Stuart Asquith and the War of 1812: A review of two books

    I was asked recently by a friend about these two books.  How different are they and are they worth getting?  Another fruend asked me if they are just the same thing with different covers or if they duplicate the same materials.  To answer those questions here is a shirt review of my opinion about these books.  Both of which I own.

The War of 1812: A Campaign Guide to the War with America 1812-1815

  Opening this book at the On Military Matters stand at Cold Wars a few years ago I was delighted right away.  It is a book a wargamer would write.  One who loved the period.  Well written, lots of illustrations and bunches of helpful details. Just the stuff you need if starting the period or are an old hand who needs inspiration.   I bought it right away.

  As far as the content of the book it can be described as being in three parts.  The first  third of the book is devoted to a general history of the war per year (from 1812 to 1815). There is also a chapter devoted to the naval aspects of the war.  The text is short, clear, and very understandable.  most of the illustrations in this section are old prints and maps;  many out of Benjamin Lossing's Field Book of The War of 1812.

The next section is devoted to the  armies; British, Canadian United States and Indians.  This section describes the composition of armies and the uniforms worn.  Many are of obscure small units.  Great details here and very handy.  A small part is devoted to the “Indians” (Native Americans), about their involvement in the war and the main actions involving them. 

   The illustrations here are worth The price of the book.  There are a number of outstanding uniform plates by Bob Marrion.  There are also numerous photographs of reenactors here.  It is interesting to see the uniforms and how they look on real people rather then miniatures 

   The third and last part is  wargaming the War of 1812.  How to integrate the tactical particularities of  this unusual war into a set of  rules. The quality and types  of troops, what figures are available and where to get them.  All scales are mentioned.  numerous pictures of wargamer figures illustrate this section. The figures are usually 25mm Wargame Foundry or 54mm figures.  Please keep in mind the wonderful line of figures from Knuckleduster are not listed as they were not yet created when this book was written.

It is also an expensive book.  Because it is hardback and filled with colorful illustrations.  But you get a book that will last and you will return to time and again. 

Scenarios for the War of 1812-1815

  This scenario booklet has been written  with the wargamer in mind.  If you are looking for a quick guide to some of the important actions and how to Guggenheim on your table top here is your guide. 

After a capsule summary off the war the author lays out twelve battles forgoing fight.  The battle listed are:
Queenston Heights, 13th October 1812
Raisin River, 18th/22nd January 1813
The Assault on York, 27th April 1813
Sacket's Harbor, 29th May 1813
Beaver Dams, 24th June 1813
Thames River, 5th October 1813
Chateaugay, 25th October 1813
Crysler's Farm, 11th November 1813
Chippawa, 15th July 1814
Lundy's Lane, 25th July 1814
Bladensburg, 24th August 1814
North Point, 12th September 1814

  Here we have a good variety of actions. Some are obscure battles (Thames River), some skirmishes (Beaver Dam) and others stand up actions (Chippawa).  There is something for every size collection here.

  Each battle is played out in a similar manner.  A potted history of the actual fight, a simple map of the battlefield, troops involved and suggestions on how to game the battle. Some people may say the maps are too simple, but to me they give a good  representation of the ground.  In summation everything you need to war game this unique conflict in your table too.

Continental Line Uniforms 1776

  The   Massachusetts Provincial Congress resolved on  23 April 1775 that each man enlisted for a year should be given a coat as bounty. Each coat was to made of brown wool, with no lapels and a collar and cuffs and working pockets.  It was based on a simple working man's jacket of  the period.  Samples of the wool were sent out to each town and they were responsible for making a number of jackets equal to the men from that town who had enlisted.  When done they were collected and sorted by shade and regimental marked buttons attached.   By 28 December 1775 13,000 coats had been made.  These so called"bounty coats" served as the first uniform. 

Construction of Bounty Coat.

   But a more military style uniform was desired.  Although Washington recommended uniforms of hunting shirts,  lack of tow cloth in New England scuttled that idea.  On 20 October 1775 at Cambridge headquarters Washington and delegates from continental Congress agreed that soldiers would be provided cloth to make new uniforms for 1776 at a  cost of 10 shillings per man.  On 17 November ordered officers commanding 26 continental regiments meet at the  Quartermaster General's office at Cambridge to agree on uniform for their regiments.  Cloth for uniforms ware to be dyed brown with facings (collar, cuffs and lapels)  and numbered buttons to distinguish regiments.

