Les rêves de Mars

Rossbach Revisited, or: Futile Fury on the French Flank!

2011-07-18T10:14:00.049+09:00

Right, on to that battle report! (Note: click on any photo to enlarge).

I've played many a game now using Black Powder for Napoleonics, but this was my first time using it for the SYW. Before I came to Japan, our gaming group had about two years worth of playing SYW games, with hundreds upon hundreds of miniatures on the table. The rules were a home-brew set, and the games, while fun, took a long time to play as a result of working out the firing and melee results- a legacy of the fact that they started life as what were intended to be largish skirmish games in the forests of North America!

In contrast, Black Powder was designed from the get-go for handling pretty big armies, so I have been impressed with how quickly the games flow, and the SYW was no exception. In fact, in terms of units this must have been the largest game of Black Powder I played in.

The scenario had a large, but middling quality, French army stretched out in three lines along the left side of the table. The Prussians had a much smaller force, but it was a tough one, with many units getting a first fire bonus (add one to hit on the dice roll). with still others being able to take four hits rather than three before taking a break test.

To make matters worse for the French, the Prussians were deployed on the other side of the table, but directly across from the exposed right of the French army, with the Prussian left almost directly across from the exposed French flank.

The cream of the Prussian army ready to swing into action.

Looking down the Prussian line to the left.
Nothing in front but green fields...

The French general had the unenviable task of having to ponderously reorganize his lines to meet this coming threat before the dark blue mass could start to wade into the vulnerable flanks. And of course, they didn't have the Marquis de Sangfroid there to help them!

French in line- facing the wrong direction!

Prussian power bearing down on the effete French.

von Seydlitz & Co. looking forward to a bit 'o fun at Good King Louis' expense.

The Prussian cavalry formed to the left of their line, with most of the French cavalry being deployed on their own right, so it was clear that the game would most likely start with a swirling cavalry melee.

Four regiments of beaux sabreurs ready to meet them.

Front Rank dragoons on what look to be Essex horses. Miniatures in Walter's collection, painted by (IIRC) Doug Hamm.


The French had one unit of wild Hungarians on their left flank, who were to give a most lacklustre performance. More miniatures again painted by Monsieur Hamm, these are from the collection of Andrew Mah.

The French were ably commanded by Walter Melnyk as Soubise, with Andrew Mah taking the key command of the right flank cavalry. I was Frederick, and at first was the only player commanding the Prussians. Soon Dave Smith arrived and had the (dubious) honour of commanding what was to be a very tardy Prussian right.

The game was fought using 28mm figures from Front Rank, Falcon miniatures, Rafm, and a few Old Glory. Battalions were of 12-18 miniatures and cavalry squadrons were made up of six figures. All were from Walt and Andrew's collections.

The Prussian plan, should it have worked, was to hold the right with some high-quality infantry while the left was to swing into the French flank before the unfortunate soldats had time to respond. In order to achieve this, it was important for the success of the Prussian plans that the French cavalry be swept from the field PDQ.

The situation at the beginning of the game. The game started, as expected, with the opposing cavalry getting set to grips. The ball opens with the Prussian cavalry advancing on their French counterparts, while the French infantry hurriedly try to get into march column and move off to the right flank.

Unfortunately things began to go awry for the Prussians early on, as they failed to send the French cavalry packing- I was really rolling dreadfully at that point in the game. It was a real see-saw battle (typical for cavalry, and something that I feel Black Powder handles well).

Lines reformed, and counterattack followed upon counterattack. Unfortunately for Prussia, although the French cavalry couldn't defeat the Prussian cuirassiers and hussars outright, they were carrying out their role in holding up the Prussian advance very effectively. The Prussian horse just wasn't up to the task of dealing with them decisively that day.

I needed to do more than just to keep the French horse at bay. Space was at a premium, so I wanted them routed out of the way completely so that my infantry could then slam into the French infantry before the latter was able to redeploy in the face of our attack. Each turn that went by without our seeing off the French cavalry saw the French able to steadily reform their infantry line to face the threatened flank.

Time was not on my side.

Give 'em hot lead, boys! Meanwhile, the new French line takes shape...

Eventually the Prussian foot took matters into their own hands, and, à la Mollwitz, drove off the French cavalry on their own. Unfortunately, this entailed them having to use their first fire bonus against the cavalry, which irked me no end as I really wanted to save this for use on hapless French infantry.

While not doing badly in terms of casualties, I wasn't coming even close to achieving the goals I had set out for myself by this point in the engagement.

Those Frenchmen look awfully close...

Unnecessarily galling was the fact that I had placed my artillery too far on the right flank of my first line. The advancing French infantry rejoiced in taking pot-shots at them so that they eventually broke under the constant fire (although they were able to put a few units into disorder, which certainly helped to slow down French re-deployment somewhat).

By this time the Prussian left found itself getting into what was promising to be a pretty intense firefight with the French infantry, as battalion after battalion of the latter started getting into position. As the situation developed, Konig Freddy kept looking over his right shoulder to see where the hell the rest of the Prussian army had gotten itself to.

And what of the Prussian right? The idea was for them to engage the French to their front, and by use of some aggressive hit-and-run tactics, hinder the French in trying to reinforce their right flank.

However, in all my experience of Black Powder, I have never seen such an unwilling, bloody-minded, and incompetent (or treacherous!) commander as had evidently been appointed to command the Prussian right, nor such a steady succession of failed command rolls. A real slap in the face of mathematical probability!

This meant that on numerous occasions, and despite being needed elsewhere, King Frederick had to race off to the right in order to try to get the troops to do something- anything- that would see them off their butts and wading into the French. But more often than not to no avail.

"Aren't we supposed to be, like, well- doing something?

A unit of rabid grenadiers did show some spunk, and was able to see off the French hussars in fairly short order, but that was all they really achieved.

Much more where that came from, mein freund!

All this had Dave chomping at the bit, as being a very experienced and aggressive wargame commander himself, the slowness of the Prussian right that day was proving really frustrating for him! The dice rolls required to give the necessary commands just weren't forthcoming. But them's the breaks.

The upshot of all this was that by the time we called it a day, the lines had formed at pretty much right angles to the original start positions, like this;

From the Prussian side

...and as seen by the French

The game could have continued the following week. But the French, I felt, had accomplished their mission as they were able to prevent their right from caving in, and had the resources to fight a battle of attrition against the Prussian infantry.

Man of the Hour! Hungarian cavalry command stand (in French service!) painted by Doug Hamm. Andrew's collection.

The French horse had saved the day, and Andrew had handled his command boldly, achieving deserved success. Although his brigade eventually broke under all the pressure, its efforts had bought the time General Soubise needed to re-arrange his line to meet the Prussian attack.

In turn, the Prussian horse was pretty much a spent force as a result of the cavalry combat, and would need considerable time to lick its wounds before it would be in much state to carry out any further attacks. In addition, much of the infantry that made up the Prussian flanking force had been forced into using their first fire bonus- with little effect.

All would now depend on the tardy Prussian right, and even if they deigned to get moving again, the French commander could easily start falling back down the road, getting most of his army off the table to safety.

A lost opportunity for the Prussians, and Soubise could count himself lucky to escape!

As for Gen. Gerhardt von Slothdorf, the sullen & gouty septuagenarian commander of the Prussian right flank, His Majesty has a special posting in mind for him; garrison commander of a run-down fortress in the middle of some disease-infested East Prussian swampland. Don't call us, mein herr, we'll call you...

We all thought the game played well, and that it looked and felt like what we imagined an 18th C. battle to be like. The scenario made for a close game, with a good balance of manoeuvre and combat. The game mechanics worked smoothly, and we found ourselves concentrating on tactics rather than on the system. Most of all, it was both challenging and fun, with moments of great tension!

It was also a nice change for me not to have lots of skirmishers complicating things as is the case with our Napoleonic games,

Some thoughts on the rules:

#1: Too many tokens on the battlefield! The first fire bonus meant having to keep track of who had and who had not fired. Walt had some good ideas in an e-mail he sent me:

"I used to give all my Prussian or British boys First Fire and/or Steady to credit their superior discipline and fire control. Both, however, can only be used once which meant using tokens on the units or a roster system to keep track of using these traits.

Instead, to make things easier, these units will get bonuses such as Shaken at 4, instead of 3, Elite 4+ to save disorders, or 3+ saving rolls instead of 4+, and/or sharpshooter (re-roll 1 missed shot per fire). All these are examples of permanent bonuses which eliminate fiddly record-keeping, especially troublesome in larger games."

#2: We field large units of 24-36 miniatures in our Napoleonic Black Powder games. We prefer this as it allows us to field all those elite companies, colour guards and sappers, etc, without making the units look ridiculous. But for the more straightforward 18th C. armies, smaller is better. I will continue to settle for the 12-18 man units for my own collection, despite the siren song of those larger units as seen in Charles Grant's books!

#3: I like the way the rules work for cavalry vs. cavalry actions. He with the last squadron in reserve will win, which seems to have often been the case historically.

#4: We decided that in 18th C. warfare, infantry would seldom form square. So we discarded the rule that infantry should automatically form square when charged by cavalry. As it happened this worked well as the Prussians chewed up the French horse when they tried it, but there was some good dice rolling involved there as well. There may- or may not be- a case to be made for strengthening the infantry's ability to deal with charging horse.

All in all a great game, and I'm inspired to get in a few games myself over the coming months. The rules mods for the 18th C. give a quite different "feel" to the game than is the case for Napoleonic scenarios, and Walt has pointed out to me some further modifications for use with games using fewer battalions and squadrons.

A doff of my tricorne to you all for a fantastic afternoon's gaming, comrades!

Back in the saddle again! Rossbach Revisited

2011-07-15T10:10:00.008+09:00

I have been ignoring this blog for well over six months, for the simple reason that I was not doing any 18th C. gaming. Those members of our club here in Tokyo who are into the Horse-and-Musket period have been getting into 28mm Napoleonics, a development made possible by access to the excellent, relatively inexpensive, and easy to transport plastic miniatures produced by companies such as Victrix and of course Perry Miniatures.

The absence of plastic equivalents for the 18th C. mean that it tough to get people into doing the period due to cost and figure availability, especially in my favourite scale of 28mm.

But I have never lost interest in the period, and there have been a number of developments that have whetted my interest over the last while. One was getting hold of a copy of Volume II of Wargaming in History by Grant & Olley, a volume that deals squarely with my favourite subject, the War of the Austrian Succession. "Drool fuel" abounds within its lovingly designed pages, and like Volume 1 with its scenarios for the SYW in the western theatre, it makes for inspiring reading.

I look forward to the forthcoming volume on the wars between the Prussians and the Austrians.

Another big development has been the Black Powder rules by Warlord Games, which I have come to love as they tick all my boxes when it comes to what I am looking for in my wargaming experience. These have become the rules of choice for Napoleonic gaming down at our club, and we have had some very enjoyable games using the rules, games with a high standard of presentation if I don't say so myself!

Most important of all, this past three weeks I was back visiting family and friends in Vancouver, where I had the chance to play a Seven Years War game with my old group, the North Shore Gamers, and using Black Powder at that! It was a scaled down re-fight of Rossbach in 1757 between the Prussians and the French, and while M. le Marquis was not there in body, he was there in spirit- even if I was playing the role of Prussian commander.

It was a great game, my first big SYW bash since before I left for Japan some 20 years ago now. Firstly and most importantly, I was gaming with a great bunch of guys, old friends and new. The scenario- at least as we played it- struck a good balance between manoeuvre and combat. And with Black Powder, the game just looked right and felt right for 18th C. combat.

In my next post I'll give an AAR seeing how the game went, and some of the mechanics we used. Lots of pictures!

The experience has left me determined to try setting up a game at the club here in Tokyo sometime over the coming months.

A Most Generous Commisariat!

2010-12-05T18:17:00.007+09:00

While prowling YouTube I came across this rather interesting video of FIW reenactors, which I have posted here because it gives a good view of the off-white colour of French infantry justeaucorps, and the kind of shadows that it gets in the folds and creases Clearly it is possible to go for fairly dark shading, so my black-lined figures don't seem all that far off.

Now, I can appreciate the appeal of reenacting, and am aware that it is not an inexpensive pastime. It is also more accessible to those of an age where they have accumulated a good degree of disposable income and time now that the children have grown up.

I also realize (to my own personal annoyance!) that as one gets on in years, a certain "thickening of the torso" is hard to prevent- and even harder to reverse.

Nevertheless, there are some mightily-proportioned individuals here wielding their Charlevilles. Whatever perils the French army may have faced while on campaign in the New World, starvation evidently wasn't one of them. One can see the strain on many a buttonhole.

The average annual calorie intake evident for individuals here would probably have equalled that of an entire company back in 1759. Says a lot about modern diets and lifestyles.

Anyway, the next time some people slag off my beloved Front Rank miniatures as being over-fed gargoyles, I will simply reply with a link to this video.

Oh, and lest it be thought I'm knocking these people, and their hobby, I'm not; I'm no string-bean in the least, and I would have loved to have been there and to have been part of it.

To the Aid of King Raoul and Grenouisse!

