Welcome to the first issue of War of 1812 Gamer. As the name implies, this journal focuses on the wargaming aspects of the War of 1812: rules, books, figures, organizations, uniforms etc. If it is useful to an historical gamer, it is fair game for this journal. The genesis of this venture is the story of four converging threads. First, I am a wargamer of the nineteenth century (Napoleonic and ACW mostly) from way back. Second, I wrote a book on a War of 1812 campaign which was published in November 2000. [Note: An excerpt of “Niagara 1814: America Invades Canada” (Chapter 7: Opening Round: The Battle of Chippewa) is in MagWeb.com in the “One-Drous Chapters-Napoleonic Era” section.] Third, I am the editor of the North American version of Lone Warrior and have been instrumental in getting that fine journal into Magweb.com for several years. Fourth and finally, I have written about two dozen articles on wargaming topics which have appeared in Lone Warrior and Midwest Wargamer’s Association Newsletter (MWAN). Putting that all together, it occurred to me that I could probably provide interesting and useful material to wargamers. You readers will be the judge. This magazine is published in electronic form only; there is no paper edition. Having published the North American version of Lone Warrior since 1994, I understood that I didn’t have the time and energy for a second effort of that magnitude. Keeping track of subscribers, handling correspondence, graphics and layout, and mailing is necessary and time consuming but not the enjoyable part of publication. But I do have time for the fun part, the research and writing. I hope to crank out an edition quarterly but I won’t hold myself to a deadline. I’d much prefer publishing quality articles than having to get something out before I’m happy with it. The good news for you readers is that I uncovered a wealth of material while researching my book, material that is not published or if it is published, is hard to find. I hope to publish this material and thereby make your wargaming a little more satisfying. I will also publish short reviews of material out there. It is hard for someone getting started wargaming this conflict to know all of what is out there: histories, uniform guides, rules etc. Much of what I find in wargaming magazines on this conflict is historically flawed and maybe we can do something about that. I expect to have material for the gamer just starting in this period as well as the seasoned pro. I hope some of you will write in with your thoughts and questions. The reader’s forum in Lone Warrior and MWAN are both alive with great discussion. It would be gratifying to experience something akin to those examples. If you have something to say, send it to me at 1707 Ridge Road, Leavenworth, KS 66048. Or email me at rbarbuto@idir.net If you do not want your letter or email published, please say so; I will respect your wishes. I will also be pleased to publish your articles. It is easiest for me if you email the text or mail me a file but hard copy, typed or legibly written, is also good. I think our readers would be interested in a battle report from your wargaming, a review of figures or rules, or even an historical piece. So, without further ado, thanks for joining me in this venture and I hope you find your reading time here worthwhile. Back to Table of Contents -- War of 1812 #1 Back to War of 1812 List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 2001 by Rich Barbuto. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com