Preparing to resume the American Civil War.

My American Civil War armies are ready to go, actually they are ready to go back to Cyprus with me after a stay in the UK.  My intention is to continue the Fredricksburg Monitor's coverage of the Civil War, following the fortunes of Parson Farthingdale's Company of the 11th Massachusetts, dealing with the war battle by battle.

The Parson has no less than six groups of eight men, and a skirmish group of six, all counting as raw recruits.  The Company has one Captain, a "Lootenant" and a Sergeant Major.  Their performance during my battle on 17th May 1861 at the Cub Run indicates that they have a long way to go.  In that fight the Sergeant Major was killed so I have generated another, raised from the ranks by the Parson, using my random generator, "Character of a Man" table. 


The newly painted Confederates are also ready (pending a dip)  Major Quincy Ewing Whitemoore's Texicans are stronger than the Union forces, at seven Groups of good aggressive troops and one skirmish group, as well as two groups of Zouaves and their skirmishers.

The multi based units are EM4 Miniatures, whilst the single based are from the newer Perry Confederates, excellent figures.  I splashed out on Perry metal skirmishers for this ACW setup, but used plastic Officers and Sergeants.

Doctor Sigmund Friend's Character of a Man Table

The Doctor is studying nervous disorders in the general population and specifically within the Military Man.   He believes that he has discovered a simple table that can tell us the nature of a man's character, merely by rolling a dice upon it.  Turns out Dr Friend is also a bit of a drinker!

The character of a man table
Use 2d6. WHITE and BLACK. 

1.1    Gambling debt
1.2    Got a lady into trouble
1.3    An argument with a fellow officer
1.4    Repeatedly found drunk with the company mule
1.5    Enamoured of Miss Kitten from the cat house
1.6    Intolerant Religious indignation at fellow officers
2.1    A fervent and fanatical abolitionist, or Slave Owner
2.2    Owes monies to serious people at home
2.3    Angry and ill tempered
2.4    A bone idle fellow, always asleep
2.5    Regularly smokes a pipe of exotic herb
2.6    Suffers from gastric windage.
3.1    A game leg, origins unclear
3.2    Harbours a secret love for his Sergeant
3.3    A terrified poltroon
3.4    A rash, impetuous heroic idiot
3.5    A quiet thinker, liable to snap at any minute.
3.6    Talks to himself as another persona
4.1    Has a thick country (or over cultured) accent
4.2    A Mummy's boy, won't do any work
4.3    An innocent. Believes everything he hears.
4.4    A psychotic, who fixes murderously on one thing.
4.5    A hobbyist, obsessed with catching butterflies etc…
4.6    A thief who steals indiscriminately
5.1    A bully, who shouts and busters
5.2    A dangerous bastard who is skilled in violence,
5.3    A weasel of a man,
5.4    A Braggart and bully.
5.5    A dandy with a dress sense
5.6    A fine dancin’ man for the ladies.
6.1    Poor cross - eyed fellow with a fine moustache.
6.2    A portly, eatin’ man, with a heroic appetite.
6.3    A bible reader, always ready with a quote
6.4    A Jewish tailor’s boy, with fine manners
6.5    An exiled Russian Nobleman, “skilled in the Wars.“
6.6    A real joker, it's the way he tells ‘em.

Newly Promoted Sergeant Major Link Hogthrob McGork
(Owes monies to serious people at home)  McGork is an Irishman from the Bronx in New York.  He is a fine strapping fellow, who has fought barefisted in the ring in the Madison Gardens and the Bowery.  Word in the Company is that the new Sergeant Major "borrowed" hundreds of dollars from the Five Points waterfront gangs.  He seems to have a paranoia about anyone from New York.  he is not a religious man in the manner of the Parson, and has nothing but contempt for the dithering "Lootenant" Fluster.