Skinners and Cowboys - Westchester in the AWI

[Gangleri]

Hello,

I am starting on a new project, one I have had in the pipeline for several years, about the events the events that took place during the American Revolution in the county where I reside, Westchester County, New York.  Though now known as the home of quiet suburbs and scenic reservoirs, during the Revolution it was just about the worst place in the Colonies.  After the British had seized New York City, the county became the scene of five years of incessant conflict. The southern edge of the county was firmly in British hands, the northern edge included the Hudson Highlands, an American stronghold by means of which the Continentals choked off passage of the Hudson River, and in between lay the benighted "neutral ground," formerly admired as a pleasing and fertile region, against which played out a gruelling small war of raid, counterraid, and pillage, in which local and familial feuds merged with the larger conflict of the war.  The farms of the county fed both armies, and many of its inhabitants were drawn, or forced, to take sides, while others hoped simply to stay alive and put away enough food for the winter.  In this effort they were impeded not only by the uniformed soldiers of each side but by the notorious Patriot raiders, the Skinners, and their Tory rivals, the Cowboys - more on them in a later post.

I intend to represent the bands of men who fought to control Westchester.  Accounts of some of the larger actions often describe platoon or company strength units from multiple regiments being combined for these undertakings, making for a varied and colorful set of participants and a pleasingly diverse set of uniforms to paint.

Test models for the 5th New York Regiment, Highlands Department, Continental Army


The 5th NY was recruited in southern New York and entered the line in early 1777. It would see extensive action in the Westchester Highlands as well as further afield.  They had a pleasing brown-faced-blue uniform coat and of course the non-standard extras characteristic of war.  Perry metals and plastics.

Test for 3r Battalion DeLancey's Brigade, New York Garrison

 Influential Loyalist Peter DeLancey, of Hugenot descent, raised three infantry battalions of Tories for the Crown, drawn from loyalists in what is now called the "tri-state area:" southern New York, western Long Island and Connecticut, and northern New Jersey.  The brigade was among the cream of the Loyalist units and was always bivouacked and drilled alongside British regiments. The first two battalions were shipped south in 1778 and did good work there, but the 3rd remained near New York, bouncing between various postings (including a stint at Setauket to guard against raiders from Connecticut who rowed across the Sound in whaling boats) and frequently employed in the many small actions in the region.  Here they are shown in their "middle" uniforms (red faced green) and in winter dress, when they exchanged their breeches and hats for brown overalls and caps.  The caps themselves are a matter of debate, sometimes shown as peaked caps instead and with various emblems, or none, on the front.  These are meant to show crowns, though I may change that.  The buttons should be in groups of three (for the 3rd battalion), but it's too tedious a task to change that, and I settled for scraping the lace off.  Have to say that while the plastic British kit is generally excellent, the tumplines are had to fit cleanly on the miniatures.

Next up I will have to bring these squads up to full strength while I wait for new troops to arrive in the mail.

Thanks for looking.

[jambo1]

A very good start for your project, really nice work on the troops so far. A very interesting campaign to pick.especially as it of local interest to you, look forward to seeing your progress.

[commissarmoody]

Nice! Looking forward to seeing how this turns out.

[fred]

Good start on the figures and a very interesting slice of history to base your games around

Looking forward to seeing more

[vtsaogames]

Very interesting, nice work. Do you have any suggested reading on this?
I live in downtown Manhattan, just below DeLancey street. Division street was the boundary between DeLancey's estate and that of the Patriot Rutgers, who fled to New Jersey and then Philadelphia. The British burned Rutgers' home.

[Aaron]

Very nice painting. Your white linen and the red on DeLancey's men look right on the money IMO. I think Cooper's "The Spy" is supposed to take place in Westchester County. It has been years since I read it, but IIRC it was chock full of small-unit scenario ideas.

[Baron von Wreckedoften]

Very interesting, nice work. Do you have any suggested reading on this?

"Grand Forage: The battleground around New York City" by Todd Braisted is precisely the book you are looking for.  And, having bought it myself, I can thoroughly recommend it.

[Cat]

"Grand Forage: The battleground around New York City" by Todd Braisted is precisely the book you are looking for.  And, having bought it myself, I can thoroughly recommend it.

Yes, that book is superb reading for anyone with a slight interest in the period!

I bought that a few years ago when I was beginning planning on my Sleepy Hollow project.  Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown are on the northern end of Westchester County on the shores of the Tappan Zee.  I was debating between going with AWI (more Hessians about) or what I settled on was FIW (more factions, and a few Hessians).  The Westchester area is perfect for AWI skirmish games.

