Redcoats, Royal Artillery, Plains Indians, American Cavalry & Scatter Terrain

The last month to six weeks has seen a complete change in my usual routine, in terms of painting figures for projects, but that was always in the plan, however I am looking forward to getting back to the norm.

With loft clear-outs and wargaming room changes and now a dedicated bout of 28mm terrain building I am really looking forward to getting back to the Romans and Dacians, which hopefully will include a game or two on my new table set up in the not too distant future.

Needless to say the figure painting and blog updating have been affected by this extra activity but to make up for my absence in the 'blogosphere' with regular posts showing newly painted warriors I thought I should give you a double whammy of 'wargamers porn' in the run up to Xmas.

So this post is featuring work I have been doing of figures for my old mate Steve M and his very big FIW collection for Muskets and Tomahawks, Donnybrook or Sharp Practice II with some British General Officers, a 60th Foot Colour Party and some Royal Artillery gunners complete with a couple of six pounders.

In addition we have our annual big end of year game at the Devon Wargames Group this weekend in honour of a former member, Gus Murchie in which we will be riding out west with the 7th cavalry and dealing with injuns and so I have put together some figures for that game that I suspect might be going to a new home afterwards.

Steve's British Seven Years War figures are a follow up to the 60th Foot I painted for him a while back in July last year and you can see them in the link below and other units I have done for Steve's collection in the label 'Muskets and Tomahawks' in the right hand column.

http://jjwargames.blogspot.com/2017/07/the-60th-royal-american-regiment-of.html

The figures are in this case a mix of Wargames Foundry and Galloping Major (Colour Party) which seem to compliment each other really well.

http://www.gallopingmajorwargames.com/

The colours are of course the excellent range from Graham at GMB Flags and I have no hesitation in recommending them to really finish off a project having used them here and on nearly all my own 18mm Napoleonic miniatures. The really nice finials and chords are from Front Rank and just complete the look perfectly.

In the background to these pictures can be seen the latest addition to my growing 28mm terrain collection being put together specifically for my Romano-Dacian project but standing in equally well for giving a hint of North America in this case.

I have had a lot of fun messing about with tree bark, stones from the garden and more scatter material than you could possibly shake a stick at.

Simply put it is like basing figures but on a much bigger scale and those rocky outcrops and tree bases are off to get sealed with my 50:50 PVA:Water spray as soon as I have finished this post, so that shows you how new they are.

The British General Officers are from the Foundry Seven Years War range and will work perfectly for Steve's FIW collection looking very pugnacious and determined.

To complete the Seven Years War section of this post we have a regiment always close to my heart as nearly all my close relatives have served in the last century as part of the Royal Artillery and here they are in their original blues and buff of the early period of the regiment.

I particularly liked the officer and loader with ball in hand again looking very determined and ready for battle.

I hope you like them Steve, happy Xmas and see you on the weekend.

Next up are the other figures I have been working on in between the other activities and ready for the fray this weekend at club.

These ten US cavalry figures have been sat undercoated in my loft for about the last twenty years alongside the seven Plains Indians I did paint up for a game I have completely forgotten about at the club.

Don't ask me what make of figures they are, possibly Old Glory, but I don't really know as I bought them years ago and dug them out to get ready for this particular club game coming up.

This theme is not really my bag and I can see these figures going as I say to a new home after the game as I am unlikely to add to them, but I had a lot of fun researching them to get them ready for this weekend.

They certainly are full of character and I have painted them very much in a Hollywood filmic style rather than the more likely bedraggled scruffy campaign look that manikins from various American museums and the period photos from the time would suggest.

The Indians as I say were painted a long time ago when my technique was still very much developing and so make an interesting contrast between how I painted then and now. That said I decided to just 'tart up' the bases a bit with a wash and dry brush and leave them as seen for tomorrows game.

Anyway its back to the terrain building and the next set of figures to go on the paint stick should be some Sarmatians, so that should be fun.

Talavera 208 - Bassecourts Spanish 5th Division, 1st Battalion, Reina (Reyna) Regiment

5th Division: Major-General Bassecourt
1st Real Marina (Royal Marines), 1st Battalion
1st Real Marina (Royal Marines), 2nd Battalion
Africa Infantry Regiment, 3rd Battalion
Reyna Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion
Murcia Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion
Murcia Infantry Regiment, 3rd Battalion
Provincial de Siguenza (Militia)

Progress continues on this the last division required to complete the orders of battle for Talavera 208, with the addition of the 1st Battalion Reina (Reyna) or Queen's Regiment in English.

