"Corps de Afrique uniforms?" Topic

I'm not a Civil War gamer, and know something approximating to nothing about the uniforms and such (Good Guys in blue, Bad Guys in grey, right?), so would appreciate a little help.

I have it in mind to paint a single figure just for fun, commemorating the 17th Corps de Afrique Infantry (or 88th Colored Infantry as they would become), a unit which did garrison duty in Louisiana somewhere.

I just fancy painting it as apparently there is a family connection with this unit, but I have no idea what kind of uniforms they would have worn. Ordinary Federal uniforms, or ones with those snazzy red pants like that bunch in Glory? I asked the internet, but it didn't know, and I'm too lazy/cheap to go looking for books, so I thought I'd ask you lot. :)

Oh, and while we're about it, who makes colored troops? I'm not fussy about exact sizes, but I am quite fussy about quality. I like Copplestone, Perry, Paul Hicks – you know, all the nice modern styles. Not so keen on Old Glory, and the more old-fashioned, slightly dodgy-looking ones.

(You want the moon on a stick, you do.)

Thank you, kindly.

And anyway, shouldn't it be Corps d'Afrique rather than Corps de Afrique?

I've seen it written in the latter manner more than the former. Is that a mistake, or was the mistake made by whoever thought up the name in the first place?

Here's a plate – standard uniform with Hardee Hat:

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Yep, that should be Corps d'Afrique if you spell it right.

According to Philip Katcher, only two colored units wore red pants – the first and second South Carolina (African Descent) Infantry regiments. All other US colored troops wore the regulation uniform of their branch of service.

For figures, you can go surgical on the standard Perry castings and do headswaps using the separate pack of negro heads if you don't mind the conversion work. .

Thanks, fellas.

I must be a right silly sod. I've seen that picture before, and it clean went out of my mind that I had found it.

Ha! Ha! What a bleedin' twit.

Incidentally, you can just paint a normal figure with black skin you don't need a specifically "black" figure.

Well I could, but it might turn out like this…

picture

All things considered, I think I'd rather go down the headswap route outlined above, so as to get a fellow with actual African facial features. Like I said, I can be fussy about these things.

The 17th Regiment, Corps d'Afrique, (any other spelling is wrong), Department of the Gulf, was raised on September 24, 1863 in Port Hudson, Louisiana, and originally outfitted with Model 1842 Smoothbore Muskets.

On April 4, 1864, it was renamed the 88th Regiment of Infantry, United States Colored Troops (USCT). It was "broken up" (I think this means consolidated) on November 26, 1864. Another 88th Regt., USCT, was raised in Memphis, Tn., on Feb. 20, 1865 and served until August 10, 1865.

It is unlikely that as a part of the C d'A, they had anything other than the regulation uniform. In 1864 several bands of the USCT were given "French Zouave" uniforms, probably in the style of Duryea's Zouaves.

Where did they serve? I think the National Archives is the only source of information on them. I'm sure they spent much time in garrison duty in the Western Theatre, and perhaps they also participated in the Red River campaign. They were not in the Nashville campaign.

Dixon has a lot of Colored Infantry in the ACW range. Lots of variety in the African facial features.
Some hate Dixon because of the large heads, but I do not.

Doesn't Redoubt make Colored heads?

Bob

Perry makes black heads for their plastics, but if you only want to paint one fig, I would go for the Dixons

If you're only going to paint one figure for a commemorative display, why not get a really nice 54mm figure? Shenandoah Miniatures makes the nicest figures and they have excellent black heads to put on any figure they make. I think they cost about $16.00 USD each, but the quality is top notch!

If you want to see a picture of one of them painted, send me an email and I'll send the pic. Then you can see the quality of the figure. rndtopmin@yahoo.com

If you're only going to paint one figure for a commemorative display, why not get a really nice 54mm figure? Shenandoah Miniatures makes the nicest figures and they have excellent black heads to put on any figure they make. I think they cost about $16.00 USD USD each, but the quality is top notch!
>>
I hate to sound old, but I remember the days when my Dad was getting me 54mm IR figures from The Soldier Shop in NYC for $3.95!

Sigh…
Bob

Try these:

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