Washington, D.C.

Early July 1812

CHAPTER XII

* * *

The President will see you now.”

Tiny beads of perspiration glistened on the foreheads of Matthew and Billy as they rose from the upholstered chairs in the huge entry area of the Executive Mansion where they had been waiting in the dead, sweltering July midmorning heat of a mosquito-infested Washington, D.C. They both wiped their faces with handkerchiefs as they followed the quick, clicking steps of the small man in the starched black suit down the hallway, past framed paintings of men who had made history and scenes of the struggle for independence, to the large library. The little man held the door for them while they entered and slowed and stopped. Three walls of the room were lined with bookshelves stocked with orderly, organized rows of books and memorabilia. The fourth was a great window with heavy draperies and sashes and sunlight streaming through to cast a bright, misshapen rectangle on the polished floor. In the center of the room was a massive table surrounded by eight chairs with leather upholstery and brass studs. Spread on the table was a great, detailed map of the American continent, with President James Madison leaning over it, arms stiff, palms flat, as he studied the contours. At their entrance, he raised his head, and his smile was genuine as he strode to greet them.

“Mister Dunson and Mister Weems! Welcome to my humble quarters. Or should I say my humble temporary quarters?”

They all smiled as Matthew and Billy reached to shake the small, thin, firm hand, and Madison continued.

“You received my letter, then?”

“Yes, Mister President, we did.” Matthew touched the breast of his suit coat where the letter was held in the inside pocket.

“Was it a great inconvenience for you to come? Leaving your business for several days?”

Billy answered, smiling. “It is a blessing to be away from it for a little time.”

Madison smiled back. “I understand. Oh, yes, I understand.”

Again the three of them smiled, and Madison continued.

“Your wives? Families? They are well, I hope.”

Billy spoke. “Yes, thank you. They’re in good health. The children are growing.”

For a split second a wistful look crossed Madison’s face. “They grow up so fast. So fast.”

Too late Billy remembered that Madison’s marriage to Dolley had been childless. Widowed with an infant son after three years of marriage to John Todd Jr., she had married Madison, and together they had raised the boy, Payne. He had been unsettled and erratic as a youth, and a frustration to Madison, and now, as a mature man away from them and making his own way, his life remained as it had been—in turmoil.

Billy made no answer. Madison went on, wasting no time or words.

“I’m certain you are aware Congress declared war on Great Britain.”

“Yes,” Matthew replied. “Two weeks ago.”

Madison gestured to the table. “Good. I need help. Advice. And I need it from someone who has borne arms and who has no political ambitions or axes to grind.”

He led them to the table and within seconds both men were oriented to the huge map.

“Let me be specific,” Madison declared. “Congress is firm in its conclusion that the key to defeating the British at the earliest possible time is taking Canada.”

He paused, and Matthew and Billy exchanged glances. Madison went on.

“In large part I concur. Right now Canada is the source of lumber and other necessaries to keep the British navy afloat. If that source is denied them, their navy will decline rapidly and they will very abruptly lose dominance of the high seas. And when that happens, they become vulnerable, first to France, then to us. The question becomes, what is the most efficient way to take Canada?”

He pointed to the map. “From the Atlantic on the east, to the west end of Lake Erie, travel is almost exclusively on water. Hudson’s Bay, the St. Lawrence River, Lake Ontario. Nearly fifteen hundred miles. I’m informed roads on either side are little more than wagon ruts and nearly impassable about half of the year. It follows that whoever controls that waterway controls Canada.”

He glanced at both men, who were intently studying the map, waiting for him to continue.

“If control of the water is the key, then I propose that we accomplish that in three ways.” He tapped the map. “Here. Montreal. At the east end of the corridor. Take Montreal, and we control all shipping, both directions.”

He shifted his hand and pointed again. “Here. The central section of the corridor, at the west end of Lake Ontario. Take York and Fort George and Stoney Creek, and our Fort Niagara can control the Niagara River. We can stop all that comes and goes from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario.”

