duties of the
commissary were performed duriufi; the next
three years by a temporary clerk; but in the
summer of 1818, Mr. Monk's disabilities contin-
uing, ^^'illiam liailey arrived as his successor.
Ten years later, when the claims of ofticers fin*
losses incident 1o <lie abandonment of the
island, were beiiiji adjudicated, ^Ir. Bailey
testified that on his arrival at the island he
could find no way of liousin}"- himself, other
than to purchase tlie house on this island; and
that he was oblij;ed to pay for the island and
tli(^ house llwreon, the sum of two hundred
pounds sterling. This projierty remained in his

102

British Occupation

owiH'iship, uutil it teased hy leasou of the
evacuation.

That there was an insane man resident on
the ishmd is clear, but whether Monlv was the
one to whom beh)n};s the credit for the conceal-
ment of tlie }iold, is not at ail certain.

The mystery of "The hidden pot of <j;<)ld"' is
still unsolved. The lepnid remains; but
whether it evei' had any foundation in fact,
whether the pot of money was ever hid, whether
if hid, it was ever found, whether if found it
was restored to its rij^htful owner, or wln'ther
if hid it still remains a possible treasure trove,
is all uncertain. But of this we may be sure,
that as the years revolve, the visitors at the
s])ot will continue to search for it as for the
wealth hidden by the famous pirates of the
eighteenth century.

mil

of Dnimmond Island.

103

Tlio inti('i>i(l li^lK'niiini who sails near l>v «>i'
ventures to land on the shore of the Great
Manitouliu island after sunset, is appalled and
his blood is curdled by the sif>ht of two head-
less soldiers who walk to and fro, elad in tin?
red eoats and other rej^inientals of the early
part of this century.

And stranjier still, when nij-hts are dark and
cold, and the belated fisherman, lured by a fire-
light on the shore, thinking that friendly greet-
ing and warmth await him there, runs his boat
(m the beach and hastens to the blazing logs
piled high a. short distance away, h<' finds there
no fisher comrade belated like himself, but in-
stead the two headless soldiers sitting on a log
in the glow, and warming themselves by the
blaze made furious by the night wind. With
chattering teeth, with hair erect and eyes start-
ing from their sockets, he runs to his boat and
puts out into the night regardless of the dan-
gers of the deep, so that he may but be far

104

British Occupation

awiiy from tlio unciiniiy suai'('.-iinen of that
lonely slioi'o. And when afterward, being
jeered by his acquaintances for his superstition
and cowardice, he goes to the same spot by
daylight, he finds the selfsame pile of logs
deeply charred by fire, but not then burning.
Nor does he see any trace of the two headless
redcoats.

I'M '*

It was in midwinter, so the tradition runs,
that two soldiers of t he King deserted from the
post at Drummond island. They were evi-
dently homesick. They longed for the scenes
of old England. They could not longer endure
the hardships, the rigors, the lonesomeness of
that little village in the novthern wilds. An
oflicer with more ample ]»ay, and wife and chil-
dren with him, had some traces of home life
and enjoyment, from all of which the private
soldier was cut ofl", he being condemn/d to the
monotony of fatigue duty and rest, without op-
portunity for enjoyable recreation. They might
perchance have made their way to Mackinaw

^■H

of Dniinmoud Island.

105

island, and thus been freed from niilitarv re-
straint; hnt this M-as not tlieir choice. They
evidently set out for hnme. Their liearts longed
for the lands beyond the risinj^ sun. The shores
and ba> s of Lake Huron wei*e frozen over, and
over the bridge thus nuide for them across the
unsalted sea, they would make their way to the
farther shore of the (leorgian bay, and thence
eastward to the scenes for which tliey yearned.

