Actually, this short article is a collection of questions and answers that Don and I exchanged over-the past few letters, concerning a variety of subjects concerning the War of 1812. I have reconstructed the questions to fit Don's answers. Question: Were there mounted indians employed by the British/Canadians during the war? Answer: Nowhere in my research have 1 come across a record of mounted Indian couts organized by the British during the War of 1812. That there were mounted Indians, 1 don't doubt ( there was even a mounted company of Royal Veterans) but not as an organized unit. Courier duties in Canada were most often undertaken by the militia cavalry. But as far as wargaming goes, put a few mounted Indian scouts on the table. Question: In one of your letters, you mentioned that there were purple coats issued to U.S. regulars due to a lack of blue material. Have you any reliable documentation on this? Answer: My original information on the purple uniform came from Philip Katcher who did not see fit to provide me with documentation but whom, at the time, anyway, I believed was a reliable source. Frankly, I have never come across any documentation to back up Katcher's statement. What I think he meant was that, in the winter of 1812-13, due to a shortage of blue cloth, U.S. infantry regiments were issued a mixture of clothing including brown, black, grey and drab. Perhaps the famous purple was grey drab colour. If I learn anything more about this, I'll let you know. In any case, it was a temporary emergency measure only. Question: Could you describe the Chapeau Bras for a field grade officer of United States Infantry, circa 1813? Answer: Chapeau Bras--the 1813 Southern Department Regulations of which I have a copy do not describe a chapeau-bras for officers of infantry but only the shako. A description of a chapeau-bras is found in the regulations for the dress of officers of the artillery viz. Chapeau bras; the fan not less than 9.5 nor more than 11 inches height; not less than 16, nor more than 18 inches board, bound round the edge with black ribbon, one half inch wide, a yellow button, golden tassels & loop, black cockade 3 2/4 inches in diameter, with a golden eagle in the center. The cockade to rise 1 inch above the brim & a white feather to rise 8 inches. For an infantry officer, substitute silver for gold and I think you might have something nearly correct. Also see the Kloster and Howell book on U.S. army head gear for an illustration of the real item. As for cloaks, the descriptions are rather vague--there seems to have been no distinct pattern; the following again relates to artillery officers; Field officers cloaks of blue cloth with a standing collar lined with crimson velvet, a double cape, edged and inner faced with the same... Another regulation for surgeon's cloaks makes mention of a hussar cloak with an eight inch collar. There was a lot of leeway in officer's clothing during this period. My advice would be to look at some contemporary portraits of both regular and militia officers and you might arrive at an accurate representation. Lost Flags During the War of 1812, two United States Regiments suffered the loss of both their National Colors and their Regimental Colors. These were the Second Infantry, losing them at Fort Bowyer, 1815, and the Fourth Infantry at Detriot in the summer of 1812. Back to Empire, Eagles, & Lions Table of Contents Vol. 1 No. 22 Back to EEL List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1978 by Jean Lochet This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com