What would have happened if Chief Pontiac had successfully overpowered the British at Fort Detroit? Perhaps the glory of the native people would have been short lived. At the same time, it is quite possible that a native victory at Detroit may have stifled further development of European settlements. Either way, it was one small, inexplicable occurrence that prevented Pontiac from carrying out his plan fully. The night before Pontiac's arrival at Fort Detroit, someone informed Major Henry Gladwin, the fort's commander, of the Ottawa chief's intentions. The identity of the informant has remained a mystery. However, there are several stories that claim to explain the foiling of Pontiac's conspiracy.

Some of the most persistent accounts also happen to be the most romantic. One popular story is that of Catherine as informer. Catherine was a native woman, of either Potawatomi or Chippewa origin, said to be in love with Major Gladwin. Some say she was young, others say she was older, all believe it was she who told Gladwin of Pontiac's plot. Some support this theory by highlighting Catherine's untimely and bizarre death. One night, in a drunken stupor, she fell into a vat of boiling maple syrup.

Another story surfaced in 1773. This one pertains to the relationship between James Sterling, a British merchant, and Angelique Cuillerier, the daughter of Antoine Cuillerier, a French friend of Pontiac. Although little evidence exists to affirm the plausibility of the story, it is often told as follows: Pontiac held a council at Antoine Cuillerier house to discuss the siege. Angelique learned of Pontiac's plot and provided her lover with the information, which he then forwarded to Gladwin. A couple of years following the foiled conspiracy, Angelique Cuillerier married Sterling.

Some other explanations include a Pawnee slave providing the intelligence to the British, a Detroit merchant paying a spy for the information, and Mahiganne, an Ottawa expatriate, having a revelation of the conspiracy and sharing the information with the enemy.

While there may be numerous answers to the question of who informed Gladwin, the only thing we know for certain is the informant exposed Pontiac's intentions in time to foil his attack.