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Rebel Yell!

Writer's picture: Simon MacDowallSimon MacDowall

Having been thrown back after the Battle of Dead Tree Farm, the pro-Union Little Framlingham Militia have found a good place to make a stand to hold off the advancing pro-Confederate New Colchester Volunteers.


‘Major’ Frenchie and Col Sanders ride forward to reconnoiter the terrain ahead. They decide to pin the Union left and advance in strength against their right. Frenchie, resplendent in his personally designed new uniform and riding a recently acquired Palomino (where did he get that from?), rides back to town to rouse his roughnecks from the taverns and to change into more suitable fighting garb.


The Confederate attack opens with Maj Bill Payer leading 3 coys forward against the Union right. They are screened by Lt Chester Drawer’s skirmishers. The skirmishers take heavy casualties but succeed in protecting the advancing New Colchester Volunteers from the worst of the Union fire.


Capt Hans Holding directs the fire of the Union skirmishers which is one of the the 3 coys holding the Union right. Young 2Lt MacDuff (adjutant of the Little Framlingham Militia) shows excellent initiative but, despite their best efforts, the Union troops are unable to dent the ardour of the advancing Confederates.


It takes quite a long time before Frenchie and his band of ne’re-do-wells finally deploy on the Confederate right. It is rumoured that Frenchie may have been distracted as he gathered his men from the local taverns and brothels.


Seeing the Confederate attack building on his right, Maj Stone Waller brings up 3 coys of the Little Framlingham Militia to counter it. Unfortunately for him Col Sanders brings up another two companies of Confederates and gets the better of Waller in the ensuing long-range fire fight. Worse still, a Confederate sharpshooter hits Waller, leaving him knocked out and wounded.


On the Union left flank Cpl Salt’s regulars have run low on ammunition and a pall of smoke hangs over the position to mask the fire of their supporting unit. Frenchie concentrates his rifle-armed skirmishers to engage Salt’s men at a range outside the Union troops’ ability to respond. Casualties mounted up on the Union side.


By this point Maj Bill Payer’s Confederates have come into close range of the Union troops holding their right. They give the Rebel Yell, fire off a volley and charge into hand to hand combat.


Lt Chester Drawers moves his skirmishers to protect Maj Bill Payer’s flank. Although now down to only 2 men they continue to discomfort the Union troops, until all of them are killed. Their bravery will be duly noted in the next edition of the New Colchester News.


Closing into hand to hand combat, the Confederates get the better of it. The Union troops retreat with heavy casualties and Capt Hans Holding’s skirmishers being wiped out. Bravely leading the Confederate attack in person, Maj Bill Payer is killed in the ensuing combat as his men take the Union position. His bravery and sacrifice will also be reported in the New Colchester News.


On the other flank Cpl Salt is knocked out and wounded. His men run after suffering high casualties from the constant fire from Frenchie’s Confederate skirmishers.


The game was played using Sharp Practice rules. It was another Confederate victory. Now Colonel Sanders and ‘Major’ Frenchie look forward to freeing Missouri from the heavy hand of the Federalists and to uphold the State’s right to make its own decisions.


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What a great write-up! I was chuckling whilst reading it, reliving some of the comedic moments the rules created. I think Sharp Practice 2 captures the nature of small-scale black powder battles very well whilst delivering a great narrative game. With two big wins under their belts (although the New Colchester Volunteers took quite a few losses in this last encounter), I imagine Colonel Ernest Sanders and 'Major' Frenchie Simmons fancy they'll be strutting around Jefferson City soon :-)

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Simon MacDowall
Simon MacDowall
2 days ago
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Oh yes indeed. Lots of strutting going on and posing for photo by the gentlemen of the press.

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