Lee's Legion Infantry 1781

 

A few years ago I painted up "Light Horse" Harry Lee and his Legion.  Although very happy with the cavalry I was less so with the infantry.  In reorganizing my forces I decided to redo the infantry element.  

The 2nd Partisan Corp or as it's better known name,  Lee's Legion was formed in April 1778 when it was detached from the 1st Continental Light Dragoons.  Through its commander, "Light Horse" Harry Lee and his memoir the Legion's service is one of the better known regiments during the American Revolution.  As to if it was an elite unit, that is up to the reader to decide. But what is not debatable is it could be, at times as ruthless as the British Legion with whom it fought. It was a very active part of Greene's army and played a prominent role in his campaign. Incidentally, Lee's  memoir was written partly to adress the controversy over Lee's action at Eutaw Springs.  His son, Robert E. Lee would continue the defense of his father in later editions of the book.

  I understand that suggesting Lee's Legion were not dressed in green coats might go against current  practice.  This color combination  is usually suggested by

 Lee's ambush of Pyle's loyalists.  Lee himself in his memoir says they were dressed similar to the British Legion in green.  (Please note the memoirs were published long after events and have been questioned in numerous details).  When I painted them up I bucked tradition and used the painting of Lee himself in a tan/brown faced green coat. I feel thus might be a more accurate presentation.  Again, my opinion only and I wouldn't criticize another interpretation.

In addition I also used the following quote from private Shaw of the 33rd regiment of foot. He was captured just prior to Guilford Courthouse and wrote later:

"Scarcely had we gone half way up the lane, when seven of Lee's light horse made their appearance: my companion swore there was Tarleton's light horse coming, and, says he, ‘we shall be taken up on suspicion of plundering, and get 500 lashes a piece.' ‘No;' said I, upon observing their brown coats, and white cockades, ‘no, friend, you are deceived; these must be the rebels.' Having therefore discovered his mistake, he began to cry;--but for my part, I thought it very good fortune.—As they were advancing towards us, we concluded to go and meet them; which we accordingly did, and falling on our knees begged for quarter; which they granted ….

 The Infantry of the Legion are much more of an mystery.  I think the evidence suggests the Legion infantry had a different uniform from the mounted element. There was an issue of enough cloth to three officers to make coats of blue faced red and lined white (see p40 Katcher Uniforms of the Continental Army). This was from the clothier general of Maryland in 1782.  There is also a portrait of an officer of the Legion Infantry,  Lieutenant Laurence Manning who was shown in a blue coat faced red with silver lace.

  So I feel confident the Infantry element of the legion in 1781 at least we're in standard blue faced red coats.  There is no evidence of helmets issued so I outfitted my infantry in standard infantry uniform. Please feel free to disagree.

  For my table top Legion I have once again used the most excellent figures from Brigade miniatures for the Infantry of the Legion.  I have been going through my box of extra and left over figures to fill out my collection as of late.

 The flag for the Legion is much more questionable so I have not added one.  There are some sources that suggest one but I am unsure of the documentation.  If better information comes available later to convince me I will add it then.  

And now I look forward to Lee tangling with Tarleton in the battle of the legions on my table top!

A unusual command figure

I needed a command figure for one of my Rifle regiments .  One of the rules sets I regularly use allowed skirmishers to snipe at a battalion's command.  Devastating small arms casualties could also possibly kill them.  Thus creates morale issues for that battalion.  But what figure to use?

Going through my box of left over figures I passed by various officer types.  Doesn't work I thought.  Then he jumped out at me!  Perhaps influence by Eric's 1798 Irish rebellion games and that crafty Jesuit Father Carol (A very well know individual on TMP).  Perhaps it was the Rev. Caldwell yelling "Give em Watts boys" * at the battle of Springfield NJ.  Or the southern Baptist at Huck's Defeat.  Could it be the  Mad Padre from his blog which I greatly enjoy transported back in time?  

No matter he seemed the perfect figure to march with my "Over The Mountain" riflemen who are going to chastise Patrick Ferguson at Kings Mountain.

*During the battle, according to tradition the Rev Caldwell took copies of the old Watts hymnals  from the church and gave them to the troops to use as cartridge paper.  

Kirkwood's Delaware Light Infantry

 

  Following the disaster to the American Army at the Battle if Camden 1780 the famed Delaware regiment was reduced to two companies of infantry.  One was commanded by Captain Jaquett and was assigned to the Maryland Regiment.  The other, commanded by Captain Robert Kirkwood is used as a light infantry company.  Although attached to the famous Maryland-Delaware light infantry battalion at the Battle if Cowpens 1781, it served otherwise throughout Greene's campaigns as a independent light company.  The small company if about 100 men saw service at Guilford Courthouse, Hobkirk Hill and Eutaw Springs.  If you are building Greene's southern army 1781 you need thus unit!

