Wings of Freedom Tour at Worcester Airport

   The Wings of Freedom Tour of World War two aircraft will be at the Worcester Airport, Worcester Massachusetts on September 22 and 23. The actual airplanes themselves will be flying in on Friday September 21.  This is great as how often can you see a B-17 fly into a airport and land.  If you live in the area please drop by as it is a pleasure to see these planes up close and personal and to actually see them fly.  Of course, you can also actually fly in them also. This is very expensive but a once in a lifetime experience.

14th Continental Regiment 1776

   If a single regiment could be said to have saved the American Revolution it was the 14th Continental Regiment.  Twice, at Long Island and at Trenton the regiment played a crucial role either as a fighting regiment or as sailors.  After the defeat on Long Island in August 1776 these men crewed the boats that evacuated Washington's army.  Later, they  rowed Washington's men across the frozen Delaware river,  then joined Sullivan's division to fight the Hessians at Trenton.

  Formed in 1775 from local militia the regiment was designated as the 14th Continental Regiment in 1776 and commanded by Colonel John Glover.  Recruited from the Marblehead Massachusetts area from men who worked on ships and depended on the ocean.  The regiment included numerous minorities from the American Indian and free Black communities.  The regiment is described as wearing a mix of uniforms and salior clothing.  Regimental coats were drab or brown with red facings, although some blue jackets are mentioned.

  Figures are from Eureka miniatures.  These are dressed in mixtures of uniforms and  sailor clothing.  Some are wearing naval jackets which I painted a plain blue. The majority are in regimental coats with sailor trousers.  I painted the coats a drab brown with red facings to match the deserter descriptions.  I really liked the drab brown I mixed.  Accoutrements were white belts, with haversack and canteen.  All pretty standard.

  For the regimental colors I went with Washington's recommendation of a Grand Union flag with another in the regiments facing color and a device.  For the regimental color I used a red flag from the Gostelowe collection with the mailed fist as that was a early symbol of Massachusetts.  The Grand Union type has a New England line tree which again represent New England.

   My only complaint here is the mixed poses.  It gives a unbalanced look to the unit.  My preference is for a standard pose. Usually marching.  But I went with this as it has the figures in the right mix of clothing.  Perhaps on the table top it will not look too out of place.

19th Continental Regiment 1776

  The 19th Continental Regiment was raised in Connecticut and commanded by Colonel Charles Webb.  It saw service during the New York campaign of 1776  as part of McDougall 's brigade. It participated at the battle of White Plains on 28 October 1776.  As part of Washington's army It retreated across the Jerseys and later fought at the battle of Trenton.  Most of the regiment' s enlistments expired after that,  but enough men volunteered to stay on that the regiment fought at second Trenton and Princeton.

  I found little in the way of uniform information for this regiment.  One deserter description mentioned drab or light colored coats while another mentioned a blue coat.  I went with drab brown with blue facings. Musicians are in reversed colors of blue faced drab brown.  Conjecture in my part but based on what little information I could find.  Didn't he Regimental Colors I used the Grand Union with a blue Gostelowe flag.  Both types of flags were used during the time.

On the painting table

  I have a number of half finished projects on the painting table.  I guess that is a common occurrence among wargamers. While I have kept up a steady progress of painting I have run out of flags and bases to finish a number of regiments.  Perhaps I should switch to regiments that do not need colors or bases and I would be alright!  Si, here are my not ready for prime time regiments.

The 19th Continental Regiment are Tom RSM miniatures.

  And the 14th Continental Regiment from Eureka miniatures.

     Painting right now is the British 41st Regiment of Foot 1814.  Slow going I have only 8 of the 24 figure done.  Also on the deck are 24 British flank company figures to represent Light and Grenadier companies.

Finaly, I have some Rev War British Light Infantry primed.

Canadian Volunteers 1813-14

  In doing my Niagara 1814 armies I have put off doing this regiment.  Their reputation for cruelty and ruthlessness against the civilian population appears to be well deserved.  But to complete my armies I have decided to include them.  And perhaps they will play a role in a skirmish against Captain Merritt's Niagara Provincial Horse?

