Comanches!!

As promised, I have managed a few acceptable pictures of my Comanches by Conquest Miniatures. They are very nice figures with lots of extras to add on. I ordered some extra weapon packs, though I really could not make the cast lance heads work. I ended up using brass wire which I pounded flat and shaped (a bit) on my anvil.

I have twenty of these, plus a mounted acrobat, which I'll use as two ten figure units and a leader for my Lewis and Clark game.

Things are shaping up figure-wise. I'm down to having eleven mounted figures, plus thirteen dismounted figures to paint. I'm hoping to have all the dismounted figures completed before I leave on vacation on Sunday.

Casey Jones and Men He Left Behind

Sometimes scenarios just don't go quite the way we plan them. Mark Waddington had a playtest on Saturday of his Enfilade East Africa game. It's a World War I game with lots of cool Germans and Askaris and British and their imperial hangers on. Most importantly, it has a train. The Germans are raiding the Brits, with eyes on destroying their headquarters and blowing up the train tracks. The British goal is to prevent all of that. The British start with two units on the board: a unit of unhappy Indian troops, and a unit of pretty good Kings African Rifles. They are reinforced by a many troops and heavy weapons on a train.

The train's role in the game was brief. Bruce Meyer commanding the train simply put it in drive and sped the train and its contents, the British reinforcements through the board and off. Gary Griess and I commanded the two units on the board, and we held on as long as we could (and waved good bye to our friends) as we prepared to hold out against a pile of Germans. Actually, I commanded the KAR and got in a bloody firefight with some sailors and suckered them into an ambush by some hidden Masai auxiliaries, but it looked like my troops were going to have to light out into the bush.


Sorry about the pictures, they're pretty dark.

Ahhhhhh, no pics

Okay, I promised pics of the Comanches, but I don't have any. This week for sure. The good news is that I've been finishing figures pretty quickly. Seventeen of the Comanches are done, and I painted nine of the dismounted Soldados de Cuera. They're border militia types that almost certainly would have been included in the Spanish expedition to capture Lewis and Clark.

Progress is good.

Quick update

It's been a week since my last post. I've been working on my Comanches, and I hoped I'd have some to share by this time. I've made progress on all twenty foot figures and finished a couple of them. I should be finishing them in batches of four or five per night. Unfortunately I've had a busy weekend and things just didn't get done as I planned.

This is the second year I've missed out on Salute hosted by the Trumpeter's Club in Vancouver, B.C. I really miss it, but it conflicts with the WJEA state convention and competitions and my students rightfully expect me to be there. There are great guys, those I consider my friends in the Trumpeters Club and I feel quite sheepish not being there to support them. Unfortunately there isn't much I can do at this point.

Conquest Miniatures: Comanches

I'm coming off a deadline week, so not much to report on Lewis and Clark progress. However, last night I felt compelled to run out and pick up some wire so I could begin to assemble the Conquest Comanches I received in the mail. Yeah, I have Spaniards I'm still painting, but I thought this would be useful and give me a break.

First, let me just say that Eric R., the owner of Conquest has a grand vision for modeling many Native American topics. He has a full range of Woodland Indians, a range for the Seminole Wars, and has some flat gorgeous figures for the plains-though that project hasn't advanced very far. I think, that as a small producer, his real life has overtaken his ambition, and his projects are resting on the back burner.

What do I mean? It took a while to get my order, and he had to assemble figures and accessories into a bubble wrap bag and it was kind of messy. On the other hand he was apologetic about the delay and included a few extra figures as well as a gorgeous Comanche acrobat, mounted figure. So, it was all good.

The figures are quite beautiful, and full of detail. Whether it s the feathers in the hair, the necklaces or the bone breastplates, these miniatures have lots of character. Most of the figures I ordered have open hands, and can hold the extra weapons I ordered. There are some great hand weapon-various warclubs, bow and quiver. The gunpowder weapons sprue is just beautiful, with flintlock muskets and pistols as well as later 19th century weapons as well. The tips are also available for spears, together with feathers to decorate them with.

