Mention the name Laura Secord and
Canadians picture that woman on the chocolate boxes. Few realise that
Laura Secord was a genuine Canadian heroine of the War of 1812 who, having
overheard that the Americans were planning to ambush a small detachment
of British soldiers under Lieutenant James FitzGibbon, set off on a dangerous
20-mile cross-country trek to warn him. Thus forewarned, FitzGibbon turned
the tables on the Americans at the Battle of Beaver Dams, defeating and
capturing an entire American regiment with his tiny force.
In 1860, Laura Secord, now 85-years-old
and living at Chippawa Ontario, was presented to the visiting Prince of
Wales – Queen Victoria's eldest son and the future King Edward VII.
Laura gave the prince this memorial:
Having the privilege accorded
me this day of presenting myself before your Royal Highness I beg to
assure you that I do so with the greatest gratification to my feelings.
I am confident your Royal Highness will pardon the liberty I have taken
when your Royal Highness is informed of the circumstances which have
led me to do so.
I shall commence at the battle
of Queenston, where I was at the time the cannon balls were flying around
me in every direction. I left the place during the engagement. After
the battle I returned to Queenston, and then found that my husband had
been wounded; my house plundered and property destroyed. It was while
the Americans had possession of the frontier, that I learned the plans
of the American commander, and determined to put the British troops
under Fitzgibbon in possession of them, and if possible, to save the
British troops from capture, or, perhaps, total destruction. In doing
so I found I should have great difficulty in getting through the American
guards, which were out ten miles in the country. Determined to persevere,
however, I left early in the morning, walked nineteen miles in the month
of June, over a rough and difficult part of the country, when I came
to a field belonging to a Mr. Decamp [DeCew], in the neighbourhood of
the Beaver Dam. By this time daylight had left me. Here I found all
the Indians encamped; by moonlight the scene was terrifying, and to
those accustomed to such scenes, might be considered grand. Upon advancing
to the Indians they all rose, and, with some yells, said "Woman," which
made me tremble. I cannot express the awful feeling it gave me; but
I did not lose my presence of mind. I was determined to persevere. I
went up to one of the chiefs, made him understand that I had great news
for Capt. Fitzgibbon, and that he must let me pass to his camp, or that
he and his party would be all taken. The chief at first objected to
let me pass, but finally consented, after some hesitation, to go with
me and accompany me to Fitzgibbon's station, which was at the Beaver
Dam, where I had an interview with him. I then told him what I had come
for, and what I had heard – that the Americans intended to make
an attack upon the troops under his command, and would, from their superior
numbers, capture them all. Benefiting by this information Capt. Fitzgibbon
formed his plan accordingly, and captured about five hundred American
infantry, about fifty mounted dragoons, and a fieldpiece or two was
taken from the enemy. I returned home next day, exhausted and fatigued.
I am now advanced in years, and when I look back I wonder how I could
have gone through so much fatigue, with the fortitude to accomplish
it.
I am now a very old woman –
a widow many years. A few short years even if I should so long live
will see me no more upon this earth. I feel that it will be gratifying
to my family and a pleasure to myself that your Royal Parent the Queen
should know that the services which I performed were truly loyal and
that no gain or hope of reward influenced me in doing what I did.
I request that your Royal Highness
will be pleased to convey to your Royal Parent Her Majesty the Queen
the name of one who in the hour of trial and danger – as well as
my departed husband who fought and bled on Queenston Heights in the
ever memorable battle of 13th Oct. 1812 – stood ever
ready and willing to defend this Country against every invasion come
what might.
