British Grenadiers #2 - American Revolutionary War

 

Back to some of the units I have already painted but hadn't been able to post yet!

Tjhese are Brigade Games Figures, and are drawn form the second group of my British regulars.  

Three figures each from the 64th (Black facings), 52nd (Buff),  9th (Yellow), and Guards (Dark Blue). 

The flag with the Grenade emblem is from the Guards, by Adolfo Ramos. 

When e’er we are commanded
To storm the palisades
Our leaders march with fuses,
And we with hand grenades;
We throw them from the glacis
About the enemies’ ears
Sing tow, row row row , row row row
For the British Grenadiers!

British Light Infantry #2, American Revolutionary War

As my British army grew, I realized that I needed at least one  more unit of Light Infantry.

These are Brigade Games figures, with the soldiers drawn form each of 4 additional units of Regulars after the first. 

Thus there is a mix of Buff, white, yellow, and dark blue facing colors in the unit. 

The compulsory shoulder "wings" are of course present. 

They also wear the somewhat peculiar "chain" caps.

Appearing soon at the Battle of  Brandywine!

British Foot Guards, American Revolutionary War

 

As my AWI project has grown, and my Brandywine games at Historicon approached, I realized that I needed more British troops. 

A "brigade" of 1,000 Foot Guards was sent to North America in 1776.

It was formed by drawing 15 men from each of the 64 companies composing the three regiments of  Foot Guards.

It saw action at the battles of Brooklyn, the other fighting around New York City, Brandywine, Germantown, Guilford Courthouse, and Yorktown.

His Majesty permitted the officers to substitute white lace for their usual gold while on service in North America!

The flag is by Adolfo Ramos. I am no expert on British flags, to say nothing of those of the Guards, but the regimental colors of the Guard Regiments were crimson rather than the blue that might have been expected, and they bore various badges appropriate to the regiment. In this way they were actually less ornate than the corresponding regimentals of the Line regiments!

9th Foot, American Revolutionary War

In 1685, King James II increased his army, raising eight infantry regiments; 8th -15th. The second one of these was what would eventually become the 9th Foot. These are Brigade Games figures with a flag by Adolfo Ramos. 

During the 7 Years War, the 9th Foot participated in the successful sieges of Belle Isle and the Havana. The end of the 7 Years War resulted in the return of Havana to Spin, but Britain received ownership of Florida in exchange. The regiment garrisoned St. Augustine from 1763 to 1769, before being sent to Ireland. 

In 1776, the regiment was sent from Ireland to Quebec, which had recently been under siege by Continental General Benedict Arnold and company. It participated in the recapture of Crown Point on Lake Champlain in July 1777, but delays and the need to construct a new naval force for service on the lake resulted in the Colonials maintaining control of Fort Ticonderoga 

The regiment was part of General "Gentleman Johnny"' Burgoyne's forces that undertook the ill fated Saratoga Campaign in 1777.  It participated in the capture of Fort St Anne (July 10, 177), the Battle of Freeman's Fame (September 19, 1777), and the 2nd Battle of Saratoga (October 7, 1777), and became captives with Burgoyne's surrender later in October. Most would remain prisoners of war until 1781. 

During the wars of the French Revolution, the regiment took [part in the capture of Martinique (march 1794) and the St. Lucia (April 1794).

It served during the Peninsular War, fighting at Vimiero (1808), Corunna (1809), Barrosa (1811),  Vitoria (1813, and the siege of San Sebastian (1813). The regiment’s conduct at Corunna became one of its most famous moments. After General Sir Thomas Moore was fatally wounded, men of the 9th Foot helped bury him under fire before withdrawing to the ships. Their discipline during the retreat earned it much praise. The 1st Battalion was sent to North America  in 1814, arriving near the end of the War of 1812. It returned to Europe in 1815, but arrived too late to be a part of the Battle of Waterloo. 

Yes, this regiment has a re-enactment group, too. In this case, they are based in Connecticut! Here they are wearing their "Saratoga" caps. 

Queen's Rangers: Hussars

 

Robert Rogers was born in Massachusetts in 1731, and lead a famous and very effective unit of colonial  Rangers during the French and Indian War (Seven Years War in Europe), 1754 - 1763. 

A known Loyalist, with the beginning of the American Revolution, Rogers was arrested on the order of General Washington in July, 1776, on suspicion of espionage. He contrived to escape, and made his way to an offshore British Naval vessel. In August 1776, General Howe commissioned him to raise a unit of Loyalist Rangers. 

The regiment didn't get off to a good start; they were caught off guard by a patriot night attack on October 21, 1776 near Mamaroneck, NY, and suffered heavy losses despite eventually repulsing the attack. A January 1777 visit by a British Inspector General found the regiment not up to snuff, leading General Howe to relive Roberts of command. Roberts was plagued by heavy debts after the French and Indian Wars, and was drinking heavily. 

In his place, Howe appointed Lieutenant Christopher French to command the unit. Col. French trained the unit relentlessly over the winter, resulting in much improved performance when the fighting resumed in the Spring of 1777. 

The regiment participated in the Philadelphia campaign, now under the command of Major James Wemyss, and particularly distinguished itself at the Battle of Brandywine creek, September 11, 1777, where 2/3 of the officers were wounded or killed, along with 1/3 of the enlisted men. It fought again at Germantown on October 3, 1777, where it performed well but Major Wemyss suffered multiple wounds, causing him to relinquish his command of the unit. 

With the unit's reputation now well established, an ambitious lower ranking officer in Howe's command, John Greave Simcoe, pushed hard for the command, and was granted it buy Howe as of October 15, 1777. The son of a Naval Captain, Simcoe had attended Eton and the Merton college at Oxford. However, he dropped out of college after a year, purchasing an Ensign's commission in the 35th Foot. He was only 25 years old when he took command of the Rangers. 