I opted for the spears, and hoped to make them out of florist wire. I'd read about this on TMP and picked some up at Michael's on the way home from work. Usually I use steel or brass wire, but because there is no longer a shop in Puyallup that sells such basic material, I decided to try the craft shop. I brought it home and for whatever reason found it would not bind with CA glue to the spearpoint. Off to Parkland I went, and opted for brass wire. When I brought it home I cut it to usable lengths and took it out to the garage and pounded the spearpoints into shape. I spent the rest of last night assembling the minis and getting the ready to prime. All in all it took about three hours.

I hope finish the Spaniards I'm working on by Monday and get started on the Comanches. Maybe post pictures next weekend.

Figures for the Corps of Discovery

Coming up with figures for the Corps of Discovery can be maddening. First there is a perception problem that these guys all wandered around in dirty buckskins so anything goes. Wrongo, Buckwheat. The Corps of Discovery was a military expedition and they were issued uniforms. When it was appropriate, they wore them too-when impressing Indians, at Sgt. Floyd's funeral, on Independence Day and New Years Day 1805, and for inspections you can bet they wore their dress regimentals.

Um, what exactly did those look like? Well kind of like this:
These are Old Glory's Mad Anthony Wayne's Legion skirmishing figures. They wear the round hat with bearskin crest, and blue jacket with red facings. There are couple of differences between the Legion and the Corps. First, there aren't any of those funky red, green, yellow or white unit designations in the Corps. The distinctive colored hat band has been replaced by a black silk band. Also the plume is gone and replaced by a bucktail. The hat also has white tape around the edging. The trousers are white in summer and blue in "winter." I used both just to keep things interesting. I chose to use just ten in uniform. They would have been out of place during a normal day. However, they also serve the purpose of being the guys with smoothbore muskets and bayonets. Much of the party was rifle armed.

There were three squads of infantry in the Corps of Discovery, each commanded by a sergeant. I used the NCO figures, plus the kneeling guys in the skirmishing pack. None of these were particularly fun to paint. There isn't anything special about them.

The figures represent Sgts. Pryor, Gass and Ordway from left to right. Ordway was the only sergeant with regular army experience, and was left in charge if the captains were away from camp.

One of the only civilians in the expedition was a half-French, half Indian named George Drouillard. Drouillard was an incredibly important member of the expedition. He was a very talented woodsman, scout and hunter, and the expedition's best shot. He also knew Native American sign language, which helped him interpret the gestures of many different cultures. Drouillard appeared in many of the Corps' tight spots where he behaved with such bravery that Lewis asked that he receive an extra five dollars per month for his service when the captain made his final report to the War Department. One of the very first mountain men, Drouillard was killed by the Blackfeet in 1810. I've used one of the Foundry Mountain Men figures to represent Drouillard.

In 1803, on his way to Camp DuBois, the winter encampment near St. Louis, he made stops in Kentucky to recruit unmarried men who were good woodsmen and used to physical hardship. The volunteers he found were called the "nine young men from Kentucky." Without exception, they distinguished themselves time and again. Though they were mustered in to the regular army, received army pay and served under army regulations, there wasn't sufficient time to fit them with regular army dress. Both Michael Haynes and the U.S. Army website show them as having their own uniform of a gray roundabout, with blue or white overalls. they wear a round hat without the bearskin crest. They probably carried their own Kentuck rifles, and hence no bayonet. The figures are militia from the War of 1812 range. I've filed down the tall top hats (probably not enough.) The brims have the white tape, and should also have a cockade. the figures should probably have their coattails further shortened.
The figure in the middle wears a linen undress smock

It is likely that most of the men would have worn undress attire or civilian clothing when they were out of the barracks or traveling. The work they did each day was difficult, whether it was hunting, foraging, wading, cutting would, poling or cordelling (pulling the keelboat.) It would have taken a toll on their clothes. By the time the expedition left the Fort Mandan in the winter of 1805, clothes would have begun to wear out. We know that the the weather on the Columbia was so wet it literally rotted the clothing off their backs. On the return trip the Corps would have been dressed in buckskins, saving brass buttons and other articles as trade items for food. The last picture is an example of some of the other figures I've used to represent men of the Corps of Discovery. The figure on the left with a blunderbuss is another Foundry mountain man. The rest are all Front Rank figures from the their American Revolution range. In addition I have minute men from the Old Glory and Foundry AWI ranges, and even a few Canadian militia from the OG French and Indian War range (their caps make great American forage caps, and their smock-like dress looks like summer undress.)

