the bank of the river, which was within thirty feet of the
walls.

The situation of the magazine we knew well. Captain Bowman began some
works in order to blow it up, in the case our artillery should arrive;
but, as we knew that we were daily liable to be overpowered by the
numerous bands of Indians on the river, in case they had again joined
the enemy (the certainty of which we were unacquainted with), we
resolved to lose no time, but to get the fort in our possession as soon
as possible. If the vessel did not arrive before the ensuing night, we
resolved to undermine the fort, and fixed on the spot and plan of
executing this work, which we intended to commence the next day.

The Indians of different tribes that were inimical had left the town and
neighborhood. Captain Lamotte continued to hover about it in order, if
possible, to make his way good into the fort. Parties attempted in vain
to surprise him. A few of his party were taken, one of which was
Maisonville, a famous Indian partisan. Two lads had captured him, tied
him to a post in the street, and fought from behind him as a breastwork,
supposing that the enemy would not fire at them for fear of killing him,
as he would alarm them by his voice. The lads were ordered, by an
officer who discovered them at their amusement, to untie their prisoner,
and take him off to the guard, which they did, but were so inhuman as to
take part of his scalp on the way. There happened to him no other
damage.

As almost the whole of the persons who were most active in the
department of Detroit were either in the fort or with Captain Lamotte, I
got extremely uneasy for fear that he would not fall into our power,
knowing that he would go off, if he could not get into the fort in the
course of the night. Finding that, without some unforeseen accident, the
fort must inevitably be ours, and that a reenforcement of twenty men,
although considerable to them, would not be of great moment to us in the
present situation of affairs, and knowing that we had weakened them by
killing or wounding many of their gunners, after some deliberation, we
concluded to risk the reenforcement in preference of his going again
among the Indians. The garrison had at least a month's provisions; and,
if they could hold out, in the course of that time he might do us much
damage.

A little before day the troops were withdrawn from their positions about
the fort, except a few parties of observation, and the firing