HAPPY MAIWAND DAY +132

I was planning to spend much of today posting a bunch of material here, in commemoration of the 132nd anniversary of the Battle of Maiwand -- but I ended up heading down to Orange, California (about an hour's drive South of L.A.) to play an American Civil War battle outside, under a period camp tent!  It was a pretty fantastic day, despite the fact that the Union forces, under my command, wound up on the proverbial short end of the ramrod.  It was a terrific seesaw game, in which the momentum and advantage went back and forth several times, but it did end in a somewhat definitive Confederate victory.

The game was organized by R.J. Galati, using his impressively sleek rule set "FIRE AND MANEUVER," to excellent effect, and hosted by his brother Rod in his backyard.  My Confederate foe was Frank "'Bama'" Patterson (needless to say, a relocated son of Ala-bama).  R.J. provided the Northern troops, while Frank provided the Southern opposition.  My sincere thanks to all three of them for a very good time -- though it would have been a little bit better if I'd been able to pull out the victory for the Union!  Harmon Ward, the ever-hard-working leader of Ahaheim's number one gaming club, The Saint Crispin's Irregulars," was nice enough to stop by for a visit.  This was the first time I'd seen Harmon, R.J. and Rod in person since they helped me put on "Maiwand Day at the Muzeo" back in December 2011.  Needless to say, I'd never met "'Bama" before.  The competitive part of me wishes I still hadn't met him -- but all the rest of me is very glad I did!

I think this is the first time I've played a miniature wargame OUTSIDE, since I was 11 or 12, and I must say it was quite awesome.  I will post more details and probably some more pics as well soon, but for now, this is one that I think does a good job of summing up the rather idyllic, and 19th Century appropriate, environment: