McDougall 's Brigade 1776

 General Alexander McDougall 's brigade during the campaign around New York city and Westchester county.  The brigades  main action was 28 October 1776 at the battle of White Plains New York.   The brigade was made up of the 1st and 3rd New York Regiments, Smallwood's Maryland Regiment and the 19th Continental Regiment.

   Figures for the Brigade are mostly from  Fife and Drum miniatures with one battalion from RSM ministures.  These mix very well together in size and style.  They also paint up very quickly.  Flags are from either GMB or copies sent to me from Bill from King 's  Mountain miniatures which My friend George has printed. 

   My wargame armies are based around historical orders of battles for campaigns or battles.  When I paint up regiments I try and use historical brigades of usually three to four regiments.  This gives a nice table top command for a player.  I do not worry about actually strength of the regiment.  All my regiments are usually of a common size.  Infantry regiments are usually 24 or 30 figures.  I do this to prevent larger units being too powerful in my games. A bad experience I had years ago involved  a very  large militia battalion walking over a grenadier battalion just because it had more figures.  If fighting a historical battle I will use historical strength per regiment.

British Light Infantry battalion

   On Jim Purkey's Fife and Drum forum one of my favorite writers, Ed mentioned that having British Grenadier and Light Infantry battalions was the sweat spot for Rev War gaming.  Well, up to now I have had neither so I guess I have finally reached that spot!

   Figures are from Fife and Drum miniatures and represents the British Light Infantry campaign uniform for 1776-77.  Slouched hats, short jackets and overalls, and black equipment.  Uniform is based on both orderly books and the famous DelDe Garta paintings of the fighting at the Chew House at Germantown in October 1777.  These are really beautiful figures and a joy to paint.

  Stands within the battalion represent the following light companies from these regiments:  4th (blue) , 5th (green), 10th (yellow),  17th (white), 22d(buff),  23d (blue), 27th (buff), 35th ( orange  ) and  38th (yellow).  This is one of the organizations of the 1st Light Infantry battalion in late 1776.  I mention this as one organization as companies appear to have been switched out and moved around when the 3rd battalion was disbanded.

26th Continental Regiment 1776

  One of my favorite regiments from the  Rev War.  The regiments history is intertwined with that of  its commander, Colonel Laomi Baldwin.  He was one of those New England  men from who did an amazing variety of things in his lifetime; and did them all well.

Statue of Baldwin in Woburn Massachusetts

   I first encounter Baldwin while working at Minute Man National Historic Park through his accout of the fighting at the  Lincoln Woods, later called the Bloody Angle.  His letters and account books in Houghton library at Harvard continued his observations during the campaign around New York city in 1776 and the fighting at Pell's Point New York.

  The 26th Continental Regiment started as Colonel Gerrish's Massachusetts regiment in 1775 during the siege of Boston.  Following Gerrish's dismissal from the army on August 19 Baldwin was promoted to Colonel commanding the regiment.

   Following the disbanding of the 1775 army, Baldwin was appointed Colonel of the new 26th Continental Regiment in January 1776.  The regiment joined  Washington's army around New York city in April 1775.  They saw fighting at Throgs Neck and Pell's Point New York.  After retreating across the Jerseys they fought at the victory at Trenton before their enlistment expired.  In 1777 they were consolidated with the 21st Continental Regiment to form the new 9th Massachusetts regiment.

  Baldwin retired from the army due to ill health in 1777.  He continued to be active in his community.  In addition to developing the Baldwin Apple he was the chief engineer  for the construction of the Middlesex canal.

  The 26th was unusual in having a Grenadier company.  They wore a Seven Years War style cap but with GW instead of GR.  A copy of the cap is in the Smithsonian museum.  I hope to add Grenadier figures to the regiment in the future.

  Regimental uniform was a London brown coat with buff facings.   In addition there are some interpretation with a light blue waistcoat or vest.  In painting my figures I went with a dark brown coat and buff facings and linings.  My waistcoat blue is darker then most pictures I have seen but it looks very nice against the brown so I kept it.

  Regimental colors are one of the Gostelow flags in yellow with a mailed fist;  an early symbol of Massachusetts.  The blue pine tree flag or "Bunker Hill" flag is also approved for New Englanders. Conjecture but possible combinations.

 Sharp eyed readers have noticed in previous regiments I have included black American soldiers.  While New England did have a small slave population in 1775 there were a larger population of free men.  This was commented on about the 1775 Cambridge army.  Where I have discovered these men in regiments historically I have included them in my miniature regiments.

Hunting the USS Maine in Bangor Maine

  In Davenport Park in down town Bangor Maine is my latest find in hunting for the USS Maine.  It is the bow scroll from the ship.  Or as one person on trip advisor called it "Battleship bling.". It has been restored and painted and now is mounted on a granite replica of the ship's bow.  The scroll was recovered from the battleship when it was raised in Havana harbour after the Spanish American war.

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.