Refighting the Civil War

I must admit, sometimes I take my study of the Civil War too seriously. This is not only my career, but it is in many ways, my hobby as well. I love to read about obscure figures, dive into often untapped source material, and write about the defining moment in 19^th century America. A thorough study of the American Civil War also demands that we analyze the present as well and search for the legacy of the conflict. Most of my nights are consumed by reading about politics, social movements, slavery, battles, tactics, leaders, and memory. This can be taxing and at times, a little depressing. Then there is all the more reason to want a break from that. So, where do I turn?

Why, only further into the Civil War of course!

I have been a miniature wargamer since I was eleven years old (and probably before that if you count lining up hundreds of plastic blue and gray Americana Souvenir soldiers on the floor of my parents’ house and spending the day playing out the epic battles of the war). I first discovered a rule system, Johnny Reb, in 2013 while attending a gaming convention, Bayou Wars, in my hometown. There, I met Norris Darrall who was hosting a game of Johnny Reb as part of a “con within a con.” JohnnyCon is an annual gathering of players who come together to play rules systems created by the legendary, John Hill. Johnny Reb had everything I had ever read about all packaged up and on full display on the tabletop. The rule system was so sweeping and yet, so simple to grasp. It had all the right qualities. One game made a lasting impression- I was hooked.

Over the next eight years, other rule systems came and went. I began to play games centered on other time periods, primarily the Second World War. In 2021, living in Franklin, Tennessee at the time, I had the opportunity to attend the annual gaming convention, NashCon. I left work promptly at 5:00PM and raced (figuratively, I sat motionless in Nashville traffic) north to see ballroom after ballroom of metal and plastic painted glory. As I flipped through my program, I came across the listing for JohnnyCon. “Could it be?” I thought to myself.

I rounded the corner and lo and behold, there stood Norris amid a flurry of gamers. I spent the rest of the weekend taking in games of Johnny Reb with him and Chuck Warnick. Over time, Norris, Chuck, and I became friends and weekly gaming mates. Since then, I have amassed a collection large enough to represent a corps of both Federal and Confederate armies on the tabletop.

Aside from the comradery and the fun one might have, does how does wargaming fit into one’s study of the Civil War?

A Civil War battlefield can be a foreign place to us. We can study maps, read vivid first-hand accounts of combat, and walk the ground ourselves, but how often can we say we attempted to recreate the prescribed battle? With attention to detail, gamers can create meticulous representations of some of the Civil War’s most important battles. As with many hobbyists of other periods, time and study is devoted to accurately painting even the most obscure design of uniforms worn by specific regiments. Beyond an understanding of some environmental factors and material culture, miniature wargaming can also aid us in hypothesizing some of those questionable moments in the war.

What was the effect of Sickles’ Salient on the Second Day at Gettysburg? How effective were the guns of Lt. Col. Freeman McGilvery’s artillery at stemming the tide of Barksdale’s Mississippi Brigade? How could they have been deployed better? What would have happened if Hood’s Army of Tennessee blocked the Columbia Turnpike at Spring Hill? How might the Battle of Franklin have played out if you were in command? What if (and this is always a great one) Jackson would have been at Gettysburg? Beyond the “what-ifs,” I also find that gaming, coupled with intense command-level study of engagements, helps to better understand the challenges faced by Civil War soldiers in combat.

How might a brand-new unit of conscripts behave when assaulted by a regiment of rough and tough veteran soldiers? What happens to a brigade when its commander falls in combat and how might that impact their morale? An infantry column was charged by cavalry, what happens to their command, and can they regain their balance and turn back their foe? If a unit is targeted by artillery batteries firing explosive shells, how might they react? Now, much of this is driven by dice and die roll modifiers, but the feeling and intensity, is all too real and often thought provoking.

Ultimately, the American Civil War stands as a bloody, though altogether necessary, crucible to determine the fate of the United States. Roughly 700,000 men died in the conflict and the results and lasting impacts of the war are still visible today. It is a moment in our history that deserves examination and begs our attention be paid to those “honored dead.” At the same time, if we wish to further our understanding of a particular battle, I might recommend a well-written and heavily sourced wargame scenario or tabletop simulation.

What do you think of miniature gaming and the study of the American Civil War and how might the two aid one another?