Agenois regiment...

So yet another month disappears into the ether - difficult to believe that it's March already.... things are not slowing down any in Steve-the-Wargamers house, I'm currently looking forward to Salute on March 28th - DG and I will be paying our annual visit, and the tickets are already sitting in DG's hot and sweaty grip.... I've already pre-ordered some of the new Black Hat, War of the Spanish Succession cavalry - enough for a couple of regiments, if they're anything like as good as the infantry I'm in for a treat! You can see a preview here:

http://blackhat.co.uk/catalog/index.php?cPath=22_161

Talking of Black Hat please find following the latest unit to leave Steve-the-Wargamers painting table; these are destined for the army of Louis XIV and represent the Agenois Regiment.

I'm actually quite chuffed with these guys as they represent a slight departure from my "slap it on and get them on the table" approach to painting...

I actually went for some highlights with these guys and I think they actually look quite good, and really didn't take that long to do....

The unit is also unusual in that they feature a drummer - I don't normally include them as I get into a terrible confusion about whether they should have reversed colours for their uniforms, what colour the drum should be etc etc. On this instance I thought "sod it" so he wears a standard uniform, and the drum colours follow the uniform...

Close up - not *too* bad for a 15mm....

Anyway - figures are 15mm by Black Hat with the exception of the drummer, and if you look carefully in the second row (behind the officer and drummer) two of the rank and file. These were Minifigs shamelessly brought in to make up for lack of numbers...



The regiment was formed in 1595, by the Comte de Choiseul. They weren't present at the Schellenberg, but at Blenhiem the regiment was in Marechal de Camp Dorrington's Division in Lieutenant General the Marquis de Blainville's Corps. They were brigaded with two battalions of the Bourbonnais regiment, and the Foix Regiment in the Marquis de Nangis' brigade.

I found the following on the Comte de Choiseul in this book "Dictionnaire historique et biographique des généraux français, depuis le onzième siècle jusqu'en 1820" (via Google Books). It's by Jean Baptiste Pierre Jullien de Courcelles, and was published by L'auteur in 1822.

My French is not as good as it should be but I think the salient points are:

• He entered to the musketeers in i683; then became a lieutenant in the Regiment de Roi in 1684
  
• I think the next bit says that he was promoted again upon the death of his father in June 1686.
  
• During the War of the Grand Alliance (or the War of the League of Augsburg) he served under Marshal Duras, and was present at Philippsburg (27 September - 30 October 1688), Mannheim, which capitulated on 11 November, shortly followed by Frankenthal.
  
• Promoted captain (still in the Regiment de Roi) by commission of March 13, 1689
  
• He was at the battle of Fleurus in 1690, the battle of Leuze, in 1691; the siege of Namur; the battle of Steinkerque.
  
• He was given command of the newly formed regiment of Agénois by commission of October 14 1692.
  
• From 1693-4 the regiment was in Germany under Lorges and with the army in Flanders, in i695 and 1696; with the army of the Lily, under the marshal de Catinat, in 1697; and was present at the siege of Ath as the War of the Grand Alliance drew to a close.
  
• At the start of the War of the Spanish Succession the regiment was still in Flanders, but in September was transferred to Germany under the orders of the marquis de Villars where it fought at Fridelingen in October 1702.
  
• He was promoted brevet brigadier in the December and sent to the army of Bavaria under the marshal of Villars in 1703 where the regiment was present at the siege of Kehl the attack on the lines of Stollhoffen; the battle of Munderkingen (13 July 1703) and the victory over an Austrian army under Count Styrum at the battle of Hochstadt.
  
• Employed with the same army, under the marshal of Marchin, in 1704, it fought with the second battle of Hochstedt (that's Blenheim to you and I);
  
• He was promoted marchel-de-camp (brevet again) in October of that year but at the same time had to hand over command of the regiment in order to fulfil other command requirements..
  

...I don't think anyone can be in any doubt that the regiment would have been classed as "veterans"!!

By the way, Choiseul went on to serve in Italy, Spain and then back to Flanders before finally returning to Spain again in 1714. He was promoted Lieutenant General in 1718 but never used in that capacity and he eventually retired, and died at his home aged 62 in 1726.... what a war horse!

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It being the start of the month I guess it's also time to show some of those numbers, thought to be fair I'm less and less bothered about doing this - so this may be the last month...!

Painting total currently sits at 50 points year to date - blog hits look like the following:

Thanks very much for continuing to visit whoever you are - thanks also for the comments and feedback..