"Sikh Wars Order of Battle Book Update" Topic
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15th Hussar | 15 Jul 2011 10:54 a.m. PST |
Just thought I'd pop in and let everyone here know what's been going on with the book and where we're at. First off
I still have commitments to get the TANGA (Legion Wargames) and Wellington in India (GMT) games out. The good news is that TANGA should be out of my hands next month and going to print before the end of the year. RHB and I also talked about "WiI" and we're both in agreement that we should be, essentially, finished with the game (roughly 90% +/-) by the end of the year
which will free up even more time for me. Now
back to the book proper: I was able to get ahold of the elusive and rare "Punjab Blue Book" and I am very, very close to coming up with the first real Sikh Khalsa Army Orders of Battle for Chillianwalla and Gujerat. I just need to keep reading and digging for more information and there should be no real problem going from where I'm at now to creating the first definitive Sikh OBs for these two battles
so that would be a MAJOR breakthrough. I'm reading two books at once on the subject now, I have several other books lying open to refer too and I'm also learning a lot
especially about how everything went downhill for the British so quickly and I can't wait to present the information to you. At the same time, I'll be polishing the 1st Sikh War OB book and including new material there. On top of that, Patrick and I will INCLUDE a VERY RARE 19th Century book on the 2nd Sikh War as an appendice to my book, along with a lot of beautiful artwork from rare and hard to find period newspapers and some modern photographs too. These two items alone will make my book a must have item! At this point in time I cannot say when, exactly, I'll be done with the book. But I can say this much: I've been on a roll for the past two months trying to crack codes and read information rarely seen or read by the public and I'm not stopping now. There may be days and weeks ahead where I will have to concentrate on working on getting Tanga and Wellington in India completed, but I promise you this much
I will devote all my spare time to reading through all the primary and secondary source material in my possesion and devote at least one day towards writing, note taking or order of battle creation, no matter how busy I am. The faster I clear my plate from Tanga and WiI, the more I can devote to this book. I'm on a roll, I'm very enthusiastic and now that there is light at the end of the tunnel from my other projects, I want to devote as much time and effort as I can to this book. And
the good thing is
once I'm finally done
I'm going to be starting on the first English account on the Wars of Dahomey from 1890-1894 and then Tonkin 1882-1886. Stay tuned! Andrew |
The Virtual Armchair General | 15 Jul 2011 11:27 a.m. PST |
Dear Andy, As your publisher on these items, let me say the I'm first to express something between absolute delight, and absolute disbelief. However, whatever you're drinking/snorting/popping/pushing these days, for Gawdz sake, DON'T STOP! TVAG |
Happy Wanderer | 15 Jul 2011 4:47 p.m. PST |
Great stuff Andrew, You don't get lots of responses to your bounding enthusiasm on TMP sometimes, but your work is much appreciated in bringing to light the fascinating subject of the Sikh Wars. Hopefully more interest will be generated and even a minatures line will develop from your efforts. Looking forward to seeing the results. Keep up the good work. Kindest regards HappyW
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Sysiphus | 16 Jul 2011 6:14 a.m. PST |
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15th Hussar | 16 Jul 2011 7:05 a.m. PST |
Thank you for your comments, Gentlefolk
very much appreciated. I figured I'd give you a little bit of a glimpse into what I've been doing just this morning and the obstacles I'm facing. The Blue Book begins in early 1847 and contains all the official correspondence and despatches that passed back and forth between the NWF, Mooltan, Lahore and Calcutta (and all points in between) during the next three years and is an absolute gold mine. Right now I am at the part of the eruption of Chuttur Singh's Division in Hazara, the Bannu Division Mutiny and the Peshawar Mutiny. The problem with these accounts is that officers like Abbott, Lawrence, Nicholson, Edwardes and others are so well known to each other and versed on just what regiment is what, that they often confuse the issue by referring to Infantry Paltan Sooraj Khan as (fictional examples below): Sooraj Khan's Infantry Regiment (Stationed at Hooti Buudhi) Khan's Ramgole Infantry Regiment The Sikh Ramgole Regiment Commandant Singh's Sikh Regiment (Sooraj Khan being the Inhaber) The Hooti Buudhi Regiment
