The Capture of Frenchtown 18 January 1813

 

              The first of two battles for Frenchtown.  

South of the town the River Raisin is frozen over and infantry can cross with a movement penalty. North of the town there is a forrest and wide ditch which provides cover for infantry.  It is within musket range of the town.  

The commander of the Kentucky militia crosses the frozen river and advances towards the town.  He places his two militia regiments together with his rifle armed men to either flank.  If he can take and hold the town he can declare a great victory which if course will help his political career back home.

The British/Canadian commander deployed his Native Allies to either flank with his militia  in the center.  He is outnumbered and plans to delay the advancing Americans while avoiding casualties.  He knows reinforcements  are a couple days march away. 

Taking advantage if their longer range weapons the rifles immediately start picking off their enemies.  Once within range the militia exchange vollies with the Canadians taking the worse of the exchange.  they also fail their morale test and rout towards the woods.  The Native Indians quickly join them.  With the militia in the town the Canadians and their allies withdraw to fight another day.  For the Kentucky men it has been a easy walk in the park which will grown in the retelling as a great victory.

In the next days the Americans are joined by a US regular infantry regiment.  In addition they start building a fortified fence line between the village and the woods.  Its cold and they prepare for an uneventful nights rest.  The Kentucky militia camp in the town while the regulars camp in the open outside the fortified lines.  Next day they hope to continue the works.  A couple soldiers grumble about the woods being awful close to our lines.  Nothing to worry about they are reassured...

Conclusion:

A neat small skirmish.  Not very exciting but it sets the stage for the next battle.

Battles of Frenchtown 18 & 23 January 1813

The Battles of Frenchtown, better known as the Battle of the River Raisin or the River Raisin Massacre, was a series of battles in Michigan Territory that took place from January 18–23, 1813.  These were two separate and different actions fought during the War of 1812.  They were also different from most battles I have fought in that the majority of troops were Militia, Volunteers and Native Americans.  The second battle did include small detachment of regulars for each side.  Both battles were fought in the winter so again these will be very different types of actions.  

Wayside from battle site of the second battle.

Wayside of the first battle.

For a quick history lesson here is a recounting of the actual historical events.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Frenchtown

The first battle (January 18) saw a American Force of Kentucky Militia and Volunteers capturing the village from a smaller group of Indians and Canadian militia.  The second battle saw the British/Canadians recapturing the town.  Both sides included regulars and the British had two small cannon.  The battles were  better suited to a skirmish action or a Sharp Practice type game.  I am upping the number of figures per each unit but keeping the ratio of figures per side to fit my collection.  So this will not be a full historical recreation.  More of a Hollywood based on type story.

Order of Battle:

18 January:

Defending the village of Frenchtown:

Canadian militia regiment (24 figures)

Native Warriors (12 figures)

American attacking force:

2x American militia regiments (24 each)

1 x Rifle regiment (12 figures) 

January 23;

Americans defending Frenchtown

2 x Militia regiments (24 figures)

1 x Rifle unit (12 figures)

1 x US Regulars (24 figures)

British Canadian attach force:

1 x British Regular (24 figures)

2 x Canadian militia (24 figures each)

2 x Native Warriors (12 each)

Royal Artillery (2 x light guns)

Got my first Vacine Shot!

 

Today, 11 March I got my first Vivid Shot!  The first step on the road to normalcy.  It was the Pfizer shot and so far I feel fine.  No issues.  

The second shot is scheduled for April 1st.  Someone has a sense of humor.

Remember the Alamo

 

Back in March 2015 Jane and u took a trip down to Texas with our friends Scott and Arline.  We visited a number of sites connected with the Texas War for Independence 1836.  But the highlight was of course seeing the Alamo.  An unexpected part was stumbling on the History Shop as we were walking over to the Alamo.  Inside was am amazing diorama built by Mark Lemon.  It was about 15 feet long and incredibly detailed. Images of it was used in his book, "The illustrated Alamo 1836."  There was a sound and light show around it and Phil Collins narrated the events of the siege and battle.  Well worth while and very well done. I have recently read the store closed and I do not know the fate of this incredible model.  But I found these picture and hope you enjoy them on the anniversary of the battle.

