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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2015-02-18, Page 5Wednesday, February 18, 2015 • Huron Expositor 5 www.seaforthhuronexpositor.com letter to the editor Time for a Medicare approach to climate change To the editor, Over the past nine years Canada's interna- tional reputation has been damaged and the Key- stone XL pipeline has been stalled, all because our federal government has failed to deliver a sensible, credible approach to the environment and the economy. At the same time, many provinces and territo- rial governments have begun their own initiatives because they know that climate change is real and that our children's future requires us to reduce carbon emissions. BC, Alberta, Quebec and, soon, Ontario jurisdictions that represent over 85% of the economy—have all committed, in different ways, to a price on carbon. History has shown that Canada works best when all orders of government work together to forge solutions to complex problems. Through provincial experimentation and federal leader- ship, Medicare was forged and now provides one common standard of public healthcare for every Canadian across in the entire country. That's the approach we need to take to reduce our green- house gas emissions. As it stands, the Prime Minister has committed Canada to targets, but we're not collectively on track to meet them, not even close. And no won- der, when the Prime Minister refuses to meet with the Premiers to coordinate climate poli- cies—or anything else for that matter. That's why a new Liberal government would, within 90 days of the upcoming Paris climate conference, hold a First Ministers meeting to work together on a framework for combatting climate change—including the creation of national emissions -reduction targets. A national standard would be set in partnership with prov- inces and territories, who will have the flexibility to design their own polices to achieve it, includ- ing carbon pricing. The federal government would provide funding, similar to how it supports Medicare today. In this way, we will build on existing provincial initiatives, in the best spirit of Canadian federal- ism. Through a healthy respect for regional dif- ferences, we will achieve progress on climate change; we will begin to repair our broken rela- tionships and regain public trust. Canada has solved bigger problems than this and we'll solve this one too, in the way we always have—together. Yours sincerely, John McKay, MP Liberal Party of Canada Environment Critic Private George Hayward: Sole Survivor of Company 1, Ouster's 7th Cavalry No one knows why George Hayward of Walton left for St. Louis, Mis- souri to join the U.S. Cavalry. Was it boredom, some sense of duty, or a chance for a adven- ture? Whatever his motiva- tion, Hayward enrolled in Company I of the U.S. 7th Cav- alry on May 14, 1873. The 7th Cavalry under the command of General George Armstrong Custer would soon be the most famous (or infamous) mounted regiment in American history destined to meet a bloody end on the slopes of the Little Big Horn River. George Hayward was born in 1851 in Little York, Ontario but gave his residence as Walton. A 'harness maker' by trade, Hay- ward would have been an asset to any cavalry unit . Enlisting for five years, Hayward swore an oath to defend the United States 'against all enemies and oppressors.' According to Mary Thomas in 'Canadians with Custer' (2012), there were at least 14 other Canadians in the 7th Cavalry when Hayward enlisted. Among the prominent Canadi- ans were Lieutenant William Cooke, the regiment's adjutant, and Sergeant John Vickory who carried the regiment's silk guidon. Like their flamboyant com- mander General George Arm- strong Custer, many of the Canadians were Civil Huron History David Yates War veterans. Like many young recruits, Hayward must have been awestruck by his illustri- ous commander when he first saw him at Fort Lincoln in the Dakota Territories. Custer was one of the most dashing heroes of the Civil War. A Brigadier General at age 23, Custer's reckless daring, and courage under fire were legendary. His long flowing ringlets of red hair made him the chivalric ideal of a gallant hero. Hayward joined Canadian Privates Darwin Symms and Thomas McShane in Captain Myles Keogh's I Company. Their company spent the next two years guarding westward bound settlers and protecting gold prospectors in the Black Hills from elusive bands of hos- tile Indians. Life for a cavalryman on the frontier was a gruelling ordeal. 'Forty Miles a Day on Beans and Hay' meant end- lessly long and exhausting treks on horseback through the roughest terrain and most extreme weather conditions. The slaughter of the vast buf- falo herds drove the Great Plains Indians to starvation. The advent of the railroad, gold prospectors and settlers threat- ened the natives' entire way of life. It was no surprise that ten- sions erupted into warfare in the spring of 1876. Many believed that this would be the last great cam- paign on the plains. Custer saw a victory over the Sioux as a last chance for glory and, per- haps, a path to the Presidency. The Sioux Nations saw the upcoming fight as a last ditch battle to keep their traditional way of life. On the morning of June 25, 1876, a massive encampment of Lakota, Cheyenne, Arapaho and Sioux Indians on the banks of the Little Big Horn River was about to break up and head for home. Custer was not about to let this happen. In a vainglori- ous attempt to claim sole credit for a victory over the Sioux, Custer, rashly left behind his infantry support and two Gatling guns days earlier so that he could be the first into battle. Ignoring reports from his scouts that the Indian encamp- ment was far larger than antici- pated, Custer sealed the fate of hundreds of men when he made the fateful decision to attack the entire Sioux nation with just one cavalry regi- ment. Inexplicably, Custer, the experienced 'Injun Fighter; underestimated his enemy's fighting skill. Compounding his arrogance, Custer split his command into three battalions and issued confusing orders. With just 226 men (including I Company), Custer led the main charge into the Indian encampment. Outnumbered and outgunned, the cavalry were chased out of the village and onto the slopes of the Little Big Horn where Custer and every man in his command were killed. Among the dead was Cana- dian Private Darwin Symms. His mutilated remains were buried on what is now known as Last Stand Hill. Canadian Private McShane had been transferred to the pack trains and did not ride with Custer. Perhaps, luckiest of all, was Walton's Private George Hay- ward who was hospitalized with a fever at Fort Lincoln when the regiment left in May. Hayward's reaction to the loss of his entire company is unre- corded, but it must have been some mixture of shock, relief and guilt. Yet, one wonders if he also felt shame at having survived while the rest of his company was wiped out. After his recovery, Hayward served with the 5th Cavalry. In September 1876, he fought in the U.S. victory over the Sioux at the Battle of the Slim Buttes. Hayward re-enlisted for another five year term in December 1878. He was promoted to 'Saddler' (equivalent to a Corporal) and paid $14.00 a month. In addi- tion to his military duties, according to Thomas, Hayward was expected to keep his com- pany's saddles in good repair. Yet, despite a consist- ently 'excellent' character rat- ing, in nearly 25 years of active service, he never advanced beyond this rank. In 1883, Hayward re-enlisted again but, at 32, frontier fight- ing had taken its toll. His medi- cal records indicate that in addition to scars on his face, arm and chin, Hayward suf- fered a 'partial loss' of his great toe on the left foot while the great toe on his right foot was 'slightly mutilated.' Hayward spent the rest of his army career with the 5th Cavalry on the Texas -Mexican bor- der. After years of chasing down desperadoes, cattle rustlers and Apaches, Hayward's health finally broke. In August 1897, after 24 years in the saddle, Hay- ward was dispatched to Fort Sill, Oklahoma where he was diag- nosed with tuberculosis con- tracted 'in the line of duty.' Dying, Hayward was dis- charged in December. He spent his remaining time at the Sol- diers' Home in Washington, D.C. He neither married nor listed any family on his dis- charge. There is no record of his death. It is highly improba- ble that he ever returned to Walton. seaforthhuronexpositor.com