Cannons echoed through the smoke-filled air, sounding out the decadent  thunder which informed America, that it had been defeated.  The Whitehouse was ablaze, engulfed in the fires of hell.  This fury and chaos is how the Battle of 1812 came to a fiery end.  In a battle like this, one man can turn the tides. It could be any man. In this case, it was Sir Isaac Brock.  Brock was born in Guernsey in 1769. He joined the British army at age 15.  By 28 he had been promoted to Lieutenant-colonel. Isaac Brock was often described as a truly remarkable soldier and leader.  In 1802, Brock was assigned to a weak, poorly-defended colony, known as Canada. Brock immediately began training military units, as war with American was a very real possibility.  In 1812, the war erupted and many believed that Canada, would not survive.  Brock was ordered by the Governor of Canada to adopt defensive tactics only, but Brock ignored him, and besieged Fort Detroit.  His small army was outnumbered nearly 2-1 by the Americans, but somehow, Brock and his men came out on top.  After a day of shelling, Fort Detroit surrendered.  After his capture of Fort Detroit, Brock rushed back to Niagra to prepare for an imminent attack. Despite his successful capture of Detroit, The governor of Canada once again ordered Brock to adopt defensive measures.  Americans soon gained control of  a small redden battery with an 18-pounder cannon.  Awakened by shell blasts, Brock got dressed, mounted his steed, and galloped to the unfolding battle.  Twice, Brock led British forces up the hill to recover the battery.  The second time, Brock came into the sight of an American sniper.  A shot fired and rung in the air.  A spurt of blood erupted from Brock’s chest and he fell to the ground.  As his blood, sweat and tears mixed into the harsh soil, some say that he had been heard to urge his troops to push on, and take the battery.  Perhaps he said this. Perhaps no one heard him through the chaos. Perhaps he was already dead.  No one can know for sure.  In the end, the British won the battle, and recaptured the heights, maybe purely for the honor of their fallen comrades.  Brock had been made a Knight of the bath for his victory at Detroit, but sadly, the news did not reach him before his death at Queenston Heights.  Twelve years after his death, a 130 foot stone monument was erected in his honor on the heights near the spot where he had met his untimely end.  In 1840, the monument was destroyed by a massive blast of gunpowder, believed to have been ignited by an American sympathizer. The monument was rebuilt in 1856, 52 feet taller, and today, it remains one of the most imposing historical landmarks in Canada.  Sir Isaac Brock’s death was not the end of the war of 1812 however.  It was a harsh war, and the Americans attacked harshly.  The British forces were numbered, because at the same time, Britain was fighting Napoleon.  After Napoleon’s defeat however, the tables turned.  British troops came pouring into Canada and the US had to face many difficult Canadian invasions.  In the last year of the war, the British navy sailed up the Chesapeake Bay and landed troops who marched on Washington.  In an instant, the war was over, and Washington burned in the righteous fires of Canadian indignation.  This is why all Canadians should be proud of their heritage. Because for the few fleeting moments that the Whitehouse burned, Canada was seen as an unstoppable force.