Laura Secord's Ingersoll Family Roots

The family of Laura Secord, War of 1812 Canadian heroine, surfaced during a
completely unrelated (or so I thought) Backus family search. Turns out that
Laura's step-mother was Sarah (Whiting) Backus, ex-wife of John Backus. Sarah
married 2nd, Thomas Ingersoll, who was Laura (Ingersoll) Secord's father. As a Mayflower descendant of John Alden, Sarah's marriages are found at the Descendants of John Alden website.

From The Ingersolls of Hampshire : a genealogical history of the family from their settlement in America, in the line of John Ingersoll of Westfield, Mass.:
Thomas [Ingersoll, Laura Secord's father], born March 24, 1750. Emigrated to Canada before the Revolutionary War*. Settled the town of Ingersoll. Served as a major in the Colonial troops.  Married three times : (1) Elizabeth Dewey, 1775 ; (2) Mrs. Mercy Smith, 1785 ; (3) Mrs. Sarah Backus, 1789-

The Ingersoll and Backus families lived in Great Barrington, Massachusetts (that is where the divorce between John Backus and Sarah Whiting Backus took place).

[Source]

*Henry Knox and the Revolutionary War Trail in Western Massachusetts, stated that Thomas Ingersoll went to Canada in 1792.  Also stated  "Laura was four months old when Henry Knox's oxen caravan went past her family's house in Great Barrington."

Escape To Cedar Point

Modern-day view of Cedar Point in Ohio from Johnson's Island

Until 1852, Johnson's Island was called Bull's Island, after its early owner, E.W. Bull. On the night of Sept. 26, 1812, four boats loaded with provisions from the Portage River stockade, started for Camp Avery on the Huron River. From the head of Sandusky Bay, manned by 18 men, the boats stole cautiously along the south shore of the long headland. Rumors of...Indians had increased. The intention was to proceed directly to the Huron but a violent storm was encountered and the boats landed on the east side of Bull's Island. [Source]

See blog post about the first battle site in Ohio.
Twenty men held the Indians at bay in a cabin while the main body escaped by boat to Cedar Point. 

Another account here; not only a good historical perspective, but a reminder that what is now known for "thrill rides and water slides" was once a War of 1812 site.

Portrait Of James Wilkinson

General Wilkinson was quite a character.

Source: The military heroes of the war of 1812: with a narrative of the war 

Revenue Cutters

Here's an article about U.S. Revenue Cutters captured in the War of 1812, by William R. Wells II.

Don't Give Up The Ship

From the Naval History blog:

 ...most famously as the motto emblazoning Oliver Hazard Perry’s battle flag at the Battle of Lake Erie: “Don’t Give Up The Ship.”

A modern day version of  Admiral Perry's view at the Battle of Lake Erie

Colonel Johnson's Vote For War

The Authentic biography of Colonel Richard M. Johnson, of Kentucky was listed on Mirlyn  at the University of Michigan library with a link for an online edition.

"While an infant, he was among the number of women and children in the fort at Bryan's station, when a furious assault was made upon it by five hundred Indians, and successfully defended by only thirty, men. Dangers like these, which attended him continually in youth, had formed his mind to habits of peril, that made an impression never to be erased. His friends believed him to be possessed of military talents, capable of elevating him to a rank among the first commanders of the day."

 "In June, 1812, war was declared by Congress ; and for that declaration Col. Johnson gave his vote."

Hull's Pre-War Plan For Detroit

1809 Military Reservation plan for Detroit:

From History of Detroit: a chronicle of its progress, its industries ..., Volume 1,  by Paul Leake