THE STORY OF LAURA SECORD AND CANADIAN REMINISCENCES BY EMMA A. CURRIE WITH POR TRAITS AND ENGRA VINGS TORONTO WILLIAM BRIGGS 1900 Ente-red according to Act of the Parliament of Canada, in the year o~e thousand nine hundred, by EMMA A. CURRIE, at the Department of Agriculture. THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED TO THE BELOVED MEMORY OF WHOSE HIGHEST AIM WAS TO INSPIRE CANADIAN WOMEN TO TAKE THEIR PLACE IN THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY. CONTENTS. CHAPTER PAGE INTRODUCTION 9 I. The First Settlers- 13 II. ,The Secord F~mily, with Documents and Auto­ graphs 16 III. The Ingersoll Family, with Documents and Auto- graphs - 36 IV. Laura Inge~soll Secord, with Documents and Auto- graphs - 48 V. Reminiscences of 1812 - 82 VI. St. David's and Vicinity - VII. Fort Niagara - VIII. Isabella Marshall Graham establishes First Board­ ing School in New York City, and Founder of First Orphan Asylum in the United States - 103 IX. Mempir of John Whitmore, by William Kirby, with Autograph - 115 X. The Nelles Family - - 124 v VI· CONTENTS. CHAPTER PAGE XI. Visit of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent- - 126 XII. Two Historic Burnings-Niagara and St. David's 129 XIII. Stamford Park - 141 XIV. Recollections of 1837 and 1838 - 144 XV. Burning of the Steamer CaroHne - - 149 XVI. Samuel Zimmerman - 15 2 XVII. The First Fenian Raid of 1866 - 157 XVIII. Brant Memoranda - 16r XIX. Letters: Mrs. Thorn - 165 William Woodruff - - 167 Mrs. Jenoway - - 170 XX. Past and Present Names of Places - 173 XXI. An Old Ledger, 1806, 1807, 1808, 1809 - 175 XXII. Mrs. Grover, of Seaton Hall, Colborne - 182 XXIII. Conclusion - - 193 ILL US T RA T ION S. PAGE Laura Ingersoll Secord, with Autograph Frontispiece Homestead of Major David Secord, St. David's 20 Autograph of James Secord - 25 Autogra,phs of Major David Secord and Mrs. Secord - 27 Autographs of Stephen' Secord and Anna Secord - - 30 Home of Laura Ingersoll at Great Barrington, Mass. - 49 Home of Laura Ingersoll Secord at Queenston - 57 FitzGibbon's Headquarters, 1893 59 Place where the Indians encamped - - 61 Chippewa Home of Mrs. Secord, where she died - 70 Present State of Laura Ingersoll Secord's Grave - 74 Account of Schooling Billey GaUey, and Autograph 01 Mrs. Backus - 75 Letter and Autograph of Major Thomas Ingersoll -77 Diagram of the Battle of Beaver Dams - 78 Source of Four Mile Creek, above St. David's - - 89 vii ~ ..;. Vlll ILLUSTRATIONS. PAGE Four Mile Creek, below St. David's - 93 Autograph of David Secord - 97 Fort Niagara in 1888 - 98 Autograph of Wm. Kirby - 123 Arsenal inside Fort George, 1888 - 129 Magazine inside Fort George, 1888 - 129 Polly Page (Mrs. David Secord) - 139 Stamford Park, 1863 - - 141 Seals attached to Patents from the Crown, 1822 Autograph of Ezekiel Woodruff - - 145 Brock's Monument and Home of William Lyon Mackenzie, at Queenston, 1895 - 146 Fort Erie, I890 - - 159 Joseph Brant (Thayendanegea)­ 161 Letter of Joseph Brant Fort Mlssissauga, 1888 - 170 Bridgewater Mill, in Queen Victoria Niagara Falls Park - 174 Leaffrom an Old Ledger - - 176 INTRODUCTION. WHEN attention was drawn to Laura Ingersoll Secord, in r860, it was a great surprise that she had so long been unappreciated and known to so few. Living among many of her husband's relatives for over a quarter of a century, hearing constant allusion to those times, it seemed almost impossible that such heroism should have remained untold and her name unmentioned. After reading the newspaper account, inquiry was made of an aged friend whose whole life was spent in St. David's, as to its truthfulness. Quickly· came the reply, "It is all true." No details were given, but the answer was sufficient confirmation. The excitement of the American Civil War and re­ moval from St. David's caused the circumstances to be almost forgotten, but now and then allusioQs would come recalling them. When the Woman's Literary Club was formed in St. Catharines, in r892, it was my part to prepare one of the papers for the opening of the Club. The historic subject of Laura Secord was selected, and during the preparation of the paper I found that her ancestors and my own came from the same place, Great Barrington, Mass. Previous to this it had been a custom to spend a week or two 9 10 INTRODUCTION. during the summer season in making sketches in water-colors of historic places and buildings, of which there are so many in this locality. Some had been . previously made in Niagara and vicinity. I con­ cluded to make sketches in connection with Mrs. Secord's history, and to gather what information it was possible to gain from her relatives, and those who had seen and known her. Strange to