I was not only an illustrator for Ruralite magazine, I also sold them a couple of written articles. Naturally, I also illustrated them, creating two paychecks instead of one. I wrote this piece on the so-called Pig War over a few tiny islands between Canada and the United States in the 1850's. The conflict was caused by ambiguous wording in the treaty that drew the boundary between the British colony of British Columbia and Washington territory. The border coud be drawn either to the north or the south of these islands, depending on how the words were interpreted. It may surprise you that two countries would go to war over a few acres of wooded real estate, but in the days of sailing ships, islands could be strategic. San Juan Island could shelter the movement of American warships based in Pugeot Sound, and similar considerations moved the British.

While war never quite broke out, it was a close thing. Both sides sent increasing numbers of troops to this gawd-foresaken part of the Northwest, and larger and larger fleets. These movements were to intimidate the other side, and also to prepare for a suprise move by the other side. The British set up fortifications on the north side of the island, the Americans on the south, and there were several small skirmishes, one notably over a pig. Hence "The Pig War". In the end nothing happened. Washington had more to worry about back East, with the threat of Southern succession growing more real every day. Ironically, the American in command on San Juan island was the same Pickett who's famous charge at Gettysburg led to disaster. Perhaps there should have been a Pig War. If he had done as well in that battle as he did a few years later in Pennsylvania, the islands might be part of British Colombia today. As it is, third party arbitration (by the not very impartial Kaiser of Germany) decided in favour of the American claim. Nor did it ever matter sincd naval maneuevers in the San de Fuca straight were a dead issue in the Age of Steam.

I researched the "war" quite extensively, and like to think the article I wrote on it brought together quite a lot of information and local colour that had never appeared in one article before. Unfortunately, while I sold Ruralite the feature, they don't seem to have ever published it!