SCALPING CUSTER!!!

[Harry Faversham]

Next week's game is a direct nick from an article called 'Custer's Last Stand' by the Leuchars Veteran Wargamers in Wargames Illustrated issue 347. Simple and deadly...
The Boy General and his underlings are on their hill and six Redskin Chiefs and their warband must compete to see who lifts Yellow Hairs's syrup! Only the Chiefs can nobble him, but to do so they must get past brother Tom and Sergeant Major Quincannon, who's carrying Custer's personal guidon.
So we've got The Boy General, brother Tom, Sergeant Major Quincannon, Red Bonnet, The Great Lame Beaver and a cast of nameless underlings having at it on the 'greasy grass'.

 

[mweaver]

Interesting. Reminds me of one of my favorite Far Side cartoons, "Custer's Last View".   If you have not seen it, a quick internet search will produce it.

-Michael

[FifteensAway]

Just at Little Big Horn battlefield.  Doesn't matter to your game, of course, but most all of the troops had their hair cut short, Custer included.  Not much of a head to scalp with no hair!

And heard something I'd not heard before - Custer's body was protected from mutilation by a couple of squaws who considered him a relative by marriage.  Apparently he had an affair with a native American woman.  Both of those bits were news to me.

[Harry Faversham]

It's all a tad confusing about the fate of the Boy General, innit?
In one account I read, Warriors interviewed, said they didn't know who they were fighting that day on the 'greasy grass'. If that's the case then Custer's body being the only one unmutilated sounds a right load of old load of testicles. The Boy General was rumoured to have fathered a son by the squaw he 'married'. I've read the two squaws who guarded Custer's body did two mutilations on him with a leather awl. One was in his ear because he hadn't listened when the Indians had told him one day they'd do for him, the other down his willy because he'd had carnal relations with one of their tribe!

[zippyfusenet]

I'm skeptical that Libby Custer ever let George go off the reservation. She followed him around and kept a close eye on him.

[Andrew_McGuire]

It's all a tad confusing about the fate of the Boy General, innit?
In one account I read, Warriors interviewed, said they didn't know who they were fighting that day on the 'greasy grass'. If that's the case then Custer's body being the only one unmutilated sounds a right load of old load of bollocks. The Boy General was rumoured to have fathered a son by the squaw he 'married'. I've read the two squaws who guarded Custer's body did two mutilations on him with a leather awl. One was in his ear because he hadn't listened when the Indians had told him one day they'd do for him, the other down his nob end because he'd shagged one of their tribe!

I read in one book that when found Custer had an arrow in his penis. Until now I'd always assumed it was remarkable marksmanship.

[Inkpaduta]

It was after the battle of the Washita. Custer was said to have hooked up with a young Cheyenne woman.
She later became pregnant with his child. Thus, the story is that women protected Custer's body for being
mutilated as he was a relative. The Sioux and Cheyenne did not know who was attacking them that day.
However, it is possible that Custer's body was recognized after the battle was over.

FYI Be careful with the use of the term "Squaw" it is considered very offensive to Native Americans.

[Harry Faversham]

FYI Be careful with the use of the term "Squaw" it is considered very offensive to Native Americans.

That's interesting, living in Blighty, I didn't know that...
why do they take offence at the word?

[FifteensAway]

Harry is right.  Custer did have sharp objects inserted in his brain through his ears and well twisted about - but not as acts of mutilation but rather to clear out his hearing for the next world so he wouldn't again forget the promise he'd made to never attack the Cheyenne again.  Little Big Horn/Greasy Grass violated that promise.

Inkpaduta, yes, some consider the term offensive and others just consider it a normal means of referring to a native American woman, especially the Algonquian people form whose language the word is derived.  My usage was not intended to be derogatory in any way. 

[Romark]

Looking forward to the batrep already 

[Inkpaduta]

No worries, I didn't think anyone was trying to be rude.

The term is considered to be old fashion and a put down to Indian women.
Used to show that Indian women were inferior to White women. Also,
a worn out term.

In the books I have written about the American West and the Sioux, if I
had used it I would have been slapped silly. Thus my caution on use of the term.

[Harry Faversham]

Well, the game certainly played fast and furious!
The redskins had no problem slaughtering the 7th. as there's hordes of 'em. In the first game The Great Lame Beaver lurked about a bit while his young bloods took the fight to 'Yellow Hair'. Brother Tom and Sergeant Major Quincannon fell fighting valiantly, then The Great Lame Beaver charged Custer, skewering him on his lance and lifting his syrup to win the game!
The second game went very much the same way, with one startling difference, 'The Boy General' killed all six Chiefs and remained last man standing on his hill! The great cloud of braves, busy scalping and mutilating his command, saw this as heap bad medicine and legged it... Custer survived to try and explain it all away to Congress.
Good game, as they say, but it didn't look up to much hence no piccys. Later that afternoon after mi' sixth pint of firewater I had a great vision... how much better it'd have all looked if we'd have used the 'big boy's toys'.

[BaronVonJ]

Great sounding couple of games!

[sespe]

I loved that article, and converted the rules for another convention.  6 companies try taking Bunker Hill, following all the same rules in their game.