Rebel Cleansing

Wed 1st March

                   

Bill's garage where his brand new Merc is not allowed

Four of us piled into my Golf and headed out for the sunnier climes of Livingstone and the Dacha of comrade Bill to participate in an American Civil war scenario based on the fighting around Iuka in Mississippi.There were seven of us in total and all looking forward to an evening's skirmishing.Everybody except Colin and myself turned up with an awful lot of ACW figures so they were all divvied out and the action commenced with Dave Patterson ,Chief skulker Donald Adamson and our favourite rock star Mr Ray taking the part of Johnny Reb whilst Colin Jack,Dave O'Brien,our host Bill Gilchrist and myself took the part of the damn Yankees.

My boys ready to give a kicking.

                       

Hope fully these are not rebel reinforcements.

 The scenario was for the Union forces to have an unshaken unit occupying crossroads that were under the present charge of the rebels.Our plan was for Colin and my forces to go forward and engage the enemy leaving Bill to bring on his reserves and occupy said crossroads.Dave O'B's intention was to head up our left flank and hopefully take the Rebs from the year.What more could be easier.Ha- the vagaries of the rules made sure that that that wasn't going to happen.
                         

My boys charge a hat.

Heading for a scrap.

The dirty rebs -boo hiss!

  When you make a decision to move with these rules you are usually at the mercy of bad dice rolls which inevitability ends up with your army not getting as far as you had hoped and ending up as cannon fodder for the enemy.Also the abundance of wooded area meant that there was not very much room to maneuver.This came to the fore when my men kept on being disordered meaning they couldn't move much to Dave O'B's displeasure as my forces ended up blocking his way forward leaving the rebel commanders sniggering at our bickering.

Making headway albeit very slowly.

Dave O'B's cunning plan

Looked good to start with.

No quarter in the middle.

                               The force I sent up the middle had an initial success as they made an infantry unit and an artillery unit belonging to Dave P head for the hills but when they made a follow on move towards some of Mr Ray's rebs ended up having the ignominious insult of being the first unit to have a whipped marker on them and it wasn't even Friday night.

Dave's plan about to unravel

Bill's matchwinners-maybe?

Colin slowly making headway.

                                This was to be expected and when the made the inevitable retreat they were replaced by another unit ready to head for the crossroads but alas they were made to turn on their heels and leg it.

Dave and I about to come to blows whilst Donald sniggers.

Come and get it

cold steel abound

                          My forces in the wood made slow headway but didn't get far enough into the wood to escape the whining from one of my fellow generals.What made him even more annoyed was when  Dave P stated that he looked like a picture of Union general Ambrose Burnside that he had which made Dave O'B chunter even more.

The Ambrose Burnside decision with Colin looking more like an engine driver than our army commander

                            Colin's forces were slowly making their way towards Dave P's remaining forces but once again were hampered by horrible dice rolls.Even putting on a Union cap didn't improve his mobility.Bill's reserves came on but didn't do much except to look pretty and as the game was only to last 10 game turns we knew that our battle plan like thousands of other battle plans wasn't going to work.

Colin finally reaches the bad guys

"Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the lord"

                          As the game wore on it turned into a stalemate ending up with our forces not getting near the crossroads in the timescale and the Reb generals laughing at our inadequacies and bickering .
                        But it was a great game with it being a pleasure to see all these ACW forces on display and many thanks for the invite to partake and I'm sure it will be an inevitable victory for the rightful north.
                 Scenery and figs provided by Bill with the remainder provided by everyone else except Colin and I whose tastes tend more towards the 20th century.
                          A gorgeous repast was provided by the lovely Helena and was appreciated by one and all.
                          See you when I see you.