The American Civil War Diaries (6 Viewers)

[Captain]

Oooops, Caught you on one there UKReb. The plans wraped in the cigars was during the Sharpsburg Campaign, not on the Penninsula.

 

[UKReb]

Oooops, Caught you on one there UKReb. The plans wraped in the cigars was during the Sharpsburg Campaign, not on the Penninsula.

Captain absolutely right I think I was more concerned when writing the post that I had started a new civil war between Louis and George unaware they were good friends just taking a pop at each other.

I deserve to be demoted for that faux pas-
Hell! I know the story like the back of my hand General Order #191 was found by an Indiana infantryman called Mitchell just before Antietam/Sharpsburg
Where the heck did the Peninsula come from
But then again I'm only a Brit playing civil war

Embarrassed Reb

 

[Harrytheheid]

Captain absolutely right I think I was more concerned when writing the post that I had started a new civil war between Louis and George unaware they were good friends just taking a pop at each other.

I deserve to be demoted for that faux pas-
Hell! I know the story like the back of my hand General Order #191 was found by an Indiana infantryman called Mitchell just before Antietam/Sharpsburg
Where the heck did the Peninsula come from
But then again I'm only a Brit playing civil war

Embarrassed Reb

Don't be embarrassed Reb. I have it on good authority that a 5th Columnist from the Brave Flying Kites Regiment planted the order in order to promote mischief. So how could you have known..??
When can I expect my Rodgers Rangers reinforcements..?? Like, what's their ETA so's I can light the landing flares..??

H

 

[UKReb]

Don't be embarrassed Reb. I have it on good authority that a 5th Columnist from the Brave Flying Kites Regiment planted the order in order to promote mischief. So how could you have known..??
When can I expect my Rodgers Rangers reinforcements..?? Like, what's their ETA so's I can light the landing flares..??

H

They left this morning via Glasgow

Any idea what time the pubs chuck out up there Harry?

Reb

 

[Harrytheheid]

They left this morning via Glasgow

Any idea what time the pubs chuck out up there Harry?

Reb

That's excellent news Reb. I'll get The Forelock Tugging Lancers to guide them from the DV to the bridge.
As for your question, well - I actually have no idea, never having been concious enough to notice.
"Aye Mistaah Lu, make mine a Pint aah Heavy, by the way, innat"....

Cheers in more ways than one
H

 

[Captain]

Boy, ya'll are makin me thirsty. That is something I would love to do before my time here on Earth is up. Go to a pub....I mean, many pubs all over the U.K. Tell me, are yanks welcomed are scorned? I guess it's ike anywhere else, good ones and not so good of ones.

 

[kilted vampire]

Sir! Beg to report sir. Them durn Green Jackets is a lurkin' around these here parts!

 

[UKReb]

APRIL 29TH 1864
Army of Northern Virginia 1st Corps Headquarters
In the field south of Gordonsville, Virginia

General Robert E Lee accompanied by Gen A P Hill (III Corps Commander) are welcomed by General James Longstreet. He has not seen his Commander in Chief since he and his Corps had been transferred to Bragg's Army in Tennessee shortly after Gettysburg some 8 months earlier.
Lee was more than pleased to see his "old warhorse" back in Virginia.

Repairing to Longstreet's tent Lee began to brief him on the current disposition and activity of the Yankee Army
"Those people are positioned all along the Rapidan but General Hill is closely watching them here at Ely's Ford whilst General Ewell's II Corps is camped here near Verdiersville and is monitoring Germanna Ford. If and when they cross the Rapidan we shall know"
Lee then added
"General prepare your Corps accordingly and be ready to move toward the enemy once we know where. General Hill will keep you regularly informed"
Longstreet replied
"Of course sir, we are replenishing our ordnance as we speak"

Lee continued
"Our contacts in Washington have also informed us that the Yankees have a new commander and General Hill tells me you know this gentleman by the name of Grant"

A brief silence followed before Longstreet replied
"Yes Sir!, we were at the Point together and became firm friends in fact he married my third cousin and I was their best man"
Longstreet paused then added
"Sir, if you remember you met him during the war in Mexico, he was a lieutenant on Zachary Taylor's staff then transferred to the 4th Infantry participating in the final battle at Mexico City"

