HISTORY

Major General Henry Procter

Despite enjoying considerable success at the beginning of the war, by 1815 Procter was publicly disgraced by his own country and demonized by American popular opinion.

In January of 1813, as commander of the Detroit frontier, an American force under James Winchester marched north to retake Detroit. Procter's army met the Americans in a bloody battle at Frenchtown.

After the engagement, Procter left the American wounded behind and withdrew towards the safety of Ft. Malden. Enraged native warriors soon killed between thirty and sixty of the American prisoners. U.S. newspapers dubbed the incident the "River Raisin Massacre" and portrayed Procter as a monster. The resulting public outcry helped provide the Americans with the momentum which resulted in the destruction of Procter's army at Moraviantown. When the Kentucky volunteers charged the British lines at Moraviantown they cried, "Remember the Raisin."

The Americans retreated to Fort Meigs upon hearing the news of the Frenchtown defeat. Procter pursued two aggressive assaults on the fort, hoping to force the Americans to capitulate before reinforcements could arrive. Both were costly affairs that failed to achieve the desired results.

Procter's position on the Detroit frontier was left extremely exposed by the US naval victory on Lake Erie in September of 1813. Lacking supplies and support from the British administration, Procter had stripped all of Ft. Malden's cannon to outfit the British squadron. He had also been forced to use one-third of his soldiers to crew the navy ships. The US naval victory left him short of fighting men and with a defenseless fort. Perhaps more importantly, the American domination of Lake Erie cut his supply line and left him vulnerable to attack.

Procter decided to face the Americans at a more protected position up the valley of the Thames River. His subsequent retreat from Ft. Malden was a disaster, and his force was decimated by the Americans in Moraviantown on October 5, 1813. Procter was a competent officer in peacetime but was unable to manage the extremely difficult withdrawal from Ft. Malden.

A court martial later found Procter guilty of being "deficient in energy and judgment" during the campaign. He was suspended from rank and pay, although this sentence was later reduced to public reprimand.