«
* *

Bui the post commandant was wrathful
when he learned of their iinannouueed depart-
ure, and stormed as only a lUiton or a flsh-
woman can storm, with swaggering bluster
and volubility of oatlis. Then lu' sat him down
and wrote. In his anger he had sworn to have
the men oi* their lives. He had murder in his
heart. When he arose from his desk, an or-
derly took the sheet on which he had written
and nailed it on tlie door of the barracks. It
nuide an otl'er of twenty dollars each for the
heads of the two deserters if found dead, and

106

British Occupation

the snme for tlu'ir bodies if found alive. There
were wliisperinji's jibout tlie post, biit there
were none who dared to exjtress their thonfihts.
In the indian eanip tliere seemed s^'^'si^*^!'
(juietness than usual; but before the day had
passed two swift snow-slux^ runners were no-
ticed to leave the i)ost, as if on an ur<;ent er-
rand. A ni{j;ht passed. A day — a sluut winter
day — slipped away, more (juickly dosed to the
denizens of Drummond post by the hish rid}>e
which towered on the west of the town, and
under shadow of which they were hid. .Nn-
other lonji- nifjht settled down, dra^n«'d its
weary length across the northern ice and snow,
and at length was driven far away as the sun
in all its winter glory rose from the clesir
depths of the (Jeorgian bay. For since the
days are shorter in those rej>i<uis theii' glori-
fie«l briglitness is such that it makes amends
for the brevity.

The post comnuindant had not yet taken his
morning coffee when in walked two hulian ath-

of Dnimmond Island.

107

letcs covered with frost, their breaths eoniins
(juickly, and their eyes eajjer and feroeious.
Advancinf? to tlie center of the room, each un-
fastened from his }>ii'dle si human liead that
liad danjiied tliere, and plaiing it on the table,
demanded tlie reward for the two deserters.

Tlie commissary was (inickly summoned, and
soon th(* bearers of the heads were wasliinj^
away all thoufjfht of the blood they had treach-
erously spilled for money, in copious libations
of the Kinji's rum; mm, the main reliance of
the British in those days for the accom]»lish-
ment («f their most nefarious ends; nitii, with
which they made slaves and brutes of the In-
dians; ru'ii, under whose iuHueuce they plotted
nuissacres and murders, and by the aid of
which these were accomplished.

The indian runners, as th;' tale is told, fol-
lowiufi' hard after tiie deserters who. all unac-
customed to travel over the ice and snow, had
nuide their way with difliculty. came u]» with

■.iWf-r - •mmm mu m,, Hm i,m,m-miH«mm^m. ■

108

British Occupation

-:r:*

tlicin on tlu' (Ji'cat Manitouliu island. Bnt tlioy
(lid not warn tlicni of their dan^i'i'- lAkc boasts
of i)i('y, they sknlkod out of sif^ht until a favor-
able UHMuent should appear. Weary and cold,
the soldiers gathered material for a lire. High
they ]»iled the logs and loud was tht* craekling
of the frozen wood. The tlanies leaped high.
Higher yet they ]»iled the wood, and having
ealen their scanty supper, sat Iheui down be-
fore the tire with no thought of impending dan-
ger. Hovering in the darkness two red men
watched their every motion; even their every
breath. Lulled by the warmth and dulled by
their weariness, the soldiers dozed. Peichance
they are dozing yet, for they never wakened in
this world. Stealthily from behind came the
swift swish of the tomahawks as they cleft the
air, falling upon necks conveniently bending
forward. The deed was done. The hunting
knives finished th<' work. The two heads were
fastened by the seal]) locks to their girdles, and
back they hastened, eager for their money and
their mm.

The headless trunks remained sitting on the
log and warming themselves by the fire which

of Dnimmond Island.

109

made the night Iniid with its }>;lare. And ever
since, unbmii-d, tliey wand(n' on tliose shores,
seelvin^ the heads wliich there they lost while
sleeping; and when the ni}>hts are cold, the fire
burns l)ri{i;htly, and they sit and warm them
there.

