Kingmaker Cyprus, turn 2

Last time in Kingmaker Cyprus:

Sir Clugney did very little,
Sir Richard got himself killed,
Sir Roland won a battle and had the Bastard crowned King
Sir Gilbert lost a battle, a holy penis and most of his wealth,
Sir Gaston won the above,
Sir Conrad quickly joined the winning side and had his pet Bishop crown the Bastard.

Turn 2

Sir Clugney draws a free move.  He takes his retinue along the coast road to Lemesos.  Clugney is a cunning old devil and his presence here threatens Kolossi Castle and Lemesos, fiefs controlled by Sir Conrad and the House of Richard. (Sir Richard himself was killed in battle last turn and a head of the house will appear next turn)  Clugney does not submit to the new king, since he expects an heir with a better claim to come along.  He ends his move by drawing “il Antonio di Venetzia,” a Holk, or mercenary Great-ship.  He is obviously blocking the port of Lemesos using this great round hulk. Clugney is Admiral of Cyprus, and controls three other ships.  His fleet moves to gather outside the port.
Admiral of Cyprus: Lemesos
Ship  il Bassanio di Genoa (Mercenary) (Galleass)
Ship: Le Roi de Jerusalem of Famagusta (Galleass)
Ship:  La Belle de Kyrenia (Galleass)
Ship: il Antonio di Venetzia, Holk.

The House of Richard are gathered in Pergamos where the new head of the family is being appointed to the Lordship.  The event card dictates that one of the Family departs on Crusade.  Sir William is the only Knight left in the House of Richard, and he duly swears his crusader oath and departs.  Lemesos is being threatened by Clugney but the House of Richard has been weakened and does nothing.  The Crown card drawn is the de Luisignan Prince, the direct heir to the throne.  The House of Richard just placed a target on their backs and the reason for William’s disappearance on Crusade becomes evident.

Sir Roland shocked to hear of a challenge to his newly crowned King of Cyprus draws “Mountain Storms block the passes.  He is in Nicosia with his ally Sir Conrad.  Clugney is threatening his holding at Kolossi castle and his ally in Lemesos.  Worse is the appearance of the Prince and heir in Pergamos.  Braving the Mountain Storms Roland takes his retinue to Pergamos and sets up a siege camp around his old enemies of the House of Richard.  He loses 10AP to the storms.  His crown card draw is a holdings card.  A Byzantine Armourer joins his retinue.

Sir Gilbert is recovering from a humiliating defeat by Sir Gaston.  He has also lost his Holy Relic, the Penis of St Donald.  the sacred Trump due to the odd noises the mumified member makes.  He draws “Skirmish: the Messenger.”  I was at a loss to come up with a game for this until I looked at the crown card draw.  “Prince of Antioch.”  It transpires that Sir Gilbert has been appointed as Prince of Antioch, a pretty much honorific title, since the city of Antioch is currently held by the Turks.  Still Sir Gaston and Sir Gilbert are arch enemies, and Gaston will try to stop any messenger.  Game on...   

The Messenger: Lion Rampant Skirmish Game

Old enemies, Gilbert and Gaston.

 Gilbert is trapped by Gaston's Crossbowmen in a narrow lane.   He loses three knights.
The Crossbowmen are wiped out a bound later as Gilbert's Mounted Sergeants charge them.

Gilbert is caught on the road and killed by Gaston.  The Messenger is captured.  The House of Gilbert is wiped out for two turns.  Gaston wins five victory points.

Skirmish on the Cub Run July 18, 1861

Report from the Fredericksburg Monitor July 19 1861.

Blackburn's Ford July 19, 1861.  "The Federal 1^st Massachusetts, dressed in Grey uniforms left Centreville at 5am, marching into the woods.  The skirmishers advanced under Lieut.-Col. Wells, and encountered the enemy almost at once as they approached Blackburn Ford.  The Forces of the Confederacy opened a galling fire of musketry or rifles, but without attempting to advance, and seemed only inclined to dispute the passage of the Bull Run, which they evidently supposed the Union Forces intended to make at that point."

Skirmish on the Cub Run July 18, 1861

In the meantime a company had been advanced to take and hold the passage over the Cub Run, to defend the left flank of General Tyler`s advance.  These were of the 11^th Massachusetts, under Captain Floyd “Parson” Farthingdale.   The company calling themselves the “Parsons’s Flock” advanced over open ground to the ford. 

