"Great Losses and Meritorious Exertions"

[Title from The Report of the Loyal and Patriotic Society¹⁹⁸]

In the days following the burning of Newark, Elizabeth Campbell suffered the tragic loss of her youngest child. “After carrying [her child] 4 miles for baptism,” wrote a family friend, Campbell “had to dig its grave & cover its remains.”¹⁹⁹ Although the location of the burial plot is unknown, she may have traveled to the house of Reverend Robert Addison, who lived three or four miles from Newark and had baptized her other three children.²⁰⁰ While Newark still smoldered, Campbell set out on a harsh journey in cold weather to ensure that her child could be considered part of a Christian family and church. From there, she and her surviving children started out on a long journey to Nova Scotia by way of York, Montreal, and Quebec. Like every woman who suffered losses in Niagara, Campbell faced a difficult choice between two daunting options: remain in the district and try to rebuild her life from the ashes or seek refuge in another place less severely impacted by the war. Whether they remained in the district or sought safety elsewhere, women coped with the destruction and displacement by taking on additional work, pooling and sharing resources, drawing on social and personal connections for support, and appealing to relief organizations for immediate aid. Their efforts were crucial to the survival of their families and preservation of their communities.