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Wednesday 25 November 2020

First Action at Rabbit Run - Part 1

 My newly painted and reorganised Spencer Smith figures have deployed for their first action - the battle of Rabbit Run.

1861, CSA General Spencer's Division has been detached to rapidly move forward to seize and hold the high ground overlooking the crossing of the Rabbit Run river. The Union has a similar idea and General Smith is rushing up the Turnpike with his division, with a very similar Mission.  The forces of Generals Spencer and Smith are about to collide.

The battlefield is shown below, looking from the North (Union side), with Rabbit Run snaking from North around to the east.  Key features are Warren Ridge, Twin Buttes and Mole Hill, with its farm on top:

The organisation of the two forces are:

Spencer's Division CSA:

Buller's Brigade

Texas Regiment,

Alabama Regiment

B Battery Artillery

C Battery Artillery

Johnson's Brigade

Kentucky Regiment

Mississippi Sharpshooters

Georgia Regiment

Virginia cavalry

A Battery Artillery

The Texans have deployed forward and are defending a wheat field on the east flank, amongst some trees, with C battery in support:

The Alabama regiment are working their way onto Warren Ridge, with B battery in support:

On the West flank the Georgia regiment holds Mole Hill, with A Battery and the Virginia cavalry in support:


Meanwhile, the Mississippi Sharpshooters hold the Corn Patch, with the Kentucky regiment in Reserve:

General Smith's Union Forces consist of:

Reeve's Brigade:

Iowa Regiment

New Jersey Regiment

No 3 Battery Artillery and Vermont cavalry in Support.

Parson's Brigade:

New York (Zouaves) Regiment,

Illinois Regiment,

Berdan's Sharpshooters

Nos 1 & 2 Artillery Batteries in support.

The Union have pushed the Iowa regiment up along the Turnpike, while the New Jersey regiment advance up the Twin Buttes:

On the west flank Parson's Brigade is deployed facing Mole Hill, behind the snake fences of the Wheatfield:

The battle is about to commence - more later





Thursday 19 November 2020

ACW Turnaround - Spencer Smith

 I haven't posted for a while, largely because I have been head down with a new project.  This came about quite unexpectedly.  Some may have read the Wargames Odyssey blog, which back in early October announced that David (DC) had decided to shed his collections and focus on naval actions and land games based on the WoFun 2D plastic figures.  

Part of this process involved selling off his figures to raise capital for his new projects.  One of the items going was his Spencer Smith ACW collection.  Some will also know that I painted all of the figures in the collection over a period of around two years.  I had become very fond of the figures as I was painting them, so jumped at the chance of acquiring them.  So, a few weeks ago a big parcel arrived containing the collection, loads of movement trays and some unpainted figures. It was fun unpacking them and seeing these lovely figures once more.

Over the last 3-4 weeks I have been painting and basing the existing collection as well as two units of skirmishers and a further CSA regiment.  Last night I finsished off this work.  My unit organisation differs from DCs, going for 20 figures per regiment.  This entailed painting four new command groups too.

My plan is to fight an old school style battle in the coming days.  In the meantime, here is a picture of the completed confederate army: