It was a spur of the moment project, but I'm pretty well along with completing an ACW force of Confederates for Rebels and Patriots. I had ACW in the back of my mind, but I was planning to focus on AWI first and get to the ACW later. I forget why I rushed into it—I don't really know why I have impulses like this—but in a mad flurry I placed three consecutive orders to Sash and Saber. The initial one for a lot of infantry and guns, the second for mounted and dismounted cavalry, and the third for more infantry (because I didn't think the 70 figures I bought at first would be sufficient).
I went with Sash and Saber because my putative primary opponent, Wm. Stewart, Esq., has a large and beautiful Sash and Saber collection. We used Bill's collection in our first game, The Battle of Hardtack Hill. Sash and Saber are great minis and they have a lot of variety in their skirmishing infantry packs.
My first order arrived quickly. Sash and Saber is fulfilled through Old Glory and they're fast. I tore into them right away and got the first 22 completed and based in a few weeks.
Right now, I've got the remaining 48 nearing completion, as well as 12 dismounted cavalry, 2 six-pounders and crews, a mounted officer (Lt. Jubal Tardee—with cat), and 6 mounted cavalry. Another 30 infantry, 12 dismounted cavalry, and 18 mounted cavalry are still basic lead.
I have had a jar of Howard's Hues Rebel Butternut paint sitting around for years. I've always meant to apply it to some figures, but just didn't. I have some Sash and Saber 40mm Rebs, acquired after playing some Smooth & Rifled games with Phil Bardsley using his collection of 40s, I also had a pile of unpainted Dixon ACW (both sides), but I sold them at our last Enfilade! bring 'n' buy with the intention of doing the project using Perry or Sash and Saber minis. Now that I consider it, I should have kept some of the Dixon bandsmen minis, they make a great vignette and Jubal Tardee is just the sort to go to war with a brass band in tow.
You just don't see enough butternut on the wargame table. Everyone goes for gray, but not me. These boys'll stand out.
Bill and I have another game looming for April 6. I expect to have much more than 24 points ready to go. It'll be nice to field a company using my boys in butternut.
The AWI has not gone lacking in all this ACW activity. More on that in a post soon, but I have 24+ points worth of 'Mericans (depending on how I buy the units, it could be way more than 24 points worth). Most are militia, but I can use them as straight up line. Like the ACW, I have a lot more to paint including mounted militia, Lee's Legion dragoons, a couple units of Continentals, a lot more riflemen, and guns (a 3-pounder and a brace of 6-pounders). And someday, when my Wargames Foundry order arrives—if ever—I'll have another 24 militia to paint.
