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Mr. Mercanto

Civil War Tester
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Posts posted by Mr. Mercanto

  1. Just now, Andre Bolkonsky said:

    Well, I can trace my paternal ancestry to Robert the Bruce's Sheild Bearer; and my elite brigade is invariable the Black Watch. You think I'm going to object to that? 

    He's now a Welshman

    • Like 1
  2. 2 minutes ago, Andre Bolkonsky said:

    I feel like Richard Sharpe. 

    Do I get a bad-ass Irish Sergeant, a curassier's sword, and a fine optical telescope as well? 

    You do, but he's going to constantly lecture you on the emerging abolitionist ideology and pro-Democratic impulse of United States Volunteers during the Civil War, juxtaposed with that of the pro-slavery impulse motivating Confederate volunteers.

    Also, he's Scots-Irish 

    • Like 3
  3. 18 hours ago, Andre Bolkonsky said:

    Whistling loudly, i exit stage left . . . . . .

    I have actually played the Fixed Forces option through several battles to see the difference. Even then, it's no cake walk. Nick's AI is still brutal. 

    Well it is tough...When I play Fixed mode, I could sometimes swear that Lt. Colonel Absolut and Adjutant-Captain Morgan don't have the best advice....

    • Like 1
  4. 4 hours ago, Andre Bolkonsky said:

    The AI is unchanged, it is only manpower points and weapon quality that are affected. It is still very challenging. It makes almost no difference in the beginning. You won't see a major difference till Shiloh; thereafter, one decisive victory will give you an almost permanent manpower advantage. Therefore, it's also great for grognards who want to enjoy an adult beverage or two while displaying their military genius in their off hours and maybe only have time to log on now and again. 

    Were you specifically thinking of me when you wrote this? ;) 

    • Like 3
  5. They were immediately paroled so far as I know. Regardless, the Confederate army in Texas surrendered shortly thereafter. The Rebs in Texas were already pretty good about this sort of thing, since Kirby Smith could tell the war was going poorly by 1865 and wanted to position himself as lawful and charitable in the worst case scenario lol. 

  6. On 2017-5-10 at 4:20 PM, Andre Bolkonsky said:

    It had to suck at the time, but what a hell of a story to tell around the dinner table when it was all said and done!

    I loved the part where the damn Yankees were just blatantly stealing his furniture and handing him cash. 

    Don't forget when the Rebs decided that Lee and Grant had met under the apple tree, and basically shredded it to sell the srap souvenirs to the Yanks ;P 

  7. On May 11, 1865 in Palmito Ranch, Texas, Colonel Theodore Barrett elected to send a detachment of United States Colored Infantry and Texas Cavalry under Lieutenant-Colonel David Branson on a raid. Their mission was to attack a Confederate outpost at White Ranch, destroy their supplies and capture their horses. This was in direct violation of a previously established gentleman's agreement between Federal forces and Rebel forces in Texas. In February, the Union and Confederate forces, recognizing the war was nearly at an end, had agreed to an informal ceasefire. Hitherto May 11, this was recognized by both parties. Why Barrett violated this order is a bit of a mystery. His detractors claimed it was because he wished to seize military glory before the war was over, his supporters claimed it was to resupply by the supplies of the enemy. Regardless of the reason, Barrett was about to join the last battle of America's Civil War.

    The movement of Branson's raiding party was delayed until May 12, whereupon the troops at last made their way to the Rebel outpost at White Ranch, only to find it abandoned. the movement, having taken all day and night, exhausted Branson's men. Branson allowed them to rest.

    At 8:30, Branson was alerted to Rebel troops, who had made camp at Palmito Ranch. The Rebels had been alerted to the Federal raid (possibly by Rebels or Imperial Mexicans over the border) and were preparing to counter-attack. Branson decided to meet the rebels directly, and so essayed an attack on Palmito Ranch. Branson's men skirmished to Palmito Ranch and then broke the Rebel lines there. Branson's success was short-lived. A larger Confederate force soon made its way to Palmito Ranch and Branson was compelled to retreat to White's Ranch, where he entreated Barrett for reinforcements.

