220. Heroic Canadians Resist US Occupation.

On 20 June 2013, Canada will release its second stamp issue which commemorates the bicentenary of the War of 1812. In the blog of 17 March 2012, I described the first issue of the series and we arrived at the point where the invading Americans had been defeated at the Battle of Queenston Heights although the battle ended with the tragic death of General Brock, the British commander. The Canada Post information released with the announcement of the second issue draws attention to the continuing American invasion and occupation of the Niagara Peninsula during the second year of the war. The Americans billeted themselves in the houses of the local population and mistreated and robbed the Canadians which was not the best way to win over the locals to their anti-British cause. One of the new stamps features Laura Secord who, on the evening of 21 June 1813, learned of a secret plan of the Americans to attack the British, Canadian and First Nation forces who were together fighting the American occupiers. She set out to travel 30 kilometres to warn the Allied forces of the treacherous plan and after an arduous journey through fields, ditches and underbrush arrived at the encampment of the First Nation warriors who took her to meet the British Lieutenant FitzGibbon and with the information Laura had so bravely brought to them, the Allies were able to attack and defeat the Americans at the Battle of Beaver Dams.

  A few months later, Canada faced another American invasion from 21 to 23 October 1813, as 4000 invaders swarmed across the border near Montreal. Forces under the command of Lt. Col. Charles-Michel d'Irumberry de Salaberry, although outnumbered, prepared defences to meet the invaders from  America near Allen's Corner, Quebec. De Salaberry is featured on the second of the stamps to be issued this year. As the battle got underway, de Salaberry took advantage of confusion in the Americans' ranks and instructed his soldiers to begin making a chorus of calls and shouts which suggested to the befuddled Americans that they were facing a much larger Allied force and led to their rapid withdrawal from the field of battle. Thus another notable victory was achieved by the Canadians over the invaders.

  The two heroic Canadians featured in this set are portrayed by the artist Susan Scott who was also responsible for the designs of the 2012 set. I will continue this exciting story when Canada issues its third series of War of 1812 commemoratives, though presumably that will not be until 2014.