The American Civil War Diaries (4 Viewers)

[farmertony]

Absolutely magnificent.The groundwork on the road and beside it is totally realistic.Well done that man.

 

[colmanor]

The Gettysburg Campaign-July 1st 1863

The Texas Brigade consisting of the 1st, 4th & 5th Texas Infantry and the 3rd Arkansas left its bivouac at Fayettesville and resumed its march along the Chambersburg Pike toward Cashtown which lay 12 miles to the east.





The brigade's movement was delayed several hours when Gen. Edward Johnson's Division of Ewell's Second Corps cut across its line of march at an intersection. Lt Col. P.A. Work of the 1st Texas Infantry called the column to a halt and then to fall out to await the passing of their Confederate colleagues.





Part of Johnson's Division was the brigade of Gen. George Hume "Maryland" Steuart. This brigade included the 1st and 3rd N.C., the 10th, 23rd, 37th Virginia and the 2nd Maryland Regiment.




They would not arrive at Gettysburg until late in the evening of July 1st where they immediately set up camp near Rock Creek. The Brigade would be involved in fierce fighting on the 2nd and 3rd July when they attacked Union troops ensconced on Culp's Hill.



Some hours later the Texas Brigade (still referred to as Hood's Brigade) resumed their march toward Gettysburg. Hood's Texans brought tremendous firepower to any Confederate assault. Individually they were highly skilled, fiercely combative in action and as tough as the legends represent Plains Texans to be.




They too would arrive late in the night of July 1st and face intense bitter fighting on the morrow 500 yards west of Little Round Top at a location that would become known to history as Devil's Den.




To Be Continued
Reb

Wonderful! Even catches the humidity in the sky that preceded the battles. Congrats, Bob! Colman

 

[mestell]

Bob, I just returned from a two week vacation in Austria and Bavaria, Germany and found this lovely addition to your Dairies series . . . . . Well done sir . . . .
:smile2: Mike

 

[Horus]

Fantastic display, background certainly looks the job.
Steve

 

[nysoldiers]

Bob,
The next time you come to New York you must hold a "diorama workshop"......I'll supply the booze and steaks!

Your work is inspiring!

 

[UKReb]

Bob,
The next time you come to New York you must hold a "diorama workshop"......I'll supply the booze and steaks!

Your work is inspiring!

Thanks Rich

We do indeed intend visiting NYC again sometime next summer. Would be only too pleased to run a diorama workshop especially if I can use some of your magnificent TS collection to demonstrate the salient points of getting a dio to look as authentic as possible.

And those steaks you mention.......certainly seals the deal ^&grin

Bob

 

[Louis Badolato]

Bob,

When you and your lovely wife come, you know you are welcome to stay with us!:smile2:

 

[Rob]

Afternoon Bob , seeing as you are highly skilled at mixing figures from different suppliers I wonder if I could ask your advice on which companies work well together in regard to blending in behind other troops. As I'm sure you can imagine I've been enjoying releases from across the board during this WW1 centenary. K&C , First Legion, Britain's, Thomas Gunn , John Jenkins, are all producing some lovely figures that I very much like and obviously work well on their own , but im keen on maybe experimenting .

So picture this Bob , I know it's the wrong conflict but bare with ^&grin, imagine a trench diorama looking from some distance featuring K&C figures in the foreground and with Britains / First Legion figures emerging from trench behind. ( also imagine they are all of same colour ) .

Would you say those are the three companies that work best together in such scenarios??

Thanks for any advice mate
Best
Rob

PS.Already commented on this thread at top of page.

 

[UKReb]

Afternoon Bob , seeing as you are highly skilled at mixing figures from different suppliers I wonder if I could ask your advice on which companies work well together in regard to blending in behind other troops. As I'm sure you can imagine I've been enjoying releases from across the board during this WW1 centenary. K&C , First Legion, Britain's, Thomas Gunn , John Jenkins, are all producing some lovely figures that I very much like and obviously work well on their own , but im keen on maybe experimenting .

So picture this Bob , I know it's the wrong conflict but bare with ^&grin, imagine a trench diorama looking from some distance featuring K&C figures in the foreground and with Britains / First Legion figures emerging from trench behind. ( also imagine they are all of same colour ) .

Would you say those are the three companies that work best together in such scenarios??

Thanks for any advice mate
Best
Rob

PS.Already commented on this thread at top of page.

Hi Rob

I assume you are planning a diorama to photograph, if so your plan would probably work, however, I'm not so sure mixing K&C with both WB and FL as a permanent/temporary shelf display would look quite right. Size and colour will most certainly clash. I often use K&C or CS figures in the foreground of the shot and fill up the background with WB & FL figures and by subtle positioning of the figures and a bucket full of patience one can in most cases get away with it. Bearing in mind you can often take 40 to 50 photos before you find the master shot. Good luck with that Rob.

Whilst on the subject of mixing figures I can't remember if I mentioned this over our liquid lunch last month in London. On sheer impulse I picked up this FL Cavalry figure from one of the dealers "casualty" box. His carbine was missing, he was broken off at his ankle and the bottom part of his boot and the metal base was missing. Dealer wanted a couple of quid along with a broken WB Reb. I had originally thought he might make a "wounded or dead" figure for the battlefield but on closer examination his pose was all wrong for being a prone casualty.



Instead he morphed into a Union infantry officer. All of the cavalry gold insignia was removed including the cross-sabres on his hat. Tunic extended and shoulder bars added. Grinding off that wide carbine belt draped across his chest would have been a major operation, subsequently, a half open binocular case was added and had him carrying the field glasses in his right hand. New metal base added with a new miliput boot. Repainted and a matt varnish finish.



