The War Chief of the Ottawas : A chronicle of the Pontiac war — John Shaqi
The War Chief of the Ottawas : A chronicle of the Pontiac warMarquis, Thomas Guthrie
History
The War Chief of the Ottawas : A chronicle of the Pontiac war
Marquis, Thomas Guthrie
Pontiac's Conspiracy, 1763-1765
When the troops entered the Detroit river Rogers sent
Captain Donald Campbell to the fort with a copy of the
capitulation of Montreal and Vaudreuil's letter instructing
Beletre to hand over his fort to the British. These
documents were convincing, and Beletre [Footnote: Although
Beletre received Rogers and his men in no friendly spirit,
he seems soon to have become reconciled to British rule
for in 1763 he was appointed to the first Legislative
Council of Canada, and until the time of his death in
May 1793 he was a highly respected citizen of Quebec.]
consented, though with no good grace; and on November 29
Rogers formally took possession of Detroit. It was an
impressive ceremony. Some seven hundred Indians were
assembled in the vicinity of Fort Detroit, and, ever
ready to take sides with the winning party, appeared
about the stockade painted and plumed in honour of the
occasion. When the lilies of France were lowered and the
cross of St George was thrown to the breeze, the barbarous
horde uttered wild cries of delight. A new and rich people
had come to their hunting-grounds, and they had visions
of unlimited presents of clothing, ammunition, and rum.
After the fort was taken over the militia were called
together and disarmed and made to take the oath of
allegiance to the British king.
Captain Campbell was installed in command of the fort,
and Beletre and the other prisoners of war were sent to
Philadelphia. Two officers were dispatched with twenty
men to bring the French troops from Forts Miami and
Ouiatanon. A few soldiers were stationed at Fort Miami
to keep the officers at Detroit informed of any interesting
events in that neighbourhood. Provisions being scarce at
Detroit, Rogers sent the majority of his force to Niagara;
and on December 10 set out for Michilimackinac with an
officer and thirty-seven men. But he was driven back by
stormy weather and ice, and forced, for the present year,
to give up the attempt to garrison the posts on Lakes
Huron and Michigan. Leaving everything in peace at Detroit,
Rogers went to Fort Pitt, and for nine months the forts
in the country of the Ottawa Confederacy were to be left
to their own resources.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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