… Army in Upper Canada in 1812.
"Despite the abundance of literature on the logistics of supplying troops in British North American garrisons during the War of 1812, little has been written on the soldier's diet and the role of his mess in organizing food preparation and consumption. This article will focus on these areas and explore the furniture and utensils required to prepare and serve food in barracks. Since published material on the supply of provisions prior to the war is scarce, some information will also be provided on this subject, with particular emphasis placed on the Niagara frontier garrisons.
Messing Arrangements
Each company of soldiers was divided into messes which allowed men to pool their rations and rotate as cooks. Messes were established in the British Army to ensure that the soldier did not starve himself or squander his meal money away on gambling or drink. This purpose is illustrated in an account by a soldier of the 94th Regiment in 1809:
We arrived in Aberdeen, after a march of ten days, where we had better barracks, and cheaper provisions than in Dunbar; but the barracks being too small, a number of our men were billeted in the town, and not being in the mess when pay-day came, it was a common thing for many of them to spend what they had to support them in drink; and some of them were so infatuated as to sell even their allowance of bread for the same purpose. They were then obliged (to use their own phraseology) to "Box Harry," until the next pay-day; and some of them carried this to such a length, that it was found necessary to bring them into barracks, to prevent them from starving themselves…"
Full article here
warof1812.ca/messing1812.htm
Amicalement
Armand
looks at a fast-assembly naval kit for the Age of Sail.