« »

So runs the legend. In the records of the
post no incidents are found from which this
tragic tale could have been woven, liut ])ub-
'ic records do not always ])osscss the reliability
suited to the ]furi)ose of those who would lay
open the bald facts of history. In this case it
is not imi»robable that, if two uum deserted
from the King's service, and were killed by In-
dians in pursuit, either Uy stealth or on refusal
to surrender, the report thereof as<'ribed their
demise to natural causes, and without any
mention of the desertion. There were no tele-
graphs or daily pap<n's in those days to note
each transi)iriug incident, and matters well
known and freely discussed at that isolated
post, might be rejiorted to head(iuarlers at

-*«™HifTW»|Wl»>i'MW«J»!!»«tWJV.«',-%)tf»«

110

British Occupation

(2u(4)ec in niiiniun- othei- than had bt'cu there
understood.

♦

ir *

Hut would you know the truth of this weird
narration, sit with fishenneu of the nortlieru
Lake Huron ai-ound a cabin lire, when fierce
winds are howling; their requiem for those who
venture to encounter their wrath, and are pil-
inf>- high the anji^ry waters, and they will tell
you that the headless guardsmen of the ^lani-
toulin sit quietly and doze beside their fire,
which never fails to burn for them on such ji
niaht, with a ruddy glow that sends its rays of
light far over the wind tossed sea.

of Drummond Island.

Ill

Anotlu'i- of the iciniiiiscent talcs of the de-
lta i-tin}i' British is this, that in order to lieep
tliein from falliiiji' into the hands of the Ameri-
cans, they cast into the bay some o'. the cann<m
wliich tlicy could not take with them. In proof
of this locjil lejicnd, jteopie passinjf over the
waters of the bay, at various times, have re-
ported that they had distinctly seen at the bot-
tom of the clear water, one or two brass field
pieces, the breeches and trunions being plainly
visible. Having no means at hand for marking
the spot, they have been unable afterward to
discover the cannon. More than (me searching
party lias spent considerable time in thor-
oughly jtlanned and executed search for these
lost ])ieces of ordnaiu'e, but without success.

* *

When the British evacuated the island, they
took with them no guns heavier than their

k'T'^pl

112

British Occupation

iiiuskcts. But it need not be supposed that
they h-ft anythinf? of that kind there. In 1X20,
eifjcht years pnnious, a survey of the ordnance
stores at the post, showed a total of thirty-
four Held, {^v^rrison and naval gnus, as follows:
24 pounders, iron 8

18 " " 2

4 " " 6

8 o/>. swivels 5

32 ]>ounder carronades

24. " " 4

:i pounder, brass 1

2 " " 2

In view of lh<- well believed story that some
canium are lyinji at the bottom of Druniniond
bay, the (luestion as to what became of all
these l»i}i j;uns durinf»' the eight years for which
there api>ears no nfention of them in the rec-
ord, becomes interesting.

« *

The only transport sent to aid in effecting
the removal of the post, was a brig of one hun-

of Drummond Island.

113

drcHl and tlnrty tons burthen. This vcssc} was
packed in every corner, two-thirds being de-
voted to provisions, coniniissary stores and in-
dian presents, and tlie remainder was tilled
almost to sutt'ocation, with the human tr<'ight
and the p<'rsonal baggage. The post commis-
sary hired in addition, an American sloop of
fifty tons, which he loaded to its fullest <apa-
city with what were called "barrack stores."
lint this was not sufficient, and a larg. (pian-
tity of material was sent to St. Joseph island
for the winter. It is not to be supposed, how-
»'ver, that any cannon were left lying around
among the rocks or hidden in the underbrush
on the island. lint what then? Simply that
during the last four or live years, when vessels
came to the island with the annual sui)i)lies,
they took on for the return trijt, such of the
cannon as they <'onveniently could, and <arried
them to points below. It is more than i)r()b-
able that the most of the large supply shown
to have been at Drummond, found a new rest-
ing place at the fort which was then being
built at Amherstburg.

