Come on you’ve gotta admit, nothing looks so different than a Napoleonic Polish soldier in a sombrero!!

I must admit, I really enjoyed painting these figures up, in fact I’ve enjoyed painting all of the Haitian Revolution figures up, its such a weird and wonderful mix of colourful Napoleonic uniforms, with the added twist of tropical civilian clothing.

All the figures are from Trent Miniatures, apart from 2 figures who are from Britannia Miniatures.

In 1802, Napoleon sent most of the disgruntled Polish Legion (two demi-brigades, 5,280 strong) to Haiti to help put down the Haitian Revolution. Napoleon wanted to regain the colony of Saint Domingue, but preferred to save his main French army for more important matters, closer to home. The now inconvenient Polish units were accompanied by contingents of Germans and Swiss French allies, as well as by French units that had fallen out of favour with Napoleon and the French high command.

 

The Haitian campaign proved disastrous for the Legion. Combat casualties and tropical diseases, including the yellow fever, reduced the 5,280-strong Polish contingent to a few hundred survivors in the space of less than two years. By the time the French forces retreated from the island in 1803, about 4,000 Poles had died (either from disease or combat). Of the survivors, about 400 remained on the island, a few dozen were dispersed to the nearby islands or to the United States, and about 700 returned to France (Urbankowski claims 6,000 sent and 330 returned).

 

The Poles had little interest or desire to support the French cause in the distant colonies, once again fighting against people who only desired their own independence. In Haiti there still is a popular myth that many Polish soldiers became sympathetic to the former slaves‘ cause and deserted the French, supporting Jean-Jacques Dessalines in significant numbers, with entire units changing sides. In fact, the actual desertion rate was much lower; nonetheless about 150 Polish soldiers joined the Haitian rebels. The loss of that many patriotic military personnel in the Caribbean was a serious blow to the Polish aspirations for regaining independence. The Haitian experience cast further doubts among Poles about France’s and Napoleon’s good intentions toward Poland.

The Grenadiers

The Voltigeurs

2 centre companies

The Command – The only real conversion figure is the chap on the left. He had his head chopped off and replaced with a Czapka.