The First Battle of Tristan

(Click to enlarge the photos)

Before heading to nearby Gettysburg yesterday afternoon to view the newly restored Cyclorama, I spent a delightful morning with my two-year-old grandson in his first big “Cowboys and Indians” battle. He was bedazzled by the variety of colors and poses and soon picked out a few favorite figures to be his two principal warchiefs (Spotted Eagle and Watchful Fox). As you peruse the photos, you will note these are a mixture of my old Marx, Lido, MPC Ring Hand, and Ideal figures from my childhood in the 1960s as well as more recent plastic figures from the 1980s and my sons’ youth. How many other vintage figures can you spot in this array? The fort is a mixture of pieces from Marx’s Fort Apache, Ideal’s Fort Cheyenne, Marx’s Daniel Boone / Boonesborough playset, and others, including a German-made import named Fort Independence.

Official Grand Opening – New Gettysburg Visitors Center

I spent Saturday afternoon at the new Gettysburg Vistors Center and viewed the restored Cyclorama. For more photos, click here.

John Hill visits Pacificon / Conquest

Johnny Reb author John Hill of New Mexico is second from the right in the front row.

California gamemaster and JR3 player Roger Mark sent in this photograph of John Hill and a large group of wargamers who played in a 15mm JR3game of the Battle of Walthall Junction. The game was at the recent Pacificon Game Expo / Conquest SF gaming convention held in late August at the Marriott in Santa Clara, California. John was this year’s guest of honor at the annual convention.

Back to #1 Antietam book on amazon.com

The most popular items on Antietam.

1.		Human Interest Stories from Antietam by Scott Mingus (Author)   3 Reviews 5 star:  (3) 4 star:    (0) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0) See all 3 customer reviews…   (3 customer reviews) In Stock Price: $9.95 17 used & new from $5.51
2.		Landscape Turned Red: The Battle of Antietam by Stephen W. Sears (Author) 21 Reviews 5 star:  (14) 4 star:  (6) 3 star:  (1) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0) See all 21 customer reviews…   (21 customer reviews) In Stock List Price: $17.00 Price: $11.56 You Save: $5.44 (32%) 48 used & new from $6.95
3.		Crossroads of Freedom: Antietam (Pivotal Moments in American History) by James M. McPherson (Author) 68 Reviews 5 star:  (25) 4 star:  (18) 3 star:  (12) 2 star:  (9) 1 star:  (4) See all 68 customer reviews…   (68 customer reviews) In Stock List Price: $29.95 Price: $23.96 You Save: $5.99 (20%) 155 used & new from $4.00
4.		Antietam Campaign: July-November, 1862 (Great Military Campaigns of the Civil War) by John Cannan (Author) Available from these sellers. 22 used & new from $0.43
5.		Antietam Battlefield, Sharpsburg, Maryland, 1862 (A Civil War Watercolor Map Series) by Earl B. McElfresh (Author) Not in stock; order now and we’ll deliver when available Price: $9.95 8 used & new from $8.50
6.		Burnside’s Bridge : Antietam (Battleground America Series) (Battleground America) by John Cannan (Author) 1 Review 5 star:  (1) 4 star:    (0) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0) See all customer reviews…   (1 customer review) In Stock Price: $16.95 33 used & new from $2.88
7.		The Bloodiest Day: The Battle of Antietam (Civil War) by Ronald H. Bailey (Author), Time-Life Books (Author) Available from these sellers. 81 used & new from $0.32
8.		Too Afraid to Cry: Maryland Civilians in the Antietam Campaign by Kathleen Ernst (Author) 5 Reviews 5 star:  (4) 4 star:  (1) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0) See all 5 customer reviews…   (5 customer reviews) Available from these sellers. 21 used & new from $9.89
9.		The Antietam Campaign (Military Campaigns of the Civil War) by Gary W. Gallagher (Editor) 6 Reviews 5 star:  (5) 4 star:  (1) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0) See all 6 customer reviews…   (6 customer reviews) In Stock List Price: $19.95 Price: $13.57 You Save: $6.38 (32%) 31 used & new from $11.21
10.		Antietam National Battlefield (Civil War battlefield series) (Civil War battlefield series) by Trailhead Graphics (Author), Tim Kissel (Author) 2 Reviews 5 star:  (2) 4 star:    (0) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0) See all 2 customer reviews…   (2 customer reviews) In Stock Price: $9.95 4 used & new from $9.45

A very flattering review!

Human Interest Stories of the Gettysburg Campaign, Volume II
By Scott L. Mingus Sr.

