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Canadian Units of the War of 1812


When the United States and the United Kingdom went to war against each other in 1812, the major land theatres of war were Upper Canada (broadly the southern portion of the present day province of Ontario), Michigan Territory, Lower Canada (roughly the southern part of present-day Quebec) and the Maritime Provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton (colony between 1784 and 1820). Each of the separate British administrations formed regular and fencible units, and both full-time and part-time militia units, many of which played a major part in the fighting over the two and a half years of the war.

The fencible units were raised on the same terms as regular troops, but liable for service only in North America.

Two militarized bodies were in existence before any of the Canadian land units that participated in the war were raised.

This consisted of about 100 officers, whose purpose was to act as agents, envoys or interpreters to the various Native tribes and nations (nowadays referred to in Canada as First Nations).

Many of its personnel took part in actions in which the peoples to whom they were attached participated. They were supposed to wear full dress in action, to prevent them being mistaken for Americans by excited warriors (or being taken for "blue-eyed Indians", renegades and rogue fur traders, by American soldiers). Indian Department officers were indeed often of mixed Native and European ancestry. Some claimed to speak little or no English.

The most well known victory won by Natives fighting directly under British command was the Battle of Beaver Dams in 1813.


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