Sweating the small stuff
I have started writing the magnum opus, but I was seriously bogged down trying to get my head round how the militia actually operated and had become fixated on finding out where the 5th Lincoln would have been once they found out that the Americans had declared war. Today, I found that information and am one happy writer.
I have been awash for the last year in books on the War of 1812 and, believe me, there are a lot of them and more coming out by the day it seems as the bicentenary approaches. The most recent ones are great at giving overviews and analysing causes and assessing the tactics of various generals, but they focus on the big stuff, not the small stuff that I am interested in. I found the information I wanted by going back to simpler times. We have a great local history and archive section in Hamilton Library and, using their card index no less, I found some pamphlets written for the Niagara and Lundy's Lane Historical Societies in the last century. Here were more small details. Once news of war came, the Lincolns were mustered in late June and spent two uncomfortable weeks staring at America across the Niagara River - uncomfortable because they had no supplies, no tents, and none were forthcoming from the British army high command. When the expected invasion did not come, most of them were sent home on the 9th of July to bring in their crops.
Of course, there are no citations as to where this information came from as one would expect in a modern work, but the certainty with which it is stated is comforting, perhaps the author spoke to veterans of the war. . .
I have been awash for the last year in books on the War of 1812 and, believe me, there are a lot of them and more coming out by the day it seems as the bicentenary approaches. The most recent ones are great at giving overviews and analysing causes and assessing the tactics of various generals, but they focus on the big stuff, not the small stuff that I am interested in. I found the information I wanted by going back to simpler times. We have a great local history and archive section in Hamilton Library and, using their card index no less, I found some pamphlets written for the Niagara and Lundy's Lane Historical Societies in the last century. Here were more small details. Once news of war came, the Lincolns were mustered in late June and spent two uncomfortable weeks staring at America across the Niagara River - uncomfortable because they had no supplies, no tents, and none were forthcoming from the British army high command. When the expected invasion did not come, most of them were sent home on the 9th of July to bring in their crops.
Of course, there are no citations as to where this information came from as one would expect in a modern work, but the certainty with which it is stated is comforting, perhaps the author spoke to veterans of the war. . .