Steven’s 1817 Royalist Army on Big Bases

I have rebased my 1817 Royalists on big bases. So I took the opportunity to do a photo shoot including some units I’d not featured before.

This is the army that got smashed at Battle of Chacabuco (12 Feb 1817). I’ve also included the units for the Alternative Chacabuco Scenario in Fletcher (2006).

Generals

The various commanders in the 1817-18 campaign were:

  • Brigadier General Rafael Maroto commanded at Chacabuco
  • Field Marshal Marco del Pont commands in order of battle for Alternative Chacabuco.
  • Colonel Jose Ordonez fought at Talcahuanco, Cancha Rayada and Maipo.
  • Brigadier General Mariano Osorio commanded at Maipo.

Brigadier General Rafael Maroto commanded at Chacabuco. Fletcher (2006) has Field Marshal Marco del Pont commanding at Alternative Chacabuco. I don’t have figures for either of these guys. But I do have Brigadier General Mariano Osorio wearing Del Pont’s uniform. 🙂

Brigadier General Mariano Osorio

Mariano Osorio commanded at the Battle of Rancagua (1 Oct 1814) when a Colonel and at the Battle of Maipo (5 Apr 1818) as a Brigadier General. The figures are from the specialist pack RS-006 Royalist General Osorio. John Fletcher characterises Osorio as “poor; coward, low initiative” hence the pose with the backward glance. I wasn’t too accurate with Osorio’s uniform – I gave him the red trousers of a Field Marshal (Mariscal de Campo) only because, well, they look better but also because the Alternative Battle of Chacabuco features Field Marshal Marco del Pont.

1817-26 Royalist Osorio
1817-26 Royalist Osorio
Cowardly Osorio and his confused staff

Cavalry

The Royalists cavalry lower quality compared to the Patriots but they had good uniforms.

Carabineros de Abascal

Supposedly two Squadrons fought in the 1817-18 campaign but I only did one because the numbers were low. The figures are PRNS-006 and PRNS-007 Cavalry in Braided Jackets w/sabers. Their light blue jackets would make them suitable for Princessa Hussars in the peninsular.

Fought at Chacabuco. In order of battle for Alternative Chacabuco.

1817-94 Carabineros de Abascal
1817-94 Carabineros de Abascal
1817-95 Carabineros de Abascal - Back
1817-95 Carabineros de Abascal – Back

Concordia Hussars

2 Squadrons of guys in red. The figures are PRNS-006 and PRNS-007 Cavalry in Braided Jackets w/sabers.

Fought at Chacabuco. In order of battle for Alternative Chacabuco.

1817-96 Concordia Hussars - Waves
1817-96 Concordia Hussars – Waves
1817-97 Concordia Hussars - Line
1817-97 Concordia Hussars – Line
1817-98 Concordia Hussars - Back
1817-98 Concordia Hussars – Back

Frontier Dragoons

The figures are PRNS-004 and PRNS-005 Cavalry in Short Coats w/sabers. The figures lack lapels so I just painted them on regardless.
In order of battle for Alternative Chacabuco.

Fought at Cancha Rayada and Maipo. In order of battle for Alternative Chacabuco.

1817-99 Frontier Dragoons - Line
1817-99 Frontier Dragoons – Line
1817-01 Frontier Dragoons - Back
1817-01 Frontier Dragoons – Back
1817-02 Frontier Dragoons - Waves
1817-02 Frontier Dragoons – Waves

Infantry

I’ve given the infantry of the first army the old style double breasted blue jacket; this may or may not be accurate but I purchased the figure before I was aware they might have worn the latter white uniform. The infantry of the latter army wore white single breasted jackets.

Chiloe Battalion

Fought at Chacabuco. In order of battle for Alternative Chacabuco.

