What a long and tedious job re-basing is… I can’t base the last few infantry stands as the new bases I have are ever so slightly too big. This is being corrected. But I have finally got everything off old bases and onto new. And the ballast/PVA mix applied.
I’ve gone for three crew for the guns as I think two just looks a bit light…
I say I’ve re-based everything but I exclude the Zouaves. I have just traded for 26 more in kepi and a couple in turban. I need to get an idea on unit strengths in various battles to see how many I may actually need. Either way I will likely strip both lots and re-base them.
But I did make an effort to get a couple of units actually finished!
And at the front you can make out some sample strips of the 4Ground MDF fencing. I decided that leaving them MDF/Brown would just be too well, brown, given my dark basing. So as I have lots of cheap grey acrylic paint I sloshed that on and drybrushed with a lighter mix.
I think they look OK. I was concerned that they are very light and would move around but the surface of my Mat-o-War seems to snag them and hold them in place. I do wish they would do the fencing in longer sections though!
And to finish off I thought I’d lay out the CSA troops I have. These are a total mix of all makes and painting styles but the basing brings them all together I think. And I need to re-base the officers.
So good progress being made and hopefully get the rest done by the weekend. Oh…and I need to paint ten limbers as well…
A
Yep, rebasing SUCKS, big time!
You’re on a roll – can I send you my re-basing pile??
Units during the ACW suffered from tremendous attrition. As an example, the 20th Maine started the war with close to 1000 men and entered the fight at Gettysburg with about 250 of the original men in the unit. The Iron Brigade had suffered similarly and after Gettysburg could not really be relied on: the whole brigade had fewer men than a regiment at the beginning of the war. On the CSA side the Stonewall Brigade ended the war with just two men from the more than a thousand that began the conflict.
Uniforms are another problem. Zouaves in particular often shed their uniforms after but a few months of wear. An exception to this would be the 14th Brooklyn with their red trousers. The community they came from periodically took up collections to replace the uniforms.
Fortunately there is enough good OB information on the ACW to facilitate getting accurate assemblages of figures.
Yes. The losses were quite frightening. And interesting the differing approaches to replacements on either side. As ever, finding time to read and research slows everything down. I’ll get there in the end…
I missed this post I think. It’s a fine collection, Andy, and the troops look much better mounted for F&F in threes.