Plans for the Defense of Canada
Major-General Brock

1812

Memoranda to be submitted to His Excellency the Gov. in Chief by desire of Major Gen. Brock

To reinforce the 41st by sending up their Recruits and to send the Regt to Amherstburg, together with 50 Artillery.

To send Ordnance suited to the Reduction of Detroit (4 to 6 eight Inch Mortars)

To explain the nature of the Offensive operations proposed in that quarter.

Militia on the Detroit side 300 men mostly Canadians. Kentucky population 400,000 Souls. Amherstburg population furnishes 700 Militia. Indians in the vicinity from 2 to 3000,-At the Grand River 2 to 300.

To send the 49th or some other effective Regt to the Niagara Frontier with a proportion of Artillery.

To Send a Regt to Kingston together with a Detachment of Artillery.

To Send an Officer of Rank to Kingston to take charge of that Frontier.

It is proposed to select from the Militia 2 Companies from each Regt as flank Companies which will produce as Volunteers about 1800 Men.

It is proposed to raise Corps of Volunteers which may produce 1200 Men.

To lay up the Shops next winter at York and by degrees remove the Naval Yard.

To provide Materials for ten More Batteaux at Kingston and at Amherstburg.

To Build one Gun Boat (as an experiment) at Long Point.

To send Plans of the Quebec Boats to York. The Gun to unship and lie in the hold in bad weather.

To Fortify the Harbour of Amherstburg.

The co-operation of the N. West and S. West Companies-To take the Post of Michilimackinack and remove St. Joseph's to it.

A small Work to protect the Anchorage of Vessels at Long Point, and to have 6 Gun Boats at ditto if the Plan succeeds.

The Co-operation of the Indians will be attended with great expence in presents provisions &c.

To send a person from Kingston to Reconnoitre Sackets Harbour. And to send from Niagara to examine the Harbours and Country on the South shore of Lake Ontario to see what preparation and if arming the Merchant Vessels.

Captn Gilkinson at Prescot. To enquire if he will take a Naval Command.

Captn Fish to Command the New Schooner to be built at York.

To superanuate Commodore Grant and appoint Lt Hall Senior Officer

Lt Barwiss to command the New Schooner and 2d Lieut. Rollette to be appointed first and to Command the Hunter

To Superanuate Commodore Steel and appoint Captn Earle Senior Officer and to Command the Royal George.

To appoint ____ and to Command the MOIRA.

To mount 6.24 pr. Carronades on Field Carriages to be used as occasion may require.

To Send two Companies of the Newfoundland Regt to act as Seamen and Marines.

To Augment the Establishment by sending an addition of 100 Sea-men to the Lakes.

To purchase all the Cordage from Capt Mills at Amherstburg as this tends greatly to promote the growth of hemp.

To submit the Memo from Lieuts Dewar and Hall.

E.A. Cruikshank, ed. Documents Relating to the Invasion of Canada and the Surrender of Detroit, 1812. (Ottawa: 1912), pp. 12-14.