Issue 38 The Official Newsletter of the Johnny Reb Gaming Society $5.

00

Tending to the wounded. Photo courtesy of George Anderson.

Second Manassas Scenario

An Aussie Joins the ACW Wargaming Hobby
Win a FREE Custom 15mm ACW General
Terrain Tips from Model Railroaders
And much more!

Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)

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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
Second Manassas scenario
The fight at Groveton Ridge . . . . . . . . . . . 2
“A way down south in Aussie” . . . . . . . . . . 11
CHARGE! Jeopardy Quiz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Terrain Tips from the World of Model
Railroading …………………………………16
Johnny Reb 3 charts for the Mexican War …21
Coming attractions in CHARGE! #39
Scenarios! Product reviews and more!
Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)
From the Editor’s Desk
2013 promises to be a very important and
busy year for Civil War buffs and
reenactors, with the 150th anniversary of
Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Vicksburg,
and Chickamauga, among others. Some
estimates are that more than 100,000
people will gather at Gettysburg during
the two weeks of commemoration, which
kicks off the last weekend of June with
numerous activities planned.
CHARGE! editor Scott Mingus will be
speaking as one of the National Park
Service’s line-up of historians and authors
during the “Sacred Trust” seminar series.
If you are in Gettysburg on Saturday
morning June 29, stop by the large white
tent in front of the Visitors Center! The
talk is at 10:30 a.m. with a book signing
afterward from 11:30 until 12:30.
Civil War author Scott L. Mingus Sr. speaking at the Visitors
Center in Gettysburg in 2011.
And, while in historic Gettysburg, make
sure you take time to visit JRGS member
John Zabawa’s Gettysburg Miniature
Soldiers store at the intersection of
Steinwehr Avenue and the Taneytown
Road! Load up on toy soldiers and gaming
figures, and say hello to John and his son.
They are long-time gamemasters and flea
marketers at HMGS-East conventions.
 2
SECOND MANASSAS Longstreet did not want to attack until he knew
The Fight at Groveton Ridge the full extent of this oncoming enemy.

August 29, 1862 Confirmation took all afternoon. Longstreet sent

a division two miles south and about ¼ mile west
By Jim Kopchak of a small creek called Dawkins Branch. This
Understanding how the battle at Groveton Ridge force positioned itself in a woods blocking
developed requires some background about the Porter’s advance on the Gainesville-Manassas
Northern Virginia Campaign and the Second Road.
Battle of Manassas. The Confederate high
command decided to spring a trap to destroy Below is a map of the situation about 2:00 p.m.
Union Maj. Gen. John Pope’s army operating in on the 29th.
Virginia before Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan
could join forces as he withdrew from the
Peninsula. Major General James Longstreet
made a series of diversionary attacks to pin Pope
in place while Maj. Gen. Thomas J. “Stonewall”
Jackson marched around Pope’s right flank to
the west and destroyed his supply depot in his
rear at Manassas Junction.

Jackson then hid near the Brawner farm behind a

2-mile unfinished railroad cut until he was
assured that Longstreet would arrive. Jackson
got word about 5:00 p.m. on August 28 that
Longstreet was only 10 miles away, and so about
an hour later he attacked a Union column (the
black-hatted Iron Brigade) marching past his
position in what has been deemed as the Battle
of Brawner’s Farm or the Battle of Groveton (not
to be confused with this scenario). Pope then
converged on the site.
The next day on the 29th, Pope launched a series
of piecemeal attacks on Jackson’s line behind the
cut in an attempt to create diversionary attacks.
The purpose of these attacks was to keep
Jackson’s force pinned down while Porter’s
Corps would move around Jackson’s right flank
to the west of the cut and attack Jackson in force.
He wanted to destroy this corps of about 22,000
before Longstreet arrived.
Pope judged that Longstreet would not arrive
until August 31. However, this was in great error
because Longstreet’s force had actually arrived
around noon on the 29th. Lee urged Longstreet to
attack shortly after his arrival. However,
lookouts spotted Porter’s advance, still
approximately 3 miles from Jackson, and
Porter and McDowell both had received an
ambiguous order (later referred to as “The Joint
Order”) from General Pope at noon directing
them “to attack Jackson’s flank, but be ready at
night to withdraw east to Bull Run and then to
Centreville, but to deviate from this order if
required.” Neither knew what to do. Seeing the
way blocked by a rebel force, McDowell decided
to march his corps back toward Bull Run closer
to Pope’s headquarters. Porter decided to probe
across Dawkins Branch.
Pope, hearing no significant fighting from where
he thought Porter should be, sent an immediate
attack order to Porter at 4:00 p.m. However the
courier got lost and Porter did not receive the
order till 6:00 p.m.! Porter immediately ordered
Morell’s division past Dawkins Branch. It was
about an hour before sunset.

Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)

 3
Morell advanced across with two brigades, and
firing started from the woods to his front and
then off to his right. Once he saw the disposition
of the rebel line in the fading light, he feared
being flanked on both sides and then pulled
back.
Pope, unaware of this situation, started getting
reports around 5:30 p.m. from the area slightly
west of Groveton that rebel forces were pulling
back and at last thought that Porter was attacking
Jackson’s flank causing this withdrawal. Now
was the time to strike toward Groveton to drive
them back and cut them off from Thoroughfare
Gap 10 miles away to the west. This would trap
Jackson and keep Longstreet from uniting with
him. He thought the grand plan at last was
working!
Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)
At approximately 6:00 p.m. Hatch’s division was
behind the east side of Groveton Ridge
approximately 900 to 1,200 feet away from the
top facing west. One brigade (Marsena Patrick’s)
straddled both sides of the Warrenton Pike and
two brigades were south of the Warrenton pike
as shown on the game map.
Hatch is ordered to advance, and he starts
moving forward with two brigades.
At about the same time, Longstreet finally
advances east toward Groveton Ridge to be in a
better position for a morning attack.
Thus begins our wargaming scenario for the
fight at Groveton Ridge during the Second Battle
of Manassas.
 4
Game Overview/Setup:
For the wargame, Hatch is given his third
brigade for playability. The fences on top of the
hill are down (Union artillery used the position
earlier in the day). All artillery start limbered.
Neither side is aware they are both advancing
toward Groveton Ridge. In the game, all infantry
units on both sides must advance until at least
one unit fires. Then you may issue other orders.
Longstreet sends Hood’s Division and most of
Wilcox’s Division to occupy the ridge.
They start in a position at the edge of a semi-
wooded ridgeline about 2,000 feet west of the
ridge. The Union reaches the top of Groveton
Ridge first being closer and sees the rebel
advance.
For the game, the top of the ridge is represented
as a zone shown as the second contour line on
the ridge rather than a military crest. It is more of
a plateau about 30-40 feet above road grade. The
first contour is about 15-20 feet high.
This zone indicates the top of the ridge mostly
south of the Warrenton Pike but also north. Units
in this zone see down into the small valley were
the road is located and toward the lower hill
where the rebels start. Units in this zone have
Line-of-Fire as do the rebels looking up.
The photo above of the entire setup shows this
zone marked by an oval of lichen. Note that the
top of this photo is south. This photo may be
used in conjunction with the game map to help
setting up when oriented with the map’s
directions.
Victory Conditions:
Union infantry units must be pushed off this
zone by the game’s end from both sides of the
Warrenton Pike. Union disordered units (DO’s)
must withdraw from the ridge top at the end of
the game. Therefore only infantry units in good
order qualify as still holding the ridge.
Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)
Initiative:
The Union force moves first until one side or the
other fires. Otherwise, follow the JR3
incremental movement rules so that one side
does not have a tactical advantage over the other
because movement is considered simultaneous in
JR3.
In Civil War Commander II movement is not
considered simultaneous because one side rolls
to determine initiative as to which side moves
first. Even so, the side moving second may also
React Move or React Fire (opportunity) to the
side moving first, so any tactical advantage to
moving first is usually minimal.
Scale/Time:
Time is 10 minutes per turn. Keep the 15mm
JR3 movement distances the same. A battle line
would have no problem moving 900 feet (6”) in
10 minutes in this kind of scenario and terrain.
About a mile in one hour was expected in normal
open terrain in a battle-line.
The game was played using 25mm figures, at
one inch equal 100 feet. I have provided a 15mm
scale also on the game map at 1”=150 feet.
The scenario starts at 6:00 p.m. (Turn 1) and
ends at 7:20 p.m. at dusk (Turn 9).
In the historical battle, Hatch was driven off the
ridge in about 50 minutes, being flanked from
the woods south on the ridge. The rebs used a
trail to move a unit into this flanking position as
the battle progressed. The Yankees thought it
was a friendly supporting force as the rebels
yelled out, “We-All you friends, Don’t shoot!”
Seconds later a volley hit the Union left.
The rebels eventually advanced almost ¾ of a
mile east past the ridge following the Warrenton
Pike at night. However, they were pulled back to
their initial start point by midnight to be hidden
