Mounted Hessian Soldiers of the American Revolution (1 Viewer)

[Shannon Reuss]

Hi all,
I have a collector looking for mounted Hessians from the American Revolutionary War.
I've seen Hessian infantry but not dragoons.
Anyone have suggestions or know of a source?
Thanks,

 

[theBaron]

Hi all,
I have a collector looking for mounted Hessians from the American Revolutionary War.
I've seen Hessian infantry but not dragoons.
Anyone have suggestions or know of a source?
Thanks,

Aha, this is my area!

The only German mounted troops to serve in America were the Brunswick regiment Prinz Friedrich, and some mounted Jägers from Hessen-Kassel. The Brunswickers wound up serving on foot, because the British could not or would not provide them with mounts.

I don't know of any current makers who make either figures. But Russell Gammage had a Germanic dragoon figure in his Rose line, back in the day, that could be painted as a dragoon from most of the German states, from Prussia through Brunswick, to the Hessian duchies, and Hannover, Bavaria and Austria.

Old Guard made a dismounted Brunswick dragoon, standing with his carbine over his right shoulder, after a print (maybe Lefferts?).

Alan Levin from Philadelphia also made a dismounted Brunswick dragoon figure, too, marching with the carbine at present, but I think he has since passed away.

I think I have a mold in my stash to make the Old Guard figure, but I'll have to check when I get home tonight.

Hope that helps, and I hope others can fill in any gaps I've left, or errors I made.

Prost beianand!
Brad

 

[theBaron]

It occurred to me just now that Imrie-Risley's British light dragoon can be painted as a German state's dragoon, too, if you use the musician's head, with its tricorn, rather than the helmeted head.

Shannon, is your contact looking for finished figures, or could he work with kits?

Prost!
Brad

 

[theBaron]

Self-correction, the Brunswick regiment was Prinz Ludwig.

Sorry for the error,

Prosit!
Brad

 

[theBaron]

Hi all,
I have a collector looking for mounted Hessians from the American Revolutionary War.
I've seen Hessian infantry but not dragoons.
Anyone have suggestions or know of a source?
Thanks,

Hi, Shannon, what ever became of this gentleman? Did he find what he was looking for?

Prost!
Brad

 

[Carnahan]

I'm really surprised that you don't see more AWI Hessians in either plastic or metal, especially in the states.

 

[Cornwallis]

As a collector of K&C AWI figures and an enthusiast of this period in general, I would certainly welcome a wider range of choice for Hessian regiments.
I think they would make for a varied and colourful addition to any collection or diorama.
Atleast we have the K&C range to keep us going, but we definately want to see more!!!

 

[Scott]

I'm really surprised that you don't see more AWI Hessians in either plastic or metal, especially in the states.

For plastic...Classic Toy Soldiers make a set of Hessians. I have Armies In Plastic Rev-War in green that I use for Jagers and The Armies In Plastics Rev-War Cavalry trooper with the carbine could be a mounted Jager while the rest could be the Brunswickers. AIP put all thier Rev-War cavalry in bi-corn hats instead of helmets for some reason. I don't believe the Brunswickers ever received horses as they were defeated at Bennington while looking for them.
(I'll stand corrected on that one if I'm off)

Again..these are only the plastic options.


Armies In Plastic figures. Green as Hessian Jagers

Classic Toy Soldiers

 

[theBaron]

Imrie-Risley includes Hessian infantry, in a wide variety of poses, in its catalog, but those are kits.

Also, our own fellow Treefrogger AlltheKingsMen has his own line of 54mm Revolutionary War figures in white metal, including Hessians. His website, if I'm not mistaken, is www.allthekingsmen.com.

Prost!
Brad

 

[Evzone]

All good suggestions, I think I'll use some of them to as for my American Revolution mounted collection all I've managed to amass is Britains British Legion, American milita and dragoons and of course K&C 17th Dragoons. Mind you there wasn't a great deal of cavalry in the first place.

 

[Scott]

From what I have read of the southern campaigns, horses were used more to transport men around than to fight from. From the Hessian Journal of Captain Johann Ewald, I rememeber that he notes capturing Americans, weapons, and horses, but does not note them a cavalry.

 

[theBaron]

That's a good point, Scott, and that's generally true of the entire war.

Cavalry were not employed to the same degree as in contemporary battles in Europe. For one thing, much of the terrain where campaigns were carried out precluded the sort of massed cavalry tactics used in Europe. Cavalry were much more useful here in the scouting and Kleinkrieg roles, which in European armies fell to the hussars, and in the British army, the light dragoons, and as couriers and field police (like the Hessian Feldjäger or Von Heer's Provost Corp).

I don't think that horse breeding had established itself here, either, to the degree that existed in Europe, where some estates produced as many as 1500 new horses ever year. And the Europeans also had access to the horses raised in the East, in Poland and the Ukraine, as sources for remounts

Plus, cavalry were relatively expensive to maintain, in terms of resources.

Still, there were enough individual units, and enough actions involving mounted men, to put together a nice collection solely on that theme.

Prost!
Brad

 

[Scott]

...and you have a good point Baron. The small number of actual cavalry units here makes it relatively easy to recreat a battle diorama that represents cavalry combat in America with small numbers of figures.

 

[Cornwallis]

and ideally it would be nice to have cavalry figures in actual combat poses so that you had more options for dioramas etc. Like in the Napoleonic range you have charging with sword pointed out in front, dead and wounded cavalry fallen off the mounts and slashing actions.

I would love K&C to do the British Legion, Lee's and Washington's horse in combat situations, as well as of course a mounted Jagers Corps!

 

[theBaron]

I omitted to include another possible source, albeit a maker no longer in production, and that's Jack Scheid's line of Revolutionary War figures. He included cavalry, both mounted and foot figures. The basic figure was of a Continental light dragoon, in the crested jockey cap. I think he also included British light dragoons with their crested helmets.

They were in a true 54mm, comparable to Imrie-Risley in size and desgin.

The figures still turn up on eBay and at dealer marts/flea markets, from time to time. Ron Ruddell from London Bridge Antique Toys may have the original molds, but I don't know if he has any plans to start producing the figures again.

Prost!
Brad