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Saturday, May 23, 2026

Hessian Artillery and General Officers, American Revolutionary War

Each Hessian Infantry regiment had 2 light 3pounder cannon attached to it. 


Amazingly, the carriages were painted white, with the spokes and metal work painted red (Hessian colors); quite a striking combination!

Reminds me of an early 20th century Carnival wagon!

The guns were served by members of the Feldartillerie Corps. They wore dark blue jackets with crimson cuffs, lapels, and turnbacks, with paille vests and breeches. In dress, the men's hats were trimmed with white lace, and the officer's hats were trimmed with gold lace.

Perry makes 3 German officers for the AWI, representing Generals Knypausen, Riedesel (a Brunswicker), and Stirn. 

I have painted the portly gentleman on the right as Stirn, wearing a kore or less standard Hessian General's uniform of this time.  He was a Hessian Brigade commander during the Revolutionary Wart. 

In the center is Knyphausen, who I have painted in the uniform of his Regiment, with black facings. He lead the attack by Hessian forces at Brandywine. 

The final figure is von Riedesel, painted in the uniform of a Brunswick general. He and his Brunswickers were a major portion of the troops serving under General Burgoyne in the ill-fated Saratoga campaign. 

11 comments:

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    1. Certainly no mistaking them for anyone else's ordonnance! :-)

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  2. Lovely work, the gun carriage is really different, really nice. Great work on the crew and the commanders.

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    1. Thanks, Donnie. I like it so much I'm thinking maybe the Hessians deserve another artillery unit! :-)

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  3. Some more lovely work Peter and I would certainly stick close to the gunners if their role was as described - "The gins were served by members of the Feldartillerie Corps" - sorry to point out your typo, but it made me smile!

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    1. "Eh, would you be having a twist or an Olive with your gin, Sir?"
      Fixed that and a few more typos, but I'm glad it brought a smile to your face, just as it would have the men being so served! :-)

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  4. Peter, your comment on the Hesse-Cassel artillery carriage colours is the reaction most people have! I painted one of my Imagi-Nation states artillery in the same colours which led to them being christened "Zikus cannonen" under their impresario Wilhelm Pffifig....
    https://aufklarungsabteilung.blogspot.com/2022/10/an-even-bigger-boom.html
    Neil

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    1. That's quite a striking artillery park, Neil! Proof that History can be every bit as fantastic as the imagination, if not more! Couldn't come up with any Pffifig references, although pfiffig is a German adjective meaning cunning or clever, which sound like it's rather suitable anyway!

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    2. Peter - it was a play on "Smart" - Billy Smart's Circus was a UK circus outfit:
      https://www.circopedia.org/Billy_Smart

      Neil

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  5. A very good looking set of Generals. That gun carriage looks great.

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  6. That is a spectacular looking gun carriage. Looks like it has come straight from the circus caravan. My Hessian gun carriages are painted a more somber blue-gray.

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