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Issue 7 The Official Newsletter of the Johnny Reb Gaming Society $5.00

fro m Battles & Leaders

Iron Brigade Uniform Guide

Scenarios for Savannah, Iuka, Harpers Ferry
6mm ACW Gaming!
ANV Confederate Uniform Guide
Figure conversion - Adding Havelocks!
And much more!
Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)
 -1-
Welcome to “CHARGE!”
This is the official newsletter of the Johnny Reb Gaming
Society, an international association of miniature
wargamers who use regimental-level rules such as the
Johnny Reb gaming rules developed by John Hill. The
newsletter will provide a quarterly forum for exchanging
information regarding the rules, original wargaming
scenarios written with JR in mind, and historical articles of
general interest to the regimental ACW gamer.
US membership in the society is $20 per year, which
will partially cover the cost of assembling, printing,
and mailing the newsletter. Dues are payable via
money order or personal check, which must be made
out to Deborah Mingus (society treasurer and
secretary). Our mailing address and e-mail address
are as follows:
The Johnny Reb Gaming Society
1383 Sterling Drive
York PA 17404
jrgsnl@comcast.net
We welcome your submissions of articles, scenarios,
advertising, and related information, as well as letters
to the editor. The copyrighted name Johnny Reb is
used by written permission of John Hill.
Table of Contents
Ebenezer Creek ……………………………………2
Making Model Wheatfields ………………………..5
Showing the Colors ………………………………..6
Low Cost Trees …………………………………….7
6mm ACW Gaming ……………………………….8
Confederate Gray …………………………………11
Figure Conversion ……………………………….12
The Battle of Iuka…………………………………14
Visitors from Dixie ………………………………19
The Uniform of the Iron Brigade ………………..20
Maryland Heights ………………………………..22
Ask John Hill ……………………………………24
Coming attractions in CHARGE! #8
More on scratchbuilding forts. Scenario for Mill
Springs. Terrain article by Doug Kline. CSA
accoutre ments by Peter Griffith. And much
more!
Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)
From the Editor’s Desk
It's clearly tourist season again at the nearby
Gettysburg National Military Park! As the weather
warms up, tens of thousands of visitors ride through
the battlefield, many stopping to read popular
monuments or to take in the view from Little Round
Top or the Devil's Den. With that, if any of you are
coming to Gettysburg this summer and would like to
tramp the battlefield with me, please let me know!
Also, be sure to stop by John Zabawa's Gettysburg
Miniature Soldiers and tell John that you are a
member of the Johnny Reb Gaming Society. I'm sure
that he would appreciate a visit from fellow JRGS
members!
I was privileged to speak at the March meeting of the
Gettysburg Civil War Round Table. Included in my
PowerPoint presentation on CSA Brig. Gen. John B.
Gordon's brigade were photos of some of my 15mm
ACW layouts, so 50-60 CWRT members were
exposed to the hobby. I also had copies of Enduring
Valor: Gettysburg in Miniature for sale.
We are privileged in this issue to welcome some new
writers and contributors, as well as several returning
veterans. We encourage you the readers to feel free
to submit articles, scenarios, photographs, terrain tips,
and similar items of interest to ACW hobbyists. Keep
'em coming!
Don't forget that there are benefits from membership
in the Johnny Reb Gaming Society, including
discounts at Battlefield Terrain Concepts, Marek/Janci
Design, GFI/Minifigs, Dutch Pond, and free US
shipping from Larry Reber at getsoldiers.com. We
encourage other retailers to offer similar incentives for
our ever-growing membership to purchase their
products.
We print over 150 copies of CHARGE! each quarter,
including subscriptions as well as for retail sale at
HMGS-East conventions and other venues such as
the annual Carlisle Civil War gaming series.
Speaking of Carlisle, this year's theme will be
Antietam. Lee Burger has been rebasing his 25mm
armies per an OOB that I provided him from the
upcoming "Undying Courage: Antietam in Miniature."
Last year's Gettysburg game was a blast! This year
promises again to be a great gaming experience.
See you in September!
Scott Mingus
 -2-
Ebenezer Creek
December 8, 1864
Savannah, GA
Scott Mingus
BACKGROUND
After William Sherman’s Union forces departed
from Atlanta in the late fall of 1864, they cut a wide
swath of destruction across southeastern Georgia as they
marched to the sea. It was Sherman’s intention to
capture the key port city of Savannah, one of the last
deep-water ports available to the Confederacy. Sherman
wanted to present the city to Abraham Lincoln’s
administrations as a Christmas gift. Scattering local
Georgia militia along the way, Sherman’s advance
division had approached within a few miles of Savannah
by early December.
This Federal force consisted of John Geary’s
division of the Twentieth Corps. They had gained fame
as the “White Star Division” within the Twelfth Corps of
the Army of the Potomac before being reassigned to the
Western Theater. Now, they were again approaching the
Atlantic Coast. Many of Geary’s soldiers were veterans
of Gettysburg and Chancellorsville who were itching for
a decisive fight.
Desperate to hold Savannah, President Jefferson
Davis ordered as many available troops in the region to
converge on the city to try to hold off the advancing
Union forces. McLaws’ Division was directed to hold
key bridges crossing Ebenezer Creek, a scant ten miles
from Savannah. As the Rebels begin constructing hasty
works and piling up cotton bales, they see dark columns
of Yankees approaching on two roads.
THE WARGAME
The hypothetical scenario deals with the planned
Union attack on the Rebel defenses just west of Savannah.
The terrain and location are fictional, but the orders of
battle are loosely based upon actual troops in the vicinity
of Savannah.
The table size for this wargame is 4 x 6 feet for
Johnny Reb 3, 15mm scale. Adjust as needed for other
ground scales or rules sets.
All units get a +2 opening volley die roll
modifier, including the artillery if it is stationary and
unlimbered for one full turn before firing.
The scenario begins at 2:00PM and ends after the
5:00PM game turn (10 game turns in JR3).
Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)
DEPLOYMENT
The Rebels may set up anywhere east of
Ebenezer Creek. At the beginning of the game, the
overall Confederate commander rolls 2 six-sided dice for
the total number of inches of hasty works or cotton bales
(see www.getsoldiers.com to purchase model cotton
bales) that may be erected. One Confederate supply
wagon may be placed on any road east of the creek.
McLaws’ HQ is on Carter Hill.
The Union forces deploy as follows:
2:00 PM – Pardee’s Brigade enters at point A on the old
Savannah Pike (in march column formation) and Jones’
Brigade (trailed by Reynolds' limbered guns) enters at
point B via the oak tree-lined dirt road from Ebenezer.
2:40 PM – Barnum’s Brigade in march column enters at
point A along with General Geary, the corps artillery
brigade (limbered) and 1 supply wagon.
There are no reinforcements for either side. Note
that the rest of Maj. Gen. Alpheus Williams’ Twentieth
Corps is about two hours behind Geary’s Division and
will arrive as the scenario ends. No other Rebel forces are
within miles of McLaws.
TERRAIN
The area west of Savannah is a gentling rolling
area, dotted with worn-out and often abandoned small
farms. Fields are generally open, with an occasional
orchard and small woodlot. Some cornfields remain. Treat
these as broken terrain for movement. They do block line
of sight. Buildings may be occupied by one stand of
troops.
All woods are medium in density. Roll for
combat visibility in half inches. Subtract 1” movement
for each stream, stonewall or fence that a unit crosses in
open terrain. Each normal hill slope line requires a +1”
movement penalty to ascend for any unit.
VICTORY CONDITIONS
Union – Drive the Confederates back and secure any two
of the three bridges across Ebenezer Creek to facilitate
later crossing by the rest of Williams’ Twentieth Corps.
CSA – Control two of the three bridge crossings.
Any other result by the scenario time limit is a draw, and
fighting is considered to be inconclusive at that point.
 -3-
ORDER OF BATTLE
Confederate
Elements of Hardee’s Corps
McLaws’ Division – Maj. Gen. Lafayette McLaws +2
Blanchard’s Brigade – Brig. Gen. Albert Gallatin
Blanchard +1
1 Btn. SC Reserves – 360 men, 12 figures, RM, green
2 Btn. SC Reserves – 360 men, 12 figures, RM, green
6 Btn. SC Reserves – 360 men, 12 figures, RM, green
7 Btn. SC Reserves – 360 men, 12 figures, RM, green
Conner’s Brigade – Brig. Gen. John D. Kennedy +1
2 SC – 240 men, 8 figures, RM, veteran
3 SC Btn. / 8 SC – 240 men, 8 figures, RM, veteran
3 SC – 360 men, 12 figures, RM, veteran
7 SC – 360 men, 12 figures, RM, veteran
15 SC – 240 men, 8 figures, RM, veteran
20 SC – 360 men, 12 figures, RM, veteran
Harrison’s Brigade - Col. George P.
Harrison, Jr. +1
5 GA – 300 men, 10 figures, RM, vet.
32 GA – 480 men, 16 figures, RM, vet.
47 GA – 240 men, 8 figures, RM, vet.
Fiser’s Brigade – Col. John C. Fiser +1
1 GA Regulars – 240 men, 8 figures, RM, veteran
2 Btn. GA Reserves – 240 men, 8 figures, RM, green
6 Btn. GA Reserves – 240 men, 8 figures, RM, green
27 GA – 360 men, 12 figures, RM, veteran
Brooks’ Artillery Battalion – Capt. J. W. Brooks +1
Anderson’s (GA) Battery - 2 sections 10# Parrott
Rifles, veteran
Brooks' (GA) Battery - 2 sections 12# Napoleons,
veteran
Green’s Louisiana Guard Battery - 2 sections mixed
guns, elite
1st GA Reserve Art. - 2 sections 6# Smoothbores,
militia
Cavalry
5th GA Reserve Cavalry - 240 men, 8 figures, shotguns
/ pistols, militia
Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)
Union
Elements of Twentieth Corps
2 nd Division – Brig. Gen. John W. Geary +2
1 st Brigade – Col. Ario Pardee, Jr. +1
5 OH - 360 men, 12 figures, RM, veteran
29 OH - 360 men, 12 figures, RM, veteran
66 OH – 480 men, 16 figures, RM, elite
28 PA – 480 men, 16 figures, RM, elite
147 PA – 480 men, 16 figures, RM, elite
31 GA –
2 nd Brigade – Col. Patrick H. Jones +1
33 NJ - 360 men, 12 figures, RM, veteran
119 NY– 360 men, 12 figures, RM, veteran
134 NY- 360 men, 12 figures, RM, veteran
154 NY – 360 men, 12 figures, RM, veteran
73 PA – 360 men, 12 figures, RM, veteran
109 PA – 480 men, 16 figures, RM, veteran
3 rd Brigade – Col. Henry A. Barnum +1
60 NY - 360 men, 12 figures, RM, veteran
102 NY - 360 men, 12 figures, RM, veteran
137 NY – 360 men, 12 figures, RM, veteran
149 NY – 360 men, 12 figures, RM, veteran
29 PA – 360 men, 12 figures, RM, veteran
111 PA – 480 men, 16 figures, veteran
Corps artillery brigade – Maj. John A. Reynolds +1
Battery I, 1 NY Light – 3 sections 3” Rifles, veteran
Battery M, 1 NY Light – 2 sections 10# P, veteran
Battery C, 1 Ohio Light - 3 sections, 12# N, veteran
Battery E, Independent PA Art. – 3 sections 10#
Parrotts, veteran
********************************************
This scenario won an HMGS-East Battle Streamer and a
Gamers' Choice Award at Fall-In 2003.
Gamemasters Scott and Tom Mingus are standing at the
left. (Photo by Curt Daniels)
 -4-

