Perry Miniatures Preview and Happy Independence Day to Us Yanks!

Today in the good old USA we celebrate Independence Day. In light of the holiday we bring you a preview of something Perry Miniatures is cooking up, a plastic set of American Continental Line Infantry.

The main frame will have three infantrymen in long tailed coats and two in hunting shirts which was a common campaign attire. Both will have separate arms to allow you to build infantry advancing or marching at the shoulder or marching casually.

These will go great with the already released Perry Miniatures plastic box set of American War of Independence British Infantry. There is no release date on the American Continentals just yet.

Happy Independence Day and have a great battle!
The Old Crow

Perry Miniatures American War of Independence British Infantry - New Release

These Sweet British Infantry from 1775-1783 are the first in the American War of Independence plastic series from Perry Miniatures. They will be producing American militia and Continentals box sets too.

This box contains center company men (or hat men) of a typical British regiment for the war. The regiments flank companies were normally detached to for combined light and grenadier battalions. They are represented in cut-down coats for campaign and come with three hat variants; the typical cocked hat, the uncocked hat or board brimmed hat and the ‘Saratoga cap’, cut down from the cocked hat.

They can be assembled either at the charge or at the trail which is probably the most common drill position when operating in wooded countryside. The also wear the typical gaiter-trousers or American
trousers which became very popular in the war.

The officers are in simple undress coats favored on campaign. As always, the Perry brothers never fail to deliver.

The command sprue, as you can see, allows for a variety of equipment configurations. It also contains two British casualties.

The Infantry sprue seen here contains all the variants mentioned above. The three hat variations are all moulded separate from the heads. With some careful trimming, you can wind up with a plethora of leftover rifles.

The AW 200 box contains: 36 figures plus 2 casualties, units bases, full painting guide and flags. Now we just need to wait for the American Militia and Continentals!

While your waiting, pick up some additional British casualties!

Have A Great Battle
The Old Crow

Civil War Rages in Western Pennsylvania!

OK not really, but a bit of history came alive with the 6th Annual Civil War Weekend sponsored by the Andrew Carnegie Free Library. The library is home to the restored Thomas Espy GAR Post 153.

The event included exhibits, a Civil War era tea, and military drills and skirmishes between Union and Confederate forces.

Civil War Medicine displays, Infantry drills..

artillery, small arms and civil war recruiting demonstrations were all part of the event.

One of the reenactments (pictured above too) was the Battle of Mechanicsville, also known as The Battle of Beaver Dam Creek. The actual battle took place on June 26, 1862, in Virginia.

It was the start of Confederate General Robert E. Lee's counter-offensive against the Union Army of the Potomac, which threatened the Confederate capital of Richmond.

General Lee attempted to turn the Union right flank, with troops under "Stonewall" Jackson, but Jackson failed to arrive on time.

Instead Maj. Gen. A.P. Hill, reinforced by one of Maj. Gen. D.H. Hill's brigades,  threw his division into a series of futile assaults against the Union V Corps, under Brig Gen Porter, which occupied defensive works behind Beaver Dam Creek.

Confederate attacks were driven back with heavy casualties. Porter withdrew his corps safely to Gaines Mill.

Well, after an inspiring day, back to the workbench!

Have a Great Battle!
The Old Crow

French Napoleonic Hussars by Perry Miniatures

Gotta love Perry Miniatures and these phenomenal French Napoleonic Hussars!

Let's start with the beautiful cover art on the package by Peter Dennis. It really gets you thinking about heroic charges against great odd.

Now, here's what you get in the box, a comprehensive historical guide to all the French Hussar units dating from 1792 through 1815!
And Fourteen 28mm hard plastic figures to build. The detailing is superb, just what you'd expect from Perry Miniatures.

The command sprue has enough pieces to make a trumpeter or standard bearer and an officer. Each Hussar can have their functional campaign dress uniforms or the more elaborate full dress uniforms.

There is also enough different heads to outfit your Hussars in the early period Miriliton hat, the Bell top Shako, Cylindrical Shako, Coverede bell top or the Fur Colpack worn by most elite Hussars.

There are four trooper sprues, three troops to each one, with all the same options as the command sprue.

And lastly, four horse sprues, also with three to a sprue.

We spent about 2 hours cutting pieces from the sprues and putting these guys together. We assembled five of the 14 available.

Trooper A with raised sword...

and his opposite side.

Trooper B has his sword arm fully extended

The trumpeter has his sword in the sheath.

With a few modifications, a regular trooper becomes the standard bearer.

There you have it for now, get some of these beauties and start building your forces! The hard part is deciding on which of the 18 Hussar regimental schemes to paint.

Good luck in deciding and have a great battle!
The Old Crow