"Napoleon's Camp Followers" Topic

Just finished reading the Osprey title Napoleon's Women Camp Followers by Terry Crowdy. A great little book full of fascinating info concerning a different and human side to warfare that many may not be aware of. There are no battle descriptions but I would still recommend this title for anyone interested in the Revolutionary and Napoleonic period and it certainly adds to our collective knowledge.

Now all I've got to do is convince Adler to bring out a Camp Followers range as well as Troops riding camels. They have to be made, don't you agree! LOL

Thanks my good friend!

Armand

Would like to find a camp follower set in 15-18mm, would grab it in a second.

I am sure it would sell. The Osprey title was poo-pooed by some people here, but all reviews I have seen have been positive.

Blue moon has a set in 18mm. I don't have it yet …

John

Blue Moon? Will have to look, maybe I am not searching in right spots.

Blue moon
link

That'd make a nice camp scene.

Black Hussar have some great camp followers.

As I want more generic wagons should get them together. I have 2 horse pack trains for my Russians and 1 for my British but none for my Prussians. Been looking at the blacksmith pack.

jwebster

The Blue Moon miniatures look brilliant and the one horse cart looks great. If I was going up a scale, I think it would be to 15mm.

Meanwhile, if only I could think of a way to convince Adler to bring out a 6mm range of camp followers, as well as Egyptian campaign miniatures. LOL

Don't mess with them… (smile)

link

Armand

It's okay Armand, there is no mention of female camp followers being dangerous in the Osprey title. LOL

(smile)

Armand

>>The Osprey title was poo-pooed by some people

Given the nature of the promo, some of us queried the relevance. No-one could doubt TCs integrity as an author, but as to editorial style, being bitten by an osprey wasn't the only issue. Add oofice politiks in on the act and you get a M.Pythonesque farce.

My cantinieres may continue in their work; as will a brothers act of thirsty men, from both sides o the fence… perhaps later this year, when camp sets up.
d

My top two figures are armed, you don't think just good will would protect their goods do you?

me-too mode applied to the Military Publishing :)
I don't discuss the quality of the author and always talented Christa but unfortunately after 50 years there were still so many true military gaps to cover by Osprey before such civilian topic…and with only 5 Men At Arms for this year, a sad record, I think that many Ospreymaniacs will be converted in pillars of salt before a chance to see the first words of the first pages of long-expected topics

by the way perhaps a second chance for the aborted Osprey Elite 100 of 2004

forza Italia

All the books (and links), the ones we like and the those we may not like as much, all help increase our collective knowledge of the period and what went on and who did what.

Long may it continue and long may people post about those areas that get very little attention.

@jwebster:

I'd be most grateful if you could give an Internet site address which will lead to the set of figures to which you provided a Link on 2nd July; I have, of course, tried everything likely among the categories and sub-categories on the Blue Moon/Old Glory UK site. Since the price quoted in the photograph you provided is in Dollars, I'm thinking that some products may only be available in the USA, but hope that this isn't so. If anyone else can assist me in following the Camp Followers, please do add a note.

R le D.

Just got my camp follower set this afternoon, now what to do with them.

>>now what to do with them.

Faire 'le camping'…

Lilian,

I know you don't discuss the author's quality, but I believe Terry Crowdy's book on the 9e Legere is by far the best Napoleonic book I have ever read other than John Gill's 1809 books. He brings to life the famous regiment and the men who served.

and by the way we expect with our more male and military tastes his
FRENCH LIGHT INFANTRY 1788-1815 From the Chasseurs of Louis XVI to Napoleon's Grande Armée soon to be published at HELION but unfortunately as we have no longer the right to discuss the forthcoming publications in this forum I would say nothing about that… :/

About vivandieres and cantinieres being dangerous…

'Many cantinieres were as brave as veteran grenadiers…Therese brought brandy to the soldiers amidst ball and bullets; she was twice wounded. Don't think that she did this to make money…when we were fighting she never asked for payment…With all of these feelings [Therese] was horrible ugly, but few women from what I have seen (evil unto him who thinks evil) had such shapely legs.'Elzear Blaze, La Vie Militaire, 99-100.

'The Cossacks came whooping down on the Bataillon de Neufchatel's weary column as it slogged westward from the lost battle of Leipzig. Darting in, wheeling back, howling, but never charging home, they tried to bluff the yellow-uniformed battalion into disorder. Being well-salted veterans, the Neufchatel 'canaries' closed up and kept marching, their voltigeur company deploying as skirmishers along their threatened flank. Like most Swiss, they were excellent shots: a number of Cossacks unexpectedly 'mordrent la poussiere' (bit the dust); the voltigeurs caught up their riderless horses, which were needed as mounts or pack animals for their own officers. An hour of such frustration satiated the ferocious horsemen of the steppes. But, at the last moment, one noticed that the Neufchatel vivandiere had lagged behind the column and made a determined charge at her. Not pausing to ponder whether he wanted her life, her money, her honor, or just a little harmless fun, that rude femme produced her pistol and shot him out of his saddle. She then mounted the Cossack's horse and rejoined the battalion 'to the applause of all the column.'-Alfred Guye, Le Bataillon de Neuchatel, 199 as cited in John Elting's Swords Around a Throne, 605.

Interestingly, one of these tough feminine veterans became Madame la Marechale Lefebvre and Duchesse de Danzig.

Historex models has some that can be used singularly or in vignettes:

historex.com/crbst_34.html

Brechtel198

Great post. It is really interesting to hear about the female and usually unknown and unsung involvement of any period. It reminds of the other day when I was watching a WW2 documentary which talked about Russian female fighter pilots. And it all adds to our collective knowledge.