Henry Procter

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Henry Procter or Proctor (c. 1763 – 31 October 1822) was a British Major-General who served in Canada during the War of 1812. Henry Proctor was viewed as a kind but gentle soul by some and seen as an inept leader who relied too heavily on textbook procedure by others. His reliance on textbook battlefield procedure can be attributed to his lack of prior combat experience.

Procter was born in Ireland. His father was a surgeon in the British Army. Procter himself joined the army as Ensign in the 43rd Foot in 1781, and served as Lieutenant in New York in the last months of the American War of Independence. His subsequent promotion seems to have been slow, probably indicating a lack of means as commissions were obtained by purchase. He eventually joined the 41st Foot in Lower Canada as Lieutenant Colonel in 1802. He remained in command of the regiment, continuously serving in Canada, for ten years. Inspecting officers including Major General Isaac Brock commented that the regiment was "very sharp", indicating a good standard of drill and discipline.

Placed in command of Fort Detroit by Brock, he was soon faced by an attack from American General William Henry Harrison. Proctor captured some Americans at the River Raisin despite placing his artillery well within american rifle range, resulting in the death of several crew members. He then turned over the wounded prisoners to the custody of his Native American allies as he was sufficiently burdened by wounded of his own. The natives executed 60 of them, an event known as the River Raisin Massacre. The natives responsible for these murders did not participate in the battle itself, they had arrived following its conclusion.

Following the Battle of Lake Erie, Procter's supply lines were cut and he was forced to retreat from Detroit. Fort Amherstburg was also dismantled as the garrison artillery had been placed on the british fleet for the battle at lake erie and was subsequently lost.The Indian chief Tecumseh reviled him as "a fat animal which slinks away, its tail between its legs", but he and his warriors nevertheless accompanied Procter's army. Procter's retreat was slow and badly organised, and the American army under Harrison caught up with him at Moraviantown. At the subsequent Battle of the Thames, Procter's forces fled while his native allies were still fighting, Proctor himself fleeing the battlefield early. Procter claimed that the conduct of the 41st, "was not upon this unfortunate occasion, such as I have on every other witnessed with pride and satisfaction ...".

Procter was tried in late 1814 by court martial, found guilty of "deficiency in energy and judgement", and suspended for six months without pay. The Prince Regent insisted on the findings and sentence being read to each regiment in the Army, but the sentence was later reduced to a reprimand. After returning to England, Procter was effectively semi-retired until his death.

Over the years, there have been many conflicting accounts and explanations for Procter's behaviour. Some authors have dismissed him as incompetent or cowardly, others have excused him on grounds of being denied adequate resources by his superiors, and the unreliable nature of his Indian allies (except where accompanied by Tecumseh himself).

It has been suggested that his error in judgement at the Thames bears a strong correlation with signs of (then undiagnosable) battle fatigue, after his long campaign with insufficient supplies.

Procter's last name is also spelled "Proctor" in many documents and books, though scholars generally prefer "Procter".