This was the first unit I painted for my 1817-18 Chilean Project. Fletcher (2005, p. 40) has them in a blue jacket and blue trousers. I opted for white trousers as:

  • I understand white trousers were summer issue. At least this was true in Peninsular Spain.
  • This is backed up by the fact that Fletcher (2005) shows the Conception Regiment, which had a very similar uniform to Chiloe, with either blue trousers (p. 40) or with white (p. 30).
  • Similarly, the alternative uniform given for the Chillan Regiment in 1817 by Fletcher (2006, Alternative Battle of Chacabuco) also has white trousers. As does Valdivia.

The figures are Fantassin / War Modelling EN-17 Spanish Infantry with French Style Shako and Fantassin / War Modelling EN-22a Spanish Infantry Command (shako). Why? Because the figures have lapels and turnbacks.

1817-03 Chiloe Battalion - Column
1817-03 Chiloe Battalion – Column
1817-04 Chiloe Battalion - Line
1817-04 Chiloe Battalion – Line

Talavera Regiment

Talavera was a Peninsular unit. Once again the figures are Fantassin / War Modelling EN-17 Spanish Infantry with French Style Shako and Fantassin / War Modelling EN-22a Spanish Infantry Command (shako).

Fought at Chacabuco. In order of battle for Alternative Chacabuco.

There is some controversy on the Yahoo Group: Liberators 1810-1830 about the uniform worn by the Talavera Regiment in 1817 at Chacabuco. The options are:

1. Blue jacket and trousers. Green collar and cuffs. Buff lapels. Red turn backs. Given in

  • illustration from Santiago military museum following the description by Nicanor Molinar (provided by Miguel Landero)
  • Fletcher (2005, p. 40). 1817-18.
  • Fletcher (2006). Alternative Battle of Rancagua 1814. (but with Green turn backs not red)

2. Green jacket and trousers. Red collar, cuffs, lapels, and turn backs. Possibly only for Cazadores. Given in:

  • Fletcher (2005, p. 40) as “Alternative” uniform. 1817-18
  • Luqui & Manzano (1998, p. 138-9). Officer and corporal of the Cazadores. 1815-19
  • Fletcher (2006). Alternative Battle of Chacabuco. 1817. (but with white trousers not blue; probably the summer/winter thing).
  • In addition the Cazadore Battalion in Peru wears a similar Green uniform. This is given in:
    • Green Colonel on Los Realistas p 186
    • Green Colonel on Fletcher (2005, p 19)

3. White uniform with green collar and cuffs

  • based on quote from Manuel Pueyrredon who was a Grenadier officer in Talavera when they fought at Chacabuco (Pueyrredon, 1947, p. 169, cited by César Puliafito on Liberators 1810-1830 Yahoo Discussion Forum) “El regimiento de Talavera peleó heroicamente; se subió a un cerrito en forma de pan de azcar, y allí quedó la mayor parte. La vista de ese cuerpo tendido parecía (permítaseme la expresión) una majada de ovejas; su traje era todo blanco , desde la funda del morrión hasta los botines…”
    or
    “The regiment of Talavera fought heroically; it climbed a hill in the form of sugar bread, and there it was most. The sight of this body lying seemed (permit me the expression) a sheepfold of ewes; its suit was all white, from the cover of the helmet (sic) to the boots.”
  • This would make Talavera look exactly like the Burgos Regiment in 1818 – see Fletcher (2005, p. 30)

I’ve opted for the Blue jacket with green collar and cuffs and red turnbacks (i.e. like the figure from Santiago military museum), i.e. Option 1. I did, however, combine this white trousers for summer. The main reason is that I already had the figures with the double breasted jacket which would be blue not white. See Chiloe for the reason I opted for white trousers.

I discounted the Green uniform because evidence suggests this was a dress uniform.

But in truth I find the evidence for the white uniform fairly compelling. If I hadn’t already got the figures I might have gone for this option. It would have had the nice effect of giving basically all the Royalist infantry the white uniform.

1817-05 Talavera Regiment - Column
1817-05 Talavera Regiment – Column
1817-06 Talavera Regiment - Line
1817-06 Talavera Regiment – Line
1817-07 Talavera Regiment - Back
1817-07 Talavera Regiment – Back

Conception Regiment

Were likely to have been the garrison at Talcahuano. Fought at Cancha Rayada and Maipo.

