Stapelton Cotton - Finished

I forgot to post the completed Stapelton Cotton after I finished his base. He only has 2 Brigades of cavalry to lead on the tabletop at this moment, but I'm sure more troops will arrive.

42nd Highlanders Work in Progress

Since I decided to make a dent in the Napoleonic Armies and to paint units my ancestors were in, naturally it was time to put another Highlander unit on the tabletop. Since Coll and Kenneth M'Dougall were both Captains in the 42nd (Royal Highland) Regiment of Foot, it's natural (at least for this wargamer) to paint the 42nd Highlanders.

Here are some excellent images I found in 1:6 scale (about the size of a original G. I. Joe). :


As I continued my research I discovered that the kilt of the 42nd is much darker than other patterns:


Whenever I do a new type of figure or a figure where I am not sure of the correct colors to use, I paint a "test" figure. I will use either extra figures I'm not using or one of the figures that will be part of the unit (after all if you make a mistake, just paint over it!). This allows me to write down which paints I use on what and to have a "pattern" to look at a copy.

As I started to paint my test patterns for the kilt of the 42nd, I soon realized after a couple of tries that the kilt was going to be too dark for the wargames table. By that I mean, when looking at the figure from a gaming distance, I could not see any details on the kilt; it was too dark. I have run into this before with other figures, especially in the 15mm scale. To make the figures look presentable, it is often necessary to lighten the colors so the details or colors can be seen. After experimenting, I came up with the following tutorial for the kilts of the 42nd in 25mm/28mm scale:

Paint the entire kilt a dark green. I primarily use GW's paints. After the figures were primed black, I used Dark Angel Green as the base color.

Paint thick black horizontal and vertical stripes. Don't paint the stripes too close to each other as a thinner stripe is going to be painted between them later. If you are not used to painting stripes, practice on some spare paper or cardboard until you are confident that you can get the lines pretty straight. They don't have to be exact; at this scale you won't be able to tell the difference. I always tell myself it's a fold in the fabric!

Paint a blue stripe over the black stripes. Don't use a blue that is too light; I used Royal Blue for my color.

Paint some lighter green in the dark green squares but don't cover up the dark green completely; this will give it a nice shaded effect. I used Snot Green (yeah, love the names GW uses for their paints).

Carefully(!) paint a thin vertical and horizontal stripe to intersect the green squares. Don't worry if your lines are not exactly straight; again at this scale you won't be able to tell the difference. Before you know it, you have a pretty good government pattern kilt for your rank and file men in skirts.

Here is the result of the kilt pattern I used on Highlanders manufactured by Wargames Foundry in 28mm.

Figures are not quite finished but since I have a couple days off from work, I think I'll be able to get them finished this weekend.

This is an Officer figure by Front Rank Miniatures. This is going to be the mighty Captain Coll M'Dougall leading the highland charge into the face of the French invaders of Spain and Portugal!

Yes, I do have a CD of the Royal Highland Regiment Pipes and Drums . . . and yes I play it when any of my Highlander units attack.

More Military Ancestors from my Father's side for Veteran's Day

Tried to get this finished by yesterday but just didn't quite do it. Hats off again to my Uncle Gus for providing information about military family members and ancestors from my Father's side of the Family. I still need to gather the information from my Mom's side of the family plus my wife's family. Talk about motivation to paint!

Me, Neil Campbell Reinwald - Colonel of Infantry, US Army.


My brother Shawn Michael Reinwald – Colonel 0f Marines, US Marine Corps.

My youngest brother Brian Robert Reinwald – Colonel of Infantry, US Army.

My dad Neil Campbell Reinwald – Dad was in the Navy serving as a Hospital Corpsman with the Marines. He served in Viet Nam and attained the rank of Petty Officer First Class.

Uncle Royce (Gus) Augustus Reinwald – Royce enlisted for 4 years in the US Army in 1965. He served in the Army Security Agency as a Vietnamese Linguist and was in Viet Nam during 1967. He attained the rank of Sp. 6 and was awarded the Army Commendation Medal.

