First off, an apology is due for the lateness of this issue. As you know, our members in the UK write much of the content for Lone Warrior. Kenn Hart is very good about getting material to me early enough so that I can meet my publication deadlines. Text is sent by email and graphics (like maps and illustrations) typically are sent by mail in hard copy. But every now and then we have something slip through the crack. There was a minor problem that just took me too long to become aware of and then a few weeks to address. This happens infrequently and I know you will indulge us this misstep. And my thanks to our valued members! As you know, the price of a membership in the Solo Wargamers Association jumped from $20 to $25. I am pleased to report that the re-subscription rate has not fallen. Our members are loyal and an editor couldn’t be happier. Now if I can just persuade more of you to submit articles, we can realize the plans for a larger Lone Warrior! On a personal note, I have taken a new position. As you may recall, my last position was a Defense Contractor. I was designing a new military curriculum for the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth. Well, it seems that the Combat Studies Institute (the history department of the staff college) was expanding its faculty and hired me as an associate professor of history. I am still doing a lot of what I did before but now my future includes getting back to the classroom and delivering solid history lessons to the staff college students. In addition to that, I also have been selected to write a staff ride text on the War of 1812. This volume will run about two hundred pages and will describe the three major campaigns on the Niagara River. A staff ride is more than a battlefield tour. It is an integrated, in-depth study and analysis of a battle or campaign based upon selected readings and a terrain walk. The military, particularly the Army, uses staff rides to educate its officer corps. When I was a student, I made a staff ride to Chickamauga. First we attended 8 three-hour classes of readings and discussions before were allowed on the battlefield. Then we spent two solid days walking the terrain. At various sites we discussed what went on and more importantly, why it happened the way it did. Finally, we held a session to synthesize our experiences into a solid understanding that gave us some insights into issues such as command and control and the role of morale and leadership. It was an awesome experience. So now, my task (when I’m not writing lesson plans or teaching) is to design a staff ride for my favorite theater of war. I plan to write a chapter on each of the three campaigns on the Niagara. In 1812 the U.S. invasion ended with the Battle of Queenston Heights. The following year the U.S. successfully took Fort George but was handed twin defeats at Beaver Dams and Stoney Creek. In 1814, The U.S. and Britain fought the lengthy campaign which included the taking of Fort Erie by the Americans, Chippawa, Lundy’s Lane, the Siege of Fort Erie and finally Cook’s Mill. There are some problems with a terrain walk. Lundy’s Lane is currently in downtown Niagara Falls, Ontario. However, the Forts are very well preserved as is Chippawa. I am looking forward to this project as a labor of love. Kind of like Lone Warrior! So, what am I doing for solo wargaming these days? Well, if you read Midwest Wargamers Association Newsletter (MWAN) you may have read part I of my adventures fighting out the First Battle of Bull Run. Before too long, you will read part two, an account of the closest run of my solo battles there. I don’t know about you, but when I invent a solo scenario, I enjoy playing it repeatedly to discover the variables and to try new ways of doing things. My only problem with Bull Run was that I didn’t have quite enough figures to man all the brigades historically present. So, I bought some more and have been painting up new Civil War regiments. Isn’t that the way it always is? You discover a new time period or war and you are quickly motivated to convert more lead into painted miniatures. So, back to the painting table and until next issue, I bid you all “Good Soloing!!!!” Back Issues Back issues are available for $4 each, which includes postage and handling. Send request and check to: Solo Wargamers Assn 1707 Ridge Rd. Leavenworth, KS 66048 Back to Table of Contents -- Lone Warrior # 141 Back to Lone Warrior List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 2003 by Solo Wargamers Association. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com