and a few other (un)known references that are easily passed on by officers who know just what they are referring to and know that the person they are writing to also knows exactly which regiment they are talking about. So, I'm trying to track this regiment from, let's say Hazara to Peshawar and now to the Chenab, and I have to note every single reference given to that particular regiment across the space of three months in order to keep up. It's not easy, but the good news is that I LIVE for stuff like this and so far I've been doing well. Of course, there are holes that exist, but having the Holy Grail of the Khalsa at my side (The Khalsa Durbar Book), really helps with this and so far, I'm keeping my head above water. I may not have a Chillianwallah OB where it says: Sikh Left Flank: Paltan X Paltan Y Paltan Z Dragoon Rajman #1 Jhinsi Artillery Derah Rabbi Noidberger but it looks like I will be able to say: The following regiments were on the field of battle at Chillianwallah (see the above) and that would be the first time these regiments would ever be noted as present at Chillianwallah. I hope that gives you an insight into what I'm doing and striving for. |
Anderson Collection | 16 Jul 2011 10:57 a.m. PST |
Good stuff looking forward to the completion of this work. Cheers Willie |
little o | 16 Jul 2011 11:32 a.m. PST |
Is there a website or discussion group for the Wellington game? Very excited to hear about this, and GMT's involvement. Could this lead to an India game series perhaps? Mike D |
15th Hussar | 16 Jul 2011 7:00 p.m. PST |
Mike (et al), Yep, there sure is: link The above is where we started earlier this year and is complete with running commentary, graphics, history and some humor. Feel free to post the link elsewhere if you so desire! |
Cundiff | 16 Jul 2011 9:03 p.m. PST |
Howdy Andy, Tell you what, if you know what the book is going to cost, let me know and I will pay up front and years ahead of time (I've done that with games before – haven't lost so far). As you know, I, like you, have a keen interest in the British Colonial era, and India, Afghanistan, and the Northwest Territory and have had since I was in junior high
and trust me that was a long time ago. Take Care, Tom Old Soldiers Magazine (publisher) oldsoldiersmagazine.com White Dog Games (graphic designer) whitedoggames.com Ernie Pyle WWII Museum (Director) erniepyle.net |
15th Hussar | 17 Jul 2011 5:42 a.m. PST |
Tom
appreciated, but I have no idea at the cost of printing the book anywhere from 6 months to a year from now, so all I can say is "stay tuned", Patrick will be the first one to let you know when we're ready to go. Appreciate the trust and enthusiasm though! |
The Virtual Armchair General | 17 Jul 2011 11:42 a.m. PST |
Andrew! If the new book is not ready for sale by Christmas, 2011, I will personally blow you from a gun with a weak powder charge! TVAG! |
15th Hussar | 17 Jul 2011 1:15 p.m. PST |
Whoopee!I was just able to snag the elusive "Siege of Mooltan" Journal by Major H. Siddons
another Goldmine! |
Cundiff | 20 Jul 2011 3:25 p.m. PST |
Are any of these Sikh Wars books available as electronic text? I've collected a few myself that way, and would love to ad to my collection. And, yes I do indeed read those
I may simply collect books that "one day I will read --- when I get to them 50 years after they plant me"
but I DO read anything I can get my hands on regarding India, Afghanistan, and the Northwest Frontier. Tom Old Soldiers Magazine (publisher) oldsoldiersmagazine.com White Dog Games (graphic designer) whitedoggames.com Ernie Pyle WWII Museum (Director) erniepyle.net |
sjwalker38 | 21 Jul 2011 2:07 p.m. PST |
Patrick, put me down for an advance copy as soon as you have the details
and then I'll have to buy the flags from you
once GTSTE is released
and after you issue flags for the Indian Mutiny
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15th Hussar | 25 Jul 2011 1:20 p.m. PST |
I just finished going through my Acrobat .pdf version of The Punjab Blue Book (though I'm still reading the book on my Nook). Having also gone through Edwardes "Year in the Punjab", I am now starting to work on the Interim Years 1846-48 Sikh Khalsa OBs
to include the khalsa at various stages (thanks to the Khalsa Durbar Records) and also containing the hitherto ignored NWF, Bannu, Hazara and Cashmere expeditions that took place during the two year interim