He shifted his hand once more, pointing. “Here. Detroit. The west end of the corridor, on Lake Erie. From our Fort Detroit we can cross the Detroit River and take Fort Malden and Amherstburg from the British. Once in possession of all three of these locations, we can control all traffic from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic. All of northeastern Canada.”

He straightened and cleared his throat.

“I propose we attack and take all three locations immediately. Take control now. If we’re successful, Canada’s commerce is paralyzed, and England is crippled. She’ll come seeking terms soon enough.”

He straightened and faced the two men, a very small man looking up at two large ones. “Mister Dunson, you are a seasoned combat naval officer. Mister Weems, you were a lieutenant in the Continental Army. Your advice would be invaluable. What is your reaction to all this?”

Matthew exhaled slowly. “How do you propose taking these three locations?—Montreal and Niagara and Detroit? Water or land?”

“Almost entirely by land. We will march armies to the locations. Once they arrive, they’ll have to cross the Niagara River to take Fort George, and the St. Lawrence to take Montreal, and the Detroit River to take Fort Malden and Amherstburg. But none of those rivers are an insurmountable obstacle.”

Matthew shook his head. “The problem isn’t the size of the rivers. The problem is that all three of those locations can be reached by gunboats—Montreal, Fort Niagara, and Detroit. The question is, who’s in control of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River right now? We or they?”

“Right now, they are.”

“Do you have a plan to change that? Take control from them?”

Madison frowned. “No. I asked Congress for more gunboats, but they see no need for them. In fact, they reduced what little we have up there.”

Matthew’s voice came quiet. “What do we have up there?”

Madison was slow in answering. “Two vessels. A small army transport named the Detroit on Lake Erie, and a navy brig named the Oneida on Lake Superior.”

Matthew dropped his eyes for a moment. “Do you have any idea how many they have?”

“One ship of the line, nine frigates, and twenty-seven lesser gunboats, stationed at Halifax and Newfoundland, available to the Great Lakes and the waterway. Thirty-seven vessels that are armed and available.”

“Congress can’t see the problem?” Matthew exclaimed. “We have two ships to face thirty-seven? We can’t take control and maintain it without ships!”

Madison nodded. “I agree. Unfortunately, it is not in my power to change it. It is in the hands of Congress, and for their own reasons, they refuse. They see this entire plan in a very simple light. They have convinced themselves that if we just go through the formalities of marching up there, the Canadians will surrender without a fight.”

Matthew would not let go. “Congress is responsible for this plan? What committee? Who?”

“William Eustis—secretary of war—asked the advice of two of our generals—Hull and Dearborn. General Hull insisted we needed a stronger naval force up there, but Eustis disagreed. Mister Eustis agreed with the three-pronged approach and presented the plan to Congress. With a few adjustments, they approved it.”

For a moment Matthew stood in silence with the muscles of his jaw making tight ridges. “I don’t recall ever hearing that William Eustis has had combat experience. Has he?”

“He was a surgeon in the Revolutionary War, and later in Shay’s Rebellion.”

Matthew’s face clouded. “Who are you sending up there to lead the campaigns? Which officers?”

“General William Hull is already marching there with about two thousand men he gathered in Ohio. He is under orders to cross the Detroit River, take Fort Malden and Amherstburg, and move east. Major General Henry Dearborn will command a second army that will be divided. One section will be under orders to cross the St. Lawrence far to the east of Lake Ontario and subdue Montreal, and at the same time the second section will cross the Niagara River at our Fort Niagara and take the British Fort George at the western tip of Lake Ontario, and on around to take Stoney Creek and York. Then the two armies, one under General Hull, the other under General Dearborn, will join, and we shall be in control of the entire region.”

Billy spoke. “Did you say they are the same two generals who Eustis called on for advice?”

“Yes.”

“Do I remember General Hull from the war back in ’76? Wasn’t he an officer? And Dearborn?”

