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Author Topic: Nick's new ACW project  (Read 57389 times)

Offline Grimjack

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Re: Nick's new ACW project
« Reply #165 on: November 08, 2018, 02:19:45 PM »
To the Cornfield tonight, to see how the Union and Confederates fare!

Remember: the dice are not your friends!

Offline nicknorthstar

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Re: Nick's new ACW project
« Reply #166 on: November 08, 2018, 11:10:56 PM »
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?

Offline nicknorthstar

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Re: Nick's new ACW project
« Reply #167 on: November 09, 2018, 10:39:46 AM »
The Union are coming through the Cornfield. (Apologies for the unfocused picture)

Offline Grimjack

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Re: Nick's new ACW project
« Reply #168 on: November 09, 2018, 11:31:10 AM »
It was a good game and actually worked OK with the rules.

When shall we Bloody Road?


Offline nicknorthstar

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Re: Nick's new ACW project
« Reply #169 on: November 09, 2018, 04:23:09 PM »
yep

Online vodkafan

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Re: Nick's new ACW project
« Reply #170 on: November 09, 2018, 07:33:30 PM »
That looks like a great game.
I am going to build a wargames army, a big beautiful wargames army, and Mexico is going to pay for it.

2019 Painting Challenge :
figures bought: 500+
figures painted: 57
9 vehicles painted
4 terrain pieces scratchbuilt

Offline nicknorthstar

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Re: Nick's new ACW project
« Reply #171 on: November 13, 2018, 02:59:02 PM »
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."

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’ ,
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/
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.
« Last Edit: November 13, 2018, 06:05:06 PM by nicknorthstar »

Offline DintheDin

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Re: Nick's new ACW project
« Reply #172 on: November 13, 2018, 03:56:48 PM »
You did an excellent paintjob and a very serious research! Thank you for letting us learn such interesting details! Cheers!
Now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates. – Mark Twain, Life on the Mississippi

Offline vtsaogames

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Re: Nick's new ACW project
« Reply #173 on: November 13, 2018, 04:16:56 PM »
Only 80 men? My goodness! They look great.
And the glorious general led the advance
With a glorious swish of his sword and his lance
And a glorious clank of his tin-plated pants. - Dr. Seuss


My blog: http://corlearshookfencibles.blogspot.com/

Offline Lord Raglan

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Re: Nick's new ACW project
« Reply #174 on: November 13, 2018, 07:11:10 PM »
Just lovely Nick.

Have you decided where this project stops?

ACW feels different from my Nap project, that could have gone on for eternity. 

Offline nicknorthstar

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Re: Nick's new ACW project
« Reply #175 on: November 13, 2018, 09:38:11 PM »
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

(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.
« Last Edit: November 14, 2018, 11:08:20 AM by nicknorthstar »

Offline LordSpode1879

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Re: Nick's new ACW project
« Reply #176 on: November 13, 2018, 10:01:14 PM »
Really great following this thread! The level of research elevates it above the norm and has thereby held my interest
Now listen to me you benighted muckers. We're going to teach you soldiering. The world's noblest profession. When we're done with you, you'll be able to slaughter your enemies like civilized men.

Offline nicknorthstar

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Re: Nick's new ACW project
« Reply #177 on: November 13, 2018, 10:37:09 PM »
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.

Offline nicknorthstar

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Re: Nick's new ACW project
« Reply #178 on: November 15, 2018, 12:07:19 PM »
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.
« Last Edit: November 19, 2018, 10:34:02 PM by nicknorthstar »

Offline Mick_in_Switzerland

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Re: Nick's new ACW project
« Reply #179 on: November 15, 2018, 03:48:00 PM »
Nick - they look stunning. :-*