The World Turned Upside Down - His Majesty's 46th Foot.

The County of Devonshire can lay claim to three regiments of Foot Infantry up until the first amalgamations of the late 19th century with the 11th North Devons, the 20th East Devons and the regiment featured here, the 46th South Devons .

The 46th Foot was raised in 1741 in Newcastle as John Price's Regiment of Foot by Colonel John Price, an officer of the 1st Foot Guards. 

The regiment proceeded to Scotland for a shocking introduction to battle taking part in the Battle of Prestonpans in September 1745 during the Jacobite rising, and was initially ranked as the 57th Regiment of Foot in 1747.

The Battle of Prestonpans was fought on the 21st of September, 1745, a shocking introduction to battle for the 57th Foot (Murray's) - Peter Dennis.

Sir John Cope led a British army of around 2,500 men and was confident of victory over a slightly smaller Jacobite force of around 2,000 men, situated as he was with marshy ground to his front likely to impede any highland charge and his flanks secured by the Firth of Forth and park walls, only to be undone by a night march by the Jacobites led by Lord George Murray, that caused him to have to make a hasty about-turn.

As the Highlanders began their charge, his artillerymen fled, leaving the guns to be fired by their officers. The artillerymen were soon followed by the two dragoon regiments on the flanks that panicked and rode off, and their flight exposed the infantry in the centre, which became attacked on three sides and overrun in less than fifteen minutes. With retreat blocked by the park walls behind them, most were taken prisoner, but some escaped when the Highlanders stopped to loot the baggage train. 

Map of the Battle of Prestonpans, Murray's 57th Foot were on the left flank alongside Hamilton's 14th Dragoons and Lascelles' 58th Foot.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Battle_of_Prestonpans.svg

Government losses were roughly 300 to 500 killed or wounded and another 500 to 600 captured, most of whom were released to save the expense of feeding them. Jacobite casualties were estimated as 35 to 40 dead plus 70 to 80 wounded.

Returning to England in 1746, the regiment's next posting was to Jersey the following year and then to Ireland in 1749.

After eight years' service in Ireland, during which the the regiment was re-ranked as the 46th Regiment of Foot in 1751, it embarked for Nova Scotia in May 1757 for service in the French and Indian War fighting at Ticonderoga (1758), Niagara (1759) and Montreal (1760). 

The Capture of Havana, 1762: The Morro Castle and the Boom Defence Before the Attack - Dominic Serres.
In July 1762 the 46th Foot took part in the storming and capture of the Moro Castle.

In 1761, the regiment was deployed to the West Indies for two years, taking part in the capture of Martinique and Havana in 1762, before returning to Canada and then Ireland for garrison duties.

Etching of Lieutenant General the Hon. Sir John Vaughan by Albert Rosenthal
Promoted to Colonel in 1772 he commanded the 46th Foot for most of its time in America.

The 46th Foot composed of seven companies, were one of a six regiment reinforcement from Ireland that sailed for America, and on the 11th May 1776 Brevet Colonel Hon. John Vaughan became Colonel of the 46th Regiment at the same time as the British Army was evacuating from Boston, Massachusetts and regrouping in Halifax, Nova Scotia. There the 46th received orders to depart for South Carolina as part of General Henry Clinton's expedition to capture the capital of Charleston, reaching Cape Fear on the 1st June where they were resupplied. Three companies departed on board the Argo on the 12th May under Colonel Enoch Markham.

Engraving of a sketch of the 1776 Battle of Sullivan's Island, made by a British Army officer. A plan of the attack of Fort Sulivan, near Charles Town in South Carolina by a squadron of His Majesty's ships on the 28th day of June 1776, with the disposition of the King's land forces and the encampments and entrenchments of the rebels, from the drawings made on the spot.

In the Spring, South Carolina rebels had crossed the bay from Charleston and built a fort on O'Sullivan's Island to defend it. The expedition found the bay too deep for troops to wade through, and any amphibious assault was prevented by American firepower, thus on the 28th June, the operation was called off and the British fleet sailed north for New York to regroup.

