Big Bash at Bisham Abbey

Colonel McIntosh MacLeod whistled to himself, more or less following the wail of the pipers accompanying his three regiments of foot. It was a fine day for a fight, and he had brought 3 experienced regiments of Scots Foote with him to this one. Sir Christopher Grey, the local Parliamentary  Grand Mucky-muck, was paying he and his men well for their participation! MacLeod and his men stepped off towards the enemy in orderly fashion, along with the rest of the Roundhead army. 

The Royalist,. under the command of "Little John" Boulters, had other ideas, and moved swiftly to the attack. The speed of their advance was stunning; Nicolson's Horse running down the Parliamentary Gunnes, who had, perhaps unwisely, deigned to unlimber when they had the chance! 

Situation after the first Cavalier move; note especially how far the pike heavy "Foote Cavallerie" of Sir Stanley Spencer's Brigade have moved; indeed, the 2nd Cookham Militia (white coats), nearly succeeded in charging across the hedges to their front. MacLeod sees the 2nd Cavalier Foote Brigade, under Sir William way, pull up to the line of hedgerows to his front, and load their muskets. 

Never one to shy away from a fight, on the battlefield or off it, MacLeod and his Brigade surge forward to contest the hedge line!

Meanwhile, Nicholson's Horse go gaily galloping off the field in pursuit, flushed with excitement after their bold charge! 

"Thot did nae go well, laddies" observes MacLeod drily, as his 3 Foote battalia  all suffer heavy Disorder from the accurate fire of the cursed Royalists opposite them. 

Meanwhile, all three battalia of the Royalist Cookham militia are now faced with their own contested hedgerow, both sides losing a few men in the exchange of close range musketry. The 3rd Cookham  Militia, Greencoats, though have no opposing unit and could thus turn the flank of the Roundhead position! 

The sole Parliamentary Foote regiment on the Eastern third of the battlefield, the Greycoated  1st Kavan's Foote, has boldly moved up to confront General Derek Derrick, and Derrick's Bluecoated Lifeguard of Horse. While the Foote dare not charge the enemy Horse, it can certainly shoot at them, and pinning them down from the front will make it harder to outflank Kavan's Foote as well. There is also the matter of the three regiments of Parliamentary horse as well; with Nicholson's Horse off in jolly pursuit and looting, the Cavalier mounted arm is suddenly seriously outnumbered. 

With but a single regiment of Horse deployed along the green in Bisham Village, Colonel Sir James Hurst, commanding all the Parliamentary cavalry, launches repeated charges, the Cavaliers duly countercharging! 

On the Western third of the Battlefield, MacLeod is happy to see his boys deal out fire that is just as effective as the enemy's was! The fire of the 3rd MacLeod Foote has dispersed the Oxford Musketeers Commanded Shotte. and the 1st MacLeod has hit the 1st Maidenhythe Foote (bluecoats) hard as well. "Aye, sure an'  'tis a bonnie sight!" remarks Colonel MacLeod. 

In the Centre, the opposing units mostly glare at one another across the hedges, the Greencoated 3rd Cookham Militia, pike heavy like all three of the Cookham units, flatly refuses to try to cross the hedgerow!

Three charges was more than Shafterton's Cavalier Horse could stand, and they were dispersed, the Whitecoated 3rd Grey's horse now thundering hell for leather in pursuit themselves! But what's this? In the interim, Nicholson's  Redcoated Horse has returned from looting the Parliamentary camp! Meanwhile, the 1st Kavan's Foote continues to push back Sir Derek and his troopers, a lucky shot throwing the Horse into Disorder as well! 

 

The ongoing furious exchange of musket fire is taking a toll; both of the Royalist Maidenhythe Foote are near exhaustion, but so are MacLeod's Scots! Seeking to break the stalemate, the Bluecoated Woddhurst Horse seek to turn the flank of the dour Scots. 

The Whitecoated 2nd Cookham Militia succeeds in skewering the depleted Sunnybank Shotte, thud emperiling the flank of the Yellowcoated 2nd Kavan's Foote. Meanwhile, the Greencoated 3rd Cookham settles down to fry some bacon, seemingly oblivious to the cacophony of battle all around them!

Sire Derek, and his Derrick's Lifeguards, finally manage to put some distance between the troopers and the accursed 1st Kavan's Foote. The Royalist Gunnes take aim at the tempting target made by said body of men, and.... miss! In the distance, one of Grey's Cavallerie is seen to face about to confront the returning (but blown) Nicholson's Horse. 

"What better place for a Hedgehog than amongst the Hedges, boys! " quips General Sire Nelson Kavan, as he takes refuge from the multiple Cavalier threats within!

The 1st Kavan's advances yet again upon Sir Derrick and his troopers, while...

