British Officers of the French & Indian War from Contemporary Pictures

This is a gallery of portraits of British officers during the French & Indian War.  Since these portraits were painted from life, there are interesting regimental distinctions illustrated.  This is by no means an exhaustive list, but hopefully will prove interesting and a springboard for further research.

17th Regiment of Foot: Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Monckton.  He wears a non-regulation waistcoat, most likely one that is white.

 

27th Regiment of Foot.  Colonel William Blakeney.

 

35th Regiment of Foot: Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Fletcher (photo originally from The 35th Project https://web.archive.org/web/20120417165337/http://www.btinternet.com/~the35thfootproject/index.html.)  Fletcher's portrait is likely from the 1760s or later because of the epaulette, narrow lapels, and light waistcoat.

40th Regiment of Foot.  Captain George Scott.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

42nd Regiment of Foot.  Captain John Campbell.  This portrait dates after the 42nd was awarded the title of the Royal Highland Regiment in July 1758.  As part of this honor, their facings were changed from buff to blue, as seen in this portrait.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

47th Regiment of Foot: Captain Roger Morris.  Since Morris' painting shows an epaulette, it may date to the 1760s.  However, the cut of the lapels has not been updated to that seen in Fletcher's portrait.  Similar to Lieutenant-Colonel Monckton, Captain Morris also wears a white waistcoat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

48th Regiment of Foot:  Captain Gabriel Christie.  Note the buff waistcoat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

55th Regiment of Foot.  Colonel George Augustus, Viscount Howe.  This most likely shows him in the uniform of the 55th Regiment of Foot.  It is possible that this illustration shows him as colonel of the 60th Regiment, but it appears that the 60th's officers did not wear buttonhole lace.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

58th Regiment of Foot.  Lieutenant-Colonel William Howe. (Photo from Archives Canada https://collectionscanada.gc.ca/pam_archives/index.php?fuseaction=genitem.displayEcopies&lang=eng&rec_nbr=2834245&title=General%20Sir%20William%20Howe.&ecopy=c096944k)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

60th Regiment of Foot.  Jeffrey Amherst, possibly as colonel of the 60th Regiment of Foot.  Alternately, this portrait may illustrate a general's "undress" uniform.

Battle of Brandywine Gallery

In honor of the 242nd anniversary of the Battle of Brandywine today, I have compiled a gallery of artistic depictions of it.  These are 19th and 20th century illustrations, and usually suffer from  anachronisms.  Please use caution if using them for historical/costume/wargame reference.  However, they are wonderful in capturing a "moment" in time, even if the fine details do not hold up under scrutiny.  Enjoy!

Jacques Onfray de Breville illustrates the attack of the British and Hessian grenadiers.  These two are pieces of the same painting, but as it was an illustration, about 1/4" of the middle was lost in scanning.

F. C. Yohn shows a hastily-constructed line of American troops attempting to stem the tide of the British outflanking attack.

Arthur Becher shows the moment when Washington and his staff received news that the British attack had crumpled the American lines.

As the British surged onward towards victory, a young major general named the Marquis de Lafayette attempted to rally the Americans to halt the British.

In this painting by E. Percy Moran, Lafayette looks like he has single-handedly changed the tide of the battle.  Unfortunately, that was not the case.















Frank E. Schoovener shows Lafayette and a rag-tag group of Americans advancing into the fog of war.  I previously identified this flag as a composite of other flags.  This was erroneous.  The flag is actually copied directly from a surviving artifact.  (Seen at https://www.8thvirginia.com/blog/the-triumphant-return-of-legendary-flag)  This flag was in a private collection until its sale in 2012.  Mr. Schoovener must have had excellent connections to view and copy this flag.

Victor A. Searles' illustration is a bizarre hodge-podge of 18th Century costume, but does capture the impression of a close-quarters melee.

Yorktown Gallery by Howard Pyle

On this day, Lord Cornwallis surrendered his post at Yorktown to General George Washington and the Comte de Rochambeau.  These illustrations are Howard Pyle's imagining of the events on this climactic battle of the American Revolution.


The first illustration shows George Washington firing the first cannon against the fortifications of Yorktown.

American and French artillerymen continued to bombard the British in Yorktown.  In the second illustration, Washington and his ally Rochambeau inspect Yorktown and plan their next move.

That next move would be an infantry assault against two small fortifications known as redoubts.  The attack was well-planned and succeeded in capturing these two posts in less than thirty minutes.  During these attacks, there was fierce hand-to-hand combat.  Unlike many battles of the 18th Century, officers could cross swords with each other.





On October 19, Cornwallis surrendered to the combined French-American force.  This would be the last major action in the American Revolution.