Placed amongst a few WB & Conte infantrymen and although not exactly accurate with that wide leather strap attached to his field glass case I think I can get away with him amongst the crowd and either way as a FL figure he was certainly worth purchasing for just £2.00. ^&grin



Bob.

 

[Rob]

Thanks Bob , you hit nail on the head . that's just what I'd do, only for photos and not for side by side displaying. I would indeed use WB / FL in background with K&C in front. Might even try painting one or two , something I've never done......scared now!^&grin

Seriously how do you do it? Superb conversion Bob , just brilliant. I like your ' I can just get away with it ' re background. It looks bloody good to me. Your work has always been an inspiration Bob and though I'll never reach your skill level, it makes me want to have a go.

Keep up the good work and keep up the explaining how you do these things, it's so good to read.

Check out WB Little Round top mate

Best to you and Trudi
Rob

 

[UKReb]

GETTYSBURG: THE SECOND DAY

Lee, in the absence of Stuart, had sent one of his engineers, Captain S. Johnston, to reconnoitre the Union left flank. He now reported that the end of Cemetery Ridge and the Round Tops were completely unoccupied by the enemy. Lee armed with this intelligence now proceeded to lay out his plan to Generals Longstreet and A.P. Hill.

He wanted to attack with two divisions northeast up the Emmitsburg Road on Cemetery Ridge. John Bell Hood's on the right, Lafayette McLaws on the left. The assault is to be made in echelons from right to left, each brigade striking one after the other. At the same time A.P. Hill's Third Corps- anchored to the Confederate left- would threaten the Union centre. Once Longstreet begins his assault Lee would instruct Richard Ewell's Second Corps to make diversionary attacks on Culp's Hill and launch an all-out assault if practicable on the Union right flank



Lee's decision to renew the attack on July 2nd was critical. It was what turned the fight at Gettysburg from just one more in a series of Civil War battles into the historic confrontation that it became. Two factors influenced his decision the first was that momentum was on his side and secondly- the morale of his army was sky high. He knew his men were eager to attack an enemy they had beaten so constantly and for whose fighting capacity they felt profound contempt.

But Longstreet wanted the army to move south, then east to attack the enemy's rear. Lee disagreed pointing to the ridge he said
"The enemy is there and I'm going to attack him there"
Longstreet replied "If he is there, it will be because he is anxious that we should attack him: a good reason, in my judgement for not doing so"



Longstreet's two Divisions began their march toward the Union left




A petulant Longstreet had rode to see John Bell Hood who noting his commander's perplexed expression asked what was bothering him
Longstreet replied "Without Pickett's division I don't believe we have enough men. It's like going into a fight with one boot off"



Longstreet then smiled "Well Sam, let's go to it. You take good care of yourself"
Hood replied "You too Pete, and don't worry my boys'll take that hill"



Later that afternoon Colonel Oates of the 15th Alabama was informed that General Hood had been wounded and removed from the field. Brig. Gen Evander Laws was now in command and ordered him to immediately assault Little Round Top and secure a foothold in the Union's southern flank. Oates moved to occupy LRT and encountered no resistance as he was joined by the 4th Alabama and the 4th and 5th Texas Regiments. But just as Oates and his men began to climb the southern slope it came under what Oates recalled as "the most destructive fire I ever saw"



Meanwhile about a quarter mile west Benning's Georgia Brigade and Robertson's Texas Brigade advanced into a rocky maze of boulders known to the locals as Devil's Den ( so named after a large rattlesnake known as the "Devil" that had occupied it in the early days of pioneer settlements)



The Devil's Den was defended by a combination of New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey Regiments who poured blistering fire down upon the advancing Confederates



Time and again the Southerners moved forward firing at will and trying to close the distance between the gray and blue lines. But under such intense fire they were forced to take cover behind the boulders



During the next four hours some of the war's bloodiest fighting occurred-in the Peach Orchard, in a wheat field, on Little Round Top and Devil's Den. But these seemingly inconsequential place names became forever enshrined in American history.




To Be Continued
Reb

 

[sammy719]

Ahhh...the Master returns with some new photos and more story telling to accompany the battle!!!!! as always Bob one tends to run out of good things to say about your work/photos/stories, this thread is a book in itself that reads like a good old fashion Civil War Novel and you look forward to each new chapter, thank you Bob for always taking the time to post the photos and stories and I certainly look forward to the next chapter...Sammy

 

[lancer]

Spectacular. Absolutely love the Devil's Den you have created. Continually outstanding work. -- Al

 

[7th OVI]

Bob, out standing work as usual. Great series of photos and another fantastic story from the grand master of ACW dioramas. Can stop looking at them. Every time I look at your dioramas it seems I notice something new. Again, great job. Chris

 

[GICOP]

Bloody superb Bob {bravo}}{bravo}}{bravo}}

Not long till December^&cool

All the best

Martyn

 

[wayne556517]

1 of the best threads on the forum thanks Bob look forward to more.

 

[Terp152]

Brilliant as always Bob. Great job of depicting TWO different parts of the battlefield in one dio. I have been to the Devil's Den several times and think you've really captured the scene. Chris

 

[Louis Badolato]

Absolutely fantastic, Bob, as usual!^&cool^&cool^&cool^&cool^&cool

 

[mestell]

Very well done Bob as always . . . . . In my opinion, the 2nd day WAS the battle of Gettysburg.
:smile2: Mike

 

[TomNT]

Another lot of brilliant snaps and a story to go along with them. I still can't get over how brilliant you do your terrain Bob. Well done mate {bravo}}

Tom