Major-General Henry Patrick Procter (c. 1763 – 31 October 1822) was a British Army officer who served in Upper Canada during the War of 1812. Procter led British forces at the Battle of Frenchtown and the Siege of Fort Meigs, but is best known for his defeat on 5 October 1813 by American forces at the Battle of the Thames. The loss left the Western District of Upper Canada under American control for the rest of the war.
Early life Procter was born in County Kilkenny, Ireland in 1763. His father, Richard Procter, was a surgeon in the British Army. Procter began his military career in April 1781 as an ensign in the 43rd Regiment of Foot. He obtained a lieutenancy later that year. Procter served with the 43rd Regiment in the Province of New York in the final months of the American Revolutionary War. After the war he served with his regiment in Ireland and later the West Indies. Procter became a captain in November 1792, was promoted to major in May 1795, and in October 1800 was commissioned a lieutenant colonel in command of the 41st Regiment of Foot. Procter joined his new regiment in Lower Canada in 1802. He served in both Lower and Upper Canada, and was breveted colonel in 1810. His superior officers, including Major General Isaac Brock, noted that Procter's regiment was "very sharp", indicating a good standard of drill and discipline, and that this was due to Procter's "indefatigable industry".
War of 1812 Siege of Detroit
When the United States declared war on the United Kingdom in June 1812, the 41st Regiment had been stationed in Upper Canada at Amherstburg and Niagara for a number of years. In addition to commanding the 41st Regiment, Procter also had command of Niagara's Fort George. On 12 July 1812, an American army under Brigadier General William Hull crossed the Detroit River and occupied Sandwich (now Windsor). A few skirmishes occurred with British pickets along the Canard River north of Amherstburg. Hull decided that he could not take Amherstburg's Fort Malden without heavy artillery, which could not be brought forward because the carriages were in a poor state of repair. Major General Brock, who was in charge of all British forces in Upper Canada, dispatched Procter to Amherstburg to take over as commander of Fort Malden, and defend the fort and the Amherstburg Navy Yard against American attack.
Procter arrived at Amherstburg on 26 July. In a letter to Brock requesting reinforcements, he wrote: "Five hundred on the 41st, would, I am confident, soon decide matters." With the help of the influential Shawnee war leader Tecumseh, whose 200 warriors were based at Amherstburg, Procter convinced the reluctant Wyandot led by Roundhead to support the British. On 2 August, Procter dispatched two companies of the 41st Regiment under the command of Captain Adam Muir across the river to the Wyandot village of Brownstown. Muir orders were to block the American supply train that was at Frenchtown on the Raisin River waiting for an escort from Detroit. On 4 August, Tecumseh and a small group of his followers ambushed a column of 200 militia led by Major Thomas Van Horne as it moved south from Detroit, killing 17 and wounding 12. Two bags of mail from Detroit were dropped by the panicked militia containing letters that revealed growing dissatisfaction within Hull's forces.
On 6 August, Hull ordered 600 regulars and militia under Lieutenant Colonel James Miller to secure the supply route to Frenchtown. To stop Miller from succeeding, Muir advanced north to the abandoned Wyandot village of Maguaga with 90 regulars and 50 men from the Essex militia, supported by Tecumseh and his warriors. Once in position, Muir was reinforced by 60 additional regulars who had arrived at Amherstburg that morning. The Battle of Maguaga began late in the afternoon on 9 August when Muir opened fire on the approaching American column. Miller deployed his men into line and advanced under heavy fire. Muir ordered a charge, however, the bugle call was misinterpreted by the newly arrived regulars who began to fall back. As Miller pressed forward his attack, Muir ordered a retreat. Screened by Tecumseh's warriors, the British made an orderly withdrawal back to Brownstown and then crossed the river to Amherstburg. Despite scoring a tactical victory, the Americans suffered 18 killed and 64 wounded. The British had 4 killed, 19 wounded and two taken prisoner. Miller remained at Maguaga until he was ordered back to Detroit on 11 August, while the supply train remained stalled at Frenchtown.
Hull began withdrawing his troops from Sandwich on 8 August. Once the Americans had departed, Procter ordered the construction of an artillery battery at Sandwich on the grounds of the François Baby House, formerly Hull's headquarters. The battery consisted of one 18-pounder, two 12-pounders and two 5½-inch mortars manned by gunners from the Provincial Marine.
Brock arrived at Amherstburg with additional reinforcements on the evening of 13 August. He credited Procter with having "compelled the enemy to retreat and take shelter under the guns of his fort." On 15 August, Brock sent a letter demanding Hull's surrender. When Hull refused, Brock ordered the battery at Sandwich to open fire. Brock was determined to take offensive action despite the misgivings of Procter and many of the other senior officers. Tecumseh and roughly 600 warriors crossed the river that night. On the morning of 16 August, Brock and Procter crossed the river with 330 regulars and 400 militia, and advanced on Detroit.
