Western fellows

Starting my ACW wargaming adventure I learned that Paweł, my wargaming pal has already painted the prettiest Union regiments from the Army of Potomac. Then I decided to do exclusively these regiments that fought in the Western Theather of war. Later, reading books about the war I realised that there was distinct difference between western and eastern soldiers of Federal army.
  
In his excellent book "This Terrible Sound: The Battle of Chickamauga", Peter Cozzens recals the memories of sergeant of the 4th Texas Infantry, Joseph Polley, whose brigade of veteran Texans arrived from Virginia on the eve of Chickamauga battle to reinforce confederate Army of Tennesee.  As Poley and his comrades began their advance through the woods of Chickamauga passing some wounded soldiers of Army of Tennessee they heared those taunting words:
“them fellers out thar you ar goin’ up again, ain’t none of them blue bellied, white-livered Yanks an’ sassidge-eatin’ forrin hirelins’ you have in Virginny that’ll run quick at the snap of a cap - they are Western fellers, an’ they’ll mighty quick give you a bellyful of fightin.”

So here they are - western fellows.

Garde du Corps

Another stand of WSS cavalry and first made of new Pendraken's LoA figures. 
I painted Brandenburg / Prussian Garde du Corps with their elaborate carbine belts and musician's silver trumpets. Unfortunatelly, I haven't checked if this regiment actually fought in WSS, and now, after looking at some orbats I doubt they did.

Garde du Corps in 1701 after Knotel

Kolejna podstawka kawalerii WSS i pierwsza zrobiona na nowych figurkach Pendrakena. Wybrałem brandenburski / pruski pułk Garde du Corps ze względu na kolorowe pasy i srebrne trąby muzykantów. Niestety nie sprawdziłem przed malowaniem czy ta jednostka walczyła w WSS, a teraz, po przejrzeniu kilku orbatów wydaje mi się to wątpliwe.

NB. This regiment was disbanded in 1713 and has nothing to do with famous Garde du Corps of Frederick the Great.
NB. Pułk został rozwiązany w 1713 i nie ma nic wspólnego ze sławną Garde du Corps Fryderyka Wielkiego. 

71 Illinois

Kolejny pies w mojej kolekcji. Tym razem znalazłem go na pamiątkowym zdjęciu pocztu sztandarowego 71 pułku z Illinois. 
Another dog in my collection. I found him on photograph of 71th Illinois colour guards.

Nic nie wiem o tym psie. Ani jak się nazywał, ani to czy przeżył wojnę. Nie byłem nawet pewien jakiego jest koloru. Postanowiłem wybrać beżowy podpalany, żeby odróżniał się od Harvey'a z 104 pułku z Ohio. [opisanego tu]
I know nothing about this dog. Not his name, nor if he survived the war. I wasn't sure the exact colour, so I decides to paint it beige to make him differ from Harvey of 104th Ohio [described here].

W 71 pułku zwracają uwagę kolorowo umundurowani członkowie Springfield Zouave Cadets.
Among the ranks of 71st Illinois members of Springfiel Zouave Cadets are the most colorfull. 

Wszystki figurki Pendrakena (nowa seria). 
All figures by Pendraken (new line).

Perryville game (3)

Game isn't over yet. No time to do proper AAR, so only few photos. Enjoy !

Perryville game (2)

Some photos taken by members of our club during the game. 
Above - Adams' brigade advancing through the wheatfields.

Cheatham's division crossing Chaplin river.

Center of Federal position.
General McCook with staff in front of Widow Gibson's house.

Perryville wargame (1)

Finally we gathered to play our first full scale ACW game - Perryville.
So far it's noon and Confederates crossed the Chaplin river, and come within range of Federal artillery (yes, Polk ordered general offensive at 8 a.m., without waiting for Bragg).
I don't think I'll manage to do a proper ARR so please enjoy those few snapshots.

Battlefield

Confederates marching against Union left wing

Attack against Open Knob begins

View of Federal and Rebel lines facing each other




More to come next week.

General Lee

No, it's not about THIS general Lee. Nor about THAT general Lee, his father ...
It's about completely different Lee - major general Charles Lee, rather unfortunate Patriot commander in AWI. 

Lee's caricature by Rushbrooke

Charles Lee, an 18th century soldier of fortune (served with British, Polish, Portuguese and Russian armies) entered continental service in 1775.  He was made second in command, only to general Washington (still low, given his ambitions), commanded a division in New York 1776 campaign and was captured by the British light dragoons on December 13th 1776 at Baskingridge in New Jersey. Held in captivity for more than a year, he was finally exchanged in 1778, but given command of Continental Army vanguard, he failed at the battle of Monmouth, and was subsequently dismissed and courtmartialled. 
Lee was very fond of dogs, and was seldom seen without one. The most famous of them was certain pomeranian, named Spado (or Spada).  His name entered history simply because he has gone missing and following advert appeared in the Virginia Gazette in March 7th 1777:

Twenty Dollars Reward

LOST or STOLEN, a very remarkable black shaggy dog of the Pomerania breed, called SPADO. He belongs to our brave but unfortunate general LEE, and was seen in the possession of a person who called himself JOSEPH BLOCK, at Wright’s Ferry, on Susquehannah, about the 25th of December last. It is supposed that BLOCK, who pretended to have undertaken to carry him to Berkeley County, Virginia, has parted with him for a trifling consideration, or lost him on the road. Whoever gives information where the said dog may be had, or will bring him to the subscriber in Williamsburg, shall receive the above reward, and no questions asked.

I decided to make command stand with general Lee. As the divisional commander stand requires two figures I added a captain (yellow cockade) od 12th Continental regiment - an unit that remainded under Lee's command in late 1776.

One can learn the history of Charles Lee here (link).
The fate of Spado is unknown.