Year End - 2018

"Soldiers Atop The Mount" - 2018

It's sort of traditional in the blogging world to create a year-end post, especially in regards to project type things like painting. With only a couple of days left in 2018, here's where I'm at:

First, created this blog. I've blogged a few times in the past, but never consistently. So far I'm doing okay with this one, and it's helping me stay motivated with my figure painting. I'm not as prolific as some, but I haven't abandoned this one so far.

Next, reenacting. I was able to attend five events this past year. Less than I would like, but often real life gets in the way, especially with four children to tend to at home. My wife and kids are starting to attend events with me, so this may change in 2019. One of the events was a “lifestyles” event, while the other four were military in nature. I enjoy both aspects of the hobby, though I really need to get into better shape to keep up with the younger guys on the field. Count that as a goal for 2019.

Sewing projects related to reenacting included a shift, petticoat, and jacket for my wife. I'm also currently working on a pair of breeches for one of the guys in Warner's Regiment. 2019 will probably see some more sewing for my wife, and some upgrades in clothing for the kids.

Learning about the Southern Battery during "Muster at Mount Independence."

Third, history. Most of my historical pursuits this year have been driven by interest in my reenacting unit and the locations where they were stationed and fought. This past fall I was able to attend a full day event at Mount Independence in Orwell, Vermont, where I learned a little more about the fortifications that were there, and the archaeology that has been happening for the last several decades. In particular, there was a focus on the Southern Battery, where our reenacting unit had been stationed during the past summer's “Soldiers Atop The Mount” event. It was pretty neat to hang out with state archaeologists, museum curators, and historians for the day, especially those who had been involved with excavations on the site. It gave me a whole new appreciation for the area, and the artifacts on exhibit in the site's museum.

1765 Surveyor's Field Notes at Bennington Museum.

My other historical pursuit has been researching and learning about 18^th century surveying techniques. One part of this involved a research trip to the Bennington Museum, in Bennington, Vermont, where I was able to read the original field notes of a surveyor from New York who was working in the area in the 1760s. Handling the original manuscript, written over 250 years ago, was a little surreal. Later, while at home, I started mapping out his field notes, and found that he had actually walked right across the property that the museum is currently located on. Pretty wild to imagine that the two of us were in the same spot, with the same book, a couple of centuries apart from each other. For 2019, I'm hoping to attend the School of Instruction in March, held by The Department of the Geographer, a group that reenacts surveyors for the Continental Army. This is a yearly event, and photos that I've seen from past years show it to be both a lot of fun, and very informative regarding colonial surveying.

Finished Miniatures for 2018, plus some old finds.

Finally, wargaming. This year I decided to put some serious effort toward painting up a set of miniatures that I've had stashed for several years. These miniatures became the 28mm version of Warner's Regiment as they may have appeared in 1777. I also completed some small terrain pieces, a few civilians, and started a set of British troops to pit against my Continentals. Within the last couple of weeks, I also found a second stash of older miniatures that I had purchased at some point, so I've added these to the “to do” box. My goal for 2019 is to finish the British regiment, repaint a cannon crew that I found, and then paint up the extra figures that I dug up (Three mounted Continentals, a few militia, and an extra sprue of Perry plastics). I'd also like to work on some more terrain pieces, including a ground mat to stage games on. Will I actually game? Who knows. I might attempt a couple of solo games if I can find the time, or perhaps wrangle some friends into a game some weekend. I'm having fun putting the armies and terrain together, so anything else would just be extra fun.

So, I think that sums up 2018 in regards to this blog's topics. On to 2019!

Surveying Bennington

Theodolite at Bennington Museum (Photo from Wikipedia)

A couple of months ago I became interested in the equipment and techniques used by colonial surveyors. I don't recall what spurred me to start looking into them, but I've been studying some period books and journals regarding the subject, and began looking into recreating replicas of some of the tools so that I can use them in the future to demonstrate 18^th century surveying to the public.

Field Notes of an Unkown Surveyor from New York, 1765

During my high-level online research, I found that the Bennington Museum in Bennington, Vermont has, in its collections, a few original 18^th century surveying items, including a field book from an unknown New York surveyor from 1765. The field book is not on display, but I was able to make an appointment to view the item at the museum's library and archive. In addition to being able to view it, the curator there allowed me to take photos and later emailed me a transcript of the book. I've been reading, re-reading, and studying the book over the last few weeks. It's really sort of fascinating.

The first thing that I came across of interest was a statement by the surveyor regarding the temperament of some of the people who lived in the area that he was surveying. He was working on land that was contested by the colonies of New Hampshire and New York, and not all of the settlers were friendly. Having purchased their land from New Hampshire, many people in the Bennington area were not happy to see a New Yorker who was trying to claim the land for someone else. On the second page of his field book, the unknown surveyor states:

"Going North a Little to the S there Lives one Wickwire & on[e] Pratt I did the Same manner Demand the Possesion of that House & Lot in your Name, here I had like to have had my head broke, & he forwarned me Running across his Inclosion I told him Shurely Would & the, he might Sue for a Trespass of [if] Chose-"

Knowing the history of the New Hampshire Grants, and the residents border dispute with New York, it was pretty neat to see a literal first-hand account from someone who was there, in the midst of it.

Danby, New Hampshire Grants, Land Survey, 1775

Another item that I was able to look at was an original survey of land in Dorset, Vermont, dated 1775. The survey was a single page, and outlined a plot of land that I was later able to draw a map of. I haven't tried placing it within the town lines yet, but based on the survey notes, it was on the northern town line.

After spending an hour or so in the archives, I took a look around the museum. They have a really great collection of items from the area, including a lot of artifacts from the Battle of Bennington. Back to the topic of surveying, one item on display was a theodolite captured after the battle, thought to belong to a local Tory by the name of Colonel Francis Pfister. Pfister and Lieutenant Colonel Friedrich Baum, leader of the German troops at Bennington, were both mortally wounded during the battle, passing away at a house where they were taken after the battle.