Grandfather Laverne (Mike) W. A. Reinwald – During WWII, in January of 1942, Mike was issued a permit to depart from the US for 6 Months to Iraq under a War Department contract employed on a Government Defense project. Mike could not enlist in the armed forces because, at that time, they were not drafting older men with families. He very much wanted to help the war effort, and went to Iraq to construct a road on which supplies were hauled to the Soviet Union. The rest of 1942 and through April 1943, he was in both Iraq and Iran and “up North in Arab country” arriving back in the US in the fall of 1943.

Granduncle Royce Robert Reinwald - Royce was 1^st Lieutenant, General Staff Field Artillery 93^rd Division. He was the Division Artillery Survey Officer. He enlisted 25 April 1941 in Wilks Barre, Pa. and completed officer training school at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma. He died in Oct. 1942 at Fort Bliss, Tx. during training.

1^st Cousin 2 Times Removed Charles Wagner Smith - Electricians Mate 1^st Class U S Navy during WWII. Lost at sea.

2^nd Cousin 2 T. Removed Douglas Neil Wimberley - Major-General Douglas Wimberley CB, DSO, MC was commander of the 51^st Highland Division at the Second Battle of El Alamein in WWII and lead the Division across North Africa to Sicily.

2^nd Cousin 3 T. Removed Archibald Campbell - A Union soldier who died at the storming of Fort Fisher during the American Civil War. I need to research and find out what regiment he was with.

1^st Cousin 3 T. Removed Charles Neil Campbell Wimberley - Colonel, IMS (India Medical Service). He was the father of Major-General Douglas Wimberley.

1^st Cousin 2 T. Removed Douglas Wimberley - Captain, late of the 79th Highlanders (entry from my 2nd Great Grandfather's diary).


2^nd Great Grandfather John Karl Augustus Reinwald - At the beginning of the Civil War, he enlisted as a private in Captain Hugh McDonald's Co. G, 42^nd Regiment Pa. Volunteers, the Bucktail Regiment. He enrolled on April 25, 1861 and received a bullet wound in the face at the battle of Turner's Gap, South Mountain on 14 Sept. 1862. His wound caused partial paralysis of the right side of his face and deafness of the right ear. He was discharged from service on March 21, 1863.

1st Cousin 3 T. Removed George Schanbacher - George was killed in the Battle of Malvern Hill during the Civil War. He was in Company D, 106th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers. He enlisted on 21 August 1861 and also fought in the Battle of Fair Oaks.

1st Cousin 3 T. Removed George Schanbacher- Charles was killed in 1862 and was also a member of the 106th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers.



2nd Great Uncle Dugald Campbell - "Capped" (became an officer?) in 1855 and sent to India. Officer appointed to the 14th Native Infantry. In 1856 he is stationed in Secundrabad. In reading his brother's diary in an entry from June 1857 (My 2nd Great Grandfather Neil Campbell) he was being sent from Secundrabad to "Sincapore" (Singapore). He anticipated on being sent to China. In a diary entry from April 1858 he received a letter from Dugald that he had been doing a "little" fighting at Shorapoor and is currently attached to two squadrons of Madras Cavalry. Dugald died in India in 1865 from cholera.



2nd Great Uncle Colin Campbell - Brother of Dugald and Neil. During the Santhal Insurection in 1855 he was a civilian who was warned of the uprising my one of his servants. He served as a volunteer fighting insurgents until he joined a volunteer unit at Ramphoor. Received the thanks of the government for his role in helping to aid the Santhal Insurrection. During the Indian Mutiny there is a letter to Neil dated from him on 8 July 1857 and was written from Futtipore which is near Cawnpore where he was still a member of a volunteer force. In speaking of the life he leads - "never slept lighter in my life - always sleep with a couple of pistols under my pillow, a tulwar (saber) convenient to my hand, and a pair of bull terriers chained to my charpoy."


