COWS ARE COOL: LOVE ‘EM!
12.
Canada Owes A Lot To This Cow
The war of 1812 between Britain, (including Canadians), and the U.S. was to determine the scope of each one’s control. The Americans were intent on pushing into Canada. One lady, Laura Secord was loyal to Britain and lived with her husband James, in the small village of Queenston, in what was then Upper Canada, now the province of Ontario.
One June 21, 1813, a group of American soldiers took over their home. James, her husband, was recovering from wounds he’d suffered at one of the Battle six months previously. Laura gave the soldier food and drink. Quite a lot of drink. Stimulated by alcohol the soldiers talked openly about a plan to surprise British Lt. Fitzgibbon (local commander at that time), destroy his headquarters, take the British and Canadian soldiers prisoners and occupy the Niagara Peninsula.
When Laura Secord heard this, she was alarmed. She decided to warn the local commanding officer Lt. Fitzgibbon. But how? Her husband James Secord could barely walk.
Laura decided to go herself. It was a long 20 miles trek to Beaver Dams where Lt. Fitzgibbon was posted. And she had to have a good reason to go in that wilderness, otherwise it will raise the suspicion of American sentries because women at that time hardly left their homes.
Wisely, Laura came up with an idea. When she left her home, at dawn on June 22, she’d also taken her cow, as a cover for her mission. Enemy soldiers patrolling the area might accept her tale of taking the cow to another farm for which there were any number of logical reasons. Sentries, probably country boys themselves, would likely believe her.
Laura and the cow continued. It was a daunting journey. The twenty mile trek from Queenston to Beaver Dams took her along country roads, across meadows, into thick woods and through stagnant swamps.
Wolves, wildcats and snakes inhabited the country.
Lt. Fitzgibbon never forgot that day. “The weather of the 22nd of June 1813 was very hot and Mrs. Secord, whose person was slight and delicate, appeared to have been, and no doubt was, very much exhausted by the exertion she made in coming to me.”, he wrote in 1827.
Laura and her cow began their trek at dawn. It was dark when she left the final swamp, climbed a rocky escarpment, pushed through heavy underbrush and encountered Indians loyal to the British. They escorted Laura and the cow to Lt. Fitzgibbon. Consequently all but six of the American soldiers were captured, the garrison was safe and Niagara stayed Canadian.
In 1813 women generally stayed close to their house and hearth. The cow gave Laura a good excuse for being so far from home. Since James Secord couldn’t walk, if the cow had to be taken somewhere, well who but Laura would take her? And Laura knew she needed a good excuse. Spies, if caught, were executed by firing squad. Getting the cow through swamp and forest might have been difficult, but it was preferable to being caught and shot. A woman determined to risk her life to warn the British of an American assault was certainly clever enough to provide herself with an alibi.
The sturdy cow was a familiar comfort and support, staying firmly by her mistress’ side. Never once mooing, “It’s too hot and the bugs are terrible. Can we go back now?” Canada owes a lot to that cow.
Most Canadians know of Laura Secord and her cow.
Canada Owes A Lot To This Cow
The war of 1812 between Britain, (including Canadians), and the U.S. was to determine the scope of each one’s control. The Americans were intent on pushing into Canada. One lady, Laura Secord was loyal to Britain and lived with her husband James, in the small village of Queenston, in what was then Upper Canada, now the province of Ontario.
One June 21, 1813, a group of American soldiers took over their home. James, her husband, was recovering from wounds he’d suffered at one of the Battle six months previously. Laura gave the soldier food and drink. Quite a lot of drink. Stimulated by alcohol the soldiers talked openly about a plan to surprise British Lt. Fitzgibbon (local commander at that time), destroy his headquarters, take the British and Canadian soldiers prisoners and occupy the Niagara Peninsula.
When Laura Secord heard this, she was alarmed. She decided to warn the local commanding officer Lt. Fitzgibbon. But how? Her husband James Secord could barely walk.
Laura decided to go herself. It was a long 20 miles trek to Beaver Dams where Lt. Fitzgibbon was posted. And she had to have a good reason to go in that wilderness, otherwise it will raise the suspicion of American sentries because women at that time hardly left their homes.
Wisely, Laura came up with an idea. When she left her home, at dawn on June 22, she’d also taken her cow, as a cover for her mission. Enemy soldiers patrolling the area might accept her tale of taking the cow to another farm for which there were any number of logical reasons. Sentries, probably country boys themselves, would likely believe her.
Laura and the cow continued. It was a daunting journey. The twenty mile trek from Queenston to Beaver Dams took her along country roads, across meadows, into thick woods and through stagnant swamps.
Wolves, wildcats and snakes inhabited the country.
Lt. Fitzgibbon never forgot that day. “The weather of the 22nd of June 1813 was very hot and Mrs. Secord, whose person was slight and delicate, appeared to have been, and no doubt was, very much exhausted by the exertion she made in coming to me.”, he wrote in 1827.
Laura and her cow began their trek at dawn. It was dark when she left the final swamp, climbed a rocky escarpment, pushed through heavy underbrush and encountered Indians loyal to the British. They escorted Laura and the cow to Lt. Fitzgibbon. Consequently all but six of the American soldiers were captured, the garrison was safe and Niagara stayed Canadian.
In 1813 women generally stayed close to their house and hearth. The cow gave Laura a good excuse for being so far from home. Since James Secord couldn’t walk, if the cow had to be taken somewhere, well who but Laura would take her? And Laura knew she needed a good excuse. Spies, if caught, were executed by firing squad. Getting the cow through swamp and forest might have been difficult, but it was preferable to being caught and shot. A woman determined to risk her life to warn the British of an American assault was certainly clever enough to provide herself with an alibi.
The sturdy cow was a familiar comfort and support, staying firmly by her mistress’ side. Never once mooing, “It’s too hot and the bugs are terrible. Can we go back now?” Canada owes a lot to that cow.
Most Canadians know of Laura Secord and her cow.
Cows are such gentle natured and each have different personalities. They are very genuine and so kind. We human should learn from them!
I hate (and do not understand) how the insult ‘you’re a cow’ came about, as these creatures are anything but humans at their worst! I love them. They need to be recognized as more than meat.
~Steven Green, Seattle
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The cow is the mother because just as one sucks the breast of one’s mother, human society takes cow’s milk. Similarly, the bull is the father of human society because the father earns for the children just as the bull tills the ground to produce food grains. Human society will kill its spirit of life by killing the father and the mother. |