Lieutenant Winfield Armstrong Fluster was sent forward into the woods across the Cub Run leading the “Parson’s” skirmishers. 

Lieut Fluster discovered the enemy, as he supposed ; but having seen the grey of the 1st Massachusetts Regiment, and being a ditherer and a stutterer,  fearing to give the order to fire, lest he might shoot some of our own men, he ran forward, exclaiming, "Wwwho are yyyyou ? "

The Texican Sergeant, Jubal Krebbs a notoriously rough man called back almost the same question,  "So who the f*ck are you? "

When Lieut. Fluster  incautiously and with some pride responded, "We are Massachusetts men."  A great volley of musketry was immediately loosed by the Texans causing him to fall to the ground.  Here however the Gallant Lieutenant drew a formidable hand gun from his oversized holster, and loosed a shot in return, the recoil of which once again knocked him to his posterior.

Fluster’s men began to withdraw, firing as they did so, awaiting the rest of the Company’s arrival in support.

Hearing the shooting that had now commenced between Fluster’s Skirmishers and the Texicans the Parson ordered his men over the Cub Run along the road for the Island Ford over the Bull Run.  The terrain was difficult but he deployed into a loose Company line and made his way forward. 

A map of the action.

The 11th Massachusetts cross the Cub Run but are blocked by a ravine.  The Texas company of Cocke's Brigade use the ravine as cover and can volley three units to the single unit that the Union try to push forward.

After the Union company had gone some distance along the Island Ford Road they came across a gully, or dry ravine, which extended downwards in the direction of Bull Run.  Across the Gulley and using the terrain to advantage were the 2^nd Texas under Major Quincy Ewing Whitemoore. The Texas men were ordered to level their pieces and to take aim.

The Parson`s flock found themselves exposed to a murderous fire from the ravine.  Each man covered himself as well as possible, and sought for an opportunity to return the fire.  But at first the enemy were completely invisible.  They poured in volley after volley, managing to remain concealed themselves.

At this juncture the Parson shouted “Testify to the Lord Brothers,” and charged forward firing his .44 Navy Colt upon the several places where the Confederates lay concealed. This caused a severe fire to be concentrated upon the Parson.  

Sergeant Major McSinister was shot in the groin and carried from the field.  He did not live to see the other side of the Run.  The Parson himself was shot in the Bible, and he lost heart, leading his men in a rout back across the Cub Run, to the jeers of the Texas men.

Young Fluster was forced to cover the retreat with the remains of his skirmishers.  The exact circumstances are unknown, but it seems from eye witness accounts that Fluster led a gallant action, until he fired his over sized pistol at a Confederate Officer.  

Fluster was knocked to the ground amid clouds of powder smoke, and his men fled.  The Lieutenant, his face sooty, made his way back, having sustained a wound to his head that made him appear cross-eyed for the rest of his days.  Of course the way things are going the rest of his days may not take long!

Notes

The Battle of Blackburn's Ford took place on July 18, 1861 It was a precursor to 1st Bull Run, and occurred only as a result of a Union General exceeding his orders.  The Lieutenant declaring "We are Massachusetts Men," and the volley's from cover that decimated the Union, were taken from that fight, although it occurred at the next ford to the East, and not over the Cub Run.

My Officer casualties were extreme in this game, for the Union at least. Three Officers fell, with my later rolls determining that one was injured permanently and one merely stunned.  Losses among the troops was also disproportionate.  The Confederates lost only one man, to the Federals ten.   

The Parson must now rally his men, and prepare for 1st Bull Run two days after this battle, on 21st July.  

I may wait until I`ve painted more Confederates before attempting it!

The 11th Massachusetts Regiment mustered for action

I`m back in Cyprus and the first game I have planned is an American Civil War encounter game.  The forces of the Union are just about ready and I spent a nice sunny afternoon on the terrace sorting out their basing. 

Using an additional 16 Em4 Miniatures 28mm plastics brings my Regiment/Company up to 48 line, as six groups of 8, and a group of 6 Perry miniatures metal skirmishers.  The command figures at the front of the regiment are Captain Status III Floyd "Parson" Farthingdale, Lt. Status I Winfield Armstrong Fluster, and Sergeant Major Status II “Grievous” McSinister.  

