"Women at war." Topic

We know that on Nap Era there were many Armies with women which follow the troops to the front as the famous Vivandiers.

So, are there any company which made those females to put them on a wargame?

And if they do, which would be the rules for them?.
Maybe as nurses?. Some points favour the wounded to be well and return to the first line?

I supouse that they even can fight.

Did any of you used women at the war table?.

Amicalement
Armand

Might be a good idea for a scenario, a camp being defended by followers.
Those that have children to care for will fight like no other.

Untrained levies but with unshakable morale?

A gentleman does not speak of such things, even if we were so fortunate :)

[Did any of you used women at the war table?.]

Yes, but that was before it became the war table.

I used one on a snooker table many years ago, does that count?

bad. bad.

I don't include women as combatants in historical games (barring the occasional delusional, schizophrenic french girl), although I often have female troops in scifi, and occasionally in Fantasy.

Then again, many of the 'smaller' troops on the field could actually be girls or young ladies, just dressed as men. I don't currently play any games on a scale where you'd see field hospitals or other non-combatants involved.

Might be a good idea for a scenario, a camp being defended by followers.
Those that have children to care for will fight like no other.

And those that have lost their children become the most frightening force of destruction you can imagine.

What about the Russian cavalry medical officer, they only found out she was a woman after her death, and during the examination they found she had given birth during her service!

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Just think some of those french camp followers were probably in the front row, baying for blood by the guillotine!
I'd rather face the Old Guard!

Wagames Foundry used to do a French Cantinare figure in 28mm, and a 15mm company was giving a mounted cantinare away with Miniature Wargames a while back.

Having females on the wargame table: an inveigling thought.

There was Messena's floosy who used to wear a cavalry uniform. Points for troop morale but distracting.

I'd have her.

Then there were Jourdon's tarts found at Vitoria. Unlike ordinary infantry, they charge then drill. Probably. They also slow down a pursuit. I'd stick them in the baggage park.

As it were.

Correction- NOT medical officer- rather hussar officer.
Nadezhda Durova ran away from home in 1806 ,in men's dress joined cossacks under fictitious name. Served in Mtd Polish Ulan Rgmt. Took part in battles of Goerstadt, Heilberg, Friedland. Awarded Soldier's St George Cross for saving officer.Joined Mariupol hussar rgmt. After her father wrote letter to Alexander Ist, and some investigation she was discovered as a woman, but allowed to serve under name of Alexander Andreevich Alexandrov- derivative of Emperor's name. From 1811 served ( kornette)in Litovskiy Ulan rgmt.
Took part in battles of Smolensk, Kolotsk monastery and Borodino. Wounded. rejoined later the army as porutchik- served as Kutusov's orderly. 1813- took part in liberation of Germany- Modlin, Hambourg, Graburg.
Retired in 1816- staff-rottmeister.
Wrote several books- most famous- Cavalry maiden.
Died in Elabuga in 1866- 83 yo. Had military funeral.
I am not aware of any children ot her's- or her giving birth…
As for the viviandere- on the painting Battle at Chiklana-Barossa by L-F Lejen famous Katrine Balan in the foreground serving vodka to carabiniers in the middle of the battle!!!

I think there is a lot of potential here, mes ami – especially for games like retreats – Napoleanic armies often were followed by lots of camp followers, many of them women, and a fighting retreat with camp followers and wounded moving slowly across the table with a rear-guard keeping off the Cossacks (for example) would be a great game

Your right Sergeis, I think I am mixing the history of a British woman Dr "James" Barry
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with the Russian girl (Who had a child before she joined up bu fibed about her age, as girls do, )

I found the story in the book "They also serve"

Here are som more to be going on with

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@Black Tower- very interesting!
Out of the list I am only familiar with Lakshmi Bai- she was just legendary and a major pain in Brit's behind!

It make you wonder what the life of the average woman most have been like that a soldiers lot would seem an improvement!

@ Frederick- if women are in the rearguard that would only attract cossacks!

Ah, Sergei, as the grand-son of a Cossack you know us too well!

Ha, I DO have a pile of Kuban cossacks in my ancestry, but my grandfather ( one of them) was colonel in GRU!!!

@ BlackTower- I am not sure about "improvement"
As I know Durova was from the Hussar officer family and of lower aristocracy with some capital. Her mother however did very little with Nadezhda's upbringing- she was largely raised by one of her fathers subordinates. She was writing that her pillow was a saddle, her blanket was saddle pad. Military brat.

I certainly intend to have Agustina de Aragon in my Peninsular armies but I haven't yet found an appropriate 15mm figure. This is from Wikipedia (not the most trustworthy reference work I know):

"Agustina began to fight for the allied forces as Wellington's only female officer and ultimately rose to the rank of Captain. On June 21, 1813, she acted as a front line battery commander at the Battle of Vitoria under the command of Major Cairncross, who reported directly to Wellington himself."

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Women were found in every army on every battlefield.

*The British allowed six women/wives per company on campaign
*The Russian Maid was a cavalry officer and many Russian women fought in the wars, either as regimental women, campfollowers or wearing the uniform.
*The French allowed a compliment of Vivandières, cantinières and blanchisseuses who marched with their regiments in uniform, who served on the battlefield--an any number died there. I have the story of a cantinière who died at Borodino for instance.
*An untold number of women masqueraded as men, enlisted and fought with them in every army. Napoleon actually decorated one woman, an infantry sergeant, everyone knowing that she was a woman.
*That is not counting the wives that rode with their officer husbands into battle or during the battle attempted to find them when wounded.

There is no end of possibilities of for 'authentically' having miniatures of women on the tabletop battlefield.

Best Regards,

Bill H.

Warmodeliing make a Agustina de Aragon and a couple of Vivandieres
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In earlier times Mrs Christian Davies (Mother Ross) served for four years with the Scots Greys. She was wounded several times, her sex was only discovered following treatment of a fractured skull after the battle of Ramilles. Interesting life!

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I do wonder at the potential femininity of these warrior women who went undiscovered for so long. :)

You could of course leave the men out altogether:

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minfig's make a couple women and i have one that holds a flag.

robert

@ the fighting chef

Thanks for the link to the Warmodelling site. Looks like I can get an Agustina after all.