More Early Troiani Battle Paintings

  Back in day (1972-76) I eagerly awaited the arrival in my local library of the latest edition of American Heritage.  This was a hard bound magazine with always interesting articles on American History.  I was esp impressed by a series on battles of the American Revolution that featured a battle painting of some incident during that action as well as a couple uniform figures.  These were done by a new young artist named Don Troiani.  Although familiar to most of us now, back then he was the new kid on the block.  His style of painting was much different then today,; less realistic but with great charm.  And the uniform details were amazing to someone just studying the period and learning about it. The battles he did were outstanding.  I think Fort Griswold and White Plains were my favorite.

Interestingly through my friends in a reenactment group (the 43rd Regiment/2nd Pennsylvania regiment:  Hello Tom and Mark Vogley!) I not only knew people who were models for his paintings but once quickly got to met him.    Since then I have always had a affection for his early work much more then his newer more realistic work.  So recently it was fun to find on the internet a bunch of his battle studies from these works.   I am posting them here for mine and others enjoyment.  Because they are displayed in the book the entire picture is divided by binding.  Then I will be adding details from them.

Lexington and Concord

Fort Griswold:

Guilford Courthouse:

White Plains:

Brandywine

How was the march conducted?

 

  On the afternoon of April 19, 1775  Ensign DeBerniere, 10th Reg’t of Foot, wrote “…we began the march to return to Boston, about twelve o’clock in the day, in the same order of march, only our flankers were more numerous and further from the main body… "

     How on April 19, 1775 was march  to Concord and back to Boston performed by Lt. Col. Smith and later Lord Percy?   It is interesting that the two men took similar but slightly different approaches to the problem.  Where would the officers get inspiration or suggestions on how to conduct this march?  Although there were few colleges or schools for officers at the time, there were a great number of books which appear again and again in military libraries.  These "how to books" gave advice and suggestions for young officers to learn their trade.

   One of the most  influential military books of the 18th Century was “A Treatise of Military Discipline” by Colonel Humphrey Bland.   Officers learned how to be a commander by reading text books.  This book shows up in the libraries of numerous officers in the British and also American  Army officers libraries at the start of the American Revolution;   including George Washington;  who's personal library included Humphrey Bland "A Treatise of Military Discipline (9th ed., London, 1762)"; Lancelot Théodore, comte de Turpin de Crissé, "An Essay on the Art of War, translated by Capt. Joseph Otway" (London, 1761); Roger Stevenson, "Military Instructions for Officers Detached in the Field" (Philadelphia, 1775); Captaine de Jeney, "The Partisan: or, The Art of Making War in Detachment," translated by J. Berkenhout (London, 1760); and William Young, Manœuvres, or Practical Observations on the Art of War "(London, 1771).

  What did these books tell us in how to conduct a march?  Let us quotes from Bland who had a chapter entitled “…Marching of a Regiment of Foot, or a Detachment of Men, where there is a Possibility of their being Attacked by the Enemy.”  He suggested forming a strong "van guard" and a "rear guard." The purpose of the van-guard was “to reconnoiter, or view, every place where any number of men can lie concealed, such as woods, copses, ditches, hollow ways, straggling houses, or villages, through which you are to march or pass near…” The rear-guard was “to take up all the soldiers who shall fall behind the regiment” and to provide security for the rear of the column and prevent it from “being fallen upon (attacked) in the rear, before they have notice to prepare for their defense.”  In addition “small parties, commanded by sergeants, marching on the flanks (sides) of the battalion with orders to examine all the hedges, ditches and copses which lie near the road…" 

  Lt. Col. Smith organized his march to Concord with the combined  ten Light Infantry companies* first followed by the eleven Grenadier ** companies.  As they got closer to Lexington he detected six Light Infantry companies to march ahead of the column and capture the bridges in Concord.  

  It is known from the statement of private James Marr 4th light company that there was a "advanced guard of a sergeant and six or eight men."   In addition a number of volunteers who went out with the march joined the advanced guard as we know from the account of  Lt. William Sutherland.   

