Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Age of the Big Battalions => Topic started by: WillieB on April 22, 2021, 09:42:54 AM
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Companies of 'riflemen', grenadiers and light companies, but I suppose they were all musket armed? No actual riflemen involved?
Another stab at a 'small' Sharp Practice 'army" so should be manageable.
And that green makes a nice change from red and blue.... :D
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This post makes no mention of rifle companies https://www.amrevmuseum.org/read-the-revolution/the-queen-s-american-rangers (https://www.amrevmuseum.org/read-the-revolution/the-queen-s-american-rangers)
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You can read Simcoe's own account here
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=iUNHAQAAMAAJ&pg=PR1&source=gbs_selected_pages&cad=2#v=onepage&q&f=false (https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=iUNHAQAAMAAJ&pg=PR1&source=gbs_selected_pages&cad=2#v=onepage&q&f=false)
Page 20 refers to a Highland company on the left flank and '8 battalions (sic), a grenadier and light company.' Simcoe's account makes much of effective outposts and sentries and the use of the bayonet (and thus musket). Mollo and MacGregor's Uniforms of the American Revolution refers to the battalion companies as 'eight companies of riflemen' which might be where the rifle companies comes from, and there are drawings of Rangers with rifles. Rifles were issues, 5 per company, to light companies in the composite Light Battalions.
From that one might deduce the majority of the infantry were armed with musket and bayonet with a few rifle-armed sharpshooters, and mostly performing a similar combination of outpost and 'petite guerre' duties between the armies along with a bayonet -armed shock role in more formal encounters. Quite similar to the activities of the red-coated amalgamted Light Battalions
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OK, the starting point for confusion over the QRs is Lefferts, who mis-identified them as the same unit that was raised in the 1790s in Canada; this latter unit WAS entirely rifle-armed and many, many authors (and figure manufacturers) have followed this error since the Bicentennial in 1976, including Mollo/McGregor (and even Alan Perry until I wrote to him and put him right!).
The QRs were raised early on in the war as a straightforward infantry battalion, with the usual two flank companies (grenadiers and lights) and eight centre companies. At this time, the whole battalion seems to have worn the normal hat. Rogers' general flakiness and a collapse of discipline among the other officers, led to a mass clear-out (I think only one of the original set survived) and the unit's command was given to a Regular officer named Weymss. He was wounded and command then devolved to Simcoe, who had previously commanded the grenadier company of the 40th Foot.
By this stage, a small "hussar" detachment had been added to the infantry battalion and the whole unit had taken on something of a "light infantry" status. Under Simcoe's leadership, it expanded into a legionary corps of considerable renown, numbering, by the end of the war:-
- One hussar troop
- Three light dragoon troops
- An artillery detachment with a 3-pdr and an "amusette" (1- or 2-pdr)
- A grenadier company
- A light company
- A "highland" company (which apparently often functioned as a second light company and also as Simcoe's personal bodyguard on the battlefield)
- A rifle detachment of 12-16 men under a sergeant, which was occasionally mounted and served with the hussar troop (these were the ONLY QR rifle-armed troops in the entire war)
- Eight centre companies
The iconic leather caps were only issued in 1780; prior to that, the bulk of the corps wore "miserable contract hats" as they were described by Simcoe himself (ie the same sort of headgear that the Regular line infantry wore). Also, probably from the Philadelphia campaign onwards, up to the end of the war, only the light troops wore the single-breasted jacket, as seen on the light infantryman and the rifleman in the Murray watercolours. I strongly suspect that these were made in the same way as the "roundabout" jackets of the Regular light infantry (but in green instead of red) by detaching the sleeves of the regimental coat and sewing them onto the light company waistcoat. The grenadiers and centre companies all wore green regimental coats with green facings, throughout the war. Broadly speaking, you thus have two "looks" for the bulk of the QR infantry - up to 1780, much like a Regular line battalion, but in green instead of red and with the light infantry in jackets (and quite possibly both flank companies in hats rather than specialist caps); from 1780 onwards, the "popular" look beloved of figure manufacturers.