   Born in Ireland, Joseph Willcocks was an ambitious young man who was  interested in making a name and fortune for himself after emigrating to Canada. He turned to politics and was elected a member of the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada.  Initially, Willcocks served General Brock as part of a mission to secure the allegiance of the Six Nations to fight with the British.  He is reported to have fought alongside the Six Nations at the Battle of Queenston Heights.   After Brock's death, stricter martial law was applied and Willcocks protested against these efforts. In July 1813, he turned traitor and went over to the United States while still a serving member of the governing body of Upper Canada.

  Commissioned a major in the American army, Willcocks raised the Canadian Volunteers,  comprisied mainly of  recent immigrants from the United States.  The "regiment" was never larger then a reinforced company.  They served alongside the Americans and served as skirmishers and scouts.  Willcocks also used this opportunity to settle scores with old political  foes and those who did not offer him due respect.  The volunteers were accused of numerous hostile actions against the Canadian civilian population. This reached a peak with the needless burning off the town of Newark (presnt day Niagara-on-the-lake) on 10 December 1813. In the dead of winter and at dusk the town was torched and it's civilians forced out into the freezing winter.   An eye witness wrote, "Willcocks had led his banditti through the town on that fateful night . . . applying the epithet of Tory to any who disapproved of this flagrant act of barbarity."

    Women and children stood in the snow and the cold that night and watched their homes and everything they owned go up in flames. One witness wrote  about the refugees, "they were exposed  to all the severities of the deep snow and a frosty sky, almost in a state of nakedness.  How many perished by the inclement of the weather, it is , at present, impossible to ascertain."   The Volunteers had earned their reputation for ruthlessness and cruelty.

  Captain William Merrit and his Niagara Provincial Horse (recruited from this area) were sent to investigate.  They came across the retreating volunteers and charged them scattering their rear guard, taking a number prisoners and killing two men.

   During the 1814 campaign the Canadian Volunteers were part of Potter's 3rd Brigade.  They fought at Chippewa and Lundy's Lane.  During the siege of Fort Erie Willcocks was killed leading a raid on the British siege lines in September 1814.  He  is buried in a unmarked grave and forgotten by both sides.  His volunteers settled in the United States after the  war.

   The uniform of the Volunteers were makeshift to say the least.  In 1813 they were to be issued gray jackets and United States equipment.  In 1814 the were to be issued standard blue uniforms.  There is also the possibility in 1813 some members wore brown jackets.  A round hat (top hat) with a green ribbon round the crown and white  cockade  was worn.

  My recreation is dressed in a mixture of uniforms. This makes them more interesting as a table top regiment and possibly closer to his they might have appeared.   I feel officers, and non commissioned officers would have tried to obtain and wear the correct uniform. So I have used figures in regulation uniforms for them.

 The enlisted men I have dressed in mixed blue, grey and brown jackets.  All have standard United States equipment.  I feel a mixture of coat colors adds a variety  of  interest to a table  too war game regiment.

 I have fielded them as a full regiment although they never obtained this size. This way I can use them in imaginative campaigns or historical actions.    I have found no evidence of regimental colors so none are here.

   All figures are from the Knuckkeduster line of miniatures.  I used the late war officers and NCO packs to represent these fellows in regulation uniforms.  The rank and file I used uniform militia in round hats.  Although  the figures had lapels and waistcoats I painted over these details to represent jackets.  Again, this is all based on my best guess on what little research is out there tempered by what makes a interesting wargame  regiment.  I have based them  on split stands so they can skirmish.

 All in all a curious but colorful unit on the table top.  I am sure there will be various encounters between them and the Niagara Provincial Horse!

Hessian Regimental Colors

  I have been doing research on Hessian uniforms and colors for an upcoming painting project involving the Rall Grenadier regiment, Fusilier Regiment Lossburg and Fusilier Regiment Knyphausen.  In looking for documentation on regimental colors I found the following article, "Colors of the Hessian flags in North America 1776 - 1883",  Military Collector and Historian, Winter 2003-2004, vol. 55, issue 4.  This is simply brilliant and a must have article if researching this topic.