  Within the column how did the individual companies form?  According to  Captain William Souter who commanded the Marine light company;  "our companies were not able to march more then half of its  front on the open road, or more properly speaking, in two platoons, the second in the rear of the first."

   Brigadier General Hugh Earl Percy who led the reinforcements  that afternoon had been commanding his Brigade for over a year now.  On a number if occasions he marched the entire Brigade out if Boston into the countryside for exercise.   Lt. Frederick MacKenzie of the 23rd Royal Welch Fusiliers, who marched with Percy, wrote that the brigade “… marched in the following order, Advanced guard of a captain and 50 men; 2 six-pounders, 4th Reg’t, 47th Reg’t, 1st Bttn of Marines; 23rd Reg’t, Rear guard of a Captain and 50 men.” This tactic was straight out of Bland’s Treatise.  In the Lord Percy papers there is a drawing of a march by the 1st Brigade.  The drawing is a brilliant illusion of how to conduct a march with advanced guards and flankers. 

 

* light infantry companies- 4th, 5th, 10th, 23rd, 38th, 43rd, 47th 59th and 1st and 2nd Marines.

** Grenadier companies - 4th, 5th, 10th, 18th, 23rd, 38th, 43rd, 47th, 59th and 1st and 2nd Marines.

The British Army in Boston: Order of Battle, April 18, 1775

    

Commander in Chief and Staff

Lieutenant General the Hon. Thomas Gage (Colonel, 22nd Foot), commander in chief 

Major General Frederic Haldimand (Colonel commandant, 2nd Battalion, 60th, or Royal American Regiment), second in command

Col. James Robertson, Barrack Master General

Major Stephen Kemble, Deputy Adjutant General

Major William Shirreff, Deputy Quartermaster General

Lieut. Harry Rooke, 4th foot, Aide de Camp

Capt. Brehm, Aide de Camp

Capt. Oliver De Lancey, 17th Light Dragoons, Aide de Camp

Samuel Kemble, Esqr., Confidential Secretary

1st Brigade

Brigadier: the Rt. Hon. Hugh, Earl Percy (Colonel, 5th Foot)

4th Regiment of Foot, or the King’s Own (Lt. Col. George Maddison)

23rd Regiment of Foot, or the Royal Welch Fusiliers (Lt. Col. Benjamin Bernard)

47th Regiment of Foot (Lt. Col. William Nesbitt)

1st Battalion, British Marines (Major John Pitcairn)

2nd Brigade

Brigadier: Robert Pigot (Lt. Col., 38th Foot)

5th Regiment of Foot (Col. the Hon. Hugh Earl Percy)

38th Regiment of Foot (Lt. Col. Robert Pigot)

52nd Regiment of Foot (Lt. Col. Valentine Jones)

3rd Brigade

Brigadier: Valentine Jones (Lt. Col., 52nd Foot)

10th Regiment of Foot (Lt. Col. Francis Smith)

43rd Regiment of Foot (Lt. Col. George Clerk)

59th Regiment of Foot (Lt. Col. Ortho Hamilton)

18th Regiment of Foot, 3 companies (Capt. John Shea)

65th Regiment of Foot, 2 companies (senior officer unknown)

Troops not brigaded in garrison, Castle William, Boston harbor

64th Regiment of Foot (Lt. Col. the Hon, Alexander Leslie)

4th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Artillery (Col. Samuel Cleveland)

35 Battery (Capt. William Martin)

38 Battery (Capt. Lt. W. Orcher Huddlestone)

39 Battery (Capt. Anthony Farrington)

42 Battery (Capt. Lt. Robert Fenwick)

British Marines, shipboard detachments (Adm. Samuel Graves)

Royal Engineers (Capt. John Montresor)

SOURCES:

 Thomas Gage, Distribution of His Majesty’s Forces in America,” July 19, 1775, Gage Correspondence, II, 690; Gage to Richard Rigby, July 8, 1775, with enclosure, “List of General and Staff Officers on the Establishment in North America, from 25th December 1774 to 24th June, 1775,” ibid., II, 687-89.

