24th February
Been busy with life issues. Coupled with ongoing health issues, it's been a time of numerous ups and downs. Life issues are still there as are the health issues; unfortunately they will never go away. Therefore finding time for my hobby is proving difficult and thus low priority for now.
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19th February
Reviewing situation so far
After three or four days hunting for the rest of my ACW "collection" stored throughout the studio, I am forced to make major changes to my grandiose plans:
- Going back to division-level mode.
- My "collection" is not near as big as I thought. Exaggeration and distorted memories are the main reason for over-inflating the size.
- Lots of painting before even considering tabling what's left.
- Going to use Mr. Wise's core rules for all tabletop games with including adopting parts of Mr. Empson's Tables and Mechanics to embellish the campaign narrative only.
Found more old labels and figures. Some are formed into units but everything - labels and models - have all been tossed into a pile for storage (believing I was done with ACW). Therefore, much sorting out is required. It is an aspect I currently enjoy a lot - solving inconclusive mysteries - probably more than painting minis or playing at the moment because the results are pretty much pre-determined - figures are painted, game is won or lost - yet solving mysteries aren't so clear cut. Hence the interest.
The idea for elevating both divisions to corps-level only happened post-campaign as an indulgent reward for both sides. And because I had accumulate enough figures to warrant the promotion.
However I still haven't located the written record of the entire campaign, an old harcover folio booklet. Therefore what is compiled so far below is missing a fair amount of information. I know there are more figures but where they are still remains undisclosed.
Reviving the old campaign
Creating anything out of nothing or in a vaccuum is difficult and challenging even if it's fun. Therefore continuity with the existing narrative is both important and convenient as there is already a starting point. Reviving small details like names and status/role counts. Polson is the only brigade commander I remember existing from the start. Tyler and Wilson I believe were replacements for the other originals who were killed off. The fourth, Harris, was added towards the end of the campaign.
Units and unit leaders came and went during the course of the campaign. I remember that turnover of units and commanders was pretty high throughout for both sides.
For the Union side, details are extremely scarce is all I can say. Early on in the campaign, I had a natural bias towards the Conferates because there was greater opportunity for diversity through their colourful flags and different shades of uniforms but the Union side hung in there throughout the campaign despite their relative "bland" uniformity in attire and flags occasionally broken up by units like the Zoauves and Sharpshooters. Balance was important when creating both formations.
Basing
Basing was reliant on Mr. Wise's specifications. After the campaign finished however I began re-basing the figures, experimenting with various sizes. For convenience. I settled on six figures to a 40 mm x 40 mm square base although initially I had units on 35 mm x 35 mm bases. But I kept Mr. Wise's rules of two loose figures on single bases - 20 mm x 20 mm - for casualty removal.
Maintaining coherency
To keep tabs on what's been found so far, I'm using the dot point system to distinguish between the activities of different days (level 1, level 2, etc). It's a frivilous act but one that appeals to my understanding of how everything was put together so no apology for including it.
- Activity 18th Feb
- Activity 19th Feb
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The Old Confederate Division
Lieutenant General Lawerton's total force comprised four infantry brigades, one small cavalry brigade, and an ad-hoc artillery battalion by the end of the campaign. Originally it was much smaller. Standard size for infantry units is 20 figures comprising 2 officers and 18 ORs. Among the ORs will be a standard bearer or two and a musician.
Infantry
Standard size for infantry units was always 20 figures and 2 officers. Among the ORs would be one standard bearer (or two) that was converted from available figures. Occassionally there would be a drummer/musician but drummers were rare and looked dorky. At the time I had figures from Airfix as well as Esci and their musicians were rare and standard bearers did not appeal to my desire to have distinctive flags.
- Polson's Bde
- 19th NC Infantry
- unit reformed
- 40th NC Infantry
- unit found relatively whole
- 49th NC Infantry
- unit reformed
- 32nd Va Infantry (1st Va. Rifles)
- unit found (veterans/elite status so fewer figures)
- NOTE: Another unit found and added to Polson's brigade simply because it was in the same location as the others. However I may have short-changed the other existing units in creating this "new" unit so their inclusion is a temporary measure until I have located the rest of the "collection".