N A Fox Irish Ridge B

Rev. West Shaw

Habersham Road
church Sweetbriar Creek
Lawton
Ebenezer Road
Savannah Pike
Hayes

Hayes Lane Ebenezer Creek

Smith McDonald
Lithonia Road
Nelson Hill

Carter Hill
Nelson

JR3 Rules Questions?

Gamers, if you have
questions involving rules interpretation, send them to
Debi Mingus at jrgsnl@comcast.net.
Questions will be collected
and forwarded to John Hill
for the
“Ask John Hill” column.

Scenarios and Articles Neede d!

Please feel free send us your regimental-level Civil
War gaming scenarios. Send all submissions to the
Johnny Reb Gaming Society at jrgsnl@comcast.net.
Articles will be used based upon space and
availability per issue, and may be edited by the
staff.
Keep ‘em coming, soldier!

www.battlefieldterrain.com

Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)

 -5-
the matting has to be cut into 5mm by 5mm segments
and the rubberised bottom skimmed in half, as it is too
tall otherwise. Once this is done, I then clump it in
groups and Super Glue it to the base.

Making Model Wheatfields The “cut wheat” comes from a simple hand brush [or
whisk broom]. I chop it straight from the stem with
Alan Sheward scissors. Now, spread white wood glue (such as Elmer’s)
Birmingham, England all over the base and sprinkle on the cuttings, making
sure to
The Idea push extra
When I decided to make wheatfields (amongst amounts up
others) for my 15mm games, the aim was to have against the
realistic terrain that was not just flat in the right colour, standing
but also not completely untouched with figures wheat. If
balancing on top. My method is, I think, a good you leave it
compromise between the two, while also giving a like this, it
realistic look to the bargain. After all, try walking would be
through a wheatfield and look at the trail you make (I hard to
remember this as a child, and I didn’t check it out in paint under
farmer Giles’ crop at the tender age of 47!), so imagine the trodden wheat so while the glue is still wet, sprinkle
what 400-800 men in rank would do to it. scatter [flock] all over the base to fill all the spaces
underneath. My scatter is from Woodcraft Scenics,
The Construction and the colour mix is listed as wheat stubble.
Basic materials may differ in name across the pond, so
I will try to keep the explanation plain with that in mind. A couple of shades of heavy dry brush and a coat of
To stop warping, I use 3/4mm Plasti-Glass/Perspex varnish are the final touches. It only remains for me to
[Editor: a clear, stiff polycarbonate plastic often used as wish you good luck with your modeling and gaming!
a replacement for glass window panes] cut with an
electric Jig Saw. Occasionally, it does crack, as it’s a
very brittle material, so use proper protective gear when
handling the plastic. Once cut to size, I chamfer/angle
the edge to approx. 45 with a Bench Grinder, as it has a
glass-like surface. I then use sand paper to rough it up to
better adhere glue.

The `standing
wheat` is produced
from a doormat. It’s
almost the right
colour to start with
and it is
impregnated into a
Editor's note: Questions may be sent to Alan at
rubberised base. To
alansheward@blueyonder.co.uk
get the right effect,

Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)