from the morning light as Longstreet
contemplated a morning attack.
 5
Flanking Action:
To simulate the flanking action in the game,
Sullivan is unaware of this movement and so
must keep his units facing west. One of
Sullivan’s regiments stays adjacent to the woods,
but not in it, as he advances forward. A regiment
from Wilcox’s Brigade will start the game in
column on the trail. It is placed so that by the end
of turn two, it forms into line by the flank on the
trail and fires through the woods into the flank of
Sullivan’s regiment adjacent to the woods. Fire
is at medium range, through light woods using
the woods penalty, as moving and with full flank
modifier bonus. The target is visible at 4” or
closer.
Union artillery stays outside infantry rifle range
from these woods until after the flank fire. Rebel
artillery cannot use this trail. Afterwards, Yankee
units may adjust as necessary to counter this
threat. As a game master, I did not reveal this
flanking movement to the Union side during play
testing.
To offset this prior knowledge, as a gamemaster
you may make adjustments or have other
creative options to this flanking action as you
think in order to offer some surprise options (i.e.
roll to determine when the flanking action will
occur after turn 2 or send two units down the
trail and random roll to determine when or if
they might flank fire. Maybe a unit or two gets
lost and possibly ends up coming out of the
woods a little further to the Union front instead
of the flank position. This is up to your own
creative ability to introduce Fog of War because
both sides will probably know the scenario).
Units:
I have listed the unit strengths based upon
information available from Fire and Fury
brigade level stats. The strength of individual
regiments for each brigade is an average of the
total brigade strength divided equally among the
regiments used in the game. All infantry are
armed with rifled muskets.
Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)
For the Union side, some regiments from
Gibbon’s brigade have been incorporated to beef
up the Union force for play balance. In the same
regard some units from Featherston’s Brigade
(part of Wilcox’s Division) have been added to
the Confederate side.
I also have included some photos on the next
page showing some close-ups of some specific
areas for setup.
When configuring the regiments, it is interesting
to note that although Hood and Wilcox are
division commanders, they also have direct
control of individual brigades. This seemed to be
a novel concept for Civil War command
structure.
Alternate Scenario:
As an alternate, but slightly smaller scenario, do
not use Doubleday’s brigade on the Union side
or Pryor’s brigade on the Confederate side.
Spread out Patrick’s and Sullivan’s brigades to
cover the same frontage as you decide. No rebel
reserve regiments should be used.
This is closer to the historical circumstances but
may alter the play balance, which was not tested
in this alternative scenario. The original scenario
is designed for six players in a typical
convention setting, allowing about four hours for
play time.
www.battlefieldterrain.com
The one stop for all your Civil War
wargaming terrain needs!
 6
Editor’s note: The above map is courtesy of
California-based Hal Jespersen, who designed all
of the custom maps for Scott Mingus’ upcoming
biography of Brigadier General William “Extra
Billy” Smith, who was the oldest Confederate
general to fight at Gettysburg. He had been
Governor of Virginia during the Mexican War,
during which he named Jubal Early as
commander of the state’s troops raised for the
war effort.
Two decades later, Smith was the colonel of the
49th Virginia Infantry at Second Manassas,
ironically in the brigade of Jubal Early. They
served together at Gettysburg, during which time
Smith was the governor-elect for another term.
In 1864, Governor Smith sent a series of letters
to Robert E. Lee demanding Early’s dismissal as
commander in the Shenandoah Valley.
Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)
Note the position of Early’s Brigade in the above
map. They figured prominently in the defense of
Stony Ridge and the Railroad Cut, but did not
play a role in the fighting at Groveton described
in this wargaming scenario.
That honor belonged on the Confederate side to
two other generals who would also, like Smith
and Early, play roles at the Battle of Gettysburg
the following summer—John Bell Hood and
Cadmus M. Wilcox. Their opponents at
Groveton included Abner Doubleday, who
would controversially be removed from
command after other officers (perhaps falsely)
accused him of poor performance at Gettysburg.
Doubleday, of course, has incorrectly been
considered as the inventor of baseball. His Civil
War career began when he was a captain at Fort
Sumter during the Rebel bombardment in 1861.
 7

Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)

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Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)

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Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)

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Map by Todd Davis, based upon a

sketch by Jim Kopchak

Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)

 11
“Away down south in...
Aussie!”
By
Brett Davis
Hi, my name is Brett Davis. I live in Emu
Heights in Australia. For a long time I have had
an interest in the American Civil War. I have
brought countless sets of wargaming rules and
scenario books but never officially brought any
miniatures. I am writing this as a record of
finally getting some games played, and some
armies painted.
My interest in ACW started in 1988 (wow, I am
getting on in life, that was before the internet)
when an exchange teacher set us some
homework about any period of American History
we liked. Unlike the rest of the class I didn’t
want to do anything based on cowboys and
Indians. After a lot of reading on America’s
struggle for independence I settled on the
American Civil War and have not looked back.
My wife would say that my interest in a war that
is over 150 years old in a country I have never
visited is weird, but living in Australia I think
you get a view of an outsider looking in.
Enough with the introductions; on to the
business end of this first article. The rules I
finally settled on are a regimental set called Long
Road North. I have looked at all the other sets
and settled on these. Why? No idea. Sets of rules
are like underpants; use the ones that are most
comfortable.
Now I have no friends that game the War
Between the States, so all this I will be doing
myself, from terrain building to army painting it
will all be me. My friends’ eyes sort of glaze
over when I say ACW; it takes time away from
Dwarves and Elves and stuff for them, so I am
also on a mission to make this our new period in
history, one that actually happened.
Having found a set of rules (and please if you are
an ACW newbie like me, get a few sets and see
what fits best for you. There is so much choice
Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)
out in the world at the moment and the writers
put so much effort into this and like me you may
even take a main set of rules as a base and pick
things out you like from others) it was time to
settle on a scale of figure.
28mm -- the number conjures up images of
massed figures on big tables with excellent
scenery.
28mm and larger figures are a direct influence
from fantasy games. As I have gotten older and
had kids I realised one thing dear reader that
holds truth. As my kids get older my space gets
smaller.
How to fight this?
A quick look on the net found a heap of different
scales. Now this may be old news to you guys,
but within my group a 20, 15, 10, 6 or even 2 is
just crazy talk: “real figures do not come in that
scale.” This was just one of the comments I
heard.
Now I have a problem, I have a heap of ACW
28mm figures that I brought off eBay, but my
space is getting smaller for the appropriate table
size. Needless to say, after much thinking and
soul searching, I have decided to repaint and
rebase the 28mm figures for skirmish games and
have settled on 6mm figures with 15mm basing.
I haven’t received my figures as yet so haven’t
even put brush to figure, but I love the look of
the massed amount of little men you can put on
the table and I am hoping that I will be able to
paint them pretty quickly.
So with the kids demanding a cup of tea, I will
sign off for now and continue my wait for my
figures to show up. Hopefully in the next
installment I will have some photos to share of
my progress with the little men, and explain my
choice of what battle to do first and my painting
schemes.
[Editor’s note: Brett will be sharing his entrance into
miniature wargaming with the readers of the Charge!
newsletter over the next few issues. It’s good to get a
fresh perspective from someone who is starting to
build a collection from scratch.]
 12
GETTYSBURG SESQUICENTENNIAL
COMING THIS YEAR!
by Larry Reber
GettysburgSoldiers.com
This calendar year 2013 will witness
the 150th anniversary of the Battle of
Gettysburg. The town of Gettysburg has
been working the past two years in
preparation for this event, improving
streets & sidewalks, sprucing up building
facades, and restoring the battlefield
itself. Their convention and visitors
bureau expects over 100,000 visitors
during the two weekends of battle
reenactments.
In the world of wargaming, this
means it is also time to dust off your
copies of Enduring Valor to recreate
those memorable Gettysburg battle
scenarios.
The paint shop at Gettysburg
Soldiers has been busy working on a
variety of custom 15mm personality
generals who contributed prominently in
the battle. The following images are
some of the commanders we have
ready to take the field on gaming tables
this summer.
To make it more interesting, we’ve
