This release from Prince August came earlier than expected but with a limited time free postage offer on top of a package discount, well it would have seemed just rude not to buy. Besides the spare heads include bareheads and forage caps and the coats without turnbacks will serve nicely for urban militia as well as for British, French and New England troops in inclement weather.
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| Coming soon to a mailbox near me. |
Of course the original affair mostly consisted of the sieges of Fort Anne and Louisburg and the missed opportunity that was the disastrous expedition of the Duc d'Anville along with various minor skirmishes. The 1st Siege of Louisburg has potential as a mini campaign but it would be hard to represent on my table and anyway we know how that ended. Something the size of Fort Anne would be more reasonable if we buggered the history enough to allow something like the planned attack rather than the weak investment that was managed largely by the Canadian expedition while the French fleet and army waffled and died of plague in Bedford Basin.
But, as long as we are messing with history, it would be just as easy to imagine two forts with adequate forces and bold commanders. Now there is scope for amphibious landings, ambushes, sieges and assaults. The primary forces will be New Englanders and Compagnies Franches (not the Canadian, frontier irregular types, the ones stationed at Louisburg were ordinary regulars straight from France). These will however be backed by French and British regulars, landing parties of sailors and marines from the fleets, woodswise Acadian militia and urban Louisbourg militia, indians, rangers and possibly a contingent of veteran Canadian woods fighters both militia and Compangies Franches under de Ramezay.
The tentative plan is for companies of 3 skirmishers or 8 infantry fixed to 6cm bases as individual units that may be grouped. So on this front at least, it'll be more about casting and painting than playing this winter but I'm looking forward to the whole affair.
Ross,
ReplyDeleteAs long as you are "messing with history" how about creating a unit of "wild geese" serving under the French banner with their green uniforms? It would definitely give you something new 'n shiny as a foil for the hated Anglais.
Jerry
Alas my imagination doesn't stretch as far as green coats for the Wild Geese. The Irish serving the French king always word red and My Irish have always done the same. There was actually a company of Irish deserters formed in Quebec in 1759 but there were no British troops in Acadia in the 40's. Even the red coated regular battalions were recruited in America.
DeleteHowever I have been unable to find a list of units for d'Anville's force so I would not be surprised a company or 2 eventually appearing. But first my Swiss and Colonial troops from Louisburg.
And some cavalry!
ReplyDeleteBest Regards,
Stokes
I haven't figured out yet how to fit in even a troop of cavalry but maybe when all else is done I can come up with something akin to those later formed in Quebec.
DeleteThe forth coming cuirassiers however will appear in the armies of Rosmark who have been i patiently waiting for decades!
I had wondered if you would fall foul of the siren call of the new PA stuff.
ReplyDeleteI was doomed as soon as I wrote to say "you should do something 19thCish instead of more tricornes but if you are determined to do SYW you HAVE to include French & British!" (There was some talk of just doing Prussians, Austrians and Russsians)
Delete