The Reina Regiment was the second regiment of line infantry in seniority founded in 1537 originally titled the Galicia Regiment changing to Reina in 1789.

For a look at the reforms and issues affecting the recruiting of men into the Spanish army up to and including the Revolutionary/Napoleonic Wars see the post on the Africa Regiment.

The uniform illustrated for the regiment bears a distinct resemblance to the 1st Rey or King's Regiment differing principally in the colour of the lace and buttons, being silver/pewter rather than brass/gold.

Reina Regiment No.2

As with the Africa Regiment, though to a lesser extent, the problems with understrength numbers affected the Reina at the outbreak of war if the numbers recorded for the regiment on the 20th May 1808 are accurate, with the regiment recording a strength of all three battalions amounting to that of just one.

Spanish Army of Andalusia 20 May l808 
In Grenada:
Malaga Infantry Regiment (37/50l)
Reyna Infantry Regiment (33/788)
l/Reding III Infantry Regiment (28/875)
2/Reding III Infantry Regiment (29/892)
Montesa Cavalry Regiment (3)(23/328)
lst Cazadores de Aragon (40/l,300)
Voluntarios d'Espana (3 sqns)(l9/20l)
Source - Clerc, Capitulation de Baylen, Causes et Consequences, Paris, l903

By June of 1808 and the rush of enthusiasm to take up the fight against the French invaders the Reina were showing a doubling of their numbers across the three battalions

Reina Infantry Regiment (3)(70/1,530)
Source - Oman, Spanish Army June 1808

The Regiment was in action in the July of 1808 with the 1st Division of General Castanos' army as the French Imperial forces suffered their first major set back in three glorious years of steamrollering over the rest of Europe when General Dupont was forced to surrender at Bailen thus shattering the myth of Napoleonic invincibility.

The strength of just 795 men again barely equating to one battalion that alone three.

The Surrender at Bailen - Jose Casado del Alisal

Spanish Forces at Baylen, 17th July l808
Commanding General: Lieutenant General Francixco Xavier Castaños
Chief of Staff: Major-General T. Moreno
Artillery Commander: Mariscal de campo Marques de Medina
Engineer Commander: Colonel Bernardino de Loza

lst Division: Lt. General T. Reding
3/Wallon Guard Infantry Regiment (852)
Reina Infantry Regiment (795)
Corona Infantry Regiment (824)
Jaen Infantry Regiment (922)
Irlanda Infantry Regiment (l,724)
Reding #3 (Swiss) Infantry Regiment (l,l00)
Provincial de Jaen (500)
Voluntarios de Barbastro Infantry Regiment (39l)
Tercio de Tejas (436)
lst Voluntarios de Granada Infantry Regiment (525)
Cazadores de Anteguera (343)
Montesa Cavalry Regiment (l30)
Farnesio Cavalry Regiment (l50)
la Reina Dragoon Regiment (l45)
Numancia Dragoon Regiment (l40)
Olivencia Dragoon Regiment (l35)
Utrera Lancer Regiment (54)
Horse Battery (6 guns)
Foot Battery (4 guns)
Sappers (2 cos)(60)
Source - Oman

A different regiment but with similar facings, this grenadier provided
inspiration for painting my Reina grenadiers

All three battalions remained with Castanos's 1st Division as his army became the Army of the Centre in October of 1808 and as the Spanish army as a whole moved up in the wake of the retreating French to the River Ebro, prior to the Emperor's intervention.

As the Spanish were driven back by the second French invasion the Reina found themselves part of the scratch force detailed to defend Madrid at the Somosierra Pass. The Spanish defences were brushed aside as Napoleon forced his way into the Spanish capital.

