Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Age of the Big Battalions => Topic started by: nicknorthstar on August 26, 2018, 01:15:54 PM
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This is a follow up from a previous ACW related post where I admit it's taken 38 years of being a hobbyist, but I'm at last interested in the ACW.
It was sparked by a visit the US of A, and visiting the Battlefields of South Mountain, Antietam, Harpers Ferry, Gettysburg and Brandywine.
I wondered whether rather than just painting up a bunch of Johnny Rebs and Billy Yanks, I could get enough information to do specific regiments at a specific battle. I picked out The Bloody Lane at Antietam September 1862. After hours and hours of reading on the net, the answer is pretty much yes. The plan is to do both sides, but you need to start somewhere.
So I picked out Rodes Brigade of Alabama regiments, part of DH Hills Division, defending the middle of the Bloody Lane, to start with.
I'm using Crusader Miniatures ACW infantry. Although the Perry Mins range is vaster, better and more accurate, I cast the Crusader Mins figures so they are a more sensible option. I'll go to Perrys for the Generals, Artillery, Cav etc.
I've not settled on a rule set yet, I play Black Powder so that's an obvious 1st choice. I like the look of Pickett's Charge from TFL but I've got to learn it first. The 3rd option is my chum Chris Peers has a set of ACW in note form, using the rule engine he wrote for Death in the Dark Continent, a game I really enjoy, that I want to try. With the 3rd option in mind, I've chosen to base the figures in 4s on a 60mm by 30mm base. That's what Chris will be using, but I can use them based like this for BP and PC. The units for Chris' game will only need to be 4 bases, which makes each regiment do-able in a short time frame.
I chose to do the 6th Alabama Regiment first.
When I first thought about this project, I was inspired by the 'ragged' host image of the Confederates in this campaign. It is a fact that Antietam was a low point in the appearance of the Rebel army, they improved the supply train after the Maryland campaign. The problem was the more I read about Confederate uniforms, the more I started to move away from the 'ragged Rebel' image. It took the arrival of Don Troiani's art book from our own Cubbin, where Don had painted the 6th at the Bloody Lane to put me back on the straight and narrow. If he's painted them as ragged rebels, so will I. But some of that other research has filtered in, and I'll point it out when it comes up.
(https://civilwartalk.com/attachments/wallcate-com-don-troiani-paintings-24-jpg.23163/)
I decided not to fixate on the actual cut of the uniform and weapons carried, that could drive you mad, but I spent a long time looking for the correct flags, and I think I got it sorted.
I also have tried to make the Regimental officer look like the personality, and I think I've got that right.
The picture attached is the first finished regiment, the 6th Alabama. I'm not looking for praise for the painting, it's not my best. I'm trying to find a fast technique using brown washes to speed up the process whilst still looking good for the tabletop.
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Nice looking regiment there.
Looking forward to see more!
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6th Alabama.
As I mentioned above, I got Don Troianis book from Cubbin just as I was starting the 6th Alabama and that put me back on the 'ragged rebel' plan for this army. Picture one is an example of how I'm trying to represent that.
One of the things that remained from my research though was the Racoon Roughs. The commanding officer John B Gordon started the war leading a company of mountain men wearing racoon skin hats, and calling themselves the 'Racoon Roughs'. It seems they clung onto those hats as long as they could, and even when they had to discard them wore an RR on their kepis to keep the name going. As I couldn't find a date that they got rid of the furry hats, I modelled a couple of figures wearing them as the RR company within the 6th.
It was easy to find a photo of the regimental officer John B Gordon. I modelled a goatee beard onto a clean shaven Crusader Miniatures ACW officer to represent him. You'll also notice something wrong with his hat. That is my attempt at a bullet hole in the top of his Kepi. One of the famous stories of Antietam is Gordon's account of the fight:
A fourth ball ripped through my shoulder, leaving its base and a wad of clothing in its track. I could still stand and walk, although the shocks and loss of blood had left but little of my normal strength. I remembered the pledge to the commander that we would stay there till the battle ended or night came. I looked at the sun. It moved very slowly; in fact, it seemed to stand still. I thought I saw some wavering in my line, near the extreme right, and Private Vickers, of Alabama, volunteered to carry any orders I might wish to send. I directed him to go quickly and remind the men of the pledge to General Lee, and to say to them that I was still on the field and intended to stay there. He bounded away like an Olympic racer; but he had gone less than fifty yards when he fell, instantly killed by a ball through his head. I then attempted to go myself, although I was bloody and faint, and my legs did not bear me steadily. I had gone but a short distance when I was shot down by a fifth ball, which struck me squarely in the face, and passed out, barely missing the jugular vein. I fell forward and lay unconscious with my face in my cap; and it would seem that I might have been smothered by the blood running into my cap from this last wound but for the act of some Yankee, who, as if to save my life, had at a previous hour during the battle, shot a hole through the cap, which let the blood out.
Lastly the flag. One thing I read about in my research was the Brigade Commander Rodes went out of his way to make sure his Standard bearers were issued with Belt and Sockets for their flags. So I've got a standard bearer figure with a belt and socket for all the regiments in this Brigade. It would also seem that the Confederates preferred to just carry their Battleflags into battle, not accompanied with State Flags like the Yankees, so I've gone for one Battleflag per regt. in this project. DH Hills Division were issued with the '2nd Bunting' Battleflags in the summer of 1862, the orange edged style, so that made it an easy choice. But I had misread the instructions that were given for battle honours in 1862, so gave the 6th Alabama a flag without their Seven Pines honour. I painted it on myself, though I've bought some GMB flags for the next regiments. I painted the battle honour following the style of the 13th Alabama whose flag still exists (captured at Antietam), but was irritated to find when Troianis art book arrived he'd painted it in a different place. I had to convince myself to let it go... lol
3rd Alabama next.
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Promising looking project 8)
I like the personality take on it.
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There will be some friends who'll have fallen off their chairs in surprise that I'm actually painting, to them I say 'don't worry, I've got Artmaster Studios doing the Union side'.
I'm doing the same thing with the Union as I am with the Rebs, so the first three regiments Artmaster have are from Weber's brigade, the first Brigade to attack Bloody Lane. The officer figures all have green stuff beards and 'tasches to look like the actual officers, and I have the flags here to attach in the hands when the figures come to me. I'll post pictures when they are ready. The flags were a head ache, because although the wonderful commercial flag producers out there do a splendid job, they just can't possibly do everything. So there was an evening of hand painting regimental names and numbers on these Federal flags
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I like that you're basing is four figures abreast of one another. As you dig deeper - and see period illustrations from sources such as Leslie's Illustrated News - you'll realize that many of the lines of battle were one man thin followed by another line well back that was also one man thin, etc. This was an important reason I decided to rebase away from Johnny Reb style basing - though that is stalled along with the whole period perhaps leaving my life despite for decades being the mainstay. That is an issue I waffle on considerably.
A great start on your collection and I, too, like the personality approach. And glad to hear you're allowing a modicum of sanity to set in on your 'level of detail' goal. Admiral goal that leads to madness. Imagine trying to do that for the AWI which was once my goal, thrice over - if not more - maddening than your quest. I finally just decided to relax and enjoy the figures and paint them close to history but let go the angst. Thus Mollo's fine book is a core guide to build on, maybe not always accurate but we are playing games, not creating history dioramas. As historical as possible but fun outweighs accuracy.
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Thanks FifteensAway.
Something I didn't mention was, although I've focused on September 1862 for the painting and modelling, these units will get used for everything 1861-65.
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When I started this project, Duncan McFarlane chose to cash in on my enthusiasm by offering these Rebs to me at a 'price you can't refuse'.
So before starting the Alabamas, I was rebasing, painting extra figures and getting the right flags on this little lot.
They aren't really part of what I'm doing with this project, but they can get me playing once enough Billy Yanks have been mustered.
There's also some beautifully painted Cubbin figures in the background, not sure what they'll do except show everyone else up.
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There's also some beautifully painted Cubbin figures in the background, not sure what they'll do except show everyone else up.
Once you get your reb army up to about 6 or 700 men, they'll just blend right in! :)
Looks like you have a good start...
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This is an awesome project :)
I've just picked up some Crusader ACW from you for Sharp Practice (like a numpty I got my order wrong, but never mind ;) - I'll just have to order some more...)
*bugger - just went to order more & the monster offer you had (regiment deal for £15) is over :( That'll learn me to pay more attention to what I'm typing when I ask for regiment composition! Might just need to wait for the next time these are on offer again ;)
I'd quite like to add some Zouaves to my 'plain' forces - and just wondering what are the best 'fit' with the Crusader minis - you mention Perry's, what about Foundry etc?
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Hi Nik
Just finished the 3rd Alabama, post pictures later this week.
I've just put the ACW back on offer. http://www.crusaderminiatures.com/prod.php?prod=811 (http://www.crusaderminiatures.com/prod.php?prod=811)
Foundry will mix in fine, they are the original Perry designs of course, but as the current Perry Miniatures are what they consider improvements ( and they are cheaper) I'd go with Perry Mins. I'll be adding Perry Mins as the Crusader range is just Infantry. I'm hoping to carry Mark Sims along with my enthusiasm and get him to expand the range. If you're not in a rush for the Zouaves, hang on, you might find there's some Crusader ones later this year.
Nick
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Hi Nik
Just finished the 3rd Alabama, post pictures later this week.
I've just put the ACW back on offer. http://www.crusaderminiatures.com/prod.php?prod=811 (http://www.crusaderminiatures.com/prod.php?prod=811)
Foundry will mix in fine, they are the original Perry designs of course, but as the current Perry Miniatures are what they consider improvements ( and they are cheaper) I'd go with Perry Mins. I'll be adding Perry Mins as the Crusader range is just Infantry. I'm hoping to carry Mark Sims along with my enthusiasm and get him to expand the range. If you're not in a rush for the Zouaves, hang on, you might find there's some Crusader ones later this year.
Nick
Cool - look forward to seeing your progress..
And, in other news, you sir are an absolute *legend* and *star* - can't believe that you've put the offer back on - that's astonishing & awesome and *seriously* appreciated - thank you, sir :D
Thanks also for your thoughts on the other companies - given what you say about Mark, I *might* just make this a slow-burner and wait until he's done some Zouaves for Crusader - that would be *very* coolio :)
Thanks again - really appreciated, order in-bound ;)
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Very nicely painted and the officer looks the part!
I'll be following! Cheers!
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Great start!
I like your approach. I have loads of ACW miniatures that I never got around painting. It is so hard to choose between battles and this forum have not shared much ACW so not much inspiration has come until now :)
I will follow your progress with keen interest!
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3rd Alabama Regiment.
Commander Col. Cullen A. Battle. Rodes Brigade, DH Hill's Division, Jackson's Corp.
The 3rd Alabama are a regiment I read a lot about until Don Troiani got me back on the ‘straight and narrow’. There’s loads of information about the 3rd’s different companies, their uniforms and standards, though it all seems to disappear by 1862. But in a nod to all that information I took in I decided to make the 3rd more uniform than the rest of the ragged Rebs.
Don painted a 3rd Alabama soldier based on the kit that survived and historical documents.
I based my uniform colours on this illustration, only using short jacket/ kepi wearing figures and adding the black trim. There was some justification. The uniform was still issued in 1862. The 3rd were rested before the invasion of Maryland to recruit and re-equip. They were also originally made up from the wealthier members of society, and as the Alabama uniform service was still quite efficient in ’62, it’s not beyond the realms of fancy to imagine the 3rd used their influence to get their own grey kit shipped to them.
I put the command group in the original US army hats (Hardy hats?) rather than kepis. This is partly because I found a photo of a 3rd musician wearing one, and because the commander of the 3rd Colonel Battle had a full beard, and the Crusader Miniature of an officer in a Hardy Hat had a full beard already! I did add putty to make it bigger as Colonel Battle had a mighty beard. (pic 4)
The Flag. (pic 5) I’ve given the 3rd the Stars and Bars rather than the ANV battleflag. It’s the only one of the five regiments of Rodes Brigade I will. A few reasons why. One is that there’s a quote about the 3rd being the first regiment to ‘place the Stars and Bars in Maryland’. Two is to give some variety to the units. Third, I read that the 3rd had their battleflag blown to shreds at Seven Pines, the regiment managed to save a broken staff with just a torn remnant of it on after the battle. So I’m going with a presumption they don’t get issued with another ANV battleflag, and used their Stars and Bars instead. They were presented with the battle honour for Seven Pines on a white silk strip to sew to their battleflag, I considered painting it on their Stars and Bars as a unique Confederate flag. But I didn’t. Yet.
I added a drummer to the 3rd, but as the units are small, only 16 figures, I won't add musicians again.
5th Alabama next.
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Really enjoying these posts and your enthusiasm for your new project and for the subject too,keep up the good work :)
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Thought I'd share a little about the painting. These are not my finest works, I'm trying to get a fast technique that I'm happy with on the table top.
So far, what I've done is sprayed the figures Army Painter Uniform Grey. Then I've picked out the flesh (face and hands). I then paint most of the belts, straps etc in black. The wood on the rifles I've painted dark brown (AP Oak Brown). I'm just using Army Painter by the way. The water bottle straps I do in an off white. The hair I do in a mix of browns, blacks and orange.
Then I liberally drop AP brown wash over the flesh, straps, hair etc. Next I paint over the grey with a lighter shade, mostly covering everything except the edges and deep folds. Then I pick out the metal on the rifles, belt buckles etc.
