Laura Secord (nee Ingersol) is called the heroine of Upper Canada, walking 30 kilometers from her homestead in Queenston to the encampment of Lieutenant Fitzgibbon at DeCew House on June 22 1813, with information of the American plans for further invading Canada.

FitzGibbon, with the information, set up an ambush at the Battle of Beaver Dams on June 24 which prevented the two American armies from uniting. This meant the US Army would have to retreat back to the US for the rest of 1813.

Her walk was not an easy one. She would need to avoid the American soldiers guarding the main roads connecting communities. She set out, but needed to avoid the patrols and so took the long route. Laura crossed swamps, forests, creeks and fields.

Laura Secord did not receive many accolades for her deed. In 1860 when the Prince of Wales, later King Edward, heard of her story he presented her with 100 British Pounds. She is interred here in the Drummond Hill Cemetery along with her husband James Secord.

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Niagara Falls Museums - Niagara Falls Public Library - Dept. of Geography and Tourism Studies,Brock University.

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