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THE COMPANY OF MILITARY HISTORIANS |
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Re: [Uniforms] War of 1812: 24th US Research
Posted By: René Chartrand (Ottawa-HSE-ppp253548.sympatico.ca)
In Response To: Re: [Uniforms] War of 1812: 24th US Research (Mark R. Hayden)
Date: Sunday, 22 February 2004 1208 hrs. EDT
In the research I did years ago, which was published in my now out of print book on US War of 1812 uniforms, etc. (second expanded edition in preparation), I did not find tailor's instructions, and this is what your querry implies.
However, a substantial lead on the cut of these garments comes from Secretary of War John Armstrong when he orders 20,000 'grey cloth overalls and waistcoats of the same [grey cloth] with sleeves like those of the British soldiers' (USNA, RG 107/6/7 jan 18, 1814 SW to C. Irvine). The British indeed had single-breasted white jackets with cuffs and collar (and sometimes shoulder straps) of the facing colour. Mind you, this could vary quite a bit in the British Army and some units also had red jackets made out of old coatees for fatigue dress.
According to the British 1802 regulations the: 'The Waistcoats for Serjeants of the Guards and Regts. or Corps of Infantry serving in Europe, and N. America are to be of Cloth nearly similar in Quality to their Coats, and in Colour White or Buff as the Linings of the Coat. They are to be single breasted with 8 Small Buttons on one Side and Button Holes on the other without Lace. Are to be Short and without Pockets or Skirts...' (Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research, 1940). This was enacted, with variation, as in Halifax General Orders, Friday, 20 Sept, 1805 one finds: “The Gray Jacketts worn occasionally by the Privates of the Royl NF Regiment are to be made Uniform by having blue Collars and Cuffs, and Regimental Buttons --- any Man appearing in them until so altered is to be confined and tried for Disobedience of Orders" (Garrison Orderly Book, Halifax, in possession of Army Museum, Halifax Citadel). But this regiment later had white as a deserte in 1812 had "white jacket blue collar". All this to stress there could be variation.
This seems to bear out the findings you mention at the 1814 site burials. The reconstitutions made by FP Todd and H McBarron and more recently by D Rickman in JL Kochan's 'The US Army 1812-1815' (MAA 345 - which I much recommend, by the way) were done as per patterns in tailor's books avaliable in America at the time. In all this, no one can be 100% certain but, certainly, all reasonably researched hypothesises are valid.
In closing, my impression of the US military procurement situation was not so much one of economies as one of shortages of materials. In war, there is always money on credit as, if you loose the war, its bankrupcy any way. In 1814, the British blockade was having its effect and shortages were common place.
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