Chaaarlotte! It's the 49th of Foot!

Wales, no Hertfordshire, no, that was numbered 66th - Oh Devil! Na Ok, the Berkshire then, where the Hell came Charlotte in? Nevermind - It was formed 1744 in the War of Austrian Succession and after multiple re-branding and fused with others it became the 49th of Foot in 1751. In the American War of Independence it took part on White Plains (Huzzah!) later at Brandywine Creek and the subtle "night attack" at Paoli's Tavern (Italian Restaurants can be bad, sorry, Corsican).

The figures are from Foundry Miniatures the Flags are Flags of War.

The Hessians! Again!

After so much PAIN-ting of the above mentioned, I thought, I could treat myself a bit ...

"The Hessians are infamous in American history for their role as part of the British forces sent to crush the colonists‘ rebellion in 1776. Yet these German auxiliaries, or mercenaries were only one instance of a frequent military practice, approved by international jurists of the time and used by the British in all their eighteenth-century wars. This study (dealing with one of the six contingents known inaccurately as the Hessians) is the first to make extensive use of manuscript sources in Germany, Britain and America to put the Hessians in their historical context and to examine a number of the myths about them.  

Historians have viewed the Hessians as pipeclayed mercenaries brutally descending on a colonial populace or, alternatively, as young innocent farmboys pressed unwillingly into their prince's service and only too eager to desert and join the new American society. The evidence shows that such views are simplistic. The encounter of the Americans with the Hessian troops from a disciplined paternalistic society organised for war, with special thoroughness, was not merely the meeting of two military systems, but also of two ways of life, and is thus worthy of study in an age of conflict." (Rodney Atwood, The Hessians, 1980, CUP)

Start of the 1776 Winter Campaign!!!

New York has fallen, the Rebels are on retreat. Colonel McGraw is isolated on Fort Washington and The British Army under General Howe is following fast. Washington has withdrawn to some fortified positions around White Plains and is taunting Howe, battle is imminent.

The British can only control the Hudson and cut off Washington retreat if their ships can pass the forts (Lee and Washington) which are in the hands of the Rebels now. Howe decided to give Washington a battle first.

Some of the friends of the SESWC have agreed to commit to an AWI Black Powder campaign with me that has been long in waiting (my fault entirely).

The next steps will be the briefing of the Mayor-Generals / Brigadier-Generals and finding a suitable sunday game slot in the club.

The Campaign will start with the battle of the White plains or better the part of combat on Chatterton Hill as the rest was stuck in some stalemate before and behind the fortifications. Howe didn't want to risk a second Bunker Hill...

The British took New York and push further

The best Grenadier Battalion von Minnigerode...

... north of Hadrian's wall. The miniatures are, from Perry. The mix includes the grenadiers from the regiments von Dittfurth (yellow), Erbprinz (crimson), von Lossberg (orange) and von Knyphausen (black). The Battalion fought at Long Island, White Plains and the New Jersey campaign (the very reason I decided I have to have them!!), Fort Washington, Fort Lee, the second Trenton, Brandywine, Germantown, Fort Mercer, Monmouth, the Philadelphia campaign, New York and Charlston. 

The last Hessian is painted, I guess, I'm cured for a long time now.

Some assorted Madness ...

I normally don't do work-in-progress-posts, but this time I felt the need for some visual evidence that I make progress, to motivate myself. (all self therapy).

Bart gave me some wooden boxes and I prepared them, to keep the army token on-map and hidden from the prying eyes of the opponents in the campaign. I also printed the map as posters, to glue them on a message board.

I finished the 3rd part of the 3rd Hessian combined Grenadier Regiment von Minigerode and started the typical Hessian bed linen overalls for the von Lossbergs of the 3rd. I also prepared the 49th foot for  conveyer belt painting.

Next in line will be the "Schwarze Bande", which is basically the North-German part of the "Bande Nero" of the French-Italian wars, also (waiting) a small unit of German Reiters, early version with boar spears, continuing the Swiss Perry plastic metal project aaand maybe filling up some AWI American regiments.

I know.

the campaign map and the token boxes

the boxes on the inside to hold the tokens

part of my Hessians

front row the 3rd Gren. Regt . v. Minigerode

the von Lossberg Hessian Grenadier got their trousers

The 49th prepared for "red"

the "Schwarze Bande", I will hopefully have time for while the campaign is on.

The Reiters and some "Swiss"

Rest of AWIs and German troopers for the 1918 games ...