What Prevost actually did was something disgracefully different.  Having first wasted time by his attempted armistice, and so hindered preparations at the base, between La Prairie and Chambly, he next proceeded to cross the frontier too soon.  He reported home that Downie could not be ready before September 15.  But on August 31 he crossed the line himself, only twenty-five miles from his objective, thus prematurely showing the enemy his hand.  Then he began to goad the unhappy Downie to his doom.  Downie’s flagship, the Confiance, named after a French prize which Yeo had taken, was launched only on August 25, and hauled out into the stream only on September 7.  Her scratch crew could not go to battle quarters till the 8th; and the shipwrights were working madly at her up to the very moment that the first shot was fired in her fatal action on the 11th.  Yet Prevost tried to force her into action on the 9th, adding, ’I need not dwell with you on the evils resulting to both services from delay,’ and warning Downie that he was being watched:  ’Captain Watson is directed to remain at Little Chazy until you are preparing to get under way.’

Thus watched and goaded by the governor-general and commander-in-chief, whose own service was the Army, Downie, a comparative junior in the Navy, put forth his utmost efforts, against his better judgment, to sail that very midnight.  A baffling head-wind, however, kept him from working out.  He immediately reported to Prevost, giving quite satisfactory reasons.  But Prevost wrote back impatiently:  ’The troops have been held in readiness, since six o’clock this morning [the 10th], to storm the enemy’s works at nearly the same time as the naval action begins in the bay.  I ascribe the disappointment I have experienced to the unfortunate change of wind, and shall rejoice to learn that my reasonable expectations have been frustrated by no other cause.’ ‘No other cause.’  The innuendo, even if unintentional, was there.  Downie, a junior sailor, was perhaps suspected of ‘shyness’ by a very senior soldier.  Prevost’s poison worked quickly.  ‘I will convince him that the Navy won’t be backward,’ said Downie to his second, Pring, who gave this evidence, under oath, at the subsequent court-martial.  Pring, whose evidence was corroborated by that of both the first lieutenant and the master of the Confiance, then urged the extreme risk of engaging Macdonough inside the bay.  But Downie allayed their anxiety by telling them that Prevost had promised to storm Macomb’s indefensible works simultaneously.  This was not nearly so good as if Prevost had promised to defeat Macomb first and then drive Macdonough out to sea.  But it was better, far better, than what actually was done.