Welcome to the October edition. Here we introduce lots of the new future announcements. We visit the New Kingdom with the Egyptians, this will be supberb. Also new additions for American Revolution and for ACW Cherokee Indians that fought for the South. Do not remember these being made before. Many of these are expected in 2024! We hope you enjoy!

The images shown are Prototype images of the sculpted work, prior to master painting.

We hope you enjoy!

NEW KINGDOM EGYPTIANS

The New Kingdom, is the period in ancient Egyptian history between the sixteenth century BC and the eleventh century BC. It was Egypt's most prosperous time and marked the peak of its power. It is also known as the "Ramesside period", named after the eleven pharaohs who took the name Ramesses, after Ramesses I, the founder of the nineteenth Dynasty.

Ancient Egyptian chariots, emblematic of the power and prestige of the New Kingdom period (c. 1550-1070 BCE), were an integral part of the military and cultural fabric of the time.

These fast-moving, lightweight vehicles revolutionized warfare, enabling pharaohs to project their might and influence over vast territories. The development of chariots began in the Near East around 3000 BCE, with the earliest known examples originating from Sumer in Mesopotamia.

The introduction of chariots to Egypt occurred during the Second Intermediate Period (c. 1650-1550 BCE), a time marked by the decline of the Middle Kingdom and the fragmentation of Egyptian power. During this period, the Hyksos, a Semitic-speaking people from Western Asia, migrated to and settled in the Nile Delta. They eventually established their rule over the northern part of Egypt, creating the 15th Dynasty. The Hyksos brought with them advanced technology and innovations, including the horse-drawn chariot and the composite bow.

These technological advancements provided them with a significant military edge, enabling them to maintain control over their newly acquired territories. As they assimilated into the local culture, they also introduced these innovations to the Egyptian population. The Egyptian elite adopted the chariot as a symbol of power, prestige, and divine favor. Under the reign of Ahmose I (c. 1539-1514 BCE), the founder of the 18th Dynasty and the New Kingdom, the Egyptians successfully drove the Hyksos out of Egypt. This victory was partly due to their effective use of chariots, which allowed them to match and surpass the Hyksos in battle.

In the New Kingdom, the Egyptian chariots were further refined and optimized for their specific needs. They became lighter, faster, and more maneuverable, with a design that prioritized the use of archers in battle. They were typically made from wood, with some parts fashioned from leather and bronze. The yoke and harness system connected the chariot to the horses. The yoke was a wooden crossbar placed across the necks of the horses, with a central pole extending from it to the chariot.

The overall design of ancient Egyptian chariots made them highly efficient and agile vehicles that revolutionized warfare in the region. In battle, chariots were primarily employed for offensive purposes, functioning as mobile archery platforms, and were also used for pursuing fleeing enemies, ensuring a decisive victory.

The golden age of the Egyptian chariot coincided with the New Kingdom (c. 1550-1070 BCE), a period marked by the resurgence of Egyptian power and the expansion of its empire.

These versatile vehicles enabled Egypt's New Kingdom pharaohs to project their power across vast territories and solidify their status as rulers of a mighty empire.

Today, the chariot remains an enduring symbol of ancient Egypt's military prowess and cultural sophistication.

The Battle of Kadesh took place between Ramesses II, Egyptian Empire and the Hittite Empire led by Muwatalli II, in what is believed to be around May 1274 BC. The battle took place at the Orontes River, just upstream of Lake Homs and near the archaeological site of Kadesh, along what is today the Lebanon-Syria border. It is the earliest pitched battle in recorded history for which details of tactics and formations are known, and is believed to be the largest chariot involved battle ever fought. It is believed there were between 5,000 to 6,000 chariots involved in total. In the critical moment of the battle, Ramesses and his body guard were surrounded, and he broke out by personally leading several charges into the Hittite ranks.

The first of the New Kingdom Egyptians should be available early next year.

THE AMERICAN WAR OF INDEPENDENCE 1775 - 1783
THE BATTLE OF COWPENS, JANUARY 17th, 1781.

THE 71st REGIMENT OF FOOT

The final figure will be released for the 71st Regiment in November.

After the final figure for the 71st Regiment will be released in November, the releases for two other British units will start to be available.

7th ROYAL FUSILIERS

The 7th was formed as an escort to the Royal artillery.Based in Canada prior to the Revolution, the regiment was essentially destroyed in the 1775-76 American invasion. Re-formed in late 1776 from exchanged prisoners, the regiment fought in the northern colonies until sent south in 1779. The Fusiliers formed part of the Charlestown garrison before being moved to Winnsboro. Like many units, "the Regiment was not at the highest state of efficiency. It had suffered heavily from disease, and the few men who represented it were almost entirely recruits." At Cowpens this was apparently evident when men fired prematurely, or broke ranks to pursue the "fleeing" American militia. Tarleton laid part of the blame for the Cowpens debacle on the "inexperienced" 7th, but as quoted in the history of the Fusiliers, an American officer present at Cowpens said, "the Fusiliers... had served with credit in America from the commencement of the war, and under an excellent officer, General Clark, had attained the summit of military discipline." The 7th must have fought well, as disproportionate numbers of patriot casualties were suffered by formations who faced the 7th Fusiliers.

