"Delaware Blues" Topic

Does anybody know of a manufacturer of 28mm minis that produce any figures for Haslett's Delaware Continentals (The Delaware Blues) please?

So far I've only found continentals in three cornered hats, light infantry hats or round hats, none in the distinctive 'mitre' style hat of the above regiment. I am wanting to do a Chatterton Hill refight at which, I believe Haslett's fought.

I don't know of any specific figures for Hazlett's Regiment.
But look at King's Mountain for separate heads.
Bill can give you guidance on which heads might work.

Take a look at KMM-06 which is a Light Infantry tall cap.

I also have the Continentals to go with the heads.

link

Perry's AW 171 Volunteers of Ireland might work. At least the hat is similar.

Bottom line is that nobody makes an exact match for a hat that probably wasn't worn for very long in the field.

Bill's suggestion is probably good if you want your Delawares to have feathers. If you prefer no feathers and don't mind doing conversions, use Warlord Continentals. Start by trimming off the brim from the head with the round hat. Make the cap front from card stock. Attach the front to the head, fill in the area behind the front and then coat the front and fill area with PVC.

If you are more skilled on a computer than I am you might even be able to print the decoration on the cap front, saving you the need to try and paint it freehand.

AFAIK they only wore the mitre for a brief period at the beginning of the war.

I am pretty sure that Minifigs made a figure of a Delaware Blue in the short mitre cap. Of course the figure would be closer to true 25mm.

Yes, Minifigs. Thought I had seen them listed somewhere
AWI 60 Haslets 'Delaware Blues' Private Marching 1.30
AWI 61 Haslets 'Delaware Blues' Private Firing £1.30 GBP
AWI 62 Haslets 'Delaware Blues' Officer £1.40 GBP

link

Minifigs. Meh.

Fife and Drum maybe?

Well, Ah woke up dis mornin'
Thought "Which figures shall Ah choose?"
Well, Ah woke up dis mornin'
Thought "Which figures shall Ah choose?"
Ah almost went for King's Mountain
But dose spare heads is eazee to lose.
Den Ah nearly bought some Perrys
But man, dey had de wrong shoes
Know Ah sho' can't be doin' wi' Minifigs
Man, Ah got dose Delaware Blues……

You drinking again, Bren?

If you're buying, Bill.

Or you could just use miniatures in cocked hats or round hats.

The earliest depiction of Haslet's Delaware Regiment in 1776 in helmets is in Leffert's Uniforms. Most other depictions, like the Company of Military Historian plate use him for a source. Phil Katcher's Uniforms of the Continental Army goes into this. It appears they were issued "felt hats", and Haslet ordered hats before his death.

Brendan, is that Paul Butterfield on harp?

Going back to the thread brought back to life by necromancy, I mentioned my Lafayette's Light Infantry, made from Hinchliffe X Range AWI, and RSM.
They have the standard Yankee LI cap. Very slim figures, comparable to Fife and Drum.

I also have Old Glory Continental Light Infantry.
All would require extensive filing to smooth out the two front plates.

For those looking for an excuse to put their Haslet's Delawares in caps, an argument supporting this can be found on the website for the Delaware Continental reenactors. For those of us doing late war this isn't an issue.

Those mitre type caps everyone's talking about did NOT exist during the War. Decades ago documentation proved they were a post War thing. The reenacting unit is wrong. they just don't want to change after all these years. the only recognizing item the DE troops wore was the yellow hat binding on their cocked hats. NOT tricorns!!

Bob C.

With so many things about the AWI it comes down to who has the burden of proof Bob. A definitive answer that would end the argument would require someone finding original documentation indicating which type of headgear was issued to Haslett's troops in 1776. That someone won't be me though, because by 1780 hats with yellow binding seem to have been the preferred headgear.

Colonel Haslet charged the United States government in 1776 for the cost of providing… "688 hats for the soldiers as bounty at 8/275.4"

Deserted from battalion in 1776 was wearing "…an old felt hat, deep blue coat with metal buttons marked DB and an old pair of buckling breeches."

lastly see this article:
Londahl-Smith, Donald. Notes concerning the uniform of the Delaware Battalion in 1776.
Military Collector and Historian, vol. XIX no. 1, pp. 9-11.

Thanks for the additional information. The deserter description is one I have seen before, but the one I saw was published in early 1777. I'd seen the order for the hats as well, but the secondary sources I used did not specify whether this was early in 1776, or whether these were ordered in late 1776 for the regiment being raised for 1777.

However the bounty reference allowed me to connect it with an auditors review in an online Delaware archive. The archive itself didn't provide a date for the hat order, but it was among a series of items dealing with Haslet and his company commanders, which reinforces the idea that it was for 1776.

We still have the problem of how the hats were worn. Were they cocked, were they as Mallo has depicted them, or were they simply round hats? The earliest reference to yellow binding I have seen was from 1777.

The January 1777 deserter report i take as wearing the 1776 as is the return for hats by Haslet. Between these reports and the article in MCH I am convinced the Delaware regiment were in hats not caps. As to round hats or cocked hats that appears to be personal opinion. So, since I will be using Fife and Drum miniatures my Delaware Regiment I am going with cocked hats.

I would also say that this is for my collection and I would never tell anyone how they should have their figures. If you want them in caps that is fine and dandy. Your figures your choice. I disagree with the present interpretation of the Volunteers of Ireland and have done my differently from most people. But that is just my research and my opinion.

The uniform I like for Haslet's Delawares was the one reported for Vaughan's Company in mid-1776: Blue regimental coat turned up with red, with yellow buttons; white broadcloth jacket and breeches.

Agree! That will be how I paint my battalion.