This week Donald E Graves, Canada’s foremost historian on the War of 1812, tells the story of two junior officers during the conflict, William J Worth, an American, and John LeCouteur, a British soldier from the island of Jersey.

William J Worth (1794-1849) was an American officer during the War of 1812, the Second Seminole War, and the Mexican–American War.  In 1812 at the age of 18 he enlisted as a private and was commissioned as a First Lieutenant in March 1813. He served as an aide-de-camp to General Winfield Scott, distinguished himself at the battles of Chippawa and Lundy’s Lane during the Niagara campaign and was promoted as a result.

John LeCouteur (1794-1875) from Saint Aubin, Jersey joined the 104th Regiment in Saint John, New Brunswick in June 1812.  With only 3.000 troops to defend 1,100 miles of frontier, Commander-in-Chief Geroge Prevost ordered this regiment to march 700 miles across difficult terrain in extreme winter conditions from Fredericton to defend Kingston in Upper Canada.  LeCouteur kept a detailed account of the march, which lasted from 21 February to 12 April 1813 in a journal.   LeCouteur later took part in the Siege of Fort Erie, the battles of Sackett’s Harbour and Lundy’s Lane.  His War of 1812 memoirs, entitled Merry Hearts Make Light Days, was published and edited by Donald Graves.

Donald E. Graves is a Canadian historian specializing in military history, especially the War of 1812.  He is the author, co-author or editor of nearly two dozen books. including Merry Hearts Make Light Days, the memoirs of John LeCouteur.  His others works include The Forgotten Soldiers’ Trilogy, three books (Field of Glory, Where Right and Glory Lead, and All Their Glory Past) which cover the major engagements in the northern theatre of the War of 1812.  He has been employed as a military historian by the Canadian National Historic Sites Service, the National Archives of Canada and.the Canadian Department of National Defence. He was educated at the University of Saskatchewan and at Carleton University, where he took an MA in history.

This week our guest is Zig Misiak, Author, Army Veteran and friend of the Six Nations.  They talk about the origin and development of the Six Nations Reserve along the Grand River and their participation in the War of 1812.  They focus on their differences in supporting the British in the War and the support of some Six Nations for the American side.  Finally they discuss the outcome of the War for the Indigenous and for the Six Nations in particular.

Zig Misiak is a highly respected, award-winning Canadian author of First Nations books and educational resources.  Zig has authored several children’s books on Indigenous culture as well as articles on the history of First Nations, including on the War of 1812.  Most recently he completed the biography of Jay Silverheels, “Tonto” from the Lone Ranger television series.

Zig has been a re-enactor across Eastern North America at major historical events e.g. Caldwell’s Rangers in the War of 1812; he is a Canadian Army Veteran (RHLI) Royal Hamilton Light Infantry and is the recipient of many awards and recognitions, incl. As President of Real People’s History.  Zig has been awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. He lives in Brantford, ON not far from the Six Nations Reservation and can be contacted via his website https://www.canadianauthoreducation.com.

This week Marinus and Peter Meyler, local historian from Orangeville Ontario, discuss the remarkable life of Richard Pierpoint (1744–1838), a black slave who was abducted from his home in Senegal at the age of 16.  He fought with the British in Butler's Rangers during the American Revolutionary War and then in the War of 1812 in Upper Canada.  When Butler’s Rangers were disbanded at Niagara, he received a land grant and settled in the area.  At the outbreak of the War of 1812 at the age of 68 he helped form the Coloured Corps.  After the War the aged Pierpoint was granted land in present-day Fergus, Ontario.  Remarkably he fulfilled the required settlement duties while over the age of 80.

Peter Meyler is an author and historian and is the co-author of A Stolen Life: Searching for Richard Pierpoint, which tells the story of one of Ontario's first African settlers.  He has written numerous articles about Ontario's Black History, which have appeared in such publications as The Beaver and the Toronto Star.  Peter operates his own business providing forms management, graphic design and writing services and studied graphic design at Sheridan College in Oakville.

This week Donald E Graves, Canada’s foremost historian on the War of 1812, sets the historical record straight on Joseph Willcocks.  

Graves covers his early election to the Upper Canada Legislative Assembly in 1807 and Willcocks’ formation of a group of MPPs who opposed measures put forth by the then President, General Isaac Brock.  He follows Willcocks’ desertion to the Americans in 1813 and his formation of a small dissident group called the Canadian Volunteers, who actively fought against the British and their allies in Upper Canada.  Graves gives the details of how Willcocks set fire to the town of Niagara on the Lake in December 1813 as the Americans withdrew and his eventual fatal shooting during the Siege of Fort Erie in September 1814.

Donald E. Graves is a Canadian historian specializing in military history, especially the War of 1812.  He is the author, co-author or editor of nearly two dozen books. including The Forgotten Soldiers’ Trilogy, three books (Field of Glory, Where Right and Glory Lead, and All Their Glory Past) which cover the major engagements in the northern theatre of the War of 1812.  He has been employed as a military historian by the Canadian National Historic Sites Service, the National Archives of Canada and.the Canadian Department of National Defence. He was educated at the University of Saskatchewan and at Carleton University, where he took an MA in history.

This week Marinus talks with Mayor Jim Diodati of Niagara Falls, Canada.  They discuss the legacy of the War of 1812 for his city, the need to preserve that legacy and how that legacy has shaped the relations of two great nations today.