Some figures I've stopped at this stage, but for most I've done some highlighting. The flesh I've taken the original AP Barbarian flesh and run over the high areas (nose etc). The uniforms, mixing a slightly lighter grey, I've gone over the high parts of the uniforms, especially the caps. I've done the same with the wood on the rifles and the black leather kit.
That's it. I've ignored the eyes, blending etc to get the figures onto the table-top.
Where I've painted butternut uniforms I've painted the item (jacket or trousers) a suitable brown and included it in the liberal application of brown wash. The next regiment will have more butternut than the previous, so I may hone the technique somewhat.
Hope that's of interest.
Cheers
Nick
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It is of interest, thank you for sharing your technique!
Eager to see the next unit!
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These two figures were the first I painted in this project. I needed them to make up units in the 'job lot' of Rebs I bought from Duncan. I worked out the 'fast paint' plan with them. The flags are from Flags of War. I enjoyed making the battle torn version, but haven't done it with any Alabama flags yet, not sure if I will. In theory they could be, all of Rodes' regiments were heavily engaged just days before Antietam defending the passes over South Mountain.
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I like the clean painting style, it will look great en masse. I also like the Crusader ACW figures, painted up they have more variation and personality than the website pics suggest.
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Thanks for any kind words on the painting, unfortunately I walk among giants, look at Kev's work on the ragged Confederates for Dracula's America.
The inspiration for my ACW project was clearly my trip to America, but I was getting set up for it by my enthusiasm for Dracula's America, a great game and great figures.
Do you want to read a funny story?
I went on my US trip with Alan & Michael Perry. After Historicon, we set off to the ACW Battlefields. When we arrived at South Mountain park, there were three re-enactors there. We wandered over to have a chat. In the conversation, we pointed out Alan & Michael made ACW model figures. 'Are you the Perry brothers?' asks a reenactor. Then he says 'I'm not into model soldiers, but my boss is, and he's just gone to a convention where he said he hoped to meet you guys'. This is where I burst out laughing. What if his boss didn't meet Alan and Michael at Historicon, and when he gets back to work his colleague goes 'You'll never guess who was here yesterday'. lol
Actually, are you that boss? He's a wargamer, may be a LAFer as well.
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Ah, shades of Ted Turner's Gettysburg! Only a better rendition of facial hair here. lol
As to the movie mentioned, I like it (less the excessive saluting) and - as I've mentioned before in some other where - I had an experience upon first watching that movie that no other event has ever done for me and it was brief, less than a second. But during the 20th Maine's charge down Litter Round Top, I was there in that charge, the sights, the sounds, the smells, the tingle in my gut. Also helped it was in an old fashioned movie theater with a bigger than life screen. That was an exemplary cool moment in life. Helped that I was deeply immersed in the history at that time, devouring ACW books and a recent one on Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain and this event in particular. I can't recall the book but I'll never forget that moment "I joined the 20th's charge". :-*
edit: that's just freaking cheating, touring with the Perry Twins. Please tell them I'm still mad at them, though. Completely abandoned my scale! :D
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Excellent work, I look forward to accounts of your table top battles.
Only vaguely related: I'm re-reading Cozzens' "No Better Place to Die" book on the Battle of Stones River. A Union soldier writes of the initial Confederate attack "They were well dressed, but of cut and color there was no attempt at uniformity". Granted, we are talking about the Army of Tennessee rather than Lee's force.
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Another thought, Vincent. The first Confederate charge at Stone's River came early in the morning of December 31, 1862. It was cold in Tennessee that morning. The Federal troops wore their issue overcoats. The Confederate army rarely issued overcoats, and the Rebs probably wore whatever winter gear they could get their hands on, including miscellaneous coats donated to clothe the army by patriotic southern civilians.
Very handsome toy soldiers, Nick. Please show us a game when they're ready to rock'n'roll.
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Now then Nicholas, you know that young Dan has a fair few toys he never uses, why not buy his so we have more space at work?
Plus, I have 15 and 28mm armies ready to go, and one day I SHALL paint those 40mm Foundry I've had for ages.
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I like your thinking.
Perhaps we should arrange a game sometime, my Rebs will be the Dark Confederacy, your Feds for the Vamps, DA big battles.
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Played a game of ACW using Black Powder to keep the enthusiasm bubbling. NOT my figures or terrain, good time was had. This is my Brigade, strung out along the Pike in front of the main Union army. I blew away the Rebs in front, and the rest of the Union army chased off the right and left flanks for a Federal victory.
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The figures and terrain are of course the collection of Alan Perry. Here's a shot of the battlefield, with the Confederate right lining the Pike.
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What size are those bases?
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In the game, or what I've painted?
My figures are on 60mm by 30mm.
Alan's collection is mostly on the bases that come with the plastic Perry box sets I think. As a rule I think his basic infantryman is on a 15mm by 20mm, then multiples of for the bigger bases.
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Thank you. I am thinking about a four man frontage
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Lovely work Nick on your ACW collection sofar.
All the best,
Helen
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I'm putting them on a 4 man frontage of 60mm.
The 5th Alabama are finished, I'll post pictures later.
I was lent this book yesterday, you know you're in deep when this is your favourite reading, & is still throwing up as many questions as it's answering.
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The 5th Alabama Regiment.
Commander Maj Edwin L. Hobson . Rodes Brigade, DH Hill's Division, Jackson's Corp.
I didn't have anything specific about this regiment I wanted to do, other than explore the 'Ragged Reb' theme a bit more. I tried to add a couple of torn elbows and knees as well as patches this time. I added more uniforms in 'butternut' as well.
The flag I deduced would be a 2nd Bunting ANV Battleflag with the Seven Pines! battlehonour. GMB Designs do one, straight from the school of Don Troiani, so that did perfectly well. The colour bearer still has the belt and socket as mentioned before.
A point of curiosity is the photo of Major Hobson. As I mentioned, I'm trying to make the officer figures look like the real officers. I found a splendid photo of the major, with an easy to model on mustache.
(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/cc/98/86/cc9886ded7ad1c68160fa593b76a329d.jpg)
I modeled the figure, got him painted (you'll see him below) but when I went back to my favourite site, they'd changed the photo to some goatee bearded chap!
(http://antietam.aotw.org/images/hobson_el.jpg)
Damn. but too late, I like mustache Hobson so he stays.
I've already begun the 12th Alabama, that just leaves the 26th Alabama, and Rodes Brigade is done.
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very nice painting on the figures
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Hi!
It is great that you try to achieve the officer's expressions, the faces you already made are well done, they have a warlike expression and convey to the viewer the feeling of the period!
Eager to see more of your ragged Reb look!
Cheers!
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The 12th Alabama Regiment.
I've finished the 12th Alabama, the 4th Regiment of Rodes Brigade, DH Hills Division, in September 1862.
I mentioned earlier that in reading about the uniforms of Alabama, I went from planning to do a force of Ragged Rebels to better uniformed soldiers back to ragged 'tramps'. I read some articles about the actual material of the uniforms of the Alabama soldiers. it would seem in 1862 Alabama was supplying it's soldiers quite well, with grey uniforms, but the material was fading to 'butternut' brown rather rapidly.
http://adolphusconfederateuniforms.com/state-of-alabama-quartermaster-uniforms-1861-1864.html (http://adolphusconfederateuniforms.com/state-of-alabama-quartermaster-uniforms-1861-1864.html)
So with this unit, I wanted to represent them wearing State issued grey kit that had faded to brown since the summer, and was in poor repair following hard campaigning the month before. Picture 5 shows a close up.
The colours of the 12th I was happy with, a 2nd Bunting battleflag of the ANV with Seven Pines! battlehonour, and again a colour bearer with the belt and socket. (pic 4)
The officer of the 12th in the Bloody Lane on the 17th of September was more difficult to pin down. The 12th suffered tremendous casualties, including it's officers. It's Colonel and Lieutenant-Colonel fell in battle 3 days before. Captain Tucker led the regiment into the Bloody Lane and was killed, Captain Maroney then took over. The problem I have with representing these two Gentlemen is there seems to be no photographs of them anywhere. I did find a photo of the Captain of the Mobile Company, 12th Alabama, Adolph Proskauer.
Captain Proskauer not only looks distinct with his chops, but he had an illustrious career becoming a Major in the 12th. I found a great illustration of him at Gettysburg on the cover of this book on Jewish officers of the Confederacy.
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/bc/The_Jewish_Confederates_by_Robert_N._Rosen_%28book_cover%29.jpg)
I've tried to represent him, chewing his cigar. (picture 3). So with the 12th, I've not got a figure of the actual commanding officer, but one of the company commanders.
That just leaves the 26th Alabama to paint, and a model of Brigadier General Rodes himself, and I've done!
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“That just leaves the 26th Alabama to paint, and a model of Brigadier General Rodes himself, and I've done!”
You should know by now that no wargaming project is ever done. You’re in this for the long haul now. lol
Lovely stuff. Very characterful units (no pun intended). I’ve also branched out into ACW, but in 6mm scale.
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This project is turning out to be a handsome piece of historical research and modeling, nick. I'd say you've gotten the hang of butternut.
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Just to track back on this project, I mentioned I was adding putty to the officer figures to try and catch their actual likeness.
This is Colonel Battle, of the 3rd Alabama.
(http://antietam.aotw.org/images/battle_c.gif)
(Spot the deliberate mistake. I didn't do my research properly, Red Sashes were worn by Majors and below. A Colonel should have yellow. This figure has been repainted!)
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Colonel Gordon of the 6th Alabama.
(http://antietam.aotw.org/images/gordn_j.gif)
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I've finished painting the last Regiment, the 26th Alabama, just need to finish the basing. While I do that, here's the officer, Colonel EA O'Neal.
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/59/Edward_A._O%27Neal.jpg)
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Colonel O'Neal is my favorite so far. I've just read through the whole thread and really enjoyed it. It's a great project.
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A labor of love, well done.
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This project is turning out to be a handsome piece of historical research and modeling...
You achieve faces outstandingly well, not only for the known personalities, but also your effort to individualise any single soldier must be praised! Cheers!
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I'm really liking this thread Nick, and its making me want to dig out my 28mm ACW for an actual game. 15mm is great, but 28's always have that visual impact!
I'm also going to dig out all my unpainted and unbased figures as well, and put them out for painting after my WW2 Desert War. Like you, I bought figures with 'character' from a host of ranges, designed to show early and late war uniform 'oddities'. I also used a fair few Reboubt heads just to replace those on the Perry plastics (I like my toy soldiers to have some expressions!).
I've used Warbases four figure bases, sized to accept 25mm squares. I didn't want to commit to one type of basing for one set of rules, but your four figure line looks better than my square 'clump'.
I've also got a whole bunch of Perry British Intervention Force infantry painted up by GW Wayne, so a bit of 'what if?' is also possible.
So, when shall my force of Federals get the opportunity to Longstreet your Rebs?
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Just name the day.
I've 13 regiments and 2 guns ready to go.
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Nice work Nick and very quick 8)
My order for 3 unit deals just arrived in hot and humid Montreal, they will be added to the existing figures I had for Brother Against Brother and everything rebased for F&F Regimental.
Cheers,
Graham W
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Lovely looking units the 12th are my favourites :)
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Just name the day.
I've 13 regiments and 2 guns ready to go.
How's about, a week on Thursday? We can show off Cigar Box Battlemats again, then we just need trees, fences and a farm - I wonder where I could get that sort of terrain from?
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I wonder....
Yes, lets do it.
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Last part of the turn sequence: take photos.
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26th Alabama Regiment. Rodes Brigade. DH Hills Division.
Commanding Officer Col. Edward A. O'Neal.
Here it is, the fifth and final regiment in Rodes Brigade at Antietam September 1862.
I decided to have a play around with this regiments uniform. There are all kinds of stories of Confederates wearing captured Union clothes during the Maryland Campaign. Some, like AP Hills division which had just captured a Union supply depot at Harpers Ferry, it seems quite likely they had replaced their worn out uniforms with Union gear. Others maybe not so much, but I chose to add a narrative to the 26th that they had come across a supply of Union uniforms. So some of the soldiers have replaced their trousers and caps with Union blue. Some others have taken Union jackets to replace their worn out coats, but being aware of the rumour that the Union shoots any prisoner taken wearing their uniforms, they have just repaired their worn out trousers and kept their old caps.
So the 26th have a right old mix of uniform colours. Alabama grey, Grey gone to butternut, some civilian gear and Union Blue.
The standard bearer is in Alabama grey, and I've painted NCO stripes on this figure. All the standard bearers ought to have them, but I laid off the earlier figures. Again, he has his issued belt and socket for the flag, and carries a 2nd Bunting Battleflag of the Army of North Virginia with the Seven Pines battle honour sown on.
Colonel O'Neil lived to ripe old age, getting promoted to General before the end of the war and going on to be governor of Alabama in the 1880s. The photos of him show him with grey hair and beard. They are probably of him as Governor of Alabama, but in the absence of a picture of him in uniform, I've followed the photos as his grey goatee and sideburns make him a distinct figure.
That's it for Rodes Brigade!
I've got a Perry Mins officer to paint up as Brigadier-General Rodes, then I take a picture of him and his five regiments all together.
If the painting bug stays with me, I'll move onto the other Brigade holding the Bloody Lane, Andersons' Brigade of North Carolina regiments. I've already started researching, the question of flags is quite complicated, the uniforms as debatable as the Alabama's and there's a lack of photos for the officers. Hurrah!