»Tmw?*|iiOtM»*HM»KS»R»ft»««***ilt»«*'^'»t--

114

British Occupation

It is not inipossiblcN however, even with this
view, tliat the two brass pieces shown in tlie
return of 1820. are now, and have been for sev-
enty years, at the bottom of Drnniniond bay.
They may liave been placed in a batteau,
and that may have been capsized; they may
have been dropped into the water by accident
whih» in the process of beinfj loaded on a ves-
sel. The statement that they have been
seen and then could not a^ain be found, is not
in itself improbable, since the action of the
waves at the bottom would uncover at one
time what they would cover (piite deeply with
sand at another.

There are few jK'rscms who. ridinj^ on the
waters of that bay will not involuntarily -ast
their eyes with peering jAaze into the depths
in the hope that a glimpse of the brijjht brass
pieces may be caught, and thus add a slight
romance to their lives.

of Dninnnond Island.

115

XII.

More than to any other point which had been
in dispute between P^n^hind and the United
States, the Itritish clunp: with greatest tenac-
ity to the countries adjoininjjf tlie straits of
Macldnaw. A tirni foothokl there, seemed to
them tlie key to the whole nortliwest territory,
if not indeed, to tlie lands to the southward
bordering on the ^Mississippi. They had
brought themselves to believe that the control
of the Indians on the American ((mtinent was
not only neces^5ary to them, i)ut to the Indians
as well. This was no dream of those who rep-
resented the government on this side of the
ocean; it was the settled purpose of the home
government, as shown by the orders whose
high official ch.iracter was attested by being
dated simply, "Downing Street."

The aim of the British government was then,
as it has always been, to "further the interests
of trade." Kum, nuniey and blood were ever
ready to aid in the accomplishment of this end.

V ±_

116

British Ovcupation

Anv plan which had thiH in view found a ready
heaiin}-. The trade in fnrs liad, nnder tlie t<»s-
terinfi ea»T of the {jovernnient. reached enor-
mous jtro}»(»rtions. and it was not to be tliouj^lit
of tliat it should l)e in any way alnidj^ed. To
their minds the existence of the fur trade de-
]>ended on the indians. They had not compre-
hended the fact that a white trapper would
nnike a much larj-er catch than the averaj^e
indian. Uut even if they had appreciated that
fact, as well as the other fact that indian hunt-
ing' meant the extermination of the fur bearing
animals, yet indian liuntinj"' was still neces-
sary to the "interests of trade." The white
trapper must be i»aid for his ]>eltries a fair
]>rice and in j-old. The indum, being tirst Hlled
with rum, scdd his furs for gaudy trinkets of
little worth, but at a high price.

It was for "the interests of trade" whi<h the
entire IJritish regime was intended to foster
and uphold, that an absolute control of the in-
dians by means, first of rum, and if that failed,
then by cannon, should be maintained. The
indians were necessary to them as a people
whom they could plunder at will. Hut in a

of Drummond IshnuL

117

Hcnsc they were lU'ccsssuy to the iiuliaus. They
had taujiht the red men to forsake all their
<rafts for procuriii};; food and elothinj?. and to
bny of them instead. They had tau^'ht tln'm to
devote themselves exchisively to fni- ^ather-
iu)?, and this had made them doubly deju !i-
dent. I'nder the teaching? of the Uritish. they
were rapidly losinji the art of clothin;" them-
selves, and in li*Mi of the warm and serviceable
pirments which they had formerly made from
furs and skins, they had come to need the cloths
of lU'itish manufacture, which "for imrposes of
trade" were made as cheaply as jjossible. The
makinjj;- and use of the bow and arrow were
amon^ their lost arts, and in order to hunt,
they must buy from their loving' IJritish
friends, the necessary jiiins. powder and le-.id.
The Kritish, fidlowinj? the example of the Thi-
listines of the times of Sampson, who did not
allow the Israelites to have a blacksmith
amonfi them, but comi>elled every nnin who
needed to have his iron tools repaired or sharp-
ened, to Ko to a Philistine mechanic for the
needed service, sold the Indians the ne<essary
tomahawks, hatchets and axes, but compelled

•«*i™*j™tC(5«l*i.Bi**|.»

