Jackson Gamers' Western Frontier Game, played October 29, 2005
Using Fred Diamond's home rules set
Save the Missionaries!
When the three French fathers, Peter, Paule and Marye went missing during the Squatting Buffalo uprising, the cavalry was tasked to rescue them. Vociferous in their denunciation of the opression of the peaceful red men, the three missioniaries to the "united tribes" had long poured out their gospel of the love of the indian and hatred for the white man's government. The three fathers had even assisted in buring the "great white father" in effigy.
The commander of the 16th Cavalry regiment, Col. John Hesselberg (Known to the Indians as "Bushy Beard )led a column of three companies of cavalry into the feild, southeastward from Fort Aaron Burr. He commanded one company himself, and the other two were led by Lt. Jay Ainsworth (Known to the Red men as Losing Hair) and Lt. Jerry Lee Ainsworth (Young officer).
The Indians were led by the noted chiefs Squatting Buffalo (Jay Stribling), Walking Raven (Ed Sansing) and Crawling Drum (Phil Young).
Photo by Ed Sansing
The mounted units of "Bushy Beard and Young officer deploy into line. The Gatling gun is behind them, hidden from the Indians by the dust kicked up by the mounted troopers. The Red Men did not know of the existance of the machine gun until it deployed and opened fire. The indian scouts had reported it as a "supply wagon" accompanying the troopers.
Photo by Jessie Stribling
The secret weapon, what the Indians had thought to be a "supply wagon". The Gatling gun with 4-man crew.
Photo by Ed Sansing
Jay Ainsworth (Losing Hair) has his mounted unit deploy on the hill. As the Cavalry moved into any cover, they tested to see what they would find. Ainsworth found a priest immediately, Father Marye, one of the captives who escaped from the indians.
Photo by Ed Sansing
Crawling Drum's tribe moves in front of the woods with their captive priest, Father Peter, and taunts the cavalry to come and save him. Later in the game, Crawling Drum executed the priest in full sight of the enemy to gain much medicine (favorable die modifier) in combat.
Photo by Ed Sansing
Young Officer's (Jerry Lee Ainsworth) unit exchanges fire with Walking Raven and he loses 2 men and a horse. He has several wounded men and horses also.
At no time did the cavalry dismount for better fire modifiers, preferring the maximum mobility of remaining mounted. They were under the impression that they had to search the table and find the remaining two missing French clerics.
Photo by Ed Sansing
John ("Bushy Beard) moved his unit around the hill and attacks one of Crawling Drum's units. John is then attacked and partially surrounded by a mounted unit of Crawling Drum's that was hidden off the table. Casualties were substantial on both sides, but "Bushy Beard had to fall back.
Photo by Ed Sansing
As the fight rages a Shaman of Crawling Drum's tribe uses Indian Magic to turn himself into a giant wolverine. Also a group of gunfighters appear from a nearby town. They are all likkered up and ready for any excuse to attack the Red Man come onto the battlefield. This turned out to be a wild free-for-all and after three turns of fire and melee, the Indians had to fall back from the drunken gunmen - to the amazement of all the participants. Crawling Drum's luck deserted him in this part of the game, and the old Indian was heard to mutter one of his few English phrases -"Damm Dice!"
Photo by Jessie Stribling
The machine gun in action. Fortunately for the Indians, it jammed every other turn, due to poor quality cartridges and over-frantic cranking. It only fired 3 times during the game, but was deadly when it worked.
Photo by Jessie Stribling
A view of Squatting Buffalo'sdoomed attack by his remaining mounted braves on the next-to last game turn.
Photo by Ed Sansing
Crawling Drum's foot unit pulls back into the woods shown here still holding their prisoner.
On the 10th turn, Squatting Buffalo executed his priest, Father Paule, in view of the enemy, seeking to gain medicine - a favorable die modifier. Unfortunately, Squatting Buffalo made a tactical error, and the unit that executed the man of God was not the unit that was attacking. It was a reserve unit that never made it into combat. Oh well, as the umpire said - "Read the scenario sheet!"
Photo by Ed Sansing
"Bushy Beard's cavalry fights through Crawling Drum's Indians and is now chased by mounted braves.
Photo by Ed Sansing
One of Walking Raven's mounted units comes onto the table and attacks Jerry Lee's unit. Squatting Buffalo's unit enters the battlefied and attacks the other gunfighter group.
Photo by Ed Sansing
Walking Raven's other unit blocks "Bushy Beard's cavalry and Crawling Drum catches him from behind.
Photo by Jessie Stribling
An already-depleted unit of Squatting Buffalo's indians make a desperate charge against the "Mother of all muskets" on the next-to last game turn. They died, of machine-gun fire and last-minute carbine and pistol fire, but the weapon jammed after shooting them up.
Photo by Ed Sansing
"Bushy Beard's unit after surviving an indian attack from the rear.
At the last minute, umpire Fred Diamond, reminded the Cavalry players that all they had to do for victory, was to exite the battlefield with ONE of the priests - not all of them. At this point, Jay Ainsworth (Losing Hair heads for the edge of the field with the priest.
Photo by Ed Sansing
At the last view which we have of the battle, close to the battle's end, Jay Ainsworth (Losing Hair) shown in the foreground) is riding hard to the edge of the battlefield with Father Marye lashed to a pack animal. Phil Young Crawling Drum is harassing him with Indians on foot. Crawling Drum's wolverine shape-shifting shaman has gotten in front of Ainsworth, but is riddled with pistol bullets and ridden down. Walking Raven's two units of mounted braves are chasing Ainsworth from the rear. So - Who won the Battle?
Jay Ainsworth (Losing Hair) rode hard, but with the variable movement that this rules set allows, he had one short move - BAD dice. The pursuing red men had one long move - GOOD dice. With only 4" to go, the Indians swarmed over Ainsworth's last few men. The Gatling gun was still jammed! When the dust cleared, Crawling Drum's men headed home with Father Marye's head on a lance.
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