American Civil War Game Club (ACWGC)

Gentlemen <salute>

My compliments! I hope this finds everyone well and actively engaged in the ACWGC. I submit my report for the month of October to keep everyone up-to-date with the happenings in II Corps as well as to maintain contact with everyone in the command.

New Arrivals:
- Brigadier General Evan Castle is a veteran of the ACWGC and had been on an extended R&R. He was assigned to 2nd "Gator Alley" Division.
- Field Lieutenant Thomas Denney arrived from the Vicksburg Military Institute in a fresh, new uniform. He was assigned to the 4th "Crimson Tide" Division.

Promotions:
- There were no promotions that I was able to identify in the DoR.

Awards:
- There were no awards that I was able to identify in either the MDT or via courier from higher command.

October Muster:
- II Corps achieved 100% muster for the 3rd consecutive month, and you gentlemen have my appreciation for your excellent response. Muster is an important function which allows commands to determine which officers might need to be sent to the hospital, and I could not be more proud to see that each of you is committed to our cause. Well done!

Battles:
- II Corps completed 17 battles during the month of October, including 8 major victories, 1 minor victory, and 3 draws. I believe 12 of 17 battles ending either in victory or checking the Yankee forces is a successful month, and my hat is off to everyone for engaging the oppressors and showing them that there is no cake-walk when II Corps is involved.

Successes included:
-- Gen Kennon Whitehead with 2 victories (60 turns)
-- Gen Jim Garner with 2 victories (60 turns)
-- Brig Gen Tom Moore with 2 victories (59 turns)
-- Lt Gen Neal Hebert with 1 victory (30 turns)
-- Lt Gen Mark Davis with 1 victory (28 turns)
-- Lt Col Michael Chandler with 1 victory (20 turns)

Keeping the Yanks at bay:
-- Maj Gen Jan Welleman with 1 draw (10 turns)
-- Lt Gen Tim Miller with 1 draw (15 turns)
-- Brig Gen Chris Newcomb with 1 draw (10 turns)
Those officers fighting the good fight included Lt Gen Tim Miller, Brig Gen Tom Moore, Brig Gen Bill Keys, and Col Robert Webb.

Army of the Shenandoah "Fall Offensive":

You may recall the post in the MDT where we were challenged with "surrender or die". II Corps certainly stepped forward to accept the challenge, fielding over 70% of the force (12 of 17) now facing the Army of the Shenandoah. As of this post the "official" page maintained by Colonel Olinsky of the AotS shows the CSA in the lead with 7 victories compared to 0 Yank victories. They seem to have bit off a bit more than they can chew!

Gentlemen, this concludes my report for the month of October. I remain honored to serve in this position and my tent flap is always open to anyone for comments, suggestions, or complaints in how I do my job. I work for you!

Highest regards,

Lieutenant General Neal Hebert
II Corps, Army of the Mississippi
Commanding

_________________
General Neal Hebert
Edward C. Walthall Division (2nd aka "Gator Alley")
II Corps, Army of the West
CSA Cabinet Secretary

Gentlemen of II Corps <salute>

First off, a Happy Thanksgiving to everyone in II Corps! I realize that not everyone is in the United States, however I suppose it's always appropriate to be thankful for the blessings life has granted us. The world gets more complicated by the day it seems, and a day spent with family or friends is never wasted effort.

November muster is proceeding well, with 15 of 21 officers considered mustered through either the Army of the Mississippi muster forum or by email. Time is running short, however, so please do so if you haven't mustered yet. II Corps has been outstanding in muster the last few months, and I see no reason we can't continue this trend.

With regards to awards and promotions, I wish to congratulate Michael Chandler on his promotion to colonel. The road to lieutenant colonel is not overly demanding, however achieving the rank of colonel demands a bit more effort and dedication to the ACWGC and in my eyes a good indicator that the officer is in it for the long haul. Michael, congratulations and we look forward to your continued service with II Corps!

Battle results so far this month are a bit less than the last few months, however only accounts for battles completed and does not reflect overall activity. II Corps officers have completed five battles as of 20 November, including 1 Major Victory, 1 Minor Victory, and 1 Draw. Lieutenant General Miller has the high point thus far, with three battles completed for a total of 68 turns including a Major Victory and a Minor Victory. General Jim Garner and Brigadier General Bill Keys completed battles as well.

