Critics Challenge "War of 1812" Review

WNED ‘s logo is a curious meld of American and Canadian flags. Their 1812 documentary is less curious. It favors the British and Canadians over Americans in a tedious and stupid way.

Death of General Pike, after defeating the Brits at York (Toronto). The battle for present-day Toronto was conveniently left out of WNED's revisionist history documentary on the War of 1812.

More accurate than WNED’s documentary, Johnny Horton’s “The Battle Of New Orleans” is, also, unlike the PBS documentary, entertaining.

It appears that the history nerds are mounting a full-scale assault on Fort Hufnagel in response to recent criticism here of WNED-TV's documentary "The War of 1812".

Airing occasionally on the local PBS affiliate between Britcoms and antique auction shows on which greedheads drool over the prospect of selling family heirlooms for big bucks, "The War of 1812" portrays victories on the field of battle by British and their allies to be decisive and gallant while American successes are characterized by dumb luck, cruelty and slaughter.

"I take issue with your article denouncing the recent PBS documentary on the War of 1812," harrumphed one history buff. "I found the program, to borrow language from your own masthead, both TRUTHful and FAIR." "Has Mr. Hufnagel ever done any research about the War of 1812?" one mild-mannered WNED fan from Lockport politely inquired.

Earlier this week my guard was down and I took a phone call from some guy who identified himself as a "docent" at Fort Niagara State Park. A docent is defined by the dictionary as "a knowledgeable guide, especially one who conducts visitors through a museum and delivers a commentary on the exhibitions." He wanted me to know up front he was no mere "tour guide". For all I knew, he could have been appointed to his post by the Queen. After I respectfully declined his invitation to an upcoming event at the fort (a State Park and historic site owned and operated by Albany like most of the profitable tourist attractions around here, and will set you back $12 to wander among the battlements, although access to the adjacent gift and souvenir shop is free) because the date of the event conflicted with my real job, he took umbrage. For a moment or two, I thought he was going to suggest pistols at dawn.

"Now see here, have you ever read a book about history?" he said. "I beg your pardon," I said, "I just switched the phone to my other ear. Would you please repeat that?" "I know you don't read any history books..." which was ironic since, like most insufferably boring old guys, that's all I've been reading for the past few years.

For example, "Zebulon Pike, Thomas Jefferson and the Opening of the American West" (Univ. of Oklahoma Press, 2012).

Overshadowed in history by the much more well-known Lewis and Clark, Pike was the first to reconnoiter large areas of what was to become the American southwest. Everybody knows about Pikes Peak. He didn't actually discover the mountain, in fact, he failed in his attempt to climb it, but more importantly, and you'd never know this sitting through two entire hours of WNED's documentary, because it doesn't once mention his name, is that Brigadier General Zebulon Pike was a hero of the war of 1812.

Pike's mistake, in the eyes of WNED, was apparently that he had the poor judgment to choose the British outpost of York, situated on the northern shore of Lake Ontario, as his stage to make history. We know York today by another name: Toronto. As in, ahem, "WNED of Buffalo/Toronto".

According to historian Jay H. Buckley, "The task was a formidable challenge. Fort York had been the main naval defense for Upper Canada for two decades" defended by "better trained British troops and their Indian allies."

On the eve of battle, Pike wrote his father: "I embark tomorrow in the fleet at Sacketts Harbor at the head of fifteen hundred choice troops, on a secret expedition. If success attends my steps, honor and glory await my name - if defeat, still shall it be said we died like brave men; and conferred honor even in death on the American name."

Pike won a resounding victory in one of the most important battles of the war, sailing across Lake Ontario in the dead of night, storming the shoreline Normandy-style and taking the key naval base, cutting off supplies to Western Canada which contributed to victory in the Battle of Lake Erie later that year. He gave his life for his country in the process when the deceitful British detonated the powder magazine before fleeing into the woods.

"The thirty-four-year-old explorer, patriot, soldier, and war hero died with his boots on."The only mention of this key battle in WNED's twisted TV show is a brief reference to payback from the British when they sacked Washington, DC. On the other hand, knowing where their bread is buttered (on the Canadian side), WNED spent several minutes glorifying the death of British General Sir Isaac Brock.