Maple Uprising: An AH wargame

There's been a few wargames dealing with AH created as of late (probably because most real life conflicts have been covered to death) but none that realy centered on either Quebec or Australia, my 2 main fields of interest. I decided to start a project for the first (I'll probably try to come up with something for the second later).

Obviously, there are some geographical and historical reasons for the lack of good wargame POD and I don't want to change history too much before the conflict to the point that it would be pure invention and not extrapolation. Another thing I want to avoid is to simply ISOT a conflict from another country and assign various factions to local equivalents (i.e., having a Canadian Civil War basrd on the spanish one in the 1930s with the natives replacing the basques and the zouaves canadiens replacing the carlists).

One era I had developed before and that give an interesting POD is the Troubles of 1837-1839. It take place in an era between the napoleonic wars and the ACW so that technology would be a novel hybrid and while the OTL conflicts was fairly limited, it has enough potential to have a certain complexity by tweaking certain aspects.

Now, I don't want to go ASB (so no magic or gross anachronisms) but will allow myself (or others if anyone is interested) to stretch plausibility a tad if need be (in other words, something having low chances of happening is good enough if its inclusion is warranted).

For now I won't concern myself too much with specific rules or even whether the setting will be used with an existing or original set of rules but if people, especialy habitual wargamers, have suggestions about special units that could flesh out some factions, please share.
 
background

Background

--- early 1834
A manifesto known as "the 92 resolutions" is sent by the Lower-Canada's chamber to the british authorities. It is concerned mainly with excesses of the governor and demand reforms.

--- Late 1834
The Parti Patriote wins the elections with 95% of the votes giving them 77 seats out of 88

--- mid 1835
the gosford commission is convened to study the state of the colony of Lower Canada

--- Late 1836
Following a special meeting of the chamber, a resolution is adopted whereby the representatives will not sit until the constitution is reformed.

--- mid 1837
a number of pro republican assemblies are held in various parts of the colony. The governor denounce them as close to being seditious but refrain from intervening.

--- 18 august 1837
Opening of the session of parliement. members of the Parti Patriote make an entrance wearing clothes made in the province and solely from canadian produces including beef skin boots and "étoffe du pays" (unprocessed wool) vest and ridding coats. Tough ridiculed by their oponents, it begins a fad amongst members of the party and the population at large. Lord Gosford disolve the Assembly of Lower Canada after it refuses to accept the budget.

--- 5 septembre 1837
foundation of the fils de la liberté (sons of liberty) with an initial membership of around 500 men under the command of "general of the troops" Thomas Storrow Brown. In parishes, people organise themselves into militias that paralel the official ones Calling themselves "les milices de l'assemblé" (as oposed to the ones deride as "les milices du conseil").

--- 24 october 1837
Assembly of the 6 counties in St-Charles attended by thousands of peoples. Speeches are made demanding a national convention to redress their grievances. A split appear between the followers of Papineau who wishes to follow a consitutional method and those of Nelson who want to adopt a more militant approach. It is at this assembly that Wolfred Nelson famously said:"It is time to melt our spoons to turn them into bullets".

--- November 1837
The Fils de la liberté announce their intention to hold a large assembly in Montreal. Alarmed, the authorities quickly forbid parades and political meetings. Young men of the pro-government Doric Club attack without provocation a group of known fils de la liberté and destroy the office of the vindicator, an english language pro patriote newspaper. In St-jean, a group of Patriotes openly defy the government decree by marching in time with banners. Upon hearing of this, a cavalry detachment is sent which exchange some shots before the patriotes retreat. A few of the known patriote leaders are arrested at their homes on suspicion of fometing dissent but are quickly released. 71 justice of the peace suspected of "disloyalty" toward the crown are dismissed. The President of the Fils de la liberté and his lieutenant are formaly charged with high treason. In Chambly, upon hearing of the arrests, some residents take up arms and manage to free some members of the fils de la liberté who were being lead under escort to Montreal by government troops. "General" Brown and his
men seize the seignorial manor of St-Charles to make it their headquarter.

