75mm scale resin kit. Sculpted by Eduard Pérez. Boxart by Jaume Ortiz. Kit inlcudes: 9 kit parts.

Most of the regiments that fought in the Civil War, it doesn’t matter in which side, had peculiar nicknames, earned with blood throughout the tough battles of the war, and the 5th New Hampshire Volunteer Regiment was not an exception.

After the first part of the war, when it was obvious that President Lincoln’s call to arms that raised 75,000 volunteers was not enough to suffocate the Southern rebellion, more men were required to serve in the Union army. This regiment, commanded by the Col. Edward Ephraim Cross, was raised in Concord, New Hampshire in 1861.

The list of battles and campaigns in which the regiment took action is quite long, but they made their most famous contribution on December 12th to 15th, 1862, during the Battle of Fredericksburg. Side by side with the Irish Brigade, they faced volleys of bullets, one after another, showing great tenacity and resolution. Their courage made them worthy of the nickname “The Fighting Fifth”, as that battle was one of the deadliest battles for the Army of the Potomac. In that engagement, the Federal Army had twice the number of casualties the

Confederate Army had. They also fought too in the Seven Days’ Battles, Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg and Appomattox Court House, among many others, until the regiment was discharged on July 8, 1865.

The figure represents a junior officer leading the charge, wearing a red kepi, and the enlisted overcoat. These elements can be painted respectively in dark blue (kepi) and in dark or sky blue (overcoat), to portray other Union regiments. It was not uncommon that officers wore enlisted overcoats rather the regulation ones for officers, it was less costly and allowed an officer to be less conspicuous when in campaign, as he blended more readily with his troops.

Notes and bibliography:
The Civil War Art of Keith Rocco. Keith Rocco, R. I. Girardi. Pp. 34-35.
Army Blue, The Uniform of the Uncle Sam’s Regulars 1848-1873. Pp. 93.
Echoes of Glory. Time Life Books. Pp. 128-129.

Text Courtesy of FeR Miniatures