“The doctors really didn’t have much to work with, in terms of tools,” said archeologist Dr. Ronald Williamson. “The soldiers would hold a musket ball between their teeth and would be given a dram of whiskey to ease the pain. Then their limb would be sawed off, and sometimes snapped to save time.”
Two centuries ago, war touched the shores of present-day Toronto. Many of those who fought died anonymously. Now, 200 years later, a new exhibit aims to pull the names and stories of those soldiers who fought in the Battle of York from the shadows of history. Saturday marked the opening of Finding the Fallen: The Battle of York Remembered at St. Lawrence Market.
When Ken Weber lectures about the War of 1812, he often witnesses an unexpected sense of pride in his audiences. “The physical reality is that by resisting the Americans in the War of 1812, the Canadian side of the border made a statement,” he said.