"Lexington & Concord Experts needed" Topic

Hey folks,

Well I'm well on my way to putting together some 28mm American Militia (using Perry and the excellent Fife and Drum figures.) Now I need some British. I know that the initial force was an ad hoc unit made up of the Light Companies and Grenadier Companies (and a Royal Marine Company) so my question is what are my options for figures in 28mm? Also, as it was an ad hoc unit I'm assuming that they didn't carry Regimental Colors (okay, they're British, Colours). Did they carry anything? I'm not talking about the relief column, just the initial units that advanced on Lexington and Concord. Thanks in advance.

I am not an "Expert", but I play one on TMP.
First, I recommend the Osprey "Boston 1775" book. It has a complete OOB, along with facing colors!

Since in 1775, the British were likeliest to wear the 1768 warrant uniforms, just about any British line will do, since that is the uniform they are cast in.

The nice thing is that you can get several companies of figures, all different.

Old Glory is in the 1768 warrant uniform. Get the grenadier pack, the LI pack and the hat company pack for the Marines.
At this time, the default LI helmet was the chain, or Keppel hat. These are made by Wargames Foundry and Front Rank.
The "other hat" … I forget who wore it.

I am assembling a Lexington Concord force too.
I am using grenadiers from Foundry, Old Glory and Battle Honors.
Light Infantry are Old Glory and Foundry.

My militia and Minutemen are Fife and Drum, Perry, Foundry, Old Glory, Hinchliffe, Connoisseur, Front Rank, Dixon… Probably more.

They were NOT an ad hoc unit. The simple way to explain the lack of colours is that Colours belonged to the REGIMENT, and these converged battalions were composed of companies stripped from the parent regiment. they usually were together for quite some time. "AD hoc" implies that they were thrown together at the last moment, and that was far from the truth.

What John said. It was standard wartime practice to mass the flank companies into an elite fighting force – though these guys were all so green that was not obtainable.

Colours were never carried with the converged flank companies.

The participation of Marines in Smith's column is uncertain, IIRC, though a battalion was sent in the relief force under Percy.

Marines didn't become Royal till 1802.

There's no mention or evidence of Percy's brigade taking their colours with them either. The fourth of the four Doolittle "cartoons" – which were drawn from eyewitness accounts – illustrating the events of 19 April, shows the relief column, but there are no flags. Interestingly, the other three drawings show all the British troops in hats – no bearskins or light infantry caps anywhere, which is quite likely given that the expedition was intended to be no more than a glorified working party and both types of cap were expensive and only worn for special occasions.

That said, wargamers like their flags and full dress, so basically your figures, your rules. Remember though, that the light company of a regiment usually had a red waistcoat (vest) and black cross-belts.

The "other" light infantry cap the OFM refers to is most likely the more "classical" style, worn by the 5th Foot (and possibly also by the 9th, but they were not involved here), which was one of a number of designs used by various regiments:-

link

Apart from some of the more unusual designs, there's no record of which type of cap was worn by any particular regiment that was in Boston in 1775, so you have more-or-less free reign.

Thanks everyone. I probably should have said that this is for a diorama, not a gaming unit. I have brought this up before, I want to do a diorama of Lexington Green that includes Paul Revere and a boy hauling John Hancock's and Sam Adam's trunk through the background. I have the americans, including a goodly number of onlookers, and of course the militia but so now I have to do the British and thanks to the kind responses I have received I can get to work.

Don't forget Sam Adams lurking behind a tree to fire the first shot!

((I was once offended by this suggestion, but the more I study Sam Adams, the more likely it seems that HE fired "the shot heard around the world." ))

If it's for a diorama, Old Glory and Foundry will give you the largest variety of figures. Front Rank has one pose per catalog number.

Wasn't Revere still in British custody at that point?

Front Rank do have variations in head position, so they may still be ok for a "regular" unit.

Don't forget the new Northern Militia from Perry Miniatures.

I believe Revere was released before the shooting started because his captors got spooked as militia started turning out.

BTW is the 238th anniversary of Lexington and Concord.

Not realistic as a diorama. But nice as a propaganda piece.

The reality is Adams and Hancock were not in the immediate area when the Regulars arrived.

And today is, in fact, Patriot's Day…

Eric

Hah!
That's what their press secretary claimed, but we all know the Truth!

"Could it be that…"