Tent

During the war of 1812, there were two styles of tents in use. The older style had been in storage since the Revolutionary War. This was the a wedge tent of six feet square. Generally it slept six men. As these tents were old, however, a new style tent was ordered in 1811 when war was imminent. This was a conical tent, often called a 'Flanders Tent.' It needed only one pole that was nine feet in length, and was issued three to a company. This meant that twenty men would sleep in one tent, with their feet at the centre pole. The conditions are described as being so cramped that one was forced to lay perfectly immobile until someone yelled 'turn' at which point all twenty men would roll over together.