Militiaman, American War of Independence (1775-1783)

Militiaman, American War of Independence (1775-1783)

EGM-BU08

1:10 scale resin bust, 4 pieces
Sculpted by Matt Grech
Painted by Eddy Vandersteen

Militiaman,

American War of Independence (1775-1783)

Historical Background

Just prior to the American Revolutionary War, on October 26, 1774, the Massachusetts Provincial Congress, observing the British military build-up, deemed their militia resources to be insufficient: the troop strength, "...including the sick and absent, amounted to about seventeen thousand men . . . this was far short of the number wanted, that the council recommended an immediate application to the New England governments to make up the deficiency..."1:

"...they recommended to the militia to form themselves into companies of minute-men, who should be equipped and prepared to march at the shortest notice. These minute-men were to consist of one quarter of the whole militia, to be enlisted under the direction of the field-officers, and divide into companies, consisting of at least fifty men each. The privates were to choose their captains and subalterns, and these officers were to form the companies into battalions, and chose the field-officers to command the same. Hence the minute-men became a body distinct from the rest of the militia, and, by being more devoted to military exercises, they acquired skill in the use of arms. More attention than formerly was likewise bestowed on the training and drilling of militia."2

The American Revolutionary War, also known as the American War of Independence, began near Boston, Massachusetts with the Battles of Lexington and Concord, in which a group of local militias constituted the American side (the "Patriots"). On April 19, 1775, a British force 800 strong marched out of Boston to Concord intending to destroy Patriot provisions. At 5:00 in the morning at Lexington, they met about 70 armed militiamen whom they ordered to disperse, but the militiamen refused. Firing ensued; it is not clear which side opened fire. Three or four militiamen were killed, whereupon the remainder took flight. The British continued on to Concord and destroyed the Patriots’ provisions. As the British marched back toward Boston, Patriot militiamen assembled along the route, taking cover behind stone walls, and sniped at the British. It was only with the help of an additional detachment of 900 troops that the British force managed to return to Boston.3 This marked the beginning of the war "...three days after the affair of Lexington and Concord that any movement was made towards embodying a regular army."4

In 1777, the Second Continental Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation, which contained a provision for raising a confederal militia that consent would be required from nine of the 13 States. Article VI of the Articles of Confederation states,

"...every State shall always keep up a well-regulated and disciplined militia, sufficiently armed and accoutered, and shall provide and constantly have ready for use, in public stores, a due number of filed pieces and tents, and a proper quantity of arms, ammunition and camp equipage."

Some militia units appeared without adequate arms, as evidenced in this letter from John Adams to his wife, dated August 26, 1777:

"The militia are turning out with great alacrity both in Maryland and Pennsylvania. They are distressed for want of arms. Many have none, we shall rake and scrape enough to do Howe’s business, by favor of the Heaven."5

The initial enthusiasm of Patriot militiamen in the beginning days of the war soon waned. The historian Garry Wills explains,

The fervor of the early days in the reorganized militias wore off in the long grind of an eight-year war. Now the right to elect their own officers was used to demand that the men not serve away from their state. Men evaded service, bought substitutes to go for them as in the old days, and had to be bribed with higher and higher bounties to join the effort - which is why Jefferson and Samuel Adams called them so expensive. As wartime inflation devalued the currency, other pledges had to be offered, including land grants and the promise of ‘a healthy slave’ at the end of the war. Some men would take a bounty and not show up. Or they would show up for a while, desert, and then, when they felt the need for another bounty, sign up again in a different place... . This practice was common enough to have its own technical term - ‘bounty jumping’."6

The burden of waging war passed to a large extent to the standing army, the Continental Army. The stay-at-home militia tended then to perform the important role of the internal police to keep order. British forces sought to disrupt American communities by instigating slave rebellions and Indian raids. The militia fended off these threats. Militias also spied on Loyalists in the American communities. In Albany County, New York, the militia established a Committee for Detecting and Defeating Conspiracies to look out for and investigate people with suspicious allegiances.7

1 Sparks, Jared: "The Life of George Washington", page 134-135. F. Andrews, 1853.

2 Sparks, Jared: "The Life of George Washington", page 134-135. F. Andrews, 1853.

3 Shepherd, William (1834). A History of the American Revolution Page 67. London, England. Published I.N. Whiting

4 Sparks, Jared: "The Life of George Washington", page 135. F. Andrews, 1853

5 Adams, John: Letters of John Adams, Addressed to His Wife, page 257. C.C. Little and J. Brown, 1841

6 Wills, Garry (1999). A Necessary Evil: A History of American Distrust of Government, Page 35. New York, NY; Simon & Schuster

7 Wills, Garry (1999). A Necessary Evil: A History of American Distrust of Government, Page 36. New York, NY; Simon & Schuster

(Source: Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia)

Powder Horn

The powder horn was used to carry gunpowder, and was generally created from a cow or buffalo horn. They were most commonly used with eighteenth century muskets, but were rendered obsolete by the development of breech loading fire arms.

The use of animal horn along with nonferrous metal parts ensured that the powder would not be detonated by sparks during storage and loading. Horn was also naturally waterproof and already hollow inside. A number of period horns dating from the French and Indian wars throughout the American Revolution and beyond, have been preserved in private and other collections. Many examples shed light on the life and history of the individuals that used them, reproduced with handcrafted designs, called scrimshaws.

Scrimshaw

Scrimshaw is the name given to handiwork created by whalers made from the byproducts of harvesting marine mammals. It takes the form of elaborate carvings in the form of pictures and lettering on the surface of the bone or tooth, with the engravings highlighted using a pigment, or small sculptures made from the same material. Please see enclosed images for reference and inspiration.

Dress/Uniform

Our bust is broadly representative of a Militiaman or a Continental Infantryman of the American War of Independence. The fledlging Continental army of the time was mainly composed of militiamen; shortages in the army meant that most fighting men wore civilian clothing or whatever came to hand. In certain instances, clothing of captured enemy troops were dyed to make up for these shortages.

Generic painting guide, broadly indicative from the sources available

Militia units generally wore civilian clothing and owned their own equipment and weapons. This was typical of militia units in the early years of the war.