2nd Connecticut Infantry Regiment

This regiment is the last of the American units for my AWI American force.

Organised at Danbury in early 1777 it was formed of companies from Hartford, and Windham Counties. Brigaded with other Connecticut regiments it fought in Connecticut and New York in 1777 and in Philadelphia-Monmouth. Consolidated in January 1781 with the 9th Connecticut Regiment and re-designated as the 3d Connecticut Regiment.  Furloughed in June 1783 at West Point it was disbanded in November the same year. 

And so for the grand parade of the American contingent:

• 12 battalions
• 3 guns, with limbers
• 6  generals 
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AWI Artillery

This is the third gun and limber set in my AWI American collection.

I really like the way the crew are posed aiming the gun.

Only one infantry unit remains to complete this collection. That unit fits into the painting schedule sometime in the middle of December.

AWI Connecticut Infantry

I am nearing the end of the AWI American collection. There are four units to complete: three battalions of Connecticut infantry and a gun and limber set. Two of those Connecticut battalions are presented here.

First up is the 1st Regiment in their bright red coats. This along with another seven regiments of infantry it was authorised in September 1776 and organised early in 1777. The 1st was raised at Norwich from  recruits from the eastern counties of New London, Windham, and Hartford. The regiment spent its entire service shuffling between the Highlands Department and the Main Army. Its significant engagements were New York in 1777, the Philadelphia-Monmouth campaign and New York in 1781.

The regiment was consolidated with the 8th Regiment in 1781 and redesignated the 5th Regiment. It was disbanded at West Point on 1 January 1783.

Second here is the 6th Regiment in more traditional blue coats, but with the peaked cap (and I have thrown in a few guys in hunting shirts). Formed at New Haven of men from New Haven and New London Counties, this regiment had much the same service as the 1st. It was consolidated and renamed the 4th Regiment in 1781. It was disbanded in November 1783.

The last regiment and the gun set are scheduled in the painting queue early next month, after a few more Napoleonic cavalry clear the way.

AWI Artillery

“How much!?” asked Bob, standing there with his armed folded and his face full of disbelief.

Simon took a deep breath and said, “ten cents…ten cents a bale.”

“Ten cents for a bale of hay!” Bob shook his head. “That’s a cent up from last week. These fuel prices are out of control!”

Simon nodded, “yep, we’re in the wrong dang business!”

Well that’s what I reckon these two are saying, because I was reading an article the other day about the economics of the American Revolution and it appears that it seems inflation was a problem then as it is today, with an average of 4.3% across the years 1775 and 1783, peaking just under 30% in 1778.

I have been a little slow with the posts this week due in part to some sickness last week and then a couple off days in Sydney where we took in a show and did a little shopping…well I didn’t do much shoppin…or indeed any.

Today have managed to complete the basing of two of three gun sets for the AWI Americans That cleared the painting table last week. 

First is a six-pounder with limber.

Second is the gun team loading a howitzer, along with their ammunition wagon (at the back of which Bob and Simon are having their discussion).

The third set, another six-pounder and limber, will follow in due course.

AWI American Mounted Officers

 The weekend saw the completion of the mounted officers for the American AWI collection. There are six figures in this set.

I decided to use four figures as brigadiers and the two in the  as the  higher command. The rather ‘robust’ chap on the white horse will be the brigadier for the New Hampshire regiments, hence the green coat.

And the higher command.

Next, some AWI guns.

The New Hampshire Regiments

This week sees the completion of the three New Hampshire infantry regiments for the American Revolution that I mentioned in my last post.

Organised in May and June 1775 the 1st formed at Medford, Massachusetts, from Hillsborough and Rockingham Counties, the 2nd formed at Exeter drawn from Strafford and Rockingham counties and the 3rd formed at Fitzwilliam with men from Cheshire, Hillsborough, and Cumberland Counties. Each regiment consisted of ten companies and all three regiments were immediately adopted into the Continental Army and assigned to the Main Army. 

All three regiments were brigaded together they fought in the Siege of Boston, the Defense of Canada, Lake Champlain, Trenton-Princeton, Saratoga and Philadelphia-Monmouth. Reduced to eight companies in 1777 they were raised to nine companies a few months later and were engaged against the Iroquois in 1779. They were assigned to the Highlands Department and then to the Northern Department 1781.

The 3rd was disbanded January 1781, while the 1st and 2nd were reorganised and consolidated in March 1783 to form the New Hampshire Battalion. The Battalion was disbanded in January 1784.

The uniform in the 1778-79 period (and probably latter for some men) was a green coat and waistcoat with green or straw pants, and it fits in well with my intention to do a number of units away from the blue coats that is so common in the collections of others in our group.

Standards for the regiments were difficult to determine. The only known standard was the buff flag carried by the 2nd Regiment and I paired it with a Stars and Stripes. Another flag attributed to the 2nd Regiment, but no evidence seems to exist that it was carried by it, was the blue version of the buff flag and decided that since the 1st and 2nd Regiments were so closely associated I have given to the 1st and I have paired it with a Bunker hill flag. The flags of the 3rd Regiment are pure conjecture and the yellow flag was taken from a blog that I would credit if I could recall its name and it too was paired with a Liberty Tree flag.

 Below, three shots of the 1st Regiment.

Below, three shots of the 2nd Regiment.

Below, four shots of the 3rd Regiment.

1st and 3rd Virginia Regiments

I am doing four Virginia regiments for my AWI Americans and these are the last two, the 1st and 3rd Regiments. 

Both regiments had a relatively similarly service life. The 1st was authorised in August 1775 as Virginia State troops and was formed of eight companies in October 1775 at Williamsburg. The Third was organised in February 1776 at Alexandria and Dumfries in ten companies raised from Prince William, Fauquier, Stafford, Louisa, Fairfax, King George, Loudoun, and Culpeper Counties. Both were assigned initially to the Southern Department and transferred to the Main Army in mid-1776.

The 1st Regiment

In 1777, after the rigours of campaign, both regiments were consolidated - the 1st with the 9th Regiment and the 3rd with the 5th, but kept their original titles. The 1st was transferred back to the Southern Department in December 1778 and the 3rd followed it in 1779. 

The 3rd Regiment

Both regiments fought at Chesapeake Bay, the battles around New York, then though Northern New Jersey, Trenton, Princeton, Monmouth, Brandywine, Germantown and the defence of Philadelphia. Both surrendered at Charleston in May 1780 and were formally disbanded in 1783. 

And so my whole Virginia contingent takes to the parade ground.

Next in this collection will be a couple of New Hampshire regiments.