The 3rd Grey's Cavallerie manages to Rally from their pursuit before leaving the battlefield. Their horses are now blown, however, and they are far Out of Command. 

With both sides tiring and low on ammunition, the exchange of musketry has little discernible effect on the Eastern 3rd of the field. 

Sir Derek pulls back and manages to rally his men from Disorder. The Gunne fires at Kavan's Foote and... misses. The gunners are unable to lose a second shot. 

Surrounded on three sides, but it's flanks safe, the 2nd Kavan's Foote stymies the Cavaliers, Sir Kavan enjoying a pinch of snuff as relief from the acrid black smoke that swirls across the field of battle. The 3rd Cookham Militia enjoys some crispy bacon, the men refusing the entreaties of their officers to take the fight to the enemy!

Crow's eye view of the Battlefield at this juncture. 

The 1st Kavan Foote has overrun the Royalist Gunne, even it's point blank cannister fire failing to disrupt the Roundhead infantry. Smelling revenge, Sir Derek and his Derricks charge into the flank thus exposed. Firing their pistols are they attack, their charge is a resounding success, and the 1st Kavan routs from the field!

Bah, two can play at this flank charge game, quips Colonel Hurst, as his cavalry Dash into positions to charge both the the 1st Cookhasm Militia and Nicholson's Horse. Over top the East, MacLeod's men have now scattered both of the opposing Maidenhythe Foote. Their flank threatened by The Woodhurst Cavaliers, the 1st MacLeod calmly forms its own Hedgehog amongst the Hedges". Meanwhile the 3rd Cookham starts frying some eggs to go with their bacon. 

Close up of the collapse of the Cavalier right... and the 3rd Cookham starting on Bangers and Mash next!

Close up of the confused situation in the Centre. 

The 1st Cookham Militia finds itself a Hog amongst the Hedges as well!

With their brekkie all finished, the 3rd Cookham Militia finally bestirs itself to turn to threaten the rear of the Scots line! 

Sir Derek and his Derricks must launch a Pursuit!

Meanwhile,  in the Centre, he 2nd Kavan foot is finally broken, but Lord Grey manages to burrow through the wall of foliage and escape regardless!

The cavaliers come in long range of the Forlorn Hope stationed within Bisham... who have fired narry a shot all day, and with the 2rd Grey Cavallerie trying to hunt them down as well. 

cavaliers charge the Hedgehog; they are beaten off, but in the process, Colonel MacLeaod falls with a Serious Wound! 

Sire Derrick and company are caught in the rear; the General escapes, but the loss of his Horse shatters the morale of the Royalist, and they make haste to quit the field. Sir Christopher Grey and his Roundheads have prevailed... with the aid of a few Scots. MacLeod, delirious from the shock of blood loss, is heard calling for haggis... 

Austrian Napoleonic Cuirassier Uniforms

I've had the outline of this post sitting in draft for a few years at least, and now seems a good time to finally finish it as an addition to my Napoleonic Uniform guides.

In 1798, there were 12 units of Cuirassiers in the Austrian Army dressed in the familiar white coats, front plate only cuirass, and crested helmets. The crests of the helmets became taller and more impressive as the years went by and new models were introduced. Each regiment at this time had 8 squadrons of 150 men.  The changes in the names of the cavalry regiments over time can be confusing, as they changed whenever the Inhaber ("proprietor") of the regiment changed. 

Austrian Cuirassiers, 1798 

Regt #	Inhaber	Facings	Buttons
1	Kaiser	Pompadour	White
2	Erzherzog Franz	Black	White
3	Herzog Albert	Pompadour	Yellow
4	Czartoryski	Dark Blue	Yellow
5	Zeschwitz	Grass Green	Yellow
6	Melas	Light Blue	Yellow
7	Carl Lothringen	Dark Blue	White
8	Hohenzollern	Scarlet	Yellow
9	Nassua-Usingen	Light Blue	White
10	Mack	Black	Yellow
11	Anspach	Scarlet	White
12	Kavanagh	Grass Green	White

By 1802, the Cuirassier arm was down to 8 regiments, each of 6 squadrons of 135men. 

Austrian Cuirassiers, 1809

Regt #	Inhaber	Facings	Buttons
1	Kaiser Franz	Dark Red	White
2	Erzherzog Franz Josef	Black	White
3	Herzog Albert zu Sachsen-Teschen	Dark Red	Yellow
4	Erzherzog Ferdinand d’Este	Grass Green	White
5	Marquis Sommariva	Light Blue	White
6	Moritz Liechtestein*	Black	Yellow
7	Carl Eugen Prinz v. Lothringen	Dark Blue	White
8	Prince Hohenzollern	Scarlet	Yellow

* before Aspern-Essling, Baron Friedrich von Gottesheim

Kürassiere reginet (K.R) #8, also named Grossfurst Constantin at one point,. 