    Barrett received word from his beleaguered subordinate and immediately took action. Branson gathered the 200 men of the 34th Indiana and moved quickly for Palmito Ranch.

    Barett and the 34th arrived on the morning of May 13, 1865. Like Branson before them, they initially saw success, pushing back the Confederate raiders and finishing the immolation of Rebel supplies begun by Branson the previous day. Having accomplished these goals, Barrett and the 34th began to bivouac. It was then that Confederate Colonel John "Rip" Ford attacked with 200 Confederate Texans. The Federals formed battle lines but, without artillery support, could not hold against Ford's horse artillery. Barrett, recognizing the futility of the Union position, conducted an orderly retreat, keeping up a strong skirmishing line in the process. As the Federals fell back, Union Private John J. Williams was struck and killed. This was his first and only battle. John J. Williams was the last of 750 000 to die in the American Civil War. 100 Union infantrymen were taken prisoner. The Union suffered 12 wounded and 4 captured in addition to their 100 captured men. The Rebels suffered 3 captured and an unsubstantiated number of wounded. No Confederates were recorded as killed.

    Officially, the war had been over for 4 days.

    The final battle of the American Civil War was an unqualified Confederate victory. It was, by any measure, a pointless and meaningless battle.

    • Like 2
  8. On 5/9/2017 at 10:41 AM, Tibbenator said:

    So I recently noticed that my cavalry units equipped with the Colt M1855 repeater were not using their firearms and only getting into melee. I had plenty of ammo so that's not the issue, and it only seems to be this gun (although I haven't tried other repeaters so may be an issue with all repeaters?).  Kinda upset that I wasted so much money on these guns and now I have to switch to something less effective. :(

     

    Edit: To clarify I am playing as the Confederate States, if that makes a difference.

    It may be that they didn't want to blow their hands off ;) 

    • Like 2
  9. 3 hours ago, Keepbro said:

    Just reading some very interesting history books. 

    Did you know that at the same time the American Civil War was being fought (which many people consider the first modern war) there was also an extremely nasty civil war being fought in China too? In fact more than a few military historians believe it to be the first true instance of the concept of total war since the rebels (the Taiping) forcibly conscripted everyone into their armed forces (and had a bloody good go at it by all accounts).

    American Civil War casualties (estimated) : 1.5 - 2 million casualties.  

    Chinese Civil War casualties : best guess 20-30 million casualties but some people think maybe 100 million casualties (which I guess unlikely so I think its probably around 30 million which is still a jaw dropping-ly huge number and only beaten in the slaughter stakes by the lovely time being had by all during WW2). One particular siege was so brutally unpleasant that the Yangtze river (which for those who don't know is one of the largest rivers in the world and comparable in size to the Nile and Amazon) was actually blocked by dead bodies. As in an actual dam made out of human bodies. Across a river that at certain points is so wide that you cannot see across it.

    Also bear in mind that, unlike the ACW, a lot of the soldiers in the CCW weren't equipped with actual guns (they were reserved for more elite troops) so a lot of the carnage was done hand to hand. 

    What I find interesting is that here's a conflict which by most accounts is the 2nd most unpleasant war in history and it seems to be overlooked just because a more trendy, hip and modern war was being fought on the other side of the world.

    Is....is this a serious post by Keepbro...? :o

    This is a really cool point I think. One reason for this is due to China's isolationism. Its Civil War simply did not have a huge impact on the rest of the world, as the Chinese empire had little contact beyond the South East Asian world. The Civil War occurs in a global context, helping to shape the economic and political future of the entire Western world. 

    The other reason is basically racism I think. Its the same reason why there are more books about twelve Great War poets then the the 1 million+ soldiers of colour that fought in the war. 

    • Like 1
  10. 19 hours ago, Andre Bolkonsky said:

    Lee would think Grant beneath him, so Grant would have to issue the challenge. 

    As soon as Grant offered the challenge, a hundred young Confederate officers would stand in line to defend Lee's honor. 

    The only people who would stand up for Grant are Jim Beam and Jack Daniels. 

    Well that and basically the Northern population. He was the most popular man in America after Lincoln.

