I think that having two flags per unit is overkill myself – granted our miniature units are strictly representational, but a battalion would have (roughly) 500 – 800 men, of which for a British Battalion there would be – 2 standard bearers, maybe 10 – 20 drummers, maybe 30 – 40 officers and a roughly similar number of NCO's and the rest Privates. Increasing to 2 flags out of 18 figures is way off ratio wise (I do the same with other nations that carried 2 flags per Battalion). This is a matter of personal aesthetics as to how we like out units to look (I use King's Colors for my Light Infantry units as a sort of short hand for easy differentiation on the tabletop, BTW). To each their own – I certainly won't complain about units carrying both flags!
The trousers are light grey (CC Dolphin Grey to be exact), it has a very very slight blue tone which may be exaggerated by photographic conditions. If certainly doesn't look blue "in the flesh".
The "Battle" of New Orleans was much more of a protracted series of actions than a single, one day battle. (Note my choice of words: 'appearances at New Orleans'.
From "Historical Records of the 40th (2nd Somersetshire) regiment", as linked to in my blog posting
link
"On the evening of January 9th (1815) the transports anchored in the Mississippi, and orders were received for the regiment to be prepared to proceed up the river in boats on the following day. This was no easy matter, however, for shoals were numerous, and the main body of the army was eighty miles distant. Squalls, moreover, often occurred ; the prospect, therefore, of several days and nights in open boots was not agreeable.
However, three days rations were cooked, and all was ready on llth (morning of the lOth as far as the regiment was concerned), but there were not enough boats to lake ii, and consequently some did not start till the following day. Lieutenant Wray, who was in one of the
boats which started on the 10th, made the following entry on the llth :—
" Last night it came on lo blow so hard we were obh'ged to make for a vessel that we saw a light from, not knowing whether English or American ; but we were in Che greatest danger possible of being swamped. Captain Fisher commanded the boats. I did not think in any part of the world the climate was so changeable as here — one
day it is as cold as charity, and the next as hot as love."
Such was the experience of one party ; and that of the other does not seem to have been much better, for Lieutenant Ncilley, who started on the same day, writes as follows :—
" 11th January. — This morning the weather was excessively rough, and the prospect of going eighty miles in an open boat was by no means pleasant, A captain of the navy came on board to further the disembarkation, and informed us the officers might go in a schooner
and the men in transport launches. We got on board the schooner Z, and weighed anchor immediately. We had not proceeded fifteen miles up the river when the schooner grounded."
In the meantime, the disastrous nilack on New Orleans had taken place, in which the commander-in-chief. Sir Edward Pakenham, and the second in command, Major-Gencral Gibbs, were killed, besides many other officers and a great number of men. This decided Sir John I.an]bcit, on whom the command of the army then devolved, to re-emhark his troops, and orders were received by the 40th, on their
way up the river, to return at once and re-ship the men in the transports. This, in time, n'as done, but the hardships which all had to bear were great. Lieutenant Wray, writing on 19th January, says : —
" We are now, thank God, on board our old ships, and it is almost time; we have been the last six days, and only two regular days rations for that time. Two days out of the six we had nothing at all ; we were obliged to keep some to the last, fearing we should be out
any longer ; but the moment I came in sight of the fleet I ate away all I could stomach." After re-embarking in the ships, nothing of particular interest occurred for about a fortnight, hut at the end of the first week in February orders were received for the fleet to weigh
anchor and proceed to Mobile, the intention being to disembark the army on Dauphine island, and keep it there until the reduction of Fort Boyer, at Mobile point.
The following entries in Lieutenant Wray's journal, between 7th and 1lth February, 1815, describe the movements of the 40th Regiment during that period : —
" 7th February. — We just received orders to weigh and proceed,with two divisions, to attack (it is supposed) Fort Mobile, which is reported amazingly strong — we are now off. We are to go as far as possible in these ships, and then proceed in small boats. I trust we may
succeed, and, indeed, I have no doubt. One division, consisting of the 95th, 7th, and old 40th, arc to make the first attack, and the other, under command of the senior officer of the second brigade, to support us.
