More on AMG 16

This a follow up to the first-of-my-reports-on A Military Gentleman-16 weekend

No sooner had the smoke cleared at the Battle of Soor table around 3.30pm but I heard Dave Hall canvasing for players for the Sands of the Sudan game run by Dave Docherty.  I had wanted to play this so it was a carpe diem moment.  As before, the light seemed to interfere with my photos and the ones I show in no way give credit to the superb figures and terrain which was a lovely facsimile of the Peter Gilder style games of the 1980s, using the original rules and correct Hinchliffe (I presume) figures. I'm afraid I'm no expert on any of this but have played enough colonial games to know what to expect! And in this case it appeared to be realistic rules and units combined with a fun "tongue in cheek" scenario whereby a British column was speeding to the rescue of the General's daughter who was being protected by Dave H's Egyptian infantry against the marauding hordes of Mahdists. The key to action was that the umpire controlled the Mahdists and whenever you got near some cover there was a random card risk that it contained something hostile.

The Daves at the far end have a little battle, while the column is in the foreground. My troops nearest the camera. Naval brigade left flank, Black Watch right flank and cavalry up front already engaging the enemy

It appeared that the game had been in progress for 3 turns already and John D kindly suggested we split some of the infantry between us.  In the game I was in we had Angus taking all the glory with the cavalry, fellow Scot  John with the Black Watch, ex-submariner Will taking the Naval Brigade including Gardner gun, sailors and Royal Marines, and I brought up the rearguard consisting of the Royal Irish Fusiliers, camel borne screw gun, commanding general and war correspondents - no pressure then! I did not have the most distinguished game but will tell my small view of it  in what pictures are presentable.

Camel riders were attacking Angus's cavalry and he called for fire support so
I put the Fusiliers in line and deployed the screw gun on the hillock. Between
Will and me we saw off the camels

Meanwhile (above and below) Dave was being constantly assailed at the oasis village
and taking a toll on the enemy judging by those lifebelt markers

But just when I thought it was safe to recommence the march.........

........a large band of Fuzzy-Wuzzies came on at random directly from our rear. The Water, screw gun and correspondents were despatched with all haste towards the Black Watch, who had by this time made good speed and were disappearing over the horizon!  My first volley fire was terrible and still the Fuzzies came on. The second volley was better but they still matched my frontage when spear met bayonet. This photo shows the result of the melee with my line intact and not many of the brave natives still standing. No doubt the General's fine bearing had inspired the Irishmen!

It had been very tense but the native morale broke and here they can just be seen
 kicking up dust while the Fusiliers form column to try to catch up.

For the moment my screw gun and non-combatants seemed safe

Up ahead our mounted arm was having success

Mahdists lurk behind a ridge waiting for Will

Angus's Indian lancers clear off the remaining block to the General's daughter

Above and below: Will engages the umpire's glee in his attempts to destroy a large
 band of enemy with a combination of skirmishing sailors and their Gardner gun

Royal Marines await the outcome

A tough nut to crack, especially with a gun and cavalry there too.......

...........so send in the Hussars and the Camel Corps 

But what of my little column? Random dice dictated that a very large force of screaming Mahdists came out of the central native village in the direction of the unguarded screw gun, baggage and correspondents. I just had time to hurry the reporters on towards the Black Watch and double back the camel transport to the safety of the advancing Irish Fusiliers.........but it had been close!

That proved to be the end of the game as, at the business end, Dave H had got short of ammo and, seeing the opportunity afforded by the Indian lancers decided to break out and make for them. Once the young lady and her companion were united with the Lancers we had won our objective. Great fun, and thank you Dave D for giving me the chance to participate in something the like of which I had seen in magazines in the past, and recently on the web but now it felt real.
AMENDMENT: The rules have been resurrected by Carlo in Australia who can be contacted by email  here - carlo pagano and his highly entertaining blog is
with pyjamas through the dessert

We finished about 6pm and there was time to chill out before evening drinks on the patio followed by a lovely meal, then more drinks and conversation in the bar till.....about 1 am (but don't tell the Duchess!)

Next time - two more games at AMG 16

Hussarettes celebrate 25,000

Well you did it, and in record time! Six days on from my celebrating over 24,000 page visits and you've made it 25,100 . Thanks to everyone who has supported me since the beginning and to all those who have joined since. Whether you come back regularly or just find my blog by chance I hope you find something here of  use, interest , or to just brighten your day. The posts about the Hussarette paintings are consistently featuring in the top five favourites so I promised you some more after the 25,000 mark, and here is the latest work.