2010-11-28T15:46:00.006+09:00

No updates for ages now. Clearly the history professors beavering away at La Bibliothèque Nationale de la Lorraine, poring over the documents relating the stirring tales of M. le Marquis have been slacking, or have at least been suffering from a shortage of willing graduate students to do the gruntwork.

Our club here has been focused on WW2 and to a lesser extent Napoleonic games. The reality of accomplishing anything in miniatures gaming is that you really need some degree of project discipline, and to accept that you can't do everything you want to. To try to do so by working on a little here and a little there is to make no significant progress in anything at all.

So all the time that there was no real prospect of getting any 18th C. games in, I had resigned myself to the fact that work on l’armée de l’Oise would have to be put on the furthest of back-burners for the foreseeable future. A shame, but given time restrictions it made sense as I have been making inroads on my Soviet army and on my Napoleonic French army.

Well, things can change. And it appears that the The Regt. de St. Vignobles is destined to see combat in big way- even if I won't be there in person to see them in action!

Over on the WD3 forum which is my first forum port-of-call these days, an idea has taken off to have a big 18th C. "Old School" game on a grand scale, to be held in the wilds of Yorkshire in spring of next year. This will be under the auspices of a number of veteran wargamers including Tim Hall and Henry Hyde of Battlegames magazine, who is of course in overdrive getting everything sorted out for the game.

Now unless war breaks out on the Korean peninsula again, I can't see myself getting to the far reaches of decayed Empire for the game, as I have committed to being back in Vancouver then. But I offered to send a contingent from the Bishopric to form part of the vast forces being mustered for battle, and Henry was happy to accept. With New Year's holidays on the horizon, this means that I have an incentive to finish off the regiment now in a box awaiting completion, along with some other units that need some TLC.

The Expeditionary Force of the l’armée de l’Oise boards transports before setting out on its long voyage in support of King Raoul.

The story at the moment is as follows (subject to change!);

His Excellency, Louis-Baptiste Sardanapalus Bouillon-Cantinat, the 10th Marquis de Sangfroid, Comte de Roue and the Prince Ecclesiastical of the Bishopric of St. Vignobles, will of course be honouring his ancient allegiance with King Raoul of Grenouisse, in defence of His most righteous and holy cause as he asserts his ancient rights to the territory of Grandprix, held in violation of God's Will by current Duke Zigor.

An expeditionary force is being raised for service afar, in which the Bishopric of St. Vignobles will will no doubt once again add further laurels and acclaim to King Raoul- and, of course, to the House of Buillion-Cantinat.

But rumours abound that the great rival of the House of Buillion-Cantinat, Matthias St. Hubertus von Loseth-Pfaffenhofen, Duke of Avenberg-Pfaffenhofen and Landgrave of Nassau Ringgwurm-auf-dem-Skree, is planning to hire out his own contingent as part of an Auxiliary Corps to the Duke Zigor, including the famous Lieb-Dragoner regiment. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend", yes; but for a price.

Wanted for Service: Good, Bold Men (with an Eye for Loot)...

2010-05-22T12:39:00.016+09:00

As the poster says! I've been thinking of which miniatures to use for Les Hussards de Sarkozy, and have decided that the ones that best suit my particular bill are these by The Foundry, which were, I believed, designed by Mark Copplestone.

Yes, they are cartoonish/ orcish or what have you, but they have an "over the top" look to them that I actually like for the early, wild-hussar type.

The problem is that including command figures I only need sixteen of them.

Now while I'm certainly no cheapskate, neither am I an idiot. I realize that I've been spoiled by the excellent service from companies such as Front Rank. And in fairness, the mail order service from the Foundry is by all accounts not to be faulted for reliability.

But by having different "stores" depending on where you are placing the order from, the Foundry in effect charge their overseas customers twice for postage. And God help you if you fall into the East Asia/Rest of the World category! To add insult to injury- and unlike most all other companies I do business with- they evidently do not even see fit to deduct VAT from their prices.

While having to grudgingly grant them a certain amount of "testicular fortitude" for the practice, I cannot- will not- validate their unfathomable policies by holding my nose and paying those kind of prices for a handful of miniatures.

So, if anyone out there has sixteen to spare, along with command/ personalities, please do drop me a line and let me know how much you want for them. Any fair price considered! I'd of course be paying the shipping to Japan.

In particular I'm looking for the ones in short fur hats, but I'll consider a mix. Preferably unpainted, but painted is okay (bear in mind that I'll be stripping off the paint so that I can paint the minis in the "correct" uniforms).

Alternatively, if someone could point my way to a cheaper source of these figures through a store who actually charges postage at a reasonable rate, please let me know.

No recasts, though. Aside from the poor quality I have no intention of rewarding thieves, even if it was Foundry they've ripped off!

Regiment Royal de St. Vignobles

2010-05-10T13:08:00.024+09:00

click to enlarge

The Marquis wrote:

"The outfitting of L’armée de l’Oise proceeded apace, with overall efficiency and considerable expense- particulary on my part. Monies for uniforms, arms and accoutrements and victuals were always in short supply. The shortfall was inevitably made up by my dipping into my own coffers.

While I was able to bestow some amount of patronage for some tidy sums, not to mention the occasional- and lucrative- games of chance, those gentlemen who managed my considerable estate were not averse to chiding me for such excess. They urged that I bring the spending under control, and begged that I pressure Versailles to be more forthcoming with the resources needed to prepare the army for war.

This war within a war for ever-scarce funding alloted to me its share of little victories as well as defeats. Yet overall, it must be said, the balance of success went to those low-bred, pestilential and mean-spirited troglodytes who inhabited the counting-houses of Versailles.

Indeed, late one evening Count Sarkozy arrived back from a reconnaissance to find me in a most highly agitated and irritable state with my staff over the issue. On perceiving my evident distress, he promptly offered to ride with some of his men to Versailles with the intention of hanging the scoundrels in question up by their tongues until they agreed to loosen the purse strings. I must confess that I did mull over the merits or otherwise of the scheme for some moments before politely- yet firmly- refusing the Count's well-intended proposal.

Nonetheless, I was not without some skillful experience with the machinations of the court, and I was able to obtain some favours in return for my forbearance with such rogues, chief of which for the purposes of this narrative was the refitting and elevation of my own regiment, that of St. Vignobles.

The campaign of Dettingen in which the regiment had distinguished itself had reduced the uniforms of the men to a most wretched and deplorable state. Having just outfitted the Regt. de Bouillon Cantinat, and seeing clearly that my finances were not what they were during the peace, I resolved that if the Ministry of War failed to underwrite my expenses as was my due, then I would see if I could not indeed manage to elevate the regiment and my House to a status fitting with the illustrious lineage and service of the Bouillon-Cantinats.

So debts were quietly called upon to be made good, and understandings were negotiated with the mighty and influential. As well as with their wives & mistresses, for over the years one learns where true fountains of power and decision making lay. With such stratagems, and in the fullness of time, the carefully nurtured seeds of ambition bore their fruit.

Many months had passed when finally we received the welcome news from His Gracious Majesty that the Regt. de St. Vignobles, ...'on account of its proven valour and dedication to the House of Bourbon', would receive the unique honour of being bestowed with the title of "Royal". While steadfastly maintaining its independent character and certain privileges, it was to be taken into the French army as a native rather than as a foreign regiment.

As befitting the new status of the regiment (and in exchange for a considerable pecuniary gift of sundry movables) I was granted some small but fairly profitable holdings in the Aquitaine.

Furthermore, it was agreed that my eldest son was to be betrothed to the Duchesse de Limoger. A somewhat dim-witted young woman, but a niece of the King and the eldest of four children, all daughters; thus is the House of Bouillon-Cantinat to find itself tied to that of the Bourbons.

I insisted upon the condition that the regiment would all the while remain under the command of its chef, and that it would be subject to the needs of the hereditary Prince Ecclesiastical of the Bishopric of St. Vignobles whenever the principality was to find itself threatened by an external foe.

The price of such arrangements was dear. A further reduction of a stock of the best vintage St. Vignobles had to offer, some sudden (and calculated) desertion of skill and luck on my part at the card table, and a tacit agreement that the regiment was to expect no financial support from Versailles other than that of pay (when available), arms, and equipment. But as these were already less than forthcoming I felt it a very practical solution and a pleasing outcome to me, one which would bring further lustre to the already brilliant stars in the Bouillon-Cantinat firmament.

*****

The day the colours were presented to the regiment by the King and his party was one renowned for its splendour, with gentlemen and ladies of quality the region over coming into camp to take part in the festivities, including also some officers of my acquaintance from the Pragmatic armies, visiting on parole to pay their respects.

I myself performed the benediction over the new regimental drapeaux. These were designed by a most willing and appreciative Duchess D'Argenson and her daughter. In richness of fabric and in their embroidery the new colours were magnificent in execution, equally the rivals of those borne by the Gardes Francaises.

Dinner that evening was a sumptuous affair, in which the finest wines of St. Vignobles flowed like the melting snows of spring. This repast was accompanied by music provided by a party of musicians led by the esteemed M. Boismortier, as well as by the regimental hautbois. There was, of course, a display of fireworks followed by dancing, which was welcomed by the young officers of the army as being a rare opportunity for some pleasant dalliance.

The rest of the night was passed by games of vignt-et-un, in which I played with even more than my customary skill and ruthlessness in order to cover at least part the evening's expenses, which I woefully suspected would be prove to be a daunting sum.

Indeed, my chief comptroller had rather irritably begged me to excuse him from duty that evening, as he desired to retire to bed early with what he suspected to be a case of imminent apoplexy."

*****

Basically I was never that happy with my first design for the uniform and flag of the Regiment de St. Vignobles, and as I develop the character of the Marquis de Sangfroid and L’armée de l’Oise I have had a better idea for the flag and uniform. I've also become a lot more familiar with the graphics programs I have, so I can do a better job than before.

I like the idea of wine or madder-red as the distinctive colour of the Principality, and it is a colour that goes much better with off-white than with the mid to dark blue of the foreign regiments in French service. So I had our scheming hero concoct a plan to have the regiment become a regular French one- with privileges!

And frankly, I've enough blue to paint with the Dutch and my French Napoleonic infantry.

Noble Volunteer Company of Vintners

2010-05-09T12:48:00.011+09:00

I have been asked to provide a uniform plate of the Noble Volunteer Company of Vintners as introduced in my previous post, and find myself most happy to oblige.

Fortunately, the standard of the company still exists, having been carefully- and remarkably- well preserved in the vaults of the Cathédrale de Notre Dame de St. Vignobles.

(Click on picture to enlarge)

The company was always maintained at a strength of 48 officers and men, all of the nobility, as this was the number of men who sallied out with the 7th Marquis de Sangfroid to save King Louis during the Fronde in 1651.

A detachment escorted the King whenever he made an official inspection of the vineyards of France, and an officer of the company was always present for the opening of wine casks during festivities at Versailles, tasked with tasting the wine both for quality and for safety.

While never serving as an actual combat unit, the uniform was worn by all general officers from St. Vignobles, for whom membership in the company was a prerequisite for the rank.

-Plate made possible through some creative digital "legerdemain" and of course by David's wonderful work on his excellent blog,

"Not by Appointment ".

Au service du Roi...

2010-05-09T00:39:00.019+09:00

His Excellency, the 10th Marquis de Sangfroid, Comte de Roue and the Prince Ecclesiastical of the Bishopric of St. Vignobles.

This vignette is based on a written description of a painting by Édouard Detaille, now believed to have been lost during the Second World War.

M. le Marquis is portrayed on the morning of his great victory against the Imperial forces at the Battle of Chimay in 1745, where, after a bold river crossing at night with picked troops from L'armee de l'Oise, he turned the enemy's flank and forced them to abandon their attempt to reinforce the Allied army in Flanders.

The scene shows a scout from Sarkozy's Hussars, wearing the non- regulation mirliton that was becoming popular with officers of the regiment at this time, reporting the presence of the Imperial army to M. le Marquis.

The Marquis is mounted on his famous dapple-grey steed, Seligenstadt, and is accompanied by his faithful personal escort, brigadier Jean-Claude Boulet of the Bauffremont Dragoon Regiment.

Having saved the Marquis' life during the Battle of Dettingen, and having throughout the course of his service impressed his superiors with his temerity and resourcefulness, Boulet was duly promoted to brigadier and assigned to the Marquis' personal staff.

He wears the uniform of his unit, but in splendid scarlet rather then cheap red broadcloth; it was awarded to him by a grateful Marquis to replace the uniform he lost while swimming the River Main in order to save his patron.

The Marquis himself wears the dress uniform of the Chef of the Noble Volunteer Company of Vintners; a handsome velvet coat of deep rose, with richly embroidered gold trim.

Georges Debroullier had the following to say about the formation of the Noble Volunteer Company of Vintners, a company of guard cavalry serving with the King's Household.

"This little-known but illustrious unit in the King's personal establishment was inextricably linked with the House of Bouillon-Cantinat. Early in the reign of the Great Louis, during the troubled times of the Fronde in 1651, the young King was surprised by a patrol of enemy cavalry intent on taking him prisoner.