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As a foot note, and to show off some excellent painting, I got these beautifully painted Confederate officers from our own Mr Cubbin.
I thought about using the chap in the cap as Brigadier-General Rodes
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a5/Portrait_of_Robert_E._Rodes%2C_ca_1863%2C_by_William_D._Washington.jpg/220px-Portrait_of_Robert_E._Rodes%2C_ca_1863%2C_by_William_D._Washington.jpg)
But following my 'sash' enlightenment, I realised the figures are in Red Sashes, not the yellow gold of a General. I really don't fancy painting over a Cubbin, so I'll do a Perry figure myself instead.
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I wonder....
Yes, lets do it.
If we use Longstreet, I can muster 8 regiments of 5 bases each of Union Infantry, 6 bases of cavalry and 2 artillery batteries of 1 base each. Just need to paint some Federal gun crew.
I've also dug out all my unpainted 28mm now, re-discovering my 54th Mass., my oddly armed Confederates and a whole load of Boothill Miniatures Mex-Am War I intended to be a Confederate regiment or two in non-standard uniform (buckskins, Raccoon skin hats, militia-type uniforms and more).
And yes, I will be arming some of my plastic Perry Confederates with AK47's, just because Mike says I can't!
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...And yes, I will be arming some of my plastic Perry Confederates with AK47's, just because Mike says I can't!
How naughty.
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Artillery.
Have you seen the pre-painted ACW range from Perry Miniatures? I've bought a Confederate gun from them for my project. I think a little work on the face to look like the figures I've painted and based in the same way, this'll fit in nicely.
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Knowing I'm in full enthuse mode for the ACW, my chum Dave Ryan lent me this book, 'Before Antietam'
(https://books.google.co.uk/books/content?id=Jft2AAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&img=1&zoom=1&imgtk=AFLRE73Rwenkli5QlQTWp4_jB1NuXYMZosPSIecEwq8Rfr0jJvRwZxJfTyA5hdnsZb2B0VNcuPWHnwzTYJjuomUo3auxPbIVCC8NctfTbhkvdqeQDvyRYJ2AemWofJw_Bh-k_IEt9x7N)
It's very good. By co-incidence, the Brigade I've chosen to make, DH Hills Brigade, were on the frontline at the Battle for South Mountain. After studying them so closely, it's like reading about old friends. :)
The point of this ramble is thinking outloud about the look of the troops in the Maryland campaign. Every eye witness account of the Rebs marching into Maryland is of how filthy, smelly and ragged they look. (in Butternut, though one account describes the butternut colour to do with the dust and filth caked on their uniforms. But that was just one account). I read a while ago that the descriptions of the Ragged Rebs was where the Marylanders saw the Texans, a famously ill-supplied bunch, but in this book it clearly describes the 14th North Carolina:
'They look hard, clothes in rags...no uniforms at all...half of them barefoot.'
Darn it. The North Carolina are next on the painting table, and like the Alabamians, I'd read how good their uniform supply depot was, even getting new uniforms to their troops in August '62. I'll have to think about how to do them now.
Barefoot into Maryland.
This question has vexed me since the beginning. Even this very book contradicts itself. This book repeats what I'd read before about Lee insisting barefoot troops do not cross the Potomac. This led to the frustration of officers seeing shoes thrown in ditches by the soldiers unwilling to march to war, and so getting a barefoot ticket to stay out of the campaign. But then, we get eye-witness accounts like the one above about seeing bare-foot Confederates in the towns of Maryland.
A bunch of bare-foot Johnny Rebs in the painted regiments would look very good, but I'm loath to do the conversion work for something that might not have been a reality on the battle-field.
Last note about the book, the description of the battles is super detailed. If I was to refight the battle of Fox's Gap, I know what crop was in each field and whether it was bordered with a stone wall or rail fence. Amazing.
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Nick, clothes and shoes wore out quickly on the march. Lee started the Maryland campaign on September 3, 1862. The battle of Antietam started September 17. A soldier who crossed the Potomac wearing shoes could wear them out in two weeks of marching, and maybe not find another pair.
In every era it seems that soldiers in the field were often dirty and ragged, that parade uniforms were worn in camp and garrison, not on campaign. An accurate model of the ANV at Antietam would be a bunch of sweaty guys with dust all over their clothes. That would be a lot of boring painting, and a dull 'moving diorama' for your wargame, so paint 'em how you like. We all do.
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There's also the question of what they meant by "naked" and "barefoot" back then. Did it mean that people just weren't fully clothed in the style of the time - no jacket, just a shirt, for example. or shoes that obviously were wearing out, toes showing, no socks, etc? I don't know but suspect that most of these soldiers would pass for clothed and shod these days, if not clean or fashionable.
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Artillery.
DH Hill's Division at Sharpsburg had 4 artillery batteries. I'm just going to do a gun to represent each battery, unless I get into a rule set that requires more.
This first gun is Jones' Peninsula (Virginia) Battery.
There is no information about what guns this battery had. They were positioned behind the Sunken Lane on the day of the battle.
The figures I've used are the pre-painted Perry Miniatures Confederate gun. I repainted the faces to match my work and based the gun on a 60mm by 60mm to match the rest of the army.
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The project and miniatures are wonderful. How do you find the painted miniatures from Perries?
All the best,
Helen
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The painted Perry Mins are good. In the photo above, I've only repainted the faces, and I only repainted them so they'd have the same definition as the rest of the figures I'd painted. But the uniforms and gun as they come. I'm wondering whether to get a regiment of the Union figures next, as I'm doing both sides but just painting the Rebs myself. They are better than you'd pay a lot of figure painters for £6 a figure, inc the figure.
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Hardaway's (AL) Battery. DH Hill's Divisional Artillery.
This is the 2nd battery for Hill's Division.
We sell a model of the Whitworth Breech Loading gun from TA Miniatures. http://northstarfigures.com/prod.php?prod=8482 (http://northstarfigures.com/prod.php?prod=8482)
I wanted to use it, but it was a rare British import to the ACW, only two were at Sharpsburg, and by chance Hardaway's Alabama Battery had one of them, as well as two 3" Rifles. It was used to great effect, firing accurate long range shots at the Yankees, 'The long range and soft whir of its Whitworth bolts were the pride of the service'. (During a test trial in Southport Sands, England, in 1863, a 12-pounder breech-loading Whitworth rifle hit a target from 4.7 miles away.)
I painted and based the model, but the crew are some painted models that came with the collection Duncan McFarlane sold me at the beginning of this project. (I've already mentioned that Duncan, upon hearing of my new found interest in ACW, came hawking his old collection!)
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This next photo is the first 'march past', just taken with a phone camera.
So this is DH Hill's Division at Antietam/ Sharpsburg.
From the left:
4 regiments of Ripley's Brigade (figures from the purchased McFarlane collection, rebased and new flags added)
5 Regiments of Garland's Brigade. (figures from the purchased McFarlane collection, rebased and new flags added)
5 Regiments of Rodes Brigade, as described in the posts above.
I've got all 4 guns for the divisional artillery, two have been described already, two were in the McFarlane collection.
I've started the 4th Brigade, GB Anderson's North Carolina Brigade then that just leaves Colquitt's Brigade of Georgians and I've the whole division done. Unless I want to replace the McFarlane collection with figures I've painted... o_o
The next post will probably show the first Union Regiments that Artmaster are painting rather than myself.
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Thanks Nick for your heads-up on the painted miniatures from Perries. Nice looking division. by the way.
All the best,
Helen
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The more your collection is growing, the more our interest is growing as well, to see more of your so beautifully done conversions, every man of yours, looks like a real ACW soldier! Keep'em coming! Cheers!
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Black Powder 2.
I've just got a copy of BP2 as I'm attending the Warlord Games Day.
I mentioned earlier that it'll be one of the rulesets I'll be using with these figures. I was v. pleased to see there is a Battle of Antietam scenario in it! What a co-incidence. Unfortunately, although I'd like to try it out sometime, the authors have scaled up the battle to do the whole thing on one table-top, so DH Hills whole division is represented by three units. Like I said, it's well written but the way I've planned things, I want to at least once play the Bloody Lane with each unit representing the actual regiment.
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Great job,nice to see you doing the research.My favorite part. And I love all those battlefields.
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For Antietam, you need to check this guy's scenario book https://www.wargamevault.com/product/188986/Brave-Hearts-Trembled-Regimental-Wargame-Scenarios-For-the-Battle-of-Antietam?src=hottest_filtered (https://www.wargamevault.com/product/188986/Brave-Hearts-Trembled-Regimental-Wargame-Scenarios-For-the-Battle-of-Antietam?src=hottest_filtered)
I don't use them that much because I play grand tactical, where DH Hill's division would be one or two units. You want OB and terrain? Get this PDF.
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nice work Nick!
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G. B. Anderson's Brigade, DH Hill's Division 1862.
I'm just sharing my thoughts with this post about the Anderson's North Carolina Brigade. I've made a start on them already, and there are two conundrums.
1) Uniforms.
I've already mentioned, North Carolina's uniform supply was one of the best in the Confederacy, they could supply their boys right up to the war's end, and had a specific pattern they tailored the uniforms to. In the first year of the the war it was a grey sack coat with black shoulder straps, grey trousers with black seam trim and kepis with black bands. In early 1862 the sack coat was trimmed back to a shell jacket. Records show the NC regiments were resupplied in August 1862, so they in theory had new uniforms for the Maryland campaign. I came across this picture of them titled Antietam, and although I think they should have short shell jackets rather than sack coats, that is how you'd paint them if you'd read the uniform histories.
(https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NOZPlhnSN0U/V5OKDudmVdI/AAAAAAACbWQ/-gfV7tokLLUSu1SNsXpt0ZsftygpuhVJwCLcB/s1600/pag%2B73.jpg)
In this Osprey picture, the chap on the left is in the 1862 issue NC uniform 1862:
(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/68/94/b8/6894b887de4e048f36d772e8a2c2f29f.jpg)
What's the conundrum? I refer back to my Alabama posts again. The descriptions of the Army of Northern Virginia at Antietam was of a stinking, un-uniformed, ragged host of tramps, with well kept weapons. Don Troianis picture of the 6th Alabama at the start of this post fits the descriptions well. Here's what the citizens of Buckeytown said of the 14th North Carolina:
'They look hard, clothes in rags'.
'Half of them are barefoot, have not even dirty uniforms'.
'No uniforms at all'.
(arriving in Maryland in this state was part of the reason citizens didn't flock to join General Lee's army).
After the battle:
The Union troops couldn't believe what they saw when they crossed the lines next morning: The Rebels were dirty and browned. Poorly made gray uniforms like short school boys jackets. Many had no shoes. They were just the color (sic) of the ground, and so hard to be seen. (Quotes taken from J M Priests book, Before Antietam).
So my plan is to try and stick with grey for the North Carolinas, rather than a mix of brown's, butternut etc. But try and add more filth, so be liberal with the brown washes to try and get a grubby look, but with a uniform underneath. I'll see how I do. I'm just trying different grey paints right now to get one to use throughout the Brigade, the picture below shows three of the test figures. I'll share what I decided to do with each regiment when I post the finished photos.
Conundrum 2: Flags.
If you've been following this post, you'll know I feel I got the Alabama flags for 1862 pinned down. It is the same for the ANV battleflags for Anderson's division here, they will all have 2nd Bunting ANV Battleflags, and I know who has the battlehonours for Seven Pines and Williamsburg, and who doesn't. So what's the problem? 2 flags. Many sources say the North Carolinas were one of the two states that carried the Battleflag and the State flag into combat. (of course that is contradicted by the fact all students of Antietam know the Texans had both flags in the Cornfield). The conundrum is then further compounded by this marvelous book I have which has thrown more questions up than has answered!
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/517F3VRH3WL._SX364_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg)
The author shows a number of state flags, one in particular he says was captured at Antietam, but then I found a copy of a letter from the commanding officer of the 3rd North Carolinas (not in this Brigade) where he says the regiments in the Army of North Virginia were ordered to put away all their flags but the Battleflag of the ANV. They kept their state flag back, and later asked for special permission to carry the battleflag and the state flag into the field at Antietam. (The state flag survived, and its bullet ridden remains were sent back to North Carolina to be kept as a state heirloom).
I'll share my conclusions for each regiment as I post the final pictures for each here.
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"There's also the question of what they meant by "naked" and "barefoot" back then. Did it mean that people just weren't fully clothed in the style of the time - no jacket, just a shirt, for example. or shoes that obviously were wearing out, toes showing, no socks, etc? I don't know but suspect that most of these soldiers would pass for clothed and shod these days, if not clean or fashionable." quote of vstagames is quintessential common sense and shows he's studies the period.
Again, applying common sense, a pair of shoes wearing out in two weeks beggars belief - unless they were "shoddy" to start with but that is doubtful, especially for southern supply at this stage of the conflict. Yes, read history, consult primary sources when possible, but don't leave common sense or real life experience out of the equation. I've backpacked some seriously rugged country and used the same pair of boots for hundreds of miles of trail (over many different trips) with barely any wear on them. Sure, modern versus old, but the shoemaking art hasn't changed that much in a century and a half. Good leather, well stitched, should always last longer than a couple of weeks - barring abuse and, certainly, abuse can occur.
Love the photo of the assembled division. Nice looking little army.
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Very interesting series of posts, well done mate!!
I believe the more time spent researching your chosen regts, will certainly enhance your gaming experience, as you will be able to relate to each and every unit on the table.
