What Actually Happened at the Wooden Bridge 200 Years Ago?-- Part 2

Author Marty Gervais who wrote "The Other Windsor: Forgotten Stories" thinks that perhaps they weren't those mighty heroes. Essex County decided to name the replacement bridge at the site over the River Canard "The Hancock and Dean 1812 Bridge to Nationhood."

Gervais claims that he has come across a story that the two British soldiers on sentry duty there were drunk and had passed out at the time the Americans crossed.

James Hancock became the first casulaty of the war and John Dean was wounded and captured.

Dean later was released and rejoined the British Army, but was captured again and this time deserted. He is lost in history from then on.

Heroes Ir Drubks?  --Brock-Perry

What Actually Happened At That Wooden Bridge?-- Part 1

From the July 23, 2012, Windsor (Canada) Star "Tale of 1812 'heroes' questioned" by Julie Katsis.

I have written about this last year. Look up Canard River Bridge. This was one of the opening incidents of the War of 1812 in the Northwest.

What actually happened at the wooden bridge over the River Canard 200 years ago? Were privates James Hancock and John Dean heroes? Did they deserve the honor General Isaac Brock bestowed on them?

Author Marty Gervais thinks maybe not.

 --Brock-Perry

Canada's Bridge to Nationhood

From the July 20, 2012, Amherstburg (Can) Echo "Essex County council renames County Road 20 bridge after War of 1812 figures" by Ron Giofu.

The bridge is now called the "Hancock and Dean 1812 bridge to Nationhood" after earlier rejecting "War of 1812 Commemorative Bridge" as being too generic.

James Hancock and John Dean were two British sentries guarding the wooden bridge at the site when the Skirmishes at the Canard River took place July 16, 1812, generally considered the first action of the war when American forces invaded Canada.

The accounts of the skirmish vary.

I looked up pictures of the bridge and am not sure the one I have is of the bridge as it appears today.  If it is, this is a really beautiful Marsh Rainbow bridge, like the one on Route 66 in Kansas and is well preserved.

Either Way, Nice Bridge.  --Brock-Perry

Bridge to Nationhood

Tuesday, I wrote about a man trying to get a bridge by Windsor, Canada, named after the men who defended it from Americans  in the first battle of the War of 1812.  The man succeeded and it is now called the Hancock and Dean 1812 Bridge to Nationhood.

I also came across mention that the action also cost the lives of the first Native Americans and at least one was reportedly scalped.  Dean was wounded and captured, only to be released shortly thereafter after the American surrender of Detroit.

The River Canard, which the bridge crossed is also where British General Brock first met Indian Chief Tecumseh.

Just Some More Stuff.  --Brock-Perry

Campaign to Name Bridge After the First War of 1812 Skirmish

From the May 14th CBC News.

Tour guide Ron Lapointe wants an Essex County bridge renamed where County Road 20 crosses River Canard, just south of Windsor, Ontario (across from Detroit).

Back in 1812, a 280 man American force faced two British soldiers, James Hancock and John Dean, at the bridge.  A plaque at the bridge doesn't mention their names, only that a sentry was there.

It is today called the Skirmish at River Canard and James Hancock became the first one to die in the war.  Dean was taken prisoner..

The current bridge is not the actual one where the skirmish took place which was a wooden one.  Lapointe hopes to have the new plaque in place by July 16th, the day the fight took place two hundred years ago.

The Canard River Skirmish.  --Brock-Perry