This was commissioned as a companion piece to "The Twins", which for those who can't remember it, is here
This one is called "Hussarettes d'Oriente: Suzanne et Suzette,  of the 22nd Chasseurs a Cheval and the 7th Hussars bis, in Egypt, 1798"

This is their story:

Suzette was born in 1775 and Suzanne in 1777  and, as they grew up, they were inspired by the role models of their twin aunts, Francoise and Francine, who started a trend for ladies of standing to take up military careers and joined the French Legion Etrangere. This admiration was embodied in the "Twins" painting of 1780 that took pride of place in the family Chateau in Gascony, and Suzanne and Suzette later leaned towards military interests themselves. 

Then came the Revolution of 1789.  However , although some Royalists fell foul of the guillotine this family was good to their servants and farm workers and were able cleverly to espouse the Revolutionary cause and rise up the new hierarchy. Thus these girls joined the army when they were old enough as young officers. Now aged 23 and 21 respectively they find themselves on Napoleon's Egyptian campaign. They are off duty and doing what tourists in Egypt do. They have hired camels to see the pyramids.  They've brought their swords playfully to scratch their names in the sand and pose as victors, and Suzanne, who is the more audacious,  steals the show while her slightly older, more reserved, sister Suzette looks on, trying to smile sweetly but not quite succeeding. 

In the background the bored camel driver awaits their pleasure in the shade of his camel while another tourist party is assembling in the distance.

This is another oil painting on gessoed canvas, size 20 inches x 16 inches, and the technical details of its creation are much the same as in the Twins painting referenced above.  The decisions on uniform details though did initially pose some vexing emails between me and the client.
- Did the 22nd Chasseurs wear fur lined pelisses at this time?....but wouldn't they be too hot in the desert anyway? The client loved my model "Ella" in her pelisse so it had to stay, but we discarded the dolman as both together would  definitely be too hot. 

- What colour green was the 22nd's uniform? We settled on  mid green for the pelisse and bright green for the breeches. 
- 7th Hussars bis did not seem to be the same regiment in 1798 as the later 7th of Empire fame and uniform guides varied between dark blue, dark green (maybe black?) or a more normal French Imperial green. I argued that, artistically, the mid to dark green shown would compliment the greens of the 22nd as well as maybe relate to the later 7th Hussars more faithfully.

The design of the gold lace on the breeches came from a source dated 1800 but it was just so gorgeous, and challenging to paint, I couldn't resist. Besides, the client had asked for ringlets in her hair and the lace followed that motif wonderfully.

My 1803 style three-bar sabre hilt was too late for this date so I've given them the single bar style of the 18th century.

 Subsequent research into Egyptian swords led me to discover French sabres "a la Mamelouk" and  I realised that some of the later exotic sabres beloved of rich officers were influenced by the original swords of Napoleon's Arab enemies in Egypt. I've acquired a lovely reproduction version which I intend to feature soon in the possession of a "Chasseurette" of the Imperial Guard.

And, Legatus, if you are reading this, don't worry, that pyramid background is not ripped off from your personal profile picture! 

Now my client's idea for these two further French military ladies and our joint venture to connect them in a historical family context got my imagination racing as to where things might lead if Hussarette (or Chasseurette) paintings began to connect in a series. Here's an illustration to get the creative juices flowing.

It is a detail from a painting by Jack Girbal showing Lasalle, as a Squadron commander of the 22nd Chasseurs in Egypt about to save General Davout's life by cutting off the hand of a mameluke who is attacking him.  I got to thinking that maybe my audacious Suzanne could became a female Lasalle in my parallel empowered women Napoleonic history - Colonel Suzanne at the head of her Regiment; later General Suzanne leading a fine Brigade, then Division, of Light Cavalry,....;being decorated by the Emperor for ever more daring exploits.........I've had other ideas too, some of which will see our Hussarettes shedding their uniforms, which is how it all started really!  So I'd be interested to hear any views of readers on what they think might make good paintings with female alternatives in the place of our hero regiments and characters. You can comment here or if you wish a more personal discussion please contact me by email  Chris Gregg 

And that's also the way to follow up this next point. Anyone fancy commissioning more from my model Ella?. She is coming back to the UK  for a few weeks in July and may be willing to do another photoshoot. Here is a  reminder where can read more about her in a previous post. So email me soon for a chance to customise your painting - Hussarette or any other theme, absolute discretion guaranteed .