France, by the fact that this relatively small team had succeeded in penetrating deep into New York without opposition. They took what remained of the food, horses and cows, which they carried back to Montreal. In 1758 Belestre was promoted to captain and became the 13th official commander of Fort Ponchartrain du Detroit, founded by Antoine de Lamothe Cadillac in 1701. This happened after the death of the Detroit commandant, Nicholas D'aneau, Sieur de Muy in 1758. Assisted by Pierre Passerat de La Chapelle, he commanded a small army in a fort which was more of a fur trading center than a military fortress. Because of the many Indian allies camped around the fort, it was not considered necessary by the French Army to garrison the post with many troops like it was in the past. But it soon became a warehouse of supplies and equipment for the troops in the northwest of New France. As the French settlements in the east started falling to British forces in 1759, some citizens of New France fled to Detroit seeking protection. He participated in the French effort to relieve Fort Niagara that same year. More colonial troops were sent to fortify Fort Detroit in 1760. But in September 1760, Governor Vaudreuil surrendered Montreal and the rest of New France to the British. At that time, all communications with France and the rest of the French troops were broken, and Fort Detroit and other frontier outposts became completely isolated; Belestre knew nothing of the French capitulation. British General Jeffery Amherst then ordered Major Robert Rogers to ascend the St. Lawrence and the Great Lakes, to take command of the French forts at Detroit, Michilimackinac and elsewhere. Rogers was also given instructions to avoid battle unless necessary. On September 13, 1760, with "two hundred Rangers in fifteen whale-boats" (some archives mention the 60th Royal Americans troops and Rogers' Rangers), Rogers left Montreal. Approaching Fort Detroit in late November, Rogers sent a runner with a letter for Belestre, notifying him that the western posts now belonged to King George. His messenger explained to Belestre that Rogers had a letter from the Marquis de Vaudreuil and a copy of the capitulation. Belestre got very upset, irritated by the news, and the idea that he could lose his post. Could he trust Rogers, an enemy? No real proofs were given. Four hundred soldiers were stationed at the