Blue jacket and white trousers (Fletcher, 2005, p. 30). Aside from the black straps the unit looks like Chiloe. I highlighted the black straps with a dark grey to make them stand out from the surrounding “black” shadow of the Black Undercoat method. Another unit using figures from Fantassin / War Modelling EN-17 Spanish Infantry with French Style Shako and Fantassin / War Modelling EN-22a Spanish Infantry Command (shako).

1817-08 Conception Regiment - Column
1817-08 Conception Regiment – Column
1817-09 Conception Regiment - Line
1817-09 Conception Regiment – Line
1817-10 Conception Regiment - Back
1817-10 Conception Regiment – Back

Valdivia Regiment

Fought at Chacabuco. In order of battle for Alternative Chacabuco.

1817-14 Valdivia Regiment - Column
1817-14 Valdivia Regiment – Column
1817-15 Valdivia Regiment - Line
1817-15 Valdivia Regiment – Line
1817-16 Valdivia Regiment - Back
1817-16 Valdivia Regiment – Back

Los Angeles Regiment (Chillan Regiment)

Might have been garrison of Talcahuano (Fletcher, 2005). In order of battle for Alternative Chacabuco.

Figures are Royalist infantry from Grenadier Productions.

Fletcher (2005, p. 40; 2006, Alternative Battle of Chacabuco) gives white single breasted jacket and blue trousers.

1817-11 Los Angeles Regiment (Chillan) - Column
1817-11 Los Angeles Regiment (Chillan) – Column
1817-12 Los Angeles Regiment (Chillan) - Line
1817-12 Los Angeles Regiment (Chillan) – Line
1817-13 Los Angeles Regiment (Chillan) - Back
1817-13 Los Angeles Regiment (Chillan) – Back

Artillery

I’ve painted the eight stands necessary for Chacabuco. All of them have a 4 pounder guns and two crew. The figures are RNS-009 Royalist Artillery Crew and PRNS-012 4lbr Field Gun (Long Barrel) (2 guns). I’ve also painted two 8 pounder guns and two howitzers, all with 3 crew each.

1817-29 Royalist 4lb guns
1817-29 Royalist 4lb guns
1817-30 Royalist 8lb guns
1817-30 Royalist 8lb guns
1817-31 Royalist Howitzers
1817-31 Royalist Howitzers

Acknowledgements

I painted all the figures using the Black Undercoat Method of painting and based them using Sand, Flat Earth paint, and Dry Brushing on Big Bases.

The figures are the 15mm and either from Grenadier Productions or Fantassin/War Modelling.

Generic Spanish Flags are from War Flag however the flags of specific units were by Miguel Landeros and are available on the Yahoo Group: Liberators 1810-1830.

Uniform guides were the books by John Fletcher of Grenadier Productions (Fletcher, 2005, 2006) in particular the illustrations by Prof. Julio Luqui Lagleyze and Cesar Puliafito that appear in Fletcher (2005, p. 28 – 36).

References

Fletcher, J. (2005). Liberators! Volume 1: The War in the South. Grenadier Productions.

Fletcher, J. (2006). Liberators! Supplement 1: The War in the South. Grenadier Productions.

Liberators 1810-1830 Yahoo Discussion Forum

Luqui Lagleyze, J. M., and Manzano Lahoz, A. (1998). «Los Realistas» (1810-1826): Virreinatos del Perú y del Rio de la Plata, y Capitanía General de Chile [Hombres en Uniforme No 5]. Quiron Ediciones. [Spanish]

Pueyrredon, M. (1947). Memorias inéditas del coronel Manuel Pueyrredon. Buenos Aires: Editoril kraft.

5 thoughts on “Steven’s 1817 Royalist Army on Big Bases”

  1. Realmente estoy impresionado por tu trabajo; especialmente the big bases! he investigado mucho sobre uniformes del ejército de los andes junto a Julio Luquy Lagleyze. Quedo a tu disposición ante cualquier duda.

    Reply

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