CW119 Colonel John W. McLane

King & Country Civil War catalog reference

CW119 ‘Colonel John W. McLane’ This mounted figure of one of the regiment’s best known commanding officers, Col.John W. McLane encourages his men forward as they attack an enemy position. One of the Union Army’s most senior Generals, George B. McClellan himself described the 83rd Pennsylvania as “a first-class regiment with a fine proficiency on the drill field... and an even finer fighting reputation on the battlefield!” Another senior officer remarked that the 83rd “encountered more fighting and suffered more casualties in action than any of its other Pennsylvania formations.” He went on to state that the Regiment’s losses were not caused by military blunders or disastrous routs but its fallen lay with their faces towards the enemy! Praise indeed. The 83rd Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment was made up solely of volunteers who participated in almost every major battle in the Eastern United States, including the ‘Seven Days Battle’... Antietam... Fredericksburg... Gettysburg... Petersburg and, eventually, all the way to Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Court House on 9 April 1865. Another notable feature of the Regiment were its unique uniforms worn in the first two years of the war. These were in the style, cut and colours of typical French ‘Foot Chasseurs’ and had, in fact, been purchased in bulk from a military uniform contractor in Europe and then transported across the Atlantic. These in turn were adapted and in some cases, copied to suit operational requirements on active service. One of the 83rd’s most famous engagements was as one of the four regiments alongside the 20th Maine... 44th New York and 16th Michigan defending the hillock known as Little Round Top during the Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863. During this fierce struggle the Regiment’s own Commanding Officer, Colonel Strong Vincent was mortally wounded. As a side note, several years before in 2008, King & Country released its first batch of 83rdPennsylvania soldiers in a broad range of defensive poses. T

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