Battle of Somosierra Pass, 1808 by Horace Vernet

Spanish Forces Defending Somosierra, Army of the Reserve, November l808
lst Voluntarios de Madrid (l,500)
2nd Voluntarios de Madrid (l,500)
Guardias Walonas (500)
Jaen Infantry Regiment (2)l,300)
l/,3/Corona Infantry Regiment (2)(l,039)
Cordoba Infantry Regiment (l,300)
Badajoz Infantry Regiment (566)
l/,3/Irlanda Infantry Regiment (2)(l,l86)
Reyna Infantry Regiment (2)(927)
Provincial de Toledo (500)
Provincial de Alcazar (400)
3/Voluntarios de Sebilla (400)
Principe Cavalry Regiment (2)(200)
Alcantara Cavalry Regiment (l00)
Montesa Cavalry Regiment (l00)
Voluntarios de Madrid Cavalry Regiment (2)(200)
Artillery (22 guns, 200 gunners)

The remains of the Army of the Centre fell back south east of Madrid at Cuenca and General Castanos was replaced by the Duke of Infantado who eager to respond to the Emperor heading off to the north-west in pursuit of Sir John Moore's British army made plans to advance on Madrid, only to see his Vanguard division taken apart at Ucles on the 13th January 1809.

Fortunately for the Reina, they missed that defeat, remaining with the 1st Division but reporting a very weak return on the 11th January.

Spanish Army of Cuenca, 11th January l809
lst Division:
Reyna Infantry Regiment (3/13/27/8/459)
l/,3/Africa Infantry Regiment (5/38/24/ll/736)
l/,3/Burgos Infantry Regiment (5/l2/34/l4/47l)
l/Sevilla Infantry Regiment (l/l4/25/-/l67)
3/Sevilla Infantry Regiment (l/8/8/4/94)
Provincial de granada (0/7/l2/l/l63)
Provincial de Bujalance (l/3/5/4/92)
Provincial de Cuenca (-/l2/l6/8/602)
Provincial de Diudad Real (2/3/8/2/258)
Provincial de Plasencia (l/3/5/2/l73)
Volontarios de Valancia (lt inf)(2/l7/l5/9/303)
Cazadores de las Navas de Tolosa (3/3l/4l/9/492)
Tiradores de Cadiz (l/l6/27/4/787)
* Figures are Chiefs, Officers, Sergeants, Drummers & Soldiers
Numbers are men present, not effective strength.
Source - Gomez de Arteche y Du Casse, Guerra de la Independencia

On the 4th of April along with the other units that would form the 5th Infantry Division at Talavera, the Reina were transferred to join General Cuesta's Army of Estremadura, now reduced to the one battalion, but at least at an effective strength.

Forces Passed to the Army of Estramadura from the Army of the Centre by order of the Supreme Central Junta. (battalions)(strength)
Division: Mariscal de campo de Echevarri
l/Reyna Infantry Regiment (l)(795)
l/Africa Infantry Regiment (l)(838)
lst Real Marina Infantry Regiment (2)(6l5)
l/,2/Murcia Infantry Regiment (2)(l,229)
2/Cazadores de Barbastro (l)(85l)
Cazadores Voluntarios de Valencia y Albuquerque (l)(83l)
Provincial de Siguenza (l)(l,08l)

My Reina regiment are composed of figures from AB supplied by Fighting 15's and with a Coronella from GMB Flags.

I have modelled my first battalion with half the companies composed of grenadiers.

So there we are four down and three to go, work goes on next with my home regiment, the boys from Murcia.

Sources referred to in this post:

http://www.eborense.es/batalla_talavera1809_ejercito_espanol.html

The Armies of Spain and Portugal 1808-14 - G.F.Nafziger & M Gilbert

Spanish Army of the Napoleonic Wars (1) 1793-1808 - Rene Chartrand & Bill Younghusband

Talavera 208 - Bassecourts Spanish 5th Division, 3rd Battalion, Africa Regiment

5th Division: Major-General Bassecourt - Source Oman (Battalions)
1st Real Marina (Royal Marines), 1st Battalion
1st Real Marina (Royal Marines), 2nd Battalion
Africa Infantry Regiment, 3rd Battalion
Murcia Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion
Murcia Infantry Regiment, 3rd Battalion
Reyna Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion
Provincial de Siguenza (Militia)

The Africa Regiment was raised in 1559 appears as sixth in the listing of Spanish regular line regiments that were the core of the Spanish Bourbon army at the start of the Peninsular War.

The Spanish army had been in a prolonged period of decline since the end of the War of Spanish Succession, with only two Cazadore, three line and four foreign regiments raised in the time leading up to the French Revolution.

Manpower for the Spanish army had originally relied on volunteers and when this proved insufficient, foreign battalions were added to the lists, but by 1770 even this provision could not meet the demands for more men and the first drafts of 12,000 men were raised from the Provisional Militia to fill the ranks, later extending to the general population with limited exceptions.