The Battle of Long Island on 27th August 1776  - Map by John Fawkes

The 46th joined in the British offensive on Long Island, being part of Major-General James Grant's 4th Brigade which pushed along the western coast to flank the Continental Army positions around Brockland, Kings County; this flanking manoeuvre paid off and on 28th August the Americans abandoned their positions and crossed the East River to New York Island. Within a few days remaining Continental troops and militia left behind were killed or captured and Long Island fell firmly under British-Loyalist control.

The 46th would further participate in the Battle of White Plains in October 1776 and the Battle of Fort Washington in November 1776. Crossing the Hudson, they would remain at Perth Amboy, New Jersey for the winter, using an old transport ship in the harbour as barracks. 

During the Forage War, detachments would transport weapons and ammunition into New Jersey, where they faced repeated ambushes on their way to Trenton, Princetown and Burlington where the army's vanguard was stationed. On the 5th January, several companies of rebels, estimated at ninety men, attacked a detachment at Ranway under Lieutenant Cameron. One man was killed and three wounded, and though Cameron only had twenty men they were successful in beating off their attackers.

In early 1777, a detachment was sent out up the North River to secure Peek's Hill, the site of an Americans weapons cache erected in the winter, and with this attack proving successful, they returned to New York.

The 46th embarked from Sandy Hook in the August 1777, sailing around the Delmarva Peninsula and into Chesapeake Bay, from where they travelled up the Elk River, landing on its northern shore on the 25th August and joining with the rest of the British army at Head of Elk as part of Major General James Agnew's 4th Brigade. 

18th century Hessian map from the Marburg State Library in Germany of the Philadelphia Campaign

The landing and following campaign to capture the American capital Philadelphia resulted in the Battle of Brandywine on the 11th September 1777, the Battle of Paoli on the 20th September and the Battle of Germantown on October 4th 1777. 

Night attacks during the 'horse and musket' era are extremely rare occurrences, for obvious reasons given the additional problems of command and control at night, and successful night attacks are even rarer. In the Battle of Paoli, the various regiments' Light companies, that included the 46th Foot, were formed together into a Light Battalion under Major-General Charles Grey, that spearheaded a force of 1,500 men sent out to surprise the Americans of Brigadier-General Anthony Wayne's Division, two miles south-west of Paoli Tavern on the night of the 20th September, themselves left behind by the American army to strike upon the flanks of the British army as it marched north in pursuit of Washington. 

The night attack at Paoli, September 20th 1777 in which the light company of the 46th earned the regiment the nickname the Red Feathers - Xavier della Gatta.

In a swift silent attack at the point of the bayonet with General Grey having ordered his men to 'pull' the ball and charges from their barrels and to remove their flints, with no firing permitted in order to maintain silence and the element of surprise; the 2nd Light Infantry swept into the camp at bayonet point overrunning the 1st Pennsylvania Regiment who had formed up at the alert of the camp picket, but who gave their positions away by their firing in the darkness, revealing themselves to the British attack.

This was a decisive victory for Grey's men, as Wayne's division were subjected to a ferocious bayonet assault that saw 163 Americans killed, 70-80 taken prisoner and many more wounded, resulting in a strong American desire for retribution.

Intelligence indicated that any American victory in response to this attack was to give no quarter to captured soldiers, and as a sign of defiance, the 46th's Light company began wearing red-stained feathers on their hats to identify themselves as part of the guilty party of Paoli, and the successors to the regiment, the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry wore red patches on their headgear to remember their participation in the Paoli Affair.

The British enter Philadelphia, September 26th 1777.

In the following month, the army continued their push towards Philadelphia, occupying Germantown along the way, where on the morning of the 4th October an American force confronted them, but were defeated once more. 

By the year's end the brigade had reached Philadelphia as planned, though it was largely deserted, and with the American hierarchy increasingly decentralised the loss of their capital no longer collapsed authority as would have done in Europe. 

The 46th remained in Philadelphia over the winter, and with news of a new Commander-in-Chief and war with France, the British force began moving back north to New York. During this movement they were harassed along the way by ambush parties as the Continental Army hoped to cut them off, and on the 28th June they fought at the Battle of Monmouth, as part of 4th Brigade under Lt. Colonel Webster, they made their way into New Jersey.

