The product of successful Eureka 100 Club projects (our custom miniatures pre-order subscription service), both these releases make useful additions to our Age of Reason range for anyone interested in the various struggles for the future of the North American Colonies.
Artillery was in short supply for both sides during the American War of Independence, but never-the-less the fledgling Continental Army managed to acquire and drag significant numbers of guns to battles like Boston, Trenton, and Monmouth - with often decisive results. Professional gunners who understood the science of artillery were in equally short supply, but these technicians were supplemented by volunteers from the army and even the civilian community to man the guns - many of them without recognizable uniforms until the final years of the war.
Eureka's new figures represent such artillery crew, largely in scruffy civilian dress, and stripped down to shirts, waistcoats and breeches because of the hot and arduous labour of working the guns. Amongst the variants, there is a female gunner in keeping with the American Revolutionary tradition that a few women, like Molly Pitcher, were inspired to take their place alongside the men. Although these women are hard to pin down in the historical record, there is enough circumstantial evidence to imply that women were to be found 'in harm's way' at the guns, so we thought 'Molly Pitcher' should be represented.
The release of our AWI "ragged" Continental artillery crew also provides us with an opportunity to make available a couple of artillery pieces Alan Marsh made for us a while ago. Based on an Austrian and British 6pdr, they both make good generic 18th Century guns that should add a little authentic variety to your batteries whatever their nationality. This was a period when gun carriage designs were only beginning to be standardized, and even in regular armies it was still not unusual to see guns mounted on carriages of different shapes and sizes within the same battery.
The rest of our new figures take us a little earlier in North American history to the French and Indian War of 1754-1763. Often remembered as a conflict mainly fought out between Anglo-French regulars and their various Indian allies, it is sometimes overlooked outside of America that the colonies' regiments of Provincial Militia (sometimes referred to as "Regulars") played a role in the war on the British side. The American colonists, then still loyal to the British Crown, viewed the close attentions of Catholic France as a threat to their religious freedoms, and realized the tempting economic opportunities to be had if the American hinterland was wrested from French control. Amongst their number was a young George Washington, colonel of the Virginia Regiment, who played a prominent part in the early stages of the war. Most of the colonies had their own regiments of Provincial Militia/Regulars (except Pennsylvania with its large pacifist Quaker population), with their own distinct uniforms. We have provided versions in both the short and the long coat favored at this time.
Here are the details of all the new figures and our new release special offers:
28mm French Indian Wars & American War of Independence
Designed & sculpted by Alan Marsh
Number in parenthesis denotes the number of variants. Variants are supplied randomly
100AOR21 - AWI "Ragged" Continental artillery crew (9)
100AOR22 - FIW Provincial Regular Infantry, long coat, marching (2)
100AOR23 - FIW Provincial Regular Infantry, short coat, marching (2)
100AOR24 - FIW Provincial Regular Infantry, long coat, firing and loading (2)
100AOR25 - FIW Provincial Regular Infantry, short coat, firing and loading (2)
100AOR26 - FIW Provincial Regular Infantry Officer (2)
100AOR27 - FIW Provincial Regular Infantry Drummer (2)
100AOR28 - FIW Provincial Regular Infantry Ensign (2)
100AOR29 - FIW Provincial Regular NCO (1)
100AOR30 - George Washington with horse and dogs - 4 piece set (1)
100AOR31 - 6pdr Austrian Cannon (1)
100AOR32 - 6pdr British Cannon (1)
NEW RELEASE SPECIAL OFFERS
For a limited period, you can buy one or both of the following complete sets at a special discounted price:
- A complete set of AWI "Ragged" Continental artillery crew (9 figures) and two canon - $45.00 AUD
- A complete set of FIW Provincial Regular Infantry (all variants - 15 figures, plus a George Washington with horse and dogs) - $45.00 AUD
You can also order all these miniatures in the U.K. from Fighting 15s, and in the U.S.A. from Eureka Miniatures U.S.A.