The Army of the Shenandoah "Fall Offensive" continues, and the Army of the Mississippi continues to hold a commanding lead in the contest. Brigadier Greg Olinsky is maintaining a site http://shenandoah.acwgc-usa.org/BattleBoard.html to track the contest, and as of November 21st our forces hold a 7-0 lead with 8 of 17 battles completed. The Yanks will need to WIN all 9 of the remaining battles to claim victory, as draws carry no points. I'm especially proud of the II Corps representation (11 of the 17 battles) and thank everyone for their efforts against the Yank invaders.

Gentlemen, this concludes my Thanksgiving report. Please advise me if I've overlooked anything, and thank you for your service to II Corps and efforts to see that the Army of the Mississippi remains the finest in the ACWGC. As always, please contact me should you need support with administrative matters or just to say hello.

Highest regards,

_________________
General Neal Hebert
Edward C. Walthall Division (2nd aka "Gator Alley")
II Corps, Army of the West
CSA Cabinet Secretary

Gentlemen <salute>

I hope this finds everyone well and in the holiday mood. It's said that it's better to give than to receive, so let's all offer a fine gift for any Yanks we're engaged with at the moment.

General Pierre (ACWGC president) has started a forum in the Mason Dixon Tavern titled "Your Club" for ACWGC members to post "....any ideas, concerns, likes, dislikes, things you would like to see or changed." I believe this is a good idea and encourage everyone to use it if they have anything they'd like addressed by the cabinet. Feel free to visit other areas as well and join in whatever banter suits your fancy.

The Army of the Mississippi has been declared the winner of the "Hardee-Sheridan" cup as a result of everyone's efforts against the Army of the Shenandoah in their "Fall Offensive". The current tally is 7 Confederate victories, 1 Yankee victory, and 3 draws. There are still 5 ongoing battles, however the latest updates have 3 of these as Confederate victories at the moment. General Ringbloom, commander of the AotS, promises they will be back next September to reclaim what has never been theirs.

Our own Lieutenant General Tim Miller, AotM Chief of Staff, was awarded recognition as the Outstanding Brigade for the Month of November. Congratulations, Tim!

There seems to be some renewed interest in the "Confederate Sharpshooter" award which apparently hasn't been awarded since 2010 from what I can tell. General Blake Strickler has mad a post in the "Southern Raiders" forum which includes the rules by which the contest is composed, although I don't believe MP battle results are allowed; not sure.

Basically, you submit the highest value points of 3 Yank officers from battles either completed or ongoing during a quarter in the categories of killed, captured, and wounded. It requires a bit of record keeping, however a submission would name the category, the game number from the Department of records, and the points awarded in the scenario as follows (from my own individual battles completed or ongoing during the current quarter):

Killed:
Maj Gen Pleasonton, 12Nov20432, 27 Points
Maj Gen Fitz Porter, 12Oct20430, 21 Points
Brig Gen Sheridan, 12Oct20430, 20 Points

Wounded:
Brig Gen Samuel Sturgis, 12Oct20430, 10 Points
Brig Gen George Sykes, 12Oct20430, 10 Points
Brig Gen A. Hays, 12Nov20432, 8 Points

Captured:
Maj Gen Rousseau, 12Dec20439, 32 Points
Lt Col Robert Buchanan, 12Oct20340, 10 Points
No third officer

Total: 138 points

Contact me if there are questions in submitting applications for the current (Oct-Dec 2012) quarter.

II Corps has completed 9 battles so far in the month of December, with 2 major victories, 4 draws, as well as 2 major defeats and 1 minor defeat.

- Lieutenant Colonel Michael Chandler completed 3 battles, including a major victory and a draw

- Lieutenant General Tim Miller completed 2 battles which included a draw.

- Lieutenant General Mark Davis completed 1 battle, a major victory.

- Major General John Lindley and Major General Jan Welleman each contribute with draws.

- I contributed one of the major defeats

Gentlemen, it remains my honor to be the II Corps commander. My tent is always open should you experience difficulties in the ACWGC, have problems accessing the Department of Records or the Mason Dixon Tavern, or simply wish to send a rider. I am here to see to your needs and concerns.

