The American Civil War Diaries (3 Viewers)

[Captain]

I feel like i am in the tent with them. I can think of no superlatives that equal your efforts here Sir.

 

[UKReb]

Ten minutes after giving Goree his orders Longstreet exited his tent. The whole Confederate camp was a mass of activity, stores being loaded, infantry assembling, orders being barked.
Longstreet smiled and thought "Good man that Goree"
His Division Commanders were waiting for their orders. Longstreet quickly briefed them on Hill's message
"The Yankees have crossed the river at Ely's Ford and according to General Hill it is not a feint. I need to move the whole Corps to support him. General Kershaw your Division will take the point."

Longstreet turned to General Field
"Is the Texas Brigade ready to move?" Field smiled as he replied "Yes Sir!"
"General you tell General Gregg that he has inherited a darn fine brigade from Hood and I have never known those Texas boys to run from a fight" Longstreet smiled as he added "In fact they always run toward a fight, so double quick them General, I need them as Hills shock troops to hold his flanks until we can get there"

"Gentlemen" said Longstreet somberly "Powell-Hill has no more than 10,000 troops. Grant has over 80,000 and if I know Sam Grant he will use every last one of them. Hill cannot hold without us"

Longstreet knew his old friend only too well because Grant had indeed got the whole of the Army of the Potomac, Infantry, Artillery and Cavalry on the march.

As the troops passed their new Commander NCO's organised their units into giving rousing cheers. The cheering was continuous as the army passed because they knew after nearly a year of idling they were again marching South toward Richmond
Grant merely smiled and gave the occasional nod of his head in acknowledgement to his troops. He finally had them on the move but would his plan work.

Grant was gambling and he knew it because he was marching his army through the most inhospitable fighting ground in Virginia-The Wilderness.
The next move would be Lee's

 

[Youngster]

Excellent, Reb. Great storytelling and superb setups and photography.

 

[kilted vampire]

Good work as always. Where did you find the barrel loaders. Did you do some alterations.

 

[Wraith]

Nice one Bob. I reall do enjoy these tellings of an era of history I know very little about, and as always, accompanied by great photos of great dios.

Cheers
Simon

 

[Alexdakar]

Love the pictures of the troops marching.

 

[Harrytheheid]

Reb,
Yet another brilliant set of photo's. It must take you ages to set these up and then screen your pics until you have that ONE THAT's JUST RIGHT....!!!
I particularly like the shot from above and behind of Grant's army moving through the Wilderness on that track. Thanks again for providing inspiration - and above all - some FUN.

Cheers
H

 

[Harrytheheid]

I've just had yet another look at your latest post Reb and you know, that photo, third one down, the one you've taken through the wheel spokes is cunning. Its right out of a John Houston movie. Very, very impressive.
It illustrates how much work you put into these threads for the benefit of fellow forum members.

It's only 8th May, but I hereby vote that one as "PHOTO OF THE MONTH"

Let's hear it for UKReb guys.........

Cheers.....and More Cheers
H

 

[Spitfrnd]

I've just had yet another look at your latest post Reb and you know, that photo, third one down, the one you've taken through the wheel spokes is cunning. Its right out of a John Houston movie. Very, very impressive.
It illustrates how much work you put into these threads for the benefit of fellow forum members.

It's only 8th May, but I hereby vote that one as "PHOTO OF THE MONTH"

Let's hear it for UKReb guys.........

Cheers.....and More Cheers
H

I second those thoughts, excellent again UKReb. Good point on the gamble, I can hardly wait to see how this turns out. This makes you feel like a publisher crying for more pages.

 

[kilted vampire]

Which texts are you using for your story line? Are the quotes from actual sources?

 

[UKReb]

Grant's plan of moving swiftly through the Wilderness before Lee could react was unravelling fast. The Turnpike had petered out and the road was now little more than a bridle path and impossible to move artillery and supply wagons. Engineers were brought in to clear the undergrowth.

Although Berdan's Sharpshooter regiments- acting as a forward skirmish line- were ahead of the main army the 61st New York, First Brigade, II Corps were ordered to the front as a second line of advance.

Lt Col Oscar Broady of the 61st NY was a veteran and had been here before just six miles west and almost a year ago. He had been part of Hooker's Army that was smashed by Jackson and his Stonewall Brigade at Chancellorsville. He decided not to mention that to the raw recruits that now formed this skirmish line instead he spoke quietly to them
"Keep a sharp eye and ear men, this undergrowth can be sun-dappled one minute and pitch black the next. Keep the man to your left within sight at all times"

Broady and his men moved slowly through the dense undergrowth. He could hear the engineers felling trees behind him. He noticed one of his men, a keen youngster striding out in front almost at a fast step. Broady yelled
"Slow down there soldier and get back in line"

As if on cue there was a crashing of undergrowth from forward right followed by the clear sound of a horse whinney and a loud yell. Broady yelled to his men now almost frozen by the sound and now the sight of a horseman.
"Reb rider!"

One single carbine shot reverberated through the woodland as it hit the adventurous Union youth.

With consummate equine skill the Confederate cavalryman steered his horse around and like some gray ghost quickly disappeared into the forest before any of Broady's men could fire their muskets. Broady cursed and thought:
First blood to the Rebs and Bobby Lee would now know exactly where the Union Army were.

