Author: Robbie MacNiven
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472857968
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 160
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Book Description
Fully illustrated, this book assesses the origins, equipment, and fighting styles of the irregular warfare specialists fighting on both sides during the American Revolutionary War. Amid North America's often forested, broken, or rugged terrain, 18th-century armies came to rely on soldiers capable of fighting individually or in small groups. During the American Revolutionary War, rifle-armed companies were incorporated into the newly created Continental Army, while Patriot militiamen and partisans also made use of rifled weapons. Facing them were the British Army's light infantrymen; among the most experienced regular soldiers fighting for the Crown, they were joined by Loyalist units able to operate in dispersed formations and German hired troops skilled in open-order fighting, including the rifle-armed Jäger. The strengths and limitations of both sides' open-order specialists are evaluated in this book, with particular focus upon three revealing battles: Harlem Heights (September 16, 1776), where the Patriots took heart from being able to hold their own in an escalating clash with Crown light forces; Freeman's Farm (September 19, 1777), where British light infantry engaged Patriot riflemen in notably rough terrain; and Hanging Rock (August 6, 1780), where Patriot riflemen and partisans attacked a Loyalist encampment, including Provincial Corps light infantry. Specially commissioned artwork, archive illustrations, and newly drawn mapping complement the authoritative text.
Author: Robbie MacNiven
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 147285795X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 81
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Book Description
Fully illustrated, this book assesses the origins, equipment, and fighting styles of the irregular warfare specialists fighting on both sides during the American Revolutionary War. Amid North America's often forested, broken, or rugged terrain, 18th-century armies came to rely on soldiers capable of fighting individually or in small groups. During the American Revolutionary War, rifle-armed companies were incorporated into the newly created Continental Army, while Patriot militiamen and partisans also made use of rifled weapons. Facing them were the British Army's light infantrymen; among the most experienced regular soldiers fighting for the Crown, they were joined by Loyalist units able to operate in dispersed formations and German hired troops skilled in open-order fighting, including the rifle-armed Jäger. The strengths and limitations of both sides' open-order specialists are evaluated in this book, with particular focus upon three revealing battles: Harlem Heights (September 16, 1776), where the Patriots took heart from being able to hold their own in an escalating clash with Crown light forces; Freeman's Farm (September 19, 1777), where British light infantry engaged Patriot riflemen in notably rough terrain; and Hanging Rock (August 6, 1780), where Patriot riflemen and partisans attacked a Loyalist encampment, including Provincial Corps light infantry. Specially commissioned artwork, archive illustrations, and newly drawn mapping complement the authoritative text.
Author: Robbie MacNiven
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472842502
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 65
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Book Description
During the Seven Years' War (1755–63), a number of independent light-infantry outfits served under British command and dedicated light companies were added to the British Army's regular infantry battalions. The light companies were disbanded after the war but the prominent role played by light infantry was not forgotten, and in 1771–72 light-infantry companies were reinstated in every regiment in the British Isles. Although William Howe formed a training camp at Salisbury in 1774 specifically to practise light-infantry doctrine, the outbreak of the American Revolution in 1775 found the British Army wanting, and the light companies were no different. After evacuating Boston in March 1776, Howe began to remodel and drill his army at Halifax, standardizing lighter uniform and emphasizing more open-order tactics. He also brigaded his light companies together into composite battalions, which went on to fight in almost every major engagement during the American Revolution. They spearheaded British assaults, using night-time surprise and relying upon the bayonet in engagements such as Paoli and Old Tappan. They also matched their regular and irregular opponents in bush-fighting, and at times fought in far-flung detachments alongside Native American and Loyalist allies on the frontier. Featuring specially commissioned full-colour artwork, this book offers a comprehensive guide to the formation, uniform, equipment, doctrines and tactics of these elite light infantry companies and battalions, and considers how, over the course of the war they developed a fearsome reputation, and exemplified the psychological characteristics exhibited by crack military units across history.
Author: Ron Field
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472855841
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 152
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Book Description
This book describes and illustrates the uniforms and personal equipment of the troops fielded by the Midwestern and Western states that fought for the Union during the Civil War. During the American Civil War, the United States Army, pitted against the forces of the fledgling Confederacy, fought to defend and preserve the Union during five long years of bitter conflict. As the war continued into 1862 and beyond, both sides mobilized huge numbers of troops, necessitating a massive expansion of military logistics in order to clothe, equip and feed the soldiers as they fought on a variety of fronts, from California to Virginia. This volume, the third in a three-part study, describes and illustrates the uniforms, insignia and personal equipment of the soldiers fielded by the Midwestern and Western states for the Union cause. While the majority of these troops were infantry, substantial numbers of artillery, cavalry and other specialists such as riflemen and engineers were also sent to fight the Confederate armies. Eight plates of original artwork showing officers and enlisted men of the Union Army are complemented by rare photographs depicting soldiers and items of uniform from some of the most comprehensive collections in the United States.
