THE LIBERTY BRIDE by Marylu Tyndall, reviewed by Paula Shreckhise

 The Liberty Bride is 6th in the series The Mayflower Brides.

Adventure abounds during this tale of the War of 1812. It is now 1814 and the British are planning to take Washington D.C. and Baltimore.

Owen Masters is the son of an apostate preacher and wants nothing to do with a God he perceives as distant and authoritarian. Throughout this book, he encounters people who are genuine Christians and they help him to discover the true God who loves him. While Owen is far from God, he is a staunch patriot even going so far as securing a British commission as a Naval officer in order to spy for America.

Emeline Baratt is returning to her home in Baltimore after several years in England with her wealthy aunt. Her ship is overtaken by the HMS Marauder where she meets Owen. They try to keep their American loyalty from each other and the British ship’s crew as obstacles meet them at every turn. Eventually they band together to try to accomplish their goal of fighting for America’s freedom.

If you want an exciting tale and want to learn a bit of history, this book is for you. Ms. Tyndall has captured the foreboding of the hero and heroine as they seek to spy for their homeland.

*I was given a complimentary ARC of this book by the author. I was not required to give a favorable review. All opinions are my own.*

BackCover Blurb:

Lieutenant Owen Masters and Emeline Baratt meet on a British warship as sworn enemies. Where will Emeline place her loyalties when forced to spy against her country?
A brand new series for fans of all things related to history, romance, adventure, faith, and family trees.

War Forces a Choice Between Love and Country

A trip home from England to Maryland in 1812 finds Emeline Baratt a captive on a British warship and forced to declare her allegiance between the British and Americans. Remaining somewhat politically neutral on a ship where her nursing skills are desperately needed is fairly easy—until she starts to have feelings for the first lieutenant who becomes her protector. However, when the captain sends her and Lieutenant Owen Masters on land to spy, she must choose between her love for him and her love for her country.

Join the adventure as the Daughters of the Mayflower series continues with The Liberty Bride by MaryLu Tyndall.
Available in digital ebook, paperback (and soon in audiobook):
Buy The Liberty Bride at Amazon
Buy The Liberty Bride at Christianbook.com
 

A Long Winter's Walk - A Rebuttal?

by Anita Mae Draper

On Mar 3rd, 2013, Debra posted about A Long Winter's Walk which raised some questions during the comment section. Soon afterward, I was reading an 1891 issue of The Newmarket Era (Newmarket is about 30 miles north of Toronto) and I stumbled upon an account of the very march Debra had mentioned.

I'd like to answer those questions here, as well as present one of my own. I'd also like to say that in posting this, I'm not detracting from Debra's post, but merely presenting different facts as a history post should. I can honestly say I haven't done the research to give a definitive answer, and everyone knows that you can't believe everything you read in the press.

The Newmarket Era May 8, 1891

This article states the 104th out of New Brunswick was under the command of Col Halkett, not Lt John Le Couteur as in Debra's original post, but more on that later.

I'd like to address the questions about the food and bedding. The Era article records..

The Newmarket Era May 8, 1891

The article continues with the march, of receiving provisions, hardships, using the snowshoes, etc, and then it goes back to the topic of food...

The Newmarket Era May 8, 1891

At one point in his account, Capt Rainsford writes, "...we could not light a fire, the cold being so intense that we could not strike a light with flint and steel..."

Brrrrrrrr

Debra posted, "When they became snow-bound at one point and ran out of supplies, three men snowshoed over 100 miles in 48 hrs to gain supplies."


In the Era's article, Capt Rainsford is the officer who takes 2 men (Patriot and Gay) and goes for the supplies, as written here...

The Newmarket Era May 8, 1891

Here's the point I'd like to present... Debra's post states, "In charge was Lieutenant John Le Couteur, at 17 years old, ordered to march his men from Fredericton, New Brunswick to Montreal and then, on to Kingston, Ontario. "

Yet, the beginning of the Era article states, "...the 104th out of New Brunswick was under the command of Col Halkett..."

In my 20 yrs of military experience, I can firmly say that a Lieutenant is the lowest rank of any officer and wouldn't be in charge unless no other rank was on site. Except for the time he left them to go for provisions, Capt Rainsford outranked Lt Couteur. And since the final article below states that no men were lost on the march, it confirms that Col Halkett was there the whole time...

The Newmarket Era May 8, 1891

So where does that leave Lt John Le Couteur? I suspect that Lt John Le Couteur was indeed on that courageous march...