Upon its return to New York, the 46th were sent out once more under Major-General Grey, bound for the east coast of Long Island where it was understood French forces were aiding New England. The regiment fought in New Bedford, where the objective was to destroy privateer vessels, and soon after on to Martha's Vineyard before returning to New York.

The Battle of Vigie Peninsula
Plan of St. Lucia, in the West Indies: Showing the positions of the British and French forces with the attacks made at its reduction in December 1778.

After returning to New York, it became clear in reports that the French military in the West Indies, backed by French civilians within the British colonies, were taking advantage of the situation in British America to make gains undisturbed. The 46th was subsequently ordered out for Barbados, under the command of Major-General Grant, arriving in November 1778. From there they participated in an attack on St. Lucia with the 15th, 28th and 55th regiments under Major-General Prescott, capturing it in mid-December. The Light and Grenadier companies in this brigade were stationed at La Vigie, where they were able to repulse a French landing.

The regiment returned to England and was renamed the 46th (South Devonshire) Regiment of Foot in 1782.

My interpretation of the 46th (South Devonshire) Regiment of Foot uses the plastic British set from Perry Miniatures and a set of colours from GMB flags, finished off with my usual low profile sabot bases from Supreme Littleness Designs.

Anglo-Dutch Wars, Fleet Review - The Dutch Fleet.

 

It would seem from the responses I and Capt. Steve had to the first post in this Anglo-Dutch Wars fleet review, looking at Steve's English fleet, that I'm not the only one fascinated by this early period of fleet actions in the age of sail and if you missed that first post you can look back to it in the link below.

JJ's Wargames - Anglo Dutch Wars Fleet Review, The English Fleet

In this post our attention turns to the Dutch fleet, circa 1666, with a similar order of battle as illustrated at our look at the English, showing the three Dutch battle squadrons and their respective support vessels.

The Dutch were divided into the First or Centre, Second (van) and Third squadrons. The Centre flew their pennants from the main, the Second from the fore and the Third from the mizzen. 

Dutch Fleet Order of Battle

Within this structure are the five Admiralties which insisted on having three admirals each (lieutenant-admiral, vice-admiral and shout bij nacht) - so fifteen flag officers plus de Ruyter as commander in chief.

All flag officers flew the Dutch tricolour or Princes Flag as their command flag.

The Second Squadron

First up is the Second Squadron whose van division seen below, nearest to camera, was composed of ships from Frisia. They flew the Princes flag as both their ensign and jack.

The five ships of the van of the Second Squadron, closest to camera are from right to left: Groot Frisia, Elf Steden, Groningen, Princes Albertina and Prins Hendrik Casimir.

The five are from right to left: Groot Frisia, Elf Steden, Groningen, Princes Albertina and Prins Hendrik Casimir.

Detail of a Dutch man of war stern gallery (Rotterdam ship, Groot Hollandia) from Two Small Vessels and a Dutch Man-of-War in a Breeze by Willem van de Velde, The National Gallery.

Willem van de Velde was the leading Dutch marine painter of the later seventeenth century. The warship bears the arms of the Province of Holland – the national arms in the colours used before 1663 – and a Dutch flag flies at the stern.

Unlike the English ships who sterns are, with a few exceptions uniform with just the Royal Arms, most Dutch sterns were unique and portrayed the ship’s name. Using Van de Velde’s contemporary ship portraits, I had the sterns portrayed in the models. Close ups to follow.

The rest of the Squadron was made up of the Zealand Squadron, which flew their pennants Princes flag as their ensign and the Vlissingen Jack (red with a white vase). Their ships sterns all had the Zealand arms, and below we can see the Zierikzee, Walcheren and Vlissingen.

The Zierikzee, Walcheren and Vlissingen of the Second Squadron.

Lastly, the Second Squadron is completed with the  Kampvere, Tholen and Middleburg

The fourth-rate 50-gun Kampvere, third-rate Tholen of 60-guns and the 50-gun Middleburg complete the Second Squadron.

