Camp vignette

  I picked up this very nice vignette from Perry Miniatures at Cold Wars too many years ago.  It went into my "to do" box and got forgotten about.  I recently found it and wondered why I had never painted it!

  The camp scene is a series of small set pieces.  Here is a woman cooking over a fire, while a soldier brings a barrel of water.  Two soldiers settle the problems of the world over a drink while another soldier gets his hair dressed.  The set is full of life and very charming.

  I decided to set it in my American camp.  The timing is 1776 around New York city.  The Continental Army is not yet field tested and their clothing has not acquired the campaign look from hard service.  One soldier is in a typical New England brown faced red coat.  The one getting his hair dressed is in the uniform of the famed Delaware regiment.  The women's clothing is very well done and unlike too many miniatures correct for the time period.  No "farbs" here!  It is also of a better quality then you may find in camp.  Hence my setting it around New York before the fighting starts.

   The two continental line soldiers holding a animated conversation reminds me of two old friends from the Park Service.  To me they look like Eric Olsen from Morristown NHP and Joe Craig from Saratoga NHP.  

Light Infantry battalions

  The 1st and 2nd battalions of Light Infantry 1776.  The "Light Bobs" are ready for the skirmish at Harlem Heights that I am planning later this year.

  In the meantime a couple pictures of these fine battalions.  All figures by Fife and Drum miniatures.

Grenadier battalions

   Now that I have my two battalions of Grenadiers finished I wanted to take a few pictures.  Here we have a short parade before Lord Cornwallis.

Two quotes about the Grenadier battalions at the Battle of Brandywine in 1777.

Nothing could be more dreadfully pleasing than the line moving on to the attack; the Grenadiers put on their Caps and struck up their march, believe me I would not exchange those three minutes of rapture to avoid ten thousand times the danger."
Lt William Hale, 45th Foot.

"(The) line moving on exhibited the most grand and noble sight imaginable.  The grenadiers beating their march as they advanced contributed greatly to the dignity of the approach."
Lt Martin Hunter, 52nd Foot

2nd Grenadier battalion

  Is there anything on the table top that is more inspiring then a battalion of Grenadiers?  I think not! Having starting my past reenactment career as a Grenadier (later as a Fusilier for a much longer time) I am very particular about Grenadier figures.

   Made up of the most veteran and best soldiers in the battalion, these companies were detached from their parent regiments and combined into special, elite battalions.  They were often used as assault troops or the van guard of attacks.  The distinctive tall bearskin cap added to their height and made them stand out.  Wings, strips of regimental lace were sewed on the shoulders to also set them apart uniform wise.

   The Fife and Drum miniatures Grenadiers  are uniformed as they might have appeared on campaign with shortened regimental coats and trousers.  Swords have been placed in storage and waistbelts worn over the shoulder or converted to shoulder belts.  At this time the grenadier cap was still being worn into battle.  These were light weight, with a tin front to give it it's shape and they could fold flat. For daily service they wore a fatigue cap, made from an old coat or a cocked hat with a white feather.  At the Battle of Brandywine the commander of the 2nd Grenadier battalion Colonel Meadows is reported to  address his soldiers by saying, "Grenadiers, put on your caps (bearskins); for fighting and drinking I'll match you against the world!"

   In 1776 the 2nd Grenadier battalion was commanded by Lt. Col. Monckton and included the following companies: 43rd (white), 44th (yellow), 45th (yellow), 46th (yellow), 49th(green), 52nd (buff), 55th(green), 64th(black), 1st and 2nd Marines(white).   

   And the Fife and Drum miniatures Grenadiers are some of the very best available today.  They look incredible and have a noble bearing to them.  Outstanding!  The only figures that give them a run for their money were the Edward Suren American Rev War Grenadiers  if you can find them today.

British Grenadier caps 1775 to 1783

Original Cap in Smithsonian museum.

 How can you be a American Rev War gamers and not have Grenadiers?  We all have them in our collections.  And a more noble sight on the table top there never was.  And while we all know Grenadiers were picked soldiers there may be something we do not really know much about.  That is their famous bearskin caps.  So here is a little bit of history about those caps.

  In the Royal Clothing Warrant of 1768 (which governed the uniforms worn during the Rev War period) the Grenadier caps are described:

  "The caps of the grenadiers to be of black bear-skin. On the front, the King's crest, of silver plated metal, on a black ground, with the motto, "Nec aspera terrent." A grenade on the back part, with the number of the regiment,on it. The royal regiments, and the six old corps, are to have the crest and grenade, and also the other particulars as hereafter specified. The badge of the royal regiments is to be white, and set on near the top of the back part of the cap. The height of the cap (without the bear-skin, which reaches beyond the top) to be twelve inches. "

 Once the new Royal Warrant was adopted regiments went about wearing out their old uniforms before obtain the new uniform.  The old Grenadier cap was a cloth mitre.  Some regiments continued to wear these untill worn out;  other regiments covered their cloth caps in bear skin to get a start on the new fashion.  The series of drawings of the 25th Regiment on Minorca island show the mixture of old and new uniforms.

