Nick's new ACW project

[nicknorthstar]

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.



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.

[Ray Rivers]

Nice looking regiment there.

Looking forward to see more!

[nicknorthstar]

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...

3rd Alabama next.

[OSHIROmodels]

Promising looking project 

I like the personality take on it.

[nicknorthstar]

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

[FifteensAway]

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.

[nicknorthstar]

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.

[nicknorthstar]

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.

[Ray Rivers]

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...

[nikharwood]

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?

[nicknorthstar]

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

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

[nikharwood]

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

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

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

[DintheDin]

Very nicely painted and the officer looks the part!
I'll be following! Cheers!

[traveller]

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!

[nicknorthstar]

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.