118

British Occupation

them to visit a Biitish post to have them sharp-
ened. If the guns which they had sold them
needed any repair, as was too often tlie case, a
journey must be made to a Hritisli post, where
a bhicksmith, who was also a gunsmith, was
kept on government pay and rations to render
this assistance, but for which the indians paid
many times its value.

The arts of civilization which the British had
with such care taught to the indians, were only
those which were expected to make them de-
pendent, and by means of tiiat dependence,
their servants. While they used every effort
to quell and avert wars among the several
tribes, they did so not from any ])rinciple of
right or humanity, but because tribal dissen-
sions lessened the annual catch of furs and in-
terfered with "trade" which, as carried on
under the British regime, was more villainous,
and fraught with as great atrocities as the
sack and jiillage of towns by marauding chief-
tains. Having made s<'vvants of the indians
by the use of threats, cajolery and rum, they
brought them to tight their battles; the light-
ing done, they repaid them for their faithful-

„

of Dniwmond Island.

119

«^?

ness, wounds, toil, loss of rvlativos and hunt-
ing grounds, with showy medals of cheap metal
and of little value, and filling them once more
with rum, sent them again to the gathering of
furs.

The only question upon which the Prince Re-
gent was urgent, in his dispatches relative to
the evacuation of Drummond island, was that
arrangement should be made such that the In-
dians who lived in United States territory,
should have some point in his dominion which
should be satisfactory to them, where they
could repair for their annual dole of presents.
Iklackinaw island had been lost to the British
as the result of war; Drummond island, as they
deemed it, had been lost by the failure of their
commissioner under the treaty to properly de-
fend the rights of the crown. This latter loss
seemed to them an injustice. In leaving there,
it was not the being deprived of a i>articular
spot or a certain number of acres, that galled
the British government, but the necessary re-
moval from the very essential nearness to the
Indians whicli rendered it easy for them to
visit fre(iuently and receive the careful teach-

120

British Occupation

'm\rn of the ofticers detailed for that tniHt. They
could not brook the idea that the indiaiiH whom
in the treaty tliey had n^liuiiuished, were not
yet their care, and i<- some extent their prop-
erty. When the departure was finally made,
it was arranj^ed that such of the Indians as
could, should visit Amherstlnirf>; for their pres-
ents, and the others sluMild ;;(> to IVnetan-
jjjuishene.

All durinj;' the occupation of Drummond
island, the United States j;<>vernment, knowinji,'
full well that until the Indians were estoi)p;»d
from visitinjj'the JJritish jjoss there would l)e
no such thinj>- as (juiet residence and behavior,
had used every endeavor to jiacify them, and
General ('ass was em]>loyinji his {greatest skill
in weaninjf them from their llritish alle}j;iance.
It was not without just cause that he had fre-
(pient occasion to comjdain of the liritish in
this rejjard, and to remonstrate a};anist their
course in drawing; from the refjious far in-
land front the boundary betwi^Mi the coun-
tries, a. traveling;- horde of savajies to ]»ilfer and
beji,' from the settlers, and terrify the wonum
and (hildren aiony- their route; a pestiferoiis

of Drummond Island.

121

nuisance which the later generations cannot
well appreciate.

