Charge! Issue 20

Charge!: The Official Newsletter of the Johnny Reb Gaming Society

Issue 20 (Summer 2008)

Charge! Web Site

From the Editor’s Desk…..1
by Scott Mingus

Scott mentions a trip to the Cedar Creek battlefield and talks about a possible scenario for a future issue of Charge! based on that visit.  In addition, he points out the wide variety of scenario types in this issue.

Bridgehead Breakout Scenario…..2
by Sgt. Christopher Maes

Scenario: Bridgehead Breakout
Type: Fictional
Date: Sometime in 1862
Game Rules: Johnny Reb 3
Scale: 15mm
Table Size: 4′ x 6′
Time (Turns): Unknown (? turns in JR3)
Units:
Union – Rosentrader’s Fourth Division
Confederate – Stern’s Division

In this fictional scenario set in the Western Theater some time in 1862, the Union player must break out of a bridgehead while the Confederate player is tasked with destroying said bridgehead.

Minute Biography: Porter Alexander and William Pendleton…..4
by Larry Reber

Larry Reber covers the best and worst Confederate artillery commanders, Porter Alexander and William Pendleton, respectively, in two brief biographies.

In Search of Butternut (Painting Suggestions)…..5
by Larry Reber

Larry Reber goes over the various shades of “butternut” seen in Confederate uniforms and then describes how he achieves this effect in his own Civil War miniatures.

Valverde scenario…..8
by Paul Stevenson

Scenario: Valverde
Type: Historical
Date: February 21, 1862
Game Rules: Johnny Reb 3
Scale: 15mm
Table Size: 4′ x 6′
Time (Turns): 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (18 special 30-minute turns in JR3)
Units:
Union – The Union Army of New Mexico under Col. E.R.S. Canby
Confederate – The Confederate Army of New Mexico under Brig. Gen. H.H. Sibley

Two opposing forces, both named the Army of New Mexico and both very inexperienced, clashed in this battle near Valverde, New Mexico.  Although the outnumbered Confederates won the battle, they were not strong enough to take Fort Craig, the refuge of the defeated Union force.

Prairie Grove scenario…..12
by Roxanne Patton

Scenario: Prairie Grove
Type: Historical
Date: December 7, 1862
Game Rules: Regimental Fire & FuryTM
Scale: 15mm
Table Size: 5′ x 7′
Time (Turns): 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (16 turns in Regimental Fire & FuryTM)
Units:
Union – The Army of the Frontier
Confederate – I Corps, Army of the Trans-Mississippi

Thomas Hindman saw an opportunity for his Confederate force to wreak havoc on the divided divisions of the weakened Federal Army of the Frontier in northwestern Arkansas in late 1862.  In what became an indecisive fight, Hindman attempted to smash Herron’s Third Division, only to see James Blunt come to the rescue.  Hindman withdrew the next day, allowing the Federals to claim a narrow victory in the hard-fought contest.

Rutherford‘s Farm scenario…..15
by Tom Ballou

Scenario: Rutherford’s Farm
Type: Historical
Date: July 20, 1864
Game Rules: Johnny Reb 3
Scale: 15mm
Table Size: 4′ x 5′
Time (Turns): 11:00 a.m. to ? (? turns in Johnny Reb 3)
Units:
Union – Elements of the Army of West Virginia (Kanawha)
Confederate – Elements of the Army of the Valley District

In this little-known battle, fought between the battle of Monocacy and Sheridan’s ascension to command of the Valley Army, Union forces under William W. Averell managed to drive back and ultimately rout Stephen Ramseur’s Confederate infantry division and several Confederate cavalry brigades.  Ballou does not paint a flattering picture of Ramseur in his historical account of the battle.

The Sutler’s Corner…..20
New “FlexRivers” are available from Joe Linares, owner of Wargamer’s Terrain.

Tim Harrop of “The Old Gunny’s Flags” has miniature reproductions of over 300 different flags for use in miniature wargaming.  He is expanding this number all the time.  Check out a recent review of one of these flags by Scott Mingus here.  Tim’s email address is listed at the bottom of the article.  A portion of all sales goes to flag preservation efforts.  Support a good cause!

Battle Report: Drums at Fort Meigs…..21
by Jim Kopchak and Doug Rogers

This report is an AAR of a scenario entitled “The Battle for West Woods at Antietam”, which was played at the recent HMGS-Great Lakes “Drums at Fort Meigs” convention.  The players used the new Civil War Commander set of rules and the scenario represented fighting from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. between Joe Hooker’s Union I Corps and elements of Stonewall Jackson’s force at the Battle of Antietam.  The game was fought in 12 turns using 15mm figures.  Three Union players faced off against 4 Confederates.  After the full three hours, Jackson’s forces had held, but only barely.  The next phase of the assault, featuring Mansfield’s XII Corps, is expected to be played at Historicon 2008.  The authors predict a Union victory due to the poor condition of Jackson’s veterans.

Johnny Con II…..23
A brief report on Johnny Con II, a convention for gamers using the Johnny Reb 3 system, was held in June 2008 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Fort Defiance (Roanoke Island scenario)…..24
by Scott Mingus

Scenario: “Fort Defiance” (Roanoke Island)
Type: Historical
Date: February 8, 1862
Game Rules: Johnny Reb 3
Scale: 15mm
Table Size: 3′ x 5′
Time (Turns): 8:00 a.m. to 2:40 p.m. (21 turns in Johnny Reb 3)
Units:
Union – Roanoke Expedition
Confederate – Fort Defiance Troops

In the first of many actions during Burnside’s Amphibious Expedition off the coast of North Carolina in early 1862, a Confederate force defending Fort Defiance on Roanoke Island under Col. Henry M. Shaw tries to ward off what is essentially a division-sized force under Ambrose Burnside.

Blogs I Like…..26
by Scott Mingus

Scott lists the blogs of Johnny Reb Gaming Society members.

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