Though Van Rensselaer’s force now numbered 6,300 men, he was still afraid to attack Brock.  Invited by the United States Government to take up arms, 400 Seneca Indians “went upon the war-path,” and performed ghost-dances on the streets of Lewiston.  Prevost, with no proper conception of the doctrine of “what we have we hold,” ordered Brock to “evacuate Detroit and the territory of Michigan.”  To “the man behind the gun,” who had but just donated this 60,000 square miles of realty to the Empire, such instructions were hardly to his taste.  Armed with powers of discretion, our hero declined.  Meanwhile Isaac’s heart was sore.  The situation was galling.  If there was to be no more fighting, why should he not get his release, join Wellington in Portugal, and renounce Canada?  Unrest and vigilance best describe the order of his days, while waiting attack.  The death of the ever-attentive Dobson, who had passed away before Brock’s departure for Detroit, and the absence of the faithful sergeant-major—­now Adjutant FitzGibbon—­distressed him.  In an attempt by General Brown to capture some British batteaux at Tousaint Island, on the St. Lawrence, the Americans had been repulsed by Brock’s gallant protege.

Everything now pointed to an early attack by the enemy in force.  General Van Rensselaer, with an ascertained army of at least 6,300, of which 2,600 were militia, wrote that he “would cross the river in the rear of Fort George, take it by storm, carry the Heights of Queenston, destroy the British ships—­the Prince Regent and Earl Moira—­at the mouth of the river, leave Brock no rallying point, appal the minds of the Canadians, and wipe away the past disgrace.”

On one of his visits to Fort George he had remarked to Brock, who had laughingly pointed out two beautiful brass howitzers taken from General Wayne, “Oh, yes, they are old friends of mine; I must take them back.”  They were not taken back in Brock’s time.  Even with his grand army of 6,300, his 400 Seneca braves, and his written admission that Niagara was weakly garrisoned, it is certain Van Rensselaer would have still delayed attack, unless he had been told by his spies that Brock had returned to Detroit.  Then, with valour oozing from his finger tips, he plucked up courage to attack the lair in the lion’s absence.

At this juncture an untoward event occurred, in the re-taking by the Americans of the brig Detroit, formerly the United States brig Adams—­captured, as we know, by Roulette—­and the trading brig Caledonia.  They were at anchor at the head of the Niagara River, off Black Rock.  The irregular regiments of Hull’s command, under the terms of surrender, were on board on their way to their Ohio homes, via Lake Erie and Buffalo.  The two vessels reached Fort Erie harbour safely, and being rightly regarded by the British as immune from attack, were left undefended, in charge of an officer and nine men only, most of whom were voyageurs.