"On the Road Again": Canada 1759 (1 Viewer)

[PolarBear]

Major-General James Wolfe and an officer of the 47th Regt. of Foot holding the King's Colour takes a moment out along the banks of the St. Lawrence on his way to Quebec to meet his shared destiny with Montcalm.
Randy

 

[Tex]

On the historical side,
Why was General Wolfe's uniform so plain? I am used to seeing the ornate uniforms of the Napoleonic Wars, but was the simplicity just Wolfe's preference? Did the general really carry a musket? He would seem very atypical for British Generals during the period.

 

[PolarBear]

On the historical side,
Why was General Wolfe's uniform so plain? I am used to seeing the ornate uniforms of the Napoleonic Wars, but was the simplicity just Wolfe's preference? Did the general really carry a musket? He would seem very atypical for British Generals during the period.

John Jenkins based the figure of Wolfe on an 18th C portrait shown below:

"Maj.-Gen. James Wolfe
The portrait shows Major Genera James Wolfe in the all red uniform that he usually wore during the siege of Quebec and probably during the siege of Louisbourg also. This all red uniform dated from the days of the Duke of Marlborough as an optional field dress for officers. The original source for this 1766 portrait is a sketch made by Captain Hervey Smyth, Wolfe's aide-de-camp during the siege. The black band worn around Wolfe's arm is a mourning band in remembrance of the general's father, who had died in March 1759."

 

[Tex]

Thanks. What was Wolfe like as a leader? If he really lugged a musket around, it would seem to suggest a dynamism unusual for the aristocratic British officers of the period.

 

[sceic2]

Hay Polar Bear,
I have not mentioned this before and I am feeling a little bit guilty for not having done so. Your photos of mini dioramas are absolutely great. I like the idea of highlighting the details on a small number of these really unique and beautiful pieces of art. Keep up the posting. I am sure that others think the same thing as well.

 

[PolarBear]

Hay Polar Bear,
I have not mentioned this before and I am feeling a little bit guilty for not having done so. Your photos of mini dioramas are absolutely great. I like the idea of highlighting the details on a small number of these really unique and beautiful pieces of art. Keep up the posting. I am sure that others think the same thing as well.

Thank you Michael. It's great fun and keeps me out of trouble during retirement.
Randy