Q How long was Laura Secord's journey to the DeCew farm?

Answer 1

Laura Secord's husband, James, fought with the Canadian militia in the early days of the War of 1812. He had been twice wounded, and was being cared for by Laura at their home. In 1813, American troops managed to invade Canada. On the evening of June 21, 1813, several American officers forced their way into the Secord home and demanded that Laura serve them dinner. The food was plentiful, the wine flowed freely, and as the evening wore on, the officers grew boisterous and carefree. They boasted about the details of the American plan to crush the remaining British resistance in the area, beginning with an assault against Lt. James Fitzgibbon at Beaverdams. Having learned of the American military strategy, Laura Secord decided to warn the British and Canadian troops of the American plans. If she had been caught, the Americans would have executed her by firing squad as a spy. She had to avoid the main roads and travel by a circuitous route. Leaving early the next morning, she walked twenty miles, in extremely high temperatures, often through bush and swamp, to the DeCew farm, the British commander's headquarters. Her bravery resulted in British and Canadian forces being able to mount a surprise offensive. They defeated the much larger and better armed American force, and caused them to surrender. Military experts are virtually unanimous that this episode was a dramatic and major turning point in the war.