If you're looking for any buildings to use, Things From The Basement has a number that are perfect for the Dutch Colonial style of New York and New Jersey.  Several of the kits that Joerg did for the project are historical: The Martling House, the School House, and the Corn Crib; and the Van Allen House from the movie fits in just fine too:
https://www.thingsfromthebasement.com/store/c35/Inspired_by_Sleepy_Hollow_-_The_Movie.html

They also have some new kits coming out soon that I'm looking forward to.  This summer they did a Kickstarter for the Farms of Gettysburg.  Two of them are just perfect Dutch Colonial style with stonework and double chimneys: The Thompson House and the Slyder House.  I've come across several illustrations of very similar buildings up in the Hudson Valley region for colonial times.  The KS orders are likely to be filled by the end of this month, then they'll go in the store after that.  That's when I'll grab this pair to use in Tarrytown.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tftb/farms-of-gettysburg

For local defenders, you can also include Mother Hulda, local sharpshooter and witch!  Shunned by Sleepy Hollow society and living on the edge of the wilderness, Hulda was adept at hunting rabbits for food and barter. She was killed in action while providing a critical role in breaking up a British landing during the Revolutionary War.

When we visited Sleepy Hollow for holiday celebrations over Halloween 2017 for a foliage recon tour and holiday festibrations, there was no marker for her grave at the Old Dutch Church. Just came across the news that this was rectified in style in October 2019. Looking forward to seeing this when next we can return:
https://theolddutchchurch.blog/2019/11/21/example-post/

[Pan Marek]

Skirmish scenarios can be had by getting the books by Norman Desmarais.  There's
"Guide to the American Revolutionary War In New York" – November 1, 2010, available on Amazon.  The work he put into these books is amazing. He's catalogued just about every battle, skirmish, incident or sneeze during the war.  Often with info about
how many people were involved.

I grew up on LI, but now live in NJ.   I've been doing skirmish games based in NJ, which had similar problems to Westchester, especially across the river in Bergen County.   For skinners and cowboys, take a look at Perry's mounted militia.  Can be used for either side!

Where do you game?  We have an active group in Essex County, NJ.

[Baron von Wreckedoften]

I grew up on LI, but now live in NJ.   I've been doing skirmish games based in NJ, which had similar problems to Westchester, especially across the river in Bergen County.   

Do yo have "The Revolutionsry War in the Hackensack Valley: The Jersay Dutch and the Neutral Ground" by Adrian Leiby?  Excellent book.

Interested in the Desmarais book - sounds very like the 4-volume "Nothing but blood and slaughter" by Patrick O'Kelley, which covers the Southern campaigns from 1774 through to the end of the war.

[Cat]

Skirmish scenarios can be had by getting the books by Norman Desmarais.  There's
"Guide to the American Revolutionary War In New York" – November 1, 2010

Thanks for the tip, just ordered a copy from Book Depository.

We have an active group in Essex County, NJ.

Do you folks come up to Huzzah! in Portland Maine?  It's a top flight miniatures convention in May [well, at least when it's safe and practical to hold conventions...]  It would be great to have some more 18C games there!

[Gangleri]

I am delighted by the interest this thread has generated and grateful for the compliments

Very interesting, nice work. Do you have any suggested reading on this?
I live in downtown Manhattan, just below DeLancey street. Division street was the boundary between DeLancey's estate and that of the Patriot Rutgers, who fled to New Jersey and then Philadelphia. The British burned Rutgers' home.

I hope you have had a drink or two in Delancey's old tavern, now Fraunces Tavern!

In addition to the worthwhile recommendations from other posters, most of which were new to me, I can add one further thing.  Try contacting local historical societies and the curators of local museums dealing with the colonial period.  They often have a trove of local knowledge at their disposal and are very pleased to find others with an interest in it.  If you are interested in a particular action or locale, they can be of great help.  Similarly, reenactment groups, or even just their websites, often have access to good material, especially primary sources that describe the units' involvement in smaller fights.  Not to mention information on uniforms, equipment, etc., which can be very difficult to pin down for the AWI and especially the Continentals.

And if I can insert a bit of self-promotion, here are some posts I made on a blog a while back:

https://wellrallyonceagain.blogspot.com/2015/10/battle-of-white-plains-anniversary.html
https://wellrallyonceagain.blogspot.com/2015/12/philipsburg-encampment-part-i.html
https://wellrallyonceagain.blogspot.com/2016/01/youngs-corners.html

Very nice painting. Your white linen and the red on DeLancey's men look right on the money IMO. I think Cooper's "The Spy" is supposed to take place in Westchester County. It has been years since I read it, but IIRC it was chock full of small-unit scenario ideas.

Thank you very much.  I was really trying not to make the linen too bright.  I think the last redcoats I painted (from any era) were 54mm Accurate British AWI nearly 20 years ago, so I was bit concerned about how they would turn out.  And yes, a lot of The Spy takes place in nearby Rye, NY.  And I believe Cooper wrote it while he was living just down the street from where I am, though sadly the house does not survive.