Fortunately for His Majesty, Guillaume-Baptiste Bonhomie de Bouillon-Cantinat, the 7th Marquis de Sangfroid, was with the King's party. He had been been given charge of supervising French wine production and distribution, and was with the King at the time in connection with the discharge of these duties.

Upon seeing the threat to His Serene Highness' person, the 7th Marquis sprang into action, and immediately called upon his officials and their pages to arm themselves and to mount their horses to deal with the threat. They then rode out at once to take on the enemy, successfully thwarting their plans to take the King captive.

A grateful monarch then created the Noble Volunteer Vintner Company of the King's Household in honour of their service, and made the Marquis de Sangfroid hereditary Chef of the company in perpetuity, granting in addition an annual pension of 6000 Louis' d'or."

M. Georges du P. Debroullier;
"What Higher Master than Honour? A History of the House of Bouillon-Cantinat"

Pierre Declat & Cie.
St. Vignobles, 1902

*****

I haven't posted here in a long time, but I hope this one makes up for it in terms of eye candy at least.

I spent a considerable amount of time on the miniature for the Marquis. It is a simple casting, the Marquis de Montcalm figure from Front Rank's French-Indian war range. No conversions or alteration, but it represents what I feel is the pinnacle of my painting efforts in the 35 years I've been in the hobby, and I'm not embarrassed to say I'm extremely proud of him.

I'm not happy with the photos; despite tweaking on iPhoto the reds did not come out very well. The red of the dragoon uniform in particular appears very "washed out", and in reality is a very rich, intense red. I may try taking pictures in better light tomorrow and see how they turn out.

But in all, not bad for an "overfed gargoyle", as some vocal critics like to dismiss Front Rank's SYW range.

Our club here has been focusing on WW2 miniatures gaming for a while, with Napoleonics in the pipeline for the future. This means that much of my time available for wargaming has been spent on these armies. Unfortunately, there has not yet been much groundswell of interest in the 18th. C as far as I can ascertain.

But even if other gamers here don't seem to have much interest in the period, I certainly do. And receiving this excellent book three weeks ago inspired me to take out my figures and get back to work on them, somewhere in between Soviet artillery pieces and French Napoleonic voltigeurs.

I keep reminding myself that this will be a case of "build it and they will come", so I will continue to plod away at painting up L'armee de l'Oise and its foes.

If I am to get anywhere with this project I cannot afford to fall into the trap of trying to put as much detail into the rank and file as I have been able to on the noble Marquis, but seeing what Phil Olley has been able to achieve with his splendid collection of Front Rank miniatures as seen in Wargaming in History inspires me to keep going.

Return of the progidal?

2010-01-21T23:42:00.009+09:00

There is an old Jewish proverb to the effect that one should be careful of what one prays for, as God may answer your prayers!

In my case, the gift from the Gods above is that I found another gamer who has been living no more than twenty minutes walk from me these past two years, and through his contacts we now have the makings of an active club! Regular gaming is now a reality.

Of course the other side of the coin is that wargaming covers a wide variety of eras, scales and armies. We can't do everything at once so that for the moment the members are involved in organizing 15mm DBR and 20mm WWII using Blitzkrieg Commander amongst other pursuits.

So far, wargaming 18th C. battles has been mooted, but there has been of yet no groundswell of interest. No hurry, I will persist, and I have been working on my miniatures. But of course priority has so far been on getting in painting for games that we are going to play.

Nonetheless, M. le Marquis is never far from my thoughts, but having been inspired by the opportunity to finally read my new copy of Savory's His Britannic Majesty's Army in Germany in the Seven Year's War, where I was pleasantly surprised to find that many of the battles were a lot more close-run affairs than I had thought, and have once again turned to thinking about tricornes, muskets and lace.

In fact I was inspired enough to once more take brush in hand again, and "warmed up" by working on a fusilier of the Regt. Bigorre.

A Front Rank figure. Looking back on my previous attempts, on reflection I decided to go for a bolder shading style and black outlining. While looking almost garish in a close up picture like this, it actually appears extremely effective on the tabletop- much more so than did my earlier efforts.

More to come, but in the meantime here is a clip from a Canadian TV program of a battle that was not by much of a stretch a "close-run thing" (even if the campaign itself was much more touch-and-go than is generally realized). A British victory over a different, more famous Marquis, the Marquis de Moncalm.

Quebec, 1759.

Quite a well done video for the numbers involved.

Nassau-Ringgworm auf dem Skree

2009-06-21T12:00:00.014+09:00

Just click on map to enlarge

The Marquis needs an arch-nemesis to threaten his holdings on the Rhine. And after mulling over the options for a while, here it is.

The Principality of Nassau-Ringgworm auf dem Skree, led by its ageing but wily ruler, His Excellency Matthias St. Hubertus von Loseth-Pfaffenhofen, Duke of Avenberg-Pfaffenhofen and Landgrave of Nassau Ringworm-auf-dem-Skree.

More to follow once I work out how to introduce him into the story!

Dragooned into service...

2009-06-14T10:29:00.008+09:00

...is this old Wargames Foundry Marlburian dragoon that I came across in the bottom of my "spares" box, and which I quickly decided would be attached to l'Armée de l'Oise.

I must have bought him back in 1987 or so, from my friend Dave Morgan who ran the late-and-lamented Sentry Box West Hobbies in Vancouver.

Now, while he was intended for Marlburian armies ca. 1709, he has his hair tied back in a queue, so that he can easily pass muster for service 35 years later.

What's more, he looks a lot like this gentleman who features on my blog header;

So seeing that M. le Marquis must of course have a mounted escort on his command stand, what better choice than brigadier Jean-Claude Boulet, battle-hardened veteran of the Bauffremont Dragoon Regiment?

Je suis revenu...

2009-06-13T11:15:00.018+09:00

Just got back late last night from that marathon training session, and allowed myself the luxury of sleeping in this morning. Work will still occupy a lot of my time over the next few weeks, but this weekend I want to get in some hobby "quality time".

On the workbench is this monstrosity which is just about completed, so that will be my first priority. But in between working on drybrushing stone (which kills brushes like you wouldn't believe), I shall continue to work on my French infantry and on M. le Marquis himself.

Here is a close-up shot of Fusilier Pierre la Pierre, simple soldat of the Regt. de Condé.

Note the absence of "eyes". While I am perfectly capable of painting in the eyes, I usually only do this for my command figures, which tend to be the ones that people pick up to look at. This is partly to speed up painting, but also because I feel that at a distance the figures look better with the eye sockets painted in as dark shadows.

The French justeaucorps was left a natural wool colour, so was an off-white hue rather than the mid-grey that is so common in many illustrations. I was originally going to go with an very pale ivory colour shaded with a dark cream. But it somehow just didn't look right, coming out too yellowish.

So I decided to use a grey basecoat which would provide a strong shading, but highlighted with Ceramcoat's Soft Grey as it is as close to an off-white that one can get. I tend to avoid pure whites and blacks anyway, and my blacks are highlighted with the Ceramcoat Charcoal which gives a "scale black" appearance.

The result is a fair approximation of the actual coat colour, if this near-contemporary Hermand plate is anything to go by;

A fusilier of the Regt. Orleans from 1757.

From the Hermand manuscript.

Notes from the campaign carriage...

2009-06-10T08:01:00.012+09:00

I'm writing this post from a convention centre where I'm in the middle of running a week-long training course. So no pictures to post and no progress to report, seeing as my miniatures are over 100 kilometres away.

However, I did bring my copy of Reed Browning's The War of the Austrian Succession with me to read over again, and I am once again struck by just how good a book this is.

Lots of ideas for the l'armee de l'Oise. Having placed it just south of Flanders and near the Rhine, I can have it strike at the Austrians under Prince Charles of Lorraine, come to the rescue of the hapless (and temporary!) Holy Roman Emperor Charles VII and his Bavarians in the Palatinate, or have the Marquis pull M. de Saxe's chesnuts out of the fire in the Low Countries in an attempt to wrest the Austrian Netherlands from the Queen of Hungary.

Alternatively, he can send the army south to help the Spanish and the Duc de Conti teach the devious and wily Charles-Emmanuel III of Piedmont-Savoy a lesson.

1744 is a fascinating year from a gaming standpoint, with just about every corner of Europe seeing some kind of campaigning going on. Plenty of opportunity for the Marquis to build on his fine reputation as a warrior, man of letters and bon vivant.

Finally, I sent off payment for the new Koenig Krieg rules, so when things get back to normal by the middle of next week, I'll be checking my mailbox for its arrival, along with my copy of Savory's His Britannic Majesty's Army in Germany in the Seven Years' War.

An 18th Century summer ahead, it seems!

M. le Marquis...

2009-06-06T20:41:00.017+09:00

I have had a fruitful day's painting. I've been working steadily away on the Regt. de Condé, and moreover have finally begun work on painting "Our Hero" himself!

I've had the miniature for a while-the Marquis de Montcalm figure from Front Rank's French and Indian War range- but was in no hurry to get him done until I decided on a paint scheme.

Well, in the end I've decided to give him a mulberry red coat with gold lace, this being the uniform of the hereditary Princes Ecclesiastical of the Bishopric of St. Vignobles.

I was going to give him a brown horse, but in the end I thought that a dappled grey would set off the uniform better. The only hitch was that painting horseflesh has always been tricky for me, and a dappled grey doubly so, and it took me a lot of courage- and a few glasses of red wine- before I got around to checking out online articles about painting horses, and then to actually getting down to work.

It's turning out quite decently, actually. You can see the results so far below.

I've pretty well finished the horse except for the tack and hooves, and I have blocked in the Marquis' coat and face. I tend to start by painting in deeper shades, and then progressivley lighten the top coat so that the final result gives a rich, opaque finish.

The coat was given a base of Ceramcoat's mulberry, highlighted with an ancient pot of Ral Partha light reddish brown that I've had hanging around so long that the name on the label has faded away!

I really miss the Ral Partha paints; the selection was vast, and I always found them easy to work with. Iron Wind Metals in the US carries some now, but the selection is a very, very pale shadow of what was once available.

I also worked on one of the standards for the second battalion of the Regt. Condé. I made the flag myself on PowerPoint, printed it out with a laser printer, and after wrapping it around the pole and gluing the two sides together, I touched up the edges and highlights. I will slip it off the flagpole while I paint the standard bearer, and I still have to prime and paint the final with its cords and cravattes.

Photo's a bit washed out in the artificial light, but lookin' good, I think!

This last week has been pretty hectic. One of my colleagues has had to return home for as spell due to a family bereavement, and tomorrow I'll be heading up country to teach an intensive course for a pharmaceutical company all next week, so I'll be off the radar for a while.

When I get back next Friday I'll try to finish the good Marquis on the weekend, along with his escort from les Dragons du Beauffremont, and a scout from the Hussards de Sarkozy reporting on the enemy's movements. They'll all be mounted on a hexagonal base for Koenig Krieg.

Je suis retourné- the Regt. de Condé and some KK counters

2009-05-31T13:59:00.023+09:00

Those of you who check any of my blogs from time to time undoubtedly realize by now that I have the attention span of an inebriated moth with a memory disorder.

For good or ill I have always had an interest in many different eras in both wargaming and in history in general, and it often happens that I drift off to some new or continuing project or another. In this case, I have been working on a WW1 project set in Italy, and have been working on a large terrain piece as well as a selection of French and Austro-Hungarians.

But this prodigal son always seems to return, sooner or later, to the eighteenth century and the spectacle of lace, tricorns, and the dandified elegance of the French army. So here is a lengthy post to mark the return of the Marquis to my attentions.

Aside from wanting a change from painting field grey and mud, two events are lurking on the horizon that indicate a return to the War of the Austrian Succession is in order. The first is the imminent, if now once-delayed, release of the latest edition of the Koenig Krieg rules. And very nice they are too, if the teasers on the website's forum are anything to go by.

The other is the impending publication of a reprint of Sir Reginald Savory's His Britannic Majesty's Army in the Seven Years' War, a project masterminded by Nigel Billington. While postdating the War of the Austrian Succession, it is well within my sphere of interest, and I am really excited to be able to get my hands on a copy. The last time I read it was back in university, and there is no other comparable work out there on the western theatre of the war.

So, with all this in mind I was happy to have had the time this week to take out some of my Front Rank French, clean then up and give them a coat of primer, and then get to work. I've stared on the 2nd Battalion of the Regt. de Condé.

Twelve figures strong, Koenig Krieg battalions are piddlingly small when compared to this, but given space restrictions and the excruciating time it takes me to paint, units of twelve miniatures are more manageable for me.

Anyhow it is the brigade that is the focus of KK, and a brigade or three of these on the table will still look impressive.

The mini standing on the left is completed. I always do a "test" figure first as that way I can find out what I shouldn't do before I have to end up repainting a whole unit, or realizing that I could have saved time and tears if I had painted some parts of the mini in reversed order.

With these figures I found out that it really is easier to start with a black undercoat for all but the justeaucorp, which is undercoated in Ceramcoat's Bridgeport Grey before being highlighted in Soft Grey.

