Good morning,
I don't know whether any of you are already subscribers to the journal of the UK Pike & Shot Society (many apologies if you are already), but a rather splendid package dropped through my letter box on Saturday morning containing both the most recent issue of that Society's magazine Arquebusier and the first instalment of what looks to be a series of occasional booklets published by the Society, titled Renaissance Military Texts. The reason for mentioning both here is that this issue of Arquebusier is focused on warfare in the age of Louis XIV and contains, amongst other good things, a couple of excellent articles on the battles of Kliszow and Friedlingen. The enclosed booklet is entitled Warfare in the Age of Louis XIV and contains a contemporary account of the 1684 Siege of Luxembourg, contemporary reports of the 1705 campaign in Brabant and the letters of Richard Pope, a junior officer in an English cavalry regiment between 1688 and 1706. The publication of both is a really high standard and, in my view, pretty decent value for money. For those interested, the Society has a website with subscription details, which shows up well on the usual web-search engines. While I think its fair to say that many (but not all) of the articles in Arquebusier focus on history first and wargaming second, there are often some real gems in the articles which have an immediate application as regards the tabletop. For example, here's some details of various standards and colours from Bavarian and Cologne formations taken when Marlborough's troops forced of the lines of Brabant in 1705, as described in the London Gazette of 23 July 1705. The details are sketchy (and in one place downright confusing), but I think that just makes these lost standards and colours even more intriguing!
"Nine Standards of Blue Sattin, richly embroidered with the Bavarian Arms, Six belonging to the Elector's own troops, and Three to those of Cologne having the following Motto's and Devices:
1. A Laurel, Aut Coronari aut Rmupi
2. An Olive Tree on a Rock, Per Ardua Laurus
3. A Pillar reaching the Clouds, Tantum Unmbra a Movetur
4. A Bear Rampant, Ex Vulnere Crudelior
5. A Dove with Laurel Branch, Uni Fervo Fidem
6. A Chaos, Obstantia Firmant
7. A Helmet with a Feather on a Pedestal, Ex Duris Gloria
8. An Olive Tree with shading Serpents, Nocet Umbra Nocenti
9. This standard is Stripped, but is of the Elector's Guards."
The footnote to the text mentions that standards 1 to 6 were Bavarian, and 7 to 9 Colognais, although the particular units from which such colours were taken is not determined.
Best wishes
Adam
, but if not Baccus 6mm have copies of of Dan Schorr's Robert Hall CD's the latest two being