secret from Fort George to the village of Queenston, where they quartered themselves in the houses and other buildings. Several American officers had earlier billeted themselves in the house of Canadian Militia Captain James Secord, who had been severely wounded the previous year at the Battle of Queenston Heights. His wife, Laura Secord, overheard the officers discussing their scheme. Very early on 22 June, she set out to warn the British at DeCou's house, walking about through the woods until she came upon a native encampment on the Twelve Mile Creek. The warriors took her to Lieutenant James FitzGibbon, who commanded the British outpost. The information she conveyed to FitzGibbon confirmed what natives had reported since they first observed the U.S. column near St. David's. Battle The main contingent of natives were 300 Kahnawake, also referred to as Caughnawaga in contemporary accounts, Mohawk people who had earlier been converted to Christianity by Jesuit missionaries. They were nominally commanded by Captain Dominique Ducharme of the Indian Department, with Lieutenants Isaac LeClair and J.B. de Lorimier. There were also 100 Mohawks under Captain William Johnson Kerr. They set up ambushes in a thickly wooded area east of Beaver Dams. FitzGibbon with 46 men of the 49th Regiment of Foot was in reserve. Early on 24 June, U.S. forces set out for DeCou's stone house. At St. David's they proceeded along a trail at the base of the escarpment until they reached another trail leading up the "mountain". Reaching the top, they became aware of natives closing in on their flanks and rear, but Boerstler did not change his plans. When the natives opened fire, Boerstler was wounded and placed in one of the wagons. According to U.S. accounts, they caused the Mohawks to flee and fought their way out of the woods into open fields where they could use their artillery, and the natives were not at such an advantage. This account is not supported by other witnesses. At this point, FitzGibbon intervened. Addressing Boerstler under a flag of truce, he claimed that the Americans were outnumbered and surrounded, and that if they did not surrender he would be unable to restrain the natives from slaughtering them. The wounded Boerstler capitulated to Major de Haren of the Canadian Regiment of Fencible Infantry, who had just arrived on the field with another detachment of British regulars (mainly from the 104th Regiment) from Twelve