War of 1812 Notes and Queries

The editors of the War of 1812 Magazine invite queries but please note that we cannot answer questions relating to genealogy. Those interested in such matters are directed to the many websites that specialize in this type of research. 

1010 Colours Captured by Either Side During the War of 1812, Issue 5, December 2006

Huw Gallon writes in response to this question…

The colours of the 4th U.S Infantry were surrendered at the Siege of Detroit, by General William Hull, to the British 41st Regiment of Foot, then commanded by Colonel Henry Procter. The colours of the U.S. 4th Infantry are currently in the regimental museum of the Welch Regiment in Cardiff Castle . (The 41st Regiment eventually became the Welch Regiment under the Childers Reforms of 1881, retaining their seniority as 41st. They were merged with the 69th Regiment, which was supposedly raised in Lincolnshire , but the regiment subsequently recruited in South and West Wales only).

It may be a little cheeky to claim that the colours were captured in battle; but the 41st deserved some recognition for all their hard work over the War of 1812.

Question 1011

Robert Burnham asks the following about the naming of the engagement between American and British forces at Chippawa on 5 July 1814:

I have noticed that there are two different spellings for the Battle of Chippawa / Chippewa.  What is the correct spelling?

Answer to Question 1011

Donald E. Graves, author of Red Coats and Grey Jackets: The Battle of Chippawa, 5 July 1814 Toronto: Dundurn Press, 1994, and many other studies on the War of 1812 offers the following reply:

The name of the battle derives from the name of the nearby village, which was itself named after the Chippawa aboriginal nation. In 1814, the generally accepted spelling was “Chippewa” but, in later years, it was generally spelled “Chippawa” in Canada. American authors have stuck with the older spelling while Canadian authors have preferred the more modern.