Africa Regiment No.6

Eventually even conscription proved unworkable as young men fled to the mountains to avoid service and the state reverted to the 'Leva' where marriages of young men within 15 days of conscription were annulled and magistrates were empowered to sweep the streets of beggars, criminals and the unemployed for instant enrolment into the army, with the balance required relied on from popular enlistment.

Needless to say this incoherent and haphazard system left many Spanish infantry regiments understrength and populated with an indifferent kind of soldier that characterised the regular army at the start of the Napoleonic wars.

The regulations for the organisation of infantry regiments from 1802 to 1808 laid down that each regiment should have three battalions, with the first battalion composed of two grenadier and two fusilier companies whilst the second and third battalions were to have four companies of fusiliers.

Each Company was supposed to have 191 men all ranks  and each battalion a theoretical strength of just over 760 men.

The first record I have for the Africa Regiment is this listing of the standing army in May 1808 right at the start of hostilities with France showing a very weak three battalions of average strength 320 men.

Effective Forces Standing Spanish Army and Provincial Militias May 1808
Number of Battalions/Strength (officers/troops/horses)
Africa 3/70/898/0

Source - Seccion de Historia Militar, Estados de la Organizacion y Fuerza de los Ejércitos Españoles Beligerantes en la Peninsula, durante la Guerre de España contra Bonaparte, 1822, Barcelona.

Trying to get a handle of Spanish troop movements and strengths at any particular time is always challenging, but this second source of a similar date seems to corroborate how weak the Africa were at the start of the war.

Spanish Army of Andalusia 20 May l808
Gibraltar Camp:
3/Guardias Wallonas (30/800)
Valencia Infantry Regiment (l/2)(7/3l8)
Corona Infantry Regiment (39/675)
l/,3/Africa Infantry Regiment (36/455)
Barbastro Light Infantry Regiment (l/2)(6/246)
Campo Mayor Infantry Regiment 33/l034
3/Murcia Infantry Regiment (l0/l2l)
l/,2/Jaen Infantry Regiment (34/795)
Grenadieros provinciales de Andalucia (2)(50/l,400)
Provinciales de Cuenca (l2/487)
Provinciales de Jaen (l4/496)
Provinciales de Lorca (l2/434)
Provinciales de Guadix (l3/503)
Provinciales de Siguenza (l4/543)
Provinciales de Chinchilla (l3/408)
Provinciales de Malaga (l2/3l3)
Artillery (20/575)
Sappers (9 l3l)
Santiago Cavalry Regiment (2)(l6/l30)
Alcantara Cavalry Regiment (2)(l5/ll6)
Source - Clerc, Capitulation de Baylen, Causes et Consequences, Paris, l903

The Africa were involved right from the start with their second battalion listed as part of the reserve division at Baylen on the 19th July 1808 with a strength of 525 men.

A ragged veteran from Ucles on the field of Talavera - Dionisio Alvarez Cueto

The success of Baylen and repatriation of French troops from Portugal found the rejuvenated Spanish army moved up to the River Ebro prior to its rapid re-education as the Emperor led the French Imperial forces back into Spain. The Africa are recorded showing two battalions attached to Castanos' Army of the Centre in La Pena's 4th Division.

The Africa would be with the Army of the Centre under its various commanders until being ordered to join General Cuesta's Army of Estremadura in the spring of 1809.

Army of the Centre, Commanding General: General Castanos, October-November l808
Source Oman
4th Division: General La Pena (7,500)
Africa Infantry Regiment (2)
Burgos Infantry Regiment (2)
Saragosa Infantry Regiment (l)
Murica Infantry Regiment (2)
Provincial Grenadiers of Andalusia (2) (militia)
Signenza Militia Infantry Regiment (l)
Navas de Tolosa Infantry Regiment (l)(new levee)
Baylen Infantry Regiment (l)(new levee)
5th de Sevilla (l) (new levee)

With the fast moving invasion led by Napoleon, Spanish troops reeled back as the French spearhead headed for Madrid whilst secondary forces moved along the south and north coastal areas, forcing Spanish troops to rapidly garrison their fortified cities in an attempt to slow the advance into the interior of the country.  A detachment of the Africa Regiment are recorded in December 1808 at the second siege of Saragossa.

