Spartan Militia Regiment Flag

 

Here is some exciting news.  Thank you for Bill on the Fire & Drum miniature board for bringing this to my attention.  The Museum of the American Revolution has on display a Militia flag from the Spartan SC regiment.  There are so few colors still in existence that any new one adds to our knowledge.  And this one is amazing!  Pictures on this post are all from the Museum of the American Revolution.

Here is the blurb from the museum about it:

"after being hidden away for more than two centuries, this flag is on public display at the Museum for the first time since it flew over the regiment during the Revolutionary War. The newly discovered flag is one of fewer than half a dozen surviving Revolutionary War flags from the South. The regimental flag of the 2nd Spartan Regiment marked its position on the battlefield. The flag shows a “spartan dog” as well as a rattlesnake. The dog symbolizes a bloodthirsty man, from a reference in Shakespeare’s Othello. The snake appears in many Middle and Southern colonial images as an American symbol of defense. Revolutionaries often used the rattlesnake to symbolize American resistance, but questions remain about the meaning of the snake and the dog. Does the snake represent American resistance and unity or the British threat? Does the Spartan dog represent scrappy South Carolinians or bloodthirsty redcoats and loyalists?"

Most interesting!  Recently I had considered not giving militia units colors.  I will have to reconsider this.

For comparison here is a modern reconstruction of the colors of the 2nd South Carolina Regiment of the Continental line.  Some similarities.

Next Project: Anthony Wayne's Pennsylvania Division 1777.

 

  Inspired by my recent outing to Historicon and reading Keith's blog Bydand I am setting off on a mission.  Not that I need any more regiments in my American Rev War army but plan on adding another Continental line division, Anthony Wayne's Pennsylvania Division in 1777.  This will consist of two brigades of four battalions each.  Uniforms are a mixture of Brown and Blue regimental coats with area hunting shirts mixed in.  This unit took part in the 1777 fighting at Brandywine, Paoli and Germantown.  With a number of additions but mostly subtraction to stayed mostly together till the end of the war and had a admirable service record.  

  One thing about this project is I plan on seriously cutting down on my unused lead pile.  Going through unpainted figures I discovered I have a number of unfinished regiments, left over figures and bunches of not yet painted figures.  I should be able to get almost the entire division out of these.  

Order of battle I am working from with approximately number of figures per battalion.  This includes the battalion commander, number of figures based around a 10:1 ratio and possible uniform.  I say possible because with all the conflicting information these are what I picked.  

Wayne's  Pennsylvania Division 1777

 Colonel Thomas Hartley Brigade (850 men) 

1st Pennsylvania Regiment (Colonel James Chambers) (24) brown faced green

2nd Pennsylvania Regiment, ( Major William Williams) (20) brown faced white

7th Pennsylvania Regiment, ( Lieutenant Colonel David Grier) (24) blue faced white

10th Pennsylvania Regiment, ( Lieutenant Colonel Adam Hubley) (20) brown faced red, red vest.

Colonel Richard Humpton Brigade (900 men). 

4th Pennsylvania Regiment, ( Lieutenant Colonel William Butler) (24) brown faced blue

5th Pennsylvania Regiment,( Colonel Francis Johnston) (24) blue faced white, blue waistcoat

8th Pennsylvania Regiment, (Colonel Daniel Brodhead)(24) Brown faced red

11th Pennsylvania Regiment, ( Major Francis Mentges) (20) blue faced red

Now, one item I have wrestled with is the number of figures per battalion.  I have taken the numbers for the 1777 campaign and worked out a 10:1 ration.  This involved rounding up or down and combining two under strength units.  Usually in my other armies I have used a standard number of figures per battalion.  Numbers for the Crown Forces historically was much higher per battalion.  In my armies I have used 32 figures per battalion for them.  I am a little concerned about small 20 figure American battalions when matched up against larger Crown ones. Will they be over run quickly or will more American battalions per game even things out?   Out of curiosity what would you my readers suggest?  Mixed battalions of 20 and 24 figures or a standard American battalion of 24 figures each.  Please let me know!

Historicon wrap up

 

  I am back home from Historicon and it was outstanding.  But, guess my age is showing as it took me a day to recover from all the excitement.  Here are a few additional highlights from the three days.

Venture miniatures.  A fantastic miniature company.  The figures are very much like the old Suren Willie figures.  Jude Becker has gotten the figures and molds that David Wilson dud a few years ago.  David studied figure making from Edward Suren himself and his figures are a perfect match for them.  They are full of charm and character.  The range is mid 18th century and has British and French troops.  In addition there are great civilians figures.  More figures are being added.