There were 51 men in the Corps of Discovery that made their way upriver to the Mandan villages. Far fewer were in the permanent party that made their way to the Pacific Coast. These are some easily available options for you to use if you think this period may interest you.

Corps of Discover, Pt. 2: The Teton Sioux

Thomas Jefferson gave Captain Meriwether Lewis these instructions regarding the Indians the expedition would encounter:

"You will endeavor to make yourself acquainted as far as a diligent pursuit of your journey shall admit, with names of the nation & their number."

The leaders of the Corps of Discovery were thus tasked as ethnographers, entrusted with preparing the ground for the traders and trappers who would follow. However the president was also fully aware that conflict was possible, and reminded Lewis that his chief responsibility was to bring the mission back safely, and not risk its destruction.

Jefferson gave instructions regarding one tribe only, the Teton Sioux, whom we know as the Lakota:

"On that nation we wish most particularly to make a favorable impression, because of their immense power . . .(the Sioux) are desirous of being on the most friendly terms with us. . ."

Jefferson had heard the stories of the Teton Sioux’s great power. Able to line both sides of the river with warriors armed with bows and trade muskets, they were able to virtually halt French and Spanish traders on the river unless the proper “toll” was paid.

By the end of August 1804, the Corps of discovery sailed, rowed, poled and dragged their little flotilla up the Missouri River. The Corps met with many Indian tribes: the Omaha and Otoes, the Kansas and Yankton Sioux. Each meeting seemed to take on the same form. The men of the Corps would dress in their finest uniforms and parade under the American flag. The Captains would honor the local leaders and promise what would come-trade goods and the protection of the United States. All that was asked was peaceful relations as white flooded across their hunting lands (oops, that’s me being cynical.)

Then the Corps would show off their power-musket displays, Lewis would fire his air rifle, they would demonstrate burning glasses, and fire the keelboat’s swivel. Finally the Corps would offer presents of tobacco, kettles, peace medals, and flags, occasionally a little whiskey, while the Indians pleaded their poverty.

In what is now Cedar County, Nebraska on August 30, 1804, they met with the Yankton Sioux, and Ar Ca We Char Che, a chief among this tribe, spoke of the other Sioux bands, they could be persuaded to peace:

"But I fear those nations above [upriver] will not open their ears, and you cannot I fear open them . . ."

The Corps’ encounter with the Lakota began on September 23rd near the present location of Pierre, S.D. Two small boys brought word to the captains that about 80 lodges were located a short distance up river. The following day began inauspiciously when Pvt. John Colter brought word that a band of Sioux had stolen one of the two horses used by the expedition. This word arrived as Lewis and Clark prepared to meet with the Sioux leaders. They sent word to the Sioux that this meeting would not occur until the horse was returned. A Sioux leader, Buffalo Medicine, invoking the rule of plausible deniability, knew nothing about the horse.

The crisis broke the next day. Lewis and Clark were visited by the Sioux leaders where they offered them whiskey and other presents. Clark stated that they also showed ‘many curiosities.” The Sioux became “troublesome” as they either became drunk or feigned drunkenness and demanded more presents. Both banks of the Missouri were crowded with Sioux, including many warriors. The captains refused further gifts and took the Sioux leaders, Black Buffalo and the Partisan to shore in a pirogue. Clark, with only a small escort, was quickly surrounded, and Black Buffalo took hold of the pirogue’s painter rope. Clark wrote:

"Stateing he hand not recved presents Sufficient from us, his justures were of Such a personal nature I feldt my Self Compelled to Draw my Sword, [NB: and made a Signal to the boat to prepar for action] at this motion Capt. Lewis ordered all under arms in the boat, those with me also Showed a Disposition to Defend themselves and me, the grand Chief then took hold of the roop & ordered the young warrers away, I felt my Self warm and Spoke in verry positive terms."