Following his initial refusal to surrender, Hull had become increasingly despondent. He was responsible not only for his soldiers but also for hundreds of civilians including his daughter and grandchildren. He lacked confidence in his men, believed he was outnumbered, and above all feared a massacre should he lose. Despite having a strong defensive position, Hull ordered his artillery not to return fire. After several of his soldiers were killed during the British bombardment, Hull decided that surrender was the only option. Hull and 582 regulars were sent to Quebec as prisoners of war, while the militia, numbering about 1,600, were paroled and escorted home.
Battle of Frenchtown
Brock departed Amherstburg on 19 August leaving Procter in command of the Detroit frontier. Procter was soon faced with a campaign led by American Brigadier General William Henry Harrison to retake Detroit and advance into Upper Canada.
On 14 September 1812, Procter sent a detachment of regulars and militia led by Muir, accompanied by several hundred Wyandot led by Roundhead, to support the siege of Fort Wayne. Procter was unaware that the Potawatomi had ended the siege three days earlier just before the fort was relieved by a substantial reinforcement led by Harrison. On 25 September, as Muir ascended the Maumee River, his scouts skirmished with scouts from a brigade led by Brigadier General James Winchester that was advancing down the river from Fort Wayne. Aware that he was badly outnumbered, Muir withdrew back to Amherstburg.
In late December, Winchester received orders to move his regulars and Kentucky militia from his encampment at the confluence of the Maumee and Auglaize rivers down to the Maumee Rapids. At the rapids he learned that Frenchtown, to the north, was lightly defended by two companies of the Essex militia and only a few hundred Potawotomi. Although he had been ordered to wait at the rapids for Harrison, Winchester dispatched 700 men under Lieutenant Colonel William Lewis to retake Frenchtown. On 18 January, during the 1st Battle of Frenchtown, Lewis's men charged across the frozen Raisin River in an attack that forced the Essex militia to withdraw. In the running battle that followed, 12 Americans were killed and 55 wounded. Meanwhile, the Essex militia suffered only a single fatality.
Two days later, Winchester joined Lewis at Frenchtown with additional men, but did little to prepare the position for a possible British counterattack. Although the village was partially surrounded by a simple palisade, only the Kentucky militia took shelter inside the enclosure, while Wincester's regulars established a camp immediately to the east. On 21 January, Winchester was repeatedly warned that a large enemy force led by Procter had crossed the frozen Detroit River and was heading towards the village, but dismissed the reports as "impossible rumour."
Procter had assembled close to 600 regulars, militia, and Provincial Marine sailors, and was accompanied by six artillery pieces and about 600 Indigenous warriors led by Roundhead. Before dawn on 22 January, Procter deployed his soldiers into a line north of the village while his Indigenous allies took up positions to either side.
Shortly after Procter ordered the advance, an American drummer had begun to sound reveille. An American sentry spotted the approaching British and discharged his musket. The Americans scrambled into position to meet the attack. While the Kentucky militia were protected by the palisade, the regulars were out in the open. After a intense firefight that lasted about 25 minutes, Winchester's regulars began to give way. Two companies of militia tried to reinforce the regulars, however, the warriors on the British left surged forward driving the Americans towards the river. Winchester and Lewis tried in vain to form a second line at the riverbank but the withdrawal had become a rout. Panicked men fled across the river unaware that the warriors on the British right had circled around to the American rear and were blocking the escape route. Only 33 men managed to avoid death or capture. About 220 were killed and 147 men including Winchester and Lewis were taken prisoner.
Meanwhile, the Kentucky militia held their ground behind the palisade. Over the next few hours they repulsed three British frontal assaults and inflicted heavy casualties on the gunners who had moved the artillery to within of the palisade. Procter finally pulled his men back and waited for his Indigenous allies to return. When Roundhead brought Winchester to the British line, Procter insisted that the American general order the holdouts to surrender. The senior surviving Kentucky militia officer, Major George Madison, initially refused since Winchester was a prisoner, but soon agreed to terms.
In total, the Americans suffered 397 killed and 547 taken prisoner. British casualties totalled 23 killed and 185 wounded.
After receiving a false report that Harrison was approaching from the south, Procter ordered an immediate withdraw back to Amherstburg. Since there was a shortage of sleighs, 64 badly wounded prisoners were left behind under the care of a few attendants. Early on the morning of 23 January, about 200 Indigenous warriors entered the village. They robbed the wounded prisoners of their clothing and blankets, killed those unable to walk, and burned the two makeshift hospitals. The survivors were taken away but those who struggled to keep up with their captors were killed. Most were brought to Amherstburg and ransomed by Procter. A contemporary report identified nine victims and estimated that an additional 15 to 18 were killed. This number was greatly inflated in later accounts.
The Battle of Frenchtown is widely known as the "Raisin River Massacre." Reports of the slaughter were quickly exaggerated in wartime propaganda, with political cartoons and recruitment broadsides depicting a drunken massacre and scalping by “savages” abetted by the British. The slogan "Remember the Raisin!" was used to encourage enlistment, and was adopted as a battle cry.
In recognition of his victory at Frenchtown, Procter was appointed a brigadier general, and a few months later was promoted to major general.
Fort Meigs