Solo Campaign - The Earl of Aigburth

Still on the milk bottle top, and with his varnish still a little too bright, here is the new C-in-C of the Anglo-Portuguese army. May I introduce General Sir Banastre Tarleton, Earl of Aigburth, more or less ready to join his troops in Portugal.

You see him mounted on his favourite horse, Philadelphia, and dressed as Colonel-in-Chief of his beloved 21st (Yorkshire) Light Dragoons. Yes - the hat - had to be.

The 21st, of course, are currently in South Africa, not in the Peninsula at all, and experts might observe that in 1808 the regiment's facings were changed to pink - ah well - according to my trusty Franklin, the new facings were not well received, and the regiment continued to wear its pre-1808 yellow facings until the new (French-style) uniforms were received in 1814, at which point the facings became black.

So there you have it.

He has still to be joined by his ADC - Captain JE Falconer of the 4th Foot, who is, in fact, his nephew (being his sister Bridget's boy - I hope you are taking notes). The family were very keen that Falconer serve in this capacity, though who is going to look after whom is a matter of debate. The Captain is on another bottle top, and will be along shortly.

If anyone cares, the figure of Tarleton is what as a boy I would have called a bitza (bitza this, bitza that). He started life as a Minifigs S-Range figure of Eugene de Beauharnais, but has a new head (from a NapoleoN light dragoon officer) and a horse supplied by Art Miniaturen.

In his baggage for his voyage to Lisbon is a letter for the Quartermaster General which contains the following passage:

It is my intention to leave responsibility for the whereabouts of individual mules and supply wagons in the hands of the QMG's staff. I intend to focus primarily on the disposition of the fighting army. I should not express a view on whether this will be a change of recent practice, but this is my aim.