I am back up north for a talk I am giving on 18 April at Fort Devens. My good friend John heard I was up and put together a smallish Civil War game with the Perry Brothers rules Valour and Fortitude rules. These worked very well and made a fun and fast moving game.
The game wad in 10mm/12mm scale with lots of reinforcements for both sides marching to the sound of the guns. In the end I held the Union right flank while Warren broke the Confederate center for a glorious Union victory.
The model is from the National Maritime Museum and is labeled c. 1758. Here is the information from the National Army Museum concerning the model;
"Passenger vessel; Landing craft
Scale: 1:24. A contemporary full hull model of a troop landing boat (circa 1758), complete with a full complement of 20 sailors and 50 armed Marines. Measuring 32 feet in length by 10 feet in the beam and an approximate tonnage of 12 burden, the hull is built in clinker fashion with a square transom and round bows.
These troop boats were carried in specially adapted transports hired by the Admiralty, and could be partially dismantled so that they would nest on top of each other for easy storage. They were used for landing soldiers on enemy shores, in particular on the French coast in 1758 and also the capture of Havana and St. Lucia. A half-pound swivel-gun mounted on the bow gave added protection when going ashore under fire."
Detail of the figures in the model have the Grenadiers in fur caps These were authorized in the 1768 warrant so the figures may be of the American Revolution period. The cap plates look like the Marine type as is the white facings on the uniforms. While the model may be of the 1750's I wonder if someone added the figures later?
Very realistic fur and note grenade on back of cap. Also uniforms have white facings which again are correct for the 1770's Marines.
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| Landing at Kip's Bay |
While preparing my next talk on the Battles of Kip's Bay and Harlem Heights I did a deep dive into how the British Navy and Army conducted amphibious operations in the 18th century. Unsurprisingly it all sounded very modern to my ear. Heavy naval bombardment to clear the shore and boats going in into the beach. Here is some information I found about the landing boats or flat boats of the period.
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| model of flat boat 1758 National Maritime Museum |
Standard ships longboats were unsuitable for landing operations. Their deep draft which could be up to five feet when loaded prevented them from getting close in shore unless the dudes cooperated. Also the loading and unloading troops were difficult since they would have to climb over the oarsmen to get over the sides.
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| Model of flat boat in Royal Museums at Greenwich |
This changed in 1758 when the Admiralty approved the design for two shallow draft landing boat. One was thirty-six-feet long and ten-feet two-inches wide; It would carry fiftyinfantry men plus a naval officer, gunner and twenty oarsmen. A smaller version was thirty-feet long, nine-feet nine-inches wide; and carry sixteen oarsmen. Both of these boats were only two-feet eleven-inches in depth with wide, rounded bows and transom sterns. Fully loaded they required only two-feet of water, which allowed them to get very close to the beach. Troops were packed in close together seated in two rows facing each other with their muskets standing upright between their knees. A sailor manned the tiller while twenty others sat outboard of the troops to man the oars. The flatboats could also be fitted with a mast, sails and a small cannon, or swivel gun mounted in the bow. However procedure dictated that the landing site would be heavily bombarded by warships prior to the landing. The flatboats were not meant to fight their way ashore. Twin gangplanks were extended over the bow onto the beach allowing for fast and orderly entry and exit of the troops.
The procedure was described by a witness:
“All these flat boats…were lying in one row along the shore, and as soon as the regiment had marched past, it formed up again close to the shore, and awaited the signal for entering the boats. Immediately on this being given each officer marched with his men to the boats,…then he and his drummer entered first and passed right through from the bows on shore to the stern, the whole division following him without breaking their ranks; so that in two minutes everybody was in the boat.”
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| Landing New York 1776 |
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| Detail of troops 1776 |
On reaching the enemy shore the men would march out over the bow onto the beach and would be combat ready immediately. Just prior to hitting the beach the flatboat would drop a kedge anchor off the stern. When the troops had disembarked the anchor was pulled, oars backed, and the flatboat would head out to sea for another load.