...and I'd love to get my hands on his journal and read his account for myself.

Wouldn't you?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Anita Mae Draper is retired from the Canadian Armed Forces and lives on the prairie of southeast Saskatchewan, Canada with her hubby of 30 plus years and 2 of their 4 kids. She writes stories set on the prairies of Saskatchewan, North Dakota, Montana and Wyoming. Anita Mae has semi-finaled in the Historical Romance category of the ACFW's 2011 Genesis contest and finaled in the Inspirational category of the 2011 Daphne du Maurier, the 2011 Fool for Love, the 2011 Duel on the Delta and 2009 Linda Howard Award of Excellence contests. Anita Mae is represented by Mary Keeley of Books and Such Literary Agency. You can find Anita at thttp://www.anitamaedraper.com/

War of 1812 Heroine Laura Secord

by Anita Mae Draper

For those of you who didn't get a chance to experience the reenactments and celebrations of the 200 yr old event called the War of 1812, take heart because it didn't actually end until the signing of The Treaty of Ghent on December 24th, 1814. Which means there are more events coming up.

One of those events will be commemorated on June 22, 2013 with the opening of the Laura Secord Legacy Trail at Niagara-on-the-Lake, but here I am getting ahead of myself.

Laura Ingersoll
(from the Dictionary of
Canadian Biography Online at
Libraries and Archives Canada)

Laura was born on September 13th, 1775 in Great Barrington, Mass, the eldest daughter of Thomas Ingersoll who had attained the rank of Major in the American Revolutionary War.

Reputedly, Thomas received a personal invitation to settle in Upper Canada from an old friend, Governor Simcoe, who had once resided in the United States. Thomas accepted and emigrated with his large family to Upper Canada where Governor Simcoe granted him 66,000 acres of land and named him justice of the peace of Oxford County.

Thomas Ingersoll then moved to Queenston where he built and ran a tavern where locals could find refreshment. It seemed a young Loyalist's son by the name of James Secord began to spend a lot of his time at the tavern which worried his family until they relized it wasn't the liquor James went to spend time with, but the travern keeper's daughter. In 1797, barely 2 years after arriving in Upper Canada, Laura married James Secord and settled down in Queenston as a merchant's wife.

Homestead of James and Laura Secord, Queenston, Upper Canada

By the time the War of 1812 began, Laura and James had 5 children ranging in age from 2 to 10. And when war begins, husbands leave their loved ones and go fight for their families, their freedom, and their beliefs. And herein lies another story because in Oct 1812, James was wounded in battle and word came back to Laura. She left her small children with family, headed to the battlefield, and brought her wounded husband home. He'd been shot in the shoulder, but it was the musket ball lodged in his hip which kept him bed-ridden for life.

"Laura searches the bloody battlefield for her husband."
http://www.uppercanadahistory.ca/1812/18127.html

When the Americans invaded Queenston in May 1813, any male over the age of 18 was marched back to the States as a prisoner-of-war, but mercifully, disabled James was left behind. The Secord farmhouse, however, was taken over as a billet for 3 American soldies and Laura took on the additional task of serving them.

One night in June, Laura overheard the soldiers planning an attack on Lieutenant James FitzGibbon at Beaver Dams, some 12 miles away. At this stage of the war, the Americans had control of most of the Niagara Peninsula and FitzGibbon was bravely hanging onto his sparse British outpost.

Someone had to warn the British of the impending attack and with James unable to do it, Laura resolved to try. The next morning, she tucked her kids in bed with James, snuck past the pickets guarding their farmhouse, and began her trek. By road, the trip was 12 miles, but fearing military patrols, Laura struck off cross country where wild cats, bears, and quicksand threatened her mission.

Map of Laura Secord's Walk from the book, The Canadians: Laura Secord,
by John M. Bassett/A. Roy Petrie, 1974, Fitzhenry and Whiteside

After 2 days of walking over 20 miles, Laura found FitzGibbon and relayed her message.

Meeting between Laura Secord and Lieut. Fitzgibbon, June 1813
Oil on Canvas by Lorne K. Smith, Library and Archives Canada

With the help of their Mohawk warrior allies, FitzGibbon and his 50-man contingent won the Battle of Beaver Dams and held their post against the invading Americans.

And so Laura Secord became a heroine, right? Well, not right away. Lt. FitzGibbon's official report was quickly dispatched to his superiors without a mention of Laura Secord. Laura returned to James and bore him 2 more children. James received a small pension because of his war injuries, yet the Secords lived in poverty until James was appointed registrar, then judge (in 1833), of the Niagara Surrogate Court, and finally became collector of customs at Port Chippawa.

