as soon as the men received their knapsacks and
blankets, which had been left on an island in Lake Erie.

The unavoidable delay at Sandwich was attended with no
disadvantage to us. General Proctor had posted himself at
Dalson's, on the right bank of the river Thames (or French),
fifty-six miles from this place, where I was informed he intended
to fortify and to receive me. He must have believed, however,
that I had no disposition to follow him, or that he had secured
my continuance here, by the reports that were circulated that the
Indians would attack and destroy this place, upon the advance of
the army, as he neglected the breaking up of the bridges until
the night of the 2d instant. On the night our army reached the
river, which is 25 miles from Sandwich, and is one of four
streams crossing our route, over all of which are bridges, and
being deep and muddy, are unfordable for a considerable distance
into the country. The bridge here was found entire, and in the
morning I proceeded with Johnson's regiment, to save, if
possible, the others. At the second bridge, over a branch of the
river Thames, we were fortunate enough to capture a lieutenant of
dragoons and 11 privates, who had been sent by General Proctor to
destroy them. From the prisoners I learned that the third bridge
was broken up, and that the enemy had no certain information of
our advance. The bridge, having been imperfectly destroyed, was
soon repaired, and the army encamped at Drake's farm, four miles
below Dalson's.

The river Thames, along the banks of which our route lay, is a
fine deep stream, navigable for vessels of considerable burthen,
after the passage of the bar at its mouth, over which there is
six and a half feet water.

The baggage of the army was brought from Detroit in boats, (p. 257)
protected by three gun-boats, which Commodore Perry had
furnished for the purpose, as well as to cover the passage of the
army over the Thames itself, or the mouth of its tributary
streams; the banks being low, and the country generally open
(prairies), as high as Dalson's, these vessels were well
calculated for the purpose. Above Dalson's, however, the
character of the river and adjacent country, is considerably
changed. The former, though still deep, is very narrow, and