After a rather longer than expected wait, a received my Xmas present - a 40cm high 3d printed tower which will be the Windmill near Prescott, Ontario which the Hunter Patriots defended in their ill-fated attempt to stir rebellion in Canada.
This is still a prominent structure with massive walls which were able to stand the British artillery which was brought up on the day and which was only accessible by a door on the first floor, turning it into a virtual fortress.
Let off the lead today to play a game with Graham H.
We decided to finish off the intermittent Glen Campaign which we have been running. After several skirmishes the two sides faced off near Skene, the town sitting at the gap where the Glen turns into the Valley. Here the three Union commands faced down the two remaining Confederate commands which had taken up position in a sunken road just outside town. This provided a good deal of cover and Graham deployed most of his units along its length, but threw two out behind the cover of a small wheat field in order to blunt the Union advance. I had the advantage of numbers, but most of my command were green recruits, leavened with 3 veteran units and some sharp shooters. Not the 3:1 odds I needed to take a defended position, but I hoped to be able to soak us some damage by not getting into to many firefights....
Pickett's charge....union style!
A wee review of '22.
I was lucky enough to get to the Ray Harryhausen exhibition in January, turning into big kid whilst taking in the wonderful models and illustrations.
February saw the sudden passing of my very good friend and fellow member of Oldmeldrum Wargames Club Mike Travis. A sore loss to his family and to our club. We miss you big guy.
Against Spain was released in February and has been selling slowly but steadily since then.
Some 40mm games set in a fictional offshoot of the Valley.
Restarted the Gordon- Forbes feud.
Met some Wild Geese.. again.....Hi lads!
Changed jobs....thankfully !
Got Covid
Gamed Sikh Wars and 16th Century Scotland
Celebrated 30yrs of Marriage
Visited the Royal Armouries
Sold some figures and bought some to game the Indian Mutiny
Had to look for a new home for the club.....and then not had to move!
Had more more 16th C Scottish games with the Oldmeldrum and Banchory guys and collected and painted figures for the Canadian Rebellion and Afghanistan.
Wrote an article on the Marian Civil War with Angus Konstam and had it and another on Corrichie published in Charles Grant's Wargames Annual. Thank you both!
Got some lovely Xmas Loot.....a paddle steamer, a big windmill, the History of Numenor, and 3 cracking books from Leakies in Inverness purchased today - Wheeler's Santiago Campaign 1898, Carrington's Battles and Battle Maps of the American Revolution and Das Deutsche Bundesheer by Eckert and Monten
It has been an odd year - at times disjointed, at others a steady run. I've more or less completed two full painting projects and written another book. Not done much 18thC gaming but have really enjoyed my forays into the 19th and 16th.
So....looking ahead
Kicking off the new year with game in Forres with Graham H
Publishing Feud
A new role at work
More Wargames shows!!
Gaming the Patriots Rebellion, and "The Recent War with Russia" and some "Spanish in the Isles"...more on these latter later in the year.
Getting back into the swing of a normal and full wargames year, without the disruptions of covid and job hassle.
Turning 50?!
Going back to Memphis and onto Nashville with my lovely wife and her much delayed graduation.
More writing.
Oh and a few other bits and pieces, both planned and fluttery like!
Have a happy Hogmanay when it comes folks......see you in '23.
The Wargamers Annual is now available from Caliver Books. As mentioned in previous posts this includes an article by Angus Konstam and myself on the period and figures which can be used as well as an article on the Battle of Corrichie written by me.
Although not part of my series of Gordon-Forbes feud and outwith the scope of the Marian Civil War we fought the Battle of Glenlivet, 1597 at the club tonight.
The battle was fought between the Catholic Earl of Huntly and his allies, primarily the Earl of Errol, and an army representing King James VI, led by the young Earl of Argyll.
Argylls army was made up of levied Campbell foot armed with pike and shot and highland clansmen and was not a well motivated or well led force. The clansmen were the most effective troops but were no great fans of Argyll and his own men couldn't wait to get to get home.
Huntly and Errol's force was about 50% light horse m the rest was fairly well motivated foot from north east Scotland, mostly Gordon's and their allies but also a battery of 6 guns.
The battle seems to have been an encounter, but Huntly seems to have been aware of Argyll's movements as he was able to deploy his guns in what is not the best terrain for such armaments and use them to effect.
It was Errol who opened the battle, his horse charging the van of Argyll's force - his hand gunners and archers, at high cost while Huntly deployed to some high ground. Argylls levies were hopeless and the only troops to have much effect were the clansmen, the McLeans in particular. The battle went the rebels way and Argyll was defeated, but it changed little. Huntly had to spend time in exile and Errol's castle of Old Slains was destroyed with gunpowder on order of King James.
Our game got off to a false start as I'd allocated levies to Argyll and they melted away without any effect. So we reset things and tried again with them as light foot. The second game was closer. Errol's horse were in the thick of it, but then the Gordon foot became to close and Argyll fell in action bringing a courage test for his battered army. The results were not good and several units broke and fled and what was left wasn't enough to be in any state to continue the game....victory for Gordon and Errol.
