Osprey

ACW Armies (5):
Volunteer Militia

review by Paul Koch

By Philip Katcher, plates by Ron Volstad.

Whenever the folks at Osprey come out with another number of their famous Men-At-Arms series, it is cause to rejoice among miniature soldier collectors. This is doubly so when it happens to be covering a favorite period.

Philip Katcher's fifth book on the American Civil War is like a long lost friend. Many of us started to toy with the Civil War period after completing a set of Napoleonic armies. Katcher's topic, the volunteer Militias have atone time or another arrested the attention of fancy dress painters. Be honest - how many of you have painted up the 79th New York Highlanders in kilts, etc., even though they never wore those things in combat? The "bonnie laddies" are here along with many other units in a dazzling range of uniforms. Therearethe New York City guard in costume akin to the Old Guard of Boney himself. There are light Dragoons of several states that appear to have been misplaced from a Wagram diorama.

There are pickelhaube adorned artillerists and maybe a unit from the War for Independence. At last something to do with those odd units you painted for the Bicentennial and never finished. I never knew such costuming was popular among the militia companies of the period.

There is also plenty of shorthand information on more reasonably dressed outfits and the very popular Zouaves.

If you are a "battle dress" gamer as I am then there is little to paint in this volume, but there is much to enjoy. For the fancy dress devotee it is a feast. It is a good one to page through. I recommend it.

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