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“A well regulated militia, composed of the body of the people, trained in arms, is the best most natural defense of a free country.” -James Madison

Citizen Volunteers - Militia excerpts

The notion of a standing army of men of military age is as old as organized government. The best defense for a village and town is probably the people who inhabit it. They're natural knowledge of the land along with a sincere desire to see to the protection of their families and assets make them ideal candidates.

Below are extracts from period newspapers, correspondence, and quartermaster accounts dealing with the supply and description of troops on the field in what was the Old Northwest which included much of Harrison's army then operating south of Lake Erie. I would like to thank Jerry Raisor from Old Fort Bonnesborough for supplying the Fayette Freightbook. Many thanks to Nicolas Hoffman for descriptions from journals and publications.

"The uniform of the Militia, except f the companies of artillery, light infantry, cavalry, grenadiers and riflemen, raised by voluntary enlistment... shall be a dark blue cloth coat. with such facings and trimmings, and such hat or cap, waistcoat, pantaloonsof such color and fashion, with half boots or half gaiters as a majority of field officers in each regiment shall direct"
(The Public and General Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts February 28, 1807- February 16, 1816)

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"The History of Mercer County" in reference to the "Mercer Blues" who served with Harrison in 1812 and 1813.

"This company was remarkable in many respects. With scarce an exception they were Presbyterians, and connected with some one or other of the organizations of that faith. In camp every tent, with the exception of two, in which the officers officiated occasionally, family worship was regularly kept up. They numbered eighty-four persons, wore their own uniforms, carried their own rifles, powder horns, shot pouches, tomahawks, knives, blankets, bibles and psalm books."

"So we buckled on our armour, which was composed of a Good Rifle gun, shot Pouch, powder horn, tomahawk, butcher knife, and our uniform at this time was yellow hunting shirts and leggings trimmed with fringe of the same which was made of good strong tow cloth dyed with hickory bark. The head dress was a black hat with a strip of bear skin - the width of the crown passed from the rim in front to the rim behind, with the longest deer's tail we could get, a stick stuck in it which was fastened to the right side of the hat, the but of which was covered with Cockade of blue and white ribbon, with an eagle in the center." Joseph Junkin, Mercer Blues


General Orders.

"An account will beentered on each company book and another will be kept by the payment of the regiment. Blanket, shoes and socks will be issued to the militia on the same principles."

Brigade Majors Office, Nov. 20 1813. AL Langham, B.M.

"Letters of Captain Cushing" in Harlow Lindley, ed. Captain Cushing in the War of 1812.
Columbus, OH: The Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society, 1944.

Another neat tidbit from Cushing....

"the commandants of the Ohio and Kentucky miltia with cause theire respective commands to be Exercised each day at least four hours by companies in the manual exercise march in time facing Wheeling & C
---" General Orders, Camp Meigs June 15 1813