Black Buffalo finally did avoid a disastrous conflict, but the following two days of contact between the Sioux and the Corps were surrounded by mutual distrust and enmity. On the 28th, they attempted to take their leave, but found themselves surrounded by 200-300 warriors whose leaders demanded more presents. With considerable chest thumping by both sides the three vessels finally made their way upriver toward the Mandan villages, near today’s Bismarck, N.D.

The conflict with the Sioux did not end there. On February 14th Lewis sent four men with two horses and sleighs out into the frigid weather to bring in meat cached by hunters. They were surrounded by 106 Sioux warriors that took their horses. The next day Clark took a party of twelve men on foot in pursuit of the Sioux. However, with their day’s head start, Clark had little hope of catching them. Instead he found the place where the meat was burned. The party returned on the 21st with two sleighs of meat, but the pursuit was fruitless.

A week later a French trader made his way to Fort Mandan with word that the Sioux threatened war against the Mandan and the Arikara, whom the Corps had visited earlier. Sgt. John Ordway wrote in his journal:

". . .they Say if they catch any more of us they will kill us for they think we are bad medicine and Say that we must be killed . . ."

Though the Corps and the Sioux never did come to serious conflict, their encounters were ever unfriendly. The Sioux viewed the Corps of Discovery as a direct challenge to their pre-eminence over Missouri River traffic. Their promise of extending their protection to other tribes such as the Omahas, the Mandans, Hidatsas and Arikaras threatened their standing as the most powerful tribe on the plains. Though the Corps managed to avoid further conflict with the Sioux on the return journey, the chemistry on the plains was already shaken. The Arikaras were allied with the Lakota and had attacked the Mandans. Previously peacefully disposed toward the whites, the death of their leader while he was visiting Jefferson in Washington D.C. turned them against the Americans. As the Corps raced down the River toward St. Louis and home they passed the Sioux camp. Clark stopped and met with three young warriors on an island near shore:

"This Chief I knew very well to be the one we had seen with his band at Teton river which band had attempted to detain us in the fall of 1804 as we assended this river and with whome we wer near comeing to blows. I told those Indians that they had been deef to our councils and ill treated us as we assended this river two years past, that they had abused all the whites who had visited them since. I believed them to be bad people & Should not Suffer them to cross to the Side on which the party lay, and directed them to return with their band to their Camp, that if any of them come near our camp we Should kill them certainly. . . after we passd. him he returned on the top of the hill and gave 3 Strokes with the gun [NB?: on the earth—this is swearing by the earth] he had in his hand this I am informed is a great oath among the indians"

Though the expedition avoided conflict with the Sioux, it is clear the latter regarded the Corps as the first of many whites who might upset the power structure on the plains, one the Sioux dominated. The subsequent harassment and threats throughout the Mandan winter was a clear indication that the tensions between the Corps and the Sioux were high, and could have erupted into warfare. Despite their caution Lewis and Clark were ready to fight. Ahhh, the makings of a scenario

Lewis and Clark Resources

Lewis and Clark, like Abraham Lincoln, like the American Civil War and so many other topics in American history have spawned an extensive collection of literature. Some of it may be helpful to those with an interest in the military aspects of the expedition, but much, while fascinating, is not useful. I'd like to offer some suggested reading.

First-always first-are Lewis and Clark's journals. There were several different editions of these journals-first Nicholas Biddle, then Elliott Coues, and lastly Reuben Gold Thwaites. These have all been superseded by those edited by Gary Moulton at the University of Nebraska. Twelve volumes, about 50-60 bucks a pop (except for the Atlas which is volume one at $175.) I know because I own them all. However there's been a recent development. These are all on-line, thanks to the National Endowment for the Humanities and the University of Nebraska Press, among others.