 

Under Simcoe’s leadership, the Queen’s Rangers became a mixed unit, eventually combining elements of all three combat arms. When at Philadelphia a superior officer offered Simcoe the use of his cavalry, he set up his own troop of hussars. Meanwhile, a Highland company from North Carolina sporting the MacNab tartan had joined the Regiment as well, and over time there would also be sharpshooters armed with rifles, a grenadier company, and even a trio of gunners firing a “grasshopper” three-pounder cannon. Eventually growing to 11 companies of foot, in addition to the hussar troop, during the Revolutionary War most Rangers remained light infantry outfitted with Brown Bess muskets and bayonets.

British 16th Light Dragoons - American Revolutionary War

  

The regiment was raised as the second of the new regiments of light dragoons in 1759, as the 16th Regiment of (Light) Dragoons, also known as Burgoyne’s (yes, that Burgoyne, then a Colonel) Light Horse. In 1766 they were renamed after Queen Charlotte as the 2nd (or The Queen’s) Regiment of (Light) Dragoons, the number being an attempt to create a new numbering system for the light dragoon regiments. However, the old system was quickly reestablished, with the regiment returning as the 16th (The Queen’s) Regiment of (Light) Dragoons in 1769. It saw action during the 7 Years War, supporting Britain's ally, Portugal. 

The 16th Light Dragoons arrived in New York in September, 1776. They were involved in fighting at White Plains (1776) Brandywine (1777), Paoli (1777), Germantown (1777) and Monmouth Court House (1778). 

By December, 1778, the regiment was so depleted that the remaining men were drafted into the 16th Light Dragoons, and the officers returned to Britain to recruit. 

The regiment originally had black facings, but changed to dark blue with the change to the "Queen's" title.  In 1784, the regiment changed to Dark blue jackets along with the rest of the British Light Dragoons, in their case with scarlet facings. During the Napoleonic Wars, it fought at Talavera, Ciudad Rodrigo, Bussaco, Sabugal, Salamanca, Burgos, Vittoria, San Sabastian Nive, and Waterloo!

The unit was converted to the 16th Lancers in 1816, wearing a dark blue Lancer uniform until 1832, when a scarlet coatee was authorized for service in India. When the unit returned to England in 1846, it petitioned to retain the scarlet uniform when all the other Lancer regiments were ordered to return to dark blue; it thus  was unique in wearing a scarlet uniform (faced dark blue) until 1914!

AWI 71st (Frazier's) Highlanders

 

The 71st Regiment of Foot, unofficially known as Frazier's Highlanders, was raised in Inverness, Stirling, and Glasgow1775, specifically intended for service in putting down the rebellious American colonies. .

It took ship to North America in April 1776, and arrived in New York City in July of that year. Figures are Perry with a flag by Adolfo Ramos.

It saw action soon thereafter at the Battle of Long Island in August, and then the Battles of Fort Washington and Fort Lee in November 1776.

It took part in the Philadelphia Campaign, and fought at Brandywine Creek in September 1777.

A detachment of the Regiment also marched North form New York City in support of General Burgoyne's operations along the Hudson river, participating in the capture of Forts Clinton and Montgomery in October of 1777.

The regiment then served in the Southern theater, participating in the capture of Savannah (December 1778), the Battle of Brier Creek (March 1779), Siege of Savannah (September 1779), Siege of Charleston (March 1780), Battles of Camden (August 1780), Cowpens (January 1781), Guilford Courthouse (March 1781), and finally the Siege of Yorktown (September 1781). The unit was disbanded in 1786. It's uniforms were similar to the Black Watch, but with white facings. 

There are several re-enactment groups for this unit; such as this one. They didn't ordinarily wear the kilt in the field due to the conditions in North America. There are many pictures there of the men wearing their bonnets with standard British pants, etc.; one year they eveidently wore trews made from their old kilts. 

British 24th Foot, American Revolutionary War

Here's the last of the British infantry units in "Saratoga" uniforms.

The regiment's origins date back to the 9 years war (1689 -1697) in Ireland. During the War of the Austrian Succession, it fought at Blenheim ()1704) and Ramillies (1706); indeed, the Regiment's Colonel was none other than the Duke of Marlborough himself from 1702 - 1704! It was numbered as the 24th Regiment in 1751. 

The Regiment was sent to North America  in 1776, and participated in the repulse of the American attempt to take Quebec, lead by Benedict Arnold, among others. The following year, it was part of the army of "Gentleman Johnny" Burgoyne's army that invaded upstate New York from Canada in 177. It surrendered at Saratoga, along with the rest of Burgoyne's army, not being released until the end of the War in 1783. In 1782 it received the county designation of 2nd Warwickshire. 

During the Napoleonic Wars, the Regiment fought in Egypt, at the Cape of Good Hope, and at Talavera (1809). The bulk of the 1st Battalion was captured at Sea when a French Frigate encountered and took 2 Indiamen that were transporting the troops. After the Napoleonic Wars, the regiment spent much of its time fighting in India. 

The Regiment famously  fought in the Zulu War, where the 1st battalion formed the majority of the regular forces at the disastrous battle of Isandlwana. The garrison of Rourke's drift was composed mainly of men from the 2nd battalion, and received 7 Victoria Cross medals for its desperate and successful defense of that place. Cue: Men of Harlech!

During the Revolution, the Regiment was unique in its dark green horsehair ornamentation on the cut down "Saratoga" headgear, presumably chosen to complement its green facings. This flag is by Adolfo Ramos. 

Yes, Virginia (and Maryland,. and North Carolina, etc), there is a re-enactor group for this regiment too!