"uncle arnie" wrote in message
...
To continue my misinterpretation, I don't thing the British did as well in
the War of 1812. They lost on Lake Erie and Lake Champlain. Think they
were winning in the Atlantic though. There was a strange little war on
the
west coast in the 1840's also, over some little island or something and if
I recall both countries disavowed it and had it settled by a commission
later. I'll shut up about now.

Hmmm. I wonder if you're referring to the San Juan Island "Pig War".

http://www.outwestnewspaper.com/pigwars.html

"The Pig War began on June 15, 1859, when an American settler named Lyman
Cutlar shot and killed a trespassing pig belonging to Englishman Charles
Griffin of the Hudson Bay Company. "It was eating my potatoes," said Cutlar,
who had already warned Griffin to keep his pig out his potato patch. "It is
up to you to keep your potatoes out of my pig," was Griffin's reply."

I'd say Cutlar did just that. Makes me proud to be an American.