--- 23 November 1837
On their way to quash the rebelion in Saint-Charles, government troops clashes with armed members of the Parti Patriote in St-Denis and are forced back after 7 hours of fighting. A patriote camp is set up in St-benoit but its leaders decide to stay strictly on the defensive.

--- 25 November 1837
A large contingent of government troops arrive in St-Charles to retake it from the rebels. After a 2 hours battle, the patriotes leave their position and scatter in the country side. 32 wounded patriotes left behind are massacred by british troops.

--- 5 December 1837
Martial Law is declared in Montreal and in parts of Lower Canada where acts of rebelion have occured.
Power is given to special agents of the governor to order any inhabitants of Lower Canada that they chose to prove their loyalty by swearing alliegance to the crown with those refusing to do so being arrested on the spot on suspiscion of sedition.

--- 14 December 1837
Government troops return to St-Denis and find it undefended. The entire village is burned to the ground as reprisal for the earlier defeat. The troops then move to St-benoit and St-Eustache where, after defeating local rebels, the habitations are put to the torch.

--- 19 December 1837
Upper Canadian Reformists Under Mackenzie seize Navy island On the Niagara River near the border with New York. A US steamer called the Caroline is used to ferry goods and men from various points to the island.

British army personnel immediately find out about it and a detachement of volunteers ware sent, under cover of darkness, to scuttle it. The boarding party assumed the boat would be taken with a minimum of trouble but it turns into a running battle during witch the Caroline's Captain and some sailors are killed. After forcing the rest of the crew onshore, the boat's mooring were cut and then set ablaze with the current carying her over the falls.

--- 20 December 1837
Upon hearing of the preceding night's events, New York Governor Marcy calls in the militia to the border both to prevent further incursion and to preserved the current state of neutrality as the US government does not desire a conflict with Great-Britain.

--- Early 1838
Lord Russell (British Colonial Secretary) reject the demands of the assemblies of upper and lower canadas for greater autonomy and full control of the economy. To this, the Parti Patriote call for a complete boycott of British goods and encourage Lower-canadians to practice smuggling with the united States for what cannot be made locally. Lower Canada's Governor, Lord Gosford, respond by banning public assemblies. At the same time in Upper Canada, a group of reformists under William Lyon Mackenzie found the Committee of Vigilance of Upper Canada as a from of paralel government for the province.

The US officially declare neutrality in the conflict that oppose the patriotes/reformists to the government after some of the rebels used US soil as staging ground. It threaten to use force against any who might break this neutrality.

As the situation deteriorate, the government suspend the constitution of 1791, people can thereafter be arrested on simple suspicion and are to be tried in front of a military tribunal.

--- 5 January 1838
Public meetings are held in various US town along the border with Upper Canada. They condemn the action that lead to the demise of some of the Caroline's crew but stop short of asking for a declaration of war demanding instead that the government adopt a policy of "Benificial Neutrality" toward the rebels.

--- 18 February 1838
3 state arsenals are broken into and their content stolen by reformists.

--- 22 February 1838
Reformists under General Donald McLeod attack Kingston and capture Fort henry thanks to inside help and superior number.

--- 23 february 1838
Hearing that a large contingent of British reinforcement is on its way, the reformists are forced to abandon Fort henry which they set ablaze after plundering it.

--- 28 february 1838
a group of 300-400 patriotes expatriate lead by "general" Nelson cross the border from the US to attempt an invasion of Lower-Canada. They are pushed back after a short engagement and interned by the US authorities. They are released shortly thereafter when a sympathetic jury find them not guilty of breeching the neutrality act.

The verdict embolden many patriots who see this as a sign that the US authorities or at least the public at large are willing to turn a blind eye to their behaviour.

--- March 1838
A new organisation known as the Freres-chasseurs is organised in the US by expatriate lower canadians. Unlike the fils de la liberté, the organisation is highly secretive, never publicly acknowledging its own existence to outsiders and threatening with death members who might betray its secrets. To allow some of it's officers to move without arousing suspicion, the affairs of the lodge are often conducted under the guide of the Candian Refugee Relief Association which has offices in many states.