Gareth
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The first regiment I'm doing is the 4th North Carolina Infantry.
I'm half way through but I thought I'd show two of them. I've tried to show the 'barefoot' aspect by having the toes poking out of figure 1's battered boot. I'm starting to think there actually were bare foot Reb soldiers at Antietam, I've just read an account of a shoe-less trooper sent off to look out for the Yankies, but as Crusader Miniatures don't do 'actual' bare foot figures, they won't feature in my army. I might try and do what I've done here a few times, and paint a representation of very poor shoes.
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The ragged look you achieved is fan-tas-tic! Please, keep 'em coming! They look superb!!!
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I think what you have done with the shoes and holey trousers works very well Nick.
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The 4th North Carolina Infantry are finished, they just need basing, but I thought I'd show you Emmet before he gets glued to a multi-base.
Emmet is the stinkiest Reb I've done so far, probably the last as well this raggedy. He's missed each uniform issue, probably 'cus he was out scrumping, so his 1861 issue sack coat is all patched up, his cap has faded to brown and his boots have seen better days. lol
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Oh Emmet what would your mother say? :(
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She said: "Emmet, don't be a hero
Don't be a fool with your life"
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PLU2A5Tr28
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This has been a favourite while painting the Secesh.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGvbjfHTy2Y (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGvbjfHTy2Y)
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Divided & United is a great album, I have it on my shelf. And I like Emmet a lot. The frayed cuffs on his coat sleeves are excellent work.
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When Johnny Comes Marching Home.
I said earlier in this post I plan to do both sides of the Bloody Lane clash, but that I was going to get Billy Yank done elsewhere.
The marvelous Artmaster Studios just sent me a picture of Webers Division they've done for me. I've got the flags here, so as I glue them into the figures hands, I'll post photos of each regiment. Although I've not gone into the uniform colours so much for the Union side, as I presume it's all standard, I have tried to get the right flags and officers for September 1862 for each unit. You'll see more as I post them.
As an aside, this is all new to me, I only found out yesterday the National Flag for Union troops should be on the right side of the colour party. Good job I read that before the glue came out.
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Lovely work from you Nick on Emmet and Artmaster Studio.
Best wishes,
Helen
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Thanks for the kind words Helen. I have to admit, even with Emmet, it's not my best work. I'm trying to get a balance between looking good and fast. Normally I'm a 1 figure an evening type of painter, but I've done 100 Rebs since the beginning of Aug, I think I've got it about right.
I am spending more time on some details though. The next regiment up are the 30th North Carolina. The picture I have from Dedmondt shows a standard State Flag with 30th along the bottom. (pic 1)
GMB do a great NC state flag, but I had to paint 30th REGt NCT along the bottom myself. Which I did. Does it bother me the real star is at an angle different to the GMB flag and that it ought to be repainted correctly... o_o yes
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4th North Carolina Regiment.
GB Anderson's Brigade, DH Hills Division.
This unit was right in the middle of the Bloody Lane during the Battle of Antietam. As such, everyone of it's officers was killed or wounded during the battle. Their Colonel was out of action before the battle began, and the only photograph I could find of the Captains was of Captain Edwin Augustus Young Osborne, who took over the command of Regiment at some point in the action, so that’s who I’ve represented. Unlike many men in the Civil War, he is clean shaven, so there was no green stuff modelling required.
(http://antietam.aotw.org/images/osborne_ea.jpg)
Crusader Miniatures do a clean shaven officer in short jacket, hat and blanket roll.
(http://www.crusaderminiatures.com/images/img566.jpg)
It isn’t my favourite figure as you don’t see Confederate Officers illustrated or photographed like this, but in this case, it’s going to represent ‘Gus’ in command of the 4th. (Picture 3) In fact Union Officers noted how well turned out Confederate Officers were compared to their men, and it wasn’t a compliment. It was their feeling that Confederate Officers ran their army extremely badly and only looked out for themselves.
Uniforms I’ve gone with a suggestion they still had their grey North Carolina issued August uniforms, but were getting ragged and dirty round the edges, and not turned to butternut. Where I can, I’ve included the NC black epaulettes and kepi band. They were issued with black belts. I’ve also given them all haversacks. I experimented a bit with different grey paint for this regiment. I used Army painter ‘Filthy Cape’ grey for the Alabama Regiments. It is probably the best still for the North Carolinas, one grey (Castle Grey) turned out a good ‘butternut’, might use that later, and another was too blue. (Fog Grey). That actually would do for a uniform colour called English Blue, but it really only came in during 1863 when North Carolina was blockade running to get cloth in from Britain.
(Note Emmet at the end of the line)
I should point out, I only use Army painter paints. I bought a ‘mega set’ last year and, radically, chucked out all my other random paints going back 30 years.
Flag.
Out of the four regiments in Andersons North Carolina Brigade the 4th should have been the least problematic (see my post dated 23rd Sept. on the NC flags).
That’s because there is a surviving flag accredited to the 4th NC Infantry. It was captured in 1863, but is a 2nd Bunting that was issued in '62, with 1862 battle honours sown on.
(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/79/84/09/798409bebdc72075f3c6903094a7e9b4.png)
The same flag is illustrated in Dedmondt under the 4th North Carolina Infantry title.
What’s the problem?
In 1862, the Army of North Virginia was only just starting to add battle Honours to flags. It became more popular 1863 onwards, but in 1862 two battlehonours in particular, Seven Pines! And Williamsburg, were only issued to certain regiments and they were given out as white silk strips with the battle name painted on, to be sown to the battleflags.
According to the records, the 4th North Carolina Infantry weren’t issued with the Williamsburg battle honour. You had to have served with Early’s Brigade to have got it, and the 4th were with Featherston’s Brigade. It was the same with the Rodes’ Alabama regiments. They were all at Williamsburg, but as they were in the wrong Brigades, they only have the Seven Pines! Battlehonour.
But I’ve decided not to fly in the face of convention, and GMB do a great flag with both honours on, so I’ve gone with the 2 honours version. (picture 4)
I’m onto the 30th North Carolina next.
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Looking good!
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If you've followed this project, you'll know that although I'm really just getting two ACW armies together, I'm focusing on a specific time and place and the units that fought there. The time is September 1862, and the place is the Bloody Lane at Antietam. I might never refight that battle with these figures, but it's been a fun project digging out all the information.
This is a map of the action:
(http://antietam.aotw.org/images/map_attack_seq_6.gif)
The Confederate Rodes Brigade is done, and I'm starting Andersons Brigade. Now thanks to Artmaster Studio, Webers Union Brigade is now done as well.
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The first Union Brigade to hit the Sunken lane at the Battle of Antietam was Webers Brigade. They were the 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, II Corps.
The unit photographed here are the 1st Delaware Infantry, on the right of Weber's Brigade.
I have not researched the Union Troops as much as the Rebs. I suppose it's because they mostly were quite uniformed in their appearance. I have tried to pick out any unusual aspects to the regiments as I've read about them. The Alabama boys noted the Union troops marching towards them that day looked immaculate, like on parade ground, and their white gaiters. Again, followers of this project will know I chose to limit the figures I'm using to the Crusader Miniatures range of Infantry, and they don't do any in gaiters, so I've overlooked that.
The officer leading the attack was Colonel John W. Andrews.
(http://antietam.aotw.org/images/andrews_jw.jpg)
Like with the Confederate officers, I've attempted to model the facial hair specific to the actual person, so Colonel Andrews has a mustache and his long fringe hanging out of his cap. (picture 2)
The flags I have researched as much as the Confederate flags. As you all probably know already, Union troops carried the national Flag (Stars and Stripes) and a State Flag. The State Flag was often the Eagle, crowned with stars and the regiment title in a scroll across the bottom. The first Delaware differed in that their State Flag was the Seal of Delaware rather than the Eagle. I found a perfect version of it from 'Flags for the Lads'. Union Regiments were also often issued with a National Flag bearing their regimental name across the middle. 1st Delaware didn't get theirs until October 1862, so I've just given them a regular Stars and Stripes from September 1862.
The last detail to note is that the Union Brigades marched towards the Sunken Lane across Clover fields, and the clover was flowering white that September. I've added clumps of White Flower tufts to the bases to represent these.
NOTE: Artmaster Studios painted this regiment for me, and what a splendid job they've done. I'll show the Brigades other two regiments next.
All going well, the Confederates will be attacking Harpers Ferry tomorrow night in their first battle, using the rule set Longstreet. I'll bring my camera.
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The first Union Brigade to hit the Sunken lane at the Battle of Antietam was Webers Brigade. They were the 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, II Corps.
This regiment is the 5th Maryland Infantry, attacking the middle of the Sunken Lane.
The officer commanding the 5th Maryland was Major Leopold Blumenberg
(http://jewishmuseummd.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/portrait-388x400.jpg)
I've captured his heavy beard, but he looks a chunky chap, and I wasn't going to resculpt the whole figure, so the beard'll do fine. (pic 2)
He was really quite an interesting character, have a read about him here:
http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/3422-blumenberg-leopold (http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/3422-blumenberg-leopold)
This is where history can drive you mad. My Battle of Antietam source has him as a major at the battle, that link above says he was a colonel at Antietam. What'd ya do? I'm going with the more military Battle of Antietam site that says he was promoted to major in 1861.
http://antietam.aotw.org/officers.php?officer_id=371&from=results (http://antietam.aotw.org/officers.php?officer_id=371&from=results)
I've now got two characterful European Jewish Officers facing each other across the Sunken Lane.
The Flags are from 'Flags for the Lads', again they had Maryland flags which I just painted 5th Maryland onto. These boys carried a eagle style State Flag, but on the National Flag also had an eagle in the Stars with the Maryland shield. I dotted some paint on there to give a representation of how it actually looks. These are the only flags I've added finials to, not sure they add much to the figures so probably won't again.
Again, all painting done by Artmaster Studios.
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The first Union Brigade to hit the Sunken lane at the Battle of Antietam was Webers Brigade. They were the 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, II Corps.
The third regiment in Weber's Brigade is the 4th New York Infantry, the "First Scott Life Guard".
They are commanded by Lieutenant Colonel John Dunn McGregor. (pic 2)
(http://antietam.aotw.org/images/mcgregor_jd.jpg)
The flags are of a regular issue to Union Troops, I've had to paint the 4th on these, bought from 'Flags for the Lads'.
That's it for the first Union Brigade I'm doing.
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The whole Brigade.
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Congrats, Webers brigade looks perfect! And their commanders, very well done!
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Hurrah, boys, hurrah!
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Looking very nice Nick! 8)
Christopher
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Hold the Front Page.
I think Mark Sims is planning to expand the Crusader Miniatures ACW range this year.
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The Confederates marched to battle earlier this evening for the first time.
I played a game of Longstreet with LAFer Grimdark. It was a refight of Harpers Ferry, the storming of Maryland Heights.
I was facing the Union troops defending the centre and left of the table across the hill top behind abatis, and their reinforcements approaching from the right.
My frontal assault on the abatis was blown away, and my right flank turning to face the approaching Union reinforcements got caught by Union Artillery Canister fire that destroyed units. My loses were too heavy and lost the battle.
Pic1: My center and left flank looking along the Maryland Heights towards the defending Union forces.
Pic2: My right, behind the hill with Federals approaching.
Pic3: The Confederate battle line
Pic4: Behind the Federal abatis
Pic5: Confederates attack the Union line.
Pic6: My Right flank wheels to face the Feds.
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Excellent stuff!
And we Federals won, meaning that Davis and his cavalry, plus an extra Infantry Brigade, managed to get away towards Sharpsburg.
Hence the reason you'll see that Davis' command is present at South Mountain, and they'll be an extra Union infantry Brigade at one of the Antietam battles.
See you Thursday with Reno's XI, on the field before Fox's Gap and the Wise farm - planning to pay that farmer $1 a Confederate corpse he puts in the ground!
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Maps of Fox's Gap. Hope the table-top accurately reflects this lol
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Myself and Grimdark continued the campaign this evening, refighting The Battle of South Mountain.
The Confederacy held back the Federals, holding Fox's and Turners Gap against two armies.
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Sounds like AP Hill can take his time marching to Sharpsburg.
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Looks great Nick!
As an aside (and I don't want to get into the whole ground scale debate) it was interesting to see the maps of Fox's gap translated and compressed into your tabletop for a practical wargame.
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A spectacle for sure Nick.
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I've got 8 Union Regiments ready so far. I'm not actually painting these, just gathering them up so I've got both sides. I'm basing everything the same so the two sides match up.
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Now for some quality painting.
Kev Dallimore has done Brigade General Rodes, the commander of the Alabama Brigade.
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a5/Portrait_of_Robert_E._Rodes%2C_ca_1863%2C_by_William_D._Washington.jpg/220px-Portrait_of_Robert_E._Rodes%2C_ca_1863%2C_by_William_D._Washington.jpg)
(Perry Mins figure)
I'll do a Brigade photo of them soon.
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Gorgeous :-*
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Your cracking on at a fair rate with these Nick...
They are looking splendid...
I like way you have got a really good contrast between the two forces...
Scruffy Reb and tidy Union.
All the best. Aly
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Gorgeous :-*
I know, I can't do it.
Cheers Aly. I know, I've got into the right routine with these Rebs. Doing the second regiment for the North Carolina Brigade now.
They look like two distinct armies indeed.
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I think it'll be about time to head to that Cornfield around the beginning of November - your boys ready?