 -6-
Showing the Colors
Robert Sweeney
One of the finishing touches required for all units is
the placement of flags and unit identifications. The
ACW (American Civil War) is famous for the variety of
flags used by both sides of the conflict. Here is the
basing method I use (and some of the flags) for my
minis
Regimental Colors
BDE Flag
S tate Flag
In each regiment, I have two standard bearers placed;
when viewed from the rear; one on the right front and
one on the left rear. The stand with the bearer on the
right front generally holds a Regimental ID f lag (usually
one of my own creations).
76
76
76
76
NY NY
1/2/III 1/2/III
This identifies the 76th NY; it is the 1st Regiment of
the 2nd Brigade of the 3rd Division (so identified along
the bottom of the unit flag). The flag itself is colored to
match the divisional command flag (see below).
Although the Union used Red, White and Blue for each
division, within each corps, this got to be confusing “on
the battlefield”, so I adapted. Those with a more
historical bent can revert quite easily to the more
traditional methods.
The second bearer carries the state flag of the
majority of units in the regiment. In this case, New
York adds a bit of color to the field of battle.
Leaders
The ability to identify leaders and associated units on
the game board quickly became an issue. Thus, I colored
the flags of the individual Brigades and Brigadiers. I use
metal bases; in these bases, I pre-drilled three holes into
which fits the nails I use as flag stands. I can then insert
or remove flags as needed during play.
Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)
Command Indicator
Promotions
Army Flag
BDE, Div or Corps
National Colors
When viewed from the rear, the rightmost standard
(hole) receives the national colors. In this case, the 3rd
edition of the CSA national flag and the 35 star Union
flag are displayed.
The leftmost standard (hole) receives the command
flag (be it brigade, division or corps).
2/III
2/III
2/III
2/III
NY NY
The flags above represent the 2nd Brigade, III Division;
Heth's Division; Polk’s Corps; and 2nd BDE, 2nd Div, 4th
Corps (Union). Some are historical and some are made
from my imagination – all are colorful.
On the corps stand, the center standard (hole) is for
the army flag. The center hole is used for field
promotions on the other leader stands. Thus, if a brigade
commander becomes the division commander due to
leader loss; I place the divisional flag here to show the
new command. Note that a newly promoted divisional
and/or corps commander has fewer figures per stand and
reflects his poorer leadership ability and diminished
game effect.
In size, the national flags are the largest, followed by
states and corps flags, which in turn are followed by
division and regimental flags.
Union Flag Conventions
The Union standardized their flag usage fairly early
in the conflict.
Corps flags were square with swan tails and
identified with an emblem and a number in red
embossed over the emblem (1st Corps Circle; 2nd Corps
 -7-
Club; 3rd Corps Diamond; 4th Corps Triangle; 5th Corps
German Cross; 6th Corps Simple Cross; 7th Corps Sign of
the Free Masons; 8th Corps Six-sided Star; 9th Corps
Shield; 10th Corps Fort Symbol; 11th Corps Quarter
Moon; 12th Corps Star; 14th Corps Acorn; 15th Corps
Colored Diamond with emboss; 16th Corps modified
German Cross; 17th Corps Arrows; 18th Corps Greek
Cross; 19th Corps modified German Cross; 20th Corps
Star with shadow; 22nd Corps Rose shape with 5 petals;
23rd Corps Shield with 3 points; 24th Corps Heart; 25th
Corps Square; Army of West Virginia Eagle).
Each division bore a square flag with the corps
emblem in red on a white field (1st Division), white on a
blue field (2nd Division) or blue on a white field (3rd
Division).
Each brigade bore a triangular flag with the corps
emblem. The emblems were colored red on a white field
(1st Brigade), white on a blue field (2nd Brigade) and blue
on a white field (3rd Brigade). Further, the 2nd Division
flags bore a red stripe on the standard side of the flag;
the 3rd Division flags were outlined entirely in red. For
the few units that had a 4th Brigade, the three corners all
had a blue edge; the emblem was red and the field was
white.
1 st Brigade, 3 rd
Di vision, 4 th Corps
US Cavalry Guidon
********************************
LOW COST TREES!
Scott Mingus
I use Woodland Scenics model railroad trees for key
battle areas or for areas that will be photographed.
However, these can be very expensive for large-scale
wooded areas (Wilderness or Chantilly for example).
Stealing an idea from my old model railroad days, here
is what I do for low cost fill-in trees to add bulk to
the ACW tabletop battle scene.
1. I recycle the thick plastic sheet dividers from 3 ring
binders that my company is always discarding (the flat
sheets, not the curved ones). I drill small holes in the
base of the plastic sheets and glue roofing nails in place
through each hole (the base of the roofing nail is glued
to the underside of the plastic sheet). I space these in
random patterns, or in small rows for orchards.

2nd Brigade, 3 rd 2. I paint the shaft of the nail using Apple Barrel™ matte
Di vision, 4 th Corps black from Wal-Mart.

3rd Brigade, 3 rd 3. I tear common household sponges or Woodland

Di vision, 4 th Corps Scenics clump foliage off and shape into a tree, gluing
this foam onto the nail.

4. I them apply ground foam / fine turf to the sponge for

4th Brigade, 1st adding depth and color variations and shading to the
Di vision, 4 th Corps
"leaves."

5. I decorate the base with twigs, rocks, more clump

st th
1 Division, 4 Corps foliage for bushes, etc. Finally, I paint it dark green and
sprinkle on fine turf blends.

2nd Di vision, 25 th
Corps
3rd Di vision, 6 th Corps
People that have seen these trees are often surprised that
they are merely nails, plastic, and sponges. While not as
impressive as the Woodland Scenics / Sunlight Vistas
trees that make up most of my forests, these blend in
well and add depth at a fraction of the cost of Woodland
Scenics tree kits.

I I For examples of the finished stands of trees, please see

1st Corps and my Civil War miniature gaming website at
IIX XII 12th Corps Flags www.geocities.com/scottmingus/whatsnew

Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)