Most readers are familiar with the works of H. Charles McBarron through his illustrations of United State military uniforms and battles. These works are often found in the better books and in many museums.
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| H. Charles McBarron |
What few individuals know about McBarron is he had a keen sense of humour. He often placed himself in his works. The illustrator Martin Handford cited McBarron as a primary influence in the creation of his works, "Where's Waldo?".
So, where is he in his illustrations? Here are a few that I found.
From The Battle of Guilford Courthouse.
From The Battle of Bunker Hill:
From The Battle of Montreal:
For more information and details check out;
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bgfjXdC5__w
Anniversary of the British leaving Boston. The placement of artillery on Dorchester Heights made the harbour untenable for the Royal Navy. In the illustration above Washington is standing by Artemis Ward who commander the New England army before the Virginian arrived.
Generations of Bostonians were thankful it was done on 17 March so that business and school will be closed for the local holiday; which just happens to be St Patrick's day!
Watercolor by Lt. Richard Williams 23rd RWF of a sentry in Boston with Dorchester Heights in the background.
" As at Camden, the British went forward as soon as they were in line. Captain Peter led the 23rd on as acting commanding officer, with the regiment effectively in two wings under captains Saumarez and Champagne. As they went forward, one of them noticed the ‘field lately ploughed, which was wet and muddy from the rains which had recently fallen’. On they trudged towards the fence that marked the end of Hoskins’ cornfield and the beginning of the woods to the fore, observing as they grew closer that the rails were lined with men. MacLeod’s cannon opened fire, sending their ballwhooshing into the American lines. Colonel Webster, on horseback, trotted to the front of his brigade and called out so that all could hear, ‘Charge!’ The men began jogging forward, bayonets fixed and muskets levelled towards the enemy. A crackling fire from their left, Kirkwood’s riflemen, began knocking down a redcoat here or there, but did nothing to check their impetus. When the British line was little more than 50 yards from the North Carolina militia everything seemed to stop for Serjeant Lamb: … it was perceived the whole of their force had their arms presented, and resting on a rail fence … they were taking aim with the nicest precision. At this awful period a general pause took place; both parties surveyed each other for the moment with the most anxious suspense … Colonel Webster spurred his horse to the head of the 23rd and bellowed out, ‘Come on my brave Fusiliers!’ Some of the Americans started to run, but most held on for a moment; there was a rippling crash of American musketry when the redcoats were at optimum range, 40 to 50 yards away. Dozens of Webster’s men went down as the musket balls cut legs from under them or smashed into their chests. Lieutenant Calvert worried for an instant how his men might react to such a heavy fire: ‘They instantly returned it and did not give the enemy time to repeat their fire but rushed on them with bayonets.’ Captain Saumarez noted with pride, ‘No troops could behave better than the regiment … they never returned the enemy’s fire but by word of command and marched on with the most undaunted courage.’..."
Quote from;
Fusiliers: The saga of a British Redcoat Regiment in the American Revolution by Mark Urban
Rereading Richardson's Standards and Colors of the American Revolution this morning. What happened to the Hessian colors captured at Trenton? They were displayed in the halls of Congress for a short time. On 31 December 1776 William Ellery writes the Governor of Rhode Island a description of the flags which are on display in the room where Congress meets in Baltimore.The six colors captured at Trenton are depicted in good detail in Charles Wilson Peale's painting of Washington victorious after Trenton and Princeton. Other colors captured have survived. There are four Anspach-Beyreuth colors captured at Yorktown still in existence and in good condition. Two are at West Point, one at the Smithsonian and the fourth one at Yorktown. Davis (Regimental colors in the War of the Revolution) said there were no know (to him) Colors in Germany when he did his research during the 1900's. The colors of the 7th (Royal Fusiliers) Regiment are at West Point.
