Arbol Solo - part 2
Our Mexican-American 1846 game

This is the second page of our last 2003 game at Hobbytown in North Jackson on December 5th. Unless otherwise credited, all photos are by Ed Sansing.

Turn one - Bill Reiman advances his troops

Phil Young (on left) watches Bill make Mexicans' the first move of the game. Both sides set up a brigade per player plus an extra brigade. This allowed the Mexicans, with 5 players, to start 6 brigades on the table, set up 24" from the edge. The Americans with three players started four brigades of troops on the field.

Each brigade consted of three to four regiments, each of 10-20 figures in 25mm/28mm figures. Our newer figures are Old Glory 28mm figures, but many of the older troops were painted 15+ years ago and are 'true' 25mm figures made by manufacturers such as Minifigs. Most of the newer figures are on individual bases so they can be used for these rules or Santa Anna Rules. The older figures are mounted on 2-man bases for cavalry, or 4-man bases for infantry. We used magnetic move stands for the individually mounted men.

The American order of battle for Arbol Solo

• First Division
  • First Brigade
    • 1st Infantry (regulars) 20 men, based singly
    • 2nd Infantry (regulars) 20 men, based singly
    • 3rd Infantry (regulars) 20 men, 4-man bases
  • Second Brigade
    • 4th Infantry (regulars) 20 men, based singly
    • 5th Infantry (regulars) 20 men, based singly
    • 6th Infantry (regulars) 20 men, 4-man bases
  • Third Brigade
    • 7th Infantry (regulars) 20 men, 4-man bases
    • 11th Infantry (regulars) 20 men, 4-man bases - in FULL dress, w/shakoes
    • Washington battalion (volunteers) 20 men, 4-man bases
• Second Division
  • Fourth Brigade
    • 1st Artillery regiment (regulars), on foot as infantry, 20 men, 4-man bases
    • 2nd Artillery regiment (regulars), on foot as infantry, 20 men, based singly
    • U.S. (dismounted) Mounted Rifles (regulars) 20 men, based singly
  • Fifth Brigade
    • 1st Illinois volunteers , 16 figures, based singly
    • 2nd Illinois volunteers, 16 figures, based singly
• Troops not in a division
  • Cavalry Brigade
    • 1st U.S. Dragoons (regulars) 20 figures, based singly
    • 2nd U.S. Dragoons (regulars) 20 figures, on 2-man bases
    • Texas rangers (volunteers) 10 figures based singly
  • Ringgold's flying battery, (regulars), (2 guns and 8 figures in shakos on 3"x3" bases)

Mexicans move forward, early in the game

On the first turn, the Mexicans advance to try to occupy the cemetary (sucessfully) and the land between the center town and the cemetary.

On the third and the fifth turns each side could bring on one brigade of reinforcements. This was all that the Americans had, but the Mexicans still had a brigade of cavalry and a brigade of elite infantry with another battery that never came on the field.

Bill Reiman and Mark Stevens

We had a higher table than normal for this game - and Mark is sitting on a short stool, giving him the height of a hobbit in this photo.

The Mexican order of battle for Arbol Solo

• First Division
  • First Brigade
    • 1st Line Infantry (Regulars) 20 men, based singly,
    • 2nd Line Infantry (Regulars) 20 men, based singly
    • 4th Line Infantry (Regulars) 20 men, based singly
  • Second Brigade
    • 9th Line Infantry (Regulars) 20 men, based singly
    • 10th Line Infantry (Regulars) 20 men, based singly
    • Veteran Militia of Vera Cruz, 20 men, based singly
  • Third Brigade
    • 3rd Line Infantry (Regulars) 20 men, 4-man stands
    • 11th Line Infantry (Regulars) 20 men, 4-man stands
    • 12th Line Infantry (Regulars) 20 men, 4-man stands
• Second Division
  • Fourth Brigade
    • 1st Militia Infantry (Regulars) 20 men based singly
    • Active Militia of Lagos, 20 men, 4-man stds.
    • Active Militia of Celaya, 20 men, 4-man stds.
  • Fifth Brigade
    • 1st battalion, Active Militia of Mexico City, 20 men, 4-man stands.
    • 2nd battalion, Active Militia of Mexico City, 20 men, 4-man stands.
    • Regular standing battalion of Mexico (militia) 20 men, 4-man stands.
    • San Blas battalion - (militia) 20 men, 4-man stands.
    • Brigade Artillery - One Battery with two guns and eight gunners (Regulars)
• Third Division
  • Sixth Brigade
    • 1st Light Infantry (Regulars) 20 men, based singly
    • 2nd Light Infantry (Regulars) 20 men, based singly
    • 3rd Light Infantry (Regulars) 20 men, 4-man stands
    • 4th Light Infantry (Regulars) 20 men, 4-man stands
  • Reserve Brigade
    • Grenadier guards of the supreme powers (Regulars) 20-men, mounted individually.
    • Grenadiers of Toluca (Regulars) 20 men, 4-man stands
    • Marine Battalion (Regulars) 20 men, 4-man stands
    • Brigade Artillery - One Battery with two guns and eight gunners (Regulars)
• Cavalry Division
  • First Cavalry Brigade
    • Tulacingo Cuirassiers (Regulars) 20 men, 2-man stands
    • 1st Cavalry (Regulars) 20 men, 2-man stands
    • Cuirassiers of the reserve (Regulars) 10 men, based singly
  • Second Cavalry Brigade
    • 2nd Cavalry (Regulars) 20 men, based singly
    • 7th Cavalry (Regulars) 10 men, based singly
  • Third Cavalry Brigade
    • 1st group of Presidial companies (militia) 20 men, based singly
    • 2nd group of Presidial companies (militia) 10 men, based singly
    • Militia Cavalry of Sonora, 14 men, 2-man stands
• Unattached Troops
  • A battery of 2 guns and 8 gunners in red coats, (militia)

The troops shown in this COLOR never reached the battlefield

Mexicans in occupation of the cemetary

The Mexicans strengthen the graveyard. The American 1st & 2nd Illinois Volunteers more forward but are not able to re-take it. This means that the game ends with the Mexicans in posession of two of the objectives - A decisive victory for them!

The Mexican line bends in the middle but they still hold the middle town

The US maintains control of its one town

Since the first or second turn the Americans held the southern town. They reached it first and the American trrops were in no danger there. Most of the Mexican troops and all of the elite units on the field (the light brigade) were thrown against the cemetary and to hold the central town.

We hope that there are More 1846 games to come! We had a great time with this one.

Return to part 1 of Arbol Solo