Identifying a French Officer

 

At our local convention earlier this month I purchased this mounted French-looking officer from an estate sale.  At first I thought it was a Hinchliffe figure, but I don't think Hinchliffe ever made mid-1800s ranges.  Can anyone help with a manufacturer and range?

And the answer is -- An Old Glory mounted French Foreign Legion officer!  Thanks!!

The figure is wearing a thigh length coat, slightly "bloused" trousers, and a kepi.  It is a two-piece casting - separate rider and horse.  There was no manufacturer identification readily readable on the horse and the two came glued together when I bought them.

Viewed from the left side, the rider is not equipped with a sword.  I'm planning on using the figure on my Franco-Prussian War French corps command group stand to replace another mounted figure.

Many thanks!

Drawing Room Detectives

And the last of my special figures have been completed -- the Drawing Room Detectives [set PMH-01] from Pulp Figures.  Besides the four famous detectives, the set included three "clues" (or plot points).

The four detectives and the three "clues" (or plot points)

I think I've identified three of the four detectives -- (from the right) Charlie Chan, Miss Marple, and Hercule Poirot.  But I'm not sure who the one of the far left is.  Any help is appreciated.

The three "clues" (plot points) are a stack of ancient tomes with a skull on top, a painted bust of Napoleon I, and the Maltese falcon ("... the stuff that dreams are made of ... .").

Now I'm back to painting "run of the mill" Colonial troops -- Indian army, Russian colonial troops, Thugees, and Pashtuns.

Kashgar and Trans-Siberian Renegades and Disheveled Detectives

 

The pulp ladies have been joined by two groups of renegades and a couple of disheveled detectives as I continue my June painting blitz.  Please click on pictures for a larger image.

First up are the "Renegades of Kashgar" from Bob Murch's Pulp Figures [set PHP-27].  

Surrounded by battling Warlords and cut off from escape, our party takes to the mountains in a desperate journey where only the brave can survive!

From left - Bren gunner, sniper, team leader and his wife, and second in command.

Pursuing them are "Count Casamir's" Trans-Siberian Renegades, also by Bob Murch [set PHP-17]

From left - Misha, the faithful bodyguard; daughter Yolanda, a fine fencer; Count Casamir and his wife the Countess (with her trained 'attack' falcon); and Blotsky, his chief of the Secret Police.

And a couple of disheveled and probably disreputable British detectives (from Northstar's Giants in Miniature line.  These two figures are out of production now.

The Disheveled Detective and his sidekick Dr. Hamish

They will soon be joined by Bob Murch's "Drawing Room Detectives" as the final group of special figures upon which I am working.  Then its back to the Indian Army, Russian colonial troops, some Thugees, and a large batch Pashtun tribesmen.

More "Dangerous Dames"

 

In June, I've been continuing my painting of Bob Murch's Pulp Figures females.  Three other groups of "Dangerous Dames" have joined the collection.  Their names, when given, are my own creation as Bob hasn't named these ladies.  Please click on each image for a larger picture.

The Rugged Adventuresses [set PHP-20]

"Rugged gals on heroic quests for action and fortune!"
From left, a "two-pistol" packing gal, another pilot, "Big Mama" with her Lewis gun, a whip-wielding Oriental lass, and a Germanic gal.

Daughters of the Empire [set PHP-22]

"The sun never sets on these fierce ladies of adventure!"
From left, Miss Leslie Campbell, Shotgun Mama, the Rani of Kashgar, Miss Primrose, and sure-shot Jamie. 

Lady Rathbone's Raiders [set PHP-26]

"An A-Team of specialist adventuresses, roaming the world in quest of wrongs to right!"
From left, lady with a machete, katana lady, Lady Siobhan Campbell of Rathbone, machinepistol-packing mama, and a rifle armed lady.

Future painting will see them joined by the "Renegades of Kashgar" and "Count Casamir's Trans-Siberian Renegades" from Pulp Figures as well as the "Disheveled Detective" and "Dr. Hamish" from Northstar's Giants in Miniature.

Dangerous Dames

My last figures painted in May were five "Dangerous Dames" from Bob Murch's Pulp Figures "Heroes and Personalities" range.  This figure set is currently being resculpted so you won't see them on Bob's site right now.  Please click on image for a larger picture.

From left, they are co-pilot Molly O'Malley, pilot Jenny Curtis, Jin Long - the Dragon Lady, markswoman Lady Jane Grey, and Mrs. Hobbs

I plan on using these figures, and others in the painting queue, for Bob's "Rugged Adventures" rules.

Stay tuned for more!

Breckinridge's Division

 

This post shows all of Confederate Major General J. C. Breckinridge's Division of Hardee's Corps.  It was painted by my friend Larry on commission.  He did a great job.

