John Paul Jones, Fighting Sailor

My first glimpse of this book was on the library's shelf of children's history books.  Shortly after, a friend gave a short book report on it at our homeschool group.  I checked it out for myself and was enthralled by Armstrong Sperry's vivid prose and delightful illustrations.  

Then we moved away from that library and our new library did not possess a copy.  But with the help of the inter-library loan system, I could still check it out.  

Several years passed and I learned that Sterling Publishing was reissuing the Landmark series, and one of their titles was Armstrong Sperry's John Paul Jones.  I quickly bought a copy, only to discover that while the story was the same, the illustrations were not included.  Now I could read it, but I could not see John's uncle telling him of Culloden, or Jones's interview with the Countess of Selkirk.  I placed Sperry's original book on my list of books to acquire "someday".

Several more years passed and I attended the 2015 INCH convention as a vendor.  While there, I walked through the vendor hall and came to one of my favorite kinds of vendor: one who sells used books.  Looking through their overflowing bookshelves, I came across a Landmark book.  This immediately triggered memories of John Paul Jones, Fighting Sailor.  I asked one volunteer, and she pointed me to the booth's owner.   No, they did not have it on their shelves, she told me, but they did have other books in storage.  She quickly dispatched someone to look around in quest of the book, and I waited.  Several minutes later, he returned with an excellently-preserved copy of Armstrong Sperry's original John Paul Jones, Fighting Sailor.  Now it is proudly displayed on my bookshelf alongside my other American Revolution books.  I would highly recommend that you read it.

Vacation at Michilimackinac, or An Incident which Spark'd my Interest in the French & Indian War

In the summer of 2003, our family took a vacation to Michigan's Upper Peninsula. We stopped at a restaurant near Fort Michilimackinac. While waiting for our order, three men entered and sat in a nearby table. They wore blue waistcoats, white shirts and breeches, and one man even wore a gorget (a metal half-moon on his chest). I was captivated, and watched them while waiting for, and later eating, my meal. Even while eating, I kept studying them--especially the one man's gorget. I never said a word to them, but they remain deeply fixed in my memory. They fanned my love for the 1700s and were one of the earliest things that piqued my interest in the French & Indian War. Now I want to repeat that cycle and fuel some one else's interest in history. And I now own a gorget as well ;).

Will Reynolds of Beyond the Mask

This fellow is my first painted soldier who is not strictly historical.  His name is Will Reynolds, the hero of the movie Beyond the Mask.  His dress is closely copied from the picture at right.  With his purple coat and decorative brass buckles, he was a very interesting and enjoyable figure to paint.  The figure was produced by BMC as an artillery commander.  I cut off his backpack and canteen, but left the cartridge box, so that his pistol has more than one shot.
Figure by BMC, paints by Testors, painted by myself.

Beyond the Mask--Charles Kemp's India Jacket

Mir Jafar (center) and attendants

John Rhys-Davies in his Indian Jacket

Captain John Foote of the East India Company

The Christian movie Beyond the Mask has been recently released.  I have chronicled some of its progress on my blog previously (see http://defendingthelegacy.blogspot.com/
search/label/Beyond%20the%20Mask).  One of the characters in the movie, Sir Charles Kemp, wears this ornate jeweled jacket in one scene of the movie.  This is shown in picture one (Kemp is played by the actor John Rhys-Davies). There is a solid historical basis for his jacket, as I hope to show.

The second picture is detail of a larger painting by Francis Hayman circa 1760.  The painting itself is of Robert Clive and Mir Jafar meeting after the Battle of Plassey.  In this detail, Mir Jafar can be seen wearing very similar jeweled embellishments to Charles Kemp.

Indians wore these, but did Europeans, even those who had contact with India?  The answer is yes, thanks to a remarkable painting by Joshua Reynolds.  It depicts Captain John Foote of the East India Company in full native regalia.  His jacket, again, bears marked similarities to Charles Kemp's.

In conclusion, these jeweled jackets were definitively used in the 18th Century, long before any singers had popularized them.

Lord Rawdon's Volunteers of Ireland

The Volunteers of Ireland were a Loyalist unit raised during the American Revolution by Lord Francis Rawdon.  They fought at the Battles of Camden and Hobkirk's Hill.  The Volunteers of Ireland were one of only two Loyalist units to be granted the status of a British regular regiment (the other unit was the Royal Highland Emigrants).  When they became a British regiment, they were numbered the 105th Foot.

