HotLead is a convention in Stratford, Ontario, Canada that is scheduled for the last weekend of March every year. It has been held for a decade in Stratford, and keeps growing.

This year, I decided to run a demonstration game of Victorian Warfare using the club’s large collection of 15mm ACW figures. The scenario was based upon the Battle of Perrysville, KY of 8 October 1862.

Rather than cover the entire action, I chose to focus on the fighting between the US First Corps (McCook) and CSA Division of Cheatham. This took place on the Union left/Confederate right.

Cheatam’s command was ordered to secure Doctor’s Creek, while McCook was to hold Doctor’s Creek. The aim of both sides was to control a source of water as the climate was unseasonably hot.

Union

First Army Corps (USA) Major General Alexander McCook

THIRD DIVISION: Brigadier General Lovell H. Rousseau

9th Brigade: Col. Leonard Harris

38th Indiana - Col. Benjamin Scribner
2nd Ohio - Lt. Col. John Kell
33rd Ohio - Lt. Col. Oscar F. Moore
94th Ohio - Col. Joseph Frizell
10th Wisconsin - Col. Alfred R. Chapin
Indiana Light Artillery, 5th Battery - Capt. Peter Simonson

17th Brigade: Col. William H. Lytle (wounded)

42nd Indiana - Col. James G. Jones
88th Indiana - Col. George Humphrey
15th Kentucky - Col. Curran Pope
3rd Ohio - Col. John Beatty
10th Ohio - Lt. Col. Joseph Burke
Michigan Light Artillery, 1st Battery - Capt. Cyrus Loomis

28th Brigade: Col. John C. Starkweather

24th Illinois - Capt. August Mauff
79th Pennsylvania - Col. Henry Hambright
1st Wisconsin - Lt. Col. George Bingham
21st Wisconsin - Col. Benjamin Sweet
Indiana Light Artillery, 4th Battery - Capt. Asabel Bush
Kentucky Light Artillery, Battery A - Capt. David Stone

TENTH DIVISION: Brig. Gen. James S. Jackson (killed)

33rd Brigade: Brig. Gen. William R. Terrill (killed)

80th Illinois - Col. Thomas Allen
123rd Illinois - Col. James Monroe
105th Ohio - Col. Albert Hall
Parson's Battery - Capt. Charles Parsons

34th Brigade: Col. George Webster (killed)

80th Indiana - Lt. Col. Lewis Brook
50th Ohio - Lt. Col. Silas Strickland
98th Ohio - Lt. Col. Christian Poorman
121st Ohio - Col. William Reid
Indiana Light Artillery, 19th Battery - Capt. Samuel Harris

Confederates

FIRST DIVISION (CSA): Major General Benjamin F. Cheatham

1st Brigade: Brig. Gen. Daniel S. Donelson

8th Tennessee - Col. William Moore
15th Tennessee - Col. R.C. Tyler
16th Tennessee - Col. John Savage
38th Tennessee - Col. John Carter
51st Tennessee - Col. John Chester
Capt. William Carnes Tennessee Battery

2nd Brigade: Brig. Gen. Alexander P. Stewart

4th Tennessee - Col. Otho Strahl
5th Tennessee - Col. Calvin Venable
24th Tennessee - Col. H.L. Bratton
31st Tennessee - Col. Egbert Tansil
33rd Tennessee - Col. Warner Jones
Capt. John Sanford's Mississippi Battery

3rd Brigade: Brig. Gen. George E. Maney

41st Georgia - Col. Charles McDaniel
1st Tennessee - Col. Hume R. Field
6th Tennessee - Col. George E. Porter
9th Tennessee - Lt. Col. John W. Buford
27th Tennessee - Lt. Col. William Frierson
Lt. William Turner's Mississippi Battery

4th Brigade: Col. Preston Smith

12th Tennessee - Col. Tyree Bell
13th Tennessee - Col. A.J. Vaughn
47th Tennessee - Col. Munson Hill
154th Senior Tennessee - Col. Michael Magevney
9th Texas - Col. W.H. Young
Capt. J. Martin's Florida Light Artillery

All of the regiments mentioned above were represented on the tabletop, which basically cleaned out the total collection of figures. I had studied photographs and maps of the battle and tried to make the terrain as representative as possible. The table was quite cluttered by the time I finished placing the terrain and figures.

All of the above mentioned units were involved and each regiment or battalion was represented by about three to four stands of figures. A single model of the actual artillery guns with which the battery was equipped represented artillery batteries.

The overall size of the battlefield was about 5’ by 7’ with commands for three players per side. Each player had a copy of the quick reference sheet, which provides the salient points of VW (movement, commands, morale, shooting and combat). Everyone had their own measuring tape (visible in the photographs draped over the back the chairs). I even had two separate collections of dice, one for each side (least anyone quibble of the influence of the dice).

I had asked for and received a time slot of four hours. I expected that the review of rules and planning by each side would take 30 minutes or more. This meant the game could be played in about three hours including after battle comments.

One of the most difficult aspects was trying to make everything conform to the VW rules. I do not find this an easy task, as some actions seem to be quicker than others. Another is the players’ understanding of the battle and the rules. Some might know about the battle, although few knew about the rules. One solution to the technical problems is to have the game master random die roll periodically. This may be a true action or a false action just to keep everyone on their toes.

I had playtested the scenario once, although this was done with experienced opponents. I had no guarantee that the convention game would develop smoothly. Games like war seem to suffer from "no plan survives contact with the enemy". It is always interesting to watch how the players interpret their orders and plan their actions. I like this aspect of the game as it can often result in some unusual battle plans. Regardless of whether or not each side as an overall commander (there were indeed two commanders), it can often be a free-for-all as the players attempt to realise their own plans. This is particularly true if the players are all strangers and have no knowledge of the rules.