all rare stuff, indeed! I still have lots of note-taking to do with all the books I have to read (or go over again), but I have all the Multan OBs complete, so this is just about the only remaining "gap" I have to fill in
after that it's just polish; at least as far as the OB's are concerned. |
Cundiff | 25 Jul 2011 6:20 p.m. PST |
Howdy Andy and Pat, Mailed that disk of Sikh and Indian pdf books today. Pat, whenever you get round to compiling a list of customers for that Sikh book, just add my name and let me know. I'll be happy to pay ahead of time. Take Care, Tom Old Soldiers Magazine (publisher) oldsoldiersmagazine.com White Dog Games (graphic designer) whitedoggames.com Ernie Pyle WWII Museum (Director) erniepyle.net |
15th Hussar | 25 Jul 2011 7:19 p.m. PST |
Thanks Tom
greatly appreciated! |
15th Hussar | 28 Jul 2011 9:54 p.m. PST |
More Sikh War Stuff: Finished the Interim period KDR record OBs today and will start working on the interim period British led NWF expeds tomorrow. I did want to say, that along with everything else, there are a few other things I want to accomplish with this book, such as: A re-examination of the Buddowal Campaign prior to the battle of Aliwal. This has usually been glossed over in most books, but after reading several first hand accounts, it seems that this incident was very much knife edged as to who the victor might have been. How the combination of Lord Dalhousie, General Gough and Sir Frederick Currie contributed to a localized uprising turned into a full fledged revolt. and The almost completely ignored Doab insurrections that were skillfully dealt with and handled by scratch forces and brigades, ranging from Cureton and Wheeler, to district administrative officials supported by either a few Guides or Nicholson and his embryonic Pashtun horse. But, for now, back to plowing through my notes for more OBs later today. |
15th Hussar | 04 Aug 2011 7:10 a.m. PST |
Scored some more major goodies over the past few days: The Lahore Blue Book
which covers the first year of the supervised Lahore Durbar from March 1846 to January 1847. "An Account of Lord Hardinge's Administration"
which fills in and clarify's a lot of information during the 1st Sikh War period
including me having to make an apology in the upcoming book from a previous comment I had made about him. and
The Bombay Field Force Division GGO, detailing the formation of the Northern Scinde Field Force, which was destined to march to assist in the Siege of Multan. Other little goodies also found, which always help fill in a crack here or there. Stay tuned! |
15th Hussar | 31 Aug 2011 10:33 a.m. PST |
Sikh War Book Update:Just thought I'd fill everyone in on what I've accomplished recently, which has been extensive work on the Khalsa "Evolutionary" OBs from 1799 to late 1845. Even though I'm about three-quarters of the way through revamping these OBs and despite having a few "plug in" primers to help (mainly with the Ghorchurra Derahs), there is a LOT of work involved. Right now, even though I working on the circa 1840 OBs, each one takes about two hours to complete, despite having the 1st Generation of all these OBs to work from. The main reason for the considerable effort involved deals with the fact that the army grows larger each year, thereby new units are added each time and that neither the original Kalsa Durbar Records keeper or Professor Kohli bothered to list units in order of seniority; which I have done, scrupulously, since the very first formal OB. They do keep track of name changes and major events, which helps immensely, but most times what was the First Regiment becomes the 99th Regiment or Brigade A turns into Brigade Z and I have to track those changes and wrangle them back into place. This is especially important during the "Brigade" period as their seniority was often the clue as to whether the brigade or its subordinate units was regular or jagirdari. But, the good news, for everyone reading this, is that I've been keeping track of all units since the first OB and each one is listed in order of seniority (despite name changes) from the first OB to the last, allowing you to know exactly which paltan, rajman or derah was from year to year (other than the three or four units that just "Poof" and disappear over the course of four decades). So, I'm plugging away, but will take a bit of a breather this weekend in order to catch a movie and play a game and clear my head a bit before forging ahead (and even that is relative since I'm constantly reading two Sikh War books or documents whenever I'm not at the computer). I now think I know how "Lili von Schtuppe" felt! |
DinOfBattle2 | 31 Aug 2011 11:20 a.m. PST |