Author: Ron Field
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472855760
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 152
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Book Description
This fully illustrated study investigates the uniforms and equipment of the US regular troops and volunteers from the territories fighting for the Union during the American Civil War. During the American Civil War, the United States Army, pitted against the forces of the fledgling Confederacy, fought to defend and preserve the Union during five long years of bitter conflict. This volume describes and illustrates the uniforms, insignia and personal equipment of the Union Army's regular infantry, artillery, cavalry, and engineers, plus specialists such as US Sharpshooters, Veteran Reserve Corps, Medical Corps, and Signal Corps. This volume also covers the troops fielded by the Territories that fought for the Union. Eight plates of original artwork showing officers and enlisted men of the Union Army are complemented by previously unpublished photographs of soldiers and items of uniform from some of the most comprehensive collections in the United States.
Author: Ron Field
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472855809
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 149
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Book Description
This book describes and illustrates the uniforms and personal equipment of the troops fielded by the Eastern and New England states that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. During 1861–65, the United States Army, pitted against the forces of the fledgling Confederacy, fought to defend the Union during five long years of bitter conflict. This volume, the second in a three-part study, chronicles the clothing, insignia and gear worn by the soldiers fielded by 12 of the states that fought to preserve the Union. While uniforms conforming to standard Union Army patterns were widely issued to these troops, some wore distinctive items of dress or insignia, and a wide variety of weapons were carried. Ron Field, an acknowledged authority on US military apparel, reveals how the Eastern and New England states clothed and equipped their regiments during the Civil War. Eight plates of original artwork showing officers and enlisted men of the Union Army are complemented by photographs of soldiers and items of uniform from a variety of sources.
Author: Robbie MacNiven
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472845463
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 65
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Book Description
The American Revolution presented a series of unique tactical challenges to its competing factions. For Britain, the Army would be forced to re-learn many of the lessons from the Seven Years' War. After the debacle of Concord and Bunker Hill, the British implemented a range of changes throughout the Army, including the modification of accepted tactical doctrine. Additionally, the British formed alliances with various independent German states. The soldiers they provided thus answered to different armies. How much their tactics adapted during the war, therefore varied from state to state. The Continental Army was founded in 1775 and was initially heavily styled on its British opponents. That began to change in 1778 thanks to the efforts of Prussian officer Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben. Following their formal alliance with the colonies in 1778, France deployed military assets to North America. French officers also provided tactical advice to the Continental Army, and vice versa, particularly when they worked together successfully during the siege of Yorktown in 1781. Featuring specially commissioned artwork, this absorbing study investigates the various participants' battlefield tactics, casting light on how tactical theory and battlefield experience shaped the conduct of battle in the American Revolution.
Author: Ed Gilbert
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472807561
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 127
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Book Description
The American Revolution was a decisive conflict, which saw the birth of a new nation. Continental Army regulars fought in massive and famous battles from New England to Virginia, but in the South a different kind of warfare was afoot. Local militia, sometimes stiffened by a small core of the Continental Line, played a pivotal role. This lesser-known war ultimately decided the fate of the Revolution by thwarting the British "Southern strategy". In this title, the authors provide a unique and personal focus on the history of their own ancestors, who fought for the South Carolina Militia, to show just how effective the irregular forces were in a complex war of raids, ambushes, and pitched battles. The book explores the tactics, equipment, leadership and performance of the opposing Patriot and Rebel forces, shining new light on the vicious struggle in the South.
Author: Donald M. Londahl-Smidt
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 147284016X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 50
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Book Description
During the American Revolution (1775–83), German auxiliary troops provided a vital element of the British war effort. Some 30,000 German troops served in North America, continuing a long-established relationship between Britain and various German principalities. These troops were widely referred to as mercenaries, implying that they sold their services individually, but they were in fact regular troops hired as a body by the British. Initially feared by the American population, the German troops came to be highly respected by their opponents. Their role in the fighting would inform the tactics and methods of a generation of German officers who returned to Europe after the war, many of whom went on to hold senior commands during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars. The largest body of German troops was from Hessen-Cassel. The only German contingent to be employed as a unit under its own general officers, they were clothed and equipped in the style of Frederick the Great's Prussians and were trained in much the same way. Many had seen active service during the Seven Years' War (1756–63) and served under career officers; they were well-disciplined and competent but showed little overt enthusiasm for the British cause. The troops of Hessen-Cassel would participate in every major campaign of the conflict, with the specialized skills of the famous Jäger being particularly in demand. Fully illustrated, this lively study examines the organization, appearance, weapons, and equipment of the Hessen-Cassel troops who fought for King George in the American Revolution.
Author: Stuart Reid
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 147281245X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 186
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Book Description
Providing a unique glimpse into the experiences of regular British and French infantry during the French and Indian War, Stuart Reid reveals what it was like to fight in three battles at the height of the struggle for Canada: La Belle-Famille, the Plains of Abraham and Sainte-Foy. In 1755, Britain and France both decided to escalate a low intensity frontier war that had started the previous year by dispatching regular troops to their respective colonies in North America. Far from home, both sides' equipment and tactics were initially more suited to the European theatre. As the war ground on, however, combat doctrine evolved as both armies learned lessons that would be utilized by succeeding generations of soldiers. Packed with first-hand accounts, dramatic illustrations and a technical analysis of the changing nature of warfare on the American continent, this book puts readers in the shoes of the combatants who played a pivotal role in shaping the future of North America.