  What materials were available for these uniforms?  First, there were captured british uniforms;    examples were 338 uniforms red faced buff from the 22nd regiment and 336 red faced buff uniforms from the 40th regiment.  These would have their facings removed, coats dyed brown and facings reattached.  Additional cloth obtained included two bales  containing 420 yards blue cloth plus miscellaneous amounts of cloth in various colors.    These were to be made up into 2,000 blue, brown, and green coats and waistcoats,  with red, blue, pink, green, yellow, white, buff, brown, and crimson facings.  In addition  2,000 felt cocked hats  with white bindings were collected.  These regimental uniforms were drawn for  by the Colonel of the 26 regiments when they became available for delivery on 5 January 1776.  A mixture ofa , civilian clothing, the 1775 bounty coats and these new regimental coats give a glimpse of how the new regiments appeared.

  On 20 February 1776 Washington ordered that each regiment be furnished with colors that match its uniform.  The suit of colors for each regiment was of  two standards and four grand division colors.  First standard was the union and second was in regiment's facing color and marked with it's number and a motto. 

In an army where uniforms were rare some system of identification of rank was needed.  These were adopted in the summer of 1775 by the army in Cambridge.

 Commander in Chief  - light blue ribbon across breast between coat and waistcoat.
Major General - purple ribbon
Brigadier General - pink ribbon
Aides-de-camp - green ribbon
Field Officers - red or pink cockade
Captains -  yellow or buff cocked
Subalterns - green cocked
Sergeant - epaulette or strip of cloth of red on right shoulder
Corporal - one of green.

  The 27 Continental Line regiments uniforms and standards based on returns and deserter descriptions.  These paint a confusing picture of what the early American army looked like.  Cloth colored coats were undyed wool.  When blue or brown coats were mentioned they could have been bounty coats or civilian coats.

1st Continental Regiment
Green coats and breeches officers.  Green hunting shirts men
Numerous references to white and brown hunting shirts
Standard a tiger enclosed by netting defended by a hunter in white and armed with a spear on a crimson field with motto.

2nd Continental Regiment
Blue faced green

3rd Continental Regiment
Cloth colored coat and jacket.  Also one man sailors jackets

6th Continental Regiment
Brown faced red or white.

7th Continental Regiment
Various brown or blue coats
Sailors dress
Standard white field with black thorn bush and flesh colored hand extended to pluck the bush.  Motto "He that touches me shall prick his fingers. "

10th Continental Regiment
Light brown coats faced red or buff.  Also some blue jackets.

11th Continental Regiment
Brown hunting shirts and coats faced white.  Officer silver lace

12th Continental Regiment
Blue coats faced buff

13th Continental Regiment
Brown coat
Standard light buff/yellow with line tree and field of Indian corn.  Two officers in uniform one wounded in breast with blood flowing pointing to children.  Motto " for posterity I bleed. "

14th Continental Regiment
Light colored coat faced red.  Blue coat tared trousers.

15th Continental Regiment
Blue faced white  with white smallclothes.  Officers gold lace 
Musicians had same uniform as men.

16th Continental Regiment
Green uniforms.  Standard red on white field.

17th Continental Regiment
Coats had black facings.
Blue clothing.  Butternut colored coat and scarlet waistcoat.  Light colored coat.

Modern illustration 17th Continental.

18th Continental Regiment
Cloth colored coat faced buff.  Regimental standard buff.

Modern illustration 18th Continental.

19th Continental Regiment
Blue coat faced red.  Blue coat with brown waistcoat.  Light colored coat.

20th Continental Regiment
Blue jacket and trousers.
Short sailors jacket

21st Continental Regiment
Blue jacket

22nd Continental Regiment
Regimental coat faced red.  Light colored coat.

24th Continental Regiment
Same color as 7th

25th Continental Regiment
Blue coat faced buff

26th Continental Regiment
Brown coat blue waistcoat white breeches.  Straw colored standard.
Grenadier company had embroidered mitre  caps.

Modern illustration of the 26th  Continental.

27th Continental Regiment
Brown coat.



The following Sources were used in compiling this list;

Henry M. Cooke IV, “The Massachusetts Bounty Coat of 1775,” The Brigade Dispatch, vol. XXVIII, no. 3 (Autumn 1998), 2-10.

Philip Katcher.  Uniforms of the Continental Army.
1981

Charles Lefferts. Uniforms of the American, British, French, and German Armies in the War of the American Revolution 1775 - 1783.
1926a

Martin Zlatich.  General Washington 's Army (1) 1775-78.
 1994

One book I have not mentioned is "An Illustrated History of Uniforms from 1775-1783: The American Revolutionary War".  Stay away from that one, it's a waste of time.

An Illustrated History of Uniforms from 1775-1783: The American Revolutionary War Hardcover – July 28, 2008

by Kevin F. Kiley