“Yes. Both were officers in the Continental Army during that war.”

Matthew interrupted. “Isn’t Hull the governor of Michigan Territory?”

Madison nodded. “Yes. Why? Is there a problem?”

Billy cut in. “Maybe, but not because he’s the governor. How old are those two men?”

Madison reflected for a moment. “Sixty years, perhaps a little over. They’ve had experience commanding men in battle. Is age a concern?”

Billy ignored the question and wiped at the perspiration on his forehead. “How is their health?”

There was a pause before Madison spoke. “Hull has had a stroke, but he’s reported to be completely recovered. I believe Dearborn to be in good health.”

“Have both men accepted these commands?”

“Finally, yes. When I offered the Detroit command to Hull, he refused at first because of his view that we must have a greater naval presence up there. I then offered it to Colonel Jacob Kingsbury, but his health is failing, and he could not accept. When I went back to General Hull, he had changed his opinion about naval power. He now thinks that a strong army in Detroit will be able to defeat the British and hold the west end of the water corridor. He accepted the commission and was actually marching before Congress declared war. Dearborn accepted the position of commander of the force that is to take Montreal and the Niagara area. Why? What are you seeing that I am not?”

Billy spoke slowly. “Age. Old men to plan wars, young men to fight them. Age brings experience, and experience makes men cautious. All too often there is no place in battle for caution. Officers have to take chances. Make decisions almost instantly. They don’t have the time to reflect. To be cautious. I see a strong probability of problems.” Billy abruptly changed direction. “Who is the secretary of the navy right now?”

“Paul Hamilton.”

Billy reflected for a few moments. “Haven’t I heard things about him? He has a weakness for strong drink? Undependable?”

“Both. Regrettably. And there’s little I can do about it.”

Billy went on. “If this plan is put in motion, you’re going to need a clear mind that you can depend on to make it work.”

Madison’s face dropped. “I could not agree more, but I repeat: There is nothing I can do about it. Anything else?”

Billy pointed. “Yes. I don’t recall a road from Indiana to Detroit. Is there one?”

“No. Hull is building a road as he moves north.”

Billy made calculations from the map. “Two hundred fifty miles?”

“Approximately.”

Billy asked, “If Hull gets to Detroit, and the British cut that road and trap him, how does he get out, or how does a force get up to relieve him?”

“He’ll have to make his own way out.”

Billy shook his head slowly. “With Tecumseh’s Indians up there, that could become a massacre. A tragedy.”

“Hull knows that. He’ll be responsible to avoid it.”

“If the British use Indians, Hull won’t know they’re there until they come jumping.” Billy shifted his hand to point. “Over here—Detroit and Niagara—the same problem. If the British cut the roads, how do those men escape, or how do we get relief up there?”

There was defensiveness in Madison’s soft voice as he made his answer. “We will have to be certain the force we send there is large enough that they can defend themselves in any event.”

Billy went on. “Supplies?”

“They’ll have to take sufficient with them to stand a siege.”

Billy broke off and remained silent. Matthew picked it up.

“Do you know who the British have in command up there?”

“Yes. Major General Isaac Brock.”

For a moment Matthew closed his eyes, probing his memory. “He’s a competent officer. Even brilliant.”

“That is our estimate of him, yes.”

“Do you intend sending more ships of the line up there?”

“Yes. The Constitution, and the President.”

Again Matthew reached into his mind. “Two more ships? That brings it to four of our ships facing thirty-seven of theirs? The Constitution and the President will add about eighty-eight more cannon to our forces—forty-four each—but that will still leave us about six hundred short of what the British already have up there. The odds against us are heavy.” He turned to tap the map. “How do you plan to keep the three locations in full communication? By land or water?”

“Water, if we can. Land if not. Is it critical?”

“It could be. The success of all this depends on taking all three locations at about the same time. If we fail at one location, we’ll be in trouble. If we fail at two locations, we’re doomed. The reason is, the British will have to split their forces to cover three locations, and when they do, they will have weakened themselves. If they have only two locations to cover, or one, they can consolidate their forces to better advantage.”

