the equipment of a car brigade, under Captain Holcroft, of the royal
artillery, which offer he gladly accepted.

Major-General Brock was at York when he received intelligence of the
war--an event which he had long anticipated, and which therefore did not
take him by surprise. After assembling his council and summoning an
extra session of the legislature, he hastened with his brigade major,
Evans, and his aide-de-camp, Captain Glegg, to Fort George, on the
Niagara frontier, where he immediately established his head quarters.
It was at first his intention to capture the opposite American fort
Niagara; but the high responsibility he was about to assume, of acting
without instructions or an official communication, being represented to
him, he confined himself to collecting and preparing his small force for
offensive or defensive operations. Early in July he procured a "National
Intelligencer," which contained the act of congress declaratory of war,
and the message of the president accompanying it, and this information
was of course decisive.

_Colonel Baynes to Major-General Brock_.

QUEBEC, June 25, 1812.

Sir George Prevost desires me to inform you that he has this
instant received intelligence from Mr. Richardson, by an
express to the north-west company, announcing that the
American government had declared war against Great Britain.
This dispatch left New York on the 20th instant, and does not
furnish any other circumstance of intelligence whatever. His
excellency is induced to give perfect and entire credit to
this report, although it has not yet reached through any
official channel. Indeed, the extraordinary dispatch which has
attended this courier, fully explains his not having received
the minister's letters, of which he will not fail to give you
the earliest intimation.

Mr. Richardson informs his excellency that it is the intention
of the company to send six large canoes to receive their furs
by the Grand River, (or Ottawa,) and should it be thought
expedient to reinforce the post of St. Joseph, that they will
be able to carry six soldiers in each boat.[55] Anxious as Sir
George feels to render you every aid in his power, and to
afford every possible assistance and protection to the
north-west company, who have on their part assured his
excellency of their ready and active co-operation to the
utmost of their abili