The journals are very searchable by date, so you do kind of need to know what you're looking for. The atlas is also available and very easy to use. (Mine is enormous and I can only look at it on the kitchen table.) The site is also chock full of great illustrations, audio files, you name it. I spend hours there. It is an incredible gift to those interested in the Corps of Discovery.

Another equally wonderful on-line resource is the U.S. Army's site devoted to the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial. It covers the Army's activities during the bicentennial (2003-2006.) However it also provides little snapshots about every member of the Corps of Discovery from the captains to the NCO's and enlisted personnel, to the boatment who hired on. There is also a great little section devoted to uniforms and what the men might have worn when they weren't in dress blues. It's another site that is totally worth your time.

I've added both these sites to my list of useful links.

Last, but not least, I'd encourage you to take a look at the historic art of Michael Haynes. He has done a fabulous job of capturing Lewis and Clark on canvas. He has a series of Osprey-like color plates, and then has gone on to illustrate the Corps in its various contexts, whether recruiting at Fort Massac in 1803, breaking a mast on the keelboat, or stuck in the Dismal Niche at the mouth of the Columbia. I've also included this link. You should find it useful to determine what the soldiers wore and the equipment they carried. Haynes also illustrated a wonderful book on the Corps of Discovery called Tailor Made, Trail Worn by Robert J. Moore, Jr. Not a cheapie by any means, but I've gotten a lot of use out of it as I work on this project. It's available from Amazon.

Lewis and Clark progress

I've made some progress this weekend on the Lewis and Clark project. First up are soldiers from the Spanish Louisiana Regiment. These are your basic Spanish infantry in Europe and in North America. Their uniforms had not changed appreciably from the Seven Years War. These are soldiers Lewis would have encountered in St. Louis during his winter at Camp DuBois when he made his way into town. The Spanish passed authority over to the French and then the Americans March 9-10, 1804. While it is unclear whether line fusiliers would have taken part in a pursuit of the Corps of Discovery, I decided to include them. They look nice and regular infantry steadies the militia and Indians. I'm really pleased with how they turned out--perhaps my best painted figures since the early 90's.

The miniatures are from the Spanish range by London War Room. TLWR has an entire range of 18th century Spanish figures that are impressive. All my Spaniards will come from this range. Unfortunately, it seems that The London War Room will soon be gone, which is quite sad. They were always a pleasure to work with.

The next couple of figures are of my scratch-built keelboat. The work on this was done entirely by Mark Waddington, my good friend, and expert model builder. I included articles and a whole series of pictures of the keelboat in December. I will be adding a couple more vessels to Captain Lewis's flotilla in the not too distant future. The keelboat was accompanied by a pair of large dugout canoes called pirogues. I am not going to go the scratchbuilt route with these. I'm going to use two of the longboats from Merrimack Shipyards by Old Glory. These look nice, and will serve the purpose after mounting them with a mast and small swivel cannon.

Last, I've included a picture of my Lewis and Clark figures on top of the sterncastle of the keelboat. Yes indeed, these are real live Lewis and Clark figures that are purpose-built. The figures are based on a Michael Haynes painting of Lewis and Clark on the trail attired in how they might have appeared in their undress uniforms. It is certain that the two officers had many extra sets of clothing, including extra dress coats and cocked hats that they gave away on the trail, exchanging them for food, a canoe, and horses. When the expedition was over, Lewis presented the government with a bill for $135 for a dirk, a pistol and many items of officers uniform exchanged with the Indians on the trail.

The figures are from Old Glory, and there is a great story that goes with it. In 2005 Bruce Meyer our NHMGS treasurer was back at Cold Wars, as he is each year, and he invited Russ Dunaway out to be our guest at Enfilade. When Russ agreed it was quite a coup. We knew he'd tell the world about our little convention. Russ, in his generosity, also wanted to do something special for us, and he asked if there was a figure he model for us with a Northwest theme. Being quickest on the draw, I suggested Lewis and Clark, and so it was agreed. I possess the only known stash of these babies, where they live in my garage. They were gifts we gave to those who pre-registered, hosted games, or volunteered in some other way.


