It can be said that since the formation of the country/tribe, human beings have inevitably ushered in the "age of war", from ancient times to the present, the world has been innumerable wars of all sizes. Among them, some are caused by economic interests, some are caused by ethnic and religious issues, some are caused by territorial issues, and some are caused by the struggle for hegemony, and so on... But have you ever heard that a single pig led to a war between the United States and Britain? The war was the "Pig" War on San Juan Island in 1859, which was also known as the "hardest pig in the background".
Here's why: On June 15, 1859, on San Juan Island, where the United States and Britain were in dispute, a boar weighing hundreds of pounds from the Family of Charles Graves of the British was leisurely foraging in the meadow. Because the pig is playful and "loves freedom", he often walks through the fence of his master's farm to wander outside to forage for food. This is not a big deal in normal times, just get it back; but the problem is that this time it is a coincidence that this pig actually came to the American side of the disputed territory between the United States and Britain. At this time, the American cowboy Lyman Catera was idle, carrying a shotgun and hunting around, and slowly the Grave family's pig entered Lyman's sight. The "behemoth" that was hard to find, Lyman did not hesitate to pull the great powers in his hands, "bang" a few times, the poor pig was killed.
Seeing that the pig had been knocked down, Lyman Katra shouted excitedly as he ran in the direction of his prey, and several nearby farmers arrived. However, just as Lyman was about to pack his prey, a nearby farmer pointed out: "This is a domestic pig on the Englishman Charles Grave's farm, and he often wanders around here, and you are afraid that you will be in trouble." As soon as the words fell, Lyman Catera was stunned, after all, the British were still the masters riding on the necks of the Americans at that time, and Lyman regretted his recklessness. But as a wild and uninhibited cowboy, he loves face in his bones, and he pretends to be "indifferent" without making any aftercare matters and leaves.
The Hudson Bay Company is very powerful
Soon, news of the "Love Pig" being killed by the Americans reached Charles Greif's ears. Charles Grave is not only an Irishman, he is also a senior employee of the British Hudson Bay Company and a farmer on a large farm, and he is very powerful and domineering in the farm area on weekdays. The Hudson Bay Company was one of the largest commercial companies in the world at that time, and had a very close relationship with the British government and military. When Grave heard that his beloved domestic pig had been killed, he was furious and immediately went to Lyman with a few retinues to ask for his guilt. The facts are all there, and cowboy Lehmann can't deny it, so he has to express his willingness to compensate. As a result, Grave "Lion Opened" to claim $100 from Lehmann, which was obviously blackmail, and Lehmann of course disagreed, saying that he would compensate up to $10. At the same time, Lyman also said that Grave could sell the pork and make another sum of money. As a result, the arrogant Grave was of course unwilling to compromise, and the more the two men talked, the more stiff they became, and finally Lyman simply played a trick and claimed that It was Grave's pig that illegally broke into his "territory", and also wasted a large piece of his potatoes, and he shot and killed the "invading" pig in self-defense.
British Army stationed on San Juan Island
Neither of them wanted to let go, and in the end they did not speculate and dispersed. On the way back, Charles Greif became more and more angry, and as soon as he arrived home, he had his experience reported to the British authorities through the Hudson Company. The Queen's subjects were bullied overseas, which was directly related to the prestige and reputation of the "Empire of The British Sun Never Sets", and soon the British were outspoken and threatened to arrest Lyman. At this time, even the most arrogant cowboy could not withstand the threat of foreign troops, and in a hurry, he hurried to seek the protection of the US army.
U.S. troops stationed on San Juan Island
The nearest U.S. troops to San Juan Island were stationed in Oregon, and after listening to Lyman tell the whole story, U.S. Commander William Hart decided that the British could not be allowed to mess around, otherwise the United States would be at a disadvantage in the subsequent territorial negotiations. So, after a moment's thought, Hart ordered his subordinate, Captain George Pickett, to lead a group of soldiers to San Juan Island to protect Lyman, on the grounds that they were protecting American citizens. Not to be outdone, the British army was not to be outdone when it learned that the U.S. army had moved to protect Lehmann, and immediately dispatched three warships to quickly move closer to San Juan Island (later increased to 5). At this time, the U.S. military is also paying attention to the British movement in real time, and when the British warship is heard, the U.S. military also sent reinforcement artillery units.
The confrontation between the two sides is real, and the British warship is the highlight
As a result, the two sides came and went, increasing each other's weight, and the smell of war became stronger and stronger. In just two months, the number of U.S. troops on San Juan Island has increased to 461 and is equipped with 14 cannons; the British have deployed a super lineup of 5 warships, 2140 officers and men, and 70 guns, forming a siege of the U.S. troops on San Juan Island. Believing that the British were gaining an advantage, General James Douglas, then the supreme decision-maker and governor of Vancouver Island, ordered the British to launch a fierce attack on the American army to avenge the "sacred pig of the British Empire".
The confrontation between the United States and Britain
Fortunately, there was still a calm and wise general in the British army, Rear Admiral Robert Baynes, who in his view had a war between two countries over a pig. He firmly believed that British soldiers could only fight for national goals, not for personal grievances or interests, so Major General Robert ordered his troops not to act rashly. At the same time, through the military channels, the relevant situation was reported to the British headquarters. In the process of waiting for further orders, the commanders of the United States and Britain maintained a certain tacit understanding - "hold the position, no one will shoot the first shot", maintain the status quo, and wait for consultation between the two governments. However, soldiers of the two countries will still quarrel from time to time because of various contradictions, provoking each other and inducing each other to shoot the first shot.
Three months after the incident, in September 1859, U.S. President James Buchanan sent envoys to negotiate with the British to resolve the simmering "Pig War Crisis." Because the "slavery" problem in the United States at that time had already led to a fierce confrontation between the North and the South, and a civil war was about to break out, if a war with Britain was started at this time, it was obviously not conducive to the national interests of the United States. And the British who have calmed down do not want to really let a bloody war break out between the two countries because of a pig, so that the people at home will certainly not agree. Finally, after several rounds of negotiations, the two sides reached a consensus: "Both countries can garrison troops on San Juan Island at the same time, but neither can exceed 100 people, with British troops stationed in the north of the island and American troops stationed in the south." ”
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