These are Minifigs probably painted in the late 1970's. Far from my best work, but they have given good service for many decades!

Note the red crest on the trumpeter's helmet, That and the lack of Cuirass were about the only distinctions for the trumpeters in the Cuirassier regiments. 

The sheepskins were white in the earlier years, later black, often with a scarlet edging. 

At last I get points for the hand painted flags!

K.R #4, variously know as Kronprinz (Crown Prince) or Erzherzog Ferdinand d' Este

Actually, the metal of the Cuirasses should be blackened. 

The standard bearer's bandlolier often had a waxy design in the facing color down the front (seen on K.R #8 above). 

Although painted as solid facing color, the collars were in fact white with a frontal tab in the facing color only, piped white. 

Similarly, the turnback's on the tails of the Cuirassier coats were actually white with thick edging in the facing color, rather than solid facing color as I did for these veteran figures. 

Note the carbines!

K.R. #5, Marquis Hannibal Sommariva.

Their light blue facings are often depicted as closer to royal blue, as seen here. Note the facing colored stitching on the bandolier of the standard bearer. 

This unit carries an early commercially printed flag. 

For some  Austrian Cuirassiers using modern figures, see here and also here. 

ECW Scots Command

 

With the Scots due to make their first appearance on the wargames table later this week, some command bases were needed. 

Like all of my Scots, these are 28 mm Old Glory figures.

Heather on the (hill) bases!

I believe the near chap is Leslie.

The foot figure will play the role of  the fictional  Colonel Mcintosh MacLeod, leader of a band of Scots mercenary troops, in the next several battles from the scenario book we're using with "For King and Parliament". 

Set up for the Battle of Bisham Abbey

On the wargames table is the 5th  "For King and Parliament"  scenario from the fictional ECW Scenario book , "Bisham Abbey."

This battle sees the first of the Scots troops (left foreground).

I started painting my Scots about a year ago, with this and several forthcoming scenarios in mind. 

We were scheduled to play this game this past Thursday, but one by one something came up with the rest of the guys, so it will have to stay decorating my table until we can reschedule for another date. Meanwhile, I have a moor full of Scots units on the painting table, some of which will be needed for the future scenarios in the Marlowe to Maidenhythe scenario book.

Hessen-Darmstadt High Command

 

Among the many attractive things about the digitally sculpted figures being produced by Lucas Luber of Piano Wargames in Germany, is the inclusion of special figures for the high command of the nations he is covering. In the case of Hessen-Darmstadt, there were 3 such figures. From the right of the photo, a Hessian field officer, painted wearing the blue facings of the Leib regiment, Prince Emil of Hessen-Darmstatdt, and Prince Georg of Hessen-Darmstadt. 

Prince Émile von Hesse-Darmstadt (1790 -1856) was appointed colonel of the Hessian Chevau-leger regiment by Grand Duke Ludwig I, his father, immediately after the conclusion of the 1809 campaign in Austria. He was the 5th child and 3rd son of the Grand Duke. 

    In 1812, Prince Emil commanded the Hessian contingent that participated in Napoleon's invasion of Russia. The different elements of the Hessian contingent, were, contrary to stated plans, dispersed, and thus Prince Emil no longer had an effective command: he was called to the great Imperial Staff, followed the Emperor and assisted him at all the major affairs of the campaign: at the capture of Smolensk, at the battle of Moskowa, at the entry into Moscow, at the combat of Maloyaroslavets. The Prince, who was only twenty-two years old, was greatly appreciated by Napoleon’s staff for his enthusiasm and his real military qualities. During the retreat from Moscow, the remnants of the Hessian contingent were reunited, and fought in several actions, most notably the passage of the Berezina, where the Chevau-Legers, along with the Baden Hussars, were all but annihilated but successfully covered the retreat of as many men as possible across the bridge, heroically constructed by the French engineers, working in the freezing waters. 

From The Napoleon Series (as translated from the original French): 

"In 1812, Prince Émile of Hesse, the most brilliant of the Grand Duke’s sons, was at the head of the Hessian contingent: his regiments were at Smolensk, Moskowa, Krasnoi, Berezina; they shared all the woes of the army and deserved to be reunited with the Imperial Guard. In this campaign, Prince Émile gained genuine popularity; he inspired one of the most beautiful songs dedicated to German veterans of the Grand Army:

“General! General! Your image shines in our hearts, as in a hurricane of battles it dazzled, terribly, the eyes of the enemy, great image always luminous! — Napoleon understood you, and he understood how to choose men! — His eagle gaze went to the bottom of his heart; of what price you were for him, your exploits showed it. — Hello, our general! You live in our hearts, you are the pride of veterans, the golden mirror of heroes, great immortal image!”