also included a list of “JEOPARDY” trivia
clues for each of the pictures. The first
subscriber to list the quiz names in
correct order will win a FREE custom
15mm General figure, courtesy of
Gettysburg Soldiers (our choice). Since
most of you will undoubtedly get them
all right, the first to respond to the editor
(Scott) at the CHARGE Newsletter
[jrgsnl@comcast.net] by email, text or
whatever means with all correct answers
will be declared the winner. The winner
and correct answers will be announced
in the next issue of CHARGE. Scott will
monitor the contest and notify us who
gets the custom General figure prize.
Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)
TWENTY JEOPARDY CLUES
AND TWENTY PICTURES:
1. One of the wealthiest men in the
South with over 3,000 slaves, this
Confederate General received three
saber cuts to his head while leading a
cavalry charge at Gettysburg. WHO
WAS….
2. His published personal recollections
have provided one of the most
intimate looks about what the
Confederates were thinking, their
plans and strategy at Gettysburg.
WHO WAS…..
3. The son of a general in Napoleon’s
army, this foreign-born General led
his brigade in defense of the
Wheatfield. WHO WAS….
4. He was to be the last major general
appointed by Lee to the Army of
Northern Virginia, but as Colonel of
the 4th North Carolina at Gettysburg
his regiment was the first to enter the
town. WHO WAS….
5. Troopers of this clever cavalry
commander fired the first shots of
Gettysburg at General Lee’s army as
they advanced up the
Chambersburg Road, and fired the
last shots at General Lee’s army as
they retreated back across the
Potomac River at Falling Waters.
WHO WAS….
6. Born into a proud family history of
military service, descendents of this
Confederate general later donated
the original Star Spangled Banner to
the Smithsonian. WHO WAS….
7. After their officer’s meeting on the
night of July 2nd, General Meade
pulled him aside with an ominously
accurate warning: "If Lee attacks
tomorrow, it will be on your front."
WHO WAS….
 13
8. The first General to engage Union
troops on July 1st; he later started the
“search for shoes” myth by
mentioning it in his memoirs. WHO
WAS….
9. This was his second visit to
Gettysburg; he had taken the town
three days earlier but left it
unoccupied and moved on to
capture York. WHO WAS….
10. He spent his retirement years raising
cotton, and still wondering what “if
practicable” meant. WHO WAS….
11. According to family stories, his love of
uniforms began at an early age
because his father, a member of a
local militia group, would dress him in
a small soldier's uniform at the age of
four. WHO WAS….
12. During the July 2nd Confederate
assault, he had refused to attack
Cemetery Ridge without direct
orders, so his fresh brigade was
curiously omitted from Pickett’s
Charge the next day. WHO WAS….
13. After the defeat at Kernstown,
Jackson tried to court-martial him for
retreating without permission, but a
year later he would serve as pall-
bearer at Jackson’s funeral, and two
months later be himself killed during
Pickett’s Charge. WHO WAS….
14. Modern historical scholars refer to this
army commander as the ‘Rodney
Dangerfield” of ACW generals,
because he wasn’t Lincoln’s first
choice as commander. He thought
they were coming to arrest him when
messengers arrived with news of his
promotion. He was heavily criticized
after winning the biggest victory of
the war, and he spent the rest of the
war commanding with U. S. Grant
looking over his shoulder. WHO
WAS….
Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)
15. After the war this General, though
crippled from war wounds, married
and fathered eleven children,
including three sets of twins. WHO
WAS….
16. Bitter and resentful after the
Gettysburg defeat, he was later
accused of war crimes because he
hanged Union prisoners that were
discovered to be ex-Confederates
who had switched sides. WHO
WAS….
17. Considered one of the heroes of
Gettysburg, he tried to parlay that
heroic reputation by running for
president three times, but never won.
WHO WAS….
18. He was one of Lee’s most reliable
and competent generals throughout
the war, but personally he had a
more enduring friendship with Grant,
that by his own words, they were
almost like brothers. WHO WAS….
19. He had served with Robert E Lee
since the capture of John Brown; but
it was Stonewall Jackson who,
remembering his horsemanship skills
at West Point, gave him his first
cavalry command. WHO WAS….
20. In ’62, this Union General was
captured and sent to Libby Prison;
but later exchanged for a captured
Confederate General. On the
battlefield at Gettysburg there are
four statues and monuments to him,
a sign of the respect and affection
he had earned. WHO WAS….
[Editor’s note: Now that you have read
through Larry’s clues, have look at the
following 20 pictures and see if you can
answer the questions. The first correct
response sent to us at jrgsnl.com wins a
custom figure of Larry’s choice; the 10th
correct response wins a couple of autographed
Civil War books from Scott Mingus.]
 14

Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)

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Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)

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Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)

 17
Editor’s note: Larry Reber is the author of the
popular Gettysburg Soldiers regimental rules set for
miniature wargaming. These rules have been
playtested thoroughly at various conventions and
have been on the market for a couple of years. They
are simple, yet highly playable and a lot of fun. Plus,
they are chock full of eye candy with photos of
Larry’s 15mm games in progress, many of which
feature his custom-made generals and other figures.
Based in West Virginia along the scenic Ohio River,
Larry is a long-time wargamer and figure painter. A
good portion of my personal collection of 15mm
figures came from Larry in the early days of his
commercial figure painting business.
His website is at www.gettysburgsoldiers.com.
By the way, the answers to the quiz (and the public
announcement of the winners of the trivia contest)
will be in the next issue of Charge!, which should be
in print in May. Thanks Larry for your generosity!
Johnny Reb Gaming Society
JR3 Rules Questions
Gamers, if you have questions involving rules
interpretation, send them to Scott Mingus, Sr. at
jrgsnl@comcast.net. Questions will be collected and
forwarded to John Hill for the “Ask John Hill”
column.
SAVE THE BATTLEFIELDS!!!
www.civilwar.org
Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)
Yet another ACW quiz!
No prize for this one; but this is just a fun test
of your general Gettysburg knowledge.
1. Richard M. Nixon’s great-great-
grandfather George died at Gettysburg
in which Union regiment?
2. Jimmy Carter’s ancestor fought in
what CSA artillery battery?
3. Paul Revere and Billy Dawes were
famous for their midnight ride which
helped spark the American Revolution
with the cry “The British are coming!”
Each man had a descendant who
played a role in the Union army at
Gettysburg. Name the 1863 Revere and
Dawes, and their respective regiments
in the battle.
4. Which famous actor’s ancestor fought
at Gettysburg? Ronald Reagan, John
Wayne, Daniel Day-Lewis, Jimmy
Stewart, or Tom Cruise?
5. CNN broadcaster Anderson Cooper is
the direct descendant of which Union
cavalry general at Gettysburg?
6. True or false: George W. Bush’s great-
great-grandfather served in the Texas
Brigade under John Bell Hood at
Gettysburg.
7. John F. Kennedy had an ancestor in
which regiment of the Irish Brigade?
Kennedy visited the monument six
months before he was assassinated.
8. True or false: President Zachary
Taylor’s son commanded the Louisiana
Tigers in 1862, but not at Gettysburg.
 18
find that for 15mm streams or brooks, you may
Terrain Tips from the wish to make far more curves than straight
pieces to simulate meandering watercourses
World of cutting through farm fields.
Model Railroading Once the bases are cut out, paint each “stream
bed,” using a series of darker colors in the
By Lee King
middle for the deepest part of the watercourse,
a.k.a. “The Budget Wargamer”
with lighter shades to the edges. I have
experimented with various hues, from a dark
Like many wargamers, I have a passing interest
inky brown-black to lighter browns. Remember,
in model railroading, starting from when I was a
streams in nature are often muddy or dark
kid with my old Bachmann™ N-scale layout.
colored, often with a greenish tinge. The bright
Over the years, I have found that RR buffs are
blue streams some of us use for water on the
often a very good source of fresh ideas for my
tabletop, while easy to identify as streams, is not
budget wargaming layouts. Some of their
realistic in most cases.
concepts are readily transferrable to the tabletop
battlefield, while others, such as using various
I blend the edges of the paints, in multiple layers,
natural plants cut and pruned to look like scale
so I end up with a darker look in the middle as
trees, to be untenable because of the need for
earlier suggested. Once I am satisfied with the
portability and the resistance to breakage
coloration, I brush on a clear glossy overcoat.
required by wargamers.
Artist’s gel medium works well, but there are
many options including various clear, glossy
Still, there is much to learn from the world of
varnishes. In the case of very shallow streams,
model railroading, where realistic terrain often
before I “paint” on the water effect, I glue small
makes or breaks a layout. Not wanting to invest
pebbles to simulate rocks or twigs for downed
as much money as many railroaders seem to
tree trunks or other deadwood. I “ripple” the gel
spend, I looked for ideas at train shows which
medium around the impediment, and then when
might be applicable to the tabletop recreation of
dry I dry brush some faint hints of white to
Shiloh or Chancellorsville.
simulate whitecaps.
Here are a few concepts from the model railroad
To make the “banks” of the stream pieces, glue
world which work well for my gaming needs…
down small pieces or chunks of Woodland
Scenics™ clump foliage or a similar material, or
Water effects – Model railroaders with a lot of
use lichen (the latter does tend to dry out,
money can invest in several realistic water
however, rather easily). Vary the colors and sizes
products, such as EZ Water™ and others, from a
to represent the erratic nature of underbrush and
variety of reputable manufacturers and dealers.
vegetation along the streams. On the tabletop, I
However, with a little creativity, it is easy to
will at times line the finished stream with small,
make relatively good-looking rivers and streams
individual trees to further delineate the terrain
which are presentable on the gaming table and
feature as an obstacle to movement of formed
look much better than simply laying down blue
bodies of troops.
felt strips.
These stream pieces tend to be durable and they
Take some relatively rigid plastic card stock or
can be used over and over again. And, they are a
similar sturdy material. Cut into straight lengths
fraction of the cost of some of the commercially
(say 4” in length for 15mm gaming) and curves
available wargaming rivers. For someone with a
(I like two radii; one rather abrupt and short, and
fixed gaming budget, anything I can do to save
the other a more gradual and longer curve).
cost is a good thing.
Make some special pieces to represent
confluences (V-shaped or T-shaped). You will

