A matter of honour

Confederate sympathies in Missouri have been gaining ground after several victories against the Federalists in recent months (see Sneaking Away for the last episode in our Sharp Practice campaign). Col Earnest Sanders, Commanding Officer of the Confederate New Colchester Volunteers feels he can afford to take some time out to deal with business further south. As it turns out there is new trouble brewing.

It has come to light that when Mr. A. Sneak was rescued from the clutches of the Unionists at Hog Farm, he took with him some intimate items belonging to a Miss Caroline Tart — rumoured to be Col Kitchen’s mistress, something the good Colonel vehemently denies. Fearing that there may be some correspondence amongst Miss Tart’s finery that could be misconstrued, he dispatches his 2iC Major Stone Waller to recover Miss Tart’s possessions. Feeling it best to distance himself from this tawdry affair, Col Kitchen takes his good lady wife with him on a tour to drum up support for the flagging Union cause in Missouri.

Frenchie Simmons denies any involvement in the incident or of having any connection with the lady in question despite reports of him being seen in her company in recent days.

Acting swiftly, Major Stone Waller leads detachments of the Union Little Framlingham Militia to protect the honour of Col Kitchen and Miss Tart and to recover the lady’s stolen possessions. He is reluctantly supported by Major McKeen’s Missouri Volunteers who feel this is a local matter and not a brawl for them to get seriously engaged in.

Frenchie Simmons, dons his best dress uniform and promotes himself to Lieutenant Colonel so he can command the New Colchester Volunteers in Col Sanders’ absence. He then prepares to defend Three Dog Farm where Miss Tart’s possessions have been sequestered.

Major Bill Payer deploys two companies of the New Colchester Volunteers behind a barricade on the Confederate right. Hans Holding’s Union skirmishers advance on them through the woods and begin to open fire.

The Confederates respond with a devastating volley that wipes out Hans Holding’s company to a man. Eight sixes are not what one wants to roll when a saving throw of 6 causes a man to be killed!

Encouraged by this, Lt Daniels leads his Confederate skirmishers up to the top of a hill to engage the other Union troops on the Confederate right but Daniels’ men get the worst of the firefight and withdraw back behind the hill to recover. Scarred by the destruction of Hans Holding’s company the Union troops are reluctant to advance from the cover of the woods.

On the other flank Maj. Stone Waller attempts to move around the Confederate left to get into position to launch an assault on the defences of Three Dog Farm.

His advance is hindered by the woods which slows his movement  and also by Lt Chester Drawers’ Confederate skirmishers who pick off his men one by one until a company is forced to withdraw and another is sorely worn down.

By the time Maj. Stone Waller’s men are in position to engage the defenders of Three Dog Farm they are so worn down to make an assault impractical. They have no choice other than to withdraw from the field.

The Confederates have again won the day. Frenchie Simmons contemplates using some of the fripperies from Miss Tart’s possessions to adorn his uniform appropriate to his new self-proclaimed rank of Lt Colonel. He reads her diaries with interest and then burns them.