And it really helps to do the face first. I've always left it close to last before, and realize now that this was a big mistake.

Part of the Auvergne brigade in my semi-fictional l'Armée de l'Oise, the Regt. de Condé was unique for having it's drummers wear chamois coats with red facings and carmine lace that was the livery of the Condé family, rather than being dressed in the more familiar blue of the Kings' livery. They were a very powerful family of great repute, so no doubt they could get away with it!

The guy in black skulking around the rear of the photo is a dismounted hussar, to be painted as one of the Hussards de Sarkozy who will be part of a command stand. My miniatures when in the middle of painting always tend to look so demoralizingly messed up, and these are no exception. I'm a slow painter, but I have to say that these are proving very enjoyable to paint- at least once they begin looking like the one on the left!

It has become very obvious that it will take a long time indeed to finish even a brigade. I have decided that I will need either to outsource the lion's share of the painting, or to purchase some painted minis from eBay and touch them up rather than start from scratch. Considering that I need to work on the Pragmatic Army as well, this is really the only way to go.

Not a cheap option, and this will all have to be done in increments, but the problem is that I want to get gaming soon. The answer is to do what the old rule set The Complete Brigadier did. The rules, from way back in 1985 or earlier, came in an attractive box complete with cardboard counters that one could use while the army was being built up.

Yeah, I know, why not just play boardgames then? But I am a miniatures gamer at heart, and the idea of attractively coloured counters is as least as appealing visually as is a table full of unpainted minis, so I sat down at the computer and created some sets of counters using PowerPoint.

Here are some examples. Click on them for a larger view.

Brigade de St. Vignobles

Brigade d'Auvergne

I made a set of counters for each brigade of l'Armée de l'Oise. Next I'll work on the units for the Allies. The counters are actual-sized, and just need to be printed out, mounted on card, cut out and laminated. They can also be used as blinds for the game later once they are taken "out of the line" to be replaced with miniatures.

The Missing Mouillard

2009-01-02T12:05:00.054+09:00

Late 19th C. manuscript displaying a montage of regiments and uniforms including that of the Brigade de Bouillon-Cantinat, along with a miniature of its commander, The Chevalier de St. Estampie-Galliard, when the brigade formed part of the French Army of the L'Oise in 1743.

This immaculately-preserved artifact was brought to our attention by the noted expert on 18th C. French military uniforms, M. Lucien Rossignol.

Discovered amongst the Sangfroid papers in the collection of La Bibliothèque Nationale de la Lorraine, it is remarkable for being the only example extant showing the uniform for the cavalry regiment Bouillon-Cantinat, and is the sole surviving fragment of plates from the 1892 limited edition of the Lucien Mouillard work, all copies of which were believed to have been destroyed in the shelling of L'Abbe de St. Vignobles during the campaign for Verdun in 1916.

It represents a very notable addition to our current knowledge of the French army of the War of the Austrian Succession.

The continuing tale of the Chevalier de St. Estampie-Galliard from the pen of his commanding officer, M. le Marquis de Sangfroid himself;

********

"After a few more fortifying glasses of claret, I felt myself able to explain to my confidant M. de Brouillier the reason that lay behind my apparent change of mood, and told him of what I knew of M. le Chevalier de St. Estampie-Galliard, the relating of which would certainly enlighten him to the source of my present distress.

The family of St. Estampie-Galliard is an ancient one from the lands of Roussilon, and while, of course, not of such august a lineage as that of the Bouillon-Cantinats, their service goes back many generations to the time of the Angevins.

The chevalier's father was of a man of some renown in the late wars in Spain alongside the great Marshal Berwick, in the course of which he met his future wife, the present chevalier's mother. She was a lady of ancient noble Spanish blood, who was renowned in her youth for her passionate nature and great beauty- as well as, it is said, for her somewhat lax moral character; a trait which, it must be noted, has evidently been passed on down to her son.

The chevalier is reputed to be quite handsome, and to his merit he is a fine rider and judge of horseflesh. Of his courage there is no doubt. Alas, the same cannot be said of his providence, perseverance nor especially of his judgement as it pertains to matters of a non-equine nature.

I had the opportunity once to conduct mass wherein the good chevalier was in attendance. The occasion remains in my remembrance on account of noting his frequent lack of concentration, consistent and loud yawning, and his insistence of taking up of conversation with the more attractive ladies of the congregation during my remonstrance against the evils of indolence and gluttony.

His good looks, athletic prowess, and considerable charm have served to further him in his career where otherwise his lack of mental agility and self-discipline would have disbarred him. Of late he had been serving in the Maison du Roi, with the Gendarmes Bourguignons du Roi. But evidently he has been showing fealty more to the Goddess Venus than to warlike Mars, which seems to have been the root cause for his current lack of employment.

It is reported, amongst those who have a taste for such snippets of knowledge and rumours, that the aged but most revered and influential of chancellors, M. le Duc du Cressé-Armagnac, had a very young and beautiful ward who was known to be a favourite of our King Louis.

Mlle. Hortense-Desirée de la Cloche-Rohan enjoyed a reputation throughout the court at Versailles for being a gentlewoman of singular beauty of complexion and fullness of figure, and she was much admired by the men of court, young and old. Thus when the opportunity arose, during the course of a dinner given in honour of the Conte d'Arles, it was upon this young enchantress who had evidently captured his attentions that our chevalier was to ply all the considerable talents for wooing and of charm that he had at his disposal."

"It appears that the chevalier's first real campaign was crowned with success and that the object of his besiegement surrendered the citadel- and all its more intimate chambers- without demur. Unfortunately for M. Le Chevalier, he was discovered engrossed in the act of intense exploration of his newly-conquered possessions by the Duke himself, who had descended into the wine cellar in company along with his companions, M. l'Abbe d'Eu and M. le Marquis de Feltres- who also happened to be the commanding officer of the Gendarmes Bourguignons du Roi-, intending to surprise these respected gentlemen with a cache of fine wines, which he had had the fortune to acquire in the course of a recent journey to Dijon.

That it was indeed a surprise to all involved is not in dispute.

The resulting fracas saw the benevolence and serenity of His Majesty sorely tested to the fullest, and it is rumoured that were it not for the timely intervention of the Queen- who had taken a liking to our now somewhat compromised hero- the worthy chevalier may by now have found himself in the service of the Ministry of Marine in New France. Instead, it was determined that he would be sent far from the centre of court to the armies currently serving on the frontiers either of the Rhine or of Piedmont-Savoy, in order that he may have to chance to redeem himself with his monarch through some act of heroism or other.

So it can be seen that Lady Chance is a fickle mistress, and thus it had fallen to my lot to provide a station in life for this unfortunate wastrel.

As the day went on, the thought of entrusting such a fine brigade of horse to a man of so little proven ability in matters of administration and tactics troubled my staff and I immeasurably. While no doubt ultimately having to accept the appointment, I determined that I would lever certain advantages from the arrangement.

Namely, I wanted a trusted second-in-command for the brigade, so I petitioned the Minister that I have the Regt. de Bouillon-Cantinat take precedence over the other regiments of the brigade, by recognizing it as a legitimate successor to its forbears in 1688.

Thus the brigade would bear it's name, and the major of the Regt. de Bouillon-Cantinat- my trusted and experienced subordinate from St. Vignobles itself, M. le Chevalier Eduard Duchamps de Botte-en-Selle- would through his position as brigade chief-of-staff prevent the Chevalier d'Estampie-Galliard from ruining the brigade through either neglect or excess.

The minister was only too glad to oblige to such terms, being thankful of having such a tedious conundrum removed from his hands. As for the chefs of the regiments of Clermont and of Conti, they showed themselves quite understanding of the situation, and in exchange for a few barrels of the choicest reserve cognacs from the wineries of St. Vignobles as well as the writing off of certain debts they had owing to me in the course of some ill-fated games of chance, they were content to acquiesce to such an extraordinary departure from the rules of precedence for the sake of the betterment and security of the Service."

Vexations from Versailles...

2009-01-02T12:02:00.002+09:00

"As the summer turned into autumn in that eventful year of 1743, we laboured ceaselessly on forging l'armee de l'Oise, seeking through our efforts to sharpen it into a finely-honed foil with which to lunge at the King's enemies.

To that end, I was ever involved in seemingly endless cycles of correspondence with Versailles concerning the outfitting, victualling, and financing of the army, and furthermore found myself deep in a constant inundation of letters of introduction and and recommendations. We were subject to a veritable tide of candidates, great and humble, all hoping to be selected for posts of honour and responsibility as general and regimental officers.

I was determined to officer my corps with men that had shown aptitude & talent in the Profession of Mars, and who were well-versed in the social graces and of good family. In short, such gentlemen who would bring us honour and help to eradicate the shame that was Dettingen.

But we live in a world in which power, politics, and influence are unbounded. While I was on many occasion able to secure the services of worthy and dedicated individuals that would do us credit on the field, in other circumstances I was not always as fortunate. Oft was I compelled to walk a fine line and to broker agreements or compromises. And at times, composing myself with the resignation necessary in one who frequents the gaming table, I had just to accept the inevitable hand that fate (in the person of His Majesty) had dealt me.

Such a one was M. Le Chevalier Raymond Boniface de St. Estampie-Galliard.

One morning as I was in the company of my comrade-in-arms, M. de Debrouillier, and with whom I was sharing a half-bottle of claret and quiche as a quick breakfast before making our customary inspections, we were disturbed from our deliberations by the arrival of a post-chaise bearing a hefty packet of correspondence from Versailles.

Steadily going through the voluminous pile of envelopes contained within- being for the most part a collection of requests for receipts, notices of accounts payable, & provisioning letters-of-credit along with other such sundry matters of administration- I was dismayed to discover a missive closed with the heavy and ornate seal which marked the sender as being the esteemed- and most influential- Minister of War, M. Marc-Pierre de Voyer de Paulmy, Comte d'Argenson.

I opened and read the letter with some apprehension. The essential contents of which, thereof, the Good Count- after proffering the best of wishes for my welfare and for my continued robust health- was pleased to inform me that His Majesty had tendered the "suggestion" that I take on the services of the said knight, M. Le Chevalier Raymond Boniface de St. Estampie-Galliard. Who, I was assured, would render me honourable and energetic service if given the opportunity to command a brigade of horse.

Now such a recommendation carried with it the weight of Mighty Jove, and, having already used up considerable credit with the authorities in Versailles in my efforts to obtain the services of my new Quartermaster-General, M. le chevalier Gouvrement de la Taille, I quickly calculated with sinking hope that this would be one appointment for which I would have to graciously submit to the benevolence and will of His Majesty.

Well able to ascertain my sudden and considerable feelings of vexation, M. de Debrouiller at once poured me another glass of claret, and inquired solicitously of the source of my evident and wholly unexpected chagrin."

Cont.

Sarkozy's Pandours- or, some "pocket money" for M. le Marquis...

2008-12-30T16:42:00.040+09:00

Another template courtesy of "Not by Appointment" !

"During the lengthy process of retraining and refitting l'armee de l'Oise at Thionville, it was necessary to keep the enemy from looking to our frontier with an eye for mischief all the time that the defences of France were at at such a nadir. It was imperative to prevent the forces of the Pragmatic Alliance from taking advantage of our current deplorable state, and, if possible, to deceive them as to the true extent of our discomfiture.

For this service, we needed men of energy and enterprise, and we had no further to look for such hearty individuals than in our new band of hussars and their chef, Count Horthy Emil Sarkozy.

The Count soon demonstrated the wisdom of our having accepted his services, for no sooner had he joined our camp, than he began a series of raids, moonlight strikes, bluffs and other activities all along the part of the frontier that seperated the two armies.

It was quite remarkable to us officers, our being so used to conditions of service with the French army, with what little fanfare Count Sarkozy and his hussars would make their departure. Leaving in the early hours before sunrise, no sooner would they ride out of the camp than they would seemingly vanish into the very ether; burdened neither by train nor baggage, other than what the men could strap to their horses.

We would hear no news of them for days at a time. And then, with no harbinger or rumour heralding their approach, they would just as suddenly reappear, with no more ceremony as would have been the case had they merely been out on a morning to exercise their mounts.

Upon his return, Count Sarkozy would first attend to watering his horses and to obtaining food for his men. He would then directly make his way to my quarters, still covered in the accumulated grime of his latest adventure, where after brusquely paying his respects to the assembled company, he would then commence to present me with his latest souvenirs; a chest of maps here, some intelligence on enemy forces there, and even from time to time a valuable prisoner. (This included on one occasion none other than Graf Kristoph von Meissenplatz- a celebrated officer late in the service of the Duke of Hesse-Rheingelden- in whose company I then had the pleasure to dine.)

And always, Sarkozy's hussars- both men and horses- would return burdened with chests of coin, jewelry, and sacks of gold and other valuables, so that they were soon as rich as corsairs.

Which was as well, as in time I found myself in a position to bankroll the army and to pay for proper equipment and provisioning. A soldier may fight for honour or his comrades, but an army marches, alas, on money. My headaches at the time from dealing with the parsimonious scrubs in the Ministry of War were at their worst, and financing was always in short supply in those days.