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To make fords, paint a road or path at opposite
sides of the stream piece. These are often rocky
and shallow, so use a much lighter paint blend
for the crossing points and darken it upstream
and downstream to represent the deeper water
away from the ford. You may also wish to “rut”
the riverbank/road by painting in thin dark lines.
Roads – For most Civil War battles, particularly
in the Western Theater, dirt roads were the
primary lanes of transportation. In the East, and
occasionally in the West, one finds
macadamized, hard-packed gravel roads. The
Chambersburg Pike at Gettysburg is a good
example of the latter, as is the Valley Turnpike
(today’s U.S. Route 11) for Cedar Creek, New
Market, and other Shenandoah battlefields.
I have made roads in a similar fashion to the
streams mentioned earlier. Cut base sheets
slightly wider than one stand of your miniature
armies (I like to go ¼” wider on each side). Base
sheets can be rigid, or preferably, something
durable yet flexible such as a sheet of rubber or
latex. Make more straight pieces than curves.
Paint the “road surface” within the ¼” borders
with a suitable paint (dark brown, reddish clay
colored, grayish-buff for the gravel roads, etc.
depending upon the soil composition of the
battlefields you are wishing to refight). While the
paint is still very wet, liberally sprinkle on very
fine composition Woodland Scenics or Scenic
Effects™ turf of the appropriate color and allow
to dry overnight. Shake off any excess the next
day. Fill in any holed and allow to dry.
Then, draw on any “ruts” you desire with a
Sharpie™ pen. Overspray with a diluted sealant
such as watered-down craft glue and again allow
to dry overnight. Line the edges with bushes or
grass flocking. Don’t forget to make crossroads
and intersections (T’s, Y’s, and V’s are best,
along with + of course). Farm lanes or paths can
be made in similar fashion, except add a strip of
grass down the middle in between the worn, bare
spots from the years of wagon and foot traffic.
I have occasionally added a spare wheel rim, or
better yet, a broken one alongside the road to
simulate the debris of battle from limbers,
Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)
caissons, and supply wagons breaking down as
they rushed to the action, and having discarded
the broken wheel after repairs have been
completed.
You can also add backpacks, rifles, ammunition
crates, etc. as your imagination allows. Stone
Mountain™ and other makers over the years
have produced packs of this battlefield debris.
One often reads in Civil War reports and letters
of soldiers leaving their packs along the road as
they headed into battle, or later tossing away
guns, blanket rolls, packs, etc. in the event of a
hasty retreat or rout along a road.
Trees – These can be one of the most expensive
elements of any model railroad layout (or
wargaming table, particularly if the Wilderness is
your fancy). I have found that railroaders put
their most expensive, highest quality trees in the
most visible places in their layouts, with cheaper
“filler” trees off in the distance or in less
noticeable spots. Wargamers don’t usually have
this luxury, because all four sides of the table are
generally accessible to the players and spectators
(if at a convention or club game). Still, a few
fancy Woodland Scenics trees can be stretched
with filler trees to good effect.
I cut out kidney shapes using a thin piece of
semi-rigid plastic (the black flat dividers often
found in old notebooks as page separators work
well. I picked up a lot of these for free when one
of the companies I worked for was trashing
hundreds of old notebooks after recycling the
paper contents). You may also wish to cut
circular or oval shapes, as well as some linear
4”-6” strips.
In an old issue of Charge!, I read how a
gamemaster used common (and cheap) roofing
nails with large chunks of Woodland Scenics
clump foliage shaped to make cheap trees.
Another idea, being cheap, is to purchase a bag
of sponges from the local Dollar Tree discount
store and then use them instead of the more
expensive clumps.
Drive the nails through the base, flip it over, and
glue the large clump or shaped sponge to the
“trunk.” Paint and/or flock the base
 20
appropriately, and flock the sponge to simulate
“leaves,” remembering to use a slightly lighter
shade of flock as highlights where the sunshine
would strike the tree.
Editor’s note: What are your own ideas for low
cost terrain? Do you have any tips similar to
Lee’s? Send your ideas to Charge! via our email
address, jrgsnl@comcast.net

