"Keith Rocco - the 62nd at Freeman's farm Saratoga 1777" Topic

"The painting depicts an action during the First Battle of Saratoga, the Battle of Freeman's Farm…"

From here
link

Amicalement
Armand

I didn't know Rocco did AWI. I like his work, my second favorite historical painter.

He also does Napoleonic paintings. His work is excellent and as far as I know, he is self-taught.

The 62nd appeared in the Peninsular War as the Wiltshire Regiment, yellow/buff facings, square-ended lace across the jacket in pairs.

Not may era, but are we looking at their light company here? How much of the regiment was at Freeman's farm.

GdeP

Happy you like it boys!. (smile)

Amicalement
Armand

Dn Jackson. All of the 62nd were at Freeman's Farm. The light and grenadier companies fought as part of the respective provisional battalions and the centre companies as part of Hamilton's brigade as pictured here. Burgoyne ordered the British infantry to customise their uniforms so everyone looked more like light infantry; shortened coats and cocked hats converted into "caps" including plumes. Similar for the artillery.

In a a series of general inspection of reports made when the 62nd was in Ireland between 1771-75, culminating in that made at Cork in May 1775, repeated references to 'Hats too small' and 'Coats too short…so short I must call them jackets,' together with the complaint that 'they march in too open order as do most of the Regiments at a Review…,' suggests that early on, even before going to America the 62nd may have affected a light infantry style throughout the whole battalion.

This was a common complaint made by inspecting officers after the AWI as a result of influence of officers who had served America. Possibly the CO of the 62nd in the early 1770s was a veteran of frontier campaigns of the F&I, or simply he was an enthusiastic advocate of the principles underlying the introduction of Light companies into regiments of foot in 1770-71.

The 62d Foot and the Royal Artillery at Freeman's Farm had been 'shredded.' After the action the 62d had only 60-odd officers and men out of 250 still standing and the artillerymen had lost thirty-six out of forty-eight killed or wounded, and their commander was killed.

From The Battles of Saratoga by John Elting, 55:

'Freeman's Farm-the 'first battle of Saratoga'-was a stand-up fight between regular troops. The American formations may have been a little looser, the individual American's aim a little more accurate, but there was little basic difference between the two armies. The Connecticut militia fought ranked, like Continentals, and stoutly too…'The courage and obstinacy with which the Americans fought were the astonishment of everyone…'

It's a nice print, but I don't think you can purchase it anywhere.

Thanks!.

Amicalement
Armand

I like Rocco's work and palette. He also did this painting of Greene's Southern Army deploying for Guilford Courthouse.

Cornwallis's army deploying:

The battlefield is well-preserved and -maintained. Unfortunately, the location of Greene's first line is outside the park, but the third line is similar to what it was in 1781.

It was one of the decisive battles of the war and sent Cornwallis packing to Virginia and Yorktown after Greene mauled his army.

It was a British tactical victory but a strategic defeat.

All of Burgoyne's British infantry converted their uniforms, in part as a response to the terrain and conditions, but also because their replacement coats and other items didn't arrive in Canada (some of it was captured by privateers).

Burgoyne's army had trained in open order as did nearly all of the British army in North American (Spring's _Zeal and Bayonets Only_ covers this at length). That they might have started early before leaving Ireland is very believable.