  The author is Steven Hill.  He is one of (if not the) best historians on the topic of military flags.  Is using his career he was responsible for restoring and maintaining many historical flag collections.  I had the pleasure of meeting him many years ago when he was working to restore and maintain The Civil War collection of flags in the Massachusetts State House. 

   If you want to know which regiments carried what colors, what they looked liked and what happened to them this is where you look.  There are pictures of fragments of colors captured at Trenton.  How often do you see these?  In addition there is also some documentation on uniforms.  So my friends, do yourself a favor and download this article.

Here is pdf of the article:
dupagemilitaryflag.com/files/33395736.pdf

Here is his flag site:
www.dupagemilitaryflag.com

Lastly, if you want a coffee mug with a regimental color in it here is where you go.  My kids, when they do not know what to get me for a present shop here.  Nothing better than sipping coffee while painting or playing with you soldiers that has The regimental colors of the Royal Welch Fusiliers.


www.cafepress.com/historicflags

Battle on McKenzie Heights 1854

   The battle on McKenzie Heights saw a Russian division of 12 infantry battalions, four batteries and three cavalry regiments defending a cross roads.  Fortifications have been added to add strength.  Meanwhile two British divisions advance to capture the same cross roads.  Rules used were Charge of the Light Brigade, and all figures were 25mm from Wargames Foundry and North Star miniatures.

  The Russian commanders placed all four batteries behind fortifications along the front line.  Four battalions defended the tiwn, and four more battalions were placed on each flank.  Two cavalry regiments guard the Russian right flank while one cavalry regiment guard the left flank.

 The rules are a U-Go-U-Go but with a twist.  Each regiment gets so many command points.  These can be used to do addition actions.  When it is your turn each unit can do one free action (move, fure, change formation, lumber or unlimber).  After The free action they can spend a command point and do a second action.  They can do a third action which cost two command points.  And so on.  But once spent command points are gone.  Better units have more command points, poorer have less.  When you spend a command point The other sides gets to react to it by returning fire.  Intetesting!  You can get morale chips for being under fure, or losing a close combat.  For each moral marker you get you subtract one pip from every die roll.  So this quickly becomes dangerous.


The Game:
  The British placed the 1st Division (Guards and Highlander) on their right with orders to outrank the village.  The Light Division crossed a minor stream to attack the village in front and hold most of the Russia's attention.  The Light Cavalry brigade was held off table.

On the Russian Right Flank:

Supported by a battery two Russian battalions advance against the British line.

   As the British came into the board and crossed the stream, the Russian commander launched an attack.  Two infantry battalions and a Hussar and Cossacks regiment charged the British  line.  During his move the Russian commander spent an extra command point to move his forces more quickly forward. But he was hampered by poor dice rolling (movement is by five roll and he rolled very low).

  The British commander not believing his good luck spent a command point and got his artillery into line and unlimbered, while his infantry fired twice at the Russians causing high casualties.

When the charges went in they were easily defeated and sent routing back with high casualties and multiple morale markers.  The Russian commander then advanced two more infantry battalions, this time in line to exchange fire with the British.  Superior rifles and numbers told and the decimated Russian infantry retired.  The British proceeded to silence the batteries with long range rifle fire.

Russian Left Flank:

  The British 1st Division advanced into range to engage the Russians with rifle fire.  Good die rolling from the Russians saw the British battery silenced very quickly. The Russians used a number of command points to change formation from double line into line to bring more muskets  against the British.  This did not work.

  In a desperate effort to stop the British the Russian commander charged the nearest enemy with his cavalry regiment.  Ironically, that was the 93rd Highlander of the  thin red line fame.   This time history did not repeat itself and the cavalry win the close combat.  The retreating highlander caused disorder as they retired and the Russian cavalry charged into the next unit the 42nd.  This time, supported by the Guards the Russian cavalry broke and retired off the board.  With little opposition in from This them the British continued their advance.

 At this point the game was called.  Both flanks were wide open and two batteries silenced .So the Russians had little chance of stopping the British.

  The game was fast paced and great fun.  All agreed that the rules were easy to understand and provided interesting twists with the command points. one point were All agree on was in future battles more Russian infantry needs to be on the table to counter British superior rifle range.  All are interested in playing again soon.