Add small bits of foliage as underbrush, but

remember to leave enough space for your stands ORDER BACK ISSUES OF
of figures to move through the “woods.” By
arranging these bases on your tabletop, you can CHARGE!
create large woods, sporadic woodlots, or a thin ORDERING INFORMATION:
belt of timber. Intermix a few Woodland Scenics Send $6.00 per copy within the USA and
trees on some stands and keep these toward the $7.00 per copy outside the USA to:
outer edges of the “woods” so that they are most JRGS - 1383 Sterling Drive - York, PA -
visible. 17404
Make checks payable to Debi Mingus
Fencing – Ah, the fencing required for many Or use your PayPal account!
scenarios, particularly those battles fought in the
well manicured farm fields of Maryland and
Pennsylvania. Monocacy, Antietam, Gettysburg, “Combat Figures Magazine”
and many other battles require scale miles of features new custom-made
fences for regimental wargaming. Again, the
really nice metal model fences can be used for Gettysburg dioramas!
where the eye will most focus, such as key roads
Check out this great new model soldier on-
or fields in the contested center of the table.
line magazine with a story and custom-
figures from the Battle of Gettysburg and the
For the edges, or away from the main action,
defense of the Wheatfield! Some of these
passable model fences can be made on the cheap.
hand-made figures are really nice. These
Again, model railroaders like to “trick the eye,”
are the handiwork of artist Ron Galletti of
putting the best material in the foreground and
www.combatfigures.com.
using cheaper materials in bulk for the
background.
http://combatfigures.com/magazine/archive/
01/index.html
For Virginia worm fencing, so prevalent on these
Eastern battlefields, cut small bases of thick
cardstock or rigid plastic in set sizes (2” or 4”
seem to work well or regimental-level ACW
gaming). I use matchsticks (with the heads cut
off, of course) or thin balsa wood as rails. Using
white craft glue, glue down the sticks in a zigzag
pattern, overlapping the ends.

Come back with a second and third layer of

sticks, leaving space in between. Either pre-soak
the matches in diluted black ink before gluing,
or, after gluing the untreated matchsticks and
allowing the glue to thoroughly dry, then apply a
dull gray paint. Paint and flock the base, adding
clumps of bushes, battlefield debris, small
stones, trees, etc. to the base.

Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)

 21
Courtesy of Joe LePard

Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)

 22

Questions on using Johnny Reb 3 for the Mexican War may be addressed to Joe LePard via the Johnny
Reb Gaming Society’s email address at jrgsnl@comcast.net. These basic charts are for 15mm regimental-
level wargaming and may be adjusted for 25mm, 10mm, or other scales as outlined in the JR3 rules book.

Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)

 23
Confederate flag images courtesy of George Anderson

Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)

 24

Gettysburg’s Second Day in 15mm!

Photos by George Anderson

Devil’s Den

Peach Orchard, the Wheatfield/Millerstown Road, and Rose Farm

Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)