3rd Great Grandfather Neil Campbell - Neil Campbell served 6 years in the British Navy on HMS Texel. He was then appointed a cadet for Bengal in 1808 in the army of the Honorable East India Co. Service (H.E.I.C.S.) and in 1809 went to India in which country he saw 33 years active service. He volunteered with the light company of the 21^st Native Infantry Regiment to Kallenger in 1812 when he was in the attack of the outpost of Kallengeree and in the storm and taking of Kallenger. In 1815 & 1816 he was with the army in the invasion of Nepal and in 1825 & 1826, as Captain, served in the siege and assault of Bhurtpore. In 1838 he was commissioned Major, and in 1841 retired from the service.

6^th Great Grandfather Claude Middagh - During the Revolutionary War, Claude is listed as a member of the 3^rd Regiment Ulster County Militia serving under Col. Hasbrouck.

7^th Great Grandfather Joris Jorisse Middagh – Joris served during the Revolutionary War in the 3^rd Regiment Ulster County Militia. In Roberts' record of his service his name is Gores Meddagh, Jr.

8^th Great Grandfather Joris Arelse Middagh - He was a Captain of Foot Company, Counties of Ulster and Dutchess in the Colonial Militia.

8^th Great Grandfather John ‘Beg/Ghear’ Campbell – Possibly died in the Wars of the Covenant about 1645.

8^th Great Grandfather John Campbell Z of Loch – Died February 1645 in the Battle of Inverlochy, Inverness-Shire, Scotland.

9^th Great Grandfather John Biggs – August 1685 John was commissioned Lieutenant of a Foot Company in Hurley, Marbletown, and Monbaccus, where Thomas Garton was Captain. John is again listed in 1687 among the soldiers of Kingston, as Lieutenant in Capt. Garton's Company.

9^th Great Grandfather Patrick Campbell – Died in 1645 at the Battle of Kilsyth, Strathclyde, Scotland.

10^th Great Grandfather Matthew Biggs – Matthew came with Sir Richard Nockolls from Worcestershire, England in the expeditionary force dispatched by King Charles and the Duke of York against New Amsterdam in 1664. They were to settle the dispute between England and the Netherlands over control of the colony known as New Amsterdam. The Dutch surrendered to the English forces and New Amsterdam was renamed New York.

10^th Great Grandfather George Hall – George was a soldier in the Foot Company in Hurley, Marbletown, and Monbaccus. In August 1685 the Company for Hurley and Marbletown was officered by Capt. Thomas Garton, Lt. John Biggs (George Hall’s son-in-law) and Ensign Charles Broadhead.

10^th Great Grandfather Guert Cornelisen NiewKirk – In 1670 Guert is listed in Capt. Henry Pawling's Company of Foot Militia, from Hurley, at the Rendezvous of April 5th of that year.

10^th Great Grandfather Samuel Sabin Sr. – Samuel served in King Philip’s War and in the Phips expedition to Quebec in 1690.

11^th Great Grandfather Thomas Tracy – In 1637, Thomas was in the Pequot War. In 1663 he was appointed Lieutenant of the forces raise in New London, Connecticut to wage war against the Indians and the Dutch. He was quartermaster in 1675 during the King Phillip's War and was Deputy to the Norwich General Court for several years.

Now I need to gather the information from my Mom's side of the family and my wife's!

Field Marshal Stapelton Cotton

Field Marshal Stapleton Cotton, 1st Viscount Combermere GCB, GCH, KSI, PC, etc., British Field Marshal and Colonel of the 1st Life Guards was born on 14 November 1773. He served under Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington in the Peninsular War with distinction.

He was educated at Westminster School and when only sixteen obtained a second lieutenancy in the 23rd Regiment of Foot. A few years after wards (1793) he became by purchase captain in the 6th Dragoon Guards and he served in this regiment during the campaigns of the Flanders. While yet in his twentieth year, he joined the 25th Light Dragoons (subsequently 22nd) as Lieutenant Colonel.