The First (Centre) Squadron

The Centre Squadron was most composed of ships from the Maas (Rotterdam) admiralty and flew their pennants Princes same flags as the Frisians, except their pennants were at the main and not the fore.

The van division is Groot Hollandia, Eendracht and Joshua. The Eendracht is the only ship not to fly a pennant, to avoid her being mistaken for de Ruyter.

The van division of the Centre Squadron is Groot Hollandia, the 76-gun second-rate Eendracht and Joshua.

The centre division is Delft, Zeven Provincian, Provincie Utrecht and Vrede. The flagship flies their pennants Princes command pennant under the Princes flag to identify de Ruyter as c-in-c.

Michiel de Ruyter welcomes the young Prince of Orange onboard his flagship the Zeven Provinciën -Maarten Platje.
https://maartenplatje.com/product/art-print-michiel-de-ruyter-welcomes-the-young-prince-of-orange-onboard-his-flagship-the-zeven-provincien/

They are accompanied by a frigate, a pinnace and states yacht.

The centre division is (left to right) Delft, the 80-gun flagship of de Ruyter, Zeven Provincian, Provincie Utrecht and Vrede. Alongside them and nearest to camera, a frigate, a pinnace and states yacht.

Lastly the rear: Wassenear, Ridderschap van Holland and Dordrecht.

The rear of the Centre Squadron: Wassenear, Ridderschap van Holland and Dordrecht.

The Third Squadron

Now the Third Squadron, whose van was composed of ships from the Norderkwatier admiralty who flew a Princes Jack and the nine striped Triple Prince as an ensign. Here is Pacificatie, Westfriesland, Norderkwatier and Maagd van Enkhuisen.

The van of the Third Squadron: Pacificatie, Westfriesland, Norderkwatier and Maagd van Enkhuisen.

The centre was from the Amsterdam admiralty who flew Triple Prince jacks and ensigns: Beschermer, Hollandia and Gouda. 

The centre from the Amsterdam admiralty flying Triple Prince jacks and ensigns: Beschermer, Hollandia and Gouda. 

Completing the Third Squadron is the rear division, also from Amsterdam: Haarlem, Speigel and Huis Tiverdrift.

The rear was also from Amsterdam: Haarlem, Speigel and Huis Tiverdrift.

And lastly, a Dutch convoy of fluyts and coastal craft, escorted by a 48 gun warship.

A Dutch convoy of fluyts and coastal craft, escorted by a 48 gun warship.

And a wrecked Dutch warship and and a sunken vessel for those scattered units that would otherwise be removed from the table. 

To quote Steve "I do like a war game table to look good!" - To which I say "Hear hear!"

A wrecked Dutch warship and and a sunken vessel.

Finally some close ups of the Dutch sterns. Dordrecht on left, a Zealand ship on the right, and an unidentified ship in the centre because Steve couldn't remember!! (I love this attention to detail).

A selection of Dutch stern galleries. Dordrecht on left, a Zealand ship on the right, and an unidentified ship in the centre

Speaking of attention to detail, you might have noticed the glorious coastal scenery in the background of the two fleet reviews, with long low lying sandy stetches of beaches and dunes designed to capture the look of the Dutch or East Anglian coastline for those actions fought close to shore.

More Anglo-Dutch Wars to come as Steve sets out to refight the opening stage of the Battle of Lowestoft as Vice-Admiral Christopher Myngs leads the White Squadron as he attempts to gain the weather gauge over the Dutch.

The Battle of Lowestoft, 3rd June 1665 - Hendrik van Minderhout

As always, more anon.

JJ

The World Turned Upside Down - The Delaware Regiment of Continentals.

The Delaware regiment of Continental infantry fought at most of the major battles of the American War of Independence from the time it was raised under Col. John Haslet on December 9th, 1775, to its final engagement at Combahee River in 1782. 