Lee remained silent as if in deep thought then said
"I am of course aware of his reputation from his Vicksburg Campaign but I cannot recall meeting the gentleman personally"
A long period of silence passed before Lee spoke
"I fear they may continue to change their commanders till they find someone whom I don't understand"
Longstreet quickly replied
"General Lee, Sir, I believe I know Sam Grant through and through and I must tell you sir, we cannot afford to underate him and the army he now commands"

Lee prepared to leave but turned to Longstreet and said
"I shall await General Grant's movements with much interest General"
Longstreet countered with
"Sir, Sam Grant will fight us every day and every hour till the end of this war"
Lee thought for a moment then replied
"At the beginning of our struggle shortly after First Manassas I idly asked General Ewell what he thought of the Yankee commanders, he said "Of McDowell not highly, I do not know this young McClellan but he talks well, perhaps that's all he will do. But there was one West Pointer from Missouri, little known, by the name of Grant that I hope those Northern people will not find out. I would fear him more than any of their commanders I have yet heard of"
It would appear General Longstreet that they have now found out about this fellow Grant"

Longstreet followed Lee and Hill outside, Lee mounted Traveller and wiped his brow, looked down at Longstreet and said
"Well General, it looks as though you will finally get your wish"
"And what wish is that General Lee?"
"I distinctly remember you saying to me after Gettysburg that you wish we could just let the Yankees come to us and that is precisly what I intend to do.
And General Longstreet I am most thankful that you have returned"

As Lee left Longstreet called his chief of staff Moxley Sorrel and said to him
"My compliments to the Division Commanders Generals Kershaw and Field and ask them to join me in my tent"
"Is the army on the move sir" enquired Sorrel
"No Moxley, not yet, but we do have to prepare a reception for an old friend"

 

[Dickbuttons]

Thanks. Wonderful photos and diologue. Excellent.

Dick

 

[aujj65]

Reb,

Super stuff! I like the tent is that home made? I take it the maps are printed off your pc? Thanks for continuing the story.

Jeff

 

[Spitfrnd]

UKReb, I have just made it through this thread and I am overwhelmed by your brilliant achievement here. Extraordinary, simply extraordinary. I join all those looking forward to much more.

 

[kilted vampire]

Great start Bob, Orders?

 

[Harrytheheid]

Great stuff Bob. Looking forward to the story developing over the next few weeks.

Cheers
H

 

[UKReb]

Reb,

Super stuff! I like the tent is that home made? I take it the maps are printed off your pc? Thanks for continuing the story.

Jeff

Guys
Thanks for all your appreciative comments, we are now entering into "Total War" territory when Lee and Grant locked horns, the well mannered and polite "gentlemen's war" is now well and truly over. It became extremely bloody in fact downright murderous attrition and an early if not the first indication of what grand scale modern warfare would become especially WWI 50 years later.

Jeff
Randy had the same enquiry over on the other forum. Yes the tent is home-made, wanted to experiment with shooting inside a tent and as no manufacturer, to my knowledge, produces a canvas tent that sides lift up so I had a crack at knocking one together. Frame is made from my good lady's supply of "orange sticks" used for nail & cuticle care with some canvas/muslin seamed stitched on a sewing machine (Yeah! I know what kinda of toy-soldier guy uses a sewing machine-very roughly self taught but it's helluva handy for making tents and wagon-covers etc.) Low lighting at the back with a small but very bright spot in front resulted in some pretty good shadows of the figures on the back of the tent which was what I was after. But it took forever to get it right.

And the maps are not taken off my PC they were a lucky find in a dolls house furniture shop- 5 @1/12 scale for 50p ($1.00) and unbelievably they are in fact actual prints of 19th century maps of the Eastern United States. How's that for accurate props
Reb

 

[Wraith]

I was so busy getting in to the narrative, that I completely missed the tent first time round

Bob, you are a man of many talents, superb piece of work. I'd love to try and recreate something like that, but unfortunately my wife uses an angle grinder for honing her claws to a razor sharp point. (If I don't post again, it's because she's figured out my password and turned me in to a frog.)