 -8-
6MM ACW Gaming
Terry Callahan
I started historical miniatures gaming in 1995
when I moved to Southern Illinois near St. Louis. There
I met Tom Sparhawk and joined a group that met weekly
in his basement. That was my introduction to Johnny
Reb 2 and its modified successor JR 2.5. Due to a job
change, Tom moved away in 2000. With his departure
went the 15mm armies he had accumulated over the
years. Later that year, I began to plan building and
painting my own Civil War army so we could play JR
again.
The decision to use 6mm was from an economic
reason rather than esthetic. It was cheaper to buy the
needed figures in 6mm instead of 15mm. There are four
manufacturers of 6mm miniatures - Irregular Miniatures,
Heroics & Ros, Adler and Baccus. The first two are
compatible with each other and are sized at or a bit under
6mm. The later two are compatible with each other and
are sized a little larger than 6mm. When I say
compatible, I mean on the table and not intermingled
within units themselves. Adler and Baccus have different
sculpting styles and therefore can’t be used together on
the same stand. During the project, I came to appreciate
certain castings of each maker. Adler has better detailed
and a more robust cavalry and the field artillery have a
better scale in relation to the figures. Baccus infantry are
easier and therefore faster to paint and are less
susceptible to breakage. The primary casting difference
between the two makers is how the figures are cast.
Baccus casts theirs with the figures side by side on a
20mm base while Adler’s casts theirs inline front to
back.
After settling on a figure size, I researched
several orders of battle and decided to use an OOB I had
found for the Battle of Shiloh. This OOB included unit
strengths, and the author had broken down the numbers
and types of guns for the artillery batteries. I converted
the regiments to a 1 to 25 ratio and at the same time
adjusted the gun types for each battery, going with the
most prevalent gun type in each battery. I found would
need approximately 4000 figures to recreate the three
armies that fought at Shiloh.
Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)
Painting
I did not paint any units to a specific historical
uniform that the unit may have worn. When looking at
6mm on the table, you get a feeling of mass while
specific unit colors are hard to differentiate except
between Union and Confederate uniforms. I was going
for the visual impact and impression. I did use several
uniform guides to get the basic uniform colors and
details I needed.
Baccus and Adler figures are generally very
clean and need minimum of clean up. I use a large flat to
file off the flash and tabs on the base, cleaning up some
of the bent muskets and bayonets at the same time. This
usually only takes about fifteen minutes or less; as I said,
both makers’ figures are very clean. After cleaning up, I
attach the stands to ¾" wide craft sticks. These are
similar to tongue depressors. I attach four stands per
stick using Zap™ super glue. I make sure they all face
the same direction and are the same type on the sticks to
facilitate painting later. After gluing up 10 to 20 sticks, I
am ready to paint.
I prime all my figures with Armory Gray
Primer. I use gray primer so I can see the details as I
paint the figures. I look over the "sticks" to make sure I
got good coverage and touch up with spray again those I
didn't. After priming, I let the paint dry overnight
When I paint, I try to paint with one sharp edge
per color, trying to paint a color where I only have to
worry about being careful at only one junction or edge
with a previously painted color that is. I paint the face
and hair in that order and then the primary coat or jacket
color and so on. This means I only have to work on
getting cleanly painted edges between the head and the
body and not worry about the other edges.
For the Union figures, I used the following colors in
painting the figures and painted them in this order:
1. Flesh – face
2. Sorrel Brown – hair
3. Prussian Blue – uniform coats
4. Union Sky Blue - pants
5. Semi-gloss Black – backpacks and belts
6. Grey, Tan or Green - blankets or bedrolls
7. Aged canvas – canteens
8. Rifle Brown – rifles and flagpoles
9. Silver – bayonets, officer swords and scabbards,
rifle barrels
10. Flesh - hands
11. Charcoal Black or Prussian Blue - hats and kepis
12. Clover Green. – base
 -9-
Additional colors used on the command stands:
1. Yellow, Red or Light Blue – drum sides
2. Aged canvas – drum tops
When painting, I paint all the figures with one color
before going onto the next. I try to only do a color once.
The exception in these figures is flesh, which I go back
to again later in the painting process. After painting all
the figures I touch up the mistakes, highlight a few
details on some of the figures and then clear coat with
Krylon Matte or Armory Matte finish coat.
Here is the timetable to paint the first 180 figures:
Day 1 cleaned and primed 180 figures – 45 minutes
Day 2 painted one stick of figures – 2 hours 25 minutes
Day 3 painted 164 figures – 4 hours 15 minutes
Total painting time for 180 figures is 7 hours 25
minutes: an average per figure of 2.4 minutes.
The 2 hours 25 minutes to paint the first 16
figures was taken up looking at how, what, where and
the sequence to paint. It goes down to an average of 90
seconds or less per figure when I painted the rest of the
figures.
One of the things you have to remember about
painting is use moderation in your appetite. Paint only as
many figures as you can reasonably do in a week. For
me this equates to about 240 to 320 figures. I attempted
to do 500 plus figures and bogged down with the volume
of painting. It is very tedious to paint 1000 hands or 500
faces in a single sitting. Taking smaller bites of 240 to
320 figures reduces the tedious detail painting and
speeds up the process and results in a clearer feeling of
accomplishment when you are done. I would also switch
back and forth between Union and Confederate to
provide more variety.
Artillery, cavalry, generals, etc. all had their own
painting process. I won’t go into the painting process
here except to say that mounted figures took the most
time because of the additional detail of the horse, saddle,
saddle blankets, etc.
Basing and Storage
While painting the figures, I looked for an
inexpensive basing and storage system that I could use
to store 4000 figures in. After reading on a discussion
group about using VCR storage cases, I settled on the
following system. I used a clear hubless VCR storage
Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)
box and lined on the bottom with magnetic material. The
stands have steel paper, which is a magnetically
receptive material, laminated to the bottom of matte
board. This would secure the stands in the box and
prevent them from moving around. I store one brigade
per box.
When I had painted about 2000 figures, infantry,
artillery, cavalry and generals, I began to base the figures
into the various units. I precut several sizes for the bases.
Each unit is identified with a small tag on the rear of the
stand that identifies the regiment, battery or general.
Corps and divisions are identified by the color of the
base edge. All brigades in a specific division have the
same color and the brigade itself is identified by tick
marks on the front and rear edge of the base signifying
the brigade number.
After painting the base edges for a brigade and
applying the unit labels to each stand, I attach the figures
to the base with carpenter’s glue. Adlers are separated
from each other with a razor knife and Baccus are cut
with a razor saw in a Xacto miter box. After the glue
had set, units are stored in a VCR box and put on the
shelf. Later I affixed labels on the VCR boxes with
information about the brigade: i.e. nationality, division,
brigade, regiments, commanding general, total men,
division color, brigade number, etc. The labels went on
one end and the box top.
It took about seven months for me to complete
four Union divisions and two Confederate corps. At this
point we were ready to play. I completed the remaining
divisions and corps later that fall.
A word about scale
There was a point at which I was getting ready
to make up the player game aids that I decided to use the
15 mm distances and scale. It was a suggestion made by
a member of the discussion group and was a good
decision. Using 15mm scale for 6mm gives real sense of
mass and distance during a game. The decision to go
with 15mm scale was a non-issue. I adjusted the base
sizes to reflect the unit’s size, but that is about all I did
as far as modifications to Johnny Reb.
A few words about player aids - Johnny Reb 2
has a lot of tables to refer to: movement, combat, ranges
of firearms, artillery data and combat factors. Tom
Sparhawk developed a set of player aids that for his
15mm JR games and they were such a good idea I had to
use the idea too. We use “rifle sticks” to determine all
small arms fire. The “rifle stick” is a 1/8” dowel that has
the ranges, close, normal, long and extended, painted as
bands on the dowel in contrasting colors. All artillery
batteries have a label attached to the limber base and
another attached to the underside of the gun’s base.
These labels have gun name, gun type, single and double
canister factors and combat factors for the various
 - 10 -
ranges. These two player aids eliminate most of the
looking up of tables and are especially helpful for new
players. I enlarged the movement, combat and charge
modifiers tables and hang them on the wall for reference
by all players in the game.
Gaming in 6mm
During occasional pickup games, we need to
generate morale and weapons quickly. Rather than
making everybody average with rifles, Tom had devised
a set of random tables to generate troops with the overall
characteristics of the eastern forces in 1862. This allows
for each game to have significant variability. We
typically roll for whole brigades, as this makes
bookkeeping easier, but each regiment can be rolled for
separately if desired. We discovered pretty early that the
Shiloh OOB with the large 700 and 800 man regiments
did not work well using the eastern theater tables, so I
used Tom’s suggestion to roll on the Union list for
morale and the Confederate list for weapons.
Terrain
Terrain in 6mm is both easy and somewhat
challenging. The easy part is finding buildings; the hard
part is finding buildings for the ACW era. There are
several makes of buildings and many can be adapted to
the Civil War. Roads were made by a friend and given to
me. They are painted muslin fabric. They look very good
on the game table and in pictures. For fences and walls -
the fences I purchased from Wargrid, now out of
business. I used some of the paper fences and modified
them to into z-rail fences. Others I used as the maker
suggested. They are a bit too light and tend not to stay in
place very long during a game. Stonewalls are made of
cork sheet cut to about 1/8 inch and painted and glued to
card stock. I created the rough edge on top by scraping a
Xacto knife along the edge. Orchards are ¼ inch green
pompoms purchased at a craft store. I use camouflage
cloth to symbolize woods and forests.
Conclusion
Looking back over the project, I can see things I
would do differently, and others I see worked very well
and should be done again. I would start with using a
different OOB than the Battle of Shiloh. The units are
too large and splitting into battalions would leave some
Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)
brigades with ten or more maneuver units, which I feel is
too many. Another minus I see for the Shiloh OOB is the
definite lack of cavalry brigades. Cavalry in the early
war were integrated into the various corps and divisions
rather than organized into brigades. The lack of cavalry
limited the games we could play or scenarios I could
generate for an evening's play. After doing some
research a better choice would have been the
Chickamauga OOB. This OOB is balanced with total
numbers slightly in favor of the Confederates. The units
are appreciably smaller with only the 79th Indiana, at
700 men, approaching the size of units at Shiloh. I may
one day change OOBs but until then I will continue with
what I have, except for cavalry. I am currently adding
additional cavalry by painting both cavalry corps using
the Chickamauga Order of Battle.
Another problem I ran into was the steel paper
affixed to the matte board bases. I used a spray fixative
to attach the steel paper to the matte board and in the last
year I have had to repair 30 or so bases because the
adhesive is failing. In the future I will use either contact
cement or steel paper with the adhesive already applied.
Flagpole breakage is a continuing problem.
Early on I substituted brass wire for all mounted flag
bearers before I painted them and those poles have
proved very durable. I would do the same for the
infantry flagpoles too, as those get repeatedly bent with
about 8 to 10 that have completely broken off.
I like the Bob's Bits fences, but they are too light
and tend to move around as play continues during a
game. I am still looking for a solution to the problem,
one that won't change the height over all or looks of the
fences. I use brown corduroy cloth as plowed fields; it is
satisfactory but lacks detail and still looks like corduroy
cloth.
I will continue my painting technique, as it is a
production line approach to painting figures that yields a
lot of figures in a short time. But I will try moderation in
how many I think I can complete in each batch!
This article has really given an overview of
6mm Johnny Reb gaming. Many of the ideas can be
applies to other scales. The whole project increased my
knowledge of many areas of the Civil War and miniature
wargaming. I learned new techniques and acquired
additional skills in paint and organization. I am very
happy with this experience and with the decision to use
6mm figures. I’d recommend considering 6mm figures
for gaming any era because of the cost effectiveness and
the ease of quickly painting an army or two. With 1500
figures, you can fairly rapidly paint and base a corps for
each side and be gaming in short order.
 - 11 -
CONFEDERATE GRAY
Peter Bernard Griffith II
“We advanced towards our objective, ragged and
barefoot. Our old hats torn beyond repair, yet we fought
on and on for our beloved Southland,” Confederate
soldier, 1898. I was born and raised in the South. Being
born late to my father, I heard stories of my grandfather
in the Spanish-American War, my Father in WWI and
my Great- Grandfather in the War Against Northern
Aggression. Not many can claim that. I remember my
Grandfather talking about the “Old Confederate
Soldiers” in my family's town of Murfreesboro in the
Old North State,” still talking about how rag-tag they
where. I got caught up in it.
Well, we know today that is the farthest thing from
the truth. As a matter of fact, the Confederate soldiers
were still being issued new uniforms even while on the
march to Appomattox. After a shaky start early in the
war, soon the Confederate government got a hand on
issuing uniforms and off the soldiers went to war.
What we are going to cover are the proper colors for
the uniforms of the Army of Northern Virginia. You can
say there were many variations of gray used in the
central government issue. The prevalence of the so-
called butternut was not as common as one is led to
believe from the old stories. Granted, it did happen and,
in my opinion, I would have to say these coats came
from the Atlanta area up to Richmond and were of a
different cut that that of the gray ANV coats. Most
items issued were done so in pairs, or as the official
reports say, “suits.” The shade of gray did vary from
batch to batch, but 99% of the time when a company was
issued new uniforms, these tended to be of the same
color.
The wargamer should use light to medium grays for
their miniature ANV units. While Federal trousers were
used, most were gone by mid-1863, and those in use
were taken from supplies left behind by retreating forces
and from robbing the dead. After most battles where the
Confederacy was left in control of the field, the
quartermasters went through and collected all the
blankets, greatcoats and pants and sent them back to
Richmond to be dyed gray.
Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)
Now I am not a person who uses all the fancy paints
out on the market. While I have done testing for some
companies, I have always gone back to the old
CreamCoat craft paints. I find for the money I can do
more with them through mixing and matching than any
others, IMHO. The Pewter Gray and Hippo Gray are my
main two paints I use for Confederate clothing. This is
as close as you can get to the real cloth that I have
handled over the years. In my research profession, I have
been able to handle many original uniforms and
accoutrements.
So we have established that Pewter and Hippo Gray
are the best colors. Now what do we do for English army
cloth and items such as Richmond Gray and the Peter
Tait Jackets? That is simple! Use a light base gray as
your starting point. Then, throw in a speck of dark blue
and mix. You should come up with a color that is similar
to the Richmond Gray, which will be a blue-gray. It is a
bit trickier for the Tait and English army cloth jackets. A
couple of specks of dark blue and a speck of black
should deliver the darker shade of blue-gray for these
items.
Next on the list are the jean cloth uniforms of wool
and cotton. I suggest a light gray for those to give the
appearance of the white cotton as it is laid over the gray.
Now I highly suggest using Don Troiani's books on the
Civil War uniforms. The colors are spot on for what Don
has painted.
If you have any trouble at all, please contact me at
peter@dutchpond.com and we can discuss how to get
your colors to match up right. My next article in a future
issue of CHARGE! will be on the accoutrements of the
common soldier.
Editor's Note: Peter and his wife operate a retail and
Internet store, Dutch Pond Historical Reproductions, in
Suffolk, Virginia. He has an excellent line of pre-painted
25mm resin earthworks and redoubts that will interest
wargamers. He also sells reproduction artillery shells,
painted 25mm miniature buildings from Miniature
Building Authority, and gaming figures from Old Glory,
Minifigs, Essex, and Dixon. Peter offers a 10% discount
to JRGS members! His website is:
www.dutchpondfarms.homestead.com
 - 12 -
FIGURE CONVERSION
HAVELOCKS FOR A
1st MANASSAS APPEARANCE
Larry Reber
If you would like to add a little variety to your gaming
troops, here’s an easy and inexpensive do-it-yourself
conversion technique I have learned: HAVELOCKS for
an early war appearance.
BACKGROUND
At the outbreak of the war, ladies’ societies worked
diligently to ensure their men would be properly attired
when they marched off to battle. One item given to Civil
War soldiers on both sides was the havelock, a cap cover
made popular by Sir Henry Havelock of the British army
in the Sepoy Rebellion in India in 1857. Made of white
linen or cotton, the havelock was to be worn over the
soldier's kepi with its long tail covering the man's neck.
The cover of the June 29, 1861, Harper’s Weekly
illustrated ladies at work sewing havelocks.
Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)
At 1st Manassas, havelocks were worn by whole
regiments on both sides.
The havelock was supposed to protect men who were
fighting in hot climates from sunstroke. But the soldiers
found the havelock actually made them hotter by not
allowing air to circulate around their head and neck. As
the men gained field experience, they learned to
improvise and to discard unnecessary items. Many Civil
War soldiers used their havelocks not as cap covers, but
as coffee strainers, dishcloths, or gun patches.
On the gaming table, I use these havelock troops for
battles during the first two years of war, and also to
depict inexperienced troops and military academy
recruits who still thought style was more important than
comfort. These figures provide an eye-catching contrast
on a tabletop battlefield full of slouch hats and forage
caps.
FIGURE CONVERSION
To demonstrate this conversion method, I’ve enlisted the
help of a model you will no doubt recognize; the
youthful Reb soldier in spirited advance, one of the most
interesting poses from the excellent Battle Honors line of
15mm figures.
The only materials you need to accomplish this
alteration to your troops are paper material and glue. For
the paper material, I’ve found that tissue or Kleenex is
too soft and fragile, and paper towels are too thick and
stiff…but the cheap paper napkins from any nearby fast
food joint are just about right! These napkins are stiff
enough to cut and handle with ease, yet thin and
absorbent enough for the purpose. For the glue, I use
common wood glue or white glue such Elmer’s or
Titebond .
Cut the napkin into strips about 1/8 inch wide. Brush a
small amount of glue onto the head of the kepi figure
and place the end of the napkin strip over it.
 - 13 -