The Delaware Regiment in action at the Battle of Long Island 1776 - Domenick D'Andrea

Known as the "Delaware Continentals" or "Delaware Blues", they were from the second smallest state, and served, famously, at Long Island, White Plains, Trenton, Brandywine, Germantown, Monmouth, Camden, Cowpens, Guilford Court House, Hobkirk’s Hill, the siege of Ninety-Six, and Eutaw Springs; and won a reputation that set it apart from the rest of the army.

 

Gaining the nickname 'The Fighting Blue Hens' based on the men of Captain Caldwell's company, famous for holding gamecock fights with a specific breed of chicken, the Kent County Blue Hen, and possibly bringing the birds on campaign, their style of dress echoed that nickname as the American historian David McCullough in his book '1776' describes them as turned out in handsome red trimmed blue coats, white waistcoats, buckskin breeches, white woollen stockings, and carrying fine, 'lately imported' English muskets.

John Haslet (c. 1727 – January 3, 1777),
The first Colonel of the Delaware Regiment

Raised in early 1776, under the command of Colonel John Haslet they went north in July and August 1776, arriving in time to engage in the entire sequence of events surrounding the British capture of New York in 1776.

1st Delaware is led by Colonel John Haslet as they depart Dover Green and march north to New York City, July, 1776. Artwork “The Drum Beat of a Nation” by Stanley Arthurs.

At the Battle of Long Island, the Delaware Regiment fought with Colonel William Smallwood's Marylanders, with many commentators identifying them as the best two regiments in the Continental Army. 

They fought under the command of Brigadier General William Alexander, Lord Stirling, and were responsible for holding the Gowanus Road, the far right of the Continental Army line. 

The Battle of Long Island on 27th August 1776 - map by John Fawkes
https://www.britishbattles.com/war-of-the-revolution-1775-to-1783/battle-of-long-island/

They were immediately south of Brooklyn, with New York Harbour to their right, and on August 27th, 1776, the British sent much of their army well to the east, and under cover of darkness, easily turned the left flank of the Continental Army. Only on the right did the American's hold their own and Haslet later described "how his 'Delawares' stood with 'determined countenance', on them all the while, and the enemy, 'though six times their number', not daring to attack". But they were nearly surrounded and, once ordered to leave, could only undertake a harrowing retreat by wading and swimming across Gowanus Bay. 

Retreating across Westchester County, Haslet's men won a victory over a corps of Loyalists at Mamaroneck, New York. At White Plains on October 28th, 1776, the Delaware Regiment again fought with Colonel William Smallwood's Marylanders, reinforcing militia placed on the strategic Chatterton's Hill, that would see the militia flee in the face of the British attack, but both Haslet's Delaware's and Smallwood's Marylanders exacting a costly price in British and Hessian casualties for the reward for taking the hill.

John Fawkes' map illustrates well the importance of Chatterton's Hill, effectively anchoring 
Washington's emplace position at White Plains, and why taking it was so important for Howe to turn the American's out of such a formidable position.
https://www.britishbattles.com/war-of-the-revolution-1775-to-1783/battle-of-white-plains/

With expiring enlistments leaving fewer than a hundred men remaining in his regiment, Haslet crossed the Delaware with Washington and joined the attack at the Battle of Trenton on the morning of December 26th, 1776. However, on January 3rd, 1777, in a skirmish at the beginning of the Battle of Princeton, and with General Hugh Mercer down and wounded, Haslet tried to rally Mercer's brigade and was himself shot in the head and killed instantly. Nevertheless, they did rally and a surprising victory was won to complement the earlier one at Trenton.

The Death of Brigadier Hugh Mercer at the Battle of Princeton on 3rd January 1777  - John Trumbull

  

Following Haslet's death Lt. Col. David Hall was promoted to Colonel to lead the Delaware Regiment in March 1777, and some 312 soldiers of the new Delaware Regiment marched into camp at Morristown.

Colonel David Hall, who succeeded John Haslet in March 1777

The Delaware regiment was present for the American raid on Staten Island on August 22nd, 1777, the Battle of Brandywine on September 11th, 1777, where they were with General Stirling's reserve units at the rear when a surprise flanking attack by the British threw them into the thick of battle. They fought well and managed an orderly retreat under fire.