Local lodges are set up around Lower Canada and the northern United States. Apart from indoctrination meetings, they also hold drill practices late at night in the deep woods away from prying eyes.

Local groups called Hunter's Lodges are created to cater to exiled upper canadians and US sympathisers.

--- July 4 1838
A hunter's Lodge force under Henry S. Handy leaves from detroit and attack Upper Canada before retreating back into the US.

--- 3 November 1838
Following a series of secret messages, the freres chasseurs congregate to a number of pre determined camps around montreal: Beauharnois, Ste-Martine, Chateauguay, Pointe olivier (near St-mathias), Riviere-a-la-tortue (near St-Constant), boucherville and Napierville, the last being the largest and the one serving as headquarter for "General in chief" Nelson. Arriving in the middle of the night, the freres-chasserus quickly disarm known & suspected loyalists. They then take up defensive positions. The only other offensive action is to seize the steamship Henry Brougham to use it for transport and potentialy convert it into a war vessel.

--- 4 November 1838
A declaration of Independance is made by Nelson at his camp in front of his men.

--- 5 November 1838
Hearing of the rebel actions, Troops are sent from Montreal to the area but are beaten back after a fierce battle.

--- November 1838 - December 1838
Further expeditions are sent to try and quell the rebelion but the rebels continue to simply defend their position which are increasingly fortified.

--- December 1838 - January 1839
On the 7th, Anthony Van Egmond marches on Toronto with a rebel army. Lieutenant-Governor Francis Bond flees the city in fear for his life. The rebel army numbering in the thousand manage to overwelm the 300 soldiers that had been left in the city, the rest having been sent to Lower Canada.

Some of these same troops are immediatly recalled to Upper Canada to the dismay of the lower canadian authorities who see a sudden change in rebel activities as these decide to move out for the first time and take control of Laprairie, Chambly, Boucherville, Sorel and Saint-Jean, the later by a force lead by Nelson himself using canoe going up the Richelieu.
On the following day, groups in the western half of Upper-Canada rise up in open rebelion with forces gathering on the Road to Dundas. The ranks of the Rebel Army swell up when news reach them of Van Egmond Victory. With the Capital and many villages under control of the rebels, Mackenzie declare the Republic of Upper Canada With him as head of its provisional government.

On the 29th, trying to prevent supplies from reaching the rebels, a group of loyalist militiamen under Navy Commander Drew capture the Caroline, a US ship chartered by the rebels. During the attack, one of its US sailor is killed and his relative and many townspeople demands intervention by the US government. The President however, wanting to prevent a war, sent soldiers to ensure there would be no reprisal.

Largely due to the tension it created, a small skirmish between US and British american militiamen in the disputed Aroostook Area (Maine/New Brunswick) quickly escalated leading to a series of officialy-unofficial tit-for-tat actions.

--- Mid 1839
Meanwhile in Great-Britain, many in the chartist movement saw that the demands made by the rebels in the Canadas were the same as them and agitate for the government to come to an agreement. Fearing an uprisal if they appeared too soft, the House of commons declared chartists leaders to be seditious and a series of arrest ensues. This lead to the chartist calling for a "Sacred Month" (in effect a general strike) that manages to shut down some cities and prevent the british authorities from giving their full attention to the rebelions in the canadas.

--- Late 1839
Back in North-America, almost a year has passed since the begining of the uprising and the rebels have managed to gain control of large areas in both Canadas. Regular troops, spread too thin, proves unable to organised anything more then small operations. The rebels of Upper Canada are helped by some volunteers from the USA, notably a small army of Hunters Lodge Brethrens under the command of Finnish adventurer Nils Von Schoultz.

In Lower Canada, the frères-chasseurs and the fils de la liberté (nominaly under Papineau but commanded by Chenier) control large swats of the countryside between montreal and quebec with only the metropolis and the Eastern Township ans scatters communities remaining under British control (the former with the help of the loyalist Doric Club).