I therefore did not press the Count too closely on how or where these most likely ill-gotten gains originated, but in my capacity as Prince Ecclesiastical of the Bishopric of St. Vignobles, I was always sure to give a brief benediction at Mass for those souls who may have had to endure the suffering that can befall the lot of those who have been privileged to "contribute" to the cause of Good King Louis.

Also long-suffering indeed was the Conte d'Aglianico, a most brave and professional lieutenant of mine, under whose direct command Sarkozy found himself (inasmuch as our wild Hungarian deigned submit to our command; or indeed, to any authority at all).

Many were the times that this gallant officer was called upon to intervene in the constant stream of disputes that arose between Sarkozy's band of uniformed brigands and the local populace. Through the judicious application of honeyed words, favours, bribes -and, when necessary, dark threats- he accomplished minor marvels of diplomacy, shielding me, along with the rest of my overburdened staff, from the endless deputations of affronted local counsellors and other such disaffected citizenry.

Nonetheless, it was acknowledged by all that the value of Sarkozy's actions against the enemy were proving their worth, and he soon developed a fearsome reputation on the far bank of the Rhine. Captured documents revealed that the enemy were having to send additional forces to meet the threat. Indeed, none other than the esteemed M. de Saxe was soon to write to me and to the War Ministry, asking that the raids continue as they were serving to draw reinforcements away from the Flanders theatre that would otherwise be ranged against him in his upcoming campaign there.

The proposal was soon made that Sarkozy's band be increased by the recruiting of two extra squadrons of hussars to that of a full regiment, and that a unit of Pandours be raised. These latter to be recruited from prisoners taken in recent actions in Bavaria- men whose dedication to the Habsburg crown was considered to have taken less of a hold on their hearts than did the prospect of a full purse while serving under the illustrious, and increasingly renowned, Count Sarkozy."

The Sarkozy Hussars

2008-12-29T13:51:00.034+09:00

click on image to enlarge.

In the words of M. le Marquis...

"As the French army licked its grievous wounds after the Battle of Dettingen at the newly-constructed camp at Thionville, our time was often taken up with the routine work of training and outfitting the army so that it would once again be fit to stand in the line of battle.

One warm August morning, I found myself returning from my daily hunt along with my staff, and in the midst of a lively discussion on where one could best obtain the finest truffles, when suddenly we ventured upon a remarkable sight. Riding up the road ahead of us was a rather villainous-looking band of ragged ruffians, led by one of the most fierce, feral-looking individuals upon which I have ever cast my eyes.

Yet I was struck by a pride and spirit that was evident in their hardened countenances and which impressed me, a pride which had been so dearly lacking in our men since that dreadful day by the River Main.

Count Horthy Emil Sarkozy, in the uniform of his former regiment
(when in the employ of Her Highness the Empress)

This band of apparent brigands was led by none other than Count Horthy Emil Sarkozy, a noblemen descended from an ancient House with lands in the eastern reaches of The Empress of Austria's domains. A disciple of the great Baron Trenck, his reputation for cunning, cruelty, and the pursuit of riches was known by all, but there was no greater nor more energetic leader of troops for conducting le petite guerre west of the mountains of Bohemia. He and his men were legendary for being most provident and enterprising masters of their terrible trade.

It transpired that when in service with the Pragmatic Army in the campaigns in Bavaria, he and Baron Trenck had found themselves embroiled in a bitter altercation over the apportioning of some considerable booty, and nearly came to blows; indeed, Sarkozy in his fury fired a shot at the Baron. The bullet, whilst missing its intended target, went on to hit and to wound mortally the nearby young Margrave of Groelchenburg, a close cousin and a favourite of Her Majesty.

Naturally, this act endeared the Count neither with Marshal Konigsegg nor with the House of Habsburg generally. Within days, Sarkozy found himself being strongly urged, by those of his associates who had close connections with the court in Vienna, that it would be in his best interests to flee the service of the Empress Queen.

One moonless night soon afterwards he rode out with his men to the Rhine frontier, crossing over to the west bank somewhere just north of Mainz after having successfully avoided the piquets on either side.

He later revealed that he had heard much about my exploits at the Bridge of Seligenstadt- and that I was well-known for keeping a lavish table well-provisioned with fine wines from the family estates at St. Vignobles- and that he had ridden to Thionville in order that he may offer me his services, along with those of his men.

I was touched both by his sincerity and by his martial demeanour, and duly petitioned the War Ministry. His offer was graciously accepted, and I was thus entreated and commissioned to outfit the men for the King's service.

I had a new uniform made for them in the Hungarian fashion, using the same bolts of grey and mulberry cloth that I had purchased to clothe the Regt. de Buillon-Cantinat. I also issued them with a standard- the ancient and faded guidon of the Bouillon-Cantinat Regiment of Gentlemen Volunteers, who had seen service in 1688 with the Great Louis and Turenne in their Wars in the Palatine.

Touched in turn by the sincerity and magnanimity of my gesture, Count Sarkozy swore tearfully that he and his men would honour the standard and would defend it to the last man. He then declared that all the time that he, Count Horthy Emil Sarkozy, had breath to draw in his body, he would champion the cause of France and the furtherance of the House of Bouillon-Cantinat."

Uniform plate based again on (the indispensable) templates provided by David at "Not by Appointment". Thanks, David.

L'Armee de l'Oise

2008-12-28T21:40:00.014+09:00

C'est fini. Click to enlarge.

Update- I forget the grenadiers! Duly added- thanks to "Capt. Bill" for bringing their absence to my attention!

Introducing the Regiment de Bouillon-Cantinat

2008-12-28T11:34:00.035+09:00

The cavalry of L’armée Française de l’Oise.

Brigade Colonel-General

Regt. Colonel-General
Regt. de la Reine
Regt. Dauphin

Brigade Bouillon-Cantinat

Regt. Bouillon-Cantinat
Regt. Conti
Regt. Clermont

Brigade Bauffremont (Dragoons)

Regt. Beauffremont
Regt. Harcourt
Regt. d'Aubigne

Troupes légère

les Hussards de Sarkozy (the Sarkozy Legion)

It is now high time to let the Marquis take over the narrative. From his memoirs;

"The creation of L’armée de l’Oise was decreed after the disaster of Dettingen, and was to be formed from the debris and remnants of the French armies of Messieurs les Ducs de Grammont and de Noailles.

After Dettingen these worthy gentlemen found themselves recalled to Vesailles to give account of their failure to punish the Allies with the alacrity and completeness with which they had assured His Majesty was to have been the expected outcome.

It was myself, M. Le Marquis de Sangfroid, who on the departure of M. Grammont was given command of this new army.

I was duly tasked by the Ministry of War with the protection of the French side of the Rhine from any incursion by the Army of the Pragmatic Sanction, and when necessary to support the actions of the esteemed M. le marechal de Saxe in his laudable campaigns in the Low Countries.

Those of the cavalry and infantry who managed to cross the Rhine in safety were reorganized in a new encampment that was set up at Thionville. The demoralized survivors of the cavalry were joined by the Regt. Dauphin, and by the dragoon regiments Harcourt and Aubigne.

In time- and with care to drill, bellies, and purses- morale steadily improved.

The infantry regiments were brought back up to strength by drafts with which to replace their grievous losses, and were joined by the valiant men of the Regt. Royal Baviere.

Furthermore, and in recognition of my services to His Serene Majesty at Seligenstadt in which the valorous and noble conduct of the men of the Regt. de St. Vignobles was commented upon by all, I was commissioned to raise a new cavalry regiment from my estates in Artois and St. Vignobles, the Regt. de Bouillon-Cantinat.

Over the next few years, the army was trained by myself to a high standard of efficiency, as was noted with gracious pleasure by the esteemed Marechal de Saxe himself. In my trustworthy hands, L’armée de l’Oise was to bring considerable honour to France, to our beloved monarch, and to the prestige of the noble house of Bouillon-Cantinat."

*************

Renowned for it's imposing bearskins (a gift from Mme. la Duchesse de Richmonte in exchange for some -let us say, discrete- services on my part) as well as for its wine-red facings, the intrepid Regiment de Bouillon-Cantinat was to earn itself a reputation second to none for fearlessness in combat.

And, it must be admitted, a reputation to no small degree for licentiousness as well. This being as a result of frequent and oft-publicized forays to the local taverns and other houses of ill repute. In these nefarious activities, they were more often than not discovered to have been aided by their rather brigand-like comrades-in-arms, the Hussars of Sarkozy.

As a consequence of such mischief, on many an occasion I was forced to make use of my influence & considerable charm- and, in some cases, of timely reminders upon debts payable from old games of chance- so as to prevent retribution being levied upon the men of the regiment by the heavy hands of local council authorities.

The Fanfare March of the Regt. de Bouillon-Cantinat

********

Click on the image to enlarge. Thanks, as always, to David of "Not by Appointment " for providing the uniform and flag templates.

A Dearth of Horseflesh?

2008-12-27T10:37:00.008+09:00

A quick question for my learned colleagues.

Aside from Front Rank and some rather dire looking figures from The Foundry, does anyone know of a -good- range of 18th C. French cavalry out there? Good as in variety and quality.

I know the Staddens are popular with a lot of Lace War aficionado's- and they do have their appeal- but they are somewhat generic, and do not really suit either my painting style or the other miniatures in my collection, the cavalry being all Front Rank.

My understanding is that Minden Miniatures are supposed to be working on cavalry next year, but I've no idea yet how extensive the range will be for the French.

For some reason, a number of manufacturers who have done French infantry do not seem to have tackled the cavalry (yes, you, Crusader!).

The Queen of Battles...

2008-12-26T15:00:00.028+09:00

...IS of course the infantry.

I've been working on designing a force to take on the Pragmatic Alliance (See here), and have created the semi-fictional L’armée Française de l’Oise, in the service of which M. le Marquis can seek honour, glory, and the occasional hidden cache of fine wines.

lick on image to enlarge

I say semi-fictional, in that of course there was no such army! But the order of battle is based largely on the 2nd French battle line at Dettingen. There are a more than a few tips of the tricorn to artistic licence, though.

The Brigade de Navarre actually consisted of four battalions of the Regiment de Navarre and one batallion of the Regt. Bigorre. Here I've substituted a battalion of the Regt. de Royal Baviere for one of Navarrese, mainly because I like the flag of the Bavarians!

Most significantly, the Brigade de St. Vignobles was actually the Swiss Brigade Bettens, but I've substituted the Regt. de St. Vignobles as being a much more appropriate representative of the territory of Lorraine than the Garde Lorraine, which it has replaced! I've also taken the opportunity to increase it by one battalion so that it is now a two-battalion strong regiment. I've kept the Regt. de Forez, so this is now the strongest- and most colourful- of the four infantry brigades.

I was thinking of adding the Irish Brigade, but honestly seeing as I'll have to paint up a mass of Hanoverians and British for the Pragmatic Army, not to mention two large battalions of Swiss, I think that will be enough red to last me a lifetime. Besides, when I think French of the Ancien Regime, I think off-white.

Shocking liberties, perhaps? While I love history, and usually try to stick pretty close to it, I also consider it my plaything to kick around as I like. Those purists who need smelling salts after reading such heresy may go ahead and inhale.

Next, I'll add the cavalry and artillery. A big choice of colour to choose from here!

Fracas at Fontenoy!

2008-12-26T12:09:00.009+09:00

M. le Marquis is well-pleased to have received a wonderful book celebrating his sovereign majesty's greatest victory of the age- Fontenoy in 1745.

You can read a little more about it here.

It should make for a very pleasant read by the fireplace, and would easily complement the partaking of a glass of burgundy or two, accompanied by a platter of pâté and a suitable selection of fine cheeses.

I'm working on a order of battle for a French army that M. le Marquis can command, using the Koenig Krieg rules. I'll put it up this evening.

Gotta love purple facings!

2008-10-18T21:59:00.008+09:00

I've been working on the Pragmatic Army recently on my Will ye go to Flanders blog, and haven't posted here for a while.

So let me remedy this with a plate showing what will be a brigade of regular French infantry, organized for use with the Koenig Krieg rules. Each battalion will consist of twelve miniatures. I have two (and a half) battalions cleaned up and primed so far. I'll work on them concurrently with my Dutch infantry.

This brigade fought at the Battle of Dettingen in 1743. Nice, simple uniforms and attractive flags.

Click on image for a larger picture

Uniform templates courtesy of the excellent Not by Appointment blog. Flags by me courtesy of PowerPoint.

The button arrangement is not spot on for these regiments, but given the myriad of possible pocket designs and button combinations, with just about every regiment having a different pattern, this is unavoidable! It shouldn't matter, however, seeing as practicality dictates that there is only a limited choice of options available on figure castings anyway.

Over the last couple of weeks I have been working on the next instalment of the Marquis' memoirs, usually while commuting back and forth from work. Bear with me here, as while the creative juices have been flowing, inspiration- and time- tends to come in fits and starts. There is usually a lot of reworking before I get anything that I am happy with enough to post here.

I'm not about to give up my day job to be a writer, that's for sure!

Film about Fontenoy?