As I've written before, my Confederate forces are loosely organized for Hardee's Corps, Army of Tennessee, during the mid-summer Tullahoma Campaign.

Except for the Battle Honors mounted officers, all the figures and guns are from Old Glory 15s.

Please click on the images for a larger picture.

Division command stand and divisional artillery

Breckinridge and his division flag bearer are on the left and the representation of the division artillery is on the right.

John Cabell Breckinridge was a son of Kentucky and Vice president of the United States under James Buchanan (1857-1861).  He unsuccessfully ran for president as a "Southern Democrat" in the 1860 election that saw Republican Abraham Lincoln elected president.  As one of Kentucky's senators he urged compromise to preserve the union but ultimately failed and fled to the southern controlled portion of Kentucky.  There he was commissioned as a brigadier general in the Confederate Army and then promoted to major general.  During the 1863 Tullahoma campaign his division served under General Joe Johnston in Mississippi against Major General U.S. Grant's offensive.  Recalled to Tennessee, Breckinridge's division participated in the battles at Chickamauga and Chattanooga.  For my purposes, this division did not go to Mississippi but stayed in Tennessee.

Breckinridge's division artillery consisted of three batteries.  Cobb's Battery, or the 1st Kentucky Artillery, started its service with four M1841 6-pound smoothbore guns and two M1841 12-pound mountain howitzers.  By July 1863 it had four M-1857 12-pound Napoleon guns.  Mebane's Tennessee Battery had four 12-pound howitzers.  Slocomb's Louisiana Battery had four 12-pound Napoleon guns and two James rifled guns.  For the purposes of the "On to Richmond!" rules all of these batteries are represented by one smoothbore gun.

Helm's Brigade

Helm's "1st Kentucky" or "Orphan" Brigade

The 1st Kentucky Brigade was originally commanded by Breckinridge.  Brigadier Benjamin Hardin Helm took over command in January 1863 and led the brigade until his death at Chickamauga.  The brigade was called the "Orphan" brigade after its recruiting ground in Kentucky was lost to the Union.  It served with the Army of Tennessee until the end of the war.  For the Tullahoma campaign it consisted of the 41^st Alabama and the 2^nd, 4^th, 6^th, and 9^th Kentucky Regiments.  With a strength of about 1500 men, it is represented by five stands of figures.

Adams' Brigade

Adams' Brigade

Commanded by Brigadier General John Adams, this brigade consisted of the 32^nd Alabama, and the  13^th/20^th Louisiana, 16^th/25^th Louisiana, and 19^th Louisiana Infantry Regiments, and the  14^th Louisiana Sharpshooter Battalion.  With a strength of about 1200 men, it is represented by four stands of figures.

Stovall's Brigade

Stovall's Brigade

Commanded by Brigadier General Marcellus Stovall, this brigade is the smallest of the three in Breckinridge's Division.  For this campaign it consisted of the 1^st/3^rd Florida, 4^th Florida, 47^th Georgia, and 60^th North Carolina Infantry Regiments.  With a strength of about 900 men, it is represented by 3 stands of figures.

This division completes my Confederate troops for the time being.  Now off they go to battle!

Bowen's Command Group and Division Artillery

 

Major General John S. Bowen commanded a two-brigade division in the Department of Mississippi.  While his division was part of Pemberton's "Army of Mississippi," in my "imagi-nation" Civil War it and Forney's Division were transferred to central Tennessee prior to Grant beginning his campaign to take Vicksburg.  His First Brigade was featured in a previous post.  The second brigade (Green's) is being painted.

Bowen's command stand on left and division artillery on right

John S. Bowen began his Civil War career as a commander of Confederate Missouri infantry.  He was promoted to Brigadier General in March 1862 and led his brigade at Shiloh and Corinth before it was assigned to the Vicksburg garrison.  His efforts at Grand Gulf and Raymond led to him being promoted to major general and put in command of a division which he led at Champion Hill and then into Vicksburg.  He died of dysentery after the surrender.  Of course in "my world" his division was transferred to Tennessee and joined Hardee's Corps in the Army of Tennessee after Stone's River.

Bowen's command stand - a Battle Honors mounted general and an Old Glory 15s flag bearer

Bowen's division artillery consisted of three batteries - the Appeal (Arkansas) Battery (two 3" rifles and two 12-lb howitzers) and Guibor's (four 6-lb guns) and Landis' (two 12-lb Napoleons and two 24-lb howitzers) Missouri Batteries.  It is represented as having all smoothbore guns.  In the "On to Richmond!" rules, Confederate gun stands consist of 12 guns.

Old Glory 15s gunners and gun

The rest of the division, Green's Brigade is being painted and will be posted later.  The entire division, as well as all my Union and Confederate troops, will receive their "baptism of fire" in a game next Saturday.