US Light Dragoons

Uniforms and Equipment

by Don Graves

The uniform regulations for the light dragoons are found in the Southern Department Orderly Book, entry of January 24, 1813. The undress coat or field dress was to be of:

    .... blue cloth, single breasted, with one row of ten plated bullet shaped buttons in front, notched twist holes on each breast from three and a half inches to four inches at the bottom, and from seven to eight at the top to fill the breast so as nearly to touch the eye, the length of the waist not to extend below the hips, the skirt to the bend of the knee, soldiers backs with two notched holes across each, the skirt and the sleeve herring bone with four notched holes of buttons on each, the holes making an angle of about 85 degrees, the top of them to range with the hip buttons and bottom of the breast, turnbacks of blue cloth united at the bottom by a silver embroidered double fleur-de-lis, the skirts four and a half inches wide at the bottom, stand- up collar, worked with silver braid....

The full dress coat was to be:

    Hussar jacket, single breasted, with three rows of plated bullet buttons, holes in each breast one inch apart, worked with blue silk braid, five and a half inches long at the bottom, the top to touch the eye, the front terminating at the bottom, .... the skirt behind three inches deep with double plait having lace pattern No. 2 in each fold and on the centre of the back, as the bottom made wfth the braid that continues round the edges, one of pattern No. 2, at the top, the waist not to reach the below the hips; and no back seams. Pocket welts formed each end the same as the front end of the button hole on collar. The collar the same as the undress coat except a point behind the same as cuff No. 5, both worked with silver braid. The sleeve worked with silver braid as No. 6 ....

Pantaloons "to be worked on the fall with silk braid as pattern No. 6 on dress jacket, two rows down the side, seams combined around the seat." Pantaloons were to be made of white casimere or buckskin for parade and dark blue cloth for service. Boots to be of dragoon type to cover the knee.

The helmet was to be "according to pattern." It was made of hardened black leather with a comb and brim. It was 9 inches high at the peak. The comb was bound with white metal strips, the chin scales were white metal, the cap plate pewter. Attached to the comb of a surviving example is a white horse-hair crest or fall, 18 inches in length. There is no mention of these falls in the 1813 regulations but they appear to have been common issue to dragoons after 1814. The 1813 regulations specify a nine-inch long blue feather (plume?) with a white tip to worn by all ranks except adjutants, paymasters and quarter masters.

Adjutants were to have a white plume with a blue top, quartermasters a green plume and paymasters a blue plume with a red top.

Epaullettes were to be of silver braid for officers and of white braid for non-commissioned officers. Sergeants were to wear two epaullettes, corporals only one on the right shoulder.

Armanent was to consist of pistols, sabres with steel scabbards, a buff leather waist belt was to be worn. The belt plate was to be white metal with an eagle in relief.

The saddle was to be plain with a plated pommel and cantle. Saddle blankets were to be of blue cloth bordered with a double row of silver lace for field officers. Captains were to have saddle blankets bordered with one row of silver lace and three bars of lace placed diagonally from the corner of the housings. Lieutenants's to have a single silver border and two bars. Cornets were to have a single row with one bar. Bridle bit, bradoon and reins were to be of black leather. Holsters were to be of black bearskin with double flaps. [12]

As a final note, one troop of the 1st Light Dragoons were apparently provided with white overalls. [13]

End Notes

[1] Francis B. Heitman, Historical Register and Dictionary of the U.S. Army (2 Vols., Washington, 1902, reprinted 1965), 1, p.79, II, pp. 570-1; Albert Brackett, History of the United States Cavalry.... (1865, reprinted 1965, p.22
[2] Niles' Weekly Register (1811-1846), III, p.156; IV, p.50, p.260, p.352; VI, p.67; Heitman, op., cit., II, p.392; E.A. Cruickshank, "Record Part VII, The Canadian Fencible Regiment" Canadian Military Institute, Selected Papers, pp. 9-22, p. 12.
[3] Heitman, I, p. 79.
[4] Heitman, I, p. 30, 11, pp. 572-3.
[5] Niles', III, p. 40, pp. 331-2; A.R. Gilpin, The War of 1812 in the Old Northwest, (East Lansing, 1958), pp.185, 205, 219, 221.
[6] Niles',IV, pp. 271-2, 372-3; Brackett, op., cit., pp. 24-5
[7] Niles', V, pp. 255-6, pp. 266-7; Brackett (p.26) states that Woodford did charge.
[8] Heitman, I, p. 179, II,,pp. 576-7.
[9] "A Report of the Army, Its Strength and Distribution, Previous to the 1st of July, 1814," American State Papers, Military Affairs (Washington, 1832), p. 535.
[10] Niles', VI, p. 243, pp. 354-55; B. Lossing, Pictorial Fieldbook of the War of 1812. ...(New York, 1869, reprinted 1969), p. 817; Charles Adams, History of the U.S. (9 Vols., New York, 1890), VIII, pp. 68-9, p. 83.
[11] Lossing, op., cit., p. 927; Niles', VII, pp. 171-172; Heitman, I, p. 79.
[12] "Southern Department Orderly Book" entry dated January 24, 1813, at Charleston. The orderly book is contained in the National Archives, Record Group 98, Vol. 677; E.M. Howell and D.E..Kloster, United States Army Headgear to 1854, (Washington, 1969), pp. 9-13.
[13] Commissary-General of Purchasing to Messrs. Bridleman and Col, 28 November, 1812. National Archives, Record Group 92, Commissary General of Purchases, Letter Book A, 21 August, 1812 - 10 April, 1813.

Note on Sources

Heitman is a standard and reliable source on the organization and officers of the U.S. Army, 1789-1899. Brackett's history is undocumented and very sketchy. Niles' Weekly-Register was a weekly newspaper published in Baltimore from 1811 to 1 46 and has been bound in 34 volumes. Niles provided a very full coverage of the War of 1812 including the printing of official reports, government investigations, quite lengthy columns on troop movements, both American and British, and many, many private letters from serving officers. The war itself is covered in Volumes 1 to 9 with supplemental information appearing in Volumes 10 and 11. Niles is a fascinating trove of information on the war and on American society in general during the period. If you ever were curious about the profits to be made from sheep-raising in New Jersey in 1811, the education of young ladies in Baltimore in 1814, or the mortality rate from cholera in Boston in 1815, this is the source to consult.

American State _Papers: Military Affairs is a collection of government documents relating to military matters between 1806 and 1828. It contains the full texts of the Congressional investigations into the surrender at Detroit in 1812, Wilkinson's failure in 1813, and the capture of Washington in 1814. As well, it contains the full text of the "Register and Rules and Regulations of the U.S. Army, 1813."

Gilpin is the standard work on the northwest campaigns. Lossing and Adams are also standard histories.

My special thanks to Rene Chartrand for providing most of the uniform documentation for this article.

reprinted from Military Notes

US Light Dragoons War of 1812

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