Lewis is in green and Clark is in blue. They were such an interesting team. Lewis was the visionary, the organizer, the naturalist. He was a bit of a dreamer, and a bit short-tempered with those who didn't share his view. Lewis was almost certainly mentally-ill, self evident through his suicide in 1809. However, we can see his mood change in the voyage home when he becomes more combative with the Indians who hover about the expedition on the upper Columbia, stealing tools, even stealing Lewis's Newfoundland dog Seaman. (That's what I really need is a Seaman miniature!!!) William Clark is the younger brother of George Rogers Clark and was Lewis's commanding officer in the army. He is more laid back, a man of judgment and a good balance to his partner's occasional rashness. His talent is on the river as a boatman, and he is the surveyor of the expedition. The maps he made of the upper Missouri and out to the Pacific are known for their incredible accuracy.

The Case for Corps of Discovery, pt. 1

I've moved on to my new project. Yes, you could see it coming. I'm working on my Lewis and Clark project. Yes, I hear your protests, this was a peaceful expedition. However this was luck; luck because both the captains used good enough judgment to avoid a serious incident with the Indians. Luck because the vastness of the Great Plains was too great to allow their Spanish pursuers to find them.

There are four hypothetical conflicts that make the Lewis and Clark expedition a viable subject for miniature wargaming, and here I'll take on the first.

When Thomas Jefferson signed on the dotted line to purchase the Louisiana Territory from France it was the end (sort of) of a long and bitter process to secure New Orleans and control the mouth of the Mississippi River. As more settlers spilled over the Alleghenies into the Kentucky and Ohio territories, and Indian resistance was largely ended with the Treaty of Greenville in 1795, western farmers and traders poured their products down the Ohio to the Mississippi River through the port facilities at New Orleans. At this time Spain controlled East and West Florida, Louisiana, and the prize of New Orleans. Louisiana and its chief port were ceded to Spain as part of the Treaty of Paris which ended the French and Indian War in 1763.

Though the United States importuned Spain repeatedly throughout the early Federal period about ceding these territories to the new nation, the Spanish were adamant in retaining them. Though American agents threatened seizure, Spanish officials saw the future: America was an expansionist power in North America and rolling over to their demands would lead to only more demands and further expansion. Spain negotiated trade regulations with the U.S., but New Orleans and Louisiana would remain Spanish.

When Napoleon seized power as First Consul in 1800, one of the first things he did was to cast an eye toward the New World, particularly the lost French empire of Louisiana. He wangled a deal with the Spanish in which he traded the Italian territory of Etruria to the Duke of Parma for Louisiana. This was approved by the Spanish king's adviser, Manuel Godoy, on the condition that Louisiana not be transferred or sold except to Spain. Napoleon's minister, the wily Talleyrand, obligingly said yes, and Spain agreed to take possession in 1803.

However Napoleon's plans to begin a new empire in the Western Hemisphere were wrecked amid the the yellow fever that killed 50,000 French troops fighting the slave insurrection on Haiti. With events heating up in Europe, the First Consul had less interest in sending military force to Louisiana.


Jefferson's emissaries persisted in their efforts to acquire New Orleans at a heated intensity as the Spanish withdrew the "right of deposit" from Americans trading through that port. Word on the frontier was that westerners would form a militia to take the city themselves. American regular forces began to mass at key points along the Mississippi, and Spanish troops began fortifying places such as Natchez and Chickasaw Bluffs.

In the summer of 1803 the Spanish received the shocking news that France had sold New Orleans and the immense vastness of Louisiana to the Americans. With its huge undefined borders the Americans acquired the means to hold a gun to the head of New Spain. Already negotiating with the Spanish for a passport to explore the upper reaches of the Missouri for a dozen or so men, Jefferson again requested that a somewhat larger expedition on Meriwether Lewis be permitted to cross Spanish territory on an exploring mission.

The Spanish were quite fearful of the military expedition and the threat it posed to Spanish possessions in New Mexico. The source for the knot of rivers that converged with the Missouri was unknown, and were believed to perhaps originate in what is now the Colorado Rockies, then an important part of New Spain and not far from Santa Fe, its capital.

