Although the American commander, Colonel William Lawrence, ordered his guns to fire on the British, they would not be deterred: by Saturday, the muzzles of four eighteen-pounders, two six-pounders, a pair of howitzers, and eight mortars were pointed at the fort. The British were ready. Before opening fire, however, Captain Harry Smith, under a flag of truce, carried a demand from his commanding officer, General Lambert, to Colonel Lawrence. His message in short: Surrender your fort.
