Tuesday, March 28, 2017

The Action at Chikaboogie Creek

Colonel Lawford had been tasked with the defense of the line of the Chikaboogie Creek.
Map for a table 90cm x 150cm
He had three regiments of infantry (the usual suspects - the 5th Alabama, the 1st Texas and the 9th Virginia) and a pair of guns.

A note on terrain: The Chikaboogie is a middling body of water crossed by a stone bridge. It is fordable east of the bridge. North of the river is the small hamlet of Mooresville which itself nestles in a small valley in the Black hills. The Northern side of the town is much encumbered by stone agricultural enclosures that form an obstacle to the free movement of infantry.

On the Southern side of the river, the land rises gently in a series of low terraces that are not an impedient to movement but do allow artillery to fire over the heads of infantry.

His orders are to prevent the Union from forcing the passage of the creek to defend the approaches to Greggton to the South.

Brigadier-General Guildenstern has four Union Regiments and a pair of guns. His orders are to take the bridge at Mooresville. He has determined that the best means of doing that would be to take possession of the heights to the South of the creek. He will attempt to do this by pushing two regiments through the town and over the bridge. His other two will ford the river and attempt to turn the Rebels out of their position.

Lawford has determined that he will put two of his regiments forward to defend the bridge while keeping his third in reserve. His artillery he will retain in the rear on the heights to keep good fields of fire.

Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Franco-Prussian Frenzy

I was very lucky today.

I was poking about on eBay and stumbled across a smallish collection of 25mm Tradition FPW figures. Imagine my surprise on looking at them closely (for they are very well-painted) and noticing they were painted by Stuart Asquith.

Well, considering it's my birthday, I could not really turn them down, could I? All I need now is to come up with rules for ten-figure units. A mere bagatelle, surely?

And here they are, a few pics (not the whole collection) that I nicked off eBay.
Bavarians
French Line
Thuringian Infantry
Tirailleurs Algeriens
Zouaves
I do like the fact that Stuart has supplemented the very limited Tradition FPW range by a few judicious additions from their WW1 range. Looking carefully at the figures (of which I already have some here) I think it might be possible to make up some Chasseurs d'Afrique out of their ACW cavalry, perhaps while also using some Union gunners to man the French Artillery. I love making do with old ranges - stretches the imagination and makes you really look deeply at what is available. Now, I wonder if the Scruby 25mms are compatible..?