And this time, I'll put ALL the scenario and spcial rules in BOLD CAPS, with a caveat that Mike can go to Hades!
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I ought to read the rules as well.
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Yes, yes you should - borrow Mike's, then he can make up any he likes!
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Another photo from Antietam, the trip that kicked this whole project off, looking down from the tower along Bloody Lane. The Feds arrive in from the right.
The tower was built where my next painted regiment stood, the 30th North Carolina.
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The 30th North Carolina.
Anderson's Brigade.
Commanding Officer Colonel Francis Marion Parker.
The 30th North Carolina are my 2nd finished regiment for Anderson's Brigade, the other Brigade defending the Bloody Lane at Antietam when the Federals first hit it.
Uniforms. If you refer to my 'conundrum post' 23rd September, I chose to kit out the 30th NC in grey uniforms, as though they'd been resupplied in August (the battle is September) and that it is still is good condition. So no patches, rips, toes sticking out of shoes etc. I've also avoided the black trim on the trousers and shoulders as the evidence points to all that being dropped by the Summer of '62, this kit being referred to as 3rd issue.
The flag is taken from Dedmondt, I'd already referred to it in a post dated 26th September. This is the State Issued flag, given to the 30th NC on their formation. They missed out on the issue of Battleflags of the Army of Northern Virginia in '62. They were issued with one in '63, and that was captured at Gettysburg. As this State flag was never captured, I presume it was furled up and put away once they were issued with their new Battleflags. At least two of them were subsequently captured and are still around, you can see pictures of them online.
Pic 3 shows the paper flag I used, a GMB design with 30th NC I hand painted on.
Commanding Officer Colonel Parker.
(http://antietam.aotw.org/images/parker_fm.jpg)
The figure representing him is in Pic 2. Again this was a standard Crusader Miniatures ACW figure with the beard built up.
The 2nd North Carolina are next.
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I spent more time than usual on Colonel Bennett of the 14th North Carolina Infantry last night.
It's still not 'top quality', but I tried to capture the sleeve knots that I haven't done before.
(http://antietam.aotw.org/images/bennett_rt.jpg)
Colonel Risden Tyler Bennett
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Looks great!
You've got an awesome project going. Keep it coming. Enjoying the thread immensely.
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I'm working on the 14th North Carolina Infantry next, and I've shown their Colonel, Bennett, already.
I'm working on the flags now. The flags are part of the NC conundrum ;) as mentioned earlier. Here's why with this one.
Dedmondt illustrates a ANV Battleflag for the 14th NC. He also uses it for the cover picture to his book:
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/517F3VRH3WL._SX364_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg)
It's a unique ANV battleflag. Firstly it's a 1st issue Bunting, unlike most of the ANV battleflags issued in '62 which were 2nd issue. All the other regiments I've done so far had 2nd bunting flags. Secondly they have sown their battlehonours across the center of the flag unlike nearly all other units who have them sown into the top and bottom quarters.
I've never seen a photo of the actual flag. Dedmondt sources the flag to the U.S. National Park Service, Gettysburg, so I presume they hold it, and maybe it's on display at Gettysburg? It means I've never seen an explanation as to why it has the unusual battlehonours. If I hadn't got hold of Dedmondt's book, I'd have given the 14th NC the 2nd Bunting flag with honours, the same as carried by the 4th NC Infantry, illustrated earlier.
Because the Battlehonours are unusual, there's not one available from Flags of War or GMB Designs. I bought a 1st Bunting Confederate flag from GMB Designs with the intention of hand painting the the battlehonours on. I gave it a half attempt, but then came up with an alternative plan. I bought ANOTHER flag set from GMB, with the two battlehonours Williamsburg and Seven Pines! on, and cut them off to glue to the 1st Bunting flag. The photo shows the work in progress.
This is how bad it's got with me, I'm gluing bits of paper flags together to get them perfect.
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Looking great Nick, well done. Love the officers.
Cheers,
Helen
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I'm working on the 14th North Carolina Infantry next, and I've shown their Colonel, Bennett, already.
I'm working on the flags now. The flags are part of the NC conundrum ;) as mentioned earlier. Here's why with this one.
Dedmondt illustrates a ANV Battleflag for the 14th NC. He also uses it for the cover picture to his book:
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/517F3VRH3WL._SX364_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg)
It's a unique ANV battleflag. Firstly it's a 1st issue Bunting, unlike most of the ANV battleflags issued in '62 which were 2nd issue. All the other regiments I've done so far had 2nd bunting flags. Secondly they have sown their battlehonours across the center of the flag unlike nearly all other units who have them sown into the top and bottom quarters.
I've never seen a photo of the actual flag. Dedmondt sources the flag to the U.S. National Park Service, Gettysburg, so I presume they hold it, and maybe it's on display at Gettysburg? It means I've never seen an explanation as to why it has the unusual battlehonours. If I hadn't got hold of Dedmondt's book, I'd have given the 14th NC the 2nd Bunting flag with honours, the same as carried by the 4th NC Infantry, illustrated earlier.
Because the Battlehonours are unusual, there's not one available from Flags of War or GMB Designs. I bought a 1st Bunting Confederate flag from GMB Designs with the intention of hand painting the the battlehonours on. I gave it a half attempt, but then came up with an alternative plan. I bought ANOTHER flag set from GMB, with the two battlehonours Williamsburg and Seven Pines! on, and cut them off to glue to the 1st Bunting flag. The photo shows the work in progress.
This is how bad it's got with me, I'm gluing bits of paper flags together to get them perfect.
Don't worry, I've started on the Trans Mississippi / Western Theater armies, got a bit 'fished in' by the different appearance of the troops, especially the 'Ragged Federals', and researching flags and uniforms, which are different to the Eastern ones in terms of materials, colours and more.
Meantime, I'm looking at the 'What If', such as 'What if Lee had opted for guerilla warfare in the East and Johnston had obeyed Davis' order to carry on fighting'. PLus, 'What if the Generals who met with Davis HADN'T said they should give up'.
So far, I'm enjoying coming back to this project and adding more to my collection and knowledge.
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As I've said before, I'm not painting the Union side. I got a picture today from Artmaster Studios of the next Brigade, the 2nd Brigade (Morris'). (pic 1)
I've not painted them, but I did the work on the officers faces like with the Confederates, and researched the unit flags to get as close as I could to the actual ones carried in September '62.
As these are now done, I'm got all sentimental for the next Brigade and fell for the Irish Charm.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWvdf_51Iq0 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWvdf_51Iq0)
(http://69thnycoc.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/69yh_histroy_5.jpg)
The third Union Brigade to hit the Sunken Road was Kimball's (1st Brigade). But after the first attacks faltered, one of the Brigades that came up to reinforce them was Meagher's Irish Brigade. I've been suckered in by the green harp flags to do them rather than Kimball's.
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Question: why do wargamers go to so much trouble (and you have gone "above and beyond" - kudos to you) to make their flags as accurate as possible, get the uniforms right, and then stick the flag onto the scale equivalent of an 18-foot pike staff? I cannot recall when I last saw someone put their 28mm flags onto a sensible (much less an accurate) length flagpole. When the staff is held in both hands, the actual flag should be resting on, or just above, the ensign's shoulder (see painting of Meagher at Antietam), not presenting a threat to low-flying aircraft!
Anyone got an answer to this?
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Nice painting Nick. Love the Confederate colonel.
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Are you talking about those Federals done by Artmaster Baron?
If you are, darn you Sir lol
That photo came from Artmaster to check I was happy with the work, but they have done them too high, so I've asked them to cut the flag poles down. But I thought 'I'll show this first picture, no one will notice' lol lol
I'll photograph them when they are with me, and the poles will be the right height.
Why did they do it in the first place? dunno.
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Why did they do it in the first place? dunno.
Bloody amateur ;)
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I was looking back at my photos. The new Artmaster Federals are too high for my tastes, and I've asked them to change them. But the units I've done have don't have flag poles the length the Baron talks about.
For me it's table-top aesthetics. What looks right. There's one unit that I felt I'd cut the pole too short, the 3rd Alabama, and it still ranckles when I look at it.
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For me it's table-top aesthetics. What looks right. There's one unit that I felt I'd cut the pole too short, the 3rd Alabama, and it still ranckles when I look at it.
When your pole is too short, unfortunately, there is not a lot one can do about it :'(
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As followers of this thread know, I'm not painting the Union side myself, but I'm mustering the forces. I've put together the Union Artillery for 3rd (French's) Division. I've used the pre-painted Perry Miniatures guns again (on sale thru Perry Mins) and based them to fit in with the rest of the armies. They are:
1st New York Light Artillery, Battery G
1st Rhode Island Light Artillery, Battery B
1st Rhode Island Light Artillery, Battery G
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Fair enough, I hadn't realised the Union infantry were "supplied" and that you had complained about the length of the flagpoles. However, it is still a valid complaint and you can see it in any number of photos on other threads and fora. I was just wondering why it happens - good to see you can't find a reason for it either!
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I was just wondering why it happens - good to see you can't find a reason for it either!
I'd put it down to stupidity, after all, most wargamers are dull as dish water ;)
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Yeah! Much happier.
This is the 2 Brigade:
108th New York Infantry
130th Pennsylvania Infantry
14th Connecticut Infantry
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Here's a nice surprise.
Mr Dallimore has kindly sent me the 2011 Salute Confederate Officer to lead my Johnny Rebs. Cool.
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Both mounted officers are outstanding! So beautiful! Great additions to your collection!
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Damn it!
A chap on facebook pointed out Confederate Colonels should have red waist sashes.
I thought that, then I picked up 'Painting War, the ACW issue' and (I think) it clearly shows CSA Colonels have yellow sashes. So I switched to yellow/ gold.
What do people think? I've looked around the net, and I've found evidence to back Rob from Facebook, and nothing for PW.
I've re-painted the North Carolina Colonels (see below) but I'm holding off the Alabama colonels till I get a firm yes or no.
The PW page is below as well.
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Cavalry colonels had yellow, infantry a light blue and artillery red sashes.
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Certainly not definitive, but Googling images for "Confederate Colonels uniforms" turned up a lot of yellow sashes, some red, none blue.
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What do people think?
Welp, I looked it up for you in the venerable Michael Blake American Civil War Infantry, Almark Publications c.1970. He quotes Confederate regulations, and I doubt they've changed much since 1970. Red sashes for company and regimental officers. This could be specifically for infantry regiments, I'll look up the cavalry and artillery regs if you want. Buff sashes for generals.
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To join the fray :)
I have a huge book
"The Official Military Atlas of the Civil War"
1983, Arno Press Inc. and Crown Publishing Inc.
Library of Congress Cataloging on Publication Data
US War Dept.
It shows the Confederate Colonel with a yellow and the Major with a red sash.
EDIT: You don't call it a fingerslip, I have to apologize!
Correction: Confederate Colonel with a red and the Major with a yellow sash
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Oh grief. :'(
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Oh grief. :'(
That'll confirm Painting War's guide.
OMG what did my hands write?
One thousand apologies! I almost caused you a cardiac syndrome!
It is just the opposite!
COLONEL RED!
MAJOR YELLOW!
Sorry again!
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Back to the Union for a few posts.
Artmaster Studios have finished painting the second Union Brigade to hit the Bloody Lane on September the 17th 1862.
They are Morris' Brigade made up of the 108th New York Infantry, 130th Pennsylvania Infantry and 14th Connecticut Infantry.
I asked Artmaster to paint them in standard Union uniforms, and for the bases to match my Confederates. The difference is the Union have white blooming foliage to represent the flowing clover they were coming through.
For my part, I've researched the unit flags, and modeled the officers faces before giving them to Artmaster.
The three units of this Brigade were all 'green', mostly only been formed for a month.
This is the 108th New York Infantry:
Commander Colonel Oliver Hazard Palmer.
(http://antietam.aotw.org/images/palmer_oh.gif)
See picture 2 for the model of Colonel Palmer.
The flags are very much standard Union Volunteer issue. I bought some GMB Design paper flags and hand painted the 108th onto them. (pic 3)
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The next regiment, the 130th Pennsylvania Infantry.
Commander Colonel Henry I Zinn.
(http://antietam.aotw.org/images/zinn_hi.jpg)
See pic 3.
Flags. The 130th had a standard pattern regimental flag. Some Pennsylvania Volunteers carried a regimental flag with different designs on the two sides, but not the 130th. I hand painted the number on. Pennsylvania regiments carried a State version of the National flag, the 130th didn't get theirs until a month after Antietam, so I've given them a National flag without the regiment title on. Other Pennsylvania units with surviving flags show them with the oval pattern Stars, so that's the style of National flag I've given them. (pic 2)
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The third regiment are the 14th Connecticut Infantry. (The Nutmeg Regiment)
Commander Lieutenant Colonel Sanford H Perkins.
(http://antietam.aotw.org/images/perkins_sh2.jpg)
Pic 2
Perkins took over command of the regiment, another green formation, as their Colonel, Dwight Morris, had been given command of the full Brigade.
Flags. I couldn't find an actual flag surviving for this regiment, nor an illustration, but there was the best thing, the re-enactors. GMB do a Connecticut Regt. paper flag, and their Regimental flag is spot on, just with the regimental number to be painted on. But the National flag for the Connecticut has a rather spectacular eagle within the stars.
(http://www.kbacon.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/14thCTFlag_US-277x300.jpg)
The GMB flags is the regular Stars and Stripes, and as the eagle on the real flag was both beyond my skill and time to do, I've gone with GMB's flag with the '14th' hand painted on. (pic3)
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Excellent similarity of your commanders' faces with the real pictures!