- Tyler's Bde
- 6th Tennessee Infantry*
- 7th Tennessee Infantry (3rd Rifles)
- 9th Tennessee Infantry
- 13th Tennesse Infantry
- Wilson's Bde
- 16th Alabama Infantry - 20-figure unit
- 24th Alabama Infantry - 20-figure unit
- 8th Mississippi Infantry - 20-figure unit
- 37th Mississippi Infantry - 20-figure unit
- Harris' Bde
- 6th Texas Infantry
- 8th Texas Infantry
- 14th Missouri Infantry - 20-figure unit
- Allen's Florida battery (1 x 3", 1 x 12pdr) - division reserve
- Neale's* (originally Nebling) North Carolina battery (1 x 3", 1 x 12pdr)
- Miller's Kentucky Horse battery (1 x 3", 1 x 6pdr)
- T. Roberts' South Carolina battery (2 x 10pdr Parrots)
- A. Roberts' Georgia battery (1 x 3", 1 x 12pdr)
- Baker's Arkansas battery (1 x 3", 1 x 12pdr) - replaced Thorn who was promoted to overall command of the artillery
- Dylaine's Louisiana battery (2 x 10pdr Parrots)
- 1st Georgia
- first 6-figure unit found from the other day*
- plus dismounted skirmishers
- 2nd Louisiana
- second 6-figure unit found from the other day*
- plus dismounted skirmishers
- 3rd Texas
- third 6-figure unit found from the other day*
- plus dismounted skirmishers
- 6th Louisiana
- 15-figure unit found from the other day
- plus dismounted skirmishers
- 4 more skirmishers found
* Speculated composition simply to "fill out" the listing
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The Old Union Division
Had a brain fart and suddenly remembered the name of the Union division comander, Major-General Collins. The Union forces comprise four brigades of infantry, one small cavalry brigade, and one artillery battalion according to the formation labels rediscovered. Only two of the infantry brigade commanders are named - Dawson (1st Bde) and Awle (2nd Bde).
Infantry
Same situation as for the Confederates regarding unit size and composition.
- 1st Brigade (Dawson)
- 1st US Sharpshooters (Jefferson) - 20-figure unit found from yesterday
- 16th Iowa (Fulton?) - 20-figure unit found from yesterday
- 49th Illinois (W. Smith)
- 18th Illinois - 15-figure unit from yesterday - possibly Fire Zouaves
- 22nd Missouri
- 2nd Brigade (Awle) - base and rider found but no mount
- 5th Kentucky Volunteers
- found unidentified unit (#1)**
- 20th Indiana
- found unidentified unit (#2)**
- 18th Minnesota
- found unidentified unit (#3)**
- 38th Indiana - 3rd Rifles (Hapwell)
- unit found
- 5th Wisconsin (Zoller)
- 20-figure unit found**
- 3rd Brigade (unidentified)
- 33rd Michigan Volunteers (O'Hare)
- 20-figure unit found**
- 19th Michigan Volunteers (Dirth)
- 20-figure unit found**
- 50th Ohio (Craig)
- 20-figure unit found**
- 4th Brigade (unidentified)
- No unit labels found
- 20-figure unit found**
** Found units that have no ID markings have been assigned to labelled units
- 9th Kentucky - detachment attached to GHQ (Taylor) - found
- 13th Illinois
- 15-figure unit found from yesterday**
- 4th New Jersey cavalry
- 15-figure unit found from yesterday**
- Dismounted skirmishers found (1 offr & 24 ORs)
- Bty E, 17th New York Field (Dyson) - 2 stands
- Bty I, 3rd US Field (Coombes) - 2 stands
- Bty H, 12th Pennsylvania Heavy (H. Taylor) - 2 stands
- Bty A, 2nd Ohio Field (Leith) - 2 stands
- Bty B, 1st Vermont Light (Hill) - 2 stands
- unit found yesterday (incorrectly labelled as Heavy)
- Unnamed bty found (2 stands)
- Spare caisson found
- Standard bearers and flags found
- Spares found
- Officers on foot found - loose
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20 February 2024
I know there are more figures but am unable to remember where I stored them.
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22 February 2024
Am certain the rest of the "collection" exists...somewhere. Not that it's a priority at the moment as I have been laid low by this severe bout of flu that's persisted all week. I can confirm the rest of the collection exists because of this image.
The figures highlighted are unique to the Union side. And I know I had several such units in my "collection" but have so far been unable to locate them. If I can find them then the "collection" will at least double in quantity.
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24 February 2024
The gist of Mr. Wise's ACW Airfix Guide is the rules section located near the back of the book. Here is the first page of that summary listing the basic details to get one moving along.
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