Hood's Texas Bridgade

In an army with many storied infantry brigades perhaps Hood's Texas Brigade of the Army of Northern Virginia is the most renown.

The brigade consisted of the 1st, 4th and 5th Texas and the 3rd Arkansas the only far west regiments in the A.N.V.

Prior to Fredericksburg the brigade included the 18th Georgia and Hampton's Legion Infantry. Both units went to other brigades consisting of units from their respective states.

By the time of Gettysburg General John Bell Hood had been promoted to Division Commander in James Longstreet's 1st Corps. The brigade was commanded by Brigadier General  Jerome Bonaparte Robertson.

Over the course of the war the brigade sustained a 61% casualty rate. At the surrender at Appomattox it numbered only 600 men having started the war with a strength of 3500.

Over the years I've painted quite a few ACW units and either traded them away or sold them. When I got back into ACW gaming with the Black Powder rules I decided to paint most of my units to represent something specific.

Below is my Texas Brigade at the time of Gettysburg. The miniatures are 99% Musket Miniatures in 22mm.

Battery A, 1st NC artillery (12lb Napoleon)

Divison Commander Hood and Brigade Commander Robertson

1st Texas

4th Texas

3rd Arkansas

Brigade deployed in reinforced line with a supporting battery.

You can almost hear the Rebel yell!

The Texas Brigade has been called Lee's Grenadier Guards.

General James Longstreet, 1st Corps Commander and Lee's Old War Horse and some staff.

Hood and Robertson.

Black Powder American Civil War

Here are some pics from a recent Black Powder ACW game. It's my third game using the rules and I'm still getting used to the nuances but must say the game went well and I do like the rules as they reflect a Brigade\Regiment scale well in a fast moving game.

The scenario featured the equvalent  of only two two brigades on a side. The white paper markers, although ugly were used to ID the units since many of my units can be used in a generic fashion. One of the features of Black Powder is the encouragement to use the unit name when giving orders.

For example; "the 9th Ohio will rapidly advance to the fence line and deploy into line." I find that this sort of thing adds color to the game and since the scenario featured a historical OB it was right to use the historical names even if it meant to use the white papers to ID the units.

Call me picky. I don't care. Perhaps I'll find a better way.

Union troops move in column to deploy along a road line.

A Confederate battle line screened by some dismounted cavalry.

A Union brigade awaits the Rebel charge!

The Union Regiment (2nd MN) tp the left of the battery received a blunder and charged into the advancing Rebel line unsupported. They over ran an infantry unit and a battery before routing themselves. It was the most remarkable fog of war feature of this particular  game.

Confederate right flank units. The lead unit has received two casualty markers. Many of the units in the game had a stamina of 2 meaning when they took two casualties it required a break test. This unit passed, others did not break. It was an early war scenario that reflected the fragility of untried units.

Nice close up-that is all.

My Hampton's Legion battery serving as a TN battery in this game.

Union  battery--in this game all the guns were 6pdrs. I really have to get the right models some time soon. Call me picky.