"A Skirmish in the Wilderness" 1758 (1 Viewer)

[PolarBear]

EPISODE 5: 2/13/08

At the same time that Charles Pelham is helping bring back wood for the campsite, his best friend in the 27th, Liam O'Brian, formerly of Cork County, Ireland has been sent to find game to feed the men. When we first see him, he has just come face to face with a bull moose coming out of the woods. Reacting quickly he gets off a shot from his musket before this giant of the forest can react.

 

[PolarBear]

EPISODE 5: 2/13/08 continued

O'Brian listens as another member of the 27th Regiment congratulates the young Irishman on the trophy he has bagged for the men of Rogers' patrol.

 

[Tex]

poor moose.

 

[PolarBear]

EPISODE 6: 2/15/08

At the same time that Charles and the other members of the patrol were making preparations for their overnight camp, activity was also stirring at French outposts in the area. There is always a concern among those manning these wilderness outposts that the enemy may be lurking nearby. Neither side was aware at the moment, however, that another "clash of empires" was in their immediate futures.

 

[PolarBear]

EPISODE 7: 2/18/08

Having gathered wood for a fire and meat for their dinner the men of Rogers' Rangers and the 27th Regiment of Foot have set up their camp and will soon make preparations for the dark night of the wilderness. Charles speaks about his hopes and fears for tomorrow and what it is like to be living in this exciting new world: a world where he hopes one day to permanently settle and start his own family. Peace on this wilderness frontier would not be hurried, however, as long as the land was a point of conflict for three groups of people: the Woodland Indians, the French, and the British. This conflict for the future of the continent was the reason for the battles being fought and the blood that stained its soil.

 

[PolarBear]

EPISODE 7: 2/18/08 continued...

As the sun sets and the forest darkens, Rogers sends men out on point to protect the camp while others try to get some rest before resuming their journey in the morning. Walking miles on showshoes can drain the energy of even the strongest individual.

 

[PolarBear]

EPISODE 8: 2/22/08

It is now the morning of March 11th. Pelham and his companions have spent a cold but peaceful night and will soon be breaking camp to move forward on their patrol against the French. Already the woods in the area of Lake George are coming alive with French Marines and their Indian allies. The pieces are being set in place for a clash of Empires that will alter Charles' life forever.

 

[thebritfarmer]

What a great thread, wonderful figures set in amzing dioramas. Well done....I'll wait patiently for the next installment.

 

[PolarBear]

What a great thread, wonderful figures set in amzing dioramas. Well done....I'll wait patiently for the next installment.

Thank you. Glad you are enjoying it. I look forward to each of John Jenkins new releases to add more characters to the story.

Randy

 

[APACHEJOL]

EPISODE 8: 2/22/08

It is now the morning of March 11th. Pelham and his companions have spent a cold but peaceful night and will soon be breaking camp to move forward on their patrol against the French. Already the woods in the area of Lake George are coming alive with French Marines and their Indian allies. The pieces are being set in place for a clash of Empires that will alter Charles' life forever.

I look forward to your pictures you do an excellent job they are very appreciated. Thanks Joel

 

[PolarBear]

EPISODE 9: 2/25/08

"A Snake in the Snow":

Among the French soldiers and their Indian allies moving through the woods near Lake George that morning was a 20 year old Iroquois named Gawasowaneh which translated from Iroquois into English means “Big Snow Snake”. This was a very appropriate name for a young woodland Indian who was especially skilled in moving quietly and unseen through snow-covered forests. Gawasowaneh was used to the snows of the Northeast. As a young boy he had grown up among the Onondagas in New York, where the nearby lakes helped fuel the snows each winter.

 

[mestell]

I really enjoy the story line and your photography skills. Just an outstanding job!

Mike

 

[PolarBear]

I really enjoy the story line and your photography skills. Just an outstanding job!

Mike

Thanks Mike. The story will move somewhat slowly to await more BOS issues by John.


Randy

 

[PolarBear]

EPISODE 9 continued:

The Iroquois were mostly allied with the British during this period of time, but often their support for the British was lukewarm. To many woodland Indians all white men were usurpers of their land. Gawasowaneh was one of those Iroquois who did not much care for the British. The area where he was born had been the site of a French Jesuit mission and trading post in the 1650s. When he was a boy many of his clan's grandmothers told him about the time of the French and he even learned French words from them.

The 17th C French mission to the Onondagas (Ste. Marie Among the Iroquois):

 

[PolarBear]

EPISODE 9 continued

When he reached the age of 17 he decided to accompany some of his friends north into Canada where they found French traders and a small military outpost. His friends who disliked the British even more than he did persuaded him to join the French as a scout and tracker. The French soldiers that he met liked the fact that he knew their language and was aware of the Jesuits and their role in the New World. After coming to Canada, Gawasowaneh covered much of his face with black paint and so the French soldiers gave him the nickname "La Masque."

 

[jomartvr]

Thanks for posting the photographs, especially the of the mission. Have you visited that site?
Benjamin

 

[Harrytheheid]

Randy,
I think this is your best thread yet. I can hardly wait for JJ to release more figures so you can add even more to this excellent docu-diorama.
Thanks
H

 

[PolarBear]

Thanks for posting the photographs, especially the of the mission. Have you visited that site?
Benjamin

Yes we lived in Syracuse 30+ years. It is, of course, a reconstruction. It's not on its original site either which is now occupied by a restaurant--the LeMoyne Manor named for the Jesuit LeMoyne. There is also a LeMoyne College in Syracuse too. I had a colleague at SU who is an Iroquois(Onondaga) and worked part time at St. Marie, known locally as "the French Fort." With my knowledge of the area I decided to make one of my Native American characters come from there, even though most Iroquois supported the British rather than the French in the war.
Randy

 

[PolarBear]

EPISODE 10 2/27/08

"The Trackers"

As a young boy Gawasowaneh had helped his father track deer and moose in the snow-covered woods of New York. Now as a young man he was back in New York but this time using his skills to track down men---the men who were his enemies: the British who were at war with the French for the control of North America. "Big Snake in the Snow" crouches low to the ground looking for any evidence that the enemy may be nearby. His companion Rene Favreau, a French Marine, looks down the path ahead and readys his musket for any eventuality.

 

[PolarBear]

EPISODE 11: 2/28/08

"Les Compagnons":

When Gawasowaneh first arrived in Canada from New York he made friends with the Algonquins who were allies of the French. Algonquins were among the French & Indian forces now in New York and currently near Lake George during this cold and snowy month of March. Among these Algonquins were several of his close companions:

Askuwheteau ("He keeps watch"):

Askuwheteau was a valued scout and seemed to have a sixth sense for detecting the presence of game or the enemy in the vicinity. He was proud of the wolf's head that he wore in the winter with his "blanket coat". The wolf's head and war paint made him a fierce opponent. He felt that he had absorbed the cunning and strength of the animal whose pelt kept him warm in the icy cold winters of the Northeast.