Draft:21st United States Infantry Regiment (War of 1812)

The 21st United States Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the War of 1812 raised in Massachusetts under Lieutenant-Colonel Eleazer W. Ripley on March the 12th 1812. The 21st was trained in both the U.S Manual of Light Arms alongside the British Light Infantry manual.

Ripley felt that the 21st should be able to proficiently perform those skills which won the War of Independence, namely, hit and run and skirmish tactics, skills which were to serve the regiment well later in the war under a new commander. James Miller took over from Ripley in early 1814.

After Ripley was promoted to Brigadier General and saw the 21st through its most rigorous tests in battle.

On the 3rd of March 1815 congress passed an act that reduced the Regular Army from the 46 infantry and 4 rifle regiments it fielded in the War of 1812 to a peacetime establishment of 8 infantry regiments. Six of the old regiments (4th, 9th, 13th, 21st, 40th and 46th) were consolidated into the new 5th Regiment, which was organized on 15 May 1815 under the command of James Miller.

The 21st fought at York (26 April – 2 May 1813), Sackets Harbour (29 May 1813) and as part of Ripley's Brigade at Chippawa, Lundy's Lane and Fort Erie (14 August 1814). At Lundy's Lane, Jacob Brown, the overall U.S. commander, asked Miller if he could take the British artillery on the high ground dominating the battlefield. Miller replied, "I'll try, sir." The 21st proceeded to break the British centre and take the guns with a volley and bayonet charge, holding them until the order to withdraw came from General Eleazar Ripley, Generals Brown and Scott having been incapacitated by wounds earlier in the battle.

History
Formation

On the 26th of June 1812 the United States Congress agreed to a bill authorising the increase of the army to twenty-five regiments of infantry, three regiments of artillery and two regiments of dragoons. This brought the total strength of America to 37,209 officers and men. Included in this act was the establishment of the 21st Infantry Regiment.

Most of the Officers assigned to the 21st had previous military experience and by June 1812 most of the officers of the 21st had been added to the roster and recruitment began. The 21st enlisted all men from Massachusetts, the home state of Ripley. The Headquarters of the 21st was at Pittsfield and it was there where the regiment was concentrated upon the completion of its recruitment.

Most of the enlisted men came from Massachusetts however due to recruitment struggles and the large opposition to the war in Massachusetts meant that some men were recruited in New Hampshire and Maine.

By October 1812 the 21st was fully armed, uniformed and drilled with nine of the ten companies under the command of there Lieutenant-Colonel assembled on Lake Champlain to serve on the Niagara frontier. The 10th company under Captain Ropes was left stationed at Pittsfield for the purpose of resupplying the 21st with new recruits.

The Campaign of 1813

The Twenty-First was assigned to Brigadier-General Chandlers 2nd Brigade of the Army of the North under the command of General Dearborn.

By April 1814 the Twenty-First had made there way to Sacketts Harbour joining General Dearborn and Commodore Chauncey for the invasion and capture of York, modern-day Toronto.

On April the 25th fourteen vessels of Chauncey's squadron embarked on there way to the town of York. The force was numbered roughly 1,700 men including those of the Twenty-First Infantry. In the early morning of April the 27th the fleet arrived before the town of York. After a long day of fighting the American Forces had Captured the Town of York however the American forces had a setback of 66 killed and 220 wounded.

The Campaign of 1814