I'm going to have to pick up this Sikh Wars book. I will also love any dealings with the Tonkin wars. I just bought an old S&T 200 "Campaigns of the French Foreign Legion" game that covers both Tonkin and Dahomey. To very interesting colonial campaigns. I plan to refight the Tonkin in 15mm. |
DinOfBattle2 | 31 Aug 2011 11:24 a.m. PST |
Is Patrick going to have pre-orders for this book? Oh, when can I expect to see some Imperial Chinese flags to go against my Pingers, Patrick? |
The Virtual Armchair General | 31 Aug 2011 12:34 p.m. PST |
Gentlemen All! The "Sikh Wars Source Book" will indeed be offered by Subscription prior to printing, as is the usual practice here at TVAG. The timing and price are all very much in the air as I can't get (for understandable reasons) Andrew to "set" a date after which I can determine page count and such features that will determine the Printers' price. But, when that has been done, the Subscription will begin "toot sweet." Regarding the Indian Mutiny Flags, and the LONG delayed Manchu/Qing Flags, all I can say is that my Flag Man, Eric Cox, has had a number of "real world" distractions, and I can only continue to encourage him to return to the mines. Mind, these will likely be his best work to date, and that is saying something, as I know his many customers are well aware.
And, as soon as I can pry the Sikh Wars ms from Andy's clasp, he's supposed to go back and finish his work on the Dahomey Campaign, and that alone will knock everyone's socks off. I am painfully and personally aware of how hard the times are, and the difficulty of many of us to find "disposable" income for such goodies as all these. However, allow me to encourage everyone who has expressed interest in any/all of these projects under development to put back as little as $5.00 USD each week or two, and it should be possible to jump on your choice without having to put your kidneys up on E-Bay. Pray for the health of parties involved, and we'll see all this wonderful stuff--and more!--in good time. TVAG |
DinOfBattle2 | 01 Sep 2011 5:05 a.m. PST |
Thanks for the update Patrick! Soooo many good things coming! |
15th Hussar | 16 Sep 2011 7:10 a.m. PST |
Sikh War Book UpdateI finally finished transcribing the Khalsa Durbar Records last night
every single OB and parade state from 1799-1848 is now entered. It was a tough and time consuming slog, but well worth it. However, I'm just done with the heavy lift, I have to go back and check for errors on both my part and the authors. While the KDR is a goldmine
there are a lot of loose pilings, rafters and supports in there and it's dangerous territory. Professor Kohli was not perfect, but he did a great job
especially considering he had to translate from both Persian and Shikastra into English. I have the easy part, but a lot of simple and easily caught mistakes were made by Kohli (and Parshad) and I have had to keep eagle eyes open during the whole process just to insure that if I made a mistake, I could go back a step or two to double check. But the tough work is over and now I just have to go back and mop things up
it will take time, but 80% of the work is done. The very good thing is that when I am done, other than a "one more time" review of ALL the OBs
I can proceed with the manuscript. Patrick has some excellent artwork to use with the book and there will be all sorts of other goodies and surprises that we're keeping mum about for now. I should be able to go over and make corrections to the existing 1stSW manuscript by the end of the month and hopefully get going on the 2nd Sikh War manuscript no later than November. I'll update you in another few weeks or so. As always, Thanks for your interest and enthusiastic support! Andrew |
15th Hussar | 08 Oct 2011 7:00 a.m. PST |
October UpdateOnly one update this month due to the fact that Patrick and I both agree that now is the time to get the fundamentals done and make sure the foundation is solid before moving forward. This means: Consolidating all of the OBs in one single folder (and back up thumb drive) and renumbering/renaming them in chronological order. This also means going over them one more time to check to see that they are all complete and correct. (This weekend I am going over evolution of the Sikh Army (Khalsa) OBs to make sure all Colonel/Commandant names are included (if available) and to match up the Ghorchurra regimental strengths over the course of some 50 years.) During this period I will also format a complete glossary of terms, titles and abreviations, to include a adjoint where variations of Silh proper names are listed and, in some cases, explained. When that task