Highest regards, and give the Yanks hell!

_________________
General Neal Hebert
Edward C. Walthall Division (2nd aka "Gator Alley")
II Corps, Army of the West
CSA Cabinet Secretary

Gentlemen <salute>

My compliments and hope that everyone has enjoyed a joyous holiday season. A wish that each of you enjoys a happy and prosperous 2013 as well.

I'll lead off the December report with what is already known; the Army of the Shenandoah has been absolutely crushed by our glorious army in their "Fall Offensive". 13 of 16 battles have been completed, with the Army of the Mississippi achieving 8 victories, 1 defeat, and 4 draws. Of the 3 remaining battles, our Army is enjoying 2 more victories and 1 draw as of the latest results.

By my count, II Corps accounted for 12 of the 16 battles. Excellent turnout, gentlemen! I'm sure the best is yet to come as we enter a new year of campaigning.

We had one promotion in December, with Michael Chandler of 4th "Crimson Tide" Division being promoted to colonel. He's received a new uniform jacket along with a jug of spirits to keep the chill at bay during these cold winter months. Colonel Chandler, my congratulations and hopes you'll be wearing general's stars in the near future.

I've decided to publish a "Roll of Honor" for completed battles regardless of outcome. All officers who completed battles will be listed in order of rank and alphabetically for those of the same rank. Everyone who completes a battle is deemed worthy of mention regardless of the outcome, and we all know that it is possible to fight the good fight in a losing effort.

II Corps completed 16 individual battles during December, posting a record of 8 victories, 5 draws, and 3 defeats. The "Roll of Honor" in battle for December:
General Kennon Whitehead: 1 Major Victory
Lieutenant General Mark Davis: 1 Major Victory, 1 Minor Victory, and 1 Draw
Lieutenant General Owen Evans: 1 Major Victory
Lieutenant General Neal Hebert: 1 Major Victory, 1 Major Defeat
Lieutenant General Tim Miller: 1 Draw, 1 Major Defeat
Major General Tony Beyersdorf: 1 Major Victory
Major General John Lindley: 1 Draw
Major General Jan Welleman: 1 Draw
Colonel Michael Chandler: 1 Major Victory, 1 Draw, 1 Minor Defeat
Colonel Robert Webb: 1 Minor Victory

I will also mention a couple of Multiplayer Battles that were completed, with mixed results.

General Kennon Whitehead, Colonel Greg Davis, and Colonel Michael Chandler were part of a five-man team dubbed the "Presidential Task Force", battling the newly formed "Hancocks Division" of the Army of the Shenandoah. This self-proclaimed "elite division" offered its surrender after only 18 turns at HPS Shiloh. Perhaps the Yankee definition of "elite" is different from ours. Gentlemen, well done and thank you for representing II Corps with distinction.

Major General David Peek, Major General Tim Reneau, and myself completed an almost two-year long battle from our "Gator Challenge" against a Yankee team initially commanded by General Ned Simms along with Colonel Ernie Fantini and Colonel Tim Wheeler of the Army of the Shenandoah. We were on our heels for a good part of the contest after our right fell into trouble, and with casualties on both sides approaching 60,000 our troops were just too beat up and tired to continue. We offered our swords, however a rematch is in the works.

Muster:
While there was no muster in December, the AotM thread at the ACWGC site did offer the opportunity to post for January Muster. I will begin recording the posts, and if you haven't yet mustered I encourage you to do so at your earliest convenience.

I conclude this dispatch with my thanks for your participation in the ACWGC and the very respectible record shown each month in battle. You are all fighters, my kind of officers! Continue to give the Yankees hell when possible, and do your best to hold them at bay when not. I am honored to hold this command and invite everyone to contact me at anytime if there are matters that require my attention or simply to visit

My highest regards,

_________________
General Neal Hebert
Edward C. Walthall Division (2nd aka "Gator Alley")
II Corps, Army of the West
CSA Cabinet Secretary

Gentlemen <salute>

My compliments to all and hopes that this dispatch finds everyone in good health, good spirits, and gainfully engaged against the smurfs.

I apologize for having missed a mid-month report, however this will see things addressed prior to the report for the month of January.

