General Philip Kearny Jr. "The One-Armed Devil"

This man has accomplished more with one arm than most of us have with two.

Born~ June 2, 1815                    
Died~ Sept 1, 1862. Killed at Battle of Chantilly, Va
Education~ Columbia College class 1833
                  
Military Career~
1837 purchased commission as Second Lieutanant
1839 Traveled to France to study Cavalry Tactics at the school in Saumur.
Went with The Chasseurs d' Afrique in Algiers.
1846 He raised a troop of cavalry for the 1st U.S. Dragoons, Company F, in
Terre Haute, Indiana. He spared no expense in recruiting his men and acquired 120 matched dapple gray horses.
Fought at Battle of Contreras and Churubusco; in the latter engagement, Kearny led a daring cavalry charge and suffered a grapeshot wound to his left arm. It later had to be amputated. Kearny's courage earned him the respect of his soldiers and fellow officers                         
1859, Kearny returned to France, re-joining the Chasseurs d'Afrique, who were at the time fighting against Austrian forces in Italy. Later, he was with Napoleon III's Imperial Guard at the Battle of Solferino, He was with the cavalry under général Louis-Michel Morris, which penetrated the Austrian center and captured the key point of the battle. For this action, Kearny was awarded the French Légion d'honneur, becoming the first U.S. citizen to be thus honored.
1861. At the outbreak of Civil War, Kearny returned home to new Jersey.

Notable Commands~

1st New Jersey Brigade.        1861
3rd Division III Corp, Army of the Potomac.       April 30, 1862


Post War~ N/A

Fascinting Fact~ At the beginning of the American Civil War Kearny was considered to be one of the richest officers in the U.S. Army. When he offered his services to the War Department, they turned him down on account of his disability. The State of New Jersey realized the value of such a "seasoned" leader.
Also credited with designing the first unit insignia badges. These badges were the forerunner for the modern military patch that is worn by U.S. Soldiers today.

Above figure is a modified mounted officer. I used TesTors Contour Putty to fashion a cloak/cape to hang over his left shoulder to hide his missing arm.


On The Game Table~

LEVEL~             2
RADIUS~           12"
MODIFIER~       -2
COHESION~      16

 When General McClellan ordered a retreat after the Battle of Malvern Hill, General Kearny wrote the following.

"I, Philip Kearny, an old soldier, enter my solemn protest against this order for retreat. We ought instead of retreating should follow up the enemy and take Richmond. And in full view of all responsible for such declaration, I say to you all, such an order can only be prompted by cowardice or treason."

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150th Battle of Olustee Reenactment in Pictures

Sign at the main gate.  It  should be noted that the reenactment took place on part of the actual original battlefield.

Demonstration drill near main gate.

Beautiful clothing.

Example of a Brook Rifle. 7inch Rifled naval gun created in the south by John Mercer Brook.

Civil War Torpedo. modern times known as a mine.

Confederate officers and men of the regiment in camp.

C.S. Doctors.

Drill, Drill, and more Drill.

Last minute instructions and inspections before the battle.

Safety of the reenactors and spectators is important. These are real weapons.

Company Commander. Captain Frank Groce of the 53rd Georgia Vol Regt.

A sharp looking company commander reviews his troops.

Before the battle, Period music by a band from North Carolina.

A view of the spectators. It was a very large crowd. Behind the group where bleechers That were filled quickly. best advice is to get to an event early if you want a seat.

The battle opened up with Federal Cavalry running into Rebel Infantry.

Confederate Infantry form up to guard against cavalry charge. After driving off the cavalry, the Federal Artillery open up.

The bombardment lasted  probably 30 minutes. The crowd watched as set charges on the field exploded. Smoke hung in the air, as more confederates formed up in line of battle.

Soon the order is given and the brave soldiers from Florida and Georgia Move forward.

They are not the only ones on the field. Union forces move up to make battle.

As the battle progresses, More units take the field. The Battle becomes intense as the crack of the musket in volley is accompanied by the roar of Cannons on both sides.

The front row was partially obscured when the U.S. Colored troops made there way on the field. Many spectators heads or cameras got in the way of some really nice shots.  I had to crop and edit many of my pics. I took a total of 195 photos. These are some of the best ones.

Of the Union Regiments that were present where the Famous 54th Massachusetts Regiment, the 35th U.S. Colored Troops Regiment, and the 8th U.S. Colored Troops Regiment.

Pass and review after the battle. All the participant reenactors took the field and fired a volley in the air as a salute to those who fought and died at the battle.

Both Commanders took the stage and said a few words in honor of those soldiers who answered the call and gave their "last full measure." Speaking for myself, I thought the event was very well planed and executed. The reenactors on both sides were very knowledgeable about the history and were very friendly. Soon I will be posting articles based on some of my interviews.

What Have I Been Doing For 4 Months?

Two columns of Mississippi Infantry on their way to the front.


















New York Infantry in the woodline.

 

Georga and North Carolina Infantry Regiments in Line of Battle. Their Brigade Commander looks on....

The Union Commander steadies his men.

Confederate Batteries prepare to fire.

I have been doing some small unit play testing with the rules.

ALSO

I will post pics of some "conversions" that I have done. These models will represent some Generals not covered in the GHQ line. These should be ready in the next few weeks.