    And don't know Jack Daniels ;) 

    • Like 1
  11. 1 hour ago, Keepbro said:

    Ok - so it seems accepted that Lincoln would have gorilla pressed the crippled Davis from the top of the cage onto the commentators table before walking off with groupies to the sound of something by Ted Nugent. 

     

    Now next question. For some reason Grant and Lee meet in a bamboo forest wearing kimonos and have a traditional samurai duel with katanas. Who'd you place your bet on? Again, reasons would be nice. 

    Hard to say, Lee is the larger man, however Grant is his junior by 15 years. I'm going to go with Grant, because Lee would probably start with an over-complicated move. Grant would just go for the kill. 

    • Like 1
  12. 52 minutes ago, Koro said:

    Why didn't the Union arrest all southern officers instead of "honorably" let them join the rebel forces. It seems that would have saved a lot of trouble. Once Lee decided not to lead the Union army f.x., have the man arrested on the spot.

     

    Cool question! For most resigning officers, these men had not actually committed a crime (yet). Technically, as officers in the United States Army, they had the right to submit their resignation. Not all of them intended to join Confederate forces either. Major Robert Anderson, of Fort Sumter fame, planned to resign his commission and go to Europe if Kentucky seceeded; so that he might avoid invading his native state of Kentucky. Since Kentucky did not secede, Anderson stayed.

    Resigning officers did commit a crime by resigning, only by participating in the Rebellion. thus, by the time they had violated the law, they were out of the reach of the government. One notable exception to this is Brigadier-General Gideon Pillow, who  joined the Confederacy before resigning his US Commission and, in 1862, shamefully abandoned his men at Fort Donelson rather then surrendering with them, for fear of execution for treason. Major-General Floyd did likewise. Floyd had been Secretary of War under Buchanan and, when his state seceded, tried to move the Harper's Ferry armoury supply of ordinance to Texas...This is why Brigadier-General Simon Bolivar Buckner surrendered an army he had never commanded to Grant. 

    The other aspect of this was Lincoln's policy. At the beginning of the secession crisis, Lincoln attempted a policy of "Masterful Inaction." This was, in effect, a directed wait-and-see strategy. Lincoln pledged to hold remaining forts and post offices, but would do nothing else. Arresting Southern officers in the army would have been highly volatile, and pushed the erring states further into secession. For Buchanan's part, the man had already pathetically stated that secession was illegal but so to was stopping it, and thus in profound impotency, had done next to nothing, save for refusing to give South Carolina Fort Sumter.

  13. On 2017-5-4 at 9:36 PM, A. P. Hill said:

    Taken from 1862 Army Officer's Pocket guide, regarding the amount of space occupied by an armed soldier and their position in rank and file. (which can be converted to battle front,)

    "Frontage & Interval 21– The soldier occupies a front of 20-inches (1.67 feet) and a depth of 13 inches (1.083 feet), without the knapsack.  The interval between the ranks is 13 inches.  In column, therefore, one man, without a knapsack, occupies a depth of 26-inches (2.167 feet).  The knapsack added 3-inches to the total.  For general planning purposes, a soldier occupied a frontage of 2-feet and a depth of 2½ feet.  Assuming that men marched in a column of fours (A frontage of roughly seven to eight feet): ... " 

    This is awesome stuff

    • Like 1
  14. 2 hours ago, Andre Bolkonsky said:

    Just to clarify, that should read 'thin red line'; minor typo, but changes the meaning of the term substantially. 

    Plus. Some units intentionally tried to close and melee. The Irish Brigade was famous for wanting to get in close and use Buck 'n Ball loads at close range before charging. And Hood's Texans were certainly not shy about wielding a bayonet. Oh, and Joshua Chamberlain also has a passing knowledge of the term 'fix bayonets!' when he ran out of ammo. 

    But, yeah. Bayonet charges in any war are rare. Troops were almost always willing to break rather than face cold steel. It is notable that the American War of Independence ended with a bayonet charge by the Continentals when they spent most of the in terror of Redcoats doing the same thing to them. 

    Don't forget the 1st Minnesota ;) 

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