British Light Dragoons in the Peninsular War

In 1796 he went with his regiment to India taking part en route in the operations in Cape Colony (July–August 1796), and in 1799 served in the war with Tippoo Sahib, and at the storming of Seringapatam. Soon after this, having become heir to the family baronetcy, he was, at his father's desire, exchanged into a regiment at home, the 16th Light Dragoons. He was stationed in Ireland, became a Colonel in 1800, and Major General five years later.

The Peninsular War (Now the stuff we need for gaming this period!)

In 1808 he was sent to the seat of war in Portugal where he shortly rose to the position of commander of Wellington's cavalry and it was here that he most displayed that courage and judgment which won for him his fame as a cavalry officer.

Arthur Wellesley, The Duke of Wellington

Cotton was nicknamed the "Lion d'Or" during his Peninsular War years, because of his fearlessness and the ostentatious splendour of his uniforms and equipment. He succeeded to the baronetcy in 1809, but continued his military career. His role in the Battle of Salamanca (22 July 1812) was especially notable and he received the personal thanks of Wellington. He displayed coolness under fire at the Battle of Venta del Pozo on 23 October 1812 where he led the army's rearguard. He was now a Lieutenant General in the British army and a Knight Commander of Bath and on the conclusion of peace (1814) was raised to the peerage under the style of Baron Combermere.

Cotton was not present at Waterloo, even though Wellington wanted him to have the command, which he expected and bitterly regretted not receiving, having been given to Lord Uxbrigde.

Lord Uxbridge conversing with an officer of the Foot Guards

When the latter was wounded Cotton was sent for to take over his command, and he remained in France until the reduction of the Allied army of occupation.

I plan on finishing Cotton's base today while waiting for Alabama Football!

Front Rank Miniature's General Stapelton Cotton

I've been a fan of Front Rank Miniature's Napoleonic line of miniatures in 28mm for quite awhile now. The castings are meticulous with little flash and the figures themselves are fun to paint. Front Rank is available in the United States through Triangle Miniatures at http://www.triangleminiatures.com/index.html.

Front Rank figures are compatible in size with Wargames Foundry and Perry Miniatures; in fact, I have all three manufacturers in my miniature Napoleonic armies. One of the bonuses in using Front Rank miniatures is the ability to purchase individual figures allowing you to design your units and not end up with extras.

Since I decided to devote more time to finishing my armies for the Empire of France and their opponents in the Peninsular War, those little marching and riding figures need have a general or two to lead them in battle. I purchased Front Rank's the Duke of Wellington, the Earl of Uxbridge, mounted senior officer with bicorne, mounted Highland officer and General Stapleton Cotton.

The figure for Cotton is cast as one piece, rider and horse are one.


Even though this is a very detailed figure of Cotton in the uniform of General officer of Hussars, I found it easy to paint because of the excellent sculpting of the detail (does that make sense?).

Here's how I painted him and all paints are GW; as usual I primed the figure with flat black:

1. Skin. Base coat of Dark Flesh followed by Dwarf Flesh. Highlights with Elf Flesh.

2. Busby (the big furry hat). Base coat of Scorched Brown and then a wet brush of Bestial Brown followed by a dry brush of Snakebite Leather. To finish a light dry brush of Desert Yellow.

3. Busby bag and Sabretache. Base coat of Scab Red and then covered with Blood Red. Highlighted with Red Wash.

4. Pelisse (the Hungarian style jacket over his shoulder), coveralls and blue facings. Base coat of Royal Blue and then Blue Wash watered down. I then highlighted again with Royal Blue.

5. Dolman (the jacket). Same as Busby bag above.



6. Gold Braid and chin scales. Shining Gold highlighted with Mithral silver. The saber and scabbard were painted Mithral silver.

7. The Horse. I tried a new technique this time. I painted the horse completely with Bestial Brown and once it dried, I covered it with Brown Wash. I must say I was pleased with the result. The tail and main were painted Black and then dry brushed with Codex Gray. The tack was also painted black and ever so lightly dry brushed with Codex Gray.

8. Shabraque (the dead animal on the horse - fancy name for horse blanket). Base coat of Bestial Brown and then a dry brush of Snakebite leather with Desert Yellow highlights.