Here is some information about what happened to them. Davis describes the existing colors when he examined them in 1907 in the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and photographed the two flags and the remains of a third which had a black field. These were in the Clymer papers. These two colors and the fragments disappeared sometime between when Davis saw them in 1900-1907 and the mid 1970's when they were found to be missing. It is possible, based on a " cryptic" entry on a accession card that they were loaned out and never returned; possibly during the Sesquicentennial of 1926.
William Buehler wrote Admiral Preble on 18 November 1881 "two flags out of six captured ...At Trenton are in the department on the hill at Harrisburg." This appears to have been the William Penn museum at Harrisburg Pennsylvania. Richardson is quoted as saying staff members " have no knowledge as to the whereabouts of any surviving remnants there. "
Lastly there are fragments of another Hessian flag captured at Trenton in the First City Troop Museum in Philadelphia. The fragments are about " twenty by seven inches and are black brocade will seamed to a narrow strip of White are are decorated with a small elements of brown and yellow painted designs. "
Richardson, Edward W. Standards and Colors of the American Revolution.
1982.
Davis, Gherardi. Regimental Colors in the War of The Revolution.
1907.
For a copy of the book online see:
https://archive.org/details/regimentalcolors00davi/page/n12
Following the outbreak of fighting on 19 April 1775 the local New England Army of Observation placed Boston under siege. Among the various regiments taking part was a militia regiment from Essex county, the Essex County militia regiment. Lieutenant Trask, decided that son Israel, age ten should come along with him to the war. The young boys duties were as he wrote later , “the care of the baggage and the property of the mess. When the officers were called on duty, which was daily the case, either to mount guard, or fatigue duties in fortifying the camp,...my duty alternately was to take the edibles prepared at the mess to the officers on duty, which in some instance [were] miles distant.” In December the Essex regiment was moved into one of the buildings of Harvard University
. And then some new soldiers arrived from outside New England. Strange and unusual they caught the eye of Trask who watched with great attention;
"A day or two preceding the incident I am about to relate, a rifle corps had come into camp from Virginia, made up of recruits from the backwoods and mountains of that state, in a uniform dress totally different from that of the regiments raised on the seaboard and interior of New England. Their white linen frocks, ruffled and fringed, excited the curiosity of the whole army, particularly to the Marblehead regiment, who were always full of fun and mischief."
Col. John Glover 's Marblehead regiment must have been an unusual sight to the men from Virginia. Made up of sailors the clothing of the regiment was short coats, round hats and sea trousers. In additionthe men of the regiment were a mixture of white, black and native Indians serving together. "[The Marblehead men] looked with scorn on such an rustic uniform when compared to their own round jackets and fishers’ trousers, [and they] directly confronted from fifty to an hundred of the riflemen who were viewing the college buildings."
To the amusement of young Trask things quickly escalated:
"Their first manifestations were ridicule and derision, which the riflemen bore with more patience than their wont, but resort being made to snow, which then covered the ground, these soft missives were interchanged but a few minutes before both parties closed, and a fierce struggle commenced with biting and gouging on the one part, and knockdown on the other part with as much apparent fury as the most deadly enmity could create. Reinforced by their friends, in less than five minutes more than a thousand combatants were on the field, struggling for the mastery."
"At this juncture General Washington made his appearance, whether by accident or design I never knew. I only saw him and his colored servant both mounted. With the spring of a deer, he leaped from his saddle, threw the reins of his bridle into the hands of his servant, and rushed into the thickest of the melee, with an iron grip seized two tall, brawny, athletic, savage-looking riflemen by the throat, keeping them at arm’s length, alternately shaking and talking to them."
"In this position the eye of the belligerents caught sight of the general. Its effect on them was instantaneous flight at the top of their speed in all directions from the scene of the conflict. Less than fifteen minutes time had elapsed from the commencement of the row before the general and his two criminals were the only occupants of the field of action."