He paused and watched Madison until he saw understanding, then went on. “The result is that our three forces must be in constant communication so that if one or two fail, the others can get braced, or get out of it altogether. You’re going to need a plan and a schedule and a secret code for communications so each will know what’s happening with the other two.”

“That can be done.”

Matthew straightened to his full height. “May I give you my worst fears?”

“That’s why you’re here.”

Matthew’s hand swept across the map. “Close to fifteen hundred miles, east to west. The enemy knows the territory better than we do because they’ve been there longer. They have Indian allies who know it in close detail. Those Indians can move through the woods eighty miles in one day and fight the next without a problem. Our forces would be lucky to cover a fourth of that.”

He paused and looked Madison in the eye. “What Congress has planned is the war Billy and I fought thirty-five years ago, but in exact reverse. Then, we knew our own territory. The British did not. We could move through it quickly, and they could not. We could cut their supply lines with twenty men, and they could do nothing about it. There were a thousand places we could hide in ambush and then disappear, and we did. The territory they were trying to take was simply too big, too strung out, too vast, too complicated for them. It took them six years to realize they were never going to force us to a stand. They were the most powerful military in the world, but they didn’t have enough to take all the vast territory we held and occupy it. They finally simply gave up and went home.”

He paused, and for several seconds the room was caught up in an intense quiet. Then Matthew went on.

“That is my worst fear for the plan as I understand it.” He pointed at the map. “Look at the territory you intend taking. Big. Vast. Complex. Empty. They know it better than we. We will never be able to push them to a battle they don’t want because they’ll just disappear in those woods, and we’ll never catch them if they don’t want us to. How many places up there can they lay an ambush? A thousand? Ten thousand? If we take Montreal and Niagara and Fort Malden and Amherstburg, do you think they’ll surrender? Or will they simply disappear and wait us out?”

Again he stopped and turned to Billy. “How do you see it?”

Billy’s answer was short. “Remember Burgoyne at Saratoga? Cornwallis at Yorktown? They both tried to force us to a stand and couldn’t. We caught them at a place of our choosing, and they lost. Burgoyne surrendered his entire army of six thousand. Cornwallis surrendered over six thousand. They learned too late what Matthew’s talking about. We didn’t beat the British. They gave up. The United States simply wasn’t worth the cost in British lives and money.”

Billy stopped, then went on. “If William Eustis and Paul Hamilton are the two men who must make this work—our secretary of war and secretary of the navy—there’s reason to fear. I doubt either is up to it.”

For a time Madison looked into the face of one man, then the other, then turned to pore over the map again before he spoke.

“I know about the problems with both of them, but I have no alternative.”

He heaved a great sigh and raised his face to them. “You’ve done me a tremendous service. You don’t know how I needed to see this through men who know and who are willing to say the hard things.” He gestured. “Take a seat. I need answers to one or two more things.”

They sat in the upholstered chairs with Madison facing them across his desk. “If it comes to it, will you be available to help?”

Matthew looked at Billy, then back at Madison. “In what capacity?”

“Any you choose. Battlefield commanders if you wish.”

Matthew shook his head. “Billy was right. We would both run the risk of being too cautious. Too unwilling to make the instant decisions that will get men killed. You’ll need younger men for that. But speaking for myself, I am at your service to give you the best I have to advise your commanders.” He turned to Billy. “What’s your answer?”

“The same. I wouldn’t trust myself. I’ve seen too many men dead and crippled. I’m not sure I would make the right decisions while men were dropping all around me. But I will deem it an honor to give you my best advice, any time.”

Madison looked at Matthew, and there was pleading in his eyes. “You have men in your business who are outstanding in their naval abilities. Navigators. Captains. Would they be available?”

Matthew’s eyes narrowed. “You mean my brother and my son? Adam and John?”

“Yes, and your brother Caleb.”

