Regiment de Santiago - The Beginning and the Beautiful Distractions

Spanish Infantry Regiment de Santiago

 This week I started in on the first of the Spanish Battalions for the planned upcoming battle of Mesas de Ibor.  The Regiment de Santiago is the first of 6 big 36 figure regiments completed by Dick Tennant.  I will be cleaning and restoring each, adding some simple shading and highlighting and then finally rebasing and giving them a gloss coat.  Additionally, each of the six will have a new mounted Colonel to lead them into battle.

Ready for a soft brush cleaning and then repair of chipped paint

I still have not been able to equal the quality of Dick's detailed line work.  Simply amazing brush control!

While I hate to destroy a figure, this poor soul made the ultimate sacrifice for a bayonet to replace a Chasseur company bayonet that had broken, and a head transplant for the Colonel of the regiment.

Here is the head atop the mounted Colonel.  The mounted figure was a rough condition Der Kreigspieler mounted general.  I had intended to use the figure head with a bicorn, but it was beyond saving.

I made some repairs to the horse and added epaulets to the colonel, which should look OK once painted.

Here he is ready to receive his uniform.

One of the ways I stay sane while tackling this enormous collection of figures is to make sure I get outside and hike.  Tennessee is a great state for enjoying really beautiful state, city and national parks.  

A few weeks ago my wife and I got to hike down to Chickamauga Creek, part of the Chickamauga National Battlefield.  General Bragg pushed his Confederate army across this creek in 1863 on the two bridges and various fords in an attempt to retake the city of Chattanooga, a crucial logistics and transportation center, thus precipitating one of the largest major battles of the civil war.

The high banks made the bridges and fords crucial for crossing.

Hard to believe this serene field just on the west side of the creek was once a spot of deadly struggle.

Fiery Gizzard State Park - Despite the wacky name, an absolutely beautiful spot with some challenging hiking.

Foster Falls

One of the many cliffs used by technical climbers.

The gorge was just stunning, especially after struggling along the rocky trails down in the bottom of the gorge for several hours.

A well deserved break!

Some folks swimming below Foster Falls

Cindy was awfully close to the edge of the cliff getting this shot!

Down in the gorge.

Me getting closer to the edge than I realized, but what a gorgeous day for hiking.