In 1865, British Captain Gustav Drolet served as a member of the 65th Canadian Volunteers. The twenty-year-old officer was stationed at Lacolle, Quebec, a few miles north of the border, very near Rouses Point and Champlain, New York. Although sympathetic to the Confederate cause, the British were not formally involved in the on-going American Civil War. The captain, regularly plagued with day dreams of heroism on the battlefield and the fame and fortune which often accompanied such feats, grew bored, and frustrated. He tired of his role as a non-combatant and decided to do something about it.  After much consideration and scattered encouragement from his staff, and a few drinks, Drolet decided to take matters into his own hands. He would attack and then capture Fort Montgomery in Rouses Point, New York. And he would do this by himself. His inevitable capture by the Americans would prompt the British into action. Together they would defeat the Union Army. All of this in accordance with the captain’s fantasy. With a borrowed horse and buggy, the captain and his orderly headed south. When they reached the border, an ear-splitting volley of artillery fire very nearly catapulted Drolet from his carriage. He panicked, wondering if word of his death-defying mission might have leaked to the enemy. The sudden noise and his errant compass reading sent the officer right when he should have turned left. He arrived in the Village of Champlain, its main street jam-packed with people. Soon, the horse drawn buggy and its occupants became unwilling participants in what appeared to be a parade. When the crowd stopped in front of a Protestant church and entered the house of worship, Drolet realized it was a funeral procession. The locals mourned the death of Abraham Lincoln on this, the day of his burial. Earlier that morning, they saluted their Commander in Chief with several large field pieces, a fact to which a still shaken Drolet could testify. The captain tethered his horse and dutifully joined the solemn crowd.   During the obsequies, the minister took notice of his two out-of-town visitors, both dressed in full military regalia. He complimented them for their thoughtfulness and acknowledged the honor of a delegation from Great Britain during this time of deep sorrow. The congregation nodded approvingly, clearly impressed that a representative of Her Majesty’s government would think to honor their fallen president with such a kind and heartfelt gesture. When the church ceremony ended, a high-ranking officer in the Union Army, invited Captain Drolet to a grand banquet, at Fort Montgomery. no less. The British officer, overwhelmed with American hospitality, would sit at a table with twenty other officers. During and after the luxurious repast, there were toasts ad-infinitum. They toasted the dead president. They toasted the new president, Andrew Johnson. They toasted General Grant. They also toasted a great number of other high-ranking Union officers. And, as a sign of respect for the delegation from Great Britain, they toasted Queen Victoria. When Her Royal Highness was referred to by an American Army officer as “old Vic”, Drolet took great offense. Another generous glass of bourbon soothed his anger, however, and the festivities continued.  Drolet would forget the original purpose of his visit to Rouses Point. The banquet and the after-party conviviality forced Drolet to spend the night in Champlain. He would not return to his post in Lacolle until late, the next day. Although feeling a bit “under the weather” he continued to bask in the afterglow of the genuinely warm reception by the Americans. He recalled his original plan to capture Fort Montgomery and trigger Great Britain’s entrance into the war. His decision came quickly. The captain wisely decided to postpone, indefinitely, his planned attack on the American fortress.