Brush additional glue over the napkin strip, to moisten The last photo shows our miniature regiment, adorned
and shape it around the kepi headgear. with havelocks, heading into battle. Notice that for
added variety, I did not outfit every figure with
havelocks, but included a mix of some with kepi only.

Allow the glue to dry thoroughly (about an hour). A

helpful characteristic of wood glue is that it shr inks in
volume as it dries, shaping itself around the figure
headgear. Any figure with a kepi or forage cap can be
altered in this manner.

I hope this simple tutorial will help you to apply this

conversion method. It doesn’t cost much to do, and can
add an additional touch of historical accuracy to your
early war scenarios.

Regards, Larry at getsoldiers.com

After the glue has dried, trim the tail of the havelock
with sharp scissors. A second coat of glue can be applied Larry Reber produces and sells dioramas and
to the newly installed headgear for added durability, if prepainted 15mm ACW figures, as well as custom work,
desired. including orchards, cotton bales, balloons, etc.

The figure is now ready to prime and paint as normal.

Here’s our model and a couple of his mates before and
after painting. These are painted to depict the 4th
Alabama Infantry, as they fought at 1st Manassas.

Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)

 - 14 -

The Battle of Iuka –

A Game Scenario
Daniel Erdman
In September of 1862, CSA General Sterling
Price was facing the forces of Ulysses Grant in northern
Mississippi. Supporting Braxton Bragg’s invasion of
Kentucky, Price was trying to pin down as many Federal
forces as possible to keep them from reinforcing Don
Carlos Buell, whose army was the main force
responding to Bragg’s offensive. Bragg’s orders had
been vague enough that no one really knew what to do.
Indeed, until late September the chain of command was
not even clarified. Could Earl Van Dorn give orders to
Price, or were they supposed to cooperate?
Price had chosen to apply his own interpretation
to Bragg’s orders, and he decided to harass the Federal
troops that were spread out as an occupying force in
northern Mississippi. He thought Van Dorn’s army was
supposed to be helping him in this mission; however, as
usual, Van Dorn was off on his own self-assigned
missions.
Despite the confusion in the Confederate
command, Price’s maneuvers mystified and worried
Grant and his subordinates. Not knowing Price’s
intentions, Grant dithered, thinking first of one plan,
then another. Grant was physically and emotionally not
well. He intensely missed his wife and children, who had
recently returned to the North. When finally Price took
the town of Iuka, driving off the Federal brigade there
without a battle and capturing a large supply depot,
Grant had something concrete to react to.
He swung into action, sending a division from
the northwest toward Iuka from Corinth under Edward
Ord. Grant also ordered William Rosecrans to approach
Iuka from the southwest. Since Price’s line of retreat and
communications ran southward from Iuka, Grant hoped
to trap him in a pincer. The rough country and pouring
rain, plus the inexperience of the commanders in this
type of maneuver, doomed the effort from the start.
Two factors helped Price make up his mind to
prepare for a retreat from Iuka. He had received orders
from Earl Van Dorn (now clearly designated as the
senior commander in the area) to join forces for an
attack on Corinth. Also, Price realized that the
converging Federal forces of Rosecrans and Ord would
greatly outnumber him.
As a precaution, he assigned one of his divisions
(Dabney Maury’s) to block Ord’s approach, while the
rest of his troops (mainly Henry Little’s division)
prepared to repulse Rosecrans. The dividing of Price’s
army meant that he would not have overwhelming force
against either of his opponents if they were to attack
individually. He decided to hold fast near Iuka through
the day of September 19.
In the event, Price’s cavalry scouts were less
than brilliant. His Army of the West and Rosecrans’
Army of the Mississippi blundered into one another in
the late afternoon. They fought a desperate but
inconclusive battle until darkness, confusion and
exhaustion put an end to it. Before the next morning,
Price slipped away to join Van Dorn. They would
eventually circle to the northwest and attack Corinth
from that direction in a battle (October 3 & 4) that ended
in their defeat.
The focus of the present scenario is the
confrontation between Henry Little’s Division, Army of
the West and Charles Hamilton’s Division, Army of the
Mississippi, plus Joseph Mower’s Brigade from
Stanley’s Division. The most interesting game posits a
double blind situation in which each side sets up out of
sight of the other, using notes or the map to deploy.
Hidden and/or dummy counters help to simulate some of
the great confusion that characterized the battle of Iuka.
The game should start at 4:15 on the afternoon
of September 19, 1862. Sunset is at 6:10 and darkness
comes at 6:45. The game is 10 turns long; fifteen
minutes per turn in JR2.
The map assumes a table 5 by 9 feet for 1/72nd
scale figures, with the Johnny Reb 2 rules in which a
figure represents 20 men. Players will want to adjust the
scale for other rules and sizes of figures. The Jacinto and
Fulton roads are better than the others, which are really
dirt tracks. West Indian Creek has thick brush along both
sides, rough terrain about an inch and a half from side to
side. There is a bridge. The green areas are woods and
the white areas are open terrain. The hills are gentle rises
that afford a view over the tops of the trees. The wooden
fences that border the fields are both an obstacle and a
cover.
The CSA player should set up anywhere east of
the middle of the table, but with the knowledge that the
US forces could come in as far north as the railroad or as
far south as the Mill Road. Due to inefficient CSA
scouting, there is no time to evacuate the supplies from
Iuka. The CSA should decide how much to defend the
town and the place where the Fulton Road leaves the
table (the wagons’ line of retreat). Points can be assigned
to these positions, with the road exit being somewhat
more valuable than the town. In order to determine
victory, points should also be counted for any units lost
by each side.
The USA player should set up in march columns
on the Jacinto road and its extension that run north-south
up the west side of the table (forces are coming from the
south; any units that do not fit on the road should come
in as space allows). The Federals

Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)

 - 15 -
should have the option of deciding at the outset that they will be delayed at least four turns, and on the fourth
some forces will come in on the Mill Road. However, turn they must roll to see if and when they actually enter.

Suggested chart:

Die Roll (4th Turn) Result:

th
1 Enter 4 turn; brilliant scouting brought them right in
2 Enter 5th turn; a couple of mistakes were made
3 Enter 6th turn; the cavalry headed for Alabama
4 Enter 7th turn; someone will get a reprimand for sure
5 Enter 8th turn; almost utter incompetence
6 Do not enter at all; they wander around lost until dark

Unit Description Quality

Henry Little Division Cmdr +1
Louis Hébert Brigade Cmdr +2
14th/17th Arkansas 500 Inf. – 2 regts. combined Average
3rd Louisiana 400 Inf. Average
40th Mississippi 500 Inf. Green
1st Texas Legion 400 Dismounted Cav. Elite
3rd Texas Legion 400 Dismounted Cav. Average
St Louis Battery 4 x 12# Howitzer Average
Clark Battery 4 x 6# Smoothbore Gun Average
Martin Green Brigade Cmdr +1
th
7 Mississippi Btn 400 Inf. Average
43rd Mississippi 400 Inf. Average
4th Missouri 400 Inf. Average
6th Missouri 400 Inf. Average
3rd Missouri 400 Dismounted Cav. Average
Guibor Battery 4 x 12# James Rifle Average
Landis Battery 4 x 12# Gun M1841 Average
John Martin Brigade Cmdr +1
th
37 Alabama 400 Inf. Average
36th Mississippi 400 Inf. Average
37th Mississippi 400 Inf. Average
38th Mississippi 400 Inf. Average
Miss. Cavalry Regt 300 Cavalry Average
2nd Arkansas 200 Cavalry Average

Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)

 - 16 -
Battle of Iuka, Mississippi: Union Order of Battle
Unit Description Quality
Charles Hamilton Division Cmdr +1
John Sanborn Brigade Cmdr +1
th
4 Minnesota 600 Inf. Green
48th Indiana 700 Inf. Green
5th Iowa 500 Inf. Average
16th Iowa 400 Inf. Average
th
26 Missouri 500 Inf. Average
11th Ohio Battery 6 x 3” Ordnance Rifle Average
Jeremiah Sullivan Brigade Cmdr +1
th
10 Iowa 400 Inf. Average
17th Iowa 500 Inf. Average
10th Missouri 400 Inf. Average
th
80 Ohio 500 Inf. Average
12th Wisconsin Battery 6 x 12# Napoleon Average
Joseph Mower Brigade Cmdr +1
th
26 Illinois 400 Inf. Average
47th Illinois 500 Inf. Average
11th Missouri 400 Inf. Average
8th Wisconsin 400 Inf. Average
nd
2 Iowa Battery 4 x 3” Ordnance Rifle Average
3rd Michigan Battery 6 x 12# Howitzer Average
7th Kansas 200 Cavalry Average
3rd Michigan 400 Cavalry Average

*******

Confederate Army: Orders of the Day

September 19, 1862

Your force is part of General Sterling Price’s Army of the West, operating in Mississippi in 1862.
Your mission is to detain Federal troops and thus prevent General Ulysses Grant from sending
reinforcements to General Don Carlos Buell, whose army is pursuing CSA General Braxton Bragg’s
army as it invades Kentucky.
You have placed yourself on the railroad by occupying Iuka, Mississippi, a crossroads, so that the
Union cannot afford to ignore you. Now there are reports that the U.S. Army of the Mississippi
under William Rosecrans is approaching Iuka from the southwest. At the same time, a U.S. corps
under General Edward Ord is rumored to be coming toward Iuka from the northwest. Dabney
Maury’s Division of your army is fending off Ord – you hope. Your Division (Henry Little’s) is
facing Rosecrans to the southwest, but Union forces may also come at you from the northwest, along the
road from Burnsville and the railroad tracks. Your cavalry has not been very efficient, so you just don't
know! Where should you deploy your troops to counter all these possibilities?

Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)

 - 17 -
If enemy forces are too overwhelming, you will retreat to the southeast. You must protect your line of
retreat, which is the Fulton Road leading off to the east, on the south side of Iuka. If you lose that
road, your supply train may be trapped in Iuka. At the same time, you want to control Iuka itself,
where your supply trains are stationed. Of course, your general mission is to inflict casualties on the
enemy forces.
You should set up anywhere east of the middle of the table, but with the knowledge that the US forces
could come in as far north as the railroad or as far south as the Mill Road. You should decide
whether to defend both Iuka (where the supplies are) and the place where the Fulton Road leaves the
table (the line of retreat).



Union Army: Orders of the Day
September 19, 1862
Your force is part of General William Rosecrans’ Army of the Mississippi. Together with other forces
under the command of Ulysses Grant, you are trying to corner the Confederate Army under Stirling
Price. You have reports that he is in Iuka, and you are proceeding northeastward to that town.
Rosecrans promised Grant that your troops would be there by 2:30 this afternoon. You’re a little late.
You know that a US corps under General Edward Ord is also approaching Iuka from the northwest
along the railroad. Perhaps you can catch Price’s army in a pincer movement. However, you have not
heard from Ord in a while, so perhaps you should approach Iuka from the west as well as the southwest
by using the north-south road. You want to deprive Price of the supplies in Iuka that he recently
captured from a US brigade. On the other hand, Price is likely to retreat toward the southeast, so you
must also try to get troops astride the Fulton Road and thus trap his supply trains in Iuka.
It’s your decision: attack straight up the road to the northeast, swing wide to the south, or come in
from the west? Where is Price least likely to expect you? How can you inflict the most damage on the
enemy forces before sundown?
You should set up in march columns on the north-south road that runs up the west side of the table.
You have the option of deciding before the game starts that some forces will come in on the Mill Road.
However, they will be delayed at least four turns and on the fourth turn they must roll to see if and
when they actually enter.

Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)

 - 18 -

Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)

 - 19 -
Visitors from Dixie!
A contemporary description of Jubal Early's
Confederate soldiers on June 28-30, 1863.
In camp at York, Pennsylvania
Bates, Samuel P., Martial Deeds of Pennsylvania
(Philadelphia: T. H. Davis & Company, 1876), 180-
81.
A few facts recorded by Mr. Gall, of the
Sanitary Commission, respecting the condition and
habits of Early's men, as seen at this point will serve as a
fair specimen of the make-up of the entire rebel army:
"Physically," he says, "the men looked about
equal to the generality of our own troops, and there were
fewer boys among them. Their dress was a wretched
mixture of all cuts and colors. There was not the
slightest attempt at uniformity in this respect. Every man
seemed to have put on whatever he could get hold of,
without regard to shape or color. I noticed a pretty large
sprinkling of blue pants among them, some of those,
doubtless, that were left by Milroy at Winchester. Their
shoes, as a general thing, were poor; some of the men
were entirely barefooted. Their equipments were light, as
compared with those of our men. They consisted of a
thin woollen blanket, coiled up and slung from the
shoulder in the form of a sash, a haversack swung from
the opposite shoulder, and a cartridge-box. The whole
cannot weigh more than twelve or fourteen pounds. Is it
strange, then, that with such light loads, they should be
able to make longer and more rapid marches than our
men? The marching of the men was irregular and
careless, their arms were rusty and ill kept. Their whole
appearance was greatly inferior to that of our soldiers…
There were not
tents for the men, and but few for the officers. The men
were busy cooking their dinner, which consisted of fresh
beef, part of the York levy, wheat griddle cakes raised
with soda, and cold water. No coffee nor sugar had been
issued to the men for a long time… The men expressed
Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)
themselves perfectly satisfied with this kind of food, and
said they greatly preferred the bread prepared in the way
they do it, to the crackers issued to the Union soldiers. I
asked one of the men how he got along without a shelter
tent. His answer was, 'First rate.' 'In the first place,' said
he, 'I wouldn't tote one, and in the second place, I feel
just as well, if not better, without it.' 'But how do you
manage when it rains?' I inquired. 'Wall,' said he, 'me
and this other man has a gum blanket atween us; when it
rains we spread one of our woollen blankets on the
ground to lie on, then we spread the other woollen
blanket over us, and the gum blanket over that, and the
rain can't tech us.' And this is the way the rebel army,
with the exception of a few of the most important
officers, sleeps. Everything that will trammel or impede
the movement of the army is discarded, no matter what
the consequences may be to the men.
In speaking of our [Union] soldiers, the same
officer remarked: 'They are too well fed, too well
clothed, and have far too much to carry.' That our men
are too well fed, I do not believe, neither that they are
too well clothed; that they have too much to carry, I can
very well believe, after witnessing the march of the
Army of the Potomac to Chancellorsville. Each man had
eight days' rations to carry, besides sixty rounds of
ammunition, musket, woolen blanket, rubber blanket,
overcoat, extra shirt, drawers, socks, and shelter tent,
amounting in all to about sixty pounds. Think of men,
and boys too, staggering along under such a load, at the
rate of fifteen to twenty miles a day.”
***************************
Just 29 miles west of York is Gettysburg, where many of
Jubal Early's men would perish within a week after
visiting York, the largest Northern city to be occupied by
the Confederate army. Here is Scott Mingus' tabletop
depiction of Blocher's Knoll / The Almshouse, where
Early's division initially fought on July 1. Note the model
wheatfield made for Scott by Alan Sheward.
 - 20 -
Capt. George Walther Co I 7 th Wisconsin
(Marc and B eth Storch Collection)
The Uniform
of the Iron Brigade
Marc Storch
Writing to the Racine Advocate, his local
newspaper, a soldier of the 2nd Wisconsin noted in
October of 1861 that “The boys no longer look like
beggars, with well ventilated suits of clothing, but
present a very neat, tidy, and soldier-like appearance.
Their new uniform consists of a handsome blue frock
coat, pants of the same, a high felt hat, blue cord and
black plume.” It was a uniform that would be associated
with his regiment and brigade from that day forward.
While many often think of the Iron Brigade as
uniformly wearing frock coats, gaiters, and Hardee hats,
the historical record gives us a much more varied
picture. Their appearance varied from regiment to
regiment and from time period to time period, thus
giving us an opportunity to create a more interesting
appearance when we build the brigade for tabletop
gaming.
All of the three Wisconsin units that made up the
brigade went off to war wearing gray uniforms. When
new blue uniforms did appear in the fall of 1861, the 6th
and 7th Wisconsin and the 19th Indiana did not differ in
clothing from any other regiment in the Army of the
Potomac. The uniform given in the August/September
time frame of 1861 included a blue sack coat, kersey
blue pants, and bummer. Only the 2nd Wis. received what
was later to be the “official” Iron Brigade uniform in
Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)
October 1861, with the receipt of Hardee hats and frock
coats. The 2nd was unique too in having dark blue pants
just as the regular army of the time wore. They worked
hard to replace these dark blue pants as they wore out,
though it is doubtful that many survived to be seen by
the spring of 1863.
In spring 1862, Col. Lysander Cutler, of the 6th
Wis. and in temporary command of the brigade, ordered
the other units to obtain Hardee hats. A few of the
regiments also donned the frock coat at this time, though
the decision appears to have been done at the whim of
each regiment’s colonel. Only with the appointment of
the newly promoted Brig. Gen. John Gibbon in May of
1862 did the entire brigade receive orders to acquire
Hardee hats, frock coats, and the now famous leggings
or gaiters. The new frock coats do not mean the men lost
their sack coats though, and these continued in use also.
At this time the regiments were also given white
gloves for use on parade. For many of the men the
gloves and gaiters quickly disappeared, but not for all.
Photos show some men and complete companies of the
brigade with gaiters in June/July/August of 1862. In fact
one member of the 6th Wis. who was mortally wounded
at Gettysburg had after death in his inventory of effects a
pair of gaiters listed.
In the spring of 1863, with the advent of General
Hooker taking command of the army, the round, red
corps badges made their appearance on the hats, while
the use of the frock coat began to decline. The 19th
Indiana and 6th Wisconsin appear to have made some
effort to retain the frock as the main uniform of choice.
In the 2nd , a mixture of sack and frock coats could be
seen, and in the 7th , the sack coat gained in popularity.
The appearance of the sack coat would be much more
obvious in the late 1862 and early 1863 period due to the
hard campaigning in the fall of 1862. Still, many frock
coats would still be found amongst the men.
If any one item determined the identity of the
brigade, it was their hat, and thus over the course of the
life of the brigade, the greatest of efforts were made to
ensure its replacement. This headgear was also
sometimes modified by the men into other than
regulation shapes, and later in the war via private
purchase they bought dark black hats that more suited
their taste.
Knapsacks were favored in several regiments
over blanket rolls. References of their use are abundant
in all the regiments, as are their ability to save men from
bullets or shell fragments on occasion. They appear in
references from Brawner’s Farm to the end of the war,
the men sometimes even leaving them on as they entered
a fight. This hesitation to remove them is possibly due to
the 2nd Wisconsin stripping off their
blankets at the start of the 1st Bull Run fight and never
seeing them again.
 - 21 -

G.H. Easterbrook - This photo was taken post-

Elon Brown - dressed in what is the "typical" Iron
Brigade uniform, taken summer of 1862 ( Marc and
Beth Storch Collection)
Gettysburg as he was recovering from a wound.
Note the unique hat, and in the corps badge
(though hard to see) is "2 WIS" around the oval.
(Marc and B eth Storch Collection)

So what is the correct appearance of figures to

use when placing the Iron Brigade (or Gibbon’s Black
Hat Brigade) on the gaming table? Well, if you are
painting for a specific campaign period, then for the
1862 campaign, some units are all in frocks and some in
a mixture including sack coats. Leggings on some, and
all in some form (Hardee or slouch) of black hat is
preferable. Figures with knapsacks are fine, and one
regiment (the 2nd Wis.) would have dark blue pants. By
1863, there will be more of a mixture of coats, the hats
are more “western” than Hardee in appearance for many,
and no gaiters nor any dark blue pants. If you are a
stickler, also remember that post-Gettysburg the flags
had been changed by the regiments to include battle
honors. Also, for those of you hesitant to create a unit
with limited use, remember that these regiments always
make fine regulars or even can be thrown into a Western
army without appearing out of place. Thus they form a
unique, yet versatile part of a Union wargaming army!

