Though the memorable siege of Detroit, personally conducted by Pontiac,
ended in failure to the great chief, his conspiracy elsewhere met with
unparalleled success. The British posts planned to be simultaneously
attacked and destroyed by the savages were some dozen in number,
including besides Detroit, St. Joseph, Michilimackinac, Ouiatenon,
Sandusky, Miami, Presqu'ile, Niagara, Le Boeuf, Venango, Fort Pitt,
and one or two others of lesser importance. Of all the posts from
Niagara and Pitt westward, Detroit alone was able to survive the
conspiracy. For the rest "there was but one unvaried tale of calamity
and ruin." It was a continued series of disasters to the white men. The
victories of the savages marked a course of blood from the Alleghanies
to the Mississippi.

On May 16, 1763, the Wyandots surrounded Fort Sandusky, and under
pretence of a friendly visit several of them well known to Ensign
Paully, the commander, were admitted. While smoking the pipe of peace
the treacherous and trusted Indians suddenly arose, seized Paully, and
held him prisoner while their tribesmen killed the sentry, entered the
fort, and in cold blood murdered and scalped the little band of
soldiers. The traders in the post were likewise killed and their stores
plundered. The stockade was fired and burned to the ground. Paully was
taken to Detroit where he was "adopted" as the husband of an old
widowed squaw, from whose affectionate toils he finally escaped to his
friends in the Detroit Fort.

St. Joseph was located at the mouth of the river St. Joseph, near the
southern end of Lake Michigan.[52] Ensign Schlosser was in command with
a mere handful of soldiers, fourteen in number. On the morning of May
25th the commander was informed that a large "party" of Pottawottomis
had arrived from Detroit "to visit their relations," and the chief
(Washashe) and three or four of his followers wished to hold a "friendly
talk" with the commander. Disarmed of suspicion, the commander-ensign
admitted the callers; the result is the oft-repeated story. The entering
Indians rushed to the gate, tomahawked the sentinel, let in their
associates, who instantly pounced upon the garrison, killed eleven of
the soldiers, plundered the fort, and later carried Schlosser and his
three surviving companions captives to Detroit.

Fort Michilimackinac was the most important point on the Upper Lakes,
commanding as it did the Straits of Mackinac, the passage from Lake
Huron