 

[marco55]

UKReb,
How many civil war figures do you have,it's a fantastic collection.I at one time collected civil war but I got rid of them to my everlasting regret.I had all the Troiani sets from Conte and some of the Art of War series from Britains.I had one called 20th Maine and 15th Alabama,a 3 set diorama set from 2003.They cost about $144.00 a set.I saw them on the web the other day and now they are selling for $ 425.00 for each set.Keep posting as I really enjoy them.
Mark

 

[UKReb]

UKReb,
How many civil war figures do you have,it's a fantastic collection.I at one time collected civil war but I got rid of them to my everlasting regret.I had all the Troiani sets from Conte and some of the Art of War series from Britains.I had one called 20th Maine and 15th Alabama,a 3 set diorama set from 2003.They cost about $144.00 a set.I saw them on the web the other day and now they are selling for $ 425.00 for each set.Keep posting as I really enjoy them.
Mark

Hi Mark

Last count of my civil war boys was around 1150 figures-all metal-that's a few years collecting mind and still adding to it.

I have got those Britain sets you refer to but I always believed the sets were mis-named as 20th Maine and 15th Alabama as all 3 sets only had Rebs and some resin boulders as per Little Round Top terrain. The 20th Maine were issued as "Hold at all Costs" plus a 3 set add on which I also have.
I too have noticed that they fetch a fair price now but the Britain's ACW sets that go for real mega-bucks are "Lone Star" Confederates at Antietam and "Clear the Way" Union Irish Brigade at Fredericksburg both sets were issued in 1999 but I only bought the Union set plus the add on I never use the "Clear the Way" Yanks in my dios as they are, I believe, the only figures depicted in full winter rig.
A couple of months ago both of those sets went on ebayUK for £380.00 ($737.00) thats £380.00 for each set now that's what I call quite an increase on the £60.00 I paid back in '99. But I wish to heck I had bought the Reb sets as well.
Thanks for your interest
Reb

 

[marco55]

Hi Mark

Last count of my civil war boys was around 1150 figures-all metal-that's a few years collecting mind and still adding to it.

I have got those Britain sets you refer to but I always believed the sets were mis-named as 20th Maine and 15th Alabama as all 3 sets only had Rebs and some resin boulders as per Little Round Top terrain. The 20th Maine were issued as "Hold at all Costs" plus a 3 set add on which I also have.
I too have noticed that they fetch a fair price now but the Britain's ACW sets that go for real mega-bucks are "Lone Star" Confederates at Antietam and "Clear the Way" Union Irish Brigade at Fredericksburg both sets were issued in 1999 but I only bought the Union set plus the add on I never use the "Clear the Way" Yanks in my dios as they are, I believe, the only figures depicted in full winter rig.
A couple of months ago both of those sets went on ebayUK for £380.00 ($737.00) thats £380.00 for each set now that's what I call quite an increase on the £60.00 I paid back in '99. But I wish to heck I had bought the Reb sets as well.
Thanks for your interest
Reb

Something you said I have been thinking about for a while is that I have never seen Civil war done in winter.I know some of the civil war artists paint winter scenes but I guess since very few major battles took place in the winter there's not much interest in winter figures unlike WWII,AWI,and the FIW.
Mark

 

[UKReb]

4.00am Wednesday May 4th 1864
Longstreet's Confederate 1st Corps Headquarters
In the field Gordonsville, Virginia

A courier has arrived from A P Hill with a message for General Longstreet. Major Thomas J Goree asks the cavalryman to wait whilst he awakes the general who is asleep in his tent.

Turning up the oil-lamp on the General's table Goree approaches the cot where Longstreet is asleep
"General Longstreet, Sir, my apologies for disturbing you but we have received an important message"
No sound from the bed
"Sir are you awake?"

There was a rustling from the cot and a voice boomed out
"Godammit! TJ yes I'm awake! waiting for you to read the message"
"Sorry sir"
"Get on with it TJ"
"The message is from General Hill sir, The whole Union Army is crossing the Rapidan and moving toward the Wilderness Tavern on the Orange Turnpike"
Goree continued
"General Hill is moving his Corps to intercept them and requires your support urgently"

Longstreet began to rise
"Send a message back to General Hill-Will make haste and join you as soon as possible"
He then added
"Assemble the Division Commanders and tell General Field I want Gregg's Texas Brigade ready to march in 15 minutes. That's 15 minutes Mr Goree"
Yes Sir! 15 minutes

 

[Spitfrnd]

Wonderful to see this start up again; really look forward to these.