More pictures of my growing village

 

 Just an excuse to post a few mire pictures of the growing village of houses from Things from the Basement.  One thing these pictures have shown me us the need to get some sort of background picture!  I do not think people want to look at boxes and other things in the room.  Also, most of the fun items scattered throughout these pictures like the geese, sheep and cat are from the Hovels catalog.  They are fun items which add a lot to your table top terrain.

St. David's Day

 

  " 1st March 1775;  This being St. David's Day the officers of the 23rd Regiment, or Royal Welch Fusiliers, dinned together according to the custom.  All the General & Staff Officers, the Admiral, and several other person's were invited to dine with the Regiment...."

From the diary of Lieutenant Frederick MacKenzie.

   The "custom" was on each Saint David's Day following dinner the regimental goat with the drummers and fifers are led around the mess table.  The drum major has a silver plate with raw leeks and the mess sergeant carries a loving cup filled with champagne. They halt by the newest joined officer who then stands on his chair with his left foot and places his right foot on the table and eats a leek while the drummers play a continuous roll.  Once he has consumed the leek he is handed the loving cup and before drinking toasts "And Saint David!"  All present who have not eaten a leek, including guests are expected to do so. Similar ceremonies occurs in the sergeants and the other ranks mess.  This custom, described as "ancient" in 1775  is still observed in peace and during war time up to the present time.

Painting 18th Century New England Houses

 

For those of you that may buy the historical New England  buildings from "Things from the Basement" and are curious how to paint  them here is some historical information I found.  The following information was from the Ipswich Historical Society web page.   The original article can be found here:   https://historicipswich.org/colors/)

This is a great guide they created to help home owners paint their older homes to stay within the colonial period.  Please consider that this guide is for New England.  Other regions of the colonies and Canada were different both in architecture and style.  Also that this is just a guide and not a definitive end all authority.  I have followed it in my painting for houses for my American Rev War and War of 1812 houses.  I post it here to explain why I did what I did and to help out others.  If you have different or other information please feel free to drop me a line.  I am always interested in learning more.

 COLONIAL AND FEDERAL period from 1640-1840. Paint was used on the three main parts of Colonial and Federal houses exteriors.  These were:

Body: the walls – usually clapboarded or shingled, sometimes boarded.

Trim: the decorative woodwork that framed the large wall surfaces and often the smaller elements such as windows and doors.

Sash: The movable elements – doors, windows, shutters.

Period houses rarely painted trim and sash in different colors and so were generally of two colors only; later styles often had three.

Colonial Period (1640-1780)

Architecture: asymmetry, verticality. 17th-century colors were derived from earth, stone or other natural pigments.

Body: clapboards, originally not painted or stained but weathered to dark brown. 

Trim: Unpainted or painted red/ brown to contrast with unpainted body.

Second Period or Georgian (1725-1780)

These houses favored stronger colors from naturally derived pigments. Colors imitating stone construction were popular exteriors, interiors were bolder and brighter than once thought.

Modest and rural houses often not painted. Strongly contrasted color schemes favored.

Body: dark stone colors, chocolates, orange, ochers, greys and reds.

Trim: Almost always white, but a softer, yellower white than today’s white. Cornices, window and door casings, cornerboards and molded details often simulated stone – pale grey, yellowish-white, very pale blue, sometimes with sand blown into the wet paint.

Doors: always dark color – chocolate, red, green or blue.

Roofs: occasionally red, chocolate or yellow

Federal Period (1780-1830)

Fashionable taste moved away from the more robust Georgian toward lighter colors: white, off-white, pale shades of stony gray, and ochre. Bright, clear tones in interiors, often in contrast with pale trim – creams, pumpkins, sage green, muted blues etc. The 1812 painting guide by Hezekiah Reynolds of CT advised a palette of “white, cream, straw, orange, pea-green, parrot green, grass green, red, slate and black.” Lighter colors were fashionable, but darker ones were still used for more traditional tastes. Contrasts were less marked than on Georgian houses.

Body: White, cream, straw were fashionable, but orange, pea-green, red, slate met more conservative, traditional tastes.

Trim: White, or sometimes the same color as the body. Shutters and doors were dark green or black.

House fronts were sometimes painted in fashionable, lighter (and more expensive) colors, while the back and/or the sides were in the more traditional, and cheaper, reds.

Rural houses were often unpainted until the middle of the 19th century