Once again my convention season started with a trip to Augusta. This HMGS MIDSOUTH convention is 3-4 hours from Jacksonville. It draws about 200 most years, including a strong contingent from SOUTH’s northeastern Garrison. The driving force behind it is Dr. Jim Birdseye, a Georgia history professor whose ties to the HMGS community go back to his residence in the DC area and participation Wally Simon's (he of the basement) Potomac Wargamers.
Chris’s 1812 Brits in action. We gotta get this guy down here!
Chris Hughes of Sash and Saber was up to his usual 28mm and 40mm wizardry, staging ACW, 1812, and AMR activity on spectacular terrain. Phil Viverito was also on hand with his spectacular Troy setup.
One of Dr. Jim’s tricks to stimulate attendance in the wilds near the Georgia South Carolina Border is to encourage other genre to use the convention for their activities. No, not just the dark side, though there was some of that in evidence. There was a full fledged High School Chess Tournament going on in addition to the DBA, Colonial, Napoleonic and other historical affairs. This would have an unusual effect on my Battle of the Boyne Game.
We also have to get Phil down here!
Starting up Friday night I had several players on hand. One fellow took command of the Jacobite forces, and executed opening moves which, in retrospect, I recognized as the familiar “Pawn to Kings 4” gambit. The Irish levies splashed across the Boyne and formed line in front of the advancing Williamite hordes. He then was recalled to the Chess Tournament from which he much later emerged with an impressive looking trophy.
I was sure the move would doom the Jacobites. But as it developed the Williamites opened their attack with cavalry before deploying their infantry. The Irish and French horse came up as the Danish, Dutch, and English horse were sorting themselves out from various collisions with the Jacobite pikes, and swept them away in disorder. Perhaps, just perhaps, Pawn to King 4 is the key to a Jacobite victory at the Boyne.
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