When Lewis assembled his Corps of Discovery, he wisely located it at Camp Dubois on the east bank of the Mississippi River, just downstream from St. Louis. It Spanish control until November of 1803, passing to French control at that time, before reverting to American sovereignty in early 1804. Though his relations with the Spanish commander were friendly, it was equally clear his status as a military commander and expedition leader was one of a rival, and Lewis's plans were reported to the Spanish governor of Louisiana, Charles Delassus.

Delassus, through his career as Louisiana governor from 1799-1804, deftly maintained peaceful relations with the United States despite their bellicose demands for Spanish territory as well as their liberal interpretations of the borders of American lands. Believing the Lewis and Clark expedition to be a danger to Spanish claims, he authorized a military expedition to set off, intercept the expedition, and arrest its leaders. The composition of the intercepting force is unclear. Richard Dillon, Lewis's biographer states it was about a hundred men composed wholly of militia that unfortunately ran afoul of the Pawnee on its way to the Platte River's intersection with the Missouri. Another source states that the Spanish force was composed wholly of Comanche allies. Yet another has a mix of Spanish troops and Comanches.

In any case, locating the Corps was a bit like finding a needle in the vastness of the American wilderness. It didn't happen. A second expedition was sent out to catch them in their return trip, but again no connection.

It's difficult to speculate what might have happened if the expedition and Spanish had met. Would Lewis have meekly capitulated? Both Meriwether Lewis and William Clark were men of grit and determination, and it's unlikely that they would have ended their mission without a fight. It was well armed, and many of the men were skilled woodsmen and marksmen. However, Jefferson's directions to Lewis required that he avoid putting the Corps into any hazards that might result in its destruction, that the scientific information they were gathering was too important. All the makings of a good hypothetical action

Deadline Weeks are Hard!

We're on deadline this week. I know I use that phrase sometimes, but what does it mean? As a newspaper adviser it means that one week per month we're working hard to get the paper designed and laid out and get it to the publisher. That's chiefly done by my five student editorial board. How does that affect me? I'm the last editor, so I'm busy reading stories. I'm not a designer, though I'd like to learn to use the software so I can help students as they encounter problems.

It does mean some late nights. Last night I left school at 9:00, tonight it will be 10:00, and tomorrow it will be later. It means I have less time to paint, read, sleep, correct papers-you name it. Other restrictions go with the territory too. For the second year in a row, I'll be unable to attend Trumpeter Salute because the state journalism convention is on the same weekend. The latter is something my students really enjoy because of the classes and write off competitions. I love Salute because I get to see my friends, play some games with Doug and spend the weekend in Burnaby.

So, I'll try to squeeze a few minutes of painting here and there. I'm nearly done with the figures for my three small battalions of Washington D.C. militia. I hoped to have them done last weekend, but no such luck. After that I have six HYW figs I want to paint, eight Space 1889 guys, before focusing on Lewis and Clark. I'm also in the middle of drafting some rules for an L and C skirmish game. I'll post pics when I get done.

Tarleton's Quarter Revisited

As I mentioned last week, I've just finished Matthew Springs book, "With Zeal and With Bayonets Only." Springs' work is intended to dispel commonly held beliefs about the formations, and battlefield philosophy of the British army during the American Revolution.

I think there are some basic points that Springs makes that can be easily be summed up in a little list:
1. The British generally fought in open formations with spacing of 18 inches between files rather than the Continental norm of 6 inches. This allowed them to move more quickly through difficult terrain, but made it more difficult to effectively dress lines and and maneuver with other regiments. There are exceptions to this rule, but they are few. American regiments also tended to fight in these formations.
2. Light infantry units tended to be the numbero uno elite regiments. These troops, nicknamed "bloodhounds" were the most active, usually operated on a flank, and in the absence a cavalry arm, became the pursuit force after a broken or retreating enemy.
3. British units in the American Revolution generally did not volley with American untis. It was first fire and then charge with the bayonet.
4. In the American Revolution, the first fire was terrifically important. Because it was typically the best loaded round in a firefight, it would be the best prepared. One great volley fired in defense could completely undo a bayonet charge, as at Cowpens.

