You will be pleased to know that I have finally managed to do a little bit of painting picking up where I left off with the French Grenadiers (click here for a reminder). Not much to show for it yet but at least it’s a start.One problem I have with my new hobby-room that I never had in our old house is that our labrador Snuff seems to think that it’s her room not mine. She likes to lay out on the floor right behind my chair so that I can hardly move and is very indignant at any suggestion that she might get out of the way.
This is a picture of my hobby-room buddy enjoying a little snooze whilst keeping half an eye on General Longstreet as he tries to get Lee to abandon the idea of ordering Pickett’s charge at Gettysburg. I’m a firm Union supporter myself but I have my suspicions that Snuff may have leanings towards the rebellion.
12 comments:
I can understand you... my cats always pretend that miniature soldats are food!
Regards
Rafa
Having watched the film a fair few times now I have decided that the Rebs may have lost the war but certainly won hands down in the "whiskers" stakes...evidence General Longstreet right in front of you!
Matt
Please note I made no cheap jokes about a "Snuff Movie".
Whiskers? Surely that was cat food? And anyway what about Burnside in the facial hair war???
Ian
How can a state that enters a free association of states then be accused of rebellion and attacked when it freely decides to leave that association.
Slavery aside (and the war was not about slavery) the South had right on its side and was simply borne down by weight of numbers and economics.
I'm with your good ol boy dawg on this one! can it whistle Dixie?
Roy
Great pic Ian, and good to see you back painting again. Snuff looks very comfortable (I'm a Golden Retriever owner so I know how much space they like to occupy!).
Re the ACW, well I'm almost embarrassed now to say that I spent 5 years with SOSKAN as a member of the 'Bucktails' taking part in re enactments up and down the country. The 'Rebs' always outnumbered us every new recruit seemed to want to join them! But its a fascinating period to study and deeply moving. I have an extensive ACW book collection and the photographic images of rows of corpses still shock me when I look at them today. You read about the 'cornfield' at Antietam for example as just one tiny part of a huge encounter yet when you see the bodies of both sides lying in rows in that small field and behind the fences that lined it it gives you an idea of the terrible slaughter that happened there. I guess us wargamers must never loose sight of that. I just cant bring myself to wargame that period.
Right, now I've cheered everyone up I'll shut up!
Lee.
Roy - actually, Snuff being a gal, is mored of a southern belle than a dawg. Sadly she doesn't whistle dixie but I thought I heard her gently humming "All quiet along the Potomac" the other day - Britain'd Got Talent beckons...
Lee - I have been hooked on the ACW since the early sixties when my brother and I bought our first box of Airfix soldiers. Of course as he was older than me he chose the Rebs so I have always been Union and now could not even contemplate playing the Rebs! It was a terrible war (not that there are ever any non-terrible ones) but it has always been my joint favourite wargame period along with Napoleonics.
Ian
So what rules do you use for ACW then Ian??
Roy
Roy - My brother and I have a couple of sets of house rules, one for our old 15mm armies (now sold) and our 1/300th armies. The 1/300th set is of course called "Brother against Brother" coined long before the commercial set of the same name. I also like Fire & Fury but must confess I have only ever played one game using those rules! I have a small 15mm F&F Union force.
Lee - I meant to say that you shouldn't be embarrassed about the ACW renactments. I used to go each year (back in the 90's) to the American Museum in Bath to watch the excellent mock ACW battles put on there!
Ian
Hi Ian,
The American Museum brings back many memories of battling up and down that steep hill! Lovely place. I recall my first time there marching at the rear of the Union column from the campsite to the Museum with the colours fluttering up ahead and the 'boys' singing 'Battle Cry of Freedom' with gusto, it moved me so deeply I felt a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes... very odd experience that was. I met an American guy there with a genuine Springfield rifle that had been used during the war by his ancestor and that he was using for re enactment, another of those shiver down the spine moments.
Have you ever tried Johnny Reb? Great set of rules and I used them extensively before re-eneacting sort of killed off my enthusiasm to wargame the period. If you ever fancy looking at JR2 (the best version) I've got an old boxed set sitting here doing nothing and I'd be happy to let you have them as a gift to a fellow period enthusiast.They really are superb and give a brilliant game at regimental level.
Lee.
Lee.
Hi Lee - I guess that means I may have even seen you in action! I've never played Jonny Reb so may get back to you on that...
Ian
WOW, I was just relaxing at home watching the movie "Gettysburg" and checking up on my wargames blogs when I happened upon the picture in this post. Art imitates life.
Hi Dave - Spooky or what eh?
Ian
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