Hello folks!
I need to get in touch with some experts on the US/British war of 1812 in order to get some answers. If any of you - probably of the US/Canadian boy here - could help me, I would be very happy.
Question one is about the flags.
I found some very generic characteristics of US regimental flags for that war, but I didn't found a picture exactly for the 16th regiment which I'm currently paint-converting from Strelets' new set of British marching infantry. I have for example noted that on some flags, the eagle holds the arrows in his left claw while he holds them in his right claw on others. I also noted that the banderole in which the regiment designation is written into, is sometimes red, but most times blue.
So... what is right and what is wrong, especially regarding the 16th regiment of US infantry?
Question two is about the trousers.
I'm getting the creeps. For the same period of time, the colours of trousers differ on uniform pictures, even on historical paintings. While they are white on some pics, others show a grey one. I even found one showing a brown trouser. NCO trousers are shown either in medium or dark green or even in dark blue. In addition, uniform jackets seem to have differed in colouring depending to the state where the regiment came from. Is there any official manual on that matter and if yes, where can I find it?
Question three is about the shakos.
There has been a swith in the general uniform style in 1813. In most cases, the design of the uniform changed and with it, the colour. What also changed, was the shako style - from the stovepipe/light infantry shako to the Belgian one. And this is where the 'but' comes into the game again. It seems to me if some units kept the stovepipe shakos in combination with the new uniforms while other regiments kept the old uniforms, but adopted the new shakos. This, again, confuses me. Where uniforms and headgear probably not changed at the same time? Was it a case of logistic difficulties so that regiments kept wearing old equipment because of a lack of supplies?
And why is the white cord on the shako sometimes attached to the cockarde (as the British did) and sometimes crammed into the shako siderim?
You see - I have questions over questions. I hope someone here might help me before I get insane.