An American War of 1812 historic site is building a monument to honor the fallen British-Canadian soldiers that fought in a battle at the site.
The monument will be part of bicentennial commemorations of the war being held at Sackets Harbor, a major American naval base in northern New York that was invaded by British, Canadian, and First Nation troops on May 29, 1813.
Ted Schofield, a trustee with the Sackets Harbor Battlefield Alliance, a nonprofit society dedicated to supporting the activities at the Sackets Harbor Battlefield State Historic Site, says the monument is meant to honor the fallen soldiers of nations who are now good friends and allies of the United States.
“Obviously, times change. It’s been 200 years, and of course now the Canadians ... are allies, neighbors to the north,” Schofield says.
Organizers have collected identities of some of the British-Canadian soldiers who died and were buried on the battlefield, including soldiers of different backgrounds and traits, from a saddler born in Glasgow to a tailor from Montreal.
The monument will be built in 2013, 200 years after the 1813 battle in the New York town.
To mark the bicentennial of the war, the historic site is also hosting a number of other activities over the next couple of years, including organizing a large re-enactment of the war in August 2012.
“We’re trying to get the word out and commemorate it for all these Americans and all our British and Canadian and First Nation allies and French allies, all of those, [to] help to bring some notoriety to the site. Hopefully they'd be interested in coming down and seeing the site,” says Schofield.
Both the monument and the bicentennial commemorations are initiatives of the Sackets Harbor Battlefield Alliance and the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation.
The War of 1812 began with the United States declaring war on Great Britain on June 18, 1812, and ended with the ratification of the Treaty of Ghent in 1815.
Commemorations will also be held at different locations across the United States beginning this year and continuing through 2015, including parades of sail, air shows, and community relations activities by the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and the U.S. Coast Guard and their partners, as well as activities held by different state authorities.
The Canadian government is also launching a number of initiatives to mark the bicentennial over the next four years, including building a permanent memorial in Ottawa, investing in infrastructure at 1812 battle sites, and supporting historical re-enactments and commemorations. Canada will also be designating October 2012 as the month of commemoration of the heroes and key battles of the war.
