Wednesday 30 November 2011

Arrival in Tradgardland


I am not in work today and will be able to have a good look at these rules which arrived in the post yesterday. Thanks to my regular opponent Phil I was alerted to an unmissable offer on these rules which I snapped up. On preliminary glance they look inspirational being packed with lovely and evocative photos of the period.The rules look just what I need for an acw project also- they even have a trad style morale test too. So I will peruse them at my lesiure today and be inspired to paint my Union troops . My mind has gone in another direction too ( and that says much about me I fear) whch is thinking of an Invasion from Canada in support of the Confederacy. I don't know what Canadian uniforms of the period loked like but I could find out! Steady the line...

3 comments:

  1. Canadian uniforms of the period - Redcoats and low shakos (almost kepis), basically the same as the British uniform of the time. This was just before the introduction of the spiked home service helmet.

    This is of course the same time period as the real-life Fenian Raids and the Battle of Ridgeway, which is how I came to know about it. For a little inspiration, here's a video of a slightly under-staffed re-enactment of Ridgeway.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQRoUlnG6gA

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  2. Hi Alan,

    Canada was garrisoned with British Army regulars until 1871, so there is no need to paint up special units! There were Canadian militia units of course, organised under British authority until the Canadian confederation in 1867, I believe. These were also uniformed on the British model, some units were patterned after regular red-coated "line" infantry models, others were light infantry in rifle green. There was at least one unit in non-standard grey uniforms with red facings (the Chebucto "Greys" company of Halifax, who in the 1860's seem to have adopted a rifle green uniform), there might well have been others. Something you will like, Alan, is that the latter unit held an annual sleigh driving day in winter! In the 1860's (during the Fenian raids scare) this company was tasked with manning fortifications in Halifax harbour. I have no idea if they ever fired a gun in practice let alone in hostility but they drilled prettily for the Prince of Wales it seems!

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