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After almost a year of research and effort, this latest project by designer Eric Cox and P. R. Wilson is
is available for sale!
As part of the development of the rules for the Mexican War, 1846-48,
Gone To See The Elephant , this definitive Collection of Colors, Standards,
Guidons and Pennants for the Mexican and US Armies was an early priority. With the help of contributors in Mexico, as well
as the US, we found information and materials on Mexican and US military Colors and Standards never previously assembled.
With our obsession for detail and accuracy, we devoted literally hundreds of hours work designing over
300 Mexican and North American Flags in precise detail. All designs are based on existing contemporary examples, the US Army
Regulations of 1841, or informed conjecture based on the surviving evidence. Now, Colors and Standards for all units which
fought in the War are offered in the four game scales, 15mm, 18mm, 25/28mm, and 40mm.
While intended for use with Gone To See The Elephant, these flags will work as well with
any set of rules, large scale or "Skirmish." Printed on high quality paper, the fine detail of these highly
accurate flags will be the perfect complement to the even the finest painted figures, either for gaming or display.
Where other companies sell small sets of flags of the most limited variety (we have seen at least one
pack containing 6 of the same Mexican Infantry Regiment!), TVAG's Mexican War Flags Collection allows you to use the exact
flag for each unit in your armies.
The Mexican Army is represented in
two Sets totaling some 60 flags,
plus a newly added Supplement Flag Set with a number of other unit flags not available when the first were offered.
Together, these represent all the Permanente, Activo Milicia, and many Guardia Nacional Infantry and Cavalry
Battalions/Regiment which saw action during the war. A variety of Cavalry Guidons are provided for smaller scale
games where these would appear, as well as many authentic Lance Pennants for individual figures. Some extra National Colors
are included as well.
The Mexican Army had, or observed, no detailed regulations for unit colors, though most flags followed themes
in the National Colors. Consequently, a wide variety of eclectic eagle/snake/cactus designs were used, as were a range of
scripts and texts. Based on the remarkably large number of Mexican Flags which survived the war (largely as US trophies
until repatriated by 1950), as well as others revered in Mexican Museums, it was possible for Eric Cox to represent flags
for practically every unit which saw action.
Set #1 : Mexican Permanente and Activo Infantry Battalions (approximately 50)
Set #2: Mexican Guardia Nacional and Cavalry (approximately 50)
The US Army is represented in four Sets: Regular Infantry, Dragoons
and Mounted Rifles, Artillery, and US Volunteer formations.
The eight original Regular foot Regiments each have a Regimental and National Color, and those raised
for the war have the same, though with 28 stars showing rather than the 26 on the older flags. Stars and text are in silver,
as was the practice for Infantry.
All three Dragoon Regiments carried only Regimental Standards and Guidons for each Company.
These showed gold stars, text, etc, as befitted mounted troops and artillery.
The four Artillery Regiments which were represented during the war are provided with their Regimental
and National Colors, though likely neither saw much, if any use, in combat. Instead, Guidons are provided which may have
been carried by Batteries and "Red Leg" Infantry.
The Flags of Volunteer units have not been well documented, and our efforts have been among the first
attempts to do so. We have found some 25 images of surviving flags, as well as a number of contemporary descriptions. Special
credit must go to Ms. Donna Schmink of the Indiana War Memorial (IWM) who graciously provided images and data on the surprisingly
large number of Mexican War flags in its protection.
All of these flags have been reproduced for their appropriate units with as much historical detail as
possible. For the many remaining units which went off to "See The Elephant," we have provided conjectural examples influenced
by practices such as using State Seals or mottoes of local significance, etc. These "plausible" designs are clearly distinguished
from those of historical fact.
Altogether, the four US Sets total over 206 flags with only a very few repeats of "generic" National
Colors for use by US Volunteer units.
Set #3: US Regular Infantry & Voltigeurs (44 Flags, both Regimental and National Colors)
Set #4: US Dragoons & Mounted Infantry (45 Flags, with Regimental Standards and Guidons)
Set #5: US Artillery (48 Flags, Regimental and National Colors, and individual Battery Guidons)
Set #6: US Volunteer Formations (68+ 28mm Flags, 80+ 15mm &
18mm, both Infantry Colors and Cavalry Standards)
Prices
Each Set flags sells for $15.00, plus postage. Simply use the Shopping Cart to
choose the desired individual Sets, or the "Whole Enchilada" of between 300 and 325+ flags (depending on specific scale),
for just $60.00 and save $30.00 over the price of buying all Sets singly.
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