Haitian Revolution - Haitian Flag Bearers and Commanders

 

I've been busy these past few weeks trying to tidy up my paint desk in readiness for the Painting Challenge that starts tomorrow. 

I started painting these months ago hoping to use them for my Haitian Revolution game at Broadside in June. But in the end didn't need them, so they were pushed to the back of the queue

All 4 figures are from Britannia Miniatures, which are available from Andy at Grubby Tanks.

I had to do a little conversion work, chopping off some heads and replacing them with black heads from Trent Miniatures range. I found an image of what the Haitian flags probably looked like and printed these off myself.

I also painted another 4 figures from Britannia, but this time holding the French flag!

So we could end up playing a game with 4 units of former slaves on each side fighting each other??

I also painted a few commanders for the Haitian's These are once again conversions of Britannia Miniatures, using Trent heads.

I quite liked the idea of having a figure with a red bicorne like the image of Jean-Jacques Dessalines. I suppose I should have painted white trousers????

Lastly 4 French Commanders from the Britannia range, these of course still have their heads in place.

So you can see just what you can do with just a little conversion work.

And that's it for todays post!

Haitian Revolution/St Domingue Revolt - Gentlemen of the town.

 

I painted these fine looking fellows up for my game that the Rejects put on at Broadside back in June.

The Battle of Croix-du-Bouquets 1792, set in St Domingue, what it now Haiti.

I wanted to add some civilians to add a bit of scenery in the town .

The 4 figures are all from Front Rank, now owned by those luvvly chaps at Gripping Beast.

They could also perhaps be a Plantation Owner of even the Governor of the territory,

in future games. I kept my pallet a little subdued, all blue's browns and greys.

They have a slightly darker skin tone from normal, probably from too much sitting in he sun by the pool, with a cocktail in hand???

I will hopefully have their better halves appearing soon?

Haitian Revolution/St Domingue Revolt - French 28th Foot.

 

I had to paint up another unit of troops for my Croix-du-Bouquets game the other weekend. There we're 2 regular infantry regiments that fought at the battle, the 9th formally Normandie and the 48th formally Artois.

For this game each regiment had 2 companies of 8 figures and some command.

All the figures are from Trent Miniatures

While the flag is from Flags of War. The Battle was in 1792 so I had to go with the 1792 pattern, which you don't see much, Richard is using the 1794 pattern for his figures.

I painted up an extra Commander as well, well his was undercoated, so I thought why not, he'll come in handy?? 

Wont he???

Broadside 2024 - Posties Rejects - The Battle of Croix-du-Bouquets 1792

This past Sunday was the Rejects annual pilgrimage to the Broadside Wargaming Show in Gillingham. It was my turn to put on the game and as you may have already seen, the game was a reenactment of the Battle of Croix-du-Bouqets in 1792 during the Haitain Revolution or the St Domingue Revolt.

We had quite a turn out of Rejects for Broadside this year, there were 10 of us walking around in our red T-Shirts! We had a lot of interest in the game, with people asking lots of questions, which is always pleasing. One chap I spoke to, I think his name was John, thinks he might have found his new period to paint up and play. That of course is inbetween the rest of his lead pile.

I used a heavily modified version of Donnybrook, to hopefully move the game along quickly. 

OOB

Rebels/Haitians

General Andre Rigaurd

2nd Colonial Infantry

5th Colonial Infantry

General Louis-Jacques Beavis

9th Colonial Infantry

11th Colonial Infantry

Ernso Bein Aime

3rd Colonial Cavalry

Marcel Giroux

Mulatto/Townsfolk 1

Mulatto/Townsfolk 2 

Yacinth

2nC Felix Dubois

Rebels/Slaves 1

Rebel/Slaves 2

Rebel/Slaves 3

Moise Gabreil

Rebel/Slave Sharpshooter 

French

Joseph-Alexandre Tourette

2 companies of 48th Infantry (formally Artois)

Jean-Francois Louis Picault

2 companies of 9th Infantry (formally Normandie)

National Guard Port-au-Prince Infantry

National Guard Port-au-Prince Dragoons

1 Artillery

Re-inforcments

French 19th Dragoons

The battle was pretty simple. The 2 Haitian leaders met at the town of Croix-du-Bouquets to discus how to move forward in their rebellion. They were joined by the mulatto townsfolk and by quite a number of rampaging slaves. The French got wind of this meeting and planned to stop the rebellion before it gained any momentum. But they didn't know the army had doubled in numbers.

The starting positions. The French have set up for battle, and the Haitians are forming outside ready to attack.

Croix-du-Bouqets

The town would see many battles and skirmishes during the rebeliion

Don't drink the water from the fountain!

I had to get Postie to recue the fountain, after I ruined it using railway realistic water. For some reason it reacted to the paint and bubbled up all over the surface. I was a bit miffed to be fair and it nearly ended up a few gardens down, before Postie came to the recue.

All the buildings are from the excellent Empires at War. 

In our practise game, I started the Haitian Cavalry off table. I realised they were needed sooner, so they were on from the start.

The troops pour out of the town, full flight towards the French.

The rebel slaves led by a 21 years old lady named Yacinth, who's only weapon was a bulls tail and her mouth, which she used to work the slaves up to a frenzy. She can be seen in the centre bottom all in white.

The Haitian front line made up of the 4 Colonial infantry regiments

The 3 Rebel/slave units

Dan's 48th Infantry

Steve's 9th Infantry and the National Guard Infantry

The Top-hatted National Guard Dragoons

The Haitian flags were made from tearing the white colour from a French Tricolour

The Haitian move forward.

They might be able to make a charge move next turn?

But some great dice rolls smashed into the lines, the 9th Colonial Infantry were all but destroyed by artillery and musket fire.

But the mulattos would take their place.

The 1st Rebels lose and handful of figures under withering French musketry!

This wasn't going to my plan, Dave leaning over the table kept throwing really bloody awful dice, much to the French players delight!

The highlight so far fro the Haitians was killing 3 out of 4 French artillerymen, but the French certainly paid them back for this brief bit of cheer.

The French 48th lost a few casualties to musketry.

But the cards kept coming out in favour of the French.

The Haitians do manage to get in and charge.

But the French dice were on fire. Both units of Mulattoes are on the run back.

Sacre bleau! This isn't how the battle was supposed to go. The French should be the ones running??

The Haitians ended up getting decimated and the French players changed history!!!

Could this end the Haitian Revolution before its really begun?

Conclusion

Well I wasn't expecting that? In our two practice games, it was clear that the Haitian's were up against it, so I added figures to their numbers and abilities and knocked down the ability of the French and their commanders. But this was nowhere enough, added to the Haitians really bad dice roles and the french players great dice rolling, they were given a damned good thrashing!!

Looking back on the game now, there's loads I would change to give the Haitians a more historical chance of winning the game. I have enough figures to give the Haitians another 4 units, but didn't want to make it a was over, but I think giving them another 2 units would have helped. Maybe starting them a little closer and dropping the 24 inch fire range to say 18inch?

There's lots for me to ponder over here, me thinks??

A big thank you has got to go to all the members of the Milton Hundred Club for all their hard work getting the show up and running, and thanks for the extra two tables Dave!!

Also thanks to the Rejects for giving it there all on the day and thank you to all the members of the public who took the time to talk to one of us and ask questions about the game and history. Hopefully i might have converted one or two of the over to the Haitian Revolution?

You never know?

Cheers

Ray

The Rejects

Dan, Dave, Postie, Steve, Ray, Olly, Chris, Richard, Surj

& Lee taking the photo!