However, a soldier's Indian mistress alerted her lover to the imminent danger and the battalion had time to prepare for the advancement before the stealth assault could be executed. Pontiac then laid siege to the fort while other forts across the continent were assaulted and destroyed by the multi-tribal alliance. Over several months the rare display of inter-tribal unity captured nine British forts. The plan was mostly successful however; Fort Detroit and Fort Pitt were not successfully captured. Fort Pitt survived because of a captain who would not allow the Indians into the fort; therefore, their stealth plan was unable to be executed. The two forts had withstood the assault and discouraged some followers; some began to abandon the siege. Also, the French were unable to come to their Indian allies aid mostly because they were too weak in numbers and supplies, they had no ammunition or soldiers coming in from France due to the loss to England in Europe. English forces began to rally and started to march towards the seized forts. During a negotiation, English representatives gave Indians blankets infected with smallpox to weaken their numbers and strength. Some American Indians attempted to poison water wells using animal carcasses. However the turning point in what some call Pontiac's Conspiracy was a battle between Pontiac's warriors and a platoon led by a Colonel Henry Bouquet, who was marching to relieve the combatants with