Jim tells the story of how he led efforts to construct a huge steel sign to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Lundy’s Lane.  The large steel structure spans Lundy’s Lane and four lanes of traffic with metal cut-outs of soldiers from the Drummond Hill Cemetery to an open area on the north, also part of the battlefield

The Battle of Lundy’s Lane was fought on July 25, 1814 when 2,500 American forces advancing from the south clashed with 3,500 British soldiers, Canadian militia and native warriors on the highest point of land in Niagara Falls.  After the Battle, the American soldiers were pushed back to Fort Erie.  The battle came with a high price and is considered the bloodiest battle ever fought on Canadian soil.

Jim Diodati is the 23rd and current mayor of Niagara Falls.  Prior to his being elected in December 2010, Diodati served on the Niagara Falls City Council for two terms and had and has an extensive volunteer history.  He is a life-long entrepreneur and established, owned and operated several successful businesses before being elected mayor.

This week Marinus talks with Professor Donald R Hickey (ret), noted American historian and author.  They discuss the question:  Who Won the War of 1812? and the conduct and results of the War.

Charles P Stacey, noted Canadian historian said in 1958:  The War of 1812 is one of those episodes in history that makes everybody happy, because  everybody interprets it in his own way.  Doug DeCroix, a historian from New York State has added to that by stating:  Americans are happy because they think they won; Canadians are happy because they know they won; and the British are happiest because they forgot it even happened.  Don and Marinus discuss in detail the relative outcomes of the War for Americans, Canadians, the British and the Indigenous Nations of North America.

Donald R Hickey is an award-winning historian and author of twelve books and more than a hundred articles.  He has been called “the dean of 1812 scholarship” by the New Yorker.  He is best known for The War of 1812: A Forgotten Conflict (Bicentennial edition, 2012) and Don’t Give Up the Ship! Myths of the War of 1812 (2006).   He received the Samuel Elliott Morrison Award from the USS Constitution Museum and has done extensive consulting for historical parks, museums, and government agencies.  For more details, go to his Website:  https://www.hickeyhistory.com.

In this episode Marinus talks with Ronald J Dale, a noted historian and genealogist from Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada.  They talk about the life of James Prendergast, with whom he has a family connection.

James Prendergast was born in County Monaghan, Ireland in 1789, the son of Protestant parents.  In 1805, he enlisted as a Private in the 100th Regiment of Foot and his regiment was sent to Canada.  James saw much active service and served in many battles during the war.  On November 11, 1813, in the Battle of Crysler’s Farm, James Prendergast led a group of soldiers in a charge to capture an American cannon.  They managed to take the gun and turn it on the Americans as they retreated.  At Isle aux Noix, he led a small force that captured one of the two American sloops, the Growler and the Eagle.

Ronald J Dale is a former Superintendent of Niagara National Historic Sites for Parks Canada, which included Fort George and Brock's Monument.  He is the author of a numerous articles on the War of 1812 and several books, including The Invasion of Canada: Battles of the War of 1812, The Fall of New France: How the French Lost a North American Empire 1754-1763 and a co-author of Fort George: A History:  More Than 250 Years Of History of the site.

Marinus sits down with Professor James Tyler Robertson, Associate Professor of Christian History at Tyndale University about one of the major Canadian figures in the War of 1812, Bishop John Strachan of York (now Toronto), born 1778 (Aberdeen, Scotland), died 1867 (Toronto, Ontario.)

John Strachan, the Garrison Chaplain (and later Bishop of York, is well known for his role in the town of York (now Toronto) after it fell in April 1813.  After the British retreated, he negotiated the terms of surrender with US General Dearborn, fearlessly scolding the Americans for plundering his parishioners’ property.  When the Americans raided again that July, he even demanded successfully from US Commodore Chauncey that books stolen in the first raid be returned.

Dr James Tyler Robertson is Associate Professor of Christian History at Tyndale University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.  He has a Master’s Degree and a PhD in Divinity at MacMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.  Among Dr. Robertson’s research interests are the Church and War as well as the way religion has shaped the nation of Canada.  His doctoral work was on religion in the War of 1812.  He has published extensively in the areas of Canadian Church history and speaks frequently at popular and academic presentations.  He is the author of a new book entitled OVERLOOKED: The Forgotten Stories of Canadian Christianity.

Marinus welcomes Caroline McCormick, President of the Friends of Laura Secord and Barbara Worthy, Actor, Writer and Producer.  They explore the historic walk taken by Laura Secord in 1813 and the Legacy it has left to us today.

Caroline McCormick is President of the Friends of Laura Secord and has a direct familial connection to Laura Secord which she discusses during the interview.  She is dedicated to the preservation of her legacy through the work of her association and through special efforts like the Laura Secord Legacy Trail.  More information can be found on her website:  www.friendsoflaurasecord.com

Barbara Worthy is a writer, performer and producer.  For nearly two decades she was a freelance drama and documentary producer for CBC Radio.  Her work focuses on historical re-creation on various platforms.  Recently she produced a series of independent multi-media documentary videos on Niagara’s History, the HMCS Haida and D-Day, and Flames of War, a multi-media ‘son et lumiere’ documenting the role played by First Nations in the War of 1812.  Her formidable work is highlighted at www.worthyprojects.ca.  She currently enjoys the position of Community Engagement Coordinator with the Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum. 

Marinus talks to retired Professor of History and Author Dr Wesley Turner, on the Legacy left by Sir Isaac Brock and its impact on our understanding of the War of 1812.

Major General Sir Isaac Brock KB (6 October 1769 – 13 October 1812) was a British Army officer and colonial administrator from Guernsey.  Brock led British, native and militia forces to victory over the Americans at Detroit in August 1812 but was shot and killed by an American sniper while leading a detachment of regulars and militia in an unsuccessful counterattack against American forces who had taken Queenston Heights on October 13th, 1812.