On October 4th, 1777, the Delaware Regiment was at the Battle of Germantown where their attack went well at first, but then they ran short of ammunition and scattered when their deep advance on a narrow front left them surrounded by the enemy, seeing the regiment suffer heavy losses, and Colonel Hall severely wounded and not fighting again. 

The following June, the regiment was again on the field at Monmouth in what would be the last of the big battles in the northern theatre.

In April 1780 the 2nd Maryland Brigade was assigned to the Southern Army, and the Delaware Regiment marched south with them, led by Lt. Col. Vaughan, with only about 300 men.

The Delaware Continentals during the Battle of Camden

At the Battle of Camden, the Delaware Regiment suffered heavy losses, with all officers above captain being captured and 48 men killed. At Camden, Captain Robert Kirkwood, desperately trying to keep his men engaged in the fight, waved his sword and shouted, "By the living God, the first man who falters shall receive this weapon in his craven heart!" 

Kirkwood's word's succeeded in preventing his men from running away, but roughly 50% of the 275 remaining soldiers became casualties, and after this disaster, and after this time the unit had no colonel and ceased to function as a regiment.

Illustration of Robert Kirkwood by Dale Watson who used historical research to represent what he might have looked like.

Continental Army leadership decided to split the regiment into independent companies. Captain Peter Jaquett took one company, Captain Robert Kirkwood took the other, with both companies having 96 men.

Guilford Courthouse “The Old Line,” by Bryant White

These men proved their worth once again at the battles of Cowpens and Guilford Court House in 1781, with both Kirkwood and Jaquett's companies operating with Henry Lee's cavalry forces, and additionally the Delaware companies were also often used to stiffen the main battle line, such as at Cowpens and Guilford, where in the former Kirkwood's company lost 25% of its men in the firefight and hand-to-hand struggle against the 7th Fusiliers.

Lt. Col. William Washington, leading the 3rd Continental Dragoons, is surrounded and captured by British redcoats at the Battle of Eutaw Springs - Don Troiani.

On September 8th, 1781, at the Battle of Eutaw Springs, Kirkwood’s men were in the thick of the fight in what would be the last major battle in the southern theatre as well as one of the bloodiest battles of the entire war. The battle turned for the Americans when Greene’s troops drove in the British lines. 

A Delaware private soldier - Don Troiani

When the attack began to falter, Greene ordered his reserves forward; Colonel Washington’s dragoons and Kirkwood’s light infantry. However, according to Colonel Otho Holland Williams of the 1st Maryland, Washington’s dragoons attacked prematurely. They ran headlong into British troops under the command of Major John Marjoribanks and were mowed down and badly chewed up. During the intense fighting, Washington was wounded and captured. While the remnants of the cavalry withdrew, Kirkwood’s light infantry charged the British line as Colonel Williams related “with his bayonets.” As a result, the Delaware company drove Marjoribanks’ men back, allowing time for Greene to manage a withdrawal.

The following month after Eutaw Springs, in October, 1781, Kirkwood fell ill, but continued as company commander. On January 1st, 1782, Kirkwood, who had only briefly seen his home in six years, was granted a furlough. By the following year, the Delaware troops still under Kirkwood’s command had followed him north. One detachment was stationed in Philadelphia, and the other in Newark, Delaware. 

What was left of the Delaware regiment would see out the war in garrison duty. Though having remained a captain for the war’s duration, the highly skilled and able commander was finally commissioned a Brevet Major on September 30th, 1783.

My Delawares, New Yorkers and a generic regiment in brown make up my first brigade of Continental Infantry for my World Turned Upside Down project.

My interpretation of the Fighting Blue Hen's takes much inspiration from Don Troiani's artwork above, using the Perry plastic Continentals, adapted for a more aggressive stance by the use of British arms as supplied with the Perry's Plastic British infantry set, and with a plastic Continental rifleman adapted to hint at the look of the Delaware companies that went south with Robert Kirkwood in 1780.

The look of the regiment is completed with a suitable colour from the GMB range of flags and arranged using the low profile sabots from Supreme Littleness Designs.

More anon

JJ