Confederate Marines

The last remnants of 2019 projects are leaving my table this week, first up a rebase and touch up of some Confederate Marines that suffered during our move from Australia to France. Basically highlighted and touched up the scratches and dings and re-flocked the base.

The figures are from the first corps range and are the only 28mm confederate marines I know of on the market. They were originally built for our clubs Atlanta campaigns.

A rare unit, as they mostly only acted in companies, serving the the ships and gunboats with the Navy. But they served on land was along with ex ship crews at the siege of Atlanta, they were formed into a unit and manned Fort Ogeechee, manning the guns and defending the bastions until the Atlantas surrender. The other battles that they served on land include Fort Fischer and at Drewy's Bluff after the scuttling of the Viginia-Merrimac. The last battle they served in was at Saylors creek, a battalion was formed with ex naval personnel and marines defending the James River fortifications.

The flag references a 1861 company flag, as I am unaware of any marine unit or dismounted ship crew ever carrying a flag on land and is hand painted. These chaps will join the sale of my ACW collection in the coming months.

Cheers

Matt

ref Marine Corps Gazette, June 1978 Col T.J Saxon

1st Louisiana Wheats Tigers Battalion

1st Louisiana Volunteers Wheats Tigers

Off the painting desk this week before my eyes go crossed from plaid, I finished off a quite paint job of some ACW figures I had in my "painting sometimes" pile, or draw to be more correct. From time to time while in the middle of a project and not feeling inspired I will pick up something very simple and paint it, from this pile of lead, then normally sell it, because I am no longer playing the period. This is the case for these chaps as I already have a battalion in my collection so surplus now to my needs. The 28mm miniatures are sculpted by the talented Mark Fenton, and are sold by Adventure time Miniatures through Elite Miniatures Australia, I think they are some of the finest sculpted ACW figures on the market today.


The 1st Louisiana tigers had a bad reputation during the war, being raised from "the lowest scum of the lower Mississippi...adventurous wharf rats, thieves and outcasts...and bad characters generally." 

But I think almost all confederate players will have an entire battalion in their collection. I doubt as do historians that the entire battalion ever wore the Zouave uniform, as each company was raised independently,  but wargamers being wargamers will paint the entire battalion looking that way. Some still even paint the uniform in brown, which as far as I know has been disproved, being blue that has faded to a brown as the dye was of bad quality. 

This range is also available from Adventure Miniatures sold by Elite Miniatures Australia. Here

Enjoy 

Cheers

Matt