In my own rules set for AWI, Tarleton's Quarter, it presumed that the British formations at Cowpens were not unusual. Springs states that they were common, and the British only rarely adopted close order. This may mean a rethinking of the rules, and perhaps eliminate the need for them. I am considering ordering a copy of British Grenadier, which is wildly popular. If they don't do the trick, I may instead go back to Loose Files, which at least treats the unique conditions of fighting a war in America as a unique experience.

ConQuest '09

Today I went off to the fourth ConQuest NW. I didn't go happily. I hadn't gotten much buzz about the convention. It's large, multi-genre and frankly those cons are pretty risky. I agreed to run Thunderboats!, but would there be anyone to play it? What would happen after that? I agreed to play in Chris Ewick's DBA open tournament, but I really didn't want to? Finally, and not least, I've been incredibly busy on the weekends the last six weeks or so, and honestly I just needed some down time. I slept about four and half hours, and left the house a seriously unhappy camper.

Fortunately, the best part about conventions is seeing folks I really enjoy, and today was no different. Thunderboats! is a great convention game. I ran five guys through a one heat race in the morning and then participated in a three heat race myself later in the day. It was fun. Randy O'Bannon and his friend Nate, Bill Vanderpool, Mike Snively and I wended our way through three heats. I blew my engine in both of the first two heats, but did manage to finish the final in Miss Spokane. It was fun. There were many nitrous bottles purchased, some of which lit their boats on fire like so many flaming torches.

Another pleasant surprise was a game that I took part in for the late afternoon. Andy Hooper ran a DBA extension game of the Boxer Rebellion. It took a bit of getting used to, avoiding the temptation to melee as a colonial commander. Once I was able to get used to playing a firepower game-as well as a catastrophic string of rolling the dreaded numero uno-it went pretty well. I liked the game, and may investigate what it would take to do something similar for ACW in 15mm or 25mm.

I did run into folks I knew, Gabe Vega, Ed Texeira, Mark Verdeck and others. By the time I left around 4:00 I was exhausted, but was glad I went. Came home and took a nap.

RAFM Figures Arrive: So What?

Hey my first order of the year arrived in the mail today. They are RAFM Space 1889 minis I bought in December for the sale. Why is this important at all? I've declared the new frugality this year, and I'm anxious to see if I have more self control than a starving man locked in a pizza parlor.

I've started working out, and trying to watch what I eat, and I'm hoping this can be part of a larger picture of self-control. It's January 12th-so far so good

New Years Blahs

I can't say 2009 is off to a roaring start. I've pretty much stuck to some personal goals of painting for at least and hour a day. I've gotten some War of 1812 figures done, and am presently making progress on a militia unit for Space 1889. I haven't ordered any new figures, or spent any money on anything I don't need.

However, I haven't done any gaming either. I missed out on Drumbeat last weekend because I helped Casey move. I am going to ConQuest on the 17th, but I confess a lack of enthusiasm. The most lively game activity I'm presently involved with is the Space 1889 campaign, but even that is covered by the Shastapsh blog. Go figure.

I have read two great books that are related to two of my projects. The first is Alexander deConde's This Affair of Louisiana. De Conde wrote the book some thirty years ago during that "blame America" episode, explaining that America throughout its history has been an imperialist nation. One can do whatever one wants with that, but the importance of the book is that it laid out the seriousness of the diplomatic and potential military conflict between the United States and Spain over Louisiana, New Orleans, and its disputed border. It firmly establishes a basis for a series of hypothetical scenarios from 1794 to 1807 or so.

The second book I'm actually not finished with, With Zeal and Bayonets Only: The British Army on Campaign in North America, by Matthew Springs. I'm about a third of the way through its 300 pages. It is a scholarly analysis of the British army and its performance in the American Revolution. Springs discusses war aims, strategies and tactics, and I'm hoping he'll make clear the kinds of formations the British used. Particularly I'm hoping he'll clarify my question whether the British widely used the kinds of open formations Tarleton employed at Cowpens throughout the Southern campaign.