This is not rebelion anymore, this is war.
 
Factions

Patriotes

Called rebels by their opponents, the patriote are composed of groups with share the goal of ending british control over the colonies but have various views on the aftermath. This, coupled with different levels of radicalism prevent them from always mounting coordinated attacks on their foes.

Frères-Chasseurs
Followers of Robert Nelson and radical republicans. unlike the fils de la liberté, the frères-chasseurs have no interest in negociation with the british (except to accept their surrender) and wishes to create a perfectly equalitarian republic inspired by revolutionary france.

Altough women were not recruited as full members, by necessity, a number of female auxiliaries helped out in untraditional manners such as melting bullets and making accoutrement and in some cases fought when in desperate need.

The Symbol of the organisation is an eagle between 2 stars grasping a lion in his talons. The symbol appear on their banners.

The Frères-Chasseurs wear a mixture of civilian clothes and military uniforms.

The hierarchy of the Frères-Chasseurs Society is as follow:
Grand-Commandeur: Supreme leader
Insignia: embroided eagle between 2 stars worn on epaulettes
Grand-Aigle: (major general) Leader of a region: north (lodges in lower canada and french canadian ones in the US), south (Hunter brethren lodges) or east (europe)
Insignia: embroided eagle within a wreath of maple leaves worn on epaulettes
Aigle: (colonel) head of a district which is divided into 2 companies
Insignia: embroided eagle worn on epaulettes
Castor: (captain) head of a company which is divided into 5 corps
Insignia: a beaver worn on epaulettes
Raquette: (sergeant) head of a corps composed of 9 Frères-Chasseurs
Insignia: cloth or felt yellow crossed snowshoes outline sewn to the upper sleeves
Maitre-chasseur: (private 1st class)
Insignia: a yellow cloth or felt snowshoe outline sewn to the upper sleeves
Chasseur: (private)
Insignia: a red cloth or felt snowshoe outline sewn to the upper sleeves
Fils de la Liberté
Followers of Papineau but commanded by General de la troupe Chenier. Have adopted a mostly defensive policy and their leader still wishes to either negociate with the british to obtain large concessions in exchange for peace or baring that, independence with system of government that while republican, would retain the seigneurial system and clergy prerogative so as not to alienate the middle and upper class.

They will often mount joint operation with the Hunter-Brethren tought they tend to see them as overly radical and prone to acts of destructions. They will also ally with Reformists though they suspect them of trying to work toward an eventual annexion by the USA.

The symbol of the fils de la liberté is a green-white-red horizontal triband with units decorating the white band with various slogan and personnal symbols.

The fils de la liberté do not wear uniforms as such though the habitant's costume is naturally standardised (being composed of a greyish capot and a arrowed belt) and their tuque's colour shows which part of the colony they are from:
blue in and around montreal
white in and around Trois-Rivières
Red in and around Quebec city
Green foreign volunteers
Reformists
Rebels from Upper Canada under Lyon Mackenzie. In addition to land forces, It could count on a Patriot Navy under Admiral William "bill" Johnson composed of 9 steamboats. Altough some simply wishes for an end to the olygarchy that control Upper-Canada, a number of members were born in the US and hoped that independece for the canadas would be only the first step toward annexion by it.

Russian Military Advisers
Despite the fact that the canadiens sympathy went more toward poland then the russian empire they were trying to gain their independence from, necessity brought them both together, Russia hoping to precipitate a war between the US and the UK that would benefit it and the canadiens being in need of money and trained officers.

The czarist agent in charge was the Russian Consul in boston.

Loyalists

Often refered to as Constitutionalists by their opponents (as well as less savoury ones), the loyalists are supporters of the status quo or at least oppose any radical changes or attacks on the government. They are much more consistent then the Patriotes (except for some of the volunteer militia units) but the fact that the regular units are thin on the ground and fighting an ennemy can meld into the population at large has created much difficulties in stamping out the rebellion.