With French troops forcing their way through the Somosierra Pass into Madrid the Spanish forces were given some respite as Napoleon's attention was drawn towards Sir John Moore's rapidly retreating British Expeditionary Force, now falling back to the Galician mountains.

The remains of the Army of the Centre now hovered to the south east and close to Madrid at Cuenca, threatening the French garrison under Marshal Victor.

Spanish Army of Cuenca 11 January l809
lst Division:
Reyna Infantry Regiment (3/l3/27/8/459)
l/,3/Africa Infantry Regiment (5/38/24/ll/736)
l/,3/Burgos Infantry Regiment (5/l2/34/l4/47l)
l/Sevilla Infantry Regiment (l/l4/25/-/l67)
3/Sevilla Infantry Regiment (l/8/8/4/94)
Provincial de granada (0/7/l2/l/l63)
Provincial de Bujalance (l/3/5/4/92)
Provincial de Cuenca (-/l2/l6/8/602)
Provincial de Diudad Real (2/3/8/2/258)
Provincial de Plasencia (l/3/5/2/l73)
Volontarios de Valancia (lt inf)(2/l7/l5/9/303)
Cazadores de las Navas de Tolosa (3/3l/4l/9/492)
Tiradores de Cadiz (l/l6/27/4/787)

* Figures are Chiefs, Officiers, Sergeants, Drummers & Soldiers
Numbers are men present, not effective strength.
Source - Gomez de Arteche y Du Casse, Guerra de la Independencia

In January 1809, Marshal Victor determined to stamp out the threat posed by the Spanish at Cuenca now commanded by the Duke of Infantado, who now appreciating the Emperor's departure to the north was becoming more emboldened to action.

The French Marshal managed to catch the Vanguard of Infantado's army at Ucles and demonstrating the French abilities to manoeuvre pinned the Spanish to their front whilst turning and enveloping their flanks.

The resulting rout was a disaster for the Spanish resulting in 6,800 casualties and losses from a force of nearly 12,000 men, with the French barely losing 200 men in return.

With the threat to Madrid neutralised Napoleon's brother, King Joseph, entered his capital on the 22nd January for the second time.

Spanish Army of the Centre, Battle of Ucles, l3 January l809
Commanding Officer: D. Francisco Javier Venegas
Left:
Cantabria Infantry Regiment (20/3l5)
Africa Infantry Regiment (43/77l)
Ordenes militaires Infantry Regiment (42/848)(500 in battle)
Barbastro Light Infantry Regiment (ll/22l)
4th Seville Infantry Regiment (20/224)
Cuenca Infantry Regiment (l2/626)
Source - Gomez de Arteche Y Moro, La Guerra de la Independencia, Madrid, l883

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Uclés_(1809)

Between the 21st March and the 4th of April the Africa Regiment was ordered to join the Army of Estremadura forming under General Cuesta in and around Badajoz, and this source shows a good strength battalion, recorded as the first, despite the disaster of Ucles only two months previously.

The Africa under Mariscal de Campo de Echevarri are accompanied by several of the units that would line up alongside them in the 5th Division at Talavera.

It would seem that this move meant that they at least missed being involved in another disastrous Spanish battle as Marshal Victor dealt a lesson in battle to General Cuesta at the Battle of Medellin on the 28th March 1809. The Africa and their comrades from the Army of the Centre are notable absentees.

Forces Passed to the Army of Estramadura from the Army of the Centre by order of the Supreme Central Junta between 21st March and 4th April 1809.
Division: Mariscal de campo de Echevarri
l/Reyna Infantry Regiment (l)(795)
l/Africa Infantry Regiment (l)(838)
lst Real Marina Infantry Regiment (2)(6l5)
l/,2/Murcia Infantry Regiment (2)(l,229)
2/Cazadores de Barbastro (l)(85l)
Cazadores Voluntarios de Valencia y Albuquerque (l)(83l)
Provincial de Siguenza (l)(l,08l)

My 3rd Africa are composed of figures from the AB range supplied by Fighting 15's with their Sencilla supplied by GMB Flags.

Sources referred to in this post:

http://www.eborense.es/batalla_talavera1809_ejercito_espanol.html

The Armies of Spain and Portugal 1808-14 - G.F.Nafziger & M Gilbert

Spanish Army of the Napoleonic Wars (1) 1793-1808 - Rene Chartrand & Bill Younghusband

Next up the first battalion, Reyna (Reina) Regiment.