    Prince Emil commended the Hessian contingent once again during the 1813 campaign. The Hessians soon saw action at the Battle of Lutzen. The following count is taken, in lightly edited form from the Napoleon Series: 

"The Badeners were engaged against Flößgraben filled with enemy skirmishers, while the 2 Hessian regiments, to their right, were launched on Klein-Görschen. The Leibgarde regiment disturbed in its deployment by a wound received by its colonel, wavered and retreated… but Prince Emile ran up, formed the regiment in square and continued the march forward: he inspired the Badeners; the Leib Regiment followed in the second line on the left; and the fusiliers, on the extreme left, formed in a column, covered the movement. The artillery redoubled its fire, the skirmishers were deployed, the battalion columns rushed forward … The Flößgraben was crossed and the division approached Klein-Görschen at the same time as the left of Macdonald’s corps: the village was captured and the enemy retreated to Groß-Görschen.

Prince Emile and Colonel Schönberg themselves led this attack, during which the Hessians drove many enemies from the houses and gardens of the village, and captured 150 men.

The Leib Regiment pursued the enemy on Groß-Görschen, supported by the division’s artillery. On another part of the battlefield, the village of Kaja, lost by the French, was recaptured and lost again … Finally, Marmont decisively makes himself master with 16 battalions of the Young Guard: it was victory; an attempted night attack carried out by the Prussian cavalry on the bivouacs of the victorious army was immediately stopped by a regiment of the Young Guard.

The Hessians, engaged during the whole day, suffered significant losses: the fusiliers had a third of their officers and 324 men hors-de-combat;[2] the brigade had 1 officer and 78 soldiers killed, 12 officers (including Colonel von Follénius) and 421 wounded men; finally, 846 missing men… The Hessian battery which accompanied the infantry in the attack on Klein-Görschen on difficult terrain, cut off by numerous ditches, fired 111 rounds of 6 and 80 rounds per howitzer: it was so clearly distinguished that it received 5 stars of the Legion of Honor, 2 for officers and 3 for gunners; however, during the battle itself, 8 artillerymen deserted; 9 others desert on 5 May… Eleven knight’s crosses (4 for officers, 7 for soldiers) rewarded the valor of the battalions of the Hessian fusiliers at Lützen." The Hessians were lightly engaged at Bautzen, forming part of Ney's Corps, which did not arrive on the battlefield until late in the day. 

The Hessians fought at the Battle of Leipzig  "Around nine o’clock, the allies carried out a concentric attack on the city of Leipzig in large masses: the shells rained on the Hessians, whom Prince Emil led to a more sheltered position on the promenade which separated the city from the suburbs; the 1st Battalion of Fusiliers and the 1st Battalion of the Leibgarde pushed back for a moment the enemy who forced the gate of Kohlgarten: but the Swedes took these battalions from behind… The  Leib Regiment fortunately released them.

At noon, we abandoned the suburbs; two grape shots fired by the Hessian pieces made the assailants retreat further; meanwhile the Swedish artillery arrived, so that the attack was resumed by the allies on the gate of Grimma, where Baden and Hessian competed in courage and devotion. The two pieces of Hessian cannon that remained with the brigade were heading towards the Elster bridge, from which they were only a few meters away, when the latter blew up… The Hessian artillerymen then spiked their two pieces, crossed Elster swimming and rejoined their battery in Lützen the next day.

Finally yielding to numbers, the Hessians retreated while fighting in the streets of the city; the Austrians had already entered through the Saint Peter Gate and had reached the market place… the Prussians were also emerging from all sides… Prince Emile could no longer continue a fight that had become useless: he ordered a cease fire, stopped and assembled what remained of soldiers, had their arms piled: 45 officers and 200 men were thus taken prisoner; in the three days of the battle the contingent of Darmstadt lost 3 officers and 22 men killed, 12 officers and 169 soldiers wounded, without counting more than 150 missing men; the 1st Fusilier Batallion had only two-thirds of its strength; the Leib Regiment numbered on the morning of 16 October, 20 officers and 440 men; of this number 16 officers and 81 soldiers were prisoners, all the rest were killed, wounded or disappeared… the two flags of the regiment, torn and buried in Leipzig, did not fall into the hands of the enemy."

Prince Emil again commanded the Hessian contingent under the Allies in 1814, when Hessen-Darmstadt finally abandoned Napoleon's cause. 

I have been able to find little about Prince Georg of Hessen Darmstadt (foreground). He was the second son of Grossherzog Ludwig I, born 10 years before Emil, in 1780, and died in 1856, the same year as Emil. Interestingly, neither ever married. The oldest brother, Ludwig (1777 -1848), became Grossherzog Ludwig II upon the death of his father in 1830. He was unpopular, and during the March Revolution of 1848, abdicated in favor of his first son, who became Grossherzog Ludwig III. He died only a few months after his abdication.