Volunteer Regiments 1814

   For the Niagara campaign of 1814, the US Left Division under General Brown was made up of two brigades of regulars and a brigade of volunteers.  This 3rd Brigade under General Peter R. Porter were not the usual lackadaisical militia but volunteers.  One regiment was from Pennsylvania the other from New York.

  Unlike militia they had signed on for the campaign and were to be uniformed and equipped like regulars.  While their drill may not have been up to Winfield Scott's approval the brigade nevertheless fought hard and acquired a solid reputation for dependability.

  To represent them on my table top I used figures from Forrest Harris Knuckleduster miniatures.  Since they were to have been uniformed and equipped as regulars I wanted a look between regular and militia.  Knuckleduster provided that.  These especially made figures are in bits of uniforms mixed with civilian clothing.  Round hats, shako and straw hats mix with civilian coats, regular jackets and farmer smocks.  The New Yorkers have either older militia coats in blue with red collars and cuffs or plain blue coats.  The Pennsylvanians have plain blue coats.  Officers and NCO's in both groups have fancier more regular uniform coats.  Accoutrements are standardized but varied. All have cartridge boxes and belts but some add bayonets, some knapsack and few blanket rolls.  Just the perfect look I was looking for.

  I have no documentation if these two regiments carried colors or not. It appears to be a "best guess" which I based on other period examples. For these volunteer regiments the flags I am going to use are

based on descriptions carried by Pennsylvania and New York units.   As both regiments were volunteers I wanted then to have a national flag similar to the regulars.  For the regimental flag I used a New York state Flag from the rev war period. It looks very much like one captured

by the British and still in existence today.   The Pennsylvania regiment I gave a copy of the Easton flag.  This was not a Rev War flag but a well documented war of 1812 flag carried by Pennsylvania militia.