2008-10-11T21:04:00.006+09:00

While net surfing I came across this. Looks as if historically, one could pick holes in it ad infinitum, but I seldom confuse movies with history at the best of times- I just sit back with popcorn and a beer or two and enjoy the spectacle.

I don't know much about the film used in the clip, though I suspect it isn't a classic!

A worthy cause...

2008-10-11T12:47:00.018+09:00

Commander of the Anglo-Allied army in the Seven Years War,

Prinz Ferdinand of Brunswick

I would assume that almost everyone who checks out this blog has an interest in the 18th C. military history in general. While my main focus is the War of the Austrian Succession, my interest in the era is by no means limited to that struggle, and I voraciously read anything on the earlier War of the Spanish Succession or the later Seven Years War as well.

One of the best books ever written on the latter conflict was the comprehensive campaign history by Sir Reginald Savory; "His Britannic Majesty's Army of the Seven Years War".

First published back in 1967, it remains the best- indeed pretty much the only- in-depth treatment of the campaigns fought in the west between the French army one one hand, and the Anglo-Hanoverian army with its various German allies on the other.

I had the good fortune to read this book back in the 1980's, as they had a copy in the University of British Columbia's main library when I was a student there. In a recent online search, I see now that the copy has since been "lost" according to university records. A bummer, and with hindsight I regret not being the lowly thief who carried out the crime! A second-hand copy of the Athena Books reprint is hard to find and expensive, with any copy of the original Oxford edition selling anywhere from $500- $1,000 dollars. Ouch...

So on to the point; Nigel Billington is looking into the possibility of a new reprint of this invaluable book, and wants to see how much interest there is out there in such a project.

If anyone is interested, and haven't yet heard about it through TMP or the Emperor vs. Elector site, I urge you to support the project so that one of the staples of the literature on the SYW can again see the light of day to a general readership, and perhaps recruit future enthusiasts to this fascinating era- as it did with me back in university.

Seligenstadt revisited

2008-09-28T13:52:00.007+09:00

Remember that Rearguard at Seligenstadt scenario?

A number of guys in Australia who have been play-testing the upcoming new edition of the Koenig Krieg rules have shown an interest in trying it out. Should they do so, I've asked that they get back to me so I can post any feedback here.

In the meantime, here is a video someone posted on You Tube of the town of Seligenstadt today- good for modelling ideas!

Note the river Main, where the Gardes Francaises may very well have given Michael Phelps a run for his money back in 1743.

New Blog- "Will ye go to Flanders?"

2008-09-27T21:37:00.007+09:00

With the imminent arrival of my Dutch army from Eureka, I realize that I'm now likely to want to talk about, ask questions and to post information about the Army of the Pragmatic Sanction. However, I feel this blog is the "property" of our esteemed Marquis, and I'm concerned about it wandering too far away from our protagonist, his adventures and the French army in which he so steadfastly serves.

After some consideration, I've therefore decided to set up a "sister blog" to complement this one, and in which I can talk not only about orders of battle, miniatures, and other resources related to recreating the Army of the Pragmatic Sanction, but other miscellaneous aspects of the War of the Austrian Succession as well. I'll also use it as a place to discuss my favourite rules for 18th Century battles, Koenig Krieg.

Les reves de Mars will still feature information about the French army, and will include battle reports, uniforms and game scenarios as well as the usual pontifications of our "Portly Paragon of Pomposity", M. le Marquis de Sangfroid.

The name of the new blog is "Will ye go to Flanders?", and I hope you give it a visit.

10,000!

2008-09-21T17:18:00.010+09:00

I just realized that the hit counter registered more than 10,000 hits as of today!

A small milestone, and I sure that I must have accounted for a lot of those hits myself as I return to "fine tune" the site. And it is nowhere near the numbers maintained by blogs such as those by Der Alte Fritz and Ioannis' The Leuthen Journal, as well as all those others whose magnificent websites are read throughout the wargaming fraternity.

But 10,000 is evidence that at least some people out there are reading my blog, and I appreciate all of you who have returned to these pages and who have left comments. It all inspires me to continue with the adventures of the Marquis de Sangfroid, and indeed to paint up more 18th C. miniatures- to this end I have prepared another 24 figures- two battalions- for painting and will undercoat them tomorrow!

And special thanks to Bluebear Jeff and to Drew, who helped to kickstart the return of the Marquis!

So speaking on behalf of myself and of Louis-Baptiste Sardanapalus Bouillon-Cantinat, 10th Marquis de Sangfroid, Comte de Roué. Chevalier of the Order of the Golden Stirrup, and Hereditary Prince Ecclesiastical of the Bishopric of St. Vignobles,

We thank you all!

Votre Serviteur,

Robert

The Sangfroid Saga

2008-09-21T11:14:00.016+09:00

Without much ado, let us return to another instalment of the memoirs of His Grace, Louis-Baptiste Sardanapalus Bouillon-Cantinat, 10th Marquis de Sangfroid, Comte de Roué. Chevalier of the Order of the Golden Stirrup, and Hereditary Prince Ecclesiastical of the Bishopric of St. Vignobles.

"As the years march inexorably forward, and the frailty of the body weighs upon mere mortals as does a stout anchor restrain a great ship of the line in the strongest gale, what greater pleasure can advancing years hold than enjoying a bottle of fine claret, a game of chance with with elegant and witty company, and the sun shining warmly down upon our cherished coterie as we take our ease in the chateau gardens, accompanied by the gentle sounds of the mighty Rhine as it flows by the splendid lands of St. Vignobles?

Such was the contentment that I felt this warm and languid afternoon, that I am again tempted to take up the quill and, should it be the will of the Almighty, continue my account of those tumultuous yet glorious days. Days that saw our beloved monarch in his youth, ably assisted at the helm of state and war by such celebrated luminaries as the M. de Saxe. And, if I may say it, by a host of loyal subjects such as myself, eager and willing to give all for the Duty and Honour of France.

Amongst my cherished guests this day was that most worthy gentleman, M'Lord Henry Fetlock-Nosebridle, Lord Withers. Always fond of a generous meal and fine wine- and a daunting opponent at vingt-et-un- he is currently given to some degree of stoutness and is afflicted with gout. Yet in his youth he had the physick of an Apollo, and was one of the most celebrated horsemen in Europe.

While fate ordained that we were to serve our respective masters on opposite sides of the bloody meadows of war, he always behaved with great courage and with the honour and dignity due to a man of high station. We have always remained firm friends, despite having crossed swords on a number of occassions in the battles that ebbed and flowed over the unfortunate Flanders plain.

Having paid me the felicitations due to my astute choice of wine with which to accompany our dish of braised pheasant and aubergines, he happened to remark on the fine quality of the porcelain from which we were dining, and enquired as to its provenance.

"Ah," said I; "For that we have to thank my old rival and implacable foe; a man who coveted the fertile lands of St. Vignobles relentlessly, a ruthless and determined fellow who gave me reason for much apprehension concerning the future and security of my house. Of course, I refer to none other than Hertog Karel-Willem van Tippelkranken, the Stadtholder of Nassau-Knijperbrug."

My old companion and I settled into our armchairs, and I called for brandies and clay pipes as I began to relate my tale..."

Digression- any Savoyard fans out there?

2008-09-20T22:38:00.013+09:00

"Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia, King of Savoy, victor of Assietta and all-round crafty dude extraordinaire"

While perusing the Internet for all things War of the Austrian Succession related, I've come across a number of relevant and interesting sites. I've updated my links to include one I found on the Savoyard army- "the Prussians of Italy", and a state that gave a good account for itself in the War of the Austrian succession, in 1747 giving the French a good drubbing in the mountains at the Battle of Assietta.

"Bandiere e uniformi sabaude" is worth a look for anyone wanting to recreate the army that fought Louis XV on France's southern flank. In Italian, but with a little help from a translation software program- and a little patience- there is much the site has to offer.

Although with stiff competition from the Spanish, the Army of Piedmont-Savoy also may very well win the prize for having the prettiest flags in the War of the Austrian Succession!

Fontenoy's Forgotten Younger Brother...

2008-09-20T10:54:00.022+09:00

While looking for information on the Dutch army, I came across this great site on the Battle of Lauffeldt in 1747. Lots of goodies including maps and pictures of the battlefield today.

Another victory for the French under the great Maurice de Saxe, against the Duke of Cumberland. Although Lauffeldt was a hard-fought battle and not the knock-out blow he was hoping for.

I really think that in orders of battle for all his engagements in the Low Countries, the Duke of Cumberland should be listed on the French side- one gets the impression that he was unwitting architect of many a French victory of the time. He even went on to stage a repeat performance of his characteristic ineptitude in early stages of the Seven Years War before it was decided that "enough was enough" and he was finally replaced.

Culloden seems to be have been his only success, and if I were a Scots Jacobite, I'd be hanging my head in shame through having been defeated by Cumberland of all people (although at least I could always drown my humiliation in good whiskey).

Actually the hero of Lauffeldt seems to be the very active commander of the British cavalry, Lord Ligonier, who must have beaten his head many times in frustration against many a stable door through having to work with a commander of Cumberland's tactical and strategic acumen (or lack thereof).

Lauffeldt interests me- perhaps even more than Fontenoy- because you had the Austrians and the Dutch fighting (if rather tardily) alongside the British and Hannoverians, although it must be said that the Dutch- well, let's just say they didn't exactly cover themselves with glory on that day! But the Pragmatic army is very colorful force for any wargames table

Unfortunately, while the names of the commanders are given for the Dutch and Austrians, there are no breakdowns of the order of battle for either of these armies. If anyone out there does have any information on this that they'd be willing to share, it would be much appreciated.

The Marquis would like to know which regiments in particular he should be preparing to trounce on the field of battle!

Going Dutch...

2008-09-17T12:57:00.046+09:00

A Saucy Hollandaise?
(Picture from the The Vinkhuijzen Collection of Military Costume, NYPL)

For a while- they should prove worthy opponents for the Marquis! It is great to have a line of miniatures now available for an army that has previously been so much overlooked.

Somewhat mystifying seeing as Holland was pretty much a key player in the early days of the 18th Century. That said, the War of the Austrian Succession was certainly not their finest hour, and it has been suggested that by this time "the fire had gone out", so to speak. But the men- if not the high command- seemed to have fought competently enough.

It is pretty clear that information on the army is pretty thin on the ground, one reason why it may have been so under-represented in wargames miniatures.

As far as I know the most comprehensive treatment of the army of the United Provinces is to be found in this book:

Stephen Manley: "The Uniforms of the Dutch Army- 1740-1748"(War of the Austrian Succession-A Wargamer's Guide Pt. III).

This book- at only nineteen pages a booklet, really- contains information about the organization and equipment of the Dutch army as well as descriptions- with accompanying black & white line drawings- of its uniforms. However, it lacks any information on flags. Fortunately, as I mentioned in a previous post, Vaubanner Graphics has WAS Dutch infantry flags covered pretty comprehensively, so this isn't much of a problem.

Cavalry standards are a problem, though- I may use standards dating from the earlier War of the Spanish Succession in lieu of any other alternative.

The Uniforms of the Dutch Army was published by On Military Matters in New Jersey. I don't know whether or not it is still in print, but if it is still available-and if you have any interest at all in the Dutch army of the time- grab a copy! I was able to pick up mine from Caliver Books.

*******

In addition, I also found this great site called Royalfig, that features these extremely useful Dutch uniform plates by Gilles Boue, apparently(?) based on the illustrations in Stephen Manley's booklet. These, however, are in colour which is a great advantage. The site is worth looking at- lots of great material on 18th Century armies in general.

He also has some excellent plates on the French in their uniforms of the War of the Austrian Succession as well. No coloured waistcoats here.

*******

"Clearly, given strategic considerations of the time, the Dutch government had nefarious designs on the territorial integrity and Ancient Rights of the Bishopric of St. Vignobles. A crisis would soon be facing M. le Marquis de Sangfroid and his brave regiment."

Dutch from Down Under...

2008-09-16T09:00:00.022+09:00

Very nice Dutch flags from Vaubanner.

As fate would have it, just the other day I received an e-mail from Nic Robson at Eureka Miniatures in Australia, informing me that the long-awaited War of the Austrian Succession Dutch miniatures are ready for moulding and casting, and that they will be shipped at the end of September- six months later than bargained for, but welcome nevertheless.

Great news that is bound to get me wanting to immerse myself into the 18th C. again. I've long had the flags from Vaubanner, and am anxious to finally get the miniatures that will go with them!

I'm curious to see what they will be like. My collection- not very big yet- is mostly Front Rank with some Minden Miniatures. The two ranges are not really compatible in style. Which of the two ranges I ever expand on will very much depend on which go best with the Eureka models- I have a lot of the latter on the way, including cavalry and cannon.

For French I am also keeping an eye out on the new "Rank and File" range from Crusader Miniatures, who have already released some nice-looking British and Russians. If they come out with French in unfastened coats, they may well be worth looking into as opponents for the Dutch.

With great anticipation, M. le Marquis awaits what developments the future will bring.

A chip off the old block?