And in general, some soldiers' face expressions you have achieved, are epic!
Cheers!
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Nick would love to see a shot of whole brigades together, or even a shot each of the whole Union and Confederate sides that you have painted so far ....or are you saving that pic till the end?
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Its just nice seeing those flag poles a more realistic size, as those previous monstrosities were just hideous ;)
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I'm itching to do the same Vodkafan, just need to put a few minutes aside to do it, and I'd like to grab someone with a camera rather than my phone to take the snaps.
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Thought I'd have a 'march past' with the Union Army.
I've not painted any of these, but I've collected them since the beginning of August. In pic 1, the first two lines are the Artmaster painted figures, not cheap, I concede not to every gamers budget, but the lines behind are cheap painted figures I've picked up. I've touched up the paint work, added new flags and based them to match the rest of the army, and I think they don't do too bad.
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I had to get the Rebs out as well!
Again, I didn't have a single ACW figure before August this year.
The lead Regiment and the two lines following I've painted, and have made up the bulk of this thread.
The lines behind are figures I've picked up, all at less than the cost of the castings, touched up the paintwork, added flags and rebased to match.
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One last picture, Billy Yank v Johnny Reb.
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Inspiring work
Cheers
Matt
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It is rare to meet a collection being done so quickly and so historically documented!
This is due to your talent and devotion, so many-many congratulations!
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OOOH-WEE they look good!
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Thanks for your kind words. It's also shown me what can be achieved with utter obsession.
God bless our funny little hobby.
Side effects?
Running Civil War themed You Tube videos in the background has meant I'm off to see the Dead South next year (who I'd never heard of before) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9FzVhw8_bY (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9FzVhw8_bY)
& I catch my family humming Rebel Soldier around the house lol https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGvbjfHTy2Y (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGvbjfHTy2Y)
I'll post pictures of the 14th North Carolina next, the unit who's flags I've pondered over the most. I even joined the big Civil War forum to pose questions about them, but came up with blanks.
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That is an impressive collection Nick :o
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Your project is just the inspiration I needed to dust off my paints! I'm finally (!) starting work on 28mm units from the '62 Valley campaign. As a life-long student of Civil War material culture, it does my heart good to see your dedication to properly researching the commanders & standards.
Regarding the color of the sashes, the official specifications are in the 1861 publication 'Uniform and dress of the Army of the Confederate States'. The regs, along with their full color uniform plates, can be viewed at the fantastic Library of Congress (LOC) website. "General officers" were to wear buff sashes, "field grade" infantry, Cavalry & artillery officers were to wear Crimson and NCO's were to wear Red sashes. There is a full color plate showing an infantry Colonel wearing what appears as a dark red sash.
To confirm what they actually wore in the field I double checked several books & online museum sources for ACW relics and equipment. Based on surviving relics, it appears that they did follow the regs (at least on sashes!) Every Confederate (and Federal) Colonels sash pictured in 'Echoes of Glory', etc is indeed a dark red/Crimson color.
Basically, the CS regulations on sashes copied verbatim the specs in the 'Revised United States Army regulations of 1861' which can also be seen online. That document is a large treasure trove of official info on the Union army. Everything from how a camp was to be laid out to..... the length of the flagpoles is there (just over nine feet) :)
Again, thanks for the inspiration, those are great looking regiments!
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Wow!.... :o
Have not been to this thread for awhile and you have been busy.
Very inspiring.
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Thanks TimeMachine. I think I'll be repainting sashes again.
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Thanks TimeMachine. I think I'll be repainting sahes again.
me too
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Splendid stuff Nick...
Dead South... an excellent band...
From Canada... :D
All the best. Aly
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Any plans to vary the size of your regiments Nick?
Gareth
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Yes and No.
I'm painting them in these units of 16, but it isn't necessarily how they'll be used.
For example, I've used them in two games of Longstreet so far, and they were broken up into units of 6 bases (24 figures).
Two units in 2 lines will make very respectable 32 man Black Powder units. I was looking at the scenario in Pickets Charge by 2 fat lardies and in there the units are between 3 and 6 bases.
So I'm not going change the painting routine, but how they are fielded is another story.
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Unless some kind fellow can direct me to a reliable source for ACW unit strengths for each engagement, I am intending to use a bit of random generation to the size of each unit before each game.
So on a D10 roll:
1 = 4 bases
2 = 5 bases
3 to 8 = 6 bases
9 = 7 bases
10 = 8 bases
I think this will help spice things up a bit.
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Numbers could be all over the place. But in 1863 Confederate veteran regiments were generally larger than veteran Union regiments because CSA recruits often went to veteran outfits, while most Union recruits went to new regiments, which were large and green. Veteran Union outfits were 200-400 or so. Needless to say, exceptions were the rule.
I was looking at ANV units strengths in early 1864. The cavalry regiments were generally larger than the infantry, since the infantry took much heavier losses.
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Numbers could be all over the place.
This is what I found across several sources, so the random unit size generation seems reasonable, however, given what you have stated, I might well allocate some modifiers to my dice system for certain unit types.
Apologies Nick for hijackings your post with this conversation.
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No worries.
I'd been thinking the same myself. What is amazing is how resilient the formations were. Units half destroyed at South Mountain stand in the frontline at Antietam a few days later.
Part of the reason I went for 4 bases is Chris Peers is threatening to draft a set of ACW rules based around the 4 base units. In those rules, he suggests actual numbers were not that important to the performance of the unit. I'm no expert, but the evidence of The Bloody Lane at Antietam does seem to support that theory. So the 4 bases represent a formation of men, rather than an actual number. 'Course the draft rules may arrive and he's completely changed his mind.
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To the Cornfield tonight, to see how the Union and Confederates fare!
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Grimjack set up a good representation of the Hagerstown Pike and the Cornfield this evening at our club. We fought to a standstill in the time we had, would the Union have broken through if we'd played on for an hour?
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The Union are coming through the Cornfield. (Apologies for the unfocused picture)
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It was a good game and actually worked OK with the rules.
When shall we Bloody Road?
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yep
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That looks like a great game.
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14th North Carolina Infantry.
Anderson’s Brigade.
The 14th held the left centre of Anderson’s Brigade in Bloody Lane.
Commanding Officer: Colonel Risden Tyler Bennett "R.T."
(http://antietam.aotw.org/images/bennett_rt.jpg)
RT was detailed as dead in some battle reports from Antietam, but in fact he survived and went on to become a Congressman in later life. (Pic 3 has him in miniature)
I did more work on RT than I have done on previous Colonels. I tried to capture his sleeve knotwork and gave him a fancier kepi. I’ve also given him coloured cuffs, blue for infantry. That is the standard Infantry colour for the Confederacy, even though it seems both Alabama and North Carolina used Black as their infantry colour for example Kepi’s had black trim not blue. I’ve also given him a red waist sash. I was misinformed by the ACW Painting War magazine which seemed to make out Confederate Colonels wore yellow sashes, and so the Alabama Colonels have yellow waist sashes. I might get around to repainting them, but at least the NC Colonels have all got red sashes.
Uniforms. I went with a ragged Reb look for the 14th. There’s a mix of Grey, Brown, Butternut and Civilian gear. There’s some toes poking out of boots, and patched trousers. (Pic 6)
My units are quite small, only 16 figures. But the 14th NC only had 80 men fighting at Antietam, they were so depleted.
Flags. The flags of the 14th NC Inf. have vexed me the most out of any of the units I’ve done so far. I’ve even gone to ACW forums asking for clarification, but no one has answered.
Using my original research, the 14th NC would have had a 2nd Bunting Battleflag of the Army of Northern Virginia (ANV) with the battlehonours Seven Pines! And Williamsburg. (Just like the 4th NC, see earlier). But as I researched deeper, I found a re-enactment group with a different banner. The same banner also featured in Dedmondt’s book ‘Flags of civil war North Carolina’ (https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/517F3VRH3WL._SX364_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg) ,
both on the cover and inside as the 14th’s Battleflag. This is an earlier 1st Bunting ANV battleflag, with the battlehonours sown across the centre, very different to every other ANV battleflag. Dedmondt credits the flag to Gettysburg National Park, which I presume means it’s in their keeping, but I can’t find a photo of it online.
So they have a different battleflag, not a problem. But then we find they had a State flag, mentioned in both Dedmondt and on this website: http://confederateflags.org/fotcstate/fotcncarolina/ (http://confederateflags.org/fotcstate/fotcncarolina/)
This State Banner is credited as being captured at Antietam in the Bloody Lane by the 5th New Hampshires. The issue here is that Confederate regiments were only allowed one flag, and that was to be the ANV Battleflag. All other flags were to be wrapped up and sent back home. I’ve found a letter from the commanding officer of the 3rd NC Infantry begging permission to carry their State Banner as well as the ANV Battleflag into action. I have to presume the officer of the 14th did the same.
Note the banner is for the 4th NC Volunteers. North Carolina did something odd, it renumbered all it’s original volunteer units, so the 2nd became the 12th, 3rd the 13th and the 4th the 14th etc. So this flag was obviously the 14ths original flag. If you click on the link above to the confederate flag website there’s some history to the flag.
Now things get even more complicated. Another flag was captured by 108th NY:
During the action a charge was made upon the rifle pits, and my command took 159 rebel privates and non-commissioned officers, three rebel captains and six rebel lieutenants, also one stand of Reg't. Colors, of the 14th North Carolina Reg't. These colors were taken by Henry Niles, in Co. K, of this Reg't., but after taking the colors some officer of another Reg't. told him to give them up, stating that if he carried them he might be fired into by our own men, not knowing any better, he handed them to such officer.
What flag? One source says the officer that tricked poor Henry (he’d have got a medal if he’d kept hold of the flag) was from the 61st/64th New York. I had a look at their records. The 61st/ 64th reckon they captured TWO flags at the Bloody Lane.
So the 14th NC Infantry lost 3 flags at the Bloody Lane, when a Confederate unit should have only had 1?
I’m going to keep researching the 14th NC flags, but for now I’ve given the unit two flags. The 4th NC Volunteers and the 1st Bunting battleflag. Because neither are available commercially, the battleflag was made by buying a GMB Design 1st Bunting flag, and then cutting the battlehonours off another flag to glue on in place. (pic 4)(I tried handpainting them but it looked awful, whereas this flag looks great). The 4th NC Volunteers is a flag Kev Dallimore helped me put together using photoshop. (pic 5) The lettering on the front came out faint, but the state seal on the reverse is nice and clear.
That just leaves the 2nd North Carolina Infantry to do, and Anderson’s Brigade is complete.
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You did an excellent paintjob and a very serious research! Thank you for letting us learn such interesting details! Cheers!
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Only 80 men? My goodness! They look great.
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Just lovely Nick.
Have you decided where this project stops?
ACW feels different from my Nap project, that could have gone on for eternity.
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I'm painting the 2nd NC right now, and that 'might' be it. The only Reb unit I've not covered is Cobbs Legion, so I think I'll do some research on them, because I suspect the 'Legions' are an interesting story all of their own. If I've still got the bug, I'll do them next.
As I've mentioned before, I'm not painting the Union side, but I'm still doing all the research on them. I've been glamoured by the charm of the Irish, and actually the Bloody Lane story isn't complete without the Irish Brigade, so I really want to do them. I've got the flags from GMB Designs ready and I've got the pictures of the officers to model the figures. According to Don Troiani, some of the Fighting 69th threw off their shoes to fight barefoot like their ancestors.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWvdf_51Iq0&list=RDeWvdf_51Iq0&start_radio=1 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWvdf_51Iq0&list=RDeWvdf_51Iq0&start_radio=1)
(Quick swig of whiskey)
I've asked Mark Sims to re-model one of the current ACW figures barefoot which he's doing. So I can't end this project without doing at least the 69th with some barefoot sons of Erin in the ranks. I'm going to mould the figure and make it available as a 'special', so if anyone is interested keep an eye on the Crusader Miniatures website.
Speaking of Crusader Miniatures, Mark Sims is talking about adding to the range. If he does, I might start all over again with the new models. Hurrah!
Lastly, I gave Mr Dave Woodward a unit of Confederate cavalry to paint, the figures are Company D, which I'll show here when he's done. They are not part of the Bloody Lane story, they make the army more all round to use in ACW gaming.
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Really great following this thread! The level of research elevates it above the norm and has thereby held my interest
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Thanks for the kind words everyone.
It's always spreads a bit of joy within when you come across acts of kindness and co-operation, and I've just had another one.
The third Union Brigade attacking the Bloody Lane was Kimball's, and one of the units in the Brigade was the 14th Indiana Infantry. I couldn't find their flag online, but other Indiana regiments had the National flag with the Stars in the common rectangular pattern, and the common eagle on the regimental banner. So that was what I was going for by default. Just as a last gesture, I emailed the Indiana War Memorials just to see if they had pictures of the 14ths flags on file. I then forgot I'd done it.
10 days later Mr Ethan Wright emailed these pictures over. What a wonderful man!
And of course, the National Flag has a unique circular pattern and the Eagle is not the normal style either.
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Just an aside, I got some Company D Bush whackers painted up to use as my Confederate cavalry. I really like 'em. The painter is Dave Woodward.
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Nick - they look stunning. :-*
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Just an aside, I got some Company B Bush whackers painted up to use as my Confederate cavalry. I really like 'em.
Those look great Nick!!