About the author - Marc Storch is a veteran writer,

wargamer and reenactor from Wisconsin. He co-
authored (with Alan T. Nolan) the excellent Iron
Brigade at Antietam feature article in the Holiday
2004 issue of Blue & Gray magazine. Marc served
as a historical consultant to the upcoming Undying
Courage: Antietam in Miniature scenario book.
Abram King, Ind. Bn - formed of those whose
enlistments were not up in June of 1864 or the
veterans, his private purchase sack is a great
example of the deviation from a frock you might
see. (Marc and Beth Storch Collection)

Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)

 - 22 -
Maryland Heights
(Harpers Ferry, VA)
Saturday, Sept. 13, 1862
Historical Setting:
Harpers Ferry was a vital communications hub and
supply depot for the Union Army. Nestled in the
Shenandoah River valley between several commanding
heights, Harpers Ferry had played a role in the
instigation of the Civil War when John Brown led a
revolt and briefly seized several hostages. The Federal
government sent troops under Robert E. Lee to quell the
rebellious Brown. Lee had succeeded in capturing
Brown and restoring order to the town. Now just a few
years later, Lee again was leading military forces with an
aim to secure Harpers Ferry. This time however, Lee
wore gray and his aim was to capture the Federal troops
and supplies in and around the riverfront town.
Dividing his army into several sections, Lee ordered a
three-pronged investment of the town, with “Stonewall”
Jackson having overall responsibility for coordinating
the assaults. As the CSA forces approached, Col. Dixon
Miles, commander of the Federal garrison defending
Harpers Ferry, prepared for the eventual attacks. He
placed the untested Col. Thomas Ford in command of
the forces on the crest of steep Maryland Heights just to
the north. Ford’s men formed battlelines behind a
breastworks and double line of abatis. Southern troops
from Lafayette McLaws’ division labored up the
mountain and vigorously attacked Ford’s Yankees, with
Kershaw to the front and Barksdale moving to the
Yankees’ right flank. Col. Eliakim Sherrill of the 126th
New York fell around 10:30AM after being struck in the
mouth by a minie ball. His regiment, organized scarcely
a month before and in its first combat, collapsed and
broke for the rear. The three remaining Union regiments
also fell back despite Ford’s efforts to steady the line.
From the valley below, Colonel Miles witnessed the
stream of Union soldiers heading for the rear. He and his
staff rode forward to the rally the routing Yankees,
pleading with them to halt and reform their lines.
Ordering the Garibaldi Guard (39th NY) to bayonet
anyone who refused to obey his order to reform, Miles
succeeded in forming a new battleline nearly a mile
behind the abandoned breastworks. Satisfied that this
new line was secure, Miles returned to his headquarters
in Harpers Ferry. For some reason however, an unnamed
junior officer ordered this new line to fall back and retire
down into the town. Aghast, Miles watched helplessly as
Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)
Ford’s men simply marched away from Maryland
Heights, leaving it in Confederate possession. Rebel
artillery would soon open up on the town from this
dominant position.
Soon surrounded, Miles decided to not try to force an
escape through the encircling CSA lines. He hoped that
Federal reinforcements from the Army of the Potomac
would soon arrive and drive off the Rebel forces.
Wargame setup notes:
This scenario is a small two-player game designed
for new gamers or those with limited time, space, or
figures.
Table size is 3x3 feet for Johnny Reb III, 15mm
scale. Adjust as needed for other ground scales or
rules sets.
The game begins at 8:20 AM and continues for a
total of 9 game turns.
The ledges to either side of the crest are 30-40 feet
in height, and are fairly steep and covered with
laurel and brambles. Consider this to be ROUGH
terrain. There are two spots marked as impassable –
these were sheer cliffs. The terrain at the crest is
BROKEN (rocky and uneven).
The laurel / bramble thickets and underbrush are
dense. Use half inches for visibility die rolls.
The Union line is behind breastworks constructed
from logs and large rocks, protected by a field of
abatis. Consider the works to be light works for
combat and morale purposes.
Quote from Capt. Edward H. Ripley of the 9th VT
regarding the efforts to get Dixon Miles to reinforce
Maryland Heights as McLaws approached. “Again
he was implored to throw everything across, but he
only yielded so far as to reinforce with two raw
regiments which had never heard a hostile shot,
commanded by singularly inexperienced and
incapable officers, the whole under the command of
Tom Ford, Colonel of the 32d Ohio, in whom no one
had confidence.” After the debacle, “…Ford proved
himself both stupidly ignorant of his duties and
cowardly, and the court recommended his dismissal
from the Army.”
Victory Conditions:
Union – Hold the star point, denying the Rebels
possession of the heights.
CSA – Seize control of Maryland Heights, forcing
the Union forces to withdraw.
 - 23 -
Reinforcement Schedule:
8:20 AM CSA – Barksdale’s Brigade arrives at A in
column formation
9:40 AM USA – Col. Ford arrives (had been with
McGrath’s Battery on the mountain slope off-map).
10:40 AM USA – Col. Miles arrives from Harpers Ferry
Confederate Order of Battle:
Elements of McLaws’ Division, Longstreet’s Right
Wing
Kershaw’s Brigade – Brig. Gen. Joseph B. Kershaw +1
(in overall command of the two brigades)
2 SC (Palmetto) – 217 men, 7 figures, SB, veteran
3 SC – 170 men, 6 figures, SB, veteran
7 SC / 8 SC – 295 men, 10 figures, SB, veteran
Barksdale’s Brigade – Brig. Gen. William Barksdale +1
13 MS – 202 men, 7 figures, SB, veteran
17 MS – 270 men, 9 figures, SB, veteran
18 MS – 186 men, 6 figures, RM, veteran
21 MS – 150 men, 5 figures, SB, veteran
Union Order of Battle :
Harpers Ferry Garrison – Col. Dixon S. Miles +1
Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)
Ford’s detachment – Col. Thomas H. Ford +0
32 OH - 350 men, 12 figures, RM, green
3 MD “The Potomac Home Guard” - 400 men, 30
figures, RM, veteran
39 NY “Garibaldi Guard” - 260 men, 9 figures, RM,
veteran
126 NY - 700 men, 23 figures, RM, green
1MD Cavalry (2 companies)– 75 men, 3 figures,
BLC, veteran, dismounted
With the loss of Maryland Heights and the occupation of
Loudon Heights by Walker's Rebels, the noose tightened
on Col. Miles and the Harpers Ferry defenders.
Eventually, Stonewall Jackson would attack
Schoolhouse Ridge and capture Bolivar Heights. Dixon
Miles would be killed by a shell fragment shortly before
the garrison surrendered.
The terrain map was drawn by Colin Burke of
Marek/Janci Design, who also designed the maps for the
upcoming "Undying Courage: Antietam in Miniature."
This scenario was originally planned for that book, but
was deleted for space considerations. UC is expected to
be on sale this summer.
 - 24 -

Contacting Regimental Skirmishers in JR3?

Ask John Hill!

Q. - Say a line of infantry has advance movement orders (NOT Charge orders) that would result in
contacting an enemy regimental skirmish stand. What happens? One side said the moving line would
have to stop before contact.

A. - There are a number of ways for a gamemaster to handle this, both are realistic, but -- in my opinion --
the preferred choice depends on the type of game that is being run, as follows:

In a large convention type game, the important issue is to resolve events quickly. Hence, in this situation, I would
simply have the skirmishers automatically fall back to their regiment and rejoin it, since it was not usually skirmishers
job to contest the advance of formed troops. This method is quick, and conforms to tactical doctrine.

However, in a smaller game, where more tactical flavor and/or choices are desired, I would use the following
method:

The "defending" player -- the one with the advanced regimental skirmishers would declare if the skirmishers would
attempt to hold or fall back. If they chose to fall back, use the method above. But, if they decide to hold -- for
instance, if the skirmishers were being advanced on by a disordered unit with a stand missing an d their regiment
had not lost any stands -- they might be able to stop the advance, or if the situation was desperate and called for a
"hold at all costs" response. So, if the decide to try to HOLD, use the following mechanic.

1. The skirmishing stand, if desired, would get to fire a defensive volley: roll for distance (however, this would count
as the regiment's opening volley, if not already done) and resolve the volley. Resolve the results of the volley -- you
might get real lucky, kill a figure, and force a first casualty morale check, causing the advancing unit to rout.

2. Assuming that the volley caused no effect, go to "dice down for impact." If the skirmishers win, the advancing
regiment falls back per normal mechanics. If the advancing unit wins -- which is the more probable result -- resolve
the "defenders" retreat per the normal mechanics -- with the following modifications, based on the fact that they
were detached skirmishers:

-- If the defending skirmisher' stand was "shaken," it falls back to the parent regiment, which then must take a
morale check for seeing its skirmishers come fleeing back. If it passes, then the entire regiment (including the
skirmishers) is now in good morale. If it fails, then the entire regiment is now "shaken".

-- If the defending skirmisher stand was "routed", it is assumed that they disintegrate and run for the lives, and the
stand is removed - "picked up." This is considered a loss of stand and the parent regiment must now take an
immediate morale check, with the added detriment of loss of stand (+3) to its morale point.

In my opinion, ordering a detached company or two of skirmishers to "hold at all costs" would be a desperate order,
and the above mechanic would capture that if it didn't work the outcome could be harsh. However, there are
instances, where such an order would be necessary and occasionally it would work -- but that "occasionally" was
definitely a rare, but heroic event.

John Hill

Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)