Interesting Topics

[Joshua l.Chamberlain]

I would have to read about that or unless he was discribing what the bullet looked like when it hit his saddle.

[Kerflumoxed]

Joshua l.Chamberlain wrote:

I would have to read about that or unless he was discribing what the bullet looked like when it hit his saddle.

This was the first time I had heard this story. I can't imagine, however, a soft, lead .58 minie looking like a tenpenny nail. However, I suppose a burst artillery round might cause fragments that in the heat of battle could pass for a nail.

Jack Hanger
Fremont, NE

[Armchair General]

Kerflumoxed wrote:

For those "fans" of Hancock :blink: , from the Confederate Vetern,Volume 8, Number 4 (April, 1900, page 166) comes this story:

"General Hancock, who was said to be the best tactician of the Federal army, was in command at that immediate point, and in his report to General Meade said: 'I have never seen a more formidable attack. The enemy must be short of ammunition as I was shot with a tenpenny nail.'"

Can anyone confirm?

Jack Hanger
Fremont, NE

Just looked up this story and came up with this: "Hancock could not meet with his friend [Armistead] because he had just been wounded himself, a severe injury caused by a bullet striking the pommel of his saddle, entering his inner right thigh along with wood fragments and a large bent nail.[41] Helped from his horse by aides, and with a tourniquet applied to stanch the bleeding, he removed the saddle nail himself and, mistaking its source, remarked wryly, "They must be hard up for ammunition when they throw such shot as that."

[Kerflumoxed]

Armchair General wrote:

Kerflumoxed wrote:

For those "fans" of Hancock :blink: , from the Confederate Vetern,Volume 8, Number 4 (April, 1900, page 166) comes this story:

"General Hancock, who was said to be the best tactician of the Federal army, was in command at that immediate point, and in his report to General Meade said: 'I have never seen a more formidable attack. The enemy must be short of ammunition as I was shot with a tenpenny nail.'"

Can anyone confirm?

Jack Hanger
Fremont, NE

Just looked up this story and came up with this: "Hancock could not meet with his friend [Armistead] because he had just been wounded himself, a severe injury caused by a bullet striking the pommel of his saddle, entering his inner right thigh along with wood fragments and a large bent nail.[41] Helped from his horse by aides, and with a tourniquet applied to stanch the bleeding, he removed the saddle nail himself and, mistaking its source, remarked wryly, "They must be hard up for ammunition when they throw such shot as that."

Thanks, General!

Wonder if Hancock was riding a Grimsley or a McClellan? Several models of officer's saddles had brass nails holding some of the leather and brass bindings in place along with brass screws...but nothing like a tenpenny nail!

Thanks for sending the info. What is your source? (Wonder if this will be GB!

Jack Hanger
Fremont, NE

[Armchair General]

I looked it up on Wikipedia, and came up with that story. I know some people don't like relying on it, so I looked it up in the Gettysburg Companion, and it was the same story, just worded differently, so I copied and pasted from Wikipedia.

[Joshua l.Chamberlain]

Does anybody have a good biography on Hancock because I love reading biographies on my favorite commanders So far I have read about Hill, a very long 3 part series on Lee, and U.S. Grant now I just need to get one on Chamberlain and Hancock.

[Kerflumoxed]

I would be interested in learning the majority opinion on flank attacks in TC2M.

A flank attack is similar to the naval manuver of "Crossing the 'T'". When attacking the flank, the defender is quite limited in bringing a sufficient number of rifles to bear upon the attacker whereas when attacked in the rear, which in itself can be devastating, a simple manuver of "About, FACE!" brings the majority of the defender's rifles to repulse the attack. The effect a flank attack in TC2M may not be properly addressed.

Furthering the problem in TC2M is the issue of a regiment "pivoting" in the center of the battle line, which has already been addressed. Has anyone learned whether or not this will be addressed in the new game?

Thoughts?

Jack Hanger
Fremont, NE

[Amish John]

Kerflumoxed wrote:

I would be interested in learning the majority opinion on flank attacks in TC2M.

A flank attack is similar to the naval manuver of "Crossing the 'T'". When attacking the flank, the defender is quite limited in bringing a sufficient number of rifles to bear upon the attacker whereas when attacked in the rear, which in itself can be devastating, a simple manuver of "About, FACE!" brings the majority of the defender's rifles to repulse the attack. The effect a flank attack in TC2M may not be properly addressed.

Furthering the problem in TC2M is the issue of a regiment "pivoting" in the center of the battle line, which has already been addressed. Has anyone learned whether or not this will be addressed in the new game?

Thoughts?

Jack Hanger
Fremont, NE

One of the weak points in TC2M was the inability of the troops to correctly simulate several of the more important and commonly used maneuvers such as going from column into line and wheels. I haven't spent a lot of time analyzing this, but it may be more of a visual weak point than affecting how the game plays. I'm sure if these maneuvers could be programmed, Norb would be the guy to do it. Whether there is any improvement in these areas for Gettysburg remains to be seen. I think way back when on the TC2M forum someone (it may have been Norb) gave some reasons why this is no simple task.

That having been said, it is only natural to assume when the game gets reviewed there will be the inevitable "this is a great tactical game, but....". Hopefully, the reviewers and players will not make this a major "con" in their reviews if indeed it has not yet been resolved in this new game. If I recollect it may have had something to do with using the center of the regiment for calculating line of sight and distances to open fire, etc.

One problem using the center of the regiment for line of sight occurred the other night when I was playing TC2M. There was a Union regiment in the woods. There was a Reb regiment in the woods near them. The reb regiment was directly in front of and perpendicular to the Union regiment. The flank of the Reb regiment was almost touching the Union line. But because (I assume) the game looks at center to center only, the regiments apparently didn't see each other.

Oh well, so much fine tuning that could be done, so little time to do it. What seems like it may just be fine tuning to us non-programmers may, in reality, be a major progamming task.

[Kerflumoxed]

While I am not computer literate, I do understand that there are undoubtedly programing limitations! I do hope that the "powers that be" do not look at my questions/observations as being negatives...cuz' they aint! No one is anticipating this new game more then I am!!! Hopefully, these comments are understood to be derived from a "positive frame of mind" from ALL aspects with only a desire to assist in a very small way in helping the game to become the standard by which all other and future games are measured!

Perhaps some of these things that have been mentioned have not been considered before or have already been discarded as inoperable such as flank fire being more deadly, in terms of morale and casualties...or have not been thought of in terms of firepower concentration by the assaulting troops. Same thoughts about the use of artillery. For example, cannister can be effective at ranges of 300 yards with double-cannister firing at as little as 10 yards!

Of course, I must confess that I am a "purest" in terms of historical accuracy...which weighs heavily on my wife who refuses to see a historical film with me (and maybe that is not all bad!) Just yesterday we took our 4 year granddaughter to the Winnebago reservation, a few miles north of us, to "experience" her first Pow-Wow. Naturally, I was critiqueing the "modern" costumes of the dancers and noted how they unfavorably compared to the "non-modern" dress of their forebearers...sort of like the farbs that inhabit the reenacting world. Well, that went over like a pregnant high-jumper! :S

I do know there are both time and $$$ restraints as well. Thanks for the reminder.

How many days and counting now?

Jack Hanger
Fremont,NE

[Jim]

We have a new system for improving the local 'situational awareness' of the shooting units. In testing so far it improves the realism of the behavior of these units. It's not perfect but it is a clear improvement over TC2M. We will have to see from the beta testers and the players the good and bad points of this new system.

-Jim