say, no one seemed to know anything of her early life or later years. At historic gatherings I had tbe pleasure of meeting Mrs. Curzon, and was greatly impressed by her appearance. Not long before her death some correspondence took place between us. Suffering at that time from ill health, an offer was made to place what memoranda had been collected in her hands, to be used as she saw best. It was my last letter to her, for her death took place soon after. Feeling that what had been collected might be of use, a commencement was made to put them together. A letter was written to the Postmaster of Great . Barrington, asking for the address of any of the I Ingersoll descendants still remaining there. This letter was placed in the hands of Charles J. Taylor, Esq., and brought a reply from him. Mr. Taylor had written the history of Great Barrington, which has proved of great service. Of this gentleman's kindness to a total stranger, whom he has never seen-the time he has given, the researches he has made in helping through many difficulties-I cannot speak in too grateful terms. INTRODUCTION. 11 Colonel Dunn and Mrs. Dunn, of Toronto, have also been efficient helpers, in furnishing documents, history, letters and memoranda relating to the Secord family, and to Laura Secord also. The granddaugh­ ters of Mrs. Secord, Miss Louisa Smith and· Mrs. Cockburn, have furnished information which should have weight with the committee who have the erec­ tion of the monument in charge. When it was neces­ sary, ]. Hamilton Ingersoll, Esq., of St. Catharines, has written many letters. Miss Woodruff, of Chicago, has furnished much valuable information in regard to her grandfather and grandmother, Mr. and Mrs. David Secord, also valuable autographs; Mr. Henry Woodruff, of St. David's, Mrs. Thorn, of Princeton, and Mrs. Saxon, of St. Catharines, important letters; Mrs. Norton, of Westfield, Mass., and Mrs. Hitchcock, of Amherst, Mass., have assisted in information regarding the Ingersolls. Myoid friend, Mr. Kirby, author of " Chien d'Or," has contributed an article upon the Whitmore family, with whom he is connected by marriage, and which is a valuable addition to the history of the early set­ tlement of Upper Canada. Miss] anet Carnochan has also given much infor­ mation in regard to the local history of Niagara. To Miss Bothwell, of Lockport, and many others who have done much to help me, my grateful thanks are given. The portrait of Mrs. Secord, which is the frontis- 12 INTRODUCTION. piece of this work, is from a plate furnished by Rev. Canon Bull, Niagara Falls South. The late Mr. Joel Lyons, of Chippewa, had a likeness of Mrs. Secord, taken in what year is not known, and from this the plate was made. The likeness of Mrs. Secord which is in "Lossing's Pictorial Field Book of the War of 1812," and this are the only ones known to have been made. The autograph of Laura Secord accompanies the likeness.. It is the only autograph known to be in existence. In a footnote, page 621, Mr. Lossing says Mrs. Secord wrote to him, February 18th, 1861. In 1867 he speaks of her as being ninety-two years of age, and her men­ tal faculties in full play, her eyesight so perfect that she could read without spectacles. Mrs. Gregory, her niece, who saw her in her last illness, and but three days before her death, bears testimony to the won­ derful preservation of her mind. To Mrs. Grover, of Toronto, who has allowed· seleCtions to be made from her "Recollections," my warmest thanks are given. When these are published ill full, as they will be by her relatives, it is hoped they will receive the attention they so richly deserve. EMMA A. CURRIE. CHAPTER 1. THE FIRST SETTLERS. THE women of Canada can justly claim that the first Loyalist refugees to seek shelter under the pro~ tecting flag at Fort Niagara were women. Dr. Can~ niff, in his" Settlement of Upper Can'ada," gives the fact that" in I776 there arrived at Fort Niagara in' a starving and otherwise destitute condition five women and thirty-one children, whom the circumstances of the rebellion had driven away." Tradition places their arrival in the month of November. They had come from the banks of the Hudson and the valley: of the Mohawk, guided by friendly Indians, to this' ark of refuge. Their names were Mrs. Nelles, Mrs. Secord, Mrs. Young, Mrs. Buck and Mrs. Bonar. Of these women but little is know~, their names alone' being rescued from the oblivion of the past. Of Mrs. Secord we know that her. husband and two of her sons were in Butler's Rangers, fighting for that flag which had sheltered and protected their ancestors so many years before. Among the Rangers are found the names of Captain Nelles and Captain Young.