The Duc de Lauzun in Senegal

Click on image to enlarge

The Duc de Lauzun is primarily remembered for his role in the American Revolution at Yorktown.  There, he commanded a unit of cavalry known as Lauzun's Legion and prevented a breakout attempt by Banastre Tarleton from the post of Gloucester Point.  But before his career in America, Lauzun and his Legion were sent to Africa to seize British trading posts along the Senegal River.  Lauzun captured Fort Saint-Louis from the British in 1779.  In this period drawing from 1784, Lauzun is shown accepting the surrender of Fort Saint-Louis.  Some French infantrymen are shown behind him, possibly the infantry component of his legion.  This drawing is a part of the Library of Congress, and was found at http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2017658511/

Fontenoy Gallery by Jacques Onfray de Breville

Today is the anniversary of the 1745 Battle of Fontenoy, fought between the French Army and the Pragmatic Allies (comprising Great Britain, the Netherlands, Hanover, and the Holy Roman Empire).  At the battle of Fontenoy, Marshal Saxe directed the French army to victory.

 In the picture at left, Marshal Saxe rides in his wicker chariot because he was too ill to ride a horse.  The man at right is an uhlan of the Volontaires de Saxe.
 




Saxe's plan called for redoubts to strengthen the French position against the Allied attacks.  It also incorporated the elite Arquebusiers de Grassin to patrol the woods and harass the enemy columns as they attacked Saxe's redoubts.  They are doing this in the picture, warily looking out for trouble.  They performed their job admirably, delaying the advance of a column of British infantry.

But the Allies had penetrated Saxe's lines in a massive column that refused to be broken.  Saxe ordered the reserve Irish Brigade (made up of Irish exiles in French service) and Louis XV's bodyguard, known as the Maison du Roi, to give one final attack.  These elite troops hit the Allied column and gained the victory for France.  The Maison du Roi is charging in this picture.  Fontenoy is also remarkable because Louis XV and his son the Dauphin were encamped there during the battle.

All these pictures were created by the French artist Comte Jacques Onfray de Breville.  He signed his work with his initials "JOB."

Montcalm's Army from "Troupes Du Roi 1757"

These plates are from a book called "Troupes du Roi, Infanterie française et étrangère, année 1757."  This book, written in 1757, has provided a priceless window into the uniforms of French infantry during the Seven Years War.  The plates selected depict French regiments who fought with Montcalm to defend New France (Canada) from 1755 to 1760.


All photographs are courtesy of the Reunion des Musees Nationaux at http://www.photo.rmn.fr/C.aspx?VP3=SearchResult&VBID=2CO5PC7S6ADBL&PN=6

These regiments are arranged in order of seniority, that is, from oldest raised to newest raised.  Clicking on a picture will enlarge it.

First is the Regiment La Reine, the queen's own regiment.  This regiment fought at Lake George (1755), Fort William-Henry (1757), Fort Carillon (1758) and Sainte-Foy (1760).  Read more about Regiment La Reine at http://kronoskaf.com/syw/index.php?title=La_Reine_Infanterie

Next is the Regiment La Sarre.  In the picture, the soldier is fighting an enemy with his sword.  This regiment fought at Fort Oswego (1756), Fort William-Henry (1757), Fort Carillon (1758), the Plains of Abraham (1759) and Sainte-Foy (1760).  Read more about Regiment La Sarre at http://kronoskaf.com/syw/index.php?title=La_Sarre_Infanterie 

This flagbearer is from Regiment Royal-Roussillon, raised in the Roussillon province with King Louis XV as its colonel.  This regiment fought at Fort William-Henry (1757), Fort Carillon (1758), the Plains of Abraham (1759) and Sainte-Foy (1760).  Read more about Regiment Royal-Roussillon at

http://kronoskaf.com/syw/index.php?title=Royal_Roussillon_Infanterie

 

Regiment Languedoc was raised in the Languedoc province where General Montcalm was born.  This regiment fought at Lake George (1755), Fort William-Henry (1757), Fort Carillon (1758), the Plains of Abraham (1759) and Sainte-Foy (1760).  Read more about Regiment Languedoc at http://kronoskaf.com/syw/index.php?title=Languedoc_Infanterie

This reclining soldier is from Regiment Guyenne which was raised in the Guyenne province.  This regiment fought at Fort William-Henry (1757), Fort Carillon (1758), the Plains of Abraham (1759) and Sainte-Foy (1760).  Read more about Regiment Guyenne at http://kronoskaf.com/syw/index.php?title=Guyenne_Infanterie

This soldier holding a pipe is from Regiment Berry.  Regiment Berry was originally supposed to sail to India, but was sent to Canada instead.  This regiment fought at Fort Carillon (1758) and Sainte-Foy (1760). Read more about Regiment Berry at http://kronoskaf.com/syw/index.php?title=Berry_Infanterie