I bought that a few years ago when I was beginning planning on my Sleepy Hollow project.  Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown are on the northern end of Westchester County on the shores of the Tappan Zee.... If you're looking for any buildings to use, Things From The Basement has a number that are perfect for the Dutch Colonial style of New York and New Jersey.  Several of the kits that Joerg did for the project are historical: The Martling House, the School House, and the Corn Crib; and the Van Allen House from the movie fits in just fine too:
https://www.thingsfromthebasement.com/store/c35/Inspired_by_Sleepy_Hollow_-_The_Movie.html


For local defenders, you can also include Mother Hulda, local sharpshooter and witch!  Shunned by Sleepy Hollow society and living on the edge of the wilderness, Hulda was adept at hunting rabbits for food and barter. She was killed in action while providing a critical role in breaking up a British landing during the Revolutionary War.

When we visited Sleepy Hollow for holiday celebrations over Halloween 2017 for a foliage recon tour and holiday festibrations, there was no marker for her grave at the Old Dutch Church. Just came across the news that this was rectified in style in October 2019. Looking forward to seeing this when next we can return:
https://theolddutchchurch.blog/2019/11/21/example-post/

Thank you, thank you for this link!  One of my hopes is to get the period architecture right, whenever possible basing it on surviving buildings.  So these are just perfect.

And as far as Sleepy Hollow goes, I am going to incorporate it, and other Irving stories, into this project as well.  The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is one of my favorite stories, and I have been going up to the old church in the fall almost every year.  Though of course the story is fanciful, there is a lot of authentic detail in it, such as the van Tassels (a real family whose descendents still live in the area) finding a headless Hessian corpse and burying it in the churchyard.

Skirmish scenarios can be had by getting the books by Norman Desmarais.  There's
"Guide to the American Revolutionary War In New York" – November 1, 2010, available on Amazon.  The work he put into these books is amazing. He's catalogued just about every battle, skirmish, incident or sneeze during the war.  Often with info about
how many people were involved.

I grew up on LI, but now live in NJ.   I've been doing skirmish games based in NJ, which had similar problems to Westchester, especially across the river in Bergen County.   For skinners and cowboys, take a look at Perry's mounted militia.  Can be used for either side!

Where do you game?  We have an active group in Essex County, NJ.

Yes, southern NY on both sides of the river, northern NJ, western LI, lower CT - all had similar experiences, and like Westchester, NJ was heavily ravaged.  On top of it, the troops on both sides were constantly being jumbled together for excursions in the whole tri-state area, so while I am focusing on Westchester, the troops could be used for a scenario anywhere in the area.

I am more of a painter than a wargamer and had not really thought about rules, scenarios, etc., but since you have all offered many resources for wargaming, and since some of you appear to be in the area, I will give more thought to this matter.  I don't actually have a place to game but if I can stick with this project and others are interested we could assemble somewhere.

More to follow soon, and thanks again.

[vtsaogames]

...Do you folks come up to Huzzah! in Portland Maine?  It's a top flight miniatures convention in May [well, at least when it's safe and practical to hold conventions...]  It would be great to have some more 18C games there!

I made it up a couple years back, ran a small game of the 1859 Battle of Montebello. My wife has family in Maine and we spend a lot of time there. I had planned to attend this year with an AWI scenario, but the plague intervened.

[Cat]

Thank you, thank you for this link!  One of my hopes is to get the period architecture right, whenever possible basing it on surviving buildings.  So these are just perfect.

And as far as Sleepy Hollow goes, I am going to incorporate it, and other Irving stories, into this project as well.  The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is one of my favorite stories, and I have been going up to the old church in the fall almost every year.  Though of course the story is fanciful, there is a lot of authentic detail in it, such as the van Tassels (a real family whose descendents still live in the area) finding a headless Hessian corpse and burying it in the churchyard.

For the Things from the Basement kits, the Martling House is based on photos of the actual house in Tarrytown, which was the site of the first murder in town, during the Rev war.  The School House is based on a photo of the second school house in Sleepy Hollow built in 1865, which was very small, but larger than the first one of which there are no illustrations — so this model is reduced down from the second one.  The Corn Crib is modelled on a restored 1740 one at Abraham Staats' farm in New Jersey.

At some point when I'm a bit more caught up on building other kits, I hope to be able to persuade Joerg to do a kit of the Landrine House as well, where Major Andre was held prisoner.  It's a good example of typical small inns of the area.  Of course, if someone else were to persuade him first, then I would have to buy it too...

The best resource on the haunted side of the Hollow is Legends and Lore of Sleepy Hollow and the Hudson Valley by Jonathan Kruk.  There's a lot of good material in here for period gothic flavour.  He's a master stroyteller and we had the delight of hearing him tell the Legend of Sleepy Hollow in the Old Dutch Church at dusk on Halloween!  It's definitely worth catching one of his performances for anyone who is in the area in the fall.

I can also recommend one of the books mentioned earlier: The Revolutionary War in the Hackensack Valley is superb reading.

Nice blog posts, thanks for sharing those!

[commissarmoody]

This is all pretty cool. The Misses and I are looking at moving back east and would love to do something similar. But we are still undecided where to move to. But i am sure once we figure it out, I will hover up all the local history.