Retired educator's book highlights little known chapter of American history

Jan. 3—PLATTSBURGH — 2023 marks a decade since retired educator Dr. Joy Dermarse self-published "Nine Days A Soldier: The Story of the Aiken's Volunteers in the War of 1812."

In it, she transports her readers to September 1814 when the British forces crossed the Canadian border en route to Plattsburgh to take control of the Champlain Valley and the lands to the east.

DAVID V. GOLIATH

After defeating Napoleon, this excursion into the United States was supposed to be a stroll in the park for Lt. Gen. Sir George Prevost and his seasoned British forces, 11,000 strong, who were soundly routed by Brigadier General Alexander Macomb's 1,500 regular troops and militia detachments including Aiken's Volunteers, 14 Plattsburgh Academy schoolboys under the command of Capt. Martin J. Aiken and Lt. Azariah Flagg, Editor of the Plattsburgh Republican.

Commodore Thomas McDonough's decisive naval victory over Capt. Downie's British fleet sealed the deal on Sept. 11, 1814 and ended British expansion in the former colony.

BACK BURNER

Demarse, a Plattsburgh High School English teacher, retired after 35.5 years in 2012, before her husband, Keith Herkalo, retired from his post as Plattsburgh City Clerk.

"I was kind of enjoying doing nothing," she said,

"So one day he said gently as he was walking out the door, 'Why don't you write that book you've been planning on writing?'

"I was kind of like, oh yeah, I could do that. So, I sat down every morning at the computer. The idea for the book I had for probably 15 years, but it was actually sitting down and writing it. So, I did. I would sit down every morning with a coffee cup in hand and plunk away on the computer keys. Then, I would quit around noon time and go back to it the next day. Because I've been thinking about the story for 15 years, it really did come together pretty quickly."

PRIMARY/SECONDARY SOURCES

Demarse's resources included Herkalo's "The Battles of Plattsburgh: September 11, 1814" published by History Press in 2012, and Aiken Volunteers' Henry Ketchum Averill's 1818 journal that has been passed down for generations in his family.

Herkalo transcribed the journal that was printed by Studley Printing and Publishing in a limited print run of 600 soft cover and 100 hardcover in 2001.

"The most important book that really, really help form the backbone of my narrative was the journal of H. K. Averill," Demarse said.

"He kept a journal. He was very upset because there was no commemoration that year. He wrote in his journal and day-by-day account of what had happened to him and the boys. I always wondered why were Aiken's Volunteers important? Why did they get rifles? I knew they had fought in the war. I knew that they got rifles in 1826. But my question was always why? Why was it so important?"

PETERS

Demarse knew they were not the only youths that volunteered in the Battle of Plattsburgh.

"When Keith finally transcribed H. K. Averill's journal, and we saw in it that one of their boys had died," she said.

"Peters. He never gives him a first name, only calls him Peters. Then, I realize that's why it was so important to (General) Macomb and to (General) Mooers that these boys get something because they didn't have to volunteer. They were 14 to 17. That's when the idea really started, but again, it took me until I retired in 2012 to write the story. They lost one of their own, and they lost someone who has been lost to history now because we only know his last name."

ON THE FENCE

History Press was originally interested in publishing Demarse's book for a new division focusing on Young Adult historical fiction.

"I sent my manuscript to them because they had mentioned to Keith that's what they were doing, and he said, 'Boy, do I have a story for you,'" she said.

"So, I sent them the manuscript. I don't remember the girl's name, but she called me back and she said, 'We love it. We want to go with it.' I was so excited. My book is going to be published by a really good publishing house, and then a month later when I'm waiting for the contract to come, she called and she said, 'I can't do this because History Press was sold to Arcadia and Arcadia is not interested.'"

Demarse sent out many query letters and received little or no response, so she self-published her book in 2013 through Amazon.

The 134-page book features illustrations by artist Elyse Zielinkski, her sister-in-law and a former Press-Republican graphic artist.

Michigan-based director John Grooters of America Studios attended one of the last narrated Battle of Plattsburgh Commemorations.

"Keith had just finished doing the narration for the naval battle, and John stopped at our table and he was talking to Keith," Demarse said.

"He was just fascinated with the story Keith had told. Of course, Keith said, 'You should read my book.' And, he bought a copy of Keith's book. Then, Keith said, 'You should actually buy my wife's book, too. It's the story of Aiken's Volunteers.' So, he did."

Time passed, and the Peru couple didn't hear anything from Grooters.

"In January of 2019, I think, 2018 or 2019, the phone rings, and Keith says, 'Hi, John,'" she said.

"John says, 'I'm looking for Joy Demarse.' He had forgotten that Keith and I were married.

"Keith says, 'She's right here' and handed the phone to me. He said, 'I read your book. I want to make a film out of it.' So, they sent me a contract, a three-year contract. I just renewed the contract for another three years. So, it was 2022-2025. The other was 2019-2022."

Grooters wrote a screenplay and sent it to Demarse.

"I had a couple of comments, criticisms, a couple of things that I thought weren't exactly with the way things would have been done," she said.

"I don't know if he changed them or not. Once I sign that contract, I understand that it is in his hands. I just sort of gave him my opinions, but he did stick pretty close to my book. He used a lot of the dialogue from my book."

TARGET AUDIENCE

When Demarse wrote the book, her target audience was 4th though 8th grade.

"One of the things you always do as an English teacher, of course, is tell kids you have to read historical fiction and you have to read science fiction," she said.

"The kids had such a hard time finding something in historical fiction that they were interested in. I always taught the upper level, the AP, and I taught what we called one of the lower tracks, the kids who had learning disabilities, and really struggled with reading. I always taught a class of those kids, and I wrote with those kids in mind.

"Kids who are really, really bright, but who have trouble reading. A historical fiction like this out of the library would just be overwhelming, but if they could get one like this and read it, it would make sense.

"I tried to tell the story in a way that the kids wouldn't be frightened, but they would understand how serious this business was."

Email: rcaudell@pressrepublican.com

Twitter@RobinCaudell