BATTLEFIELD GETTYSBURG - Preview & Creation Discussion Thread

[jim panse]

North Carolina Infantry

[jim panse]

Mississippi Legion

[jim panse]

South Carolina Cavalry ...

[jim panse]

North Carolina Cavalry

[jim panse]

And some Virginia Cavalry - nuff for today

[beingofone]

Just out of curiosity did you ever see the movie "Gettysburg" with Martin Sheen playing General Lee? Or for that matter, did you or anybody on this forum ever play the game "Gettysburg" by our founding father Sid Meier?

Great movie but it kinda makes Lee out to be a little loopy
That is just not true.
They only tell part of the story and leave out that Longstreet along with Stuart and Ewell disobeyed direct orders from Lee.

As far as the game Gettysburg goes, I and some of my friends have played it many times. I have even created different battles that you can plug into the game.
The game is very flexible in that you can recreate any battle of the time period. I have a couple from the American Revolution as well as The War of Northern Aggression.
I mean the Civil War.

As far as your scenario, with your creative abilities mixed with a little magic from Sarsstock artwork.

Go here to get many different battles to plug into Gettysburg
The Angle

BTW - If anyone wants a game of Gettysburg sometime let me know, you can play with up to eight people in real time

[Exile]

Commentary.

That movie DOES leave out a good part of the story.

Here is the real story;

Dismiss the first days' actions. This was a random meeting engagement and had nothing to do with subsequent strategy.

On the 2nd day, Lee initiated his plan.

As the 2nd day went by, confederate forces alternately struck at the northern and southern ends of the union battle line that had been established across cemetery ridge and hill, and culp's hill. As each attack developed, local union commanders would yell for reinforcements. And reinforcements would be sent. But from where? From the CENTER.

Meade was a classmate of Lee's at Westpoint, and was familiar with Lee's tactical proficiency. He had a suspicion late in the night after this 2nd day. He went to examine the center positions on cemetery ridge.

He discovered that, rather than there being a strong line of troops there, there was instead a picket line with a sentinel posted every 50 yards!

Realizing the potential threat, Meade immediately called for reinforcing troops from both wings to return and shore up the central postion.

Sure enough, what did Lee do the next day?

He sent the bulk of his fresh forces, en masse right into the center!

If Meade hadn't reinforced his line, Pickett's charge would have plowed right through the thinly held line, divided the entire union army, occupied the heart of the defensive position on cemetery ridge, and forced a retreat, if not a complete rout on the thoroughly compromised union army. Nothing about this was even remotely touched upon in the flick.

Instead, the movie just seemed to be;

1.) a big event for civil war reenacters all over the country. woo. hoo.

2.) an excuse for actors to chew the scenery, ala Martin Sheen, et al.

[Sarsstock]

Well Steph as luck would have it I actually came across afew of those pictures on my own in my searches throughout the day. I'm sure I'll be able to dig up enough needed reference illustrations.

I think I'll also alter the jackets on afew of the infantry units you already have Steph as I've come up with a better model for period infantry jackets since I made them.

As for the film Gettysburg, well, in my life I've yet to see a historically based war movie that could claim in all honesty that it was 100% honest to the facts and didn't over play certain events for dramatic purposes. This sadly is a consequence of when war meets Hollywood.

[jim panse]

Thank you both, Exile & Sarsstock

@ Sarsstock: Whenever you are ready to post more of your wonderful units, I will gladly include them

@ Exile: Well, if I am going to leave out the 1st day of battle I would need some more detailed information about that story about the centre etc. Any ideas where I could get them?

[beingofone]

I am not sure Exile was saying to leave the 1st day
out of your scenario.
I think he was saying that the first day had very little
to do with command decisions
and was addressing the historical perspective.
It was a meeting engagement of chance not a choice of strategy.
I agree with what Exile said, I would only add that on the second day,
Longstreet had his orders to attack at 8 AM
and dragged his feet so the attack did not
commence
until 4PM!
IMHO - that is what cost Lee the battle more than any other mistake by the Rebs.

Here is a very good sight sir Jim, to examine different perspectives on the battle.

Military History

Sorry if I appear to threadjack dude, this is one of my favorite periods of history -
its almost to hard to control myself

[fairline]

Interesting Just a quick pointer - ToT units should face right They'll reverse facing when you move 'em left, and if you have them facing left in the units file they'll scoot around backwards

A note about uniforms: by this stage of the War Lee's army was pretty threadbare; the uniform distinctions between regiments and States had disappeared and the Rebs were turned out in a mish-mash of Butternut, grey and civilian clothes. As you probably know, the battle occured because Lee's Army were trying to find boots in Gettysburg, such was the parlous state of their equipment....

[jim panse]

@ beingofone: Thank you kindly, sir! I shall examine that new front asap

@ fairline: Dang. I was making all them units face left for I thought ToT units should face left. Shame on me.

About that equipment sidenote: This I knew - but the uniforms, well, I know that both sides had not too many uniforms to put on all their troopers (though I guess the Union had more of them too).

The main reason I choose this diversification of the units is that I have enough place in the units file to let themm all appear. Another idea would have been to make the units resemble the various Brigades of the different divisions, e.g. (for the Confederates Kershaw's Brigade consisting of various infantry units - and all of them named "Kershaw's Brigade").

Any comments?

And, btw, thank you for pointing that ToT unit feature out

[Sarsstock]

Is there any way Steph I should alter the Confederate units to your liking to reflect the cronic supply shortages? Perhaps add different coloured boots to some and no boots to others?

[jim panse]

Please wait another moment before you embark on all those units - I want to have the usefullness of all those units discussed before you start

I could also create it that way:

Kershaw's Brigade, 1st Division of CS 1st Corps (Longstreet) - which was compromised of 6 South Carolinan Infantry Battalions

And all those SC Infantry units would be basically the same unit named "Kershaw's Brigade"

Would that be better?

[fairline]

Originally posted by jim panse
.... Another idea would have been to make the units resemble the various Brigades of the different divisions, e.g. (for the Confederates Kershaw's Brigade consisting of various infantry units - and all of them named "Kershaw's Brigade").

Any comments?

Better idea

Brigade or regimental flags could be used to distinguish between tham, as their appearance was either fairly uniform (in the case of the Union troops) or completely random (the Rebs). Add some colour with Zouaves who were more likely to retain their unique uniforms and regiments like the 1st US Sharpshooters, who wore green rather than blue.