 Vincent J.-R. Kehoe, “We Were There!” April 19, 1775 (mimeographed typescript, 1974), vol. I,

11-27; Barker, British in Boston, 9, 11; Mackenzie, Diary, I, 8; Regimental Rosters, Muster Books and Pay Lists, W012/2194-7377, PRO

Lexington Green Diorama Update

 

  Back in 2020 I posted a out the diorama of the fight on Lexington green.  This weekend Janine and I stopped by to see it in person.  They have built a nice new case for it and it gets its own display room in the visitor center in Lexington.  

 

 There is a nice new display case around it.  Above and below are drawings of it and a key which identified the individuals.  This makes it easy to follow and very informative.  Unfortunately there are windows opposite it which reflects the light against it and makes taking pictures difficult.

 

   It was made by John Scheid in the early 1960's.    His technique for making the British Grenadier caps look like fur still amazes me.  There is a very nice write up about him and better pictures of the diorama in Peter Blum's book "Military Miniatures" The Odyssey Press, New York, 1964.

 

As a very young boy I was thrilled to discover an exciting diorama of the Battle of Lexington Green in my public library.  My parents would drop me off at the library and after getting a arm full of books I would stand in wonder in front of it.

"They came three thousand miles and died..."

 

   If there is a single date in American history that is familiar to everyone, it is April 19, 1775.  Either through Longfellow 's poem about Paul Revere's Ride, or Emerson's "Shot Heard Round the World", or as the day that started America's War for Independence it is still remembered.  Close to a million visitors a year come to Concord Massachusetts to visit the reconstructed North Bridge and Daniel Chester French's Minute Man statue.  Most also pause by the humble grave of the British soldiers killed at the bridge to read the haunting beautiful words of James Russell Lowell;

                 " They came three thousand miles and died,

                    To keep the past soon it's throne;

                    Unheard beyond the ocean tide,

                     Their English mother have her moan. "

    But the question, how many are buried there and what were their names is unanswered.  In this short article I will attempt to answer that question.

   The British column that came to Concord marched from Boston about 1:00 in the morning of April 19, 1775.  Made up of ten companies of Light Infantry and eleven companies of Grenadiers, about 600 to 700 men, they were to destroy the munitions and supplies gathered by the Provincial Congress in Concord.  The march had been uneventful until the British advanced guard arrived in Lexington.  There shots were exchanged with the Lexington Militia company;  eight militia men were killed and ten others wounded.  The British pushed on and arrived at concord about 7:30 AM.  There the majority of troops set about destroying the supplies they could locate.  Seven light infantry companies, commanded by Captain Lawrence Parson of the 10th Regiment were sent to secure the North Bridge and search Colonel James Barrett's house for supplies.  Captain  Parson dropped off three companies to hold the bridge and took the remaining four companies of the force to Colonel Barrett's house.  Captain Walter Laurie of the 43rd Light Infantry company commanded the small force at the bridge consisting of his own company as well as those  of the 4th and 10th light infantry companies.

Colonel James Barrett House

  During this time the Concord companies of Militia and Minute Men, joined by the Lincoln Minute Men company had left the town, crossed the bridge and retired to a hill one mile north of the bridge.  There they soon received reinforcements as both individuals and complete companies arrived from neighboring towns.  About 9:00 A.M. Feeling strong enough with about 450 men, and wishing to learn more about what was happening in the town they marched towards the bridge.  On a hillside overlooking the bridge referred to as the "muster field " they halted and waited. From here they could observe the British at the bridge and see the roofs of Concord.   The British 10th company retired down the hill from the muster field to join the 4th at the road junction to Barrett's farm.  Both companies soon retired to the North bridge.  Captain Laurie sent for reinforcements to assist his 90 - 100 soldiers.  The colonists were concerned about what was happening in town;  Laurie with how to handle the overwhelming numbers against him.