THE BRITISH LEGION

The British Legion was a British provincial regiment established during the American Revolutionary War, composed of British loyalist American infantry and dragoons. It was known as Tarleton's Raiders after the British officer who led most of its day to day activities, Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton, and the green uniform coats. It was an unit the size of a regiment consisting of infantry, cavalry, and artillery, and able to operate independently.

The unit was raised in New York in July 1778 by Sir Henry Clinton in order to merge combined infantry and cavalry forces and a battery of light artillery. The regiment was commanded by William Lord Cathcart, as colonel. Once the unit left New York, Banastre Tarleton was commissioned as Lieutenant colonel, and took full operational command. The Legion's peak operational strength was approximately 250 cavalry and 200 infantry.

CONTINENTAL LINE INFANTRY, THE DELAWARE COMPANY.

The main core of Morgan's flying Army was a battalion of veteran Continentals. Three companies of the Maryland Line, and one company from Delaware. These were highly trained and disciplined, and formed the main line commanded by John Eager Howard. They were the best troops to engage in prolonged close combat with British regulars.

The Delaware Company was especially highly regarded, and most were survivors from the Battle of Camden. Their commander, Captain Robert Kirkwood, was also well regarded. Their full regimental issued uniforms were dark blue with red facings, cuffs and turn backs. Waistcoats were white and more durable buckskins replaced the white cotton breeches, and they wore cocked hats trimmed with yellow braid. A black metal cannister which held forty extra cartidges was also added. In October 1780, North Carolina, from its meagre stores, furnished the men of the Delaware company with new shoes, a hunting shirt, and blue striped ticking overalls. This was the uniform worn at Cowpens and subsequent actions, at Guilford Court House, Hobkirk's Hill, the Siege of Ninety Six and Eutaw Springs.

The first of the Continental Line figures will be available from December.

THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR 1st CHEROKEE MOUNTED RIFLES

The 1st Cherokee Mounted Rifles was a Confederate States Army regiment which fought in the Indian Territory during the American Civil War. It was formed from the merger of two predecessor units, the First Regiment of Cherokee Mounted Rifles and the Second Regiment of Cherokee Mounted Rifles. The first commander was Col. John Drew, while the commander of the second regiment was Stand Watie.

Brigadier-General Stand Watie (December 12th, 1806 - September 9th 1871) was a Cherokee politician who served as the second principal chief of the Cherokee Nation from 1862 to 1866. The Cherokee Nation allied with the Confederate States during the American Civil War and he was the only Native American Confederate General officer of the war. Watie commanded the forces in the Trans-Mississippi Theatre, made up mostly of Cherokee, Muskogee and Seminole. He was the last Confederate Staes Army general to surrender.

During the Civil War, Watie's troops participated in twenty-seven major engagements and numerous smaller skirmishes. Although some of the engagements were set-piece battles, most of their activities utilized guerrilla tactics.

The Battle of Pea Ridge (March 7-8th, 1862) took place near Leetown, northeast of Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Pea Ridge was the first sizable battle of the Civil War to involve Native American troops, mostly because their current homeland lay only a few miles west of the battlefield. These Tribes, including the Cherokee, had lived in the Indian Territory, now the state of Oklahoma, ever since their removal from ancestral homelands in the southeastern states a quarter-century before the war. Watie's Mounted Rifles welcomed the opportunity to participate in the Pea Ridge Campaign, as it was a chance to show they were a worthwhile ally of the Confederacy. They were to make a colourful and controversial contribution. During the battle the two Cherokee regiments, perhaps 1,000 strong along with 200 Texas cavalry, charged and took a three gun Union artillery battery. They swept out of the woods, knocking down a fence in front of them, and charged across the field, swarming over a three gun battery before the startled crews could respond. The artillerymen fled with their horses, leaving the guns behind unspiked. At this point experienced, disciplined troops would have established security, or continued the pursuit of their fleeing enemy. Neither was done. Instead the Cherokee milled around the guns they had taken, examining their prizes and collecting souvenirs. Others exhaulted in having survived, yelling and whooping victoriously. It was a normal reaction for green troops after a first experience of combat, and one that was often repeated throughout those early years of the war.

The failiure of the officers to take charge of the situation was to cost them the fruits of their victory. While the celebrations were taking place, Union officers deployed two additional batteries and supporting infantry to retake the guns.

The exploits of Stand Watie and his Confederate Mounted Rifles were brilliant and militarily glorious, but strategically sterile. Two years of raids could not loosen the Union grip on Fort Gibson.

The Cherokees not only were the most numerous of the Five Tribes, but they had assimilated more with white culture than the Choctaw, Creek, Chickasaw, or Seminole. They were the only Native Americans to create a written form of their language and they published a newspaper in that language. Many Cherokees adopted the white man's dress and most began to utilize American farming methods. Cherokee lawyers brought cases defending their desire to remain in Georgia and North Carolina to the United States Supreme Court. A handful of elite Cherokees operated large plantations with African-American slave labor.