Regular British Units:
These are professional unit of the British Army sent to serve in North America.
1st Regiment
7th Hussard
11th Regiment
15th Regiment
24th Regiment
32nd Regiment
60th riffle regiment
66th Regiment
71st highland Light infantry
73rd Regiment
83rd Regiment
Grenadier Guard
King's Dragoon Guard
Royal Dragoons
Royal Scots
The Volunteer Militia
The only permanent, professional military units in british north america were part of the british army and mostly made up of non-native born soldiers.

A militia had existed since the quebec act which was made up, in theory, of every able body male inhabitant of the colonies though local muster were often little more then an excuse for drunken revelry and the political reliability of some local troops, especialy in lower canada preceding the uprising, were considered dubious.

The only militia units seen with any kind of respect were the so-called Volunteer Militia in which people would volunteer their time and in some cases, money, to form well trained (or at least good looking) troops that could serve if requested by the government.

At the begining of the conflict, some of the volunteers became full time militia units serving for the duration of the conflict and subject to the militia laws and ordinances. They were assigned professional soldiers as field officers though their company officers continued to be elected.
Some units are wholy composed of well to do members of society which is why they serve, by choice, without pay and can afford their own uniforms and accessories, which often meant of more "imaginative" or at least better quality uniform then the norm.

The full time Volunteer Militia Units are:

Corps of Negroes (*)
A unit composed mostly of former slaves having escaped from the US and well as a few freeborn black british subjects from Upper-Canada. Many were convinced to join by being told that a rebel victory would mean the reintroduction of slavery (abolished only 5 year earlier) and that escaped slaves would be sent back in chains to their former masters in the USA.

Montreal Volunteer Brigade
A formation made up of a few formally separate Volunteer Militia units in Montreal.
- Royal Montreal troop of Volunteer Cavalry
a company that served mainly as dispatch riders and for policing duties
-Queen's Light Dragoon
-Montreal Riffles
Royal Quebec Volunteers
A formation of voluntary militia raised in Quebec City
-Quebec Light Infantry
-Queen's volunteers
-The Sailors' Company of the Royal Volunteers
raised from british sailors currently inhabiting the capital.
-Quebec Volunteer Cavalry
-1st company of Quebec Royal Engineer Riffles
-2nd company of Quebec Royal Engineer Riffles
-Royal Quebec Volunteer Artillery
-The Quebec Loyal Artificers (faugh-a-Ballagh)
made up of irish protestants
Highland Company
a company of volunteer raised in the Megantic region from Scottish immigrants.


The second type of volunteer militia units are considered part-time and as such do not fall under the militia laws and ordinance act. This mean that they are treated as irregular units and only perform military duties in their free time or during an emergency.

They normaly wear everyday civilian clothes with accountrements issued by the government from their stores and a white cockade, hatband or armband.

Due to their access to government stores, they had better equipment then the rebels (at least originaly) but as their ranks counted people mainly from urban middle class, their capacity to live off the land and engange in forest warfare proved limited.

The Loyalist Wards Battalions
Many members and the majority of officers are part of the Saint-George’s Society of Montreal, the Saint-Andrew’s Society, the Saint-Patrick Society or the German Society which collaborated within the Constitutional Association of Montreal and Quebec. Despite the name, most of the Battalions were organised based on ethnicity.

Doric Club
Young anglophones considered too unruly by the constitutional Association to join the Wards battalion. Are highly motivated but will often cause more damages then required.

Missisquoi Volunteers
Volunteers from the Missisquoi region

Loyal Effingham Volunteers
One of the "New Militia" units in terrebone which were given english names by the governor as part of an effort to promote "brittishness".

Rural Police
a paramilitary forces charged with rooting out seditious behaviour. A number of members are recruited amongst the Chouayens, canadien loyalists mostly linked with the château clique or close to the authorities though some simply are opposed to republicanism. While often useful to the authorities, they are shown almost as much contempt by them as by their fellow french-canadians.


