Laura Secord - Niagara Falls, ON, Canada
Posted by: 
neoc1
N 43° 05.356 W 079° 05.731
17T E 655008 N 4772488
A monument with the bust of Laura Secord, heroine of the War of 1812, marks her grave in Drummond Hill Cemetery in the Lundy's Lane Battlefield Park.
Waymark Code: WMMH3W
Location: Ontario, Canada
Date Posted: 09/21/2014
Views: 12
A life-size bronze bust of Laura Secord was created by Mildred Peel and unveiled on June 22, 1901. It depicts a young Laura Secord from the chest up. She is wearing a blouse and a cape held around her neck with a rope with tassels. Her hair is parted in the middle as she looks straight ahead. The bust rests on a bronze plinth set on an 5' high, two-tiered, granite base.
Laura Secord has been described as the Paul Revere of Canada. Born Laura Ingersoll on September 13, 1775 in Great Barrington, MA. The Ingersoll family moved to Upper Canada in 1795. In 1797, she married James Secord.
James Secord served in the 1st Lincoln Militia under General Isaac Brock when the War of 1812 began. In October 1812 Brock was killed at the battle of Queenstown Heights and James Secord was wounded in the leg and shoulder during the battle. Laura heard of his predicament and rushed to his side to rescue him from the American forces.
Later, on May 27, 1813 the United States launched an attack across the Niagara River into Canada. They captured Fort George and then the Queenston and the Niagara area fell to the Americans. Next, the Americans were planning to attack the British positions. Laura Secord learned of plans and began her famous journey that made here the heroine of Canada. Her heroic journey is described on her monument:
TO PERPETUATE
THE NAME AND FAME OF
LAURA SECORD
WHO WALKED ALONE NEARLY 20 MILES BY A CIRCUITOUS, DIFFICULT AND PERILOUS ROUTE THROUGH WOODS AND SWAMPS AND OVER MANY ROADS TO WARN A BRITISH OUTPOST AT DECEW'S FALLS OF AN INTENDED ATTACK AND THEREBY ENABLED LIEUT. FITZGIBBON ON THE 24TH, JUNE, 1813, WITH LESS THAN 50 MEN OF H.M. 49TH REGT., ABOUT 15 MILITIAMEN AND A SMALL FORCE OF SIX NATION AND OTHER INDIANS UNDER CAPTAINS WILLIAM JOHNSON KERR AND DOMONIQUE DUCHARME, TO SURPRISE AND ATTACK THE ENEMY AT BEECHWOODS (OR BEAVER DAMS) AND AFTER A SHORT ENGAGEMENT TO CAPTURE COL. BOERSTLER OF THE U.S. ARMY AND HIS ENTIRE FORCE OF 542 MEN WITH TWO FIELD PIECES.