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We picture Sherman's army marching through the south followed by trails of escaped slaves. By the thousands at some times. What we don't remember is this was not the first time this happened. In 1781 when Cornwallis marched through Virginia it was a massive preview of what Sherman would later see. It has been estimated that upwards of over 12,000 slaves ran away to join Cornwallis army as it marched across Virginia. Some historians suggest the number may be higher. In addition the stables of Virginia were now used to remount the Crown cavalry. General Greene had been begging for horses to be sent to his army in South Carolina but Jefferson refused and held back. These same horses were now used to remount the British Legion, Queens Rangers and a mounted infantry company from the 23rd. * For one of the very few times in the war in the south the British cavalry were equal. or superior in quality to the Americans cavalry.
Ewald: "Every officer had four to six horses and three to four negroes, as well as one or two negresses for cook and maid. Every soldier's women was mounted and also had a negro and negresses on horseback for her servants. Each squad had one or two horses and a negroand every non commissioned officer had two horses and a negro."
"Yes indeed, I can testify that every soldier had his negro who carried his provisions and bundles. The multitude always hunted at a gallop and behind the baggage followed over four thousand negresses of both sexes and all ages."
Ewald discovered that in his own detachment his men possessed twenty horses and that "almost every jager has his negroe.". But within 24 hours I had brought everything back on the track again."
Cornwallis' attempted to bring order from chaos and restrict the number of horses and ex slaves employed by his officers and men. orders were issued. A Colonel, Lt. Colonel or Major could have five horses and two blacks as servents. A Captain could have three horses and one servant. Staff and junior officers could have two horses and one servant. Surgeons and Sergeant Major had one horse and servants. Enlisted men were not allowed anything, as usual. "No women (white camp followers) or negroes to possess a hirsee, nor and negresses to be suffered to rude on a march except such as belong to the public departments."
To designate those escaped slaves who were officially with the army Cornwallis ordered, "The number or name of the corps to be marked on a conspicuous manner on the jacket of each negroe.". " All negroes who are not marked agreeable to the orders repeated at Petersburg will be taken up and sent away from the army."
* according to Lt. Mackenzie the 71st were supposed to be used as mounted infantry but refused to Tarleton losing the 1/71st ar Cowpens.
sources:
Gregory J. W. Urwin: When Freedom Wore a Red Coat: How Cornwallis’ 1781 Campaign Threatened the Revolution in Virginia
Army History, No. 68 (Summer 2008), pp. 6-23 (18 pages)
Lord Cornwallis' Insignia for Runaway Enslaved Peoples
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=I2z5jDdu_kQ
You may be cool, but you'll never be as cool as these guys. Spiffy uniforms, outstanding moustaches and a beautiful women hanging on while playing a miniature Wargame!
Pretty cool picture I found off the internet. Looks to be from a old movie.
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By a happy coincidence I was back up north in time to attend the annual miniature gaming day at the Fort Devens museum. Always a fun time this year was one of the best. A chance to play in a couple games, see friends and tour the museum. There was a outstanding exhibit of original WW1 posters which was well worth seeing.
Also an interesting WW1 trench raid game. Great terrain boards!
Frank put in a naval game with his soon to be published rules. HMS Hood and Prince of Wales vs the Bismarck and Prinz Eugen. Historically Hood took a magazine hit and blew up but this game the Royal Navy did much better. Hood's first hits in Bismarck damaged her engines and next hits damaged her range finders. After that it was shooting fish in a barrel.
I really like these as they cut out a lot of the too much details that bog down and make too many ship games a bore. Easy to pick up with enough detail to make them interesting.
Peter Lowitt put in a Battle Road game where the British have to run a gauntlet of militia to get back to Boston. The rules were the Gettysburg Soldier set with modifications for the Rev War. I was curious about them so dropped by to watch the game. Richard Clayton and his sons were battling it out and it looked like great fun although Richard was getting the short end of the stick. afterwards Peter graciously put in the game again so I could p!ay.
The rules are great fun with lots of dice and very fast moving. I will have to get a set!
All in all a great fun day out!