Others

Some factions have so far remained fully or partly neutral for pragmatic reasons though under certain circumstances they might join with wither the Patriotes or the Loyalists if the need presents itself.

the Shiners:
A group of Irishmen operating in the bytown area who claims to opose the british but who appear to spend most of their time in acts of brigandism against communities that have declared themselves of either alliegeance.

Armed Civil Posse:
A unit of unofficial Maine militiamen that was sent to replace the official state militia in the Aroostook area as a way to give Maine a certain level of deniability and thus prevent war in case of skirmishes.

Native Tribes:
Most of the treaty tribes have stated that they would remain loyal to the crown due to guarantee their treaty rights including land posession and cross-border trade granted to them which they fear they might lose if the rebels win. That being said they made it clear that they will not attack the patriotes unless they perceive a possible violation of their territory as they fear losing it if too many of their warriors leave at the same time to fight elsewhere.

American Army:
Altough the american authorities have willingly overlooked certain rebel activities on its territory, militia and regular units of the US army have been sent to the border to ensure there are no spill over and have made clear it would attack either side if it performed actions likely to breach its neutrality.

Madawaskan Republican Army:
The Madawaskaïens are descendants of acadians who had fled the deportation order and canadiens who had migrated east following the conquest of canada, the Madawaskaïens had lead a largely isolated life in the Madaswaska area until american and british settlers began moving in in their vicinities. They remained largely unconcerned with the events in the canadas until conflicting land claims by the british colonies of Lower Canada & New Brunswick as well as the US state of Maine lead to the aroostook war.

Fearing to go back under british rule but suspicious of american intentions, the Madawaskaïens declared the independent Republic of Madawaska. They stated that they would remain neutral in any conflict between british and american settlers but that any attempt to cross the republic's territory would be met with force. Out of necessity, the republic has built some links with the Patriote forces in Lower Canada.

EDIT: * just to be on the safe side, the name "Corps of Negroes" included here is due to its historical use and is not meant to cause offence to anyone.
 
Last edited:
been a while, sorry.

--------------------------------------------

The Frères-Chasseurs

- Background:
After escaping into USA the british reprisals that followed the Patriote Uprising of 1837, a number of Patriote leaders met to discuss what course to take next. One thing made clear by the capture or near capture of many sons of liberty was that publicly advertising one's alliegeance was a recipe for trouble.

To prevent a repeat, they decided to establish a secret society to work in the shadow known to them as Frères-Chasseurs (Hunter-Brethrens). Lodges were secretely established in the USA and both canadas which would recruit members localy and impose an oath of secrecy and loyalty unto death to new members.

Lodges were kept small and segregated from one another so that members would only be able to divulge the names of few others even should they be forced to under duress.

Members of the lodges spent months training late at night in the woods until the day when Wolfred Nelson, their Grand Commander, sent out his orders to move out to predetermine camps to begins their invasion.

Following their successful liberation of a number of towns and villages, 2 factions arose among the leaders, one lead by Nelson which wanted to use this élan and try to liberate the entirety of british north america and another behind Papineau which prefered to consolidate their aquisition first to be able to face the british backlash that was to come from a strong position. It was Papineau who managed to convince a majority of patriote leaders and established the foundation of the Republic of Lower Canada, transforming the militants arm of his "fils de la liberté" into a more traditional army.

Nelson, still in contact with lodges all over british held territory decided to continue the fight in his own way by using tactics refered to as "guerrette" (little war), with local lodges of freres-chasseurs harassing loyalists and british garisons through sabotage and skirmishes.

A second split has recently emerged between the upper and lower canadian lodges as the former appear to be moving away from a goal of pure independence and more toward paving the way for annexation by the USA.

- Ideology:
The freres-chasseurs are radical republicans. Unlike the government of the Republic of Lower Canada, the frères-chasseurs refuse to negociate with the british except to accept their surrender and wish to create a perfectly equalitarian republic inspired by the sans-culottes of revolutionary france.

