Known to history as “Dunmore’s War,” the 1774 campaign against a Shawnee-led Indian confederacy in the Ohio Country marked the final time an American colonial militia took to the field in His Majesty’s service and under royal command.

Canadian Sedentary Militia There were 40000 militia in Lower Canada, 10000 in Upper Canada and 10000 in the Maritimes. One fourth of each unit would receive better training and often cast off British uniforms; these were called flank companies. It was often just the flank companies that were involved in battles. There were also volunteer companies in every region which were usually uniformed. Very few of the regular sedentary militia would have had uniforms. Upper Canada Stormant and Glengarry Sedentary Militia In the Eastern regions of Upper Canada, the Americans reported being followed by 500 highlanders in kilts. These were revolutionary war veterans and their descendants. Lower Canada Maritime Territories These saw no action.

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Artist's concept of a Shawnee warrior in the 1700's Students of the colonial era are probably most familiar with the Iroquois Nation or the Cherokee, but the Shawnee were certainly a force to be reckoned with as well, especially when it came to settling the Ohio Valley. They have a bit of a reputation for fierceness, but—who exactly were they? To begin with, the name “Shawnee” roots from a word that means “southerner” in many native languages. In the various migrations that occurred over North America, the tribe known as Shawnee were pushed southward by the Iroquois and settled for a while in South Carolina, eventually winding up as far south as Florida and Alabama. I found it interesting that there’s even a linguistic tie between Shawnee (Shaawanowi, from shawunogi—and understand that native spellings were as fluid as English ones in the time, mostly existing for the sake of capturing pronunciation) and the name Savannah, since according to at least one source that’s what the colonists of South Carolina called them. (Which is easy to see, if you soften the modern pronunciation and accent from emphasis on that hard short A in the second syllable, and consider how the Germanic V and W were often interchangeable.) So who were the Shawnee, in the midst of other native tribes? Not only were they known as the “restless” people, with a loose social structure that probably evolved as a result of their wanderings, but they were known as proud, thoughtful, fiercely independent, in some cases shutting down the efforts of Christian missionaries before they could even get a good start. They regarded their own spirituality as superior to everyone else’s—including other native tribes, which is nothing new to human nature. William Penn, however, who took great care to treat native peoples with as much consideration and dignity as he would want shown himself, suggested that the Shawnee and others descended from some of the lost tribes of Israel. In addition to citing similarities to Hebrew in their language, he wrote: “For their original, I am ready to believe them of the Jewish race; I mean of the stock of the ten tribes, and that for the following reasons: First, they were to go to a land not planted or known, which to be sure, Asia and Africa were, if not Europe, and he that intended that extraordinary judgment upon them, might make the passage not uneasy to them, as it is not impossible in itself, from the easternmost part of Asia, to the westernmost part of America. In the next place, I find them of like countenance, and their children of so lively resemblance, that a man would think himself in Dukes’ Palace, or in Berry Street, in London, when he seeth them; but this not all: they agree in rites; they reckon by moons; they offer their first fruits; they have a kind of feast of tabernacles; they are said to lay their altar upon twelve stones; their mourning a year; customs of women, with many other things that do not now occur.” (History of the Shawnee Indians from the year 1681, to the year 1701, as cited by Henry Harvey) Whether we also believe this could be true, or not, they were a remarkable people, a study as many native tribes were in contradictions but with their own code of honor that in some ways could be considered amazingly biblical. Flaws and admirable qualities alike, they are definitely a fascinating people! ~*~*~ For my upcoming release, The Cumberland Bride, set on the Wilderness Road into Kentucky in 1794, I did as much research on the Shawnee people as on the Wilderness Road itself, and found some great resources: History of the Shawnee Indians, From the Year 1681 to 1854, Inclusive by Henry Harvey. The Shawnees and the War for America, Colin G. Calloway. Native American Tribes: The History and Culture of the Shawnee, by Charles River Editors The Magic Moccasins: Life Among Ohio's Six Indian Tribes, Volume One, Delaware/Shawnee/Mingo, by Jane Barks Ross.

Thanks to Thomsomsfeld for alerting me to this book by R Chartrand - I shall have to buy it. They say In 1758, at the height of the French and Indian War, British Brigadier General John Forbes led his army on a methodical advance against Fort Duquesene, French headquarters in the Ohio valley. As his army closed in upon the fort, he sent Major Grant of the 77th Highlanders and 850 men on a reconnaissance in force against the fort. The French, alerted to this move, launched their own counter-raid. 500 French and Canadians, backed by 500 Indian allies, ambushed the highlanders and sent them fleeing back to the main army. With the success of that operation, the French planned their own raid against the English encampment at Fort Ligonier less than fifty miles away. With only 600 men, against an enemy strength of 4,000, the French & Amerindians launched a daring night attack on the heart of the enemy encampment. This book tells the complete story of these ambitious raids and counter-raids, giving in-depth detail on the forces, terrain, and tactics.

Czas złapać oddech! Po moich zmaganiach z piętnastką, pomalowałem coś dla mnie ciekawswzego w większej skali. Brytyjscy Rangersi - bo o nich mowa - są w sam raz, aby poprawić mi humor i podnieść morale. Kiedyś malowałem British Wilderness Force Northstara na własny użytek. Dziś maluję te figurki po raz kolejny, ale już na zamówienie. Ot znak czasu ;) Time to take some breath! After my grapple with 15 mm I have painted something larger and pleasant to me. The British Rangers - these are enough to rise my morale and to cheer me up. Once I painted that Northstar's British Wilderness Force set to me. Today I paint one more time these figures, but as a commission. This is the sign of the times ;)

Explore the development of the United States with this collection of articles about American history. Topics in this section include the American Revolution, the gold rush and the expansion of the West.

Thanks to Thomsomsfeld for alerting me to this book by R Chartrand - I shall have to buy it. They say In 1758, at the height of the French and Indian War, British Brigadier General John Forbes led his army on a methodical advance against Fort Duquesene, French headquarters in the Ohio valley. As his army closed in upon the fort, he sent Major Grant of the 77th Highlanders and 850 men on a reconnaissance in force against the fort. The French, alerted to this move, launched their own counter-raid. 500 French and Canadians, backed by 500 Indian allies, ambushed the highlanders and sent them fleeing back to the main army. With the success of that operation, the French planned their own raid against the English encampment at Fort Ligonier less than fifty miles away. With only 600 men, against an enemy strength of 4,000, the French & Amerindians launched a daring night attack on the heart of the enemy encampment. This book tells the complete story of these ambitious raids and counter-raids, giving in-depth detail on the forces, terrain, and tactics.

Evening all, I thought I’d show you some pictures of my latest wargames unit, Spains Walloon Guards The Walloon Guards (Gardes Wallonnes; in Spanish, Guardias Valonas) wer…

French private, (21st Regiment ) 1779, as they appeared during the siege of Savannah Don Troiani