 

[Spitfrnd]

Grant's plan of moving swiftly through the Wilderness before Lee could react was unravelling fast. The Turnpike had petered out and the road was now little more than a bridle path and impossible to move artillery and supply wagons. Engineers were brought in to clear the undergrowth.

Although Berdan's Sharpshooter regiments- acting as a forward skirmish line- were ahead of the main army the 61st New York, First Brigade, II Corps were ordered to the front as a second line of advance.

....
As if on cue there was a crashing of undergrowth from forward right followed by the clear sound of a horse whinney and a loud yell. Broady yelled to his men now almost frozen by the sound and now the sight of a horseman.
"Reb rider!"

...First blood to the Rebs and Bobby Lee would now know exactly where the Union Army were.[/B]

Another excellent episode, thanks so much Reb.

If you will forgive my relative ignorance of the battle, was it Grant's orders that the army continue to advance before the engineers had done their clearing or were they just screening for the engineers?

Also, is that how it started, with a single cavalryman's attack? Had he slipped in between the first and second lines in the dense underbrush?
What was Grant thinking in chosing this path? Did he have good intelligence on the route?

This certainly makes history come alive.

 

[UKReb]

Another excellent episode, thanks so much Reb.

If you will forgive my relative ignorance of the battle, was it Grant's orders that the army continue to advance before the engineers had done their clearing or were they just screening for the engineers?

Also, is that how it started, with a single cavalryman's attack? Had he slipped in between the first and second lines in the dense underbrush?
What was Grant thinking in chosing this path? Did he have good intelligence on the route?

This certainly makes history come alive.

Thanks for your interest Spitfrnd.
Going through the Wilderness was the quickest route south to Richmond, unlike Hooker before him Grant had no intention to fight in this impenetrable forest. The Union army came across the Rapidan at 3 crossings and took 2 roads the Orange Turnpike and the Orange Plank Road. The Union maps of the area were pretty hopeless and although the roads ran out due to overgrown trees and undergrowth a mile further on they became a passable roads again. The latest episode describes such an incident.

Artillery would not have been much use in this type of terrain so Meade/Grant sent forward a number of brigades to link up with the rest of the army moving along the Orange Plank Road whilst the engineers cleared a pathway for the heavy ordnance which would follow.

Lee on the other hand had every intention to fight Grant in the Wilderness which would give him his best chance to level or better the numerical difference between the two armies. Lee as usual was outnumbered two to one by the boys in blue.

The scrap actually started with a brush between cavalry divisions but the scene I have depicted regularly took place when JEB Stuart's boys would snipe at the advancing Yankees and most of these Southern Virginia country boys knew the Wilderness like the back of their hands hence their ability to move about without being spotted by predominantly city boys.

Hope that answers your questions without me giving too much away for future episodes
Reb

 

[Spitfrnd]

...
Hope that answers your questions without me giving too much away for future episodes
Reb

Thanks Reb, that is just fine, certainly don't want you to spoil the suspense. Interesting though that with all their resources and spies, the Union couldn't come up with a useful map of the area so close to Washington.

 

[Mister Dave]

Hi Reb, I've been slowly reading through this thread and really appreciate the time and energy you've put into it. A very enjoyable thread along the lines of Polarbear's FIW saga only on a grander scale. Somewhat envious of your obviously massive ACW collection, and this makes me pause and reconsider trying to get back into collecting this era again. Please keep it coming and thanks again.

MD

 

[Harrytheheid]

Absolutely excellent as usual Reb.
Not only do your dioramas provide ideas for the rest of us, the history lesson is also illuminating for those like me who don't really know that much about American history.
I hope that the entire forum appreciates the time and effort you put in to bring these magnificent episodes to us.
Thanks Again
H

 

[Rob]

Once again superb work Reb.The wonderful dio's you create coupled with the exciting and gripping script really bring these scenes to life,keep it up mate i'm hooked!

Rob

 

[UKReb]

Which texts are you using for your story line? Are the quotes from actual sources?

Dates;Locations;Characters; Meetings and movements of troops etc are all historically accurate.
The characters dialogue I'm making up as I go along but it is all based on their actual comments (when recorded) their orders and the actions arising from those orders.

There are in fact very few good/accurate historical books available on Grant's Overland campaign, unlike The Battle of Gettysburg which I believe is heading somewhere toward 1500 books and literally thousands of articles written on that one pivotal battle.

Reb

 

[Harrytheheid]

Dates;Locations;Characters; Meetings and movements of troops etc are all historically accurate.
The characters dialogue I'm making up as I go along but it is all based on their actual comments (when recorded) their orders and the actions arising from those orders.

There are in fact very few good/accurate historical books available on Grant's Overland campaign, unlike The Battle of Gettysburg which I believe is heading somewhere toward 1500 books and literally thousands of articles written on that one pivotal battle.

Reb

"The characters dialogue I'm making up as I go along"

Hey - That's my way of doing things..!! I thought you were much better organised Reb....


Cheers
H

 

[UKReb]

"The characters dialogue I'm making up as I go along"

Hey - That's my way of doing things..!! I thought you were much better organised Reb....


Cheers
H

Harry

Your Flashman Boys Own Adventure is in a special class all of it's own as indeed is it's author.
Me- I couldn't possibly compete
Reb