A unusual command figure

I needed a command figure for one of my Rifle regiments .  One of the rules sets I regularly use allowed skirmishers to snipe at a battalion's command.  Devastating small arms casualties could also possibly kill them.  Thus creates morale issues for that battalion.  But what figure to use?

Going through my box of left over figures I passed by various officer types.  Doesn't work I thought.  Then he jumped out at me!  Perhaps influence by Eric's 1798 Irish rebellion games and that crafty Jesuit Father Carol (A very well know individual on TMP).  Perhaps it was the Rev. Caldwell yelling "Give em Watts boys" * at the battle of Springfield NJ.  Or the southern Baptist at Huck's Defeat.  Could it be the  Mad Padre from his blog which I greatly enjoy transported back in time?  

No matter he seemed the perfect figure to march with my "Over The Mountain" riflemen who are going to chastise Patrick Ferguson at Kings Mountain.

*During the battle, according to tradition the Rev Caldwell took copies of the old Watts hymnals  from the church and gave them to the troops to use as cartridge paper.  

Kirkwood's Delaware Light Infantry

 

  Following the disaster to the American Army at the Battle if Camden 1780 the famed Delaware regiment was reduced to two companies of infantry.  One was commanded by Captain Jaquett and was assigned to the Maryland Regiment.  The other, commanded by Captain Robert Kirkwood is used as a light infantry company.  Although attached to the famous Maryland-Delaware light infantry battalion at the Battle if Cowpens 1781, it served otherwise throughout Greene's campaigns as a independent light company.  The small company if about 100 men saw service at Guilford Courthouse, Hobkirk Hill and Eutaw Springs.  If you are building Greene's southern army 1781 you need thus unit!

A Don Trioni impression of the Delaware Infantry

The Delaware regiment was attached to the Maryland line and supplied through that colony.  Both before and after the Battle of Camden they were issued blue regimental coats faced red and white small clothes.  Interestingly the officers from Maryland in October 1781 were issued blue and red wool to be made into regimental coats and waist coats.   During the summer if 1781 Greene obtained hunting shirts for the Continental line as a summer uniform.  Traditionally the Delaware regiment had yellow trim to their cooked hats.  

The Company of Military Historians issued a plate in their uniform series depicting a soldier of Kirkwood as company dressed in a yellow trimmed cocked hat, hunting shirt and striped overalls.  No sources are cited.  All issues if overalls to Greene's army appear to be if brown linen or osnaberg materials.

Company of Military Historian plate of Colonel Hall's Delaware Regiment .

 For more information on the uniforms I highly recommend the following article:

Babits, Lawrence E. " Supplying the Southern Army March 1780 to September 1781."

Military Collector and Historian, vol. 47, no. 4 (winter 1995).

For my miniature Delaware company I am painting them in blue regimental coats faced red with yellow trimmed cocked hats.  The figures are from Old Glory miniatures second edition.  I will be mixing brown and tan overalls as well as some unlocked hats to give a field impression of the mixed nature of supplies as well as soldier improvement to their uniforms.  

Final painting push of 2020

 

  I have been preoccupied with family and personal issues for the past couple weeks so have fallen behind in writing and answering replies to my blog.  Now that things have slightly improved I will be posting more regularly.  Thank you for your patience.

Going through my boxes of unpainted lead I  come up with figures for four units I need to add to my  American Revolution collection.  These are Kirkwood's Delaware light infantry (1781),  the infantry for Light Horse Harry Lee's Legion (1781), the Maryland Delaware light infantry battalion (1781) and Haslet's Delaware Regiment (1776).  These are at present on the painting table and primed and ready to go.  more information on the unit histories and figures used will follow.

Happy Thanksgiving

 

Edward Suren "Willie" miniatures

 

In cleaning out The drawers and storage boxes on my painting table I found a small group of 30mm Suren figures.  I had started  working on them back in the late 1980's and like too many projects they fell to the way side.  Curse that butterfly effect!

I have always found the Edward Suren miniatures to be outstanding, and after all these years they have not lost their charm.  I really like them and hope to fund the money to add some regiments to my collections.  I do wonder after all these  years how the molds have held up and what the castings look like today.

As an aside during a trip to Great British in the early 1980's I visited the Black Watch Museum.  I was most excited to see the Suren  diorama about the attack on Fort Ticonderoga.  It was amazingly detailed and the staff was most amused after an hour there I was still looking at it.   Unfortunately none of the pictures I took came out so I have no visual memory if it.  I do wonder if it is still there and what condition it is in.  Also, if any readers of this blog know if the location of any other Edward Suren dioramas please let me know as we are planning a visit to Great British