A Don Trioni impression of the Delaware Infantry

The Delaware regiment was attached to the Maryland line and supplied through that colony.  Both before and after the Battle of Camden they were issued blue regimental coats faced red and white small clothes.  Interestingly the officers from Maryland in October 1781 were issued blue and red wool to be made into regimental coats and waist coats.   During the summer if 1781 Greene obtained hunting shirts for the Continental line as a summer uniform.  Traditionally the Delaware regiment had yellow trim to their cooked hats.  

The Company of Military Historians issued a plate in their uniform series depicting a soldier of Kirkwood as company dressed in a yellow trimmed cocked hat, hunting shirt and striped overalls.  No sources are cited.  All issues if overalls to Greene's army appear to be if brown linen or osnaberg materials.

Company of Military Historian plate of Colonel Hall's Delaware Regiment .

 For more information on the uniforms I highly recommend the following article:

Babits, Lawrence E. " Supplying the Southern Army March 1780 to September 1781."

Military Collector and Historian, vol. 47, no. 4 (winter 1995).

For my miniature Delaware company I am painting them in blue regimental coats faced red with yellow trimmed cocked hats.  The figures are from Old Glory miniatures second edition.  I will be mixing brown and tan overalls as well as some unlocked hats to give a field impression of the mixed nature of supplies as well as soldier improvement to their uniforms.  

Final painting push of 2020

 

  I have been preoccupied with family and personal issues for the past couple weeks so have fallen behind in writing and answering replies to my blog.  Now that things have slightly improved I will be posting more regularly.  Thank you for your patience.

Going through my boxes of unpainted lead I  come up with figures for four units I need to add to my  American Revolution collection.  These are Kirkwood's Delaware light infantry (1781),  the infantry for Light Horse Harry Lee's Legion (1781), the Maryland Delaware light infantry battalion (1781) and Haslet's Delaware Regiment (1776).  These are at present on the painting table and primed and ready to go.  more information on the unit histories and figures used will follow.

Happy Thanksgiving

 

Edward Suren "Willie" miniatures

 

In cleaning out The drawers and storage boxes on my painting table I found a small group of 30mm Suren figures.  I had started  working on them back in the late 1980's and like too many projects they fell to the way side.  Curse that butterfly effect!

I have always found the Edward Suren miniatures to be outstanding, and after all these years they have not lost their charm.  I really like them and hope to fund the money to add some regiments to my collections.  I do wonder after all these  years how the molds have held up and what the castings look like today.

As an aside during a trip to Great British in the early 1980's I visited the Black Watch Museum.  I was most excited to see the Suren  diorama about the attack on Fort Ticonderoga.  It was amazingly detailed and the staff was most amused after an hour there I was still looking at it.   Unfortunately none of the pictures I took came out so I have no visual memory if it.  I do wonder if it is still there and what condition it is in.  Also, if any readers of this blog know if the location of any other Edward Suren dioramas please let me know as we are planning a visit to Great British 

New Rivers, a wonderful gift

I received an incredible surprise the other day.  In response to a post I made here and on the Fife and Drum Miniature forum I received a new set of rivers for my table set up.  These were made by Bill Nevins who runs Kings Mountain miniatures.  Bill makes incredible terrain and the terrain of his bases for figures. Tgey are diorama like in quality.  Turns out Bill was working in making roads for one of his displays and took up this as a challenge.  Can I make something like this?

There are two sets of rivers.  The largest is 6" wide and about 12' long.  It includes a number of pie shaped pieces to add twists and turns.  There us also a section with a ford and another section with a smaller stream branching off from it.  Then there are. A number of smaller streams about 2" wide.  More then enough for any game.  

Basic canvas with chalk applied.

Then painted blue and gloss added.

The rivers were made from stretched canvas that artists use for painting on.  Acrylic caulk is then spread over the canvas and painted with acrylic gloss paint.  I asked for a very deep dark blue but you can use any color really.  Lastly it us given A couple of coats of gloss medium.  Smaller details like highlighting and a few dashes of white to represent waves add to the effect. The fords have small islands on them.  They are covered in a static grass.  

Most of the pieces layer out.

A big piece with a narrow stream branching off of it.

A wide and a narrow river ford.  

I like these very much and in the future will be seeing much use on my table.  they are a very flexible system which is just what I was looking for.  Bill mentioned that this system can also be used for making roads.  

Thank you Bill!

Crossing the River.

Get off my lawn