Keeping busy

 

Its a snowy couple days up here in New England. So I have kept myself out of mischief by doing a few odds and ends around the hobby table.

I had thought I was done with Lauzon's Legion but not yet.  I decided that the lance carrying Guessed would look better with the red Lance pennants you see in numerous illustrations.  A little cutting of paper, glue and paint and that project was done.

I have long been wanting to glue my individual trees into larger bases.  They look better and are more steady.  Not truly artistic but the basic basing I do fits well on my table.  So again with the glue, some paint and flock/static grass.

Lastly setting up the table for the first battle of my re fight of the Camden campaign at Williamson's Plantation 20 June 1780.  A small action which started the partisan fighting in South Carolina.

My return and an update

 

   Greeting my fellow bloggers and brothers in the world of playing with toy soldiers.  I have returned from my snow bird adventures in Florida.  It was a delightful time of much activity and meeting  many new people.  But it has taken a while to adjust to the weather up here and going through a new round doctor visits and the like.  This has been a lot of fun and both Janine and are are seriously looking through our finances to see if we can make this an annual event.

  Unfortunately all this has gotten in the way of blogging and miniature wargames activities.  No posts for the month of February.  For this I apologize and do hope to make up for.  During my time away I have done much thinking and planning and the next two months should have many posts here.

  One table top adventure I have been planning is a refight of the Camden campaign in South Carolina 1780.  Researching the series of actions from July 1780 after the British captured Charleston to the massive defeat of the American army at Camden in August 1780.  Some actions will be played solo as the attack on the outpost at rocky mount or Huck's defeat do not lend themselves to group play.  Too one sided.  Others like the action at Hanging Rock have been poorly research or written about and its been fun doing that.  Should this go well I will continue the theme with the Cowpens - Guilford Courthouse campaign.  I am also preparing material about the 19April 1775 fight.  Some research materials and anew updated photo tour of the battlefield today.

  So thank you for the comments and for sticking to the blog during my absence.  I am back both physically and mentally and doing so much better.

  

Saint David's Day and The Royal Welch Fusiliers

 

"1st March 1775, this being St. David's Day the officers of the 23rd Regiment or Royal Welch Fusiliers, dinner together according to the custom.  All the general & Staff officers, the Admiral, and several other persons were invited to dine with the Regiment..."

From the diary of Lieutenant Frederick MacKenzie

23rd Regiment of Foot or Royal Welch Fusiliers

On this day I hope a  Happy Saint David's Day to the Welch, and to all Royal Welch Fusiliers,  both past and present.

Sir William Howe's dog

 

  As happens far too often in my life a little fact lead me down a rabbit hole of inquiry.  Here, a little meme found me doing a but of research on a trivial point in history.  

  Here is the meme I was sent.  A interesting but trivial matter.  But the more I looked the more I found!

From Wikipedia, "Dogs in the American Revolutionary War" article:

"Returning General Howe's Terrier"

"Like George Washington and many other commanders, General Sir William Howe, a British commander, kept dogs with him while he was in battle. During a surprise attack on the British at Germantown on October 4, 1777, Howe's fox terrier, Lila, was lost in the commotion and ended up joining the American Army as it withdrew from the battlefield back to its encampment. When Howe's dog found its way into Washington's headquarters marquee, Washington was alerted that the dog's collar had Howe's name engraved. Washington ordered that the terrier be returned to Howe and included a polite note."

Next, a book about the incident:

"General Howe's Dog: George Washington, the Battle for Germantown and the Dog Who Crossed Enemy Lines"

www.amazon.com/General-Howes-Dog-Washington-Germantown/dp/1596090324

The actual note can be found in the National Archives.  It reads,

"General Washington's compliments to General Howe. General Washington does himself the pleasure to return to him a dog, which accidentally fell into his hands, and, by the inscription on the collar, appears to belong to General Howe."

Sir William Howe called this,  "an honorable act of a gentlemen." 

Lastly, a commercial from a dog food company about the event: 

  

Battle of Cowpens 17 January 1781

 

             

                         Anniversary of the battle today.

And one of my table top battles of it here:

https://bravefusiliers.blogspot.com/2021/08/fighting-benny-at-cowpens.html