Muster:

There seems to have been some confusion over where to muster, and officers have been found reporting in a few different areas to include the thread for October (I believe it was). The topic has been brought up, however not recently addressed. I've recommended a single muster thread to report to each month, making it easier to search and determine when an officer last mustered. If there are any ideas on how to muster more efficiently I invite you to post them. I can't guarantee they will be adopted, but they will be considered.

II Corps is at 100% muster for January, by the way. Well done!

Promotions:

There are no promotions to publish, however during a review of the DoR I did notice that Colonel Greg Davis of the 4th "Crimson Tide" Division has achieved enough points for promotion to Brigaider General. Promotion to the general officer ranks requires cabinet approval, and I have forward his eligibility up the chain of command with my endorsement. Promotion to the general officer ranks is quite an accomplishment, and it is my hope that it is brought before the cabinet quickly. Colonel Davis is certainly deserving.

Awards:

There a number of awards to announce, and in my almost 4 years in the ACWGC I can't recall ever seeing every member of a single division being recognized in one ceremony. 2nd "Gator Alley" Division was recently recognized in such fashion, much to my surprise as it originated from the highest echelons of the Confederacy. I mention this only to ensure there is no thought it originated from my previous command of "Gator Alley", as this is not the case.

The following awards were presented to the officers of "Gator Alley"

Major General Tim Reneau, Commanding, A.P. Hill Medal of Service (1st)
Major General David Peek, 3rd Brigade, Samuel Cooper Medal of Service (1st)
Brigadier General Tom Moore, 5th Brigade, Samuel Cooper Medal of Service (1st)
Brigadier General Chris Newcomb, 2nd Brigade, Samuel Cooper Medal of Service (1st)
Colonel Robert Webb, 8th Brigade, Samuel Cooper Medal of Service (1st)

My congratulations to these fine officers for their recognition!

Battles:

II Corps continues to represent itself with honor and distinction on the field of honor. As of this dispatch the corps has completed 14 battles in the month of January: 7 victories, 3 draws, and 4 defeats.

Lieutenant General Mark Davis: 3 Victories, 1 Draw, 1 Defeat
Lieutenant General Owen Evans: 1 Victory
Lieutenant General Tim Miller: 2 Victories, 2 Draws
Major General Tim Reneau: 1 Victory
Brigadier General Tom Moore: 1 Defeat
Brigadier General Bill Keys: 1 Defeat
Colonel Robert Webb: 1 Defeat

Multiplayer battles:

"Gator Advance" ended on 7 January with a Major Victory for the Confederate forces, which included Major General David Peek (Commanding until his mount died), Colonel Greg Davis, and Colonel Robert Webb of II Corps. General Blake Strickler has also published an After-Action Report on the battle in the ACWGC forums if anyone is interested in an analysis of the battle.

Well played, gentlemen!

Army of the Shenandoah "Fall Offensive":

The AotS conceeded the contest some time back, however there are still battles ongoing. The latest battle to be completed was today, a Major Victory for our forces! The score now is 9 victories, 4 draws, and 1 defeat with 2 battles still in progress. General Ringbloom has vowed revenge this autumn, however our continued pounding on his troops should provide some psychological advantage to our forces. Seek out the Army of the Shenandoah officers when possible for battle and reinforce our demonstrated superiority. They won't forget it when the contest resumes.

Six months in command:

It's already been six months since I was honored with command of II Corps. I pray that I have communicated sufficiently and shown that I am not an "absentee" commander and am truly committed to II Corps and its success as an organization. I sat down a couple of days ago in the DoR to compile your efforts in that time (going back to 1 July 2012). These reflect the results of 91 individual battles completed:

Major Victories: 36
Minor Victories: 9
Draws: 20
Minor Defeats: 7
Major Defeats: 19

A hell of a record, gentlemen! Victorious in just under 50% of the battles completed, with only 29% ending in defeat? II Corps is a class act, so let's take it to the next level.

Command Opportunity:

6th Division was designated a "reserve division" soon after I assumed command. General Garner has expressed interest in the past to have a division commander reinstated, however I have avoided acting on this interest until now.

Are there any officers interested in assuming a division command in II Corps? The pay is not great, however it's an opportunity to develop a comradrie with fellow members in perhaps the best command position in the ACWGC. Send a rider if you're interested.

