ntity of furs belonging to the North-West
Company, in the Caledonia. Joined by the prisoners, the Americans who
boarded numbered 140, and the crews of the two brigs, consisting of
militia and Canadian seamen, amounted to 68. After the capture,
Lieutenant Elliott succeeded in getting the Caledonia close under the
batteries at Black Rock, but he was compelled, by a few well-directed
shots from the Canada shore, to run the Detroit upon Squaw Island. Here
she was boarded by a subaltern's detachment from Fort Erie, and the
Americans soon after completed her destruction by setting her on fire.
Some lives were lost upon this occasion, and among the Americans a Major
Cuyler was killed by a shot from Fort Erie, as he was riding along the
beach on the opposite side of the river.

_Sir Isaac Brock to Sir George Prevost_.

FORT GEORGE, October 11, 1812.

I had scarcely closed my dispatch to your excellency, of the
9th, when I was suddenly called away to Fort Erie, in
consequence of a bold, and, I regret to say, successful attack
by the enemy on his majesty's brig Detroit, and the private
brig Caledonia, which had both arrived the preceding day from
Amherstburg. It appears by every account I have been able to
collect, that a little before day a number of boats full of
men, dropped down with the current unobserved, boarded both
vessels at the same moment, and, cutting their cables, were
proceeding with them to the American shore, when Major Ormsby,
who witnessed the transaction, directed the batteries to open
on them, and soon compelled the enemy to abandon the Detroit,
which grounded about the centre of Squaw Island, a little
more than a mile below Black Rock. She was then boarded by a
party of the 49th regiment; but as no anchor remained, and
being otherwise unprovided with every means by which she could
be hauled off, the officer, throwing her guns over board,
after sustaining a smart fire of musketry, decided to quit
her. A private, who is accused of getting drunk, and a
prisoner of war, who was unable from his wounds to escape,
with about twenty prisoners brought by the Detroit from
Amherstburg, remained however behind; these it became
necessary to remove before the vessel could be destroyed, and
Cornet Pell Major, of the provincial cavalry, offered his
services. Being unfortunately wounded as he was getting on
boar