When James died in 1841, Laura was left without financial resources. She ran a children's school out of her Chippawa cottage for a brief period, and petitioned the government for a pension and other favours. She was unsuccessful. She also petitioned FitzGibbon for help and in 1820, he wrote the following testimony:

James Fitzgibbon's 1820 testimonial regarding Laura Secord

http://www.cmhg.gc.ca/cmh/image-317-eng.asp?page_id=383

"Then in 1827, FitzGibbon wrote that Secord had come to him “on the 22d day of June 1813,” and “in consequence of this information” he had positioned the Aboriginal warriors to intercept the Americans. In 1837, he testified that Laura Secord had warned him of an American attack but he provided no specific date and he wrote, he said, “in a moment of much hurry and from memory.” Laura Secord’s petition for a military pension was refused." (www.eighteentwelve.ca)

When Laura Secord was 85, the Prince of Wales (the future Edward VII) made his 1860 visit to Canada. In the words of www.uppercanadahistory.ca, "Laura Secord went to the office of the clerk of the peace at Niagara a month before the prince's arrival, where she insisted on signing the address over the objections of the clerk. She was supported by a local newspaper that heralded her heroics saying she had done more for her country than half the soldiers and militiamen engaged in it. She supplemented the address to the Prince with her own account and that of her husband in the patriotic service of their country. Prince Edward learned of Laura's twenty mile walk from the petition describing her war-time service. Of all who presented an address to the Prince, her name was the only woman's among the veterans of War of 1812. On his return to England, Prince Edward sent Laura 100 pounds in gold, the only financial reward she ever received for her service."

Accepted as a heroine - finally - by the future king of England, public recognition grew quickly. But as the legend of her escapade grew, people embellished it for amusement and almost destroyed the reputation she'd fought so hard to attain.

Laura Secord died in 1868, at the age of 93, and was buried beside her husband in Drummond Hill Cemetery, Niagara Falls. Laura's granddaughter described her famous grandmother by saying, "She was of fair complexion, with kind brown eyes, a sweet and loving smile hovering about her mouth." James Fitzgibbon remembered her as a person "of slender frame and delicate appearance, "which hid the strong and persistent will of a fearless fighter, a pioneer woman of courage, endurance and resolution, whose determined sense of duty is honoured still in the annals of Canada. (Both sources www.uppercanadahistory.ca)

Laura Secord's Tombstone, Drummond Hill Cemetery, Niagara Falls,

Ontario, Canada. www.uppercanadahistory.ca

Over the years, Laura Secord has been recognized as a heroine in several ways, the first which is the bronze bust of a young Laura which was added to her gravestone (above) in 1901.

In 1992, Canada Post issued a series of 4 stamps commemorating Canadian heroes. One of those postage stamps depics Laura Secord running through the woods to warn the British. The caption reads, Legendary Patriot in both english and french.

Several monuments have been created in Laura Secord's honour including the Laura Secord monument right in her home town of Queenston, Ontario.

Laura Secord's Monument at Queenston Heights, Ontario, Canada
 [Heroine of the Battle of Beaver Dams, War of 1812 - 1814]
Postcard ca. 1927, NFPL Postcard Collection

The description for the above postcard reads, "Located in front of a low stone wall overlooking the lower Niagara River ( in distance) and the village of Queenston, the monument is set at the end of a walking path; three plinths of graduating sizes form the base; topped with a column and then a conical top; an oval plaque is centered in the column; a foot high wrought iron fence surrounds the entire monument; mature trees to the left and right of the monument; round formal flower bed in front of the monument; a wooden and metal bench seat is located behind the monument facing the view; title in red print top left; Crest of the British Empire reading On whose Dominion the sun never sets top right corner". Source: Niagara Falls (Ont.) Public Library Postcard Collection

I went looking for an updated photo of the Laura Secord Monument at Queenston Heights, and found this one on the Niagara Parks website:

Laura Secord Monument, historic Queenston Heights Park,
http://www.niagaraparksweddings.ca/locations/laura-secord-monument.php

What? The image on the 1927 postcard shows the Niagara River in the background, but the current website image for Niagara Parks shows the river right there. Can the slight difference in camera angle make that much of a difference? The Niagara Parks image is promoting the spot as perfect for weddings. They couldn't do if the location shot wasn't real. So, I went back to searching Google and found this treasure which shows the land meeting the river just off to the right.

