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Fitzroy
Lost in the Wilderness
Belgium
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
May 24 2003
Status: offline
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 Posted - January 30 2005 : 03:09:18 AM
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I just got the new Redoubt "Coureurs des Bois" miniatures in their F&I range and it is something of an odd mixture. The figures themselves are very good but I'm wondering about accuracy the "uniforms"
Five out of six are in loose fitting shirt with breechclouts,Indian leggins and stocking caps. The sixth in any of the packs is definitely a Compagnies Franches officer or NCO in campaign dress. I know that officers of the CFdlM often commanded Militia/Indian warbands, but what would differentiate the so called Coureurs des Bois from those two groups?
The rank and file somehow looks more like Canadian Miltia to my untrained eye but I've got to admit that I don't really know what Coureurs des Bois are SUPPOSED to look like.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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CT•Ranger
Colonial Militia
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
October 14 2002
Status: offline
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Posted - January 30 2005 : 10:54:15 AM
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My area of expertise is in British regular and provincial soldiers, not French. But from what I understand, Coureurs de Bois were French Canadian trappers or voyageurs who basically went Native, lived with Natives, often taking Native wives, and dressed in Native fashion, ie. breechclout and leggings, stocking caps were the preffered head gear, and they often were tatooed but rarely wore war paint. I believe French Canadian militia would be dressed more in French European style clothing than Native.
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YMHS,
Connecticut•Ranger
Thomas Thacher
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Fitz Williams
Colonial Militia
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
May 19 2002
Status: offline
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Posted - January 30 2005 : 8:00:30 PM
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There were really two kinds of French Milice. One was the metropolitan Milice, which generally looked and dressed like the ordinary inhabitants of the cities. The Quebec Milice even had some great looking uniforms with red frock coats and breeches, and white waistcoats. Then there were the frontier Milice. Standard issue were breech cloths, long shirts, and capots. The CDB's were sort of a freelance hunter/trapper/trader not necessarily on the right side of the authorities. I can't see CDB's operating as Milice, or wanting to. The description of the figures you have sounds like frontier Milice.
See the Company of Military Historians web site:
http://www.military-historians.org/
They have plates depicting various units (around 800) from various periods of time. |
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Okwaho
Pathfinder
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
December 24 2004
Status: offline
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Posted - January 31 2005 : 10:23:00 PM
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Fitz is correct but I will go one step farther. The Coureurs de Bois were,as has been stated, free spirits and were entrepeneurs trapping hunting and fishing and who spent much of their time living withe Natives often taking Native wives. Many saved their money and retired to live in Montreal or Quebec as respected merchants.On the other hand Voyageurs were simply the hired help who paddled the big freight canoes west in the spring loaded with trade goods and paddled them back east in the fall full of furs.There is a new book out by Georges-Hebert Germain, "Adventurers In The New World, The Saga Of The Coureurs des Bois". This book, with illustrations by Francis Back, covers much more than just the Courers des Bois and is published by The Canadian Museum of Civilization {ISBN 0-660-19075-3}and sells for $39.95.It is a must read for anyone wanting to learn about that segment of Canadian history and the fur trade in general.
Tom Patton |
It's great to be an Indian ally of the French. |
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Fitzroy
Lost in the Wilderness
Belgium
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
May 24 2003
Status: offline
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 Posted - February 01 2005 : 5:20:10 PM
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Thanks very much for the replies guys. Feel a lot "safer" now.
Of course I'll be pestering Redoubt for more Milice and CFDLM figures...
Okwaho,
I'll definitely try to get my hands on that book; didn't even know such a thing existed. Of course I'll scour the UK and cont. Europe booksites first since that will probably be cheaper, but if I can't find it in a reasonable amount of time, I'll order it directly from Canada.
If any of you would happen to know any more good reference works on FIW subjects like Colonial Troops or the Compagnies Franches I'd be very glad to hear about it. Very hard to get unbiased accounts over
here.
BTW we'll be hosting a FIW wargame (Raid on Odanak) at the Action event in Rheindahlen next March. 50+ Rangers and well over 200 Indians and Coureurs des Bois/Militia. Nearly all Redoubt miniatures since our Conquest figures haven't arrived yet. I'll make sure some pics are uploaded to our website asap.
Thank again
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CT•Ranger
Colonial Militia
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
October 14 2002
Status: offline
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Posted - February 01 2005 : 5:34:32 PM
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One of the best reference books for British uniforms in the F&I War is "Redcoats, Yankees and Allies: A History of the Uniforms, Clothing and Gear of the British Army in the Lake George - Lake Champlain Corridor, 1755-1760" by Brenton C. Kemmer. It's just a small paperback, but full of uniform information like facing colors and lace patterns, etc. for the various British regular and provincial regiments. I used it extensively for painting my miniatures, back when I had room to wargame, and knew other wargamers in my area.
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YMHS,
Connecticut•Ranger
Thomas Thacher
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Fitz Williams
Colonial Militia
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
May 19 2002
Status: offline
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Posted - February 01 2005 : 5:58:57 PM
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| There is a book, "The Equipment of New France Militia" by Steve Delisle that is the definitive work on the 1740-1760 era. Only problem is, it is very hard to find. |
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