“That’s for them to decide. Write them a letter and make a proposal. They’ll give you their answers.”

“And there’s one more matter. Would Mister Stroud be available? His services among the Indians would be invaluable.”

Billy cut in. “Write a letter to him but send it to me. I’ll see that he gets it. He can make his own answer.”

Madison drew and released a great breath and rose and thrust out his hand, and the two shook it warmly. “There is no way for me to extend an adequate thanks,” Madison exclaimed. “I’ll write those letters soon. And one more thing I must say.”

Matthew and Billy looked at him, waiting in silence.

“We have war hawks in Congress from all sections of the United States. Henry Clay and John C. Calhoun, and others, some from the north, some from farther south. Each has his own views on all this, and the debates that develop in the hallowed halls of both houses are all too often ridiculous. The plan I have explained is almost entirely the work of General Dearborn and Congress. There is absolutely nothing I can do about it. I have no idea how many times I’ve wished that persons such as yourselves could speak to Congress assembled and call down thunder from heaven to make them understand what you’ve told me here today. I will do my best with what I have.”

He led them to the door. “I won’t hold you longer. Give my best wishes to your families, will you?”

They shook hands warmly as Matthew spoke.

“It has been an honor to come. If there is anything else we can do, you have only to ask.”

The little man held the door for them as they passed out into the long, polished hardwood hall floor. He watched them walk away, and he heard the door close behind them. He remained standing, silent, unmoving, for a long time, with a growing alarm rising in his breast as their words rang in his brain.

The War of Independence in reverse—too big—too vast—can’t control the waterway—Eustis and Hamilton incapable—commanding officers too old—too cautious.

He straightened and squared his shoulders and walked resolutely back into the library and closed the door.

There is an election coming. I have no choice. We must move. Now.

Notes

Immediately after the American declaration of war against England was made public, President James Madison began a plan to take Canada, reasoning that England could not survive without Canadian timber to support her massive navy. He turned to his secretary of war, William Eustis, who was not prepared for his position and somewhat of a bumbler, who in turn sought advice from General William Hull, who at that time was governor of the Michigan Territory and Major General Henry Dearborn, both men above sixty years of age who had served well in the Revolutionary War. Dearborn proposed the three-pronged plan as herein described, of taking Montreal, the Niagara area, and the Detroit area, simultaneously. At the time, the United States could commit fewer than seven thousand troops to the cause and only seventeen ships. The British navy consisted of six hundred ships and its army of about two hundred fifty thousand men. At the time, England and France were at war, and England had to divide her armed forces between the conflict in Europe and that in America. Despite the horrendous imbalance of military power between the United States and England, the consensus of Congress was that it would require only that we march north and seize control of the great waterway, and the Canadians would surrender without a fight. General Hull saw the need for a massive overhaul of our naval presence on the waterway, but Congress did not agree, and in fact reduced the naval presence. President Madison offered command of the three-pronged plan to Hull and Dearborn—Hull to the Detroit area, Dearborn to the other two. Hull refused at first, so Madison offered it to Colonel Jacob Kingsbury, whose health would not permit him to accept. Madison went back to Hull and persuaded him to take the position. The secretary of war at the time was Paul Hamilton, who was openly addicted to alcohol and incompetent. Eustis and Hamilton were unqualified to handle the proposed invasion and taking of Canada. The addition of the two American frigates President and Constitution to their shadow navy on the Great Lakes would add eighty-eight cannon to American firepower, since each was armed with forty-four cannon. The reasoning presented herein of Matthew Dunson and Billy Weems, both fictional characters, represents the reaction of the better-qualified veterans to the whole plan. The area was too vast and United States forces were too sparse to carry it.

See Stagg, Mister Madison’s War, pp. 3–7, 181–192; Hickey, The War of 1812, pp. 80–92; Malcomson, Lords of the Lakes, pp. 15–16, 39–41; Wills, James Madison, pp. 97–100; Barbuto, Niagara 1814, p. 57.