Softcover, 104 pp., 2007. Colecraft Industries, 970 Mt. Carmel Rd., Orrtanna, PA 17325, $9.95 plus shipping.

Reviewer: Jay Jorgensen
Jay Jorgensen is an attorney and municipal court judge in New Jersey. He is the author of Gettysburg’s Bloody Wheatfield and The Wheatfield at Gettysburg: A Walking Tour. He also received his Master’s Degree in Military History – Civil War Studies from American Military University.

Another photo from Charge #21

Above is another photo taken from the upcoming November issue of Charge! newsletter. This shows some of the outstanding custom-converted and painted 15mm figures by Larry Reber depicting some of Stand Watie’s Cherokee cavalry from the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War.

Larry owns an Internet retail business selling his painted figures and original accessories such as peach trees, Indian tipis, cotton bales, observation balloons, and other goodies for ACW, Napoleonic, or Plains Indians miniature warfare.

The Charge! newsletter is mailed four times a year and comes with an annual membership to the Johnny Reb Gaming Society.

Charge issue #21

Photo of Jim Kopchak‘s recent Civil War Commander 15mm game of the fight for the West Woods at the Battle of Antietam. For nine other photos of this battle, see the November issue of Charge! newsletter, which should be mailed to members of the Johnny Reb Gaming Society about the 10th of November. 

The newsletter will also include photos of Larry Reber‘s excellent conversion figures for 15mm Native American cavalry and their commander, Brig. Gen. Stand Watie. Cherokees in gray – these guys make an impressive addition to those Trans-Mississippi miniature armies.

We will also feature some interested new and original scenarios for Johnny Reb 3 wargaming, including the Battle of Wildcat Mountain (also known as the Battle of Camp Wildwat) which took place in Kentucky early in the war and the First Battle of Kernstown, which took place during the 1862 Valley Campaign.

K/S Pewter???? 54mm ACW statuette

My daughter recently married a very nice young man from here in south-central Pennsylvania. His family has lived in York County since before the Confederate invasion of 1863. Recently, he was visiting his grandmother and discovered the above statuette in her house. He asked for permission to give the pewter figurine to me because of my interest in the Civil and in miniatures.

The figure is pewter and is of a mid-war generic infantryman. The base is hollow and inside is carved K/S Pewter. I have never heard of this company nor seen one of their figures before. An interest search did not reveal much on K/S, other than they seemed to be centered on the U.S. East Coast and their figures date from the 1960s. There are several other poses available, according to an eBay search, and the pricing runs between $5 and $10 per figure in today’s market.\

Do any Charge readers have more insight into K/S Pewter? When did they exist? Where were they located? How extensive was their product range? Where was it sold? What was the original retail price per figure? How were they packaged (if at all)?

FREE Civil War radio talkshow download

Civil War statue near U.S. Route 50 in Hillsboro, Ohio. Photo taken September 16, 2008, by Scott Mingus

Fran Rose writes, “I am happy to announce that Program 2 from The Civil War Network is online at www.TheCivilWarNetwork.com. The program features another great lineup of guests:

—Childs Burden, Program Director of the Mosby Heritage Area Association

—Robert Miller, author of “Both Prayed to the Same God”

—Don Pierce, editor of Civil War Traveler

—Susan Trail, Superintendent of Monocacy National Battlefield

—Waite Rawls, President and CEO of the Museum of the Confederacy

You can download the program free of charge, stream it from the web site (also free), or purchase a CD of the program for just $10.

Thanks very much for your attention!

Best

Francis Rose

The Civil War Network

http://www.TheCivilWarNetwork.com

Photos of the replanted Gettysburg Peach Orchard

The replanted Peach Orchard as seen from across the tree-lined swale on the George Rose farm at Gettysburg.

A few years ago, the National Park Service had all the trees cut down in the historic Sherfy Peach Orchard along Emmitsburg Road in the Gettysburg National Military Park. They applied nutrients to the soil and allowed the field to lay fallow for a couple of years before replanting fresh saplings. They also dramatically expanded the area covered by peach trees to more closely resemble the dimensions of the 1863 peach orchard that was defended by elements of Daniel Sickles’ III Corps of the Union Army of the Potomac. The trees are maturing well, and nearly all have survived the Pennsylvania winter and the spring rains. In addition, the NPS has replanted nearly a dozen other historic orchards, including several along Emmitsburg Road (such as the Rose Farm just south of the Peach Orchard). This is part of the overall battlefield rehabilitation project that has drawn so much praise and criticism, depending upon one’s environmental versus historical preservation mindset).