War of 1812 hero walked 32 km from Niagara-on-the-Lake to Thorold, saving Canada

On this day – June 21 – exactly 210 years ago, a War or 1812 hero ran 32 kilometres from Niagara-on-the-Lake to Thorold to warn the British about an impending American invasion.

Had Laura Secord decided, instead, to tend to her wounded husband and children, it is entirely possible large pieces of Niagara would be flying the Stars and Stripes in their front yards rather than the Maple Leaf.

Her story has been repeated time and time again – sometimes accurately, other times a little more fanciful – but the bottom line is this. American-born Laura Secord and her husband James settled in the St. Davids area of Niagara-on-the-Lake with their five children.

Surprisingly, Secord’s father, Thomas Ingersoll, fought with the American forces in the American Revolutionary War against the British, who had started heavily taxing the colonies. That, of course, saw the American rebel and win their independence in 1776.

However, when it came to Secord, she had to choose between the British forces in Canada and the invading American forces, some of whom made themselves unwelcome and demanding guests in the Secord home after successfully capturing parts of Niagara-on-the-Lake.

On June 20, 1813, Secord overheard the American soldiers planning to attack the DeCew House – the stone mansion where the British army were garrisoned in what is now Thorold. This attack, if successful, would give the Americans control of the Niagara Peninsula.

At that point, she was forced to make a choice. Stay at home so she could tend to her family and let the chips fall where they may? Or leave her home and warn the British of the attack?

She opted for the latter. Secord trudged for 18 hours in house slippers. “Except for moccasins, which many women wore outdoors, there were then no walking shoes such as women have today,” writes Ruth McKenzie in Laura Secord: The Legend and the Lady. 

With the help of some Six Nation warriors, she was guided to DeCew House where she insisted she be taken to James FitzGibbon, commander of the British soldiers there. When she met him, she convinced him of the impending attack and FitzGibbon, in turn, with the aid of about 400 friendly warriors from the Mohawk and other Six Nations fighters repelled the American army of 500 soldiers.

Despite her heroics, precious few knew of her heroism afterwards. The reason is simple. There was no way of getting that news out in those days. Now we know the history. Back then, they didn’t know of present activities.

So from 210 years ago today, here’s the story of Laura Secord’s bravery from CBC’s Canada: The Story of Us.