The Laura Secord Monument, Queenston Heights, on the Niagara Peninsula,
Ontario, Canada. c 1915, Niagara Falls Public Library

A second monument was created by sculptor, Marlene Hilton Moore. It stands 12 feet tall at the Valiants Memorial in Ottawa.

Statue of Laura Secord at the Valiants Memorial in Ottawa, Canada
photo courtesy of wikipedia

The farmhouse where James and Laura were forced to live and care for the billeted American soldiers (shown above) is now the Laura Secord Homestead museum.

Laura Secord Homestead Museum, Queenston, Ontario ca. 1979
Niagara Falls Public Library Digital Collections

And finally, in 1913, a chocolatier named Frank P. O’Connor opened a small candy store in Toronto. He named his store, Laura Secord because he wanted his customers to think of courage, devotion, and loyalty when they saw his products.

Candy box, 1920-1950, 20th century, original logo
 http://www.mccord-museum.qc.ca/en/collection/artifacts/m996x.2.512.1-2

Current corporate logo for Laura Secord Chocolate

I've just realized this post is long enough already, and I've only now reached the point where I want to mention The Laura Secord Legacy Trail. But I don't want to tuck a brief note about it at the end of a long post, either. Especially when the planned event is 7 months hence. So, I will schedule another post for that topic and any other Laura Secord commemorative events scheduled for next summer.


Are you wondering what the citizens of Great Barrington, Mass think of Laura Secord? Tell me what you think and I'll tell you what some of them have said.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tall Ships Pict-o-rama

by C.J. Chase

When I originally signed up for this day, I intended to commemorate the bicentennial of the USA's declaration of war on Great Britain -- June 18, 1812. But instead I decided to take my camera and my notebook to the last day of Operation Sail (OpSail) when it was in Norfolk, Virginia.

I figured it could count this as a "research" trip since the hero of the book I'm just finishing spent 20 years in the British Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. (Not fighting the Americans, however.)

In honor of the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812, here are some of the best of the 90+ pictures I took of the tall ships. You can click on the pictures if you'd like to see them full size.

The flag with 15 stars and stripes still waved over Fort McHenry on the morning of September 14, 1814 when Francis Scott Key penned the words to "The Star Spangled Banner."

I took this picture from the fourth level of the closest parking garage, just to give myself an eye-level view of the masts.

To go along with my eye-level perspective, this is what one of those tall masts looks like from the bottom. Pretty high, huh?

Here are some of the tallest of the tall ships next to good-sized office buildings. I guess climbing one of those masts must be a little like being a window washer!

The U.S. Coast Guard's American Eagle pulled out while I was there. Unfortunately, she used her very 21st century engines rather than wind power, so she didn't unfurl her sails.

Three ships left England in 1606 and arrived in Virginia in May of 1607 to found the first permanent English settlement at Jamestown. The Godspeed was the middle-sized ship. How small was she compared to later sailing ships? She's the brown ship I marked with an arrow. Imagine spending 6 months with 51 of your closest friends on there!

Oh, yeah. I got to tour some of the ships too. This is the wheel of the Pride of Baltimore II. She is a replica of a War of 1812 era American privateer.

On the deck of the Pride of Baltimore II.

How would you like to have to learn where every one of her ropes goes???

Those privateers were armed, of course.

Late 18th century/early 19th century pistols for hand-to-hand combat.

The ugly side of combat -- injury and death. Here is a collection of medical instruments from the time period.

I'm not sure one would have found Popeye on the masts during the Age of Sail. This is the Guayas, a training ship operated by the Ecuadorian Navy.

You can also find cute Ecuadorian sailors on an Ecuadorian ship.

Can you imagine climbing up this mast?

On the far left of this picture is a modern warship, just for comparison.

I thought this was a gorgeous picture of the ships.

One final picture of an early 19th century ship. Did you notice the ship pictured on the cover of this novel by the notorious C.J. Chase? My next book (available February 2013) features a retired navy captain, but alas, no ships.

After leaving the corporate world to stay home with her children, C.J. Chase quickly learned she did not possess the housekeeping gene. She decided writing might provide the perfect excuse for letting the dust bunnies accumulate under the furniture. Her procrastination, er, hard work paid off in 2010 when she won the Golden Heart for Best Inspirational Manuscript and sold the novel to Love Inspired Historicals. Her next book, The Reluctant Earl, will be available in February of 2013. You can visit C.J.'s cyber-home (where the floors are always clean) at  www.cjchasebooks.com