Saturday 24 December 2011

new year new project

The rebel Shamrock

With some friends we had been thinking of starting a skirmishes campaign with: terrible sharp sword (by too fat lardies). I'll take command of the irish rebels, the 10th Tenesse, the Sons of Erin. Reserching in the web i found this incredible page:
http://10thtennesseeco.a.tripod.com/
There i found everything i need for reenacting the guys of Tenesse. Biographies of the soldiers, battle reports, and even a complete list of the men of the a Company! so i can assure you that each soldier will have surelly his historycally correct name, the company will include the  "fighting fitzgerald" and father Emmeran (see: http://10thtennesseeco.a.tripod.com/id5.html) a great problem for the poor capitain John O'neill!

So here a picture of the guys: they are Perry civil war's infatry with some greenstuff transformations (note the pipes and oak leaves)



And here some music, and if you wanna learn how to play it, down the lyrics and guitar acords:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EAcieN3BW8



Oh, not (D)now for songs of a (A7)nation's (D)wrongs,
not the groans of starving (A7)la(D)bor;
Let the rifle ring and the (A7)bullet (D)sing
to the clash of the flashing (G)sa(A7)bre!

There are (D)Irish ranks on the (A7)tented (D)banks
of Columbia's guarded (A7)oce(D)an;
And an iron clank from (A7)flank to (D)flank
tells of armed men in (G)mo(A7)tion.

The (D)Irish green shall a(A7)gain be (D)seen
as our Irish fathers (A7)bore (D)it,
A burning wind from the (A7)South be(D)hind,
and the Yankee rout be(G)fore (A7)it!

O'(D)Neil's red hand shall (A7)purge the (D)land-
Rain a fire on men and (A7)catt(D)le,
Till the Lincoln snakes in their (A7)own cold (D)lakes
Plunge from the blaze of (G)batt(A7)le.

Whoe(D)'er shall march by tri(A7)umphal (D)arch
Whoe'er may swell the (A7)slaugh(D)ter,
Our drums shall roll from the (A7)Capi(D)tol
O'er Potomac's fateful (G)wa(A7)ter!

Rise, (D)bleeding ghosts, to the (A7)Lord of (D)Hosts
For judgement final and (A7)sol(D)emn;
Your fanatic horde to the (A7)edge if the (D)sword
Is doomed line, square, and (G)co(D)lumn!

Tuesday 6 December 2011

Heavy stuff: Mijaíl Kutuzov and Pavlovski Grenadiers

Marshal Mijaíl Kutuzov is usually known in general culture for being the one who deafeated Napoleon and sealed the destiny of the Garde Armèe, Is he who has through years of propaganda amassed all the credit for the defeat of the french empire and the end of Bonaparte's reign. Nothing more far from reality, it is true that from Borodino was he who commandede the russians, but the Tsar appointed hm commander in chief just few days before the battle. The long months since the crossing of the Neiemn had been handled between generals Bagration and Barclay d eToilly and to them is the credit of killing nearly half of the french army on the march. But as both of them were foreingers russian history tended to cast them appart.
Kutuzov's miniature is based on the famous picture above, i bought the dtrelet's russian and prussian command, and i couldn't evitate using it's fantastic range of miniatures for doing some historycal painting recreation. You'll tell me if there are any ressemblance!


Kutuzov was not a great general, but a leader of men. He could slaughter the whole russian guard at Borodino forming in squares in front of massed artillery, but for the common soldier his paternalist and hot-hearted attitude was what kept him on the fray.

Here: an opolchenie militiamen carries a wounded general back to Hospital

The beast: my first 12 pds russian gun, named "capitain tushin" for her proudly crew

the officer hurries his men moving the gun into firing position

The Pavlovski Grenadiers
Rivers of ink have flown speaking about them ,their courage, gallantry and unsttopable charges have assured a place amongst the greatest regiments of all times. Suffice to say that they wear the old Tsar Paul's uniform (Probablly as a shown of respect from Tsar Alexander, who ever had deep remorse for having killed and dethroned him) and that their moust famous battles are Borodino, Eylau and Friedland. From the last they piked a very curious tradition that remained till the Soviet era, their mitres wore with pride the bulletholes of the battle, who were never repaired, i tried to imitate this in the minis, so you would nottice lots of black gaps in the brass paltes. 
'ere they come




with the officer to the front, the standrads raised high and a little fifer-boy to play in the fight!