This quest for complete equality has resulted in alienating part of the high clergy as well as the middle and upper class some of which might otherwise have been suportive of the Patriotes cause in general but are wary of the radical views represented by the Freres-chasseurs, especially the abolition of the seignorial system, creation of a secular school system and introduction of universal voting. For this reason, many local supporters and foreign powers prefer to deal with the Republic's government instead of them.

- Practices:
Although they will sometime mount large scale assaults on enemy targets, more often then not the frères-chasseurs will prefer to infiltrate loyalist held territory, mixing with the locals, mounting small guerrilla attacks and then melting away within the population once more. One of their most common action is what they refer to as a "charivari" during which they target a known chouayen (preferably an affluent one) and infiltrate his house late at night to rough him up and destroy some of his property to convince him to change his way. If the chouayen is considered to have been responsible by his actions for the death of some patriotes, he will sometime be killed, his house burned down and his body left on display as a warning to others.

While claiming to want full equality, freres-chasseurs have had difficulty letting go of the culture they grew up in and so it proved unthinkable for the leaders of the lodges to recruit women as frères-chasseurs but by necessity, a number of female auxiliaries helped out in ways that went beyond what was expected of them generaly by other countries' army at the time. This help took the form of melting bullets, preparing powder, serving in inteligence gathering and on a few occasions, but only in desperate need, to be present on the battlefield to help out and even pick up a gun. These auxiliaries were expected to maintain secrecy just like the frères-chasseurs and often met under the guise of farmer's wives sewing circles refering to themselves as the Dianoises after the goddess of the hunt.

- Symbols:
The most common emblem is that of a golden eagle between 2 stars clutching a lion in his claw and pecking at his neck. Flags with these symbols exist in lodges in the US where they can be kept without fear of the consequences of being found but are much more rarely seen in the Canadas except for a few occasions when large scales attacks where mounted.

- Appearance:
As befit their secretive nature, the frères-chasseurs will dress in normal everyday clothes (most often those of the canadiens habitants) and only put on signs of recognition when going into battle. To keep their identity secret from one another, they will always hide their faces with scarves, mask or warpaint during meetings and when going on a "charivari".

A system of rank distinction using easily discardable items is worn at meeting and during assaults. In addition, officers from Castor to Grand commandeur normaly carry a sword into combat unlike lower ranks who carry hatchets. Rank insignias worn by officers above castors are rarely seen on the field as they work mainly behind the scene.
  • Grand Commandeur: green-white-red cockade on hat and a green-white-red sash worn from the right shoulder to left tigh
  • Grand Aigle: a red sash worn from the left shoulder to right tigh
  • Aigle: a red sash worn from the right shoulder to left tigh
  • Castor: a green sash worn from the right shoulder to left tigh
  • Raquette: green armband tied around right arm, red armband tied around left arm
  • Maitre-Chasseur: red armband tied around left arm
  • Chasseur: green armband tied around left arm
- Troops:
Except for rare exceptions such as horse mounted couriers, frères-chasseurs operate as infantry skirmishers.

One speciliased type of fighter are the Brûlots. Named after the small swarming insects that delivers a burning sting, the brûlots carries with them small eartenware bottles containing "bagosse", a cheaply made but potent alcohol mixed with other ingredients stoppered with a rag which are then lit and thrown at their ennemies.
Although large scale dammages is often negligible, the image of one's fellow soldier being hit by a bottle and bursting into flames can often have a deep psychological impact.
 
What happens to the Aroostook dispute while all this is going on? Remember the US and the British empire still have several overlapping claims. In 1837 about the time that this would start seriously affecting the dispute, congress had just authorized $10,000,000 for the president to raise the militia, after a series of arrests and other disputes between Maine and New Brunswick.
 
What happens to the Aroostook dispute while all this is going on? Remember the US and the British empire still have several overlapping claims. In 1837 about the time that this would start seriously affecting the dispute, congress had just authorized $10,000,000 for the president to raise the militia, after a series of arrests and other disputes between Maine and New Brunswick.

It's going to be touched on at one point but no worries, the madawaskans will be involved as a faction.
 
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