The Mexicans, a further stocktaking

Since the last time I did an overview of my Maximilian Adventure collection I've added a few more figures to both sides.  In this post I'll go through the French:

First up, I've added a Group of contra-guerilla cavalry...

These guys are a mix of Perry plastics using models from the ACW Cavalry and French Napoleonic Hussars boxes.

Having built the unit of Republican lancers I had three ACW cavalry left over and decided to buy a box of Perry Hussars to provide the men in frogged jackets the contra-guerillas need.  At this point Chris Barnes stepped in and sold me a box of French hussars for just a tenner; cheers Chris!

The ACW horses I could use as is but I thought the vandyked edging on the sheepskins of the French Hussar horses looked just too Napoleonic so I carved it off and used a hot pin to roughen off the edge of the sheepskin.

The sombrero headgear, so distinctive of soldiers in the Mexican campaign, were made from Green Stuff.  The chap below is typical of the conversions involved in putting the unit together.  The body and legs are from the Perry French Napoleonic Hussars.  I've used the legs with overalls in this case but I've carved off the stripe and buttons down the outside of each leg and added a fringe from Green Stuff.  I also built up the tops of the legs, front and read along a diagonal to give the impression of rawhide chaps worn over trousers.

The right arm is from the Hussars pack but I've replaced the hand with one holding a revolver from one of the Perry ACW infantry boxes.  The sabre in its scabbard is also from the Hussars box but I had to cut away the sabretache and rebuild the straps using Green Stuff.

I sliced the shako from the head of a Perry Hussar and then attached a Green Stuff-sculpted sombrero.  Finally I attached to his sling a repeating carbine from the ACW cavalry box and attached him to an unmodified ACW horse.

Sorry about the poor photos; I try to replace them when the light is better.

The other addition to the French force is this Group of contra-guerilla artillery.  The crew are straightforward paint jobs on Perry (again) ACW artillery crew.  I'm not sure of the correct uniform colours but these will do until more information comes along.  The officer is from Foundry.

The gun is my attempt at modelling the Canon de Montagne de 4 de Bange of which I understand the contra-guerillas had two.  It's a bit of a composite model with the wheels coming from the Airfix Royal Horse Artillery (spot on the right diameter), carriage from the Airfix ACW artillery but with the axle narrowed (the trail may still be a little long) and the barrel is one I found in the spares box.

At present this little gun serves to give the French player a sense of power but when I get round to giving the Republicans one of the full size Perry guns I'm sure this will fade rapidly.