'12th February. — We are now as far as the large ships can go, and the small boats are all ready — some off. We arc to be commanded by General Lambert, and expect to be close under the fort by morning. We this moment arrived — lO a.m.— on our island (called Daiiplnni:), within two miles of the fort we are to take
in the morning.
"13th February.— Lait night, about 12 o'clock, one of our corvettes, with two hundred Indians, attempted to storm the fort, but, unfortunately, in the dark, the vessel grounded, and our sailors were obliged to blow her up. The explosion illumined the whole bay.
The Indians were made prisoners and, of course, all failed. \We, as yet, have received no orders to move.
" I4th February. — Last night we received orders to be under arms before daylight, and I am now before the fort, in our bivouac, out of range of shot. The fellows are pelting away shot and shell like the mischief. This morning I came off a working party, when we were
close enough. We have not lost many men.
"I6th February. — Our people have been hard at work these two days back forming some batteries and gelling the guns mounted. We were lo have commenced cannonading at 10 o'clock this morning, and to have stormed where they would breach for us; when — much to our surprise — they (the enemy) sent an officer and Rag of truce,
about half-past nine, with terms of capitulation, The prisoners of war, consisting of one full colonel, some officers, and about six hundred rank and file, some women and children, are all embarking on board some flats, and are going on board the Hnc-of-bntllc ships. Their
fort was a square of four embrasures, mounting altogether twenty-two guns, all eighteen and twenty-four-pounders; and our position was two small sand hills on each flank of the enemy, with a small sand-bag battery in their front, on which were mounted four howitzers. It is
said we are to return tomorrow to the island, which is about two miles across the channel and that we will get tents soon, which it; a comfort not yet enjoyed by us. We always bivouac, though the rains are very heavy."
They did return, as anticipated, and in due course the tents arrived, which was fortunate, for the rain came down day after day in torrents, and the weather for a time was very bad.
The army remained on Dauphine island until the 18th March ; and during that time, though the troops suffered much from scarcity of provisions at the commencement, they seemed on the whole to have made themselves fairly comfortable, and after notification had been received that peace was concluded the difficulty regarding
supplies ceased.
The ingenuity and resources of all ranks, moreover, were called forth, and with very good results, Sergeant Lawrence describes how he and his comrades improvised a baking oven. He says : —
" We soon set to work to construct one by burning a quantity of oyster shells for lime, and having mixed them with sand and water we made some very good cement, after which we got a lot of iron hoops from the vessels, with which we formed the arch, and so we put one
oven together j and I much doubt if it did not bake as well as any English one, considering the style of dough that we had, After it had been found to answer so well, at least twenty more were constructed on the once desolate but now busy, little isle."
But this was nothing to the the part which Lieutenant Wray describes. Writing on March 3rd, he says ; —
" Last night our private theatre opened. The house is made of the boughs of trees, and covered in with large sails belonging to the ships of war, The boxes are only one on each side of the stage for the admirals and generals, and then there are seals made of some planks,
which form the pit The scenery was almost all painted by a young man of the name of Haymes, Ut lieutenant of the Royal Oak, and his chief colours were pipeclay, verdigris, and okeri^wr^. The dresses were mostly made up here, and some were got from the Royal Oak. The
stage is regularly erected and boarded and a good green room. The Performance was 'The Mayor of Ganett and the Lying Valet,' which was uncommonly well done. Altogether, a person would not believe it was near so well got up if they did not see it."
Performances were given in this impromptu theatre no less than three times a week, and, after peace was declared, the American officers joined with the English in enjoying the fun.
Whilst at Dauphine island notification was received that Lieutenant Colonel Thornton, commanding the regiment, had been appointed a Companion of the Bath.
In the meantime, preparations bad been made for the re-embarkation of the troops, and on 1Sth March all was ready. The 4Oth embarked on that day… "