The three light dragoon troops were formed by consolidating several mounted Loyalist units; they never served together during any periods of fighting, but one troop served alongside the hussars in the Southern campaigns and was captured with it at Yorktown.
The highland company initially wore kilts and kilmarnock bonnets, but almost certainly reverted to overalls in the South (I like to think they retained the bonnets though - mine do, anyway); they also had a company piper. You will occasionally see people state that they wore the McNab(b) tartan - unfortunately, such a sett did not exist at the time (so no, they almost certainly didn't - McNab was the name of one of the company's officers who fled to Canada at the end of the war, and formed a unit there that might possibly have done so).
The corps in its entirety is the perfect basis for an SP2 force - nice mix of foot and horse, some light guns, and both musket- and rifle-armed skirmishers.
Hope that helps.
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OK, the starting point for confusion over the QRs is Lefferts, who mis-identified them as the same unit that was raised in the 1790s in Canada; this latter unit WAS entirely rifle-armed and many, many authors (and figure manufacturers) have followed this error since the Bicentennial in 1976, including Mollo/McGregor (and even Alan Perry until I wrote to him and put him right!)...
Hope that helps.
This was very thorough and helpful, much obliged. Will incorporate this information into my AWI plans.
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Thank you very much!
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Thanks indeed for that information. I've some unpainted minis on my desk ready for painting and this makes figure selection far easier.
The Highland companies tartan question has been kicked around a few times. I'll probably plump for a simple green/blue.
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Right then, paint up bog standard British infantry with green coats and facings and Bob's your uncle. Thanks, Baron.
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Marvelous stuff Brendan, as we have come to expect from you. Very informative, and extremely helpful.
Thank you for sharing.
William19
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So from this, If I were to build a force of Queens Rangers using Perry figs. I would use the my box of plastics for the center companies. And the QR light, and grenadiers fig for the flanks companies and picks up some of the highlanders in kilts for Simcoe's bodyguard/ directly commanded company?
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So from this, If I were to build a force of Queens Rangers using Perry figs. I would use the my box of plastics for the center companies. And the QR light, and grenadiers fig for the flanks companies and picks up some of the highlanders in kilts for Simcoe's bodyguard/ directly commanded company?
Would you use the Continental plastics for these centre companies? (no lace) or the British ones?
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Hmm I'll have to think about that.
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So from this, If I were to build a force of Queens Rangers using Perry figs. I would use the my box of plastics for the center companies. And the QR light, and grenadiers fig for the flanks companies and picks up some of the highlanders in kilts for Simcoe's bodyguard/ directly commanded company?
Spot on for the centre and flank companies. Re. the highland company, unfortunately the Perry AWI highlanders in kilts are a bit of a FIW/AWI hybrid, as they have the flat bonnet rather than the kilmarnock (not quite sure why Alan did that). Personally, I would use the highlanders in overalls (they also come in the same advancing pose as the QR metal figures) which I suspect they would have adopted like almost all of the Regular highland units from 1777 onwards.
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If using plastics for the centre companies, what are the best options for heads with caps? All the Perry options seem shorter than the one used by QRs. Though if ever get around to a skirmish force I suppose just using metal lights, rifles and hussars/dragoons would be legit.
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Goliad - It depends which period of the QR history you are trying to replicate.
From memory, the most suitable - or least unsuitable - caps are the peaked light infantry caps in the Continental Infantry plastics set. You could snip the peaks off, but they would still be a little too low in terms of the front plate, and quite probably the crown as well - however, if you are happy to live with that, then fair enough. You would also need to use the Continental bodies and arms, as the QRs had no buttonhole lace, as was typical (though not universal) with Loyalist corps.
