Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Another "Spot The Cantiniere" 1857

This Cantiniere was from the Guides of the Imperial Guard of Napoleon III taken at the Chalons training camp in1857. It's further evidence that these women were actually there with the troops rather than just decoration.






































The RMN http://www.rmn.fr/ site has photos of an actual uniform.




The Guide Cantiniere shows up in several period prints.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

The Second Amendment

Just when you think you know it all,

I just heard about this blog entry from 2008 on the The Daily Kos. (It's a Liberal blog) It's a call for "liberals" (the good guys!) to learn more about the Second Amendment to the our Bill Of Rights.

Why Liberals Should Love The Second Amendment
by Angry Mouse Mon Apr 21, 2008

"....Liberals love the Constitution. They especially love the Bill of Rights. They love all the Amendments.

Except for one: the Second Amendment....."

(There's a link to the entire piece here...)

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/4/21/19133/5152/392/496931


More from our laws.....

Updates to the sections of the United States Code contained in

Title 10

TITLE 10—ARMED FORCES

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/HowCurrent.php/?tn=10&fragid=T10F00002&extid=usc_sup_01_10&sourcedate=2009-10-05&proctime=Tue%20Oct%20%206%2004:25:38%202009

Title 10 of the US Code as currently published by the US Government reflects the laws passed by Congress as of Jan. 5, 2009, and it is this version that is published here.

"........

§ 311. Militia: composition and classes

(a) The militia of the United States consists of all able-bodied males at least 17 years of age and, except as provided in section 313 of title 32, under 45 years of age who are, or who have made a declaration of intention to become, citizens of the United States and of female citizens of the United States who are members of the National Guard.

(b) The classes of the militia are—

(1) the organized militia, which consists of the National Guard and the Naval Militia; and

(2) the unorganized militia, which consists of the members of the militia who are not members of the National Guard or the Naval Militia."

That's the rest of us if called up!


Here are the changes the Second Amendment went though before passing...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution#Conflict_and_compromise_in_Congress.2C_the_Bill_of_Rights

June 8, 1789......

The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed; a well armed and well regulated militia being the best security of a free country but no person religiously scrupulous of bearing arms shall be compelled to render military service in person.

August 17, 1789...

A well regulated militia, composed of the body of the people, being the best security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed; but no person religiously scrupulous shall be compelled to bear arms.

August 24, 1789......

A well regulated militia, composed of the body of the people, being the best security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed; but no one religiously scrupulous of bearing arms shall be compelled to render military service in person.

August 25, 1789....

A well regulated militia, composed of the body of the people, being the best security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed, but no one religiously scrupulous of bearing arms shall be compelled to render military service in person.

September 4, 1789....

A well regulated militia, being the best security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.


September 9, 1789........

A well regulated militia being the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.

September 21, 1789......

A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.


As you can see, the Amendment got shorter until it's present form. It's confusing about the People or People organized in a Well Regulated Militia.




The point of the Daily Kos blog entry is that if all the other Amendments meant individual rights for the people then so does the Second Amendment. People of liberal views (That's ME!) have to take back the Second Amendment so that liberal candidates cannot be accused of trying to take people's guns away if elected.

Friday, January 22, 2010

Pre-World War One French Cantiniere wagons

A selection of postcards of Cantiniere wagons from France. These are either shown in garrison or on maneuvers. Several date from 1906 and as the clothing looks the same in other postcards, they are all of pre-WWI dates. The Cantinieres are no longer in semi-military costume and appear with assistants and even family members.












Tuesday, January 19, 2010

De marketentster


Thank you to Peter for the link to information on the "marketentster"


http://www.vanlut.be/leopoldsburg/marketentster.htm


De Marketentster

"The canteen woman in the picture is Francisca Janssen and the photo was taken around 1860 when Maastricht was still fortified."
(GOOGLE translation)


"De marketentster op de afbeelding is Francisca Janssen en de foto is omstreeks 1860 gemaakt toen Maastricht nog vestingstad was."

(The original text)

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Keep Your Helmet on 3

In the case of this series, the woman wears the helmet. I haven't found a series like this on the German side yet.






Keep Your Helmet On 2





Keep your helmet on. Racy WW I postcards.





Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Belgian Expeditionary Corps Cantinieres. 2

Some figures I did a while back of the Belgian Cantinieres. The first one was scratch- built from a Japanese Anime character kit. I have no idea what series! I made this one back in the 1980s









This original figures done by Chuck Caldwell from Gettysburg, Pa. Mr. Caldwell used to make one-of-a kind figures from Sculpy . I had him make this one unpainted and based on a modern magazine story illustration of the Belgian Corp in Mexico. The Cantiniere was leading a wounded man on a horse and carrying a short Enfield rifle in the illustration. Her Belgian "top hat" has a campaign cover. This one was done around 1985.


Sharp eyes! Two French cantinieres were killed by loyal Mexican forces in 1862 , probably female "Soldaderas" * (Soldaderas in the Mexican Military by Elizabeth Salas)


The Red/White/Green stockings worn by the Cantinieres representing the Mexican flag colors!




Added 1/19/2010

http://leo.ksahzaal.be/algemeen/bezienswaardigheden/monumenten/tacambaro.htm

Tacambaro-monument

"In 1864 werd Mexico een keizerrijk. De kroon werd aangeboden aan Maximiliaan van Habsburg en zijn echtgenote, prinses Charlotte, dochter van koning Leopold 1. Toen de toestand, door de burgeroorlog in Mexico, voor keizer Maximillaan gevaarlijk werd, stuurde België in 1865, zonder toelating van het parlement, een expeditiekorps naar Mexico. Onze troepen werden snel in gevechten betrokken en de hevigste veldslag had plaats in Tacambaro.
Keizerin Charlotte kwam tevergeefs hulp vragen in Europa; keizer Maximiliaan werd in 1867 gefusilleerd...."

Tacambaro monument
(Google Translation)
In 1864, Mexico was an empire. The crown was offered to Maximilian of Habsburg and his wife, Princess Charlotte, daughter of King Leopold 1. When the state, the civil war in Mexico, for Emperor Maximillaan endangered, Belgium sent in 1865, without authorization from the parliament, a corps expedition to Mexico. Our troops were soon involved in fights and the most violent battle took place in Tacambaro.
Empress Charlotte came in vain for help in Europe, Emperor Maximilian was executed in 1867.
...."

Monday, January 11, 2010

Belgian Expeditionary Corps Cantinieres.

Belgium sent troops to Mexico to support Emperor Maximilian's Belgian consort Carlotta. See any history of France's Mexican Adventure for the background.

The outfits of the cantinieres are pretty interesting. One photo has come to my attention.

Catherine Opdemessing


Several modern artists have interpreted the cantiniere outfits for the rife and grenadier battalions.
Preben Kannik in 1968


Société des Collectionneurs de Figurines

Thursday, January 7, 2010

War Is A Racket

War Is a Racket
Major General Smedley Butler USMC
1935
Round Table Press, Inc., New York


"War is a racket. It always has been. It is possibly the oldest, easily the most profitable, surely the most vicious. It is the only one international in scope. It is the only one in which the profits are reckoned in dollars and the losses in lives. A racket is best described, I believe, as something that is not what it seems to the majority of the people. Only a small 'inside' group knows what it is about. It is conducted for the benefit of the very few, at the expense of the very many. Out of war a few people make huge fortunes."


Dramatization of a General Butler speech..

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Toy Soldiers Of San Diego conversions

Nice figures from Toy Soldiers Of San Diego and fairly easy to convert.

Three guns from a Union battery. A full crew should have 5 men and a gunner. More to come.....