By Lorine McGinnis Schulze
James Secord, of the 1st. Lincoln Militia, was badly wounded in the Queenston battle 13 October 1812. The following May, Queenston was again invaded by Americans and this time they took the area. All Canadian men over 18 were marched off as prisoners of war, but James was allowed to remain in his home due to his wounds. Three American officers lodged with James and his wife, Laura Ingersoll Secord. Some months later, Laura overheard the Americans planning a surprise attack on the Canadian forces under FitzGibbons at Beaverdams.
Laura decided she had to get word to FitzGibbons of the planned attack, and set out at four in the morning to walk the 32 kilometres to the Decew house where FitzGibbons was staying. She told the American sentry she was going to St. David’s to visit her sick brother, and after briefly stopping there, she continued on the Old Swamp Road into Black Swamp. She could not go by the main road and was forced to go through the swamp in the mid day heat, watching for rattlesnakes and wolves. By noon she had left the swamp and was ready to cross Ten Mile Creek before climing “The Mountain” , the name given to the Niagara Escarpment. When Laura finally reached the top of the mountain after an 18 hour ordeal, she was exhausted and lost. Stumbling through the woods into a clearing she was surrounded by Moahwks and Caughnawagas, loyal Six Nations allies. Laura pursuaded the warriors to take her to FitzGibbon. FitzGibbon was amazed at the 38 year old woman’s tenacity and later wrote:
| “Mrs. Secord arrived at my Station about sunset of an excessively warm day, after having walked about twelve miles which I at the time thought was an exertion which a person of her slender frame and delicate appearance was unequal to make.” |
With Laura’s warning, the Canadian forces were prepared and when the Americans arrived, 50 soldiers and 200 warriors stood ready. All but 6 of the American soldiers were captured and their attempt to control the Niagara Peninsula ended.
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