Re-enacting the War of 1812
by James Hill

I have a unique honour. I work on a battlefield. Every day, at my job, I walk past the graves of men who fought and died defending my country. The battlefield that surrounds and once engulfed Old Fort Erie is the location of the last and worst fight on Canadian soil. The Old Fort sits on the Canadian side of the Niagara River looking across to Buffalo, New York. It is the oldest British Fort in Ontario, the major crossing point of the Underground Railroad into Canada and the site of the first and largest Fenian Raid, but the major story of the fort revolves around the War of 1812.

The War of 1812 went on well past the end of 1812. In fact, over two years the war had become progressively worse. Virtually every town along the Niagara River was a smoking ruin and thousands of soldiers and civilians were dead wounded, missing or homeless. By the end of the summer of 1814 there was a nasty stalemate along the Niagara. Almost 4000, well trained and dug-in U.S. troops held Fort Erie while British and Canadian troops, with Indian warriors, tried to take it back. The siege that developed was a slogging match in the mud of late summer and early fall. The men who survived the fighting of the first two years and the battles of Chippawa and Lundy's Lane, remembered the Siege of Fort Erie as the worst of all the fighting in the War of 1812. In the final months of the war, over 3500 men were killed or wounded in the Siege of Fort Erie. This fight is little remembered in the U.S., since it was fought in Canada and it is little remembered in Canada, since there was no great victory or one great hero.

Today, the staff, volunteers and re-enactors at Old Fort Erie create the garrison from the War of 1812. The site is considered to be a must see GEM by CAA/AAA and we have won awards as an attraction in the competitive tourism region of Niagara Falls. The fort hosts more re-enactments than any historic site in Canada and all at no cost to the taxpayer. As a part of the Niagara Parks Commission we receive no grants or tax dollars from the municipal, regional, provincial or federal governments of Canada. From May to October, the soldiers, sailors, warriors and women of the past are brought to life by dedicated folks who travel from all across North America and even Europe, to commemorate the sacrifice of earlier generations. The big event is always the Saturday after the Civic Holiday Monday or Simcoe Day in Ontario; in 2005 it will be August 6. On the Saturday evening, around 8 pm, hundreds of re-enactors create Gen Drummond's massive assault against the American defences. Like the real event, it does not end well for the defenders of Canada - a magazine in the Bastion explodes.

I have another honour. I am the Battery Sergeant Major of 10 Battery 56 Field Regiment Royal Canadian Artillery. In the past year, I have fired 81mm mortars, 105mm howitzers and 155 mm M109's. I have the privilege of working with smart, dedicated, young Canadians. Canadians should be proud of the regular and reserve force soldiers that each fill roles that would be filled by 3 or 4 skilled specialists in other countries. We expect our personnel to be international diplomats, disaster relief workers and fighting troops.

This June, I had the very great privilege of being in the Canadian Guard for the 60th Anniversary of D-Day. This was an experience that comes once in a lifetime and the young troops involved will never look at their country or the World War II generation the same way again.

Much of our time in France was spent drilling or standing around for long periods. In the evening, a group of young Canadians representing every province but Newfoundland sat and drank a fair share of French beverages and followed it up by marching through the streets to bagpipes. The French populace was very polite and smiled but I am sure they were also happy to have some peace and quiet when we left.. The large international ceremonies were interesting in their scale and scope but when standing at attention or marching past dignitaries, you don't see much of the grandeur of it all. The most meaningful part of the trip were the smaller ceremonies at the Canadian Cemeteries. Again the ceremonies were very nice but it was our duties following dismissal that had the greatest effect on many of us.

After the formal events we helped veterans find their friends' graves. After hours in dark green polyester, under 90 degree heat, many people in the honour guard wanted a bottle of water and maybe a smoke. As a few individuals wandered over to help the veterans, the power of these personal meetings took hold. The young militia troops recognized their regimental cap badges and those of other platoon members chiselled on the tombstones. The veterans recognized the badges on the berets, balmorals and glengarries of the 18 and 19 year old troops in the honour guard. More young reservists and younger cadets and students joined in. There were no dry eyes as these men told stories that their adult children and grand children had never heard. A young corporal in my section from Quebec, originally from Africa, did not want to leave. He, like many others there, were learning about their country and its veterans like no classroom, book or movie could ever explain.

I chose to search out the vets on the edges of the cemetery and found a mix of feelings. Some were not interested in help and asked to be alone. Some, simply handed over a small camera without a word being said and stood by a buddy's grave. A few, only a couple - could not enter the cemetery. These men came to France after 60 years and after much urging from friends and family, but it was not the cathartic experience others were having in those very well kept cemeteries. Sixty years had not dimmed the memories of what went on around them in the fields and villages of Normandy.

There was some fun time set aside to sit and speak with veterans. What surprised many of the troops was the fact that these men had once been twenty years old, and still possessed the sharp sense of humour and language of young soldiers. The laughter and camaraderie stretched across the generations. That young corporal from Quebec sat and spoke with Smokey Smith for the better part of an hour before, once again, being told it was time to leave.

You might wonder, what on earth does the War of 1812, the Second World War and modern times have in common? The lives of the men and women in these conflicts were so different and the technology involved spans two centuries. However, in speaking with or reading the accounts of veterans from these conflicts I am struck by the same themes. The fears, the aspirations and the grumblings of 18 year old soldiers have not changed much in hundreds of years. The sadness and guilt that comes with losing friends. The anger at a population that has forgotten them but the pride that comes with defending your nation. A dislike for commanders but respect for these men when they share the same danger and discomfort. Compassion towards civilians and even animals caught up in the conflict. Lousy food, lousy kit, lousy weather, no sleep. A deep seated hatred of war.

If you feel our history is being forgotten and that people have lost interest; there is hope. There is in the Canadian character, a quiet, not often stirred sense of the importance of the events of our past. The sacrifice of veterans from long ago wars are still remembered. The generosity of volunteers and re-enactors giving time and money to support historic sites. The 11 year old visitor who has remembered every regiment that fought at the Siege of Fort Erie or can explain, in detail, how to load a Brown Bess Musket. They have not forgotten.

I can tell you that the sacrifices of this past century will not be forgotten. The young people who were in those cemeteries this past June will not forget what they saw. The infantry warrant officer with 25 years of regular and reserve time with tears in his eyes, will always remember. The young tour guide easily listing every regiment in the 3rd Can Infantry Div from memory or the thousands of French civilians cheering with tears pouring down their faces when veterans marched past their homes. They have not forgotten.

If you would like to learn more about Old Fort Erie, look up www.oldforterie.com or give the fort a call 905 871-0540.