s ▁command ing ▁officer , ▁Lieutenant ▁Colonel ▁Robert ▁Mc Don all , ▁were ▁to ▁vac ate ▁Fort ▁Mack in ac ▁and ▁re - est ab lish ▁a ▁g arrison ▁within ▁British ▁territory ▁but ▁relatively ▁close ▁to ▁Mack in ac ▁Island . ▁In ▁particular , ▁it ▁was ▁important ▁that ▁the ▁new ▁site ▁be ▁sufficiently ▁close ▁to ▁the ▁Stra its ▁of ▁Mack in ac ▁that ▁the ▁British ▁could ▁continue ▁to ▁ex ert ▁their ▁considerable ▁influence ▁on ▁the ▁Native ▁American ▁pe op les ▁tribes ▁and ▁the ▁fur ▁trade ▁in ▁the ▁upper ▁Great ▁L akes ▁region . ▁Mc Don all ▁considered ▁several ▁sites ▁in ▁the ▁area , ▁and ▁finally ▁settled ▁on ▁a ▁site ▁on ▁the ▁west ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁then - unn amed ▁Dr um mond ▁Island . ▁The ▁transfer ▁of ▁stores ▁and ▁men ▁to ▁the ▁new ▁site ▁was ▁slow ▁to ▁accomplish , ▁and ▁it ▁took ▁Mc Don all ' s ▁g arrison ▁until ▁July ▁ 1 8 , ▁ 1 8 1 5 , ▁to ▁completely ▁empty ▁Fort ▁Mack in ac , ▁which ▁was ▁then ▁turned ▁over ▁to ▁American ▁forces . ▁ ▁Some ▁of ▁the ▁forces ▁under ▁Mc Don all ' s ▁command ▁were ▁must ered ▁out ▁in ▁the ▁latter ▁part ▁of ▁ 1 8 1 5 ▁and ▁were ▁sh ipped ▁home , ▁but ▁by ▁the ▁time ▁the ▁transfer ▁to ▁Dr um mond ▁Island ▁was ▁complete , ▁the ▁g arrison ▁consisted ▁of ▁some ▁ 3 5 0 – 4 0 0 ▁people . ▁These ▁men ▁were ▁set ▁to ▁work ▁construct ing ▁structures ▁on ▁Dr um mond