Their uniform consisted of a light-infantry cap with an Irish Harp on the front, a red coat with an unusual style of lapels and lace, white breeches and brown marching gaiters.  While not recorded, I painted shamrock turnbacks on one soldier.

The soldier loading is a conversion from BMC's British grenadier fixing bayonet.

Figures by BMC, painted by me.

Song of the Volunteers of Ireland

Yesterday, (in Honour of the Anniversary of ST. PATRICK, tutelar Saint of that Kingdom) the regiment of Volunteers of Ireland, quartered on Jamaica, (Long–Island) were munificently entertained by their Colonel, the Right Honourable Lord RAWDON.

A SONG,
Sung Yesterday at Jamaica before the Volunteers of
Ireland, it being St. Patrick’s Day.
By BARNY THOMSON,
Piper to that Regiment.

SUCCESS to the shamrogue, and all those who wear it,
Be honour their portion wherever they go,
May riches attend them, and store of good claret,
For how to employ them sure none better know;
Every foe surveys them with terror,
But every silk petticoat wishes them nearer,
So Yankee keep off, or you’ll soon learn your error,
For Paddy shall prostrate lay ev’ry foe.

This day, (but the year I can’t rightly determine)
St. Patrick the vipers did chase from this land,
Let’s see if like him we can’t sweep off the vermin
Who dare ‘gainst the sons of the shamrogue to stand;
Hand in hand! let’s carrol this chorus,
   “As long as the blessings of Ireland hang o’er us,
   “The crest of rebellion shall tremble before us,
   “Like brothers while thus we march hand in hand!”

St. George & St. Patrick, St. Andrew, St. David,
Together may laugh at all Europe in arms,
Fair conquest her standard has o’er their heads waved
And glory has on them conferr’d all her charms!
War’s alarms! to us are a pleasure,
Since honour our danger repays in full measure,
And all those who join us shall find we have leisure,
To think of our sport ev’n in war’s alarms!  

Text from http://royalprovincial.com/history/music/voisong.shtml.  The Volunteers of Ireland were a Loyalist unit in the American Revolution.

Green Spring--Lafayette's Order of Battle

One of my heroes is the Marquis de Lafayette, and one of Lafayette's most important contributions was keeping British General Cornwallis penned up in Yorktown.  While maneuvering in Virginia, Lafayette and Cornwallis battled only once, at Green Spring.  This order of battle was found at http://web.archive.org/web/20060709171639/http://www.battleofgreenspring.org/participants/participanthistory/orderofbattle.html


Lafayette's Forces


Advanced Guard under Lieutenant-Colonel Galvan.  Armand's Legion was commanded by another foreign volunteer, Colonel Charles Armand Tuffin, Marquis de la Rouerie.
Galvan's Battalion of Light Infantry
Virginia Rifle Companies (Smith's and Willis's)
Armand's Legion
1st Continental Light Dragoons


Wayne's Brigade under General Anthony Wayne.  Wayne's Pennsylvanians arrived with Lafayette to bolster his fledgling army as it faced off against Cornwallis.
1st Pennsylvania Battalion
2nd Pennsylvania Battalion
3rd Pennsylvania Battalion
Continental Artillery
(Pennsylvania Battalions composed of detachments of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th Pennsylvania Regiments)

Massachusetts Light Infantry.  Figures by BMC, painted by the author

Reserve under Lieutenant-Colonel Gimat.  Gimat's force had originally accompanied Lafayette to Virginia to confront Benedict Arnold.
Gimat's Light Battalion (1 Rhode Island, 2 Massachusetts and 5 Connecticut companies)
Vose's Light Battalion (8 Massachusetts companies)
Barber's Light Battalion (5 New Jersey and 3 New Hampshire companies)


Rear Guard under Baron von Steuben.  Von Steuben was sent to Virginia to train the militia, just as he had trained the Continental Army at Valley Forge.
Virginia Continental Battalion
Stevens' Virginia Militia Brigade
Larson's Virginia Militia Brigade
Campbell's Virginia Rifle Brigade