I do like whacking some bush in the morning.
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Grimjack set up a second game refighting Antietam this evening. This time the Bloody Lane.
Johnny Reb beat off Billy Yank.
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Those look great Nick!!
I do like whacking some bush in the morning.
I heartily concur with both points....the Company D figures are awesome and who doesn't enjoy the occasional whacking of bushes?
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Everything looks great! Nicely done.
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Very nice!
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In anticipation of playing Black Powder, I got someone to paint me a bunch of generals. That's DH Hill on the far right, the main man for my Confederates.
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Very nice Nick, what's next?
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Expecting a unit of Union Cavalry from painter Graham Birkley, and I'm going to finish painting the 2nd North Carolina this weekend. The 2nd NC is the last unit to make up Anderson's Brigade, defending the right side of the Sunken Road.
That 'might' be it for the project, except the barefoot figure I showed you on the 13th is being moulded right now. That was made to add colour to the Irish Union brigade, so I've got to have them done.
I might take some of the barefoot figures to paint up one last ragged Reb regiment, Cobb's Legion.
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Fair play, you have burnt through this project at a rapid rate of knots, it's the way to do it.
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I wish my projects would zoom along like this! It's been marvelous to watch.
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There's something wrong with me, I've never done this before either. Maybe I'm in some time and space distortion where anything ACW runs at a different pace lol
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Just an aside, I got some Company D Bush whackers painted up to use as my Confederate cavalry. I really like 'em. The painter is Dave Woodward.
Never heard of the "Company D". ::) These look good. Any larger photos? Ones on the site are OK, but not brilliant paint jobs.
And how are they size-wise compared to other manufacturers?
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Took a couple of pics with my phone next to a Perry Mins for comparison.
I wanted them because originally I was going to go for a ragged Rebs in civilian clothes look to the army, and I knew about these figures. Strictly speaking they are Westerners, Missouri Bush Whackers, inspired by the film Ride with the Devil, but I'm happy to have them in my Eastern armies.
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Very well done! :-*
A great addition to your collection!
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Took a couple of pics with my phone next to a Perry Mins for comparison.
Thanks. Think I'll get a few. ::)
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The 2nd North Carolina.
This is the 4th and final regiment in Anderson's Brigade defending the Sunken Road.
I've photographed them unbased, I'll be basing them to go with the rest of the army this evening.
Uniforms.
I picked out the Crusader Miniatures in sack coats for the 2nd NC. I decided to follow the uniform books on the North Carolina regiments rather than the campaign reality of the ragged Rebs. This is the equivalent of painting the Grenadier Guards in parade ground dress rather than in dirty overcoats. The grey uniform I've done them in (pic2), with the black shoulder board and black seam trim, is how they would have been kitted out in the beginning of 1862. As we've seen in previous posts, the jacket got shorter over '62, and chances are even that uniform would have been in tatters by Antietam. But not for this lot! Although this is just me wanted to paint an NC uniform as they 'ought' to have looked, I noticed in the Black Powder ACW supplement the authors were saying this uniform may still have been in use late '62, and this picture is titled Antietam: (https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NOZPlhnSN0U/V5OKDudmVdI/AAAAAAACbWQ/-gfV7tokLLUSu1SNsXpt0ZsftygpuhVJwCLcB/s1600/pag%2B73.jpg)
Flag.
The first 10 North Carolina regiments were issued with a unique silk banner when they marched to war. Although it is similar to the standard flag of North Carolina, what made it unique was the painted scroll work. The regiments were keen to hang onto them rather than furl them up in preference to a battleflag of the Army of Northern Virginia, the 3rd NC hung onto theirs as well. This flag of the 2nd NC was captured by the Yanks in early 1863, and they were given a 3rd Bunting battleflag of the ANV then, which was lost at Gettysburg.
This paper flag is from Flags of the Lads, and is accurate, with the 6 pointed star on the reverse (pic 3), but it's a bit too large. I hand painted 2nd NC on, this is sold as a 3rd NC flag. I think if I can source a smaller version, this colour will get changed.
Commanding officer.
The 2nd NC was commanded by Colonel Charles Courtenay Tew. I didn't do any facial hair modelling here, because I thought just painting his 'tasche on would suffice. (pic 5).
(http://antietam.aotw.org/images/tew_cc.gif)
I also tried to give him a more decorated uniform, within the constraints of this being a quickly painted army, to show the arm and kepi knotwork Confederate Colonels favoured. pic 6
There's an interesting aside about Colonel Tew. In many of the accounts of Antietam, his story is included. That is because when Brigade General Anderson was wounded, Colonel Tew took over command of the Brigade. He went to meet Colonel Gordon of the 6th Alabama, and was shot through the head while talking to him (Gordon was also hit, one of his many that day). Tew's body was never recovered, and in fact rumours were abound that he didn't die and his father went looking for him after the war. But there was a story from the battle that a private of an Ohio regiment came across the dying Tew sat against a tree holding his sword. When the soldier reached out to take the sword, Tew with his dying breath drew the sword closer to his body, then passed away. The sword had been presented to him by his military school cadets before the war, and had his name inscribed on it. The sword was never recovered.
Until 2015! It was found in a Canadian barracks. It has now been returned to the Military Academy Tew was from. https://library.citadel.edu/c.php?g=489190&p=3379889 (https://library.citadel.edu/c.php?g=489190&p=3379889)
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ypm_j9NQWu4/VfmxCH9k-JI/AAAAAAAAGSI/a0eyBTynCZE/s1600/tew%2Bsword.jpg)
Fascinating, especially when you consider the family were looking for the sword after the war, and received letters from Union soldiers saying they buried Colonel Tew at Antietam with his sword etc.
On that interesting last note, I bid you farewell. This is the last post I'll do on this project now, I think I've got enough to game with now!
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Those look terrific!
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Neat paintjob!
A great looking regiment!
Cheers!
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One smart looking outfit.
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NO don't go! :o I want to see those full army pics you promised! And some game reports.....
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NO don't go! :o I want to see those full army pics you promised! And some game reports.....
Agreed!!!!! This has been as informative as it has been inspirational. I would love to see this collection in action!
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Encore.. encore..
I thought I'd start a new thread on the games they'll be in? Maybe I'll add a note of any new threads here. I've received Chris Peers' draft set of ACW rules which was the reason why I'd based the figures in the way I had. I hope to give them a run through soon.
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I have really enjoyed following this from the very beginning. A really wonderful project and full of interesting gems.
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Encore.. encore..
I thought I'd start a new thread on the games they'll be in? Maybe I'll add a note of any new threads here. I've received Chris Peers' draft set of ACW rules which was the reason why I'd based the figures in the way I had. I hope to give them a run through soon.
This thread was extremely enjoyable! Eagerly waiting to see all this fine collection in action! Cheers!
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Epilogue.
I've just finished one more Johnny Reb. Taking all I've picked up over the past few months, this is probably the how I originally envisaged the defenders of Bloody Lane.
He comes at the end, because Mark Sims of Crusader Miniatures has just made a 'one-off' barefoot figure to fit in with the rest of the range, and I couldn't resist painting him up.
He'll more than likely be part of Cobb's Legion, a unit placed on the far left of Bloody Lane, so I'll do another bunch of figures to make a full unit. (Without a flag, Cobb's lost theirs to the Yanks 2 days before on South Mountain).
Cheers
Nick
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Is that Hedge?
It looks like him...
Oh, and I want some please......
And a go with Chris' ACW rules - in the New Year obvs!
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Great project Nick!
Cory
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I did promise to show the new figures in action in this thread, so here's tonight's game.
I've used them in some Longstreet games with Grimjack over the past few weeks. Tonight I playtested the ACW rules I mentioned at the very beginning of the thread written by Chris Peers.
The game is based on Death in the Dark continent, Chris' colonial rules. The game was fast and furious, maybe a little too much so. We're thinking the encouragement to get into close combat could do with calming down.
The game was a meeting engagement, the Rebs won the roll for the side that had the stone wall closer, so they made for the wall, while the Feds chose to avoid a direct attack and come in the left and right flanks. In swirl of fire and close combat, neither side looked to have the upper hand as night fell.
We finished with lots of questions to go back to Chris with, and I'm looking forward to the next game.
The photos show the Rebs, the Yanks, the left flank and the right flank.
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Always good to see the troops in action.
Did you have any variation in the troop and commander's abilities in this game?
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No, we went vanilla first game, everything average.
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Last December I showed off one last figure, a barefoot Johnny.
He was the start of Cobb's Legion, here they are all done. Barefoot is on the far left of the photo.
I'm going to put a 'how I painted Cobb's Legion' article in the North Star online magazine soon, I'll post a link when I do.
What was left of Cobb's (or the Georgia) Legion were on the far left of the line at 'Bloody Lane' next to the Alabama Brigade. They had been in the thick of the action 2 days before in the Battle of South Mountain, and had lost 72% of their men there. They had also lost their flag (one account said they had 2 flags, a Georgia State flag as well, and both were lost), so this unit is them pre-Antietam really.
I've photographed them next to the two minie-balls I got from Gettysburg last July. Big aren't they?
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They look a disreputable bunch of rogues. Very nice unit Nick.
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Indeed.
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I'm sure the regular 'Legionnaire' was just fighting for his 'raaaats', but TRR Cobb was really horrible. A fully committed White Supremacist who as a lawyer was central to weaving racism into the laws of Georgia. He formed the Legion at the beginning of the war. There's a theory that the founders of the Legions were authoritarians who wanted to control their own 'little armies' of Infantry/ Cavalry & Artillery. Of course as soon as Cobb arrived in the Army of Northern Virginia, Lee was having none of it and the component parts of the Legion were split off. Confusingly, Cobb's Legion (The infantry battalion) was sent to Cobb's Brigade. But that Cobb was Howell Cobb, TRR's older brother and one of the founders of the Confederacy.
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Very charismatic looking unit Nick- I know it's the same Crusader figures you are using but this one seems to have even more character. The way they are hunched down with grim faces they look like they are advancing into fire.
TRR Cobb doesn't sound like a sweet man at all lol
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Another fine addition to an interesting project.
Christopher
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I’ve got a minié and a musket ball (round) from Gettysburg when I went there in the 1990s… The weight of those things make you understand the kind of damage it could do… makes you even more impress by the courage of the men of the time than stood under a hail of fire from, sometime, just a few yards away… :o
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Nicely done Nic and so much more interesting to play with, when you understand the units history.
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Have you considered an Ashley Wilkes figure?
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I’ve got a minié and a musket ball (round) from Gettysburg when I went there in the 1990s… The weight of those things make you understand the kind of damage it could do… makes you even more impress by the courage of the men of the time than stood under a hail of fire from, sometime, just a few yards away… :o
The first time I fired a black powder muzzle-loader (.69 caliber) it became clear that I should stick to modern rifles. The explosion was jarring. I wondered about walking around with packets of black powder on my person, so unlike modern cartridges.
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Have you considered an Ashley Wilkes figure?
Tempted!
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Pleased to hear that, but research may not be straightforward, as based on my rather dim memory of the film, it's never clarified whether Ashley is in the mounted or foot branch of Cobb's Legion, or whether he served at Antietam. Of course the book may be more illuminating.
On a slight digression, I recall that Rhett survived the slaughter at Franklin without losing an ounce of his swagger, let alone any body parts, so between them they'd have to be considered be a remarkably lucky pair.
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The yellow trim of his uniform says he's Cavalry.
(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/1b/a2/a4/1ba2a446fd8cde2f8e3ec3abffef1b75.jpg)
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Oh Ashley, Ashley... (sigh)
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Best add another Union regt now 8)
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I've given Wargames Soldiers and Strategy an article, which is really a synopsis of this post lol. It's in the next issue:
(https://scontent-lht6-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/50046947_2418349254860629_7540886197137047552_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&_nc_ht=scontent-lht6-1.xx&oh=878c0310c63c3ee055c3c0bdd1e63cf3&oe=5C8E3A14)
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The yellow trim of his uniform says he's Cavalry.
(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/1b/a2/a4/1ba2a446fd8cde2f8e3ec3abffef1b75.jpg)
Of course. Were they at Antietam?
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Lovely work on Cobb's Legion Nick!
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Thanks Helen.
Not sure where Cobb's Legion Cavalry and Artillery ended up, I've been focused on the Infantry Battalion. I'll do an investigation.
One thing I do know is, neither sides cavalry played any real role at the Battle of Antietam.
++update++
Cobb's Legion cavalry were at Antietam, but as I suspected, not directly in the Battle itself. They were way out on the flanks, but still suffered artillery and rifle fire. Their real moment of glory was before the battle, when they charged a Union Cavalry force with drawn sabres.
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1862 was when the infantry said "who ever saw a dead cavalryman?"
This changed some later, though the cavalry was always safer than serving afoot.
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1862 was when the infantry said "who ever saw a dead cavalryman?"
This changed some later, though the cavalry was always safer than serving afoot.
That's right. Infantry were always jealous about their cavalry -even artillery- colleagues.
Southern cavalrymen losing their mount were going home to find a replacement or else they would serve with infantry.
So, for tabletop battles, especially in the early years, it is logical to play cavalry away from infantry, except some cases that they skirmish dismounted in some screening or delaying actions.
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Consequently, with reference to GWTW, I take it Rhett had bragging rights over Ashley, though he seems to have fought in only one battle (and in an unknown capacity, albeit apparently with distinction).
