To James Madison from Daniel Parker, [ca. 11 October] 1813
From Daniel Parker
[ca. 11 October 1813]
As Genl. Harrison cannot take a back rout & cut off the retreat of Proctor at the eastern point of Lake St. Claire, or on the river Franhe1 (called Thames on the map) he probably will reestablish Detroit, Mackinac & St. Joseph’s and debark for the lower part of lake Erie. There does not appear to be any necessity for a fort at Amherstburg, now the enemy have no shiping on the upper lakes, as that Fort could only be serviceable to command the strait.
RC (DNA: RG 59, ML). Undated; filed at 10 Oct. 1813. Conjectural date assigned on the basis of internal evidence, Parker to JM, 9 Oct. 1813, and the assumption that this note was Parker’s response to a comment by JM on the subject. Addressee not indicated; identified as JM on the basis of this note’s location with other letters from Parker to JM.
1. This was probably a variation of “la Tranche,” an earlier name for the Thames (William B. Hamilton, The Macmillan Book of Canadian Place Names [Toronto, 1978], 206).