The last of Montcalm's regular regiments is Regiment Bearn.  This illustration shows a grenadier, distinguished by his mustache.  This regiment fought at Fort Oswego (1756), Fort William-Henry (1757), Fort Carillon (1758), the Plains of Abraham (1759) and Sainte-Foy (1760).  Read more about Regiment Bearn at http://kronoskaf.com/syw/index.php?title=B%C3%A9arn_Infanterie

William Washington vs. Banastre Tarleton at the Battle of Cowpens

On January 17, 1781, at the Battle of the Cowpens, British Colonel Banastre Tarleton was decisively defeated by Continental General Daniel Morgan.  Tarleton’s British regiments gained ground until they were confronted with an unexpected counterattack and disintegrated.  Now the American troops were pushing across the battlefield, capturing surrendering British soldiers and fighting artillerymen who were defending their cannon.  The artillery and baggage was in danger, and Tarleton was determined not to let the enemy get it.  He was, after all, a cavalryman who excelled in headlong charges against numerically superior enemies.

 

Unfortunately for Tarleton, his British Legion cavalry refused to charge.  Gathering together a few cavalrymen, Tarleton returned to the battle and collided with William Washington’s troopers of the 3^rd Continental Light Dragoons with some mounted militia. (1) Upon seeing the British commander, Washington shouted “Where is now the boasting Tarleton?” (2)

 

Tarleton, who was escorted by two other British officers, slashed at Washington.  Raising his saber, Washington deflected the first slash.  Tarleton cut again at the Continental colonel and the blade of Washington’s saber snapped off, leaving him holding only the hilt.

 

To add to Washington’s danger, Cornet Patterson (2) of the 17^th Light Dragoons had ridden around the duo and was prepared to attack Washington.  But Washington’s 14-year-old trumpeter and orderly named Gillie (3) drew a pistol and shot Cornet Patterson.

 

While this was happening, another British officer made a slash at Washington.  But Sergeant-Major Perry (3) blocked it and wounded the British officer with his own sword.  Meanwhile, Tarleton had drawn his pistol from its holster and fired it at Washington.  The shot missed Washington but wounded his horse.  With this, the three British officers rode away.  Tarleton could thus claim the distinction of firing the last shot of the Battle of Cowpens.  It was small comfort for a man who had lost 1,100 of Cornwallis’ elite light troops.  This loss would be evident nine months later at a small port named Yorktown.

 

 

(1) This anecdote was related by a few eyewitnesses of Cowpens. From https://web.archive.org/web/20150912092012/http://home.golden.net/~marg/bansite/friends/washington.html  “A running encounter between Washington and Tarleton (described by Col. Howard and later by Justice John Marshall and a few pensioners) would eventually be dramatized in four nineteenth century paintings (1845-1898)!”

 

(2) Cornet Thomas Patterson of the regiment was killed on this occasion*, and Lieutenant Henry Nettles wounded; several private soldiers and troop horses were also killed and wounded.

*During the action the American Colonel Washington called out, "Where is now the boasting Tarleton?" CORNET PATTERSON of the SEVENTEENTH was riding up to attack him, and was shot by Washington's orderly Trumpeter. Anecdote by Lieut.-General Sir Evan Lloyd, who served with the regiment in America. (History of the Seventeenth Light Dragoons by John W. Parker, available at http://www.replications.com/17LD/17hist.htm)

(3) Col. Washington caught up to Tarleton, who turned with two officers and charged Washington. Washington slashed at the officer on Tarleton’s right, only to have his sabre snap at the hand guard. The British officer was about to strike down Washington, when his 14 year old Negro servant, Gillie fired his pistol, striking the Officer in the shoulder. Sergeant Major Perry then rushed in and saved Washington by deflecting the saber of the other officer and wounding him. Tarleton then fired his pistol, hitting Washington’s horse, turned and fled.—(http://www.revolutionarywararchives.org/tarleton.html)

Bunker Hill

I often feature galleries of other artists' works, but I am pleased to showcase some art of my own.  All these pictures were created using the designs of soldiers that are printed in my paper soldier book Bunker Hill Attack (available at http://throughallages.com/awi-bunker-hill-paper-soldiers.html)

The first picture is a study of an infantryman of the British 5th Regiment of Foot.  The 5th was known for its distinctive gosling-green lapels and cuffs.  The cartridge box badge features the regimental mascot of Saint George slaying the dragon.

Moving on, we see the Patriot defenders as they man their defenses on Breed's Hill.  The Battle of Bunker Hill actually took place on Breed's Hill.  The flag is known as the "Bunker Hill Flag" and is based on John Trumbull's painting.

But the defenders of Breed's Hill began to run out of ammunition as the British mounted another determined attack.  This time, they overran the dirt walls and closed with the defenders.  In this picture, British Marines clamber over the walls and charge the defenders with bayonets--a weapon that few Americans owned.  The battle ended a British victory, but as Sir Henry Clinton observed, " A few more such victories would have shortly put an end to British dominion in America."