Certainly this was one of the most gallant actions of the whole war on the lakes; the enterprise of the British officers in getting afloat was most remarkable. But it is nowhere recorded that they got any such a sum of prize-money as was given to the men who, with far less risk and far less enterprise, took the _Tigress_ and _Scorpion_. Allen says the _Porcupine_ was unmolested because the current swept the conquering host down-stream too rapidly to permit an attack. This is probably true; that is to say, before the _Ohio’s_ crew had surrendered the whole fleet of boats and the two captured vessels had been swept below the _Porcupine_, and it was impossible to return. The number of militia taking part in the assault is not given. Although they had nothing worth mention afloat on the upper lakes, the honors there for 1814 were with the British. On Lake Ontario the contest during 1814 was made with whip-saw, adze, and maul rather than with guns, powder, and shot. The British under the braggart, Sir James Yeo, at Kingston, and the Americans under the over-cautious Captain Chauncey, at Sackett’s Harbor, “had been bending all their energies during the preceding winter in making preparations for securing the command of Lake Ontario.” The side that could get the greater number of guns afloat was certain, under the circumstances, to win. “As soon as one, by building, acquired the superiority, the foe at once retired to port, where he waited until he had built another vessel or two, when he came out, and the other went into port in turn.” The building at Sackett’s Harbor began in February; two twenty-two-gun brigs were laid down under the names of _Jefferson_ and _Jones_, and a huge frigate, the _Superior_, which was at first designed to carry fifty guns, but was lengthened to accommodate sixty-two, when a deserter came in from Kingston and described the largest ship that Sir James Yeo was building. “The _Jefferson_ was launched on April 7th, the _Jones_ on the 10th, and the _Superior_ on May 2d.” She had been eighty days only on the stocks, which shows that Mr. Henry Eckford, the master ship-builder, was a great man in the craft. He did it, too, in spite of sickness in camp that “almost assumed the proportions of a plague.” Meantime, however, the Canadians over at Kingston had done better in that they had an efficient number of ships ready for sea by the first of May, although it was near the end of the season before they spread their canvas on their big line-of-battle ship, which the _Superior_ was designed to match. By getting his squadron out on the lake first, Sir James Yeo obtained an opportunity of which he failed to take full advantage, as will appear farther on.