I think metals for the light company would be fine, as the grenadier company bearskins suggest that the flank companies did have the usual distinctive headgear, even before the adoption of caps by the entire infantry component in 1780. The section of riflemen, I think, post-dates the introduction of the caps (could be wrong on that, though). Certainly use the QR hussars and BL dragoons for the respective troops of mounted men, as the light dragoon uniforms of the two corps were practically identical - as indeed they were, to a lesser extent, with Lee's Legion on the other side!!!
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Not sure if these are useful; but i wont know unless i post 'em. I'm looking at an early war unit and was looking to use Perry's plastics or metals. I came across this painting showing the Rangers at Monmouth's Courthouse
https://pixels.com/featured/queens-american-rangers-mark-maritato.html
And there's an article on cap hats that's on the website of a reenactment group.
http://royalyorkers.ca/articles.php ( Justification for our caps ).
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The Baron said that when the QR unit had coats with facings, they were green coats and green facings? Why do I think the QRs had black facings?
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Not sure if these are useful; but i wont know unless i post 'em. I'm looking at an early war unit and was looking to use Perry's plastics or metals. I came across this painting showing the Rangers at Monmouth's Courthouse
https://pixels.com/featured/queens-american-rangers-mark-maritato.html
The artist seems to have copied the British light infantry uniform (sleeved waistcoat or roundabout) of the time, but in green, although the absence of cuffs on the arms is problematic. Interesting speculation - and who's to say it's wrong? It's not known if the QRs as a whole modified their uniform in this way, or simply retained their regimental coats with the tails cut down - as the Regular line infantry would have done. For the former, Perry packs AW48 to AW52 would be appropriate; for cut-down coats, packs AW56 to AW58. If you're using plastics, I think the British bodies with the "slouch hats" from the British box would replicate the cut-down coat look; you'd have to stick with metals for the roundabout appearance though.
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Why do I think the QRs had black facings?
Possibilities -
1) A "catalogue" of Loyalist uniforms, drafted at the end of the war and quoted extensively in Rene Chartrand's Osprey MAA on the Provincials, had (I think) a reference to black facings on the light dragoon jackets; this could either be a mistake due to confusion with similar jackets for the British Legion dragoons, or a genuine indication that the light dragoon elements of both units were issued the same item. If you look at the US re-enactment unit, I think its CO (Dr Gary Corrado) wears a light dragoon uniform with black facings. None of the other elements of the QRs had black facings at any time, though.
2) Lefferts mistook the AWI-era QRs with a later unit raised in Canada in the 1790s, which had dark blue facings (he may also have assumed these from the use of "Queen" in the regimental title).
3) You are Bobby Ewing and you dreamt it.
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It's just the excuse I need to buy a few more packs of Perry's finest. It's not bad day when the dilemma is cut-down coats or roundabouts. Does mean I'll have to get some more Highland troops as well. ☺
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Depends what you want - kilts or overalls; I'm not sure if this is accurate or not, but I doubt that the kilt survived very long in the field (the 42nd and 71st had ditched them by the end of 1776). The Perry highland figures in overalls are more accurate in terms of headgear, as the beret-type bonnet worn by the kilted figures is wrong for AWI-era highlanders, unless you are specifically talking about Southern Loyalist militia (ie Moore's Creek Bridge). Personally I think the advancing figures (without backpacks) are the best as they tie in, pose-wise, with the metal flank company figures (ie grenadiers and light company).
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Just to add to the confusion, the Rangers (and most of the provincial units being raised in and around New York) received a clothing issue in the spring of 1777 consisting of green coats faced in white (no lace) and white small clothes with round hats. The Rangers would have worn this throughout the Philadelphia campaign. In early 1778 is when Simcoe mentions converting waistcoats with sleeves for summer wear, but they retain green/faced green coats for cooler weather - as illustrated in the watercolor of the Ranger grenadier. As stated above, it's not until 1780 that the round contract hats are replaced by the leather caps.
Not to toot my own horn, but you can see some examples of the guys in my reenacting unit here if that helps: https://www.facebook.com/qolvr
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I knew about the general issue of green-faced-white, but didn't realise that the QRs had received that as well - thank you!