   Rising over the town of concord, easily seen from the muster field was a cloud of smoke. What the colonists could not know was this was from some cannon carriages that were being burned.  They thought it was the town that was being burned.  Forming the troops into two divisions;  Minute Men companies in front, and Militia companies following the colonists marched down towards the bridge in a silent, disciplined column. Captain Laurie first deployed his command on the west bank with his back to the bridge.  Then, as the colonists drew closer he ordered his command to retire by divisions to the eastern side of the bridge placing the bridge between him and the advancing enemy.  Conflicting accounts prevent us from knowing exactly what happened next.  It seems possible that the British skirmishers along the banks opened fire with a scattered fire that killed two men from Acton leading the column.  Both sides then fired, with the British suffering heavy casualties.  and then breaking and running back towards the town.  About half the colonists pursed for a short distance before retiring back up towards the muster field to rejoin the rest of the command.  Captain Parson and his companies arrived at the bridge about an hour after the fight and recrossed  with no incident.  About 12:00 the British left concord to return to Boston. A trip that would see a running fight from concord to Charlestown before the day was finished.

North Bridge fight diorama.

    How many British soldiers were killed, what company did they come from and who were they?

   Ensign Lister, attached to the 10th company thought that "4 men of the 4th" were killed.  Captain Laurie if the 43rd and Lieutenant Baker of the 4th both states three killed.  General Thomas Gage , in letters to Governor's Trumbull and Dunmore stated "...killed three men...". Lieutenant Colonel Francis Smith, in command of the expedition in his report to Gage said that "...they scalped and otherwise ill treated one or two of the men who were either killed or severely wounded... "  Lieutenant William Sutherland, a volunteer from the 38th Regiment who participated at the fight stated that there were two killed at the bridge;  but thought they had been with him in the field to the left of the bridge.   Although they were not at the bridge fight, being with Captain Parson on the march to Barrett's Captain John Battier of the 5th light company wrote down the observation of a corporal and four privates from his company.  When they marched over the bridge after the fight they saw a dead man from the 4th light company who had been mutilated.

   What can we deduce from the available evidence?  Lister was the only one to say four men were killed.  He wrote long after the event from memory, and was severely wounded.  So the number of men dead might have been a slip of memory.  Sutherland thought two were killed.  He had also been wounded at the bridge, and might have been thinking of only those left behind when the command routed.  He suggests but never states for certain they might have come from the 43rd, who were assigned to the flanks.  Yet Captain Battier supports Lister's statement that the dead came from the 4th.  Both Smith and Sutherland thought two were left at the bridge.  Unfortunately Battier does not confirm this, as he was concerned only about the state of one of the bodies.  Smith, as commander probably talked the matter over with all the officers present, and put together that two men were killed and probably left at the bridge and the third died later in town.  That the dead came from the 4th makes sense because they were the company in the front position facing the Colonists.

   The pay rolls for the 4th Regiment of Foot are in existence.  The roll closest to April 19th is dated 24 April.   In the light infantry company four men are listed as having been killed in 19 April; privates Thomas Smith, Patrick Gray, James Hall and James Marr.  Interestingly, James Marr as a prisoner in Concord give a deposition to the Provincial Congress dated April 24, 1775.   He is not in Boston when the roll is taken, but is a prisoner.  He might have been wounded when taken prisoner, or used the chance to "go over the hill.". No matter, he's alive as if April 24.  As our sources suggest three men from the 4th light infantry company were killed, with two of them being buried at the bridge and one in the town center of Concord it appears that our mystery is as close to being solved as can be with the little information on hand at this late date.  Privates Thomas Smith, Patrick Gray and James Hall were killed at the bridge fight with two of them buried at the bridge and the other in a unmarked grave somewhere in Concord.  

In 2002 the National Park Service placed grave markets at all know locations along the Battle Road where British soldiers were buried.  My job was to research possible locations.   This paper was part of this research.

Note:  copyright @ by Mark Nichipor