This concludes my report, and it remains my honor to serve in this capacity. Feel free to send a rider if I've made any typos, screwed up any names, overlooked something, or whatever suits your fancy.

Highest regards,

_________________
General Neal Hebert
Edward C. Walthall Division (2nd aka "Gator Alley")
II Corps, Army of the West
CSA Cabinet Secretary

Gentlemen <salute>

My compliments to all and hopes that this finds everyone doing well and actively engaging the Yanks. I submit my report for the month of January.

As mentioned in my mid-month dispatch, II Corps mustered at 100% for the month of January. Well done by all!

The February muster contest was an overwhelming success for II Corps, which mustered at 100% within about 26 hours of the muster opening. That is a truly amazing accomplishment and I cannot thank you enough for your response. You are awesome and I don't know that any command will ever come close to matching this. Well done by all, and drinks are on Nicodemus in the tavern!

Promotions:

There are no promotions to mention for January, although I have submitted the following recommendations to the chain of command. Both are deserving of promotion and the recommendations are now before the cabinet for a vote:

Brigadier General Tom Moore recommended for Major General
Colonel Greg Davis recommended for Brigadier General

I foresee no problems with the recommendations and will hopefully see each of you with a bit more weight on your shoulders in the next few days.

Commands:

Brigadier General Tom Moore was appointed commander of the 6th Division after volunteering his service for the position. I look forward to great things from Tom and 6th Division, collectively an excellent group of officers with a lot of potential. Tom has designated 6th Division as "Cheatham's Volunteer Division". My congratulations, suh!

Awards:

There were several awards presented in January, with 2nd "Gator Alley" Division officers being recognized for their efforts:

Major General Tim Reneau, 1st A.P. Hill Medal of Service
Major General David Peek, 1st Samuel Cooper Medal of Service
Brigadier General Tom Moore, 1st Samuel Cooper Medal of Service
Brigadier General Chris Newcomb, 1st Samuel Cooper Medal of Service
Colonel Robert Webb, 1st Samuel Cooper Medal of Service

Battles:

January kicked off a new year for II Corps, and it was a busy month on the battlefield. Collectively there were 22 individual battles completed for 12 victories, 4 draws, and 6 defeats. We also saw on MP battle concluded for a victory in January by a team of 5 officers from the Army of the Mississippi, including 3 from II Corps.

Individual Roll of Honor:

Lieutenant General Mark Davis: 4 victories, 1 draw, 2 defeats
Lieutenant General Owen Evans: 3 victories, 1 defeat
Lieutenant General Tim Miller: 4 victories, 2 draws
Major General David Peek: 1 draw
Major General Tim Reneau: 1 victory
Brigadier General Bill Keys: 1 defeat
Brigadier General Tom Moore: 1 defeat
Colonel Robert Webb: 1 defeat

Multi-player Roll of Honor:

Colonels Greg Davis and Robert Webb teamed up with I Corps officers Colonel Sascha Marx and Lieutenant Colonel Harry Haines for what was designated "Gator Advance", with Major General David Peek in command of the Confederate forces until his mount died. Colonel Sascha Marx then took command of the action and most competently led the forces to a major victory. This battle has been posted in the ACWGC forums with commentary by General Blake Strickler, who observed the action from both sides.

It also appears that the four gentlemen have decided to form a MP battle alliance and recently started a 2nd MP battle at HPS Gettysburg. Best of luck in your future MP endeavors!

Current activities:

2nd "Gator Alley" Division reports the following actions in progress:
o Major General Reneau is engaged in 3 MP Battles and 2 MP Maneuvers.
o Major General Peek is engaged in 2 MP Battles, 2 MP Maneuvers, and 1 maneuver.
o Brigadier General Newcomb is engaged in 2 MP Battles.
o Colonel Webb is engaged in 1 MP Battle and 2 maneuvers.

6th "Cheatham's Volunteer" Division reports the following actions in progress:
o Brigadier General Tom Moore is engaged in 2 battles.
o Brigadier General Roy Purcell is engaged in 2 battles and 1 maneuver.
o Major General Carlo Bonferroni is engaged in 1 battle.
o Major General John Lindley reports being quite busy, however hoping to take to the field of battle at the soonest opportunity.