One of my favourite moments from the Movie "Glory," is when our brave young Colonel points to the standard bearer and asks in a slightly high pitch voice "if this man falls who will pick up the flag?"  I have no problem with the Colonel.  He went on to die gloriously... and later in his career killed Godzilla during one of the big lizard's more destructive rampages.  I do have a problem with the fact that only one brave/idiotic soul in the regiment (also a Massachusetts force) volunteers.  Its a dreadful job it seems, almost guaranteed to get you killed in that movie, but it just seems too scripted and contrived in a movie that is otherwise one of my favourites.  

My second Standard bearer is shown above, and he is carrying a white flag.  This is of course because its a cast on flag and I am having serious qualms about painting it.  More caustic members of the Petains may see it as a sign that the Parson is ready to surrender at a moments notice... time will tell. The picture also shows my "spare" Officers.  I made a decision for this campaign that I will maintain a roll of the honoured dead, and when one of my command group gets killed I will replace him with a newly appointed Officer.  

I`m interested to see if I can get through the war with the minimum of casualties. 
I also have to confess that the Confederates are only about half painted, so I`m planning to use a lot of grey undercoated figures.

In the meantime a line of 6 groups looks impressive!

The 11th Massachusetts.  58 figures.

Captainé Augusté Finnigan, of the 1st New Orleans Zouave

Captainé Augusté Finnigan, of the 1st New Orleans Zouaves was perhaps unique among Officers of the Confederacy due to his creole Irish mulatto heritage.  With both parents being mixed race (he was the son of a Canal Street prostitute and a gypsy riverboat Gambler)  Augusté grew up a wharf rat, foraging a living on New Orleans docks.  In his teens he managed to secure a job dealing faro cards in a back street gambling joint.  He became well known in the city for his dress (literally his dress, a silver sequined number, paired with feathered mules and a corsage) and his quick dealing.

His brief rise to prominence as one of the city's most notorious card players saw a legendary encounter with Major Quincy Ewing Whitemoore, still spoken of in hushed terms on Canal Street.  An ill considered bet on the cards by the Major was followed by an equally ill considered drawing of his Dawlish & Cook patented .32 spring loaded sleeve pistol.  The Major later claimed that the spring had failed, catapulting the firing weapon into his hand.   One bystander was shot through the big toe, and Augusté in his left eye before managing to stab Ewing in his left buttocks, giving the Major a need to rely on a walking cane for the rest of his days.  

Indeed the surgeon, Dr Hillary Rodham Bogenbroom, who operated on Augustè’s eye declared that since he could not recover the bullet he feared that his patient would suffer bouts of madness before finally succumbing to the wound.  Augusté is then living on borrowed time, and has fewer and fewer lucid moments.

Augusté’s weapon of choice in his faro dealing days was of course his “tinker” knife, reflecting his Irish gypsy heritage.  He used the knife to quell those who questioned the honesty of his faro dealing.  The blade was always referred to as his “leetle frien’,” and it was a brave man who could stay at Augusté’s table when he started playing with his tinker.

He was employed as one of Mayor Jackson Quimby Quilpé’s strong arm boys during the infamous 1858 election, and the gerrymandering that occurred realised Quilpé’s ambition to be the most corrupt Mayor in the history of the city.  Augusté’s reward was a table at one of Canal Street’s largest gambling joints, and a new pair of silver sequined ladies dancing shoes, size 14.

Sadly however New Orleans was not quite ready for a transvestite, transexual, one eyed, disabled, psychotic, mulatto card dealer.  Augusté was arrested by the city police on the orders of the Mayor.  Grounds of public morals and insanity were cited in the warrant, a hilarious irony from that particular Mayor, and Augusté thrown into the New Orleans gaol.  Fortunately he retained his knife and soon became King, or perhaps Queen of the Gaol.

With the outbreak of the Civil War a Zouave Regiment was proposed by the city fathers.  Recruitment was slow, and monies diverted to the pocket of the newly appointed Colonel Jackson Quimby Quilpé. Along with thirty two other prisoners Augusté was ‘volunteered’ from the cells of the city gaol.  Colonel Quilp was staggered however when, during company elections for officers, the men declared Augusté to be the Captainé of ‘B’ Company.  In fact it had been easy for the crazed Creole, since he merely introduced the boys to his ‘leetle frien’.

Augusté cannot ride a horse, and his accuracy with pistol or rifle is worse than useless.  As an Officer he is a complete amateur, however he terrifies his men as well as his superiors.  When historians ask how a cross dressing, transexual, black, Irish - gypsy whose best friend is a knife he talks to became an officer of the Confederacy, the answer must be because he waved his tinker about!