Americans mobilise to invade Canada

In between painting Persians I have been returning to my 1812 Queenston Heights project.

This unit will represent a company of the 6^th US Infantry who, alongside the 13^th (already painted), provided the regular infantry for the initial crossing of the Niagara River. The Colonel of the 6^th prided himself on the appearance of his regiment. An 1812 portrait depicts red cuffs and white lace of similar style to the British rather than the regulation 1810 herringbone pattern. This may well have been a regimental distinction.

The ‘US’ stamped on the light blue ‘Lherbette’ pack should be contained inside an oval. Whilst I am happy to paint letters freehand I baulked at attempting to fit the letters into reasonable looking ovals! The figures are Wargames Foundry.

The colour party consists of a Wargames Foundry Sergeant and a Wee Wolf Militia Ensign. The flag staff with its finials comes from the Perry British Napoleonic plastic box with a paper flag painted and wrapped around it.

This Wargames Foundry senior officer will represent Colonel Soloman Van Rensselaer who led the initial stages of the attack against Queenston.

Supporting the Infantry is a group of Light Artillery. The US Light Artillery were modelled on French and British horse artillery. At Queenston Heights they had neither guns nor horses. Fighting as skirmishers they would ‘hopefully’ take over any captured British guns. Their uniform was an all blue coat with yellow piping without contrasting facings or turn-backs, black belts, and ‘Yeoman Crown’ shakos similar to those worn by the French. The figures are actually Warlord Games Nassau Light Infantry which seemed like a better approximation of US Light Artillery skirmishers than any I could find in War of 1812 ranges.

The gallant Light Artillery officer comes from an old figure given to me by a friend — I have no idea of the manufacturer. His shako is from a plastic French Napoleonic set. He will represent Lt Ernest Sanders who later shows up as a Colonel in our 1861 Missouri campaign.