2008-09-14T14:41:00.030+09:00

Given my current work on my Napoleonic French army, I had the notion to expand the narrative of the Bouillon-Cantinats to include the adventures of the Good Marquis' descendants.

Click here to learn more about the life of the 13th Marquis de Sangfroid, and of his selfless service to France and to the Emperor Napoleon during the glorious days of the First Empire.

Still here...

2008-09-13T17:55:00.020+09:00

Though dormant. A recent comment posted by a reader of this blog awoke me to the fact that I have been neglecting M. le Marquis for far too long!

The reason for this is that I live in pretty much a gaming wasteland. Without having had the imposition of the "project discipline" that gaming with a regular group can provide, I have for years now been tinkering around in far too many different gaming periods- without making any real progress in any one of them.

This had to change. So this past spring I made the decision to devote my painting time over the course of the year to my Napoleonics; these make up the bulk of my collection by far, and I have a lot- and I mean a lot- of them to do!

But I remain very fond of the Marquis, so I have decided that I will be adding a few updates from time to time- and may even get around to finishing that unit of Minden Miniatures' French that glowers at me from my painting shelf! More on that, and on my opinion on the trend toward a "new generation" of more authentically-proportioned miniatures later. Let's just say for now that the jury remains out on this one.

In the meantime, I continue to await the Eureka Miniatures War of the Austrian Succession Dutch. Should they ever indeed see the light of day, they will no doubt help to jump-start an 18th C. "revival" for me.

As may this; a week ago I placed a pre-order with Amazon.com for the following title;

Very little out there in English on this battle (surprise, surprise...) Once this tempting tome gets here, I'm sure the juices will be flowing again, and that situations featuring M. le Marquis' presence on "le champ d'honneur" will be detected within its pages. Rumour also has it that our hero may indeed have served the interests of His Majesty as far east as the Ottoman Empire, but that is a story for another day...

Bienvenue à un nouveau blog, et au Régiment d'Orleans

2008-02-28T09:52:00.025+09:00

...or the Royal des Vaisseaux, I haven't decided yet!

First off, My friend Kris Opsetmoen has finally put up his own blog showing the figures from his extensive-well, okay, huge- Seven Years War collection of 28mm figures. He has started with the Hanoverians. If you like Lace Wars "eye candy,", be sure to check his site- I've posted the url in my "links" section. Well done, Kris, and I'm sure everyone will want to see more.

Next, I received the French infantry from what is, in the opinion of M. le Marquis, the rather unfortunately named Minden Miniatures (see photo). These are simply among the very best SYW figures I have seen- their stately poses capture the look of those period engravings, yet they are no caricatures. The detail has to be seen to be believed, and the nice thing is that they look surprisingly easy to paint- no fuss, no flash to speak of at all.

The drawback is that they are - I was going to say "tiny", but in height they match Front Rank well. These are well-proportioned and SLENDER! In fact in style they look a lot like 20mm miniatures, or even 1/72 scale plastics, particularly the faces (the rank-and-file have the most wonderful sardonic sneer- as if having just learnt that the regimental wine casks were empty).

But they are gorgeous, and clearly inspired by the "Charles Grant" image of 18th C. gaming. The muskets and bayonets are the best I have seen in this scale. Think Stadden elegance with Perry-quality sculpting and what looks like Front Rank paintability! Richard Ansell did a magnificent job here- these miniatures are exquisitely conceived and designed.

They certainly would not look right on the same base as a Front Rank figure, but kept separate they should be fine. In April or so I should get the Eureka Dutch- they will be on the slender side too, so should match up better- and of course they will be on the opposite side of the table!

Now, I am not one of those people who bemoan the anatomy of wargames figures (with some notable exceptions). In fact, I feel that these days there is sometimes too much emphasis on the individual figure and not enough on how they look in a unit- I have been guilty of this myself and realize that to a large extent this has been one of the reasons why my painting is so glacially slow. I will first paint up a complete unit of these as well as the Front Rank French in white coats to see how they look on the tabletop, and then decide which way I want to jump for the rest of my collection.

I like to stick to one manufacturer as far as is possible, at least for each nationality. Minden Miniatures look fabulous, Front Rank have a larger range of figures, the price is the same for both, and service from both companies is excellent. It may come down to which ones are easier to paint.

The biggest drawback I can see with Minden is the fact that it remains essentially a "private" venture- while we are assured that in the future customers may count on him to cast more figures should they require it to beef up their collections, there are no plans to produce anything beyond what Mr. Hammond chooses to add to his collection. Fair enough, Frank makes this very clear up front on his blog so no faulting him there- it is his own project after all. Nevertheless, this could be a factor in whether someone would choose to make Minden Miniatures their "range of choice" for a WAS/ SYW Army as there are few if any other ranges out there that are truly compatible in style and quality.

Finally, apologies- I had hoped to fight the Battle of Seligenstadt this past Monday, but what with spring definitely in the air, we ended up spending the better part of the day at the gardening centre instead, and in planning for the coming campaign season against the annual ravages of centipedes and slugs. This coming weekend, I promise.

As way of compensation, I have added the March of the Regt. Saintonge to the site. For your listening pleasure.

Digression- Battle of Bergen 1759

2008-02-24T11:28:00.021+09:00

M. de Broglie, and a young Prinz Ferdinand of Brunswick

I'd like to set the clock forward 16 years from 1743 to 1759 for this post- although there is a connection to the War of the Austrian Succession as we will see.

Back in 2003 while on vacation in Austria and Germany, my good friend Kris Opsetmoen, who lives in the town of Obereiffenberg near Frankfurt-am-Main, drove us to to the nearby town of Bergen. The reason for this was, of course, that it was the scene of a battle in the Seven Years War between a French and Saxon army under the very capable De Broglie, and on the other side the Allies under the (equally capable) Prussian General Prinz Ferdinand of Brunswick.

The French emerged victorious in this one- contrary to popular belief, they often did well in the Seven Years War, only to have the rug pulled out from under them by an annoying habit of losing the key battles. But Bergen was considered a well-deserved victory in which an energetic French command won the day through the flexible use of their troops .

This included efficient use of reserves organized in columns- rather than in lines as was the common practise of the times- and in doing so, foreshadowing later Napoleonic developments.

Any advantages gained by the French through their victory at Bergen, however, were to be thrown away as a result of the drubbing they were to receive at the Battle of Minden shortly afterwards.

Our trip to Bergen included a visit to the interesting town museum that has stood there since the early 18th Century, as well as a drive to the area outside town for some photos of the actual battlefield itself.

Rather than use up too much space on my blog, I have put the photos up in a seperate .pdf file on the sidebar, with more information on the battle itself- including pictures of the headquarters of King George II that was used in the Dettingen campaign!

I'm sure that his memoirs will reveal that our redoubtable M. de Sangfroid himself was to play no small role in the Battle of Bergen!

M. le Marquis se prépare pour la bataille..

2008-02-23T11:27:00.003+09:00

On arrival at the old schloss that was to be our headquarters in the small town of Seligenstadt, I found myself greeted by the very worthy M. Le Chevalier Gaston St. Valery de Brouiller, my adjutant, who had been tasked to see that the defences on the east bank of the Main River were manned and in a state of readiness.

M. le Chevalier was a conscientious and efficient man, and the sword of his family had been in the service of the Bouillon-Cantinats for generations. I much regretted the news of his recent passing. It is said that he had succumbed to a virulent fever whilst on passage to New France, where he was to serve on the staff of the esteemed M. de Montcalm.

After we had exchanged all due pleasantries and felicitations, he related to me that the men stood ready to perform their duty for Crown and Country, and that should it cost them all their lives, the enemy would find the price of their sacrifice a dear one indeed.

This gallant officer then proposed that the moment would soon be on hand when we should ride out and confront the approaching foe (indeed, the sounds of drums and trumpets could be heard in the distance towards Dettingen, even over the din created by the disheartened and leaderless wretches who filled the streets of Seligenstadt.

I replied that we would take our posts in good time, but that I was a loyal Servant of God as well as of our esteemed M. le Roi. Thus in my capacity as Prince Ecclesiastical and Bishop of St. Vignobles, I would first conduct a Mass to pray to the Almighty and to the Holy Mother that the upcoming struggle would be a victorious one-should it so ordained- for our arms, and that the souls of those destined to fall would find Peace, and thereafter sleep secure in the bosom of Abraham.

That, and that the evenings contest of arms would bring Glory and Honour to the House of Bouillon-Cantinat.

In war, one must attend to the nourishment of the soul as well as that of the body. Arrangements were prepared for the former, and thus Mass was to be held in the small, yet rather splendid chapel of the schloss in which we were billeted.

As for more corporeal nourishment, I had first to apply my efforts to a few bottles of a quite memorable Château Margaux '21, along with a most delectable venison brioche that had been prepared by a very able chef on the establishment of the unhappy M. le Duc du Grammont.

The enemy could wait.

The battle should be fought this weekend, God- and the wife- willing!

Photo of an old, "tarted up" Schrieber card castle I bought years ago and which I finally got around to putting together last year. M. Le Chevalier de Brouiller is greeting the Marquis- this is a Front Rank miniature from my collection. The picture is not satisfactory; my cellphone camera does not handle depth very well. Let's just imagine that M. le Marquis has already been hard at work on that bottle of Château Margaux!

Yesterday I decided to order a selection of those splendid Richard Ansell-designed French infantry from Frank Hammond at Minden Miniatures. I have been looking at these for a while, and finally took the plunge. They do not look as though they will match with my Front Rank figures, but if kept in separate units they should be fine- a consistent paint job can make a big difference.

I will need to live with a certain difference in sculpting style anyway, once my Dutch War of the Austrian Succession infantry and cavalry arrive from Eureka miniatures later this year. This is going to be a BIG year for my 18th Century collection!

Touraine Spotting...

2008-02-18T08:38:00.003+09:00

Le Regt. de Touraine from the Hermand Manuscript.

This is of course a blog about a fictional person and place, but I've set it in a firm historical context. I have always been fascinated by history, and especially I love the study of flags and colourful uniforms of those pre-industrial times, and I enjoy the "detective work" that can come with trying to make sense of what can often be contradictory information. Therefore, it is always exciting for me to see good examples of contemporary source material.

So, when further to a discussion I had been having on the Yahoo! Lace Wars forum regarding the pattern of the flag for the Regt. de Touraine (see previous post), I was thrilled to receive a very nice email from M. Jean-Louis Vial who, as some reading this may already know, maintains "Nec Pluribus Impar" an invaluable website containing much information on French uniforms and flags of the period, including of course the Regt. de Touraine.

He very kindly sent me a picture of this plate from the 1757 Hermand manuscript, which illustrates a soldier of the regiment along with a portrayal of the flag at the bottom of the print. The flag shows that the aurore-coloured canton was clearly positioned on the top-left close to the staff. A magnificent picture. I'd love to get my hands on a collection of prints from this manuscript!

02/19/08 M le Marquis' log, Supplemental: I just received a link from M. Vial to a public French archive site showing pictures of the whole collection (See link on sidebar). An amazing and inspiring collection! Merci beaucoup, Monsieur!

A Display of Dazzling Drapeaux for M. le Marquis

2008-02-16T11:52:00.001+09:00

I am a big fan of both the GMB and Vaubanner range of wargames flags. I use GMB exclusively for my Napoleonic Russian and French collections, and when the Eureka Miniature's range of Dutch for the War of the Austrian Succession arrive , I will be making use of the excellent (and quite unique) range provided by Vaubanner Graphics. Both offer excellent service. Brian Homenick at Vaubanner even does Spanish, Bavarian and Piedmontese (Check out the link on the right).

However, when it comes to WAS/SYW flags for the French infantry, I have had reservations with the offerings from both these of these companies. The GMB flags seemed too dark- the "aurora" (a very light orange, almost a yellow colour) canton of the flag for the Regt. Touraine, for example, being closer to a reddish orange.

The Vaubanner flags, on the other hand, while having very crisp detail, lacked shading and some of the colours and patterns were just- well, wrong! For example, Vaubanner's flag for the Regt. Forez had a yellow background, where every source I have has the original as being a strong orange. Additionally, there were evidently problems with interpreting the more enigmatic colours of the time such as isabella, ventre-de-biche, and fuille morte(literally "dead leaves"), with the latter colour for the Regt. d'Orleans being printed in far too light a shade.

The flag for the Regt. Touraine and Regt. d'Aquitaine seem to have been printed with the cantons in "reverse" order (although the exact ordering of the cantons for the Regt. de Touraine seems to be problematic with quite a few sources in disagreement. Brian's may well be correct- I am looking into it).

I should say that Vaubanner's French cavalry flags are excellent, though- those for the French dragoons in particular being quite gorgeous.

02/17/08- After I made an inquiry to the "Lace Wars" Yahoo group about the flag for the Regt. de Touraine, I received a reply from Mr. Michel Mazzoleni who had access to a number of French authoritative works on flags, that although there are indeed differing accounts of the order of the cantons, the Vaubanner flag may indeed be correct according to some of the more reliable authorities. He also mentioned that there are accounts of some regiments being quite haphazard about attaching the flags to the flagpoles the right way up! Thank you to Mr. Mazzoleni for the information.