I wish to thank everyone for their participation and support, as always. I invite everyone to send a rider if there are any problems needing the command's attention, or simply to visit for a spell. Addressing problems is my responsibility, although sitting in the shade for a glass of sweet tea suits me just fine.

I remain your humble servant,

P.S. Feel free to speak up if I've omitted anything, made errors in names (it's happened), or to advertise items of interest to the command.

_________________
General Neal Hebert
Edward C. Walthall Division (2nd aka "Gator Alley")
II Corps, Army of the West
CSA Cabinet Secretary

Gentlemen <salute>

My compliments to all and hopes that this finds everyone doing well and actively engaged in the ACWGC. I submit my report for February, 2013.

The February muster contest was an overwhelming success for II Corps, which mustered at 100% within about 26 hours of the muster opening. The Army of Georgia eventually completed their muster first, winning the contest, however II Corps certainly accomplished its part in extraordinary fashion. Well done by all!

The March muster thread has been opened by none other than General Blake, Eastern Theater Commander, so it's time to report for March. There is no contest this time around, however I hope to see everyone report at their earliest convenience.

Promotions:

The following promotions were announced, effective 10 February:

o Tom Moore, commander of 6th "Cheatham's Volunteers" Division, to the rank of Major General.

o Greg Davis, commanding 3rd Brigade, 4th "Crimson Tide" Division to the rank of Brigadier General.

Well-earned promotions by Tom and Greg. I look forward their continued success and offer my congratulations to both.

Commands:

No command announcements.

Awards:

o Gen Kennon Whitehead was awarded the Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson Medal of Recognition in honor of his dedicated service as Commandant of the War College.

o Lt Gen Tim Miller was awarded the Nathan Bedford Forrest Medal of Recognition for excellent service in battle as part of the Red Badge of Courage Tournament. Tim also received his 3rd award of the Red Badge of Courage Ribbon.

o "Outstanding Brigade" for the month of January, 2013, was awarded Lt Gen Tim Miller.

o The "Purple Heart" for the month of January, 2013, was awarded to Lt Gen Owen Evans.

Battles:

February saw 14 individual battles completed, with 5 victories, 4 draws, and 5 defeats. That's a total of 36 battles completed for the year, with 17 victories, 8 draws, and 11 defeats.

Individual Roll of Honor:

Gen Kennon Whitehead: 1 victory
Lt Gen Mark Davis: 2 victories, 1 draw, 1 defeat
Lt Gen Tim Miller: 2 draws, 2 defeats
Maj Gen Tony Beyersdorf: 1 victory, 1 defeat
Brig Gen Greg Davis: 1 victory
Col Robert Webb: 1 draw
Fld Lt Thomas Denney: 1 defeat

Multi-player Battles:

A "Gator Alley" team comprised of Maj Gen Tim Reneau, Brig Gen Chris Newcomb and myself won a major victory over a team from the Army of the Shenandoah after 2 years of action.

A "Gator Alley" team comprised of Maj Gen Tim Reneau and Maj Gen David Peek won a major victory over a Army of the Tennessee team in what may be one of the most one-sided affairs I've ever seen.

Upcoming events:

o Lt Gen Tim Miller is organizing the next round in the "Western Fireworks" contest against the Army of the Tennessee", which this time will consist of three different events:

1) A routine "bracket" tournament.
2) An MP battle section for teams of 3-4 players.
3) An individual section for one-on-one battles.

Please let me know if you're interested in any or all of these and I'll forward to Lt Gen Miller.

o I Corps has a new commander in Maj Gen Joe Medeiros, and we are discussing a friendly meeting engagement for Army of the Mississippi officers to foster tighter bonds between I Corps and II Corps officers. There are no specifics at this time, however a second "King of the Hill" contest might be included.

Thank you for your participation in the ACWGC, the AotM, and II Corps! Please send a rider if there's anything you need from the command and I will get on it.

Lt Gen Neal Hebert
II Corps, Army of the Mississippi
Commanding

_________________
General Neal Hebert
Edward C. Walthall Division (2nd aka "Gator Alley")
II Corps, Army of the West
CSA Cabinet Secretary