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Just showing off these new figures from Artizan Design. Mike Owen has done them as Renegades for his Wild West range. I'm not sure if they are historically accurate for the ACW, but they look good.
So when Dave Woodward got them painted for North Star's marketing and we'd taken pictures, I got him to re-base them to join the Company D figures I already had in my Confederate army.
http://www.artizandesigns.com/list.php?lat=1 (http://www.artizandesigns.com/list.php?lat=1)
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They look like irregular Confederate cavalry from the west. There were lots of these guys, coming and going as they pleased. If they'd been in the infantry the Army of Tennessee would not have been so badly outnumbered. Needless to say, their chances of surviving the war were much higher in the cavalry.
That's the flip side of the western Confederate army usually having at least parity in cavalry numbers and sometimes more than their Union opponents.
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Very nice sculpts, very well painted!
Could be Quantrills raiders
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantrill%27s_Raiders
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Mike Owen designed them as 'bitter enders', Confederates going to Mexico after the war rather than surrendering.
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Hello Y'all
I promised to end this thread, but here's a link to 'Painting Cobb's Legion'.
What I've done is written a 'how I painted these figures' article for the North Star online magazine. It goes over how I painted the figures, which I hinted at in this thread but didn't go into detail.
Hope it's interesting:
http://nstarmagazine.com/PDFS/Painting%20Cobb%E2%80%99s%20Legion.pdf (http://nstarmagazine.com/PDFS/Painting%20Cobb%E2%80%99s%20Legion.pdf)
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The figures marched out tonight. We were using Chris Peers' Napoleonic set Tremble ye Tyrants with the obvious Napoleonic elements removed.
Enjoyed it, happy with how it worked but still needs polishing.
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Here's my latest delivery from Art Master Studios, the Irish Brigade. They are a central to the legend of the Bloody lane, and Irish-American history.
There's a couple of things about these four units. First is they 'might' be the last time I model the officers face onto the models. The other is if you look close at the 69th, you'll see the barefoot model Crusader Miniatures recently made. As I mentioned earlier, this figure was inspired by the art of Don Troiani, where he painted the 69th and claimed a number of the younger members of the regiment had taken off their shoes before marching into battle.
Commander of the 69th New York
Major Cavanaugh
(http://antietam.aotw.org/images/cavanaugh_j.jpg)
Commander of the 63rd New York
Lt Colonel Fowler
(http://antietam.aotw.org/images/fowler_h.jpg)
Commander 88th New York
Lt Colonel Kelly
(http://antietam.aotw.org/images/kelly_p.jpg)
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A 54mm color sergeant of the 69th NY, poorly photographed by me:
(https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DaXpK-xwqrY/XFHN723AaII/AAAAAAAACDE/KPtnkJFDliQe_rEiBT3DcDgIboibEleaACLcBGAs/s1600/fortress%2B001.JPG)
This is one of Thomas' Tin Soldiers, by the late Tom Loback. He had photographed the actual flag at the armory of the 69th in NYC.
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The Irish Brigade marched out tonight using our adaptation of Tremble ye Tyrants.
The first picture is us laying out the opposing forces, the second mid game.
I'm thinking of writing up our rules and making them available as a download (free).
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Perfect, perfect perfect!
One that you played a big game!
One for the pics, your impressive collection and the table setup overall!
And one for making available your rules adaptation!
Cheers!!!
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Mark Sims of Crusader Miniatures has been swept along with my enthusiasm (maybe), and is expanding his ACW range.
The first pack is an eclectic mix of characters titled 'Bushwhackers'.
I've painted them up, and intend to base them to use as my dismounted Confederate cavalry.
(The flag bearer in the background is part of the original Crusader range, I wanted a flag for my new Rebs)
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They look really great! Also very good for RPG games!
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This is an odd post.
It's about where this hobby ends up taking you.
So whilst painting the Johnny Rebs, I had You Tube on in the background with various ACW related things playing. This band kept popping up, the Dead South:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9FzVhw8_bY&list=RDB9FzVhw8_bY&start_radio=1
I was so taken by them, I had a read up on them, and discovered they were playing in Nottingham at Rock City. So 6 months after starting this project, last night I was watching a band I'd never heard before an interest in the ACW began.
(that's Friday night, after playing a game with the ACW collection on the Thursday night.)
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Careful, they are Canadians. Next thing you know you'll be eating poutine. >:D
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I too like some 'mood' music on while I paint.
Put on the Red Army Ensemble when I was doing my WW2 Russians.
Started well, Russian voices & a nice slow rhythm, but each verse got a little
faster, and faster, and faster... so unfortunately so did my brush strokes!
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Started well, Russian voices & a nice slow rhythm, but each verse got a little
faster, and faster, and faster... so unfortunately so did my brush strokes!
.......are you definitely talking about your painting?
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Come again?
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Careful, they are Canadians. Next thing you know you'll be eating poutine. >:D
So were The Band, oddly enough, though their one non-Canadian member was the one who wanted to sing an elegy to the Confederacy and subsequently inspired others to do so, albeit often garbling Robbie Robertson's lyrics.
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Crusader Miniatures have started expanding the ACW range beyond just the march pose http://www.crusaderminiatures.com/list.php?cat=13&sub=39&page=1 (http://www.crusaderminiatures.com/list.php?cat=13&sub=39&page=1)
The paint brushes have had a short break, but I think I'll start replacing those 2nd Hand Rebs I got early on (page 2 I think of this thread).
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Nice poses, I will definitely be getting some to go with the other ACW I have - after I have finished my AWI project for Historicon 2019
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Since posting last night I've convinced myself to get painting these lol
I'm going to do the 13th Alabama of Colquitt’s Brigade. Colquitt's Brigade formed up to the left of Rodes Alabama Brigade in the sunken lane, so I've got to do them of course.
I'm planning to paint the the skirmishers from the new range as a firing line with slightly more scenic bases than I've done before.
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It never ends!
And now I want some of the new figures....
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Still working through the ACW rules. As I said earlier in this thread, I've got an adaptation of Chris Peers' Death in the Dark Continent (and Tremble ye Tyrants). I'm enjoying the feel of the rules, just need to keep tweeking, this evening Cavalry Commander Wheatley showed the horse soldiers are a bit too powerful compared to their historical counterparts.
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A lovely thread - so much depth. Thanks for sharing your journey.
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Thought I'd show this latest edition to the project. Crusader Miniatures have expanded their ACW range, and I couldn't resist painting them to add some new units to army. This is a base of what'll be the 13th Alabama, defending a fence (made by Renedra)
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Do they carry that fence wherever they go?
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Nicely done Nick.
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Do they carry that fence wherever they go?
It helps them monetarise ill-gotten booty.
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That’s some nice sharp paintwork :)
Perfect little vignette.
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I'll post a picture of the whole unit when it's done, in march column, that'll look odd lol
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Thought I'd show this latest edition to the project. Crusader Miniatures have expanded their ACW range, and I couldn't resist painting them to add some new units to army. This is a base of what'll be the 13th Alabama, defending a fence (made by Renedra)
Great, inspiring job! I love this base! :-*
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I've contributed an article to the ezine ACW Gamer.
Dedicated followers of this thread will have read it before, but if you aren't one it might be of interest to you. I go through the modelling of the individual officers.
http://www.acwgamer.com/ (http://www.acwgamer.com/)
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Very nice work, Nick!
Do you know if Crusader will expand their ACW range with advancing and skirmishing figures in hat?
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Yes, they arrived today. Pictures soon.
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Crusader Miniatures has added a new set of figures to their ACW range.
I'll be painting some, but not at the pace I was last year, mostly I think because I've got more miniatures than I can game with now. DOH.
Still working through my ACW set of rules, picture of last Thursday's game attached.
(Renedra plastic buildings painted by TM Terrain)
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It will be very nice to keep this thread active by letting us enjoy pics from your games! Cheers!
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Some random additions to the project.
Crusader Miniatures have made new Gun Crews for their ACW range, but no guns.
So I got painter Dave Woodward to paint some up as Union and Confederates around the plastic Perry Guns.
Look out for them in pictures of future games.
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Looking great Nick!
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Great to see how this project has progressed.
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I'm still painting away. I was going to stop doing the officer models, mostly 'cus it's just a vanity thing, you never see them on the table-top. But then I got to the 13th Alabama Infantry.
They have an unusual Battleflag. They'd sown on their battle-honour in the fly quadrant rather than the top like other regiments.
(http://www.archives.alabama.gov/referenc/flags/images/8639531.jpg)
So I've copied that.
Then I saw the commanding officer, Birkett Fry, and his crazy hair do.
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f4/BDFry.jpg)
So I'm working on him now. Mixing the green stuff for that hair.
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It is great to see you making face conversions again!
Eager to see how this one will come out! Cheers!
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I do like how you are progressing this collection Nick, I intend using the same tactic on the Dutch Wars project.
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Superb. I did the same to some extent myself with the 1672 range. I spent time trying to match up uniform colours with regimental flags, especially the French. The Scottish Douglas Regiment in particular took some research as I found a 30 Years War Flag before, and a 1680's period flag after, so it was finding out what they'd have had in 1672. 'Course photos of the officers might be somewhat tricky lol
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This is just the sort of extra interest for detail that keeps us going on a wargaming project, and makes it unique. Not that I would know really, I have never managed to finish a project yet :(
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Course photos of the officers might be somewhat tricky lol
Well I was hoping to find some BBC interviews with the main characters of the period lol
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You say that...
I did find a really early BBC drama of young Churchill at the Siege of Maastricht, it was quite good!
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Great work on that conversion Nick
:)
This is just the sort of extra interest for detail that keeps us going on a wargaming project, and makes it unique. Not that I would know really, I have never managed to finish a project yet :(
Is it actually possible to ever truly finish a project?
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Is it actually possible to ever truly finish a project?
Yes ;)
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So here's the finished 13th Alabama Infantry, led by Fry.
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f4/BDFry.jpg)
The 13th Alabama, although part of the big project (which is finished really 'cus I've now got more figures than I field on the table-top of an evening.), it's a break away from what I was doing before.
I wanted to paint some of the new Crusader Miniatures ACW figures, a move from the 'right shoulder shift' pose into firing poses. I also wanted to experiment with the fences, to make the unit more diorama like.
I like what I've done with them, though column of march looks a bit odd.
I couldn't then resist researching the flag and officer. The flag is unusual as they had sown the Seven Pines battlehonour in the fly quadrant as opposed to the top one. So I hand painted that on. And Colonel Fry was such an unusual looking character, I wanted to do him bare-headed. I pinned a bald Viking berserker head onto an officers body, and 'greenstuffed' his unruly hair onto it.
Followers of this thread will know the idea was to paint up Confederate regiments at The Bloody Lane at Antietam 1862. The 13th Alabama were there, but they had been sent into the infamous Cornfield that morning by General Hill. It was actually only the shattered remains of the regiment, without their flag (captured by the 5th Ohio) and without Fry (he was wounded and taken off the field, but he survived both Antietam and Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg to see the wars end) that lined up on the far left of Bloody Lane.
Here's the write up with pictures I put on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/notes/north-star-military-figures/13th-alabama-infantry/2597461670282719/ (https://www.facebook.com/notes/north-star-military-figures/13th-alabama-infantry/2597461670282719/)
Cheers
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Oh they are a great addition. Good job on Fry.
The new figures from Crusader really make it a good range now, am thinking about getting some.
Have just read The Bloody Ground by Bernard Cornwell about Antietam. I didn't know anything about the battle (not even who won) so it made the book exciting.
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Convincing conversion with Fry and a very nice paintjob to the rest of the troops, I like the experiment with the fences!
(although they'll have to carry them for the rest of their life) :)
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A new recruit to the Reb force arrived today.
Cheers LAF Member.
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These are looking really good. I've gone back to ACW recently (which is what brought me back to painting 3 or 4 year ago) and it's become really addictive.
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As with your other excellent officer conversions this adds an extra dimension to each unit.
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Just received my order of the new Crusader ACW figures, very nice sculpts 8)
No doubt I will be ordering more :)
Graham W
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With you tuco74, same happened to me.
Thanks Mindenbrush, the credit is all Mark Sims though, we just make them available.
I put these pics on Facebook, I'll share them here.
It's more pics on Fry.
He's an interesting character, fought in the Mexican-American War, became a California 'Forty-niner', then a lawyer, then fought as a mercenary in Nicaragua, settled in Alabama then signed up for the Confederate Army. Survived Antietam, Pickett's Charge and other engagements to see out the end of the war.
I decapitated an ACW officer figure, pinned a Viking head to it, greenstuffed his unruly hair to the sides and painted him up as the commanding officer of the 13th Alabama.
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Its growing Nick :o
These are some great new additions to this range and your collection.
Gareth
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Nice work on Fry and co (both conversion and painting).
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I've now acquired/ painted more miniatures than I can use in an evenings game for this Antietam project. But I've still got the bug, so this is next:
(http://www.firstbullrun.co.uk/Assets/Gallery/01.jpg)
It's going to have to be Perry Miniatures this time. If it starts, I'll do a new thread. Nick's NEW new ACW project.
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This is excellent news! Cheers!
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Hmm. I suggest bed rest. And a good stiff drink.
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Stiff drink yes, bed no, I'm off to the pub....
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Bravo Nick
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One of my favourite prints. This will be a lovely project Nick. Well done on getting this started.
Best regards,
Helen
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Got the figures. Nothing will start this weekend, but if it kicks off I'll start a new thread: Nick's 1st Bull Run project. lol