There web page is at https://www.ventureminiatures.com

Jude Becker and Alexander Burns

At the Venture both I had the pleasure to meet and talk with Alexander Burns.  A great historian he hosts the Kabinettskriege blog site which is a treasure drive of magnificent writing on 18th century military topics.  If you have not visited it I highly recommend you do.  Alex is a great personally and meeting him was a highlight of my week. 

https://kabinettskriege.blogspot.com

 

 Jim's Pickett's Charge game gas been described in a previous post.  What i did not mention were the great little mini diorama scattered throughout the battlefield.   Here are a few.

  Another amazing looking game.  "Tora! Tora! Tora!". The attack on Pearl Harbour.  The table was a incredible map of the harbour itself with all major ships represented.  All players are on the Japanese side and command attack aircraft.  I confess I was both fascinated by it and also bothered.  But the game did look incredible and the game master put an incredible amount if work into it.  

The Battle of Bennington during the American Revolution

The Moby Dick game again!

Remember The Alamo!

And finally, in the midst of various games and battle this individual could find a quiet place to read

Pickett's Charge Game

 

Jim setting up the game

 I was lucky enough to get into the gigantic Pickett's Charge game put on by Jim Purky on Saturday.  Like his Khartoum game last year it was big, it was fun and it was an outstanding experience.  Three long tables, hundreds of 54mm figures and lots of little hidden diorama and fun items.

   The game was held on three separate tables.  The union defenders on one tabke, the Confederate on another and a third in between.  This really gave you the impression of the distance those soldiers has to march.

My command

There were four players per side, each commanding a brigade.  I was on the Union side, commanding Harrow's Brigade; 1st brigade, 2nd Division, 2nd Corps. .  It was positioned just to the left of the angle where historically Armestead broke through.  The rules used were simple and easy to pick up.  This is really what you want from a convention game. I will mention rules as we go along.

The Union line

the middle table and the turnpike and fences

The Confederate starting point

  The game started with a Confederate bombardment.  They got to roll for each battery twice and then the Confederate guns went silent for the rest of the game.  This was to represent the low on artillery ammunition problem they had.  In the game you rolled I d6 per gunner and hit on a 6 at long range ( medium range 16" to 48"  hit on a 5 or 6 and short range up to 16" hit on a 4,5 or 6).   Not a lot of casualties because were being stone walls and the southerners rolled poorly.

  WIth that the masses of grey troops started there advance.  And the union gunners started there bombardment of them.  Movement was very generous at 18" plus d6.  So many units were marching at 24" at a time!

 In the center table was a long road with a sturdy fence on both sides of it.  The Confederate troops had to stop after crossing the first rails then lost half movement after the second.  A little speed bump and a little time for extra artillery fire at them.

  During thus time most of the Union forces stayed put behind the stone wall and let the artillery do its work.  

  Except on the right flank!  There the brigade of infantry and artillery marched forward!  Look, lots of rules have unusual command reaction gimmicks.  I never cared for them because players do the earnest things.  Like advance from cover to engage the enemy!

Except it wasn't as crazy as it first sounds.  The Confederates were stoped at the fence line and were delayed for two moves.  So the Union forces could move into close range and blast away.  This worked well for a while but in the end the Union regiments were sent tumbling back to their original lines.

By this time most of the Confederate forces had made it over the fences and were within a move of closing with the Union line.  Casualties were mounting.  About thus time the Confederate commander on the far right flank left the game to go to the rest room and pick something up.  For the next couple turns his Brigade stated under cover and didn't move.  We all thought he had left.  But we were wrong.

  The Confederate center charged into the Union center.  Close range fire was deadly with hits on a 4,5 or 6. But enough Southerners got through the hut the walls.  To my right a single Confederates Regiment broke through.  I managed to turn back two regiments.  But a third Regiment broke through.  A word on close combat.  You throw a dice for every two figures.  Confederates hit in a 4,5 or 6;  Union on a 5 or 6.  The side who list the most figures retreats and tests morale.  The victory doesn't gave to test.  

On the far Confederate right the missing player returned!   Out of the woods cane a fresh Confederate  Brigade that swept all before it.  Boy were we surprised!

At this point the game was called.  Since the Confederates had broken through in two places.  Personally another turn I feel would have the Union plugging the gap in the center but our left flank was definitely gone.  So it was deemed a Confederate victory.    Well played all and a magnificent effort and very fun game.