"Regimental make up of Infantry in the War of 1812" Topic

Hi all

I'm doing some research into the infantry regiments that fought during the War of 1812 and wondered if anyone could help out with a few questions, or maybe point me in the direction of any sites that hold the info.

For Canadian and American infantry regiments (both regular and militia) I'm trying to work out if they had flank companies or if they were all standard center companies? I've got all the info I need on the British regiments that took part but I want to make sure I get the Canadian and American regiments correct

I think some of the Canadian regular regiment followed the British pattern of regimental make up (i.e. with Light and Grenadier companies) but I'm unsure if the American regular troops did or if militia regiments on either side did at all.

If anyone can help here I would really appreciate it

Cheers

Mike

EDIT – Sorry just realised I posted this in the wrong area, only meant to post it in the Napoleonic area not the 18th Century Discussion Message Board

Well, I feel the 18th. century didn't end 'til after Waterloo, so…

If you can get hold of Rene Chartrand's book on American uniforms of the war of 1812 he mentions some units with Grenadier and light companies in the U.S. army.

AFAIK, there were NO light companies in American regiments. Some had grenadier companies,but they had no special function from what I've read.

Bob

The official US training mannuals experimented with a 2-battalion, 18-company regiment, with one elite company, "either grenadiers or light infantry," per battalion. The regiments were converted back to single-battalion, 10-company regiments by the fall of 1812. These units were supposed to have two elite companies, again "either grenadiers or light infantry." In practice, some cpmpanies got rather good at skirmishing (note Ketchum's company of the 25th US Infantry in the NIagara campaign in 1814), but formalized use of skirmish companies was fairly uncommon on either side during the war. More often, it seems British and American generals relied on units as skirmishers -- militia, riflemen, Indians, etc.

There were few uniform distinctions for regular American flank companies, so the subject becomes one of use rather than equipment.

This subject has come up from time to time on TMP. Here is one of the prior threads:

TMP link

The thread starts out with a discussion of the rifle and light battalions, but if you read down the thread you'll come to further discussion about organic light companies in line battalions.

And, yes, American line battalions had light and grenadier battalions. In one famous incident, a brigade commander abolished his light companies for ill discipline and formed an extra grenadier company in each battalion.

Rick

Mike,

Having researched all British authorised establishments I can say that the "new" New Brunswick Regiment (ie that one formed to replace the original which had been taken into line as 104th Foot) was not established for flank companies, nor were the Glengarry Light Infantry but all other Canadian Regular Regiments were (although probably not militia).

None of the West India Regiments were established for flank companies. However the Orbats for the New Orleans campaign suggests that despite not being officially structured they did in fact have light companies, since the two Regiments present each provided companies to the converged light battalions.

What was authorised on paper was not necessarily the same as what happened in practice.

Rod

Thanks for the info chaps, it's going to help massively

Mike

Canadian militia's that were organised on a more permenant basis, such ad the Lower Canada Select Embodied Militia or Upper Canada Incorporated Militia, had flank companies like a regular battalion.

The British, Canadian Fencibles and Militia line units in North America were organized along typical British Army fashion with 8 line coys, 1 light and 1 grenadier coy.

The American sources on this issue are somewhat murky, particularly in 1812-13. The aforementioned "A Most Warlike Appearance: Uniforms, Flags and Equipment of the United States in the War of 1812, Rene Chartrand, 2011, Service Publications" is considered the definitive source on uniforms but there is not much info on infantry organization to answer this question.

Opsrey MAA 345 U.S. Army 1812-1815 by Kochan and Rickman states that in 1812 the the infantry was organized into battalions of 10 companies but does not indicate if there was a separate light and Grenadier Company. However, by 1814 there appear to be separate grenadier and light coys. Plate C of of MAA 345 shows a grenadier sergeant of the 21st Infantry and Graves Book on Lundy's Lane states that the battalions of MGen Browns's Army had light and grenadier coys.
Rick refers to BGen Ripley's brigade when prior to the battles of Chippewa and Lundy's Lane, his light coys were somewhat drunk and rowdy (some American homes were pillaged). As disciplinary action he abolished the light coys and instead had two grenadier coys per battalion in his brigade.
Plates of American line infantry light or grendier coys are rare. If any one has any further infor on this subject, I too would be greatful.
Rod

Mike,

If you are interested in detail on the Upper Canadian militia, you may want to obtain a copy of William Gray's Soldiers of the King: The Upper CanadianMilitia 1812-1815." Gray lists the specific flank and rifle companies by district, with their officers and rosters by name. There are about 50 companies in total.

He also lists marine, ranger, and artillery companies and cavalry troops.

Rick

thanks Rick, I'll look to pick that up

I would like to endorse the statement that reality could be very different than what the regulations stated. Although the U.S. had four authorized regular rifle regiments by the end of the War of 1812, the reraised 26th U.S. Infantry, formerly designated the 48th Infantry (the original 26th having been amalgamated with other weak regiments) was also entirely armed with rifles in 1814, according to John C. Fredriksen's "The United States Army in the War of 1812." The same source reveals that Brig. Gen. Thomas Adams Smith commanded a "light brigade" in the Right Division stationed at Lake Champlain in 1814. However there is no explanation of the exact composition of this unit. Certainly there were no official light infantry regiments in the U.S. Army during the War of 1812, just line infantry and rifle regiments.
On the other side, I have read that while still Colonel of the 49th Foot, Isaac Brock had his entire regiment trained in skirmish tactics (since there were no regular light infantry units stationed in Canada at that time). I'm sorry, but it is years since I read that, and cannot remember the specific source. Other energetic and farseeing officers may have done similar things with no surviving records to show it.
Although these examples do not pertain to North America, I will mention that, although never officially a light infantry unit during the Napoleonic Wars, the 90th Foot (Perthshire Volunteers) were trained and uniformed as light infantry from their inception and performed well at Alexandria, Egypt, but were then sent to the West Indies for the rest of the era (and so receive little mention). On the other hand, I read an anonymous first-person account by an enlisted man who served for years in the 71st Foot, which became the Highland Light Infantry after he was already serving in the unit. Although part of Wellington's army in the Peninsular War, there was precious little in it to show that he served as a skirmisher, which leads me to conclude that there was not necessarily that much difference between light infantry and line regiments as a whole. The skirmishing role may well have been left largely to a couple of informally established elite companies, even if British light infantry battalions did not officially have flank companies. Indeed, I am not aware of any special enlistment requirements for any of the British foot regiments, including the Guards. If there were any, I would be interested to hear of it; perhaps there was a certain amount of self-selection going on by those willing to enlist while in a sober state. I think the situation was somewhat similar with most of the French legere battalions (but they did have flank companies designated voltigeur and carabinier, as opposed to the chasseurs who composed the bulk of the battalions).

Yes,Capt. Ketchum Lt.Inf.Co. caught 'em at Lundy's Lane.The only difference in uniform could be the pompom on the tombstone shako had a red tip.This feature might apply to the remainder of Scott's Brigade.Giving Ripley's Brigade 4 grenadier cos.seems logical here as well.Same pompom,2 upturned large white stripes on upper right sleeve and exposed black gaiters fastened just below the knee with 12 pewter buttons.Sgts, Officers in boots.

In Brigadier General Izard's journal for the period of the Battle of Chateau Gay, Oct 1813; he refers to the light infantry brigade, which was composed of the light companies of the various regiments.

So, it appears that the American infantry did indeed have flank companies as early as the Fall of 1813.

As stated above- it is all very murky- do what you want. It is probably an instance where some regiments have grenadiers and light companies, some did not, and some had a mix. It is all very confusing, wish there was more documentation and diaries!