Cavalry Figures

 1st Continental Dragoons

Here are the new product code numbers for each of the eight new figures:

AC-010  1st Continental Dragoon Officer, pointing

AC-011  1st Continental Dragoon Standard Bearer

AC-012  1st Continental Dragoon Trumpeter

AC-013  1st Continental Dragoon Trooper with Shouldered Sword

AC-014  1st Continental Dragoon Trooper, rested Carbine

AC-015  1st Continental Dragoon Trooper, Firing Pistol

AC-016  1st Continental Dragoon Trooper, Firing Carbine

AC-017  1st Continenal Dragoon Trooper, Reloading Carbine

1st Continental Dragoon Command (L-R): AC-013 Trooper, Shouldered Sword; AC-011 Trumpeter; AC-012 Standard Bearer; and AC-010 Officer (click pix to enlarge)

Another view of the command figures, same order left to right. Obviously the Trooper with shouldered sword is not part of the command group - it was just convenient to photograph the figures in groups of 4 figures.

The figures are sculpted such that one could create a regiment with a more formal appearance, an open order skirmish appearance, or a mix of the two. For a more formal looking regiment, use the four figures shown in the two pictures above. For example, you might select one each of the officer, standard bearer and the trumpeter plus nine of the trooper with shouldered sword to create a squadron or regiment  of 12 dragoons.

The you could add one each of the four skirmishing poses (firing pistol, firing carbine, reloading carbine or rested carbine) to bring your wargame unit up to 16 figures, which is probably a good number to have in most AWI games. The skirmishers could either augment the strength of the unit, or if you base your cavalry on the standard 2-inch square base, you could remove one stand of "formal" dragoons and replace it on the table with two individually-mounted skirmishers.

1st Continental Dragoons skirmishing (L-R) AC-0016 Firing Pistol; AC-014 Rested Carbine; AC-017 Reloading; and AC-016 Firing Carbine (click pix to enlarge)

If you want a more open, skirmish order look to your regiment, then I would recommend selecting the officer (pointing to where a target is) and perhaps the firing pistol and firing carbine and reloading figures. Then, you could have a reserve in your skirmish line consisting of the trooper with the carbine resting on his right thigh and perhaps even the standard bearer and trumpeter posted in the rear with the reserve line. I would use the standing horses for the skirmish poses.

I elected to paint the 1st Continental Dragoons in their earlier brown coat with green facings uniform, which is kind of drab when compared to the more spectacular red coats of the British 16th Light Dragoons that I painted last week. The regiment later converted to a blue coat with red facings. I used the brown  coat since that is likely what the regiment wore during the Philadelphia Campaign of 1777-78, which my AWI Continental army is modelled after.

3rd Continental Dragoons

3rd Continental Dragoons - New Fife & Drum Figures

3rd Continental Dragoons (L-R) Trooper, Officer, Std Bearer, and Trumpeter (click to enlarge)

Fife & Drum Miniatures recently added the 3rd Continental Dragoons to its range, along with the previously released 1st Continental Dragoon, the British Legion (Tarleton's) dragoons, and the British 16th and 17th Light Dragoons. 

The group of four figures are done in "charging" poses and are shown on some of the new horses that Richard Ansell made exclusively for our AWI range of figures. They can match up against our British Legion and British 17th Light Dragoons in either the Pennsylvania - New Jersey theatre of operations or with General Greene's command in the South.

Regimental History (paraphrased from Troiani)

The 3rd Continental Dragoons were raised on January 9, 1777 (so they will fit right in with the 1777 Philadelphia Campaign) by Colonel George Baylor. While recruits and horses were readily available in his native state of Virginia, the shortage of horse equipment and weapons limited his recruiting to only one troop. The troop was attached to General Washington's headquarters guard and became known as Washington's Bodyguard or Lady Washington's Horse. The troop served in this capacity until 1778.

The regiment was virtually wiped out when it was surprised in an attack on its billets in Tappan, New Jersey on September 19, 1778 by British light troops. Half of the 104 men on hand escaped and attempts to re-raise the regiment were unsuccessful as it never exceeded a squadron in strength after Tappan.

A squadron of the regiment served in the Southern Theatre of Operations, under the command of Lt. Colonel William Washington. They were amalgamated with elements of the 1st Continental Dragoons (also available from Fife & Drum Miniatures). The combined regiment fought at the battles of Cowpens, Guilford Courthouse and Eutaw Springs.

Officer - AC-018 (left) and trooper charging  AC-021 (right)

Standard bearer  AC-020 (left) and trumpeter  AC-019 (right)

The new product codes for the 3rd Continental Dragoons are as follows (sold as single figures including the horse):

AC-018    3rd Continental Dragoon Officer

AC-019    3rd Continental Dragoon Trumpeter

AC-020    3rd Continental Dragoon Standard Bearer

AC-021    3rd Continental Dragoon Trooper, Charging

Figures, including horse, are $6.00 

To order, just send me an e-mail at: 

fife_drum_minis(at)yahoo(dot)com

Paypal Accepted

British 16th Light Dragoons

(Left to Right): BC-014 Rested Carbine; BC-016 Firing Carbine; BC-010 Officer; BC-015 Firing Pistol; BC-014 Rested Carbine; and BC-012 Shoulderd Sword. (click to enlarge view).  Not shown: BC-011 Trumpeter and BC-013 Trooper in Hunting Shirts with Shouldered Sword.

Stock codes for the 16th Light Dragoons are as follows:

BC-010 16th Light Dragoon Officer

BC-011 16th LD Trumpeter

BC-012 16th LD Trooper, shouldered sword, uniform coat

BC-013 16th LD Trooper, shouldered sword, hunting shirt

BC-014 16th LD Trooper, rested carbine on right thigh

BC-015 16th LD Trooper, firing pistol

BC-016 16th LD Trooper, firing carbine

BC-017 16th LD Trooper, loading carbine

If you want to create a regiment in a formal pose with shouldered swords, then use the BC-010 officer, BC-011 trumpeter, and BC-013 trooper in coat to form the core of your regiment. You can also add a figure or two of the BC-014 trooper wearing a hunting shirt. On campaign, there should be some variation in the uniform. The BC-014 trooper with rested musket would also work with the fellows with the shouldered swords.

(L-R) BC-016 Firing Carbine and BC-017 Reloading Carbine

If you want to add some 

skirmishers, then the BC-010 officer pointing would look like he is directing a piquet line of the BC-015 firing pistol, BC-016 firing carbine, BC-017 reloading, with a couple of BC-014 rested carbine poses forming your reserve behind the skirmish line.

Banaster Tarleton Personality Figure shown with two of the 16th LD skirmish figures.

British 17th Light Dragoons
BC-018  17th LD Officer, charging
BC-019  17th LD Trumpeter, charging
BC-020  17th LD Trooper, firing pistol while charging
BC-021  17th LD Trooper, charging

(L-R) BC-021; BC-019; BC-020; and BC_018

If there is enough interest, I would also like to add up to 8 militia cavalry/mounted civilians suitable for South Carolina mounted partisans that could be paired up to fight the British Legion. They could be commanded by our Francis Marion personality figure.