  By 1775 the new bear skin covered Grenadier caps were standard equipment and the old make due items long gone.  There is a watercolor of a Fusilier of the 23rd Royal Welch Fusiliers on guard duty wearing his Fusilier cap in Boston done in 1775.

 The new Grenadier cap was light weight and folded flat.  It was constructed around a tin front plate which gave the cap it's outline and shape.  The bear skin was sewed around it.  Here are pictures of a original cap's various pieces to show how it was put together. Note the bear skin sewed in shape, the tin plate it is attached to and front plate to cover it.  There is a linen cap inside the cap and decorative cords outside.  The only part missing is the red wool covering the back.

   For daily wear Grenadiers would wear a cocked hat, sometimes with a white feather.  The Grenadier cap was worn for guard duty, parades and also into battle.  At the Battle of Brandywine the commander of the 2nd Grenadier battalion Colonel Meadows is reported to  address his soldiers by saying, "Grenadiers, put on your caps (bearskins); for fighting and drinking I'll match you against the world!"

British Marine Cap.  Photo from the British Marine reenactment group at
 https://britishmarines.blogspot.com/2013/06/1775-british-marine-grenadier-cap.html

   In the Royal Marine museum in Great Britan there is a original Marine Grenadier cap plate.  Slightly different from the 1768 plate it suggests there may have been more originality then once thought.

For more detailed information on the cap and it's construction I highly recommend the following article:

Military Collector and Historian
Vol. 46, No. 3 -- Fall 1994
The Grenadier's Bearskin Cap, 1768-1802: A Method of Construction,
by Linnea M. Bass and William W. Burke

Impudent Mortal and Things From The Basement houses

There are a lot of MDF type buildings in the market for table top wargamers.  These provide a nice looking and easy to build structure for your games.  But outside of pictures on a website how do they stack up?  Years ago many gamers worried over the size of a figure.  Would this new miniature fit with others in my collection?  The same could be said for terrain  and especially buildings.  So here is my attempt to give you a clue to how things look together.  It is a small sampling with just two comoanies:  Things From the Basement and Impudent Mortals.

  Here are some of my Fife and Drum miniatures Grenadiers and Light Infantry by a very nice colonial home by Impudent Mortal.  Funny sounding name but great buildings. These houses are of a "heroic" size , so may be slightly larger then other structures in your collections.  But they are outstanding.

 Unfortunately, visiting their website I found out the owner has passed away and the business is temporarily closed.  I am most sorry for his family at this time. 

  Here is the Captain William Smith House from Things From the Basement.  It is a great house and I am looking forward to more in the future. It is a little smaller then the other building as you can see. 

   What you do on your table is up to you. You look things over and pick what works or looks best to you.    I like both very much. Like in real life no two buildings are exactly the same.  In my neighborhood the same model homes are slightly different in size due to the builder wanting to save money!  My personal opinion? I will field them in the same table.  Possibly Not next to each other but I will use them together in the same village. 

 

Captain William Smith House (part 2)

  Now that I had assembled the house, how to paint it?  Most New England structures in the 18th century were stained a dark color to preserve the wood.  The bright colors may show up in trim.  The present colors of the Smith House are based on period records.  I intended to follow these and paint it a dark color but with red trim around the Windows and doors and white trim by the roof.

  After searching through my paints for just the right shade of brown, I remember a suggestion from John the OFM from The Miniatures pages.  Stain them.  Brilliant! I thought.  So I got out my citadel Agrax Earthshade and did the front, sides and back.  I think it looked very nice and to me looked like the actual stain on the house today.

  The roof was a light gray.  I highlighted it with white and added a few grey blue shingles for contrast.

  The red trim, doors and windows were done with craft paint.  They were a bit tricky and I taped around the edges as my hand is not as steady as it once was.  The foundation was rocks which I painted medium gray.  I added a little brown to the white trim so as not to be too bright.  Lastly the chimney was dry brushed red.

  All in all this was a fun kit to make and paint.  It makes a very nice structure for your table at a very reasonable price.  it is mostly easy to put together if you fit the parts together before gluing.  You could also change the paint job to get a different house out of it.  Lastly, for me it was a most happy walk down memory lane.  I sincerely hope this is the first of more historical houses  "Things From The Basement " make.

  Ranger Mark says go out and buy yourself one. Or buy two!   Highly recommended!