Here’s your opportunity to obtain another fine convention T-shirt for HISTORICON! Every year since 2006, HISTORICON has used a piece of Osprey Publishing artwork on the program and T-shirts to create a lasting memento of the event. It is fantastic to see a sea of programs and T-shirts with fantastic artwork on it. This year Osprey agreed to do something special and created a one-off just for HISTORICON, since it is the 25th Anniversary. They commissioned one of their artists – Peter Dennis – to create a painting specifically for HISTORICON 2009 (Osprey will raffle off the painting at their info booth at the convention.)

Since the convention theme this year is Napoleon’s 1809 Campaign and the Spanish Ulcer (Peninsula War, 1807-14), the scene depicted on the T-shirt is from the Battle of Garcia Hernandez (23 July 1812), when the King’s German Legion Dragoons famously broke the formed squares of French 76th Line Infantry retreating the day after the disastrous defeat at the Battle of Salamanca.

A square of the 76th Line Infantry fired on four squadrons of the 2nd KGL Dragoons (about 450 cavalry), who promptly turned and charged uphill at the French. The 76th fired two volleys, first at 90 and then at 20 yards. This brought down several of the Dragoons and horses, but they charged on regardless. One badly wounded and riderless horse crashed into the square and created a breach that the rest of the cavalry quickly exploited, breaking into the square hacking away at the French who quickly surrendered; the KGL then proceeded to rout a column. KGL suffered 150 casualties while the French lost 200 killed/wounded, plus 1400 more taken prisoner. Edward Costello, an enlisted soldier in the 95th Rifles stated afterwards:

“I set out for Salamanca with the guard appointed to escort the prisoners taken in the recent Cavalry affair by our Germans. I never before saw such severe looking sabre cuts as many of them received; several with both eyes cut out, and numbers had lost both ears. Their wounded who were carried in wagons, were extremely numerous, and it was painful to an old soldier, to hear their groans and incessant cries for water.”

The artwork depicts the moment after the horse had broken the square and the Dragoons poured in. A fantastic and unique piece of artwork (pictured adjacent); a must have HISTORICON 2009 souvenir! The shirt itself is of the highest pre-shrunk quality; ash-gray in color. Don't delay – get yours NOW – while pre-registering before they're all gone; you may want to get two or MORE!

Small, Medium, Large, and XL: $17.00
2XL and 3XL: $20.00 or 4XL: $25.00

Sweatshirt (2XL only): $30.00