Being the picky sort, I decided to try my hand at producing my own designs for those flags that I wanted for my own collection. I sat down last weekend and created some flags using a combination of iPhoto and PowerPoint. I started with some French regiments from the Battle of Dettingen (as well as the flags for the Regt. de St. Vignobles, of course!) with a few extra thrown in because I liked the designs! I referred to the Pengel and Hurt booklet on the French Army as well as my copy of Lucien Mouillard. I also received a lot of useful information from a French site on art and design for guidance on the more esoteric colours.

There are no fancy designs or fleur-de-lys patterns here- I'd have to draw and scan my own, and not only do I not have to time to do that, I'd rather go with the commercial offerings which do just fine for the regiments I needed.

I was quite happy with the results which I share here as a PDF file on the sidebar. They are scaled for 28mm figures. If anyone wants a word file, contact me- all I ask is that you use them with permission, and that they not be uploaded onto any other blog or website. And do check out GMB and Vaubanner Graphics! I am not about to go into business for myself so these are probably all I'll ever do.

M. le Marquis Goes to War...

2008-02-14T22:25:00.001+09:00

Prior to this day, I had distinguished myself (with no small degree of fame, I may add) in various sieges and in numerous actions of "la petite guerre".

However, the evening of June 27th, 1743 found me, the Marquis de Sangfroid, about to savour my first taste of combat on a large scale. Certainly I had never commanded a force of such size and importance, nor had I been entrusted with so difficult a duty as that with which I found myself charged that warm summer evening.

The eyes of France- of Europe, even- were to fall upon me. Yet I did not flinch from the task. In keeping with the traditions of Duty and Honour expected from one through whose veins ran the blood of the Bouillon-Cantinats, I was quite determined not be to be found wanting in my obligations.

One of the main reasons for me setting up this blog was to generate ideas- and inspiration- for wargaming and for painting. This is the first step in a "narrative" style campaign set in the War of the Austrian Succession that will be as much about role playing and capturing the "spirit" of mid-18th C. life, as it will be about gaming out battles on the tabletop.

The first scenario (check out the links on the right) is designed for the Koenig Krieg rules that I have been playing off and on since I bought my first copy way back in 1985 or so. The scenario should work with any rule set though, and feel free to try it out and to comment (constructively!) on any aspect that you feel could be improved to make it a better game. Just play it through a few times first before you decide to trash it outright, though!

Once I have a chance to play it myself, I'll post a report where M. le Marquis gives his account of the engagement and of the role played both by himself and of the Regt. de St. Vignobles. I 'll try to get some "eye candy" up as well, although don't expect any panoramic shots of the table, as most of my collection at the moment is French- I'll be having to proxy the Allies with a potpourri of other periods and (gasp! The shame!) unpainted figures.

Thanks to Kris Opsetmoen of Oberreiffenberg in Germany, long-time gamer and 18th C. "fellow traveller", for allowing me to post pictures from his extensive Front Rank SYW collection here. Seen above are some of his Hanoverian cavalry, chomping at the bit to cross swords with M. le Marquis...

-Robert S. (Official Biographer of M. le Marquis de Sangfroid)

NOTE: Looking again at the rules and scenario I revised the ORDER OF BATTLE AND ENTRY TABLE so that it would be more balanced (M. le Marquis would detest having to swim).

Feb. 16th, 2008

“Les Canards du Mein” (“The Ducks of the Main”)

2008-01-27T13:54:00.001+09:00

The memories of that day remain indelible, and stir me even as I sit here at my writing desk a generation or more since. Indeed, the haunting images continue to stalk my thoughts and dreams as if they were falcons, determined on harrying their prey until the very end.

Rolling billows of powder smoke had obscured the setting sun, and the roar of cannon and the monotonously deep thundering of drums accompanied the Stygian gloom, to be interrupted periodically by the harsh popping of musketry.

Well I recall those grime-besmirched officers, weeping with the shame of defeat (if not the loss of honour). Tears coursed down in steady rivulets along their weary faces as they barked peremptory orders to try to save the remnants of their shattered and intermingled commands. Their throats were parched with gunpowder and strained by their endless- and all too often futile- exhortations to their men. All were exhausted. All were trying to escape that vast wall of steadily approaching redcoats, whose ranks could just barely be made out in the poorly lit distance, volleying mercilessly all the while.

Everywhere was chaos and misery; the pitiful cries of the wounded for succour, and the low, plaintive moans of the dying lying in extremis amongst the carnage. The whole made for a ghastly panorama that was the embodiment of Dante's Hell.

It was upon a Saturday evening, June 27th 1743 as dusk fell upon the banks of the River Main. The Battle of Dettingen was nearing its awful finale. The fates had determined that the day was to be one of the darkest in the annals of French arms, whilst being one of the most Glorious for His Britannic Majesty and Elector of Hanover, King George II, and for his Army of the Pragmatic Sanction.

*******

I had often had the opportunity to play at cards over a bottle or two of claret with those worthy gentlemen M. le Maréchal Noailles and M. le Duc Grammont. Finer and more pleasant company at the table one could not wish for, but on that day our King would have good reason to rue their services to the Crown.

*******

It was at this moment of darkness that I, the 10th Marquis de Sangfroid, along with the Regt. de St. Vignobles, was given the opportunity to salvage a degree of Honour and Glory from the ruins of Defeat, and to have the chance to redeem at least in part the reputation of French arms that had taken so cruel a blow.

Next- The Action of the Rearguard at Seligenstadt.

Le Regt. de St. Vignobles

2008-01-21T17:02:00.003+09:00

The flags and uniforms of the Regt. de St. Vignobles.

(Curiously, there are no references to this regiment in the works of Lucien Mouillard-Ed.)

Raised on behalf of King Louis XIV for service in the Palatine campaign in 1688 by my grandfather, Etienne-Germinal Délancé Bouillon-Cantinat, the 8th Marquis de Sangfroid, Prince Ecclesiastical and Bishop of St.Vignobles.

The regiment wears the blue coat of foreign regiments rather than the justeaucorps gris of the bulk of the French troops. It was decided by the Ministry of War that as the Principality of St. Vignobles found itself wedged between the Duchy of Lorraine and the River Rhine, and thus its borders were not contiguous to the lands of France proper, then logic necessitated that it should be raised as a German regiment in the service of the King. This was despite the fact that at that time, the Duchy of Lorraine was in fact occupied by France and not the independant entity it had been in previous times.

This was a decision that went against the wishes of my grandfather and indeed, one which vexed him considerably. The Bouillon-Cantinats have always considered both our estates- and our warriors- in direct service of the Crown, and worthy of inclusion amongst the roll of native French Regiments.

As way of protest of the decision by the War Ministry to classify his regiment as being "foreign", the Marquis declared that its officers and sergeants would wear reversed colours as a sign of their "true" place in the French Army. Likewise, the Marquis (being a proud man) had his drummers clothed in the yellow and blue of the family livery. This also happened to be a combination of colours being detested- perhaps not entirely without intention on grandpére's part- by the then Minister of War, M. Le Tellier fils, the Marquis of Barbezieux.

(NB: it is said that a certain indiscretion on the part of my grandfather regarding an attractive young niece of the Chevalier de Bejart led to some disfavour within close circles of the court at the time; the lady in question being a ward under the care of of Madame Le Tellier, wife of the minister, as well as being a favourite lady-in-waiting of Madame de Maintenon, wife of the King.

The Bouillon-Cantinats, both male and female, have always had a reputation for being somewhat mercurial in temperament, and none more so than my grandfather the 8th Marquis. His passion for beautiful women and for vignt-et-un had often, alas, obscured his otherwise commendable common sense. )

Upon the field of battle and as both besieger and defender in the siege of many a fortress, the Regiment de St. Vignobles has always distinguished itself for it's coolness under fire and the honour of its officers. It has served with distinction in a number of campaigns since its establishment during the Nine-Year's War, in both the Low Countries and the Palatinate. During the War of the Spanish Succession at the beginning of this century it stood steadfast under fire at the great battles of Malplaquet, Oudenaarde and most famously at Denain, where it's gallantry earned praise from the great M. de Villars himself.

One of the proudest moments for the regiment was the refusal of its second battalion, under the command of the Chevalier Ludovici Battisto di Bulgari, to participate in the destruction of the castle at Heidelberg as he considered it to be an action inconsistent with the honour that is expected from an officer in the service of France.

The colours of the regiment feature the motto of the Bouillon-Cantinats, and were designed by the Duchess of Burgundy in 1692. Thus they include the cross of Burgundy, as a reminder both of the origins of St. Vignobles as a part of the estates of Charles the Bold, and of the gracious benevolence shown by the Duchess towards the establishment of the regiment (she being the cousin of my grandmother on the Cantinat branch of our family).

The original uniforms and arms were purchased at her expense as a gift to the family of Bouillon-Cantinat; my grandfather finding himself in somewhat impecunious condition at the time. This is said to have been due to regrettable excesses at the gaming table, during which Mademoiselle Fortune (always a fickle mistress) deserted his cause.

Template courtesy of the invaluable Not By Appointment website (see links)

The Bishopric of St. Vignobles

2008-01-20T19:54:00.001+09:00

Through inheritance, marriage, and in reward for centuries of gallant service, the Bouillon-Cantinat estates have increased steadily in size and wealth since their beginnings as the ancient family inheritances of Sangfroid in Picardy. The years have seen the incorporation of the town and environs of Roué in Artois, as well as other sundry properties of worth. At present, our holdings now extend to the very limits of the realm since the acquisition of the Ecclesiastical Seat of St. Vignobles. Alas, it is both the pride and burden of my family that in the latter, it has fallen to us to rule over what is one of the most blessed, and yet cursed, estates of Europe.

After the death of the childless Charles the Bold at the hands of the redoubtable Swiss in 1477, the principality, along with other lands that constituted the former Duchy, were granted (after considerable negotiation) to King Louis XI. In turn, the King himself turned the Bishopric over gratis to the custody of my forbears in perpetuity, as a token of thanks for their constant service. In return, The Bouillon-Cantinat family was sworn to uphold the Catholic faith and the interests of the French monarchy. In addition, an annual tribute of six casks of communion wine was to be made to the crown, which to this day is administered to the devout, lately at the great chapel of Versailles itself.

Thus the land is blessed, in that the vineyards of St. Vignobles are considered to produce some of the finest wines in Europe- nectar to the Gods themselves.

Cursed, in that it lie between the great and powerful Duchy of Lorraine and the lands of the Holy Roman Emperor himself, and the loss of the region was felt keenly by both. Powerful is he who boasts possession of its citadel, a forbidding edifice commended by the great Vauban himself, and which has stood for many hundreds of years with a commanding view of the River Rhine. Thus, the principality has been an object of desire of every Prince of ambition in the region, and only astute diplomacy and the bravery of the House of Bullion-Cantinat have ensured its survival over the years, to the eternal gratitude of the Kings of France.

Vigilance, Prudence, and The Military Arts- as well as a constant faith in the Holy Church- allowed us to exist amongst a sea of our enemies. Well have we kept to the ancient family motto of the Bouillon-Cantinats: "A Verbis ad Verbera" ( "From Words to Blows').

But in the Year of our Lord 1743, things were looking dark indeed, and blows were about to fall.

À votre plaisir...

2008-01-20T10:52:00.000+09:00

It is I, Louis-Baptiste Sardanapalus Bouillon-Cantinat, 10th Marquis de Sangfroid, Comte de Roué. Chevalier of the Order of the Golden Stirrup, and Hereditary Prince Ecclesiastical of the Bishopric of St. Vignobles (having been ordained priest of the Church of Our Lady of Vignobles soon after taking Holy Orders at the tender age of twelve).

My lineage is that of an honorable house, one that has served and upheld the rights of France, and of the Holy Catholic Church, ever since the time of Charlemagne.

In addition to my services to the Almighty through the saving of souls, I felt it only appropriate that I would also choose to devote much of my life to bringing forward the time that men would meet face-to-face with the Almighty. Hence, at an early age I decided to take up the noble profession of arms as had generations of my family before me.

As a soldier, I have been privileged to have enjoyed the inestimable honour of serving His Excellency M. Le Marechal Maurice, Comte de Saxe, throughout his many campaigns in the Low Countries in the name of His Serene Highness Louis XV, King of France- called le bien aime.

The victories of the Good Marechal were built, not merely by his own genius, but upon that of his officers of Quality who accompanied him on the field of Honour. These being gentlemen who have proved themselves to be amongst the greatest soldiers of France since the apogee of the Sun King.

It is with appropriate humility and thanks to the Lord our God that I may count myself amongst the top tiers of that fellowship.

Allow me, then, the pleasure of entertaining you with the martial stories of my youth; before age, the frailty of memory, and mortality (as is His will) accomplishes that which the musketry, balls and broadswords of the King's enemies were never able to achieve whilst I stood fearlessly amongst the shot and shell upon the bloody fields of Mars.

And indeed, I may touch on my adventures with Venus when relevant to the tales I am about to relate. For a good soldier wishing to reach old age must soon learn to avoid wounding at her gentler, but no less fatal, hands.