U.S. Marines History (1 Viewer)

[cantinetozzo]

Not attention was given to the new range , a sort of Museum range exploring the uniforms of the Marines through the ages , we start with the Marine of the American Revolution and the Barbary Coast War.I think they are really good, particularly the second.Here are the pics:

 

[PolarBear]

The figure on the right is from the War of 1812. A Barbary War figure is not made yet. It will be issued later. When I wrote the insert I suggested they add a figure for that conflict.

 

[cantinetozzo]

Ops ..you are right, i based my description on what i read here:
http://www.sierratoysoldier.com/our...1-1818-1-Piece-Set-in-Window-Box-427p6922.htm
and my recollections of the Honour Bound figures!By the way is a beautiful figure of a less beaten period .

 

[PolarBear]

Ops ..you are right, i based my description on what i read here:
http://www.sierratoysoldier.com/our...1-1818-1-Piece-Set-in-Window-Box-427p6922.htm
and my recollections of the Honour Bound figures!By the way is a beautiful figure of a less beaten period .

You are right--they are doing it as both conflicts I guess. The Barbary Wars were done by 1815 but I was thinking of the earlier one portrayed by Honour Bound in the Shores of Tripoli 1804/5--very different uniforms as you can see.

So HB is 1st Barbary War 1801-1805
and WB is 2nd Barbary War of 1815

2nd Barbary War:

The expulsion of American vessels from the Mediterranean during the War of 1812 by the British navy further emboldened the pirate nations. Umar ben Muhammad, Dey of Algiers, the "Omar Bashaw" of the 1815 treaty, expelled the US consul general Tobias Lear and declared war on the United States for failing to pay its required tribute.
United States' response

At the conclusion of the War of 1812, however, America could once again turn its sights on North Africa. On March 3, 1815, the US Congress authorized deployment of naval power against Algiers, and a force of ten ships was dispatched under the command of Commodores Stephen Decatur, Jr. and William Bainbridge, both veterans of the First Barbary War. Decatur's squadron departed for the Mediterranean on May 20, 1815. Bainbridge's command was still assembling, and did not depart until July 1, thereby missing the military and diplomatic initiatives which Decatur swiftly and decisively handled.

 

[PolarBear]

The 2nd Barbary War is also known as the Algerine War

Algerine War (ăl`jərēn'), early 19th-century conflict between Algiers and the United States. The Tripolitan War (1801–5) had brought a temporary halt to the pirate activities of the Barbary States. However, during the subsequent Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812 the Barbary pirates renewed their predatory raids on American Mediterranean commerce, and Algiers actually declared war on the United States. In 1815, Stephen Decatur was sent to Algiers at the head of a squadron of 10 ships. After two minor engagements he sailed into the harbor of Algiers and forced (June 30) the dey of Algiers to sign a treaty renouncing U.S. tribute and agreeing to release all U.S. prisoners without ransom. Decatur then exacted similar guarantees from Tunisia (July 26) and Tripoli (Aug. 5), and the so-called Algerine War was ended.

Decatur & 2nd Barbary War

Second Barbary War
In May 1815, Commodore Decatur sailed his squadron of ten ships to the Mediterranean Sea to conduct the Second Barbary War, which put an end to the international practice of paying tribute to pirate states. Decatur was dispatched to Algiers to secure the release of American slaves, to obtain an end to tribute, and finally, to procure favorable prize agreements.
Capturing the Algerian fleet flagship Mashouda as well as the Algerian brig Estedio in route to Algeria, Decatur secured an amount of levying power with which to bargain with the Dey of Algiers. Upon arrival, Decatur exhibited an early use of gunboat diplomacy on behalf of American interests. A new treaty was agreed to within 48 hours of his arrival, confirming the success of his objectives.
After resolving the disputes in Algiers, Decatur sailed his squadron to Tunis and Tripoli to demand reimbursement for proceeds withheld by those governments in the War of 1812. In a similar fashion, Decatur received all of the demands he asked of them, and promptly sailed home victorious.
For this campaign, he became known as "the Conqueror of the Barbary Pirates".

 

[Ken & Ericka Osen/H&A Studio]

Here is a bit of back ground for the two uniforms you have shown here between the Honour Bound sets and the W. Britain figures.
First the uniform represented in the Honour Bound set, which W. Britain will also represent with one figure in the future.
The US Marines were wearing the same coat style introduced in 1803 for the US Army. It hooked and eyed closed at the top front often with only 4 hooks and eyes, then broke away at the front showing the vest. The coat tails reached just above the bends on the knees with what are called full turnback decorations.
The hat worn is called the round hat, or common hat turned up on one side and bound with white tape. Again this style hat was worn by the US Army with different decorations as prescribed in official documents of the period.

The W. Britain Marine wears the new style coatee introduced in 1810 for both services. This hook and eyed closed up the front but was found unsatisfactory, and was modified in 1812 to close with functioning buttons.
It is interesting to point out that the British army adopted the same style coat about 1800 and modified it to a buttoning front sometime around 1806.
Although we generally followed European military fashion, we were often a little late in adopting the fine details.
The cap worn was adopted in 1812, although it was unofficially worn by entire units, notably the 4th US Infantry in 1811. It is likely that some Marine units may have also adopted this cap pre 1812 with their exposure to the new styles in Europe.
Like most Marines in the world they were often assigned in small numbers to various ships in very different locations. and as a result there could be a real lack of uniformity as a whole.

The next notable change in fashion occurred in 1821.

These are the first two of a series we plan to do over the next few years, with small additions in the various catalogs.
All the Best!
Ken

 

[cantinetozzo]

Thanks to both Ken and Randy for having shed light on a period and wars i didn't know (apart from the name), i think it's really a good choice to portray the Marine Corps and certainly i'll buy the 1812-1818 marine , i like the great research behind the figures made by Ken and others and it reflects certainly on them.