But to the protests of the United States the
British authorities paid little hi^d in fact, al-
though at times using smooth words in pallia-
tion of their defense. So firmly did they cling
to their hold upon the Indians, that as late as
1840, eighteen years after they had been finally
ousted from tlieir last foothold on United
States territory, and the giving of presents to
them had at last been stopped, George Iron-
sides, Sui)erintendent of Indian affairs at Am-
herstburg, wrote to his superior advising that
the indians were yet true in their loyalty to the
British, and that he had a well considered plan
for again nuiking soldiers of them against the
United States. But, he said, it would be neces-
sary as tlu' first step in these operations, to
seize again the straits of Mackinaw and the
contiguous territory.

Prior to this latter date, however, the sweet-
ness had all been extracted from that thereto-
fore hiscious fruit. The indians had been deci-
mated by the poison of British rum, and the
yield of furs even to the persiskmt hunter, had

122

British Occupation

dwindled to very modemte propcvtions. By
de-rees, the British traders, shorn of military
protection, had btn^n coniined to the rej,n„„s
east and north «yf Lake Superior, and the com-
panies wliich had accumulated vast wealth m
the fur trade, were rrumblinj? on their tinancial
f(,un(hiti«ms. And yet this typhal son of
Britain longed asain to seize the waters con-
necting the great lakes, plant there on the
shores the Hag of the realm, and sumnuMi the
few duskv braves who had withstood the blight
of British friendship, to engage in ritte prac-
tice against the people of the United States.
Their dream of supn>macy on the American
continent seems to have vanished but slowly.
Driven from .me point, they retreated sullenly
to another, and only retreated farther when
there was no other alternative.

The occupation of Drummond island was but
(me of the small episodes in tlH> British dream
of continental ccmtrol, but an episode whi.h
cost them th.msands of pounds sterling m
funds, deeper chagrin than if they lu.d obey.-d
the tivaty agreement at the outset, and

of Drnmmond Island.

123

bnmjjht in return no added glory to their pres-
tige or their arms.

<■'

The antiipiarian, or the h)ver of the roman-
tic in nature, who wouhl visit the scenes and
phices sketched in the foregoing i>ages. may
lind his way thither, in tlu-se hiter days, with
ease; indeed witli ])ositive comfort. Any of the
steamship lines whose vessels wend their way
through the devious channels of the St.
:^lary's river will land a pilgrim to the wilds of
Drnmmond at the docks at Detour, the port on
the main land directly oitposite the spots he
seeks; from then«-e. either by small boat and
oars wielded by sturdy arms, by fishing smack
with wide distended sail, or by steam yacht,
he may be placed on the shores so long held by
the soldiers of the King, in contravention of
the stipulations of the treaty and the ecjuities
thereunder. As he stejis on tlie rocky shore,
he will be greeted most hospitably, and the

- " I Mirr 1 1' 'ih JrL'i- L it t: i i i n t: ir tO: r

-ISML ^ ^ :.

124

Drummond Island.

hours, or days, or weeks which he may linger
there, will be a season of continuous delight;
and he will carry thence, memories more pleas-
ing than often remain as the legacy of a sum-
mer outing.

linger
light;
pleas-
sum-

)

9T7.il/ c^^

' ■hsi-

;>f>

i. i»r«f "s«ei:cc5f>t'JiTq'cB«-,fa5iSt

KEY 1

OpenBreostm^fort.
B/och House..

CommandanthHoust.

Barracks.

dtorc House.

Hospital.

q OtficerSQuarters.
n. Commissary Huts.

GmrnmentDocAs.

Cemetery.

Stable.

DiglneeriQiatrs.

BaHe House

Dmllln^SfOff'ices.

CommissarjCellar.

Govt Forge.
Parade Ground.

PrivateBuildings.

MillerjBreastWHs.

Map

or THE

South -West Point
Of:

RUMMOND Island

.atlOWING

British Occupation.

IBI5— 1828.

//a

PoRTAQt

H;^

■///

Wa'^

" .anuwiNU

Britism Occupation.

1815—1828.

Compiled

FROM

Old Maps oftme Time.
Records •

AND

Letters of Commandants

Headquarters

"SCALC-.