is completed, I will then layout a new Table of Contents and book outline. Even though the 1st Sikh War narrative is written, it needs to be updated and expanded with new, and important, information. While attempting these amazing "feets", I'm still reading manuscripts, scribbling notes and gathering information. I just finished Lepel Griffin's "Punjab Chiefs" and right now am reading Colonel ASH Mountain's amazing book of letters, one of the most interesting accounts of any I've read to date. Once all of this foundation laying, nuts and bolts work is completed,I can then finally work on writing the book itself and that should not take terribly much time at all. Indeed, Patrick has sent me lovely pictures of Mafia slayings and murders with target dates of "St. Valentine's Day" or "The Ides of March" in the captions
and I'm not kidding either! So thats it for now
I will be busy getting the framework complete and in order this month and moving forward in November. Stay tuned
and as always, thank you for your interest and support. Andrew |
15th Hussar | 18 Nov 2011 9:26 a.m. PST |
Sikh War Booklet Update A lot has happened since my last update, well over a month ago, so I'd better start filling you in: First
all of the Orders of Battle are complete, save for last minute confirmation checks on content. There are well over one hundred and twenty (120)individual orders of battle, starting in 1799 and going all the way through 1849, and that does not include the smaller in text order of battle nuggets detailing the composition of small field forces or garrisons strewn throughout the narratives. The orders of battle are separated into five major groupings and will take up anywhere from one quarter to one third of the book: The Birth and Evolution of the Khalsa (40 + 3 OBs) The First Sikh War (20) The Interim Period: NWF and Kashmir (30) The Campaign and Siege of Mooltan (12) The Second Sikh War (11) Second
Here is the projected table of contents for the text so far completed, or approaching completion: Original and 2nd Edition, Introduction & Acknowledgements The Rise and Evolution of the Khalsa: A Brief overview of Ranjit Singh and his military prowess Twenty Nine (39) Parade States and Orders of Battle dealing with the Evolution of the Khalsa from 1799-1849. Tackling the Khalsa Durbar Records Marching to War: Khalsa to Catastrophe:Chaos as Statecraft-Chris Ferree-possibly updated View from the Other Side Orders of Battle: Four (4) Parade States and Orders of Battle A Concise History of the First Sikh War, 1845-46 The Lion of the Punjab I, Ranjit The Road to War Far from Blind
but hard of hearing Organization of the Armies Opening Moves The Battle of Mudki (Moodkee) Ferozeshah: An Empire Trembles The Buddewal Campaign Aliwal: The Battle without a mistake Sobraon: The Final Victory Postscript Sikh Treachery Updated The Lion's Teeth: The Artillery of the Khalsa
by Neil Carleton 1st Sikh War Orders of Battle: Twenty (20) Orders of Battle A Greatly Expanded-Note on British Orders of Battle Revised Problems with Sikh Sources As you can see above, I have finally given the Buddewal Campaign its proper place in the history of the 1st Sikh War. Long neglected or glossed over, I've done my best to show how small Anglo-Indian army columns were able to march from across the compass in order to tackle Sikh incursions against the strategic right flank of the Army of the Punjab and how close they came to being utterly defeated by the best Sikh general of the war. I am also offering an analysis of each battle in order to point out the salient factors that contributed to British victory or their near defeat. ThirdExcept for one brief overview article, the "front" of the book is complete. That includes a very brief history of the Khalsa and the 1st Sikh War chapter, most of the related appendices and the sidebar articles. I will be finishing the 1st SW appendices over the next few weeks and be poised to complete the Interim year's narrative in December. That means the book is well past the halfway point in terms of writing and is still projected for release during the first half on 2012. Fourth
I took the time to create a rather painstakingly detailed "Daily March Log" for the Army of the Sutlej during the 1st Sikh War, so you can track the movements of the army, governor general, commander in chief and any large subordinate columns on a day to day basis. I also plan on doing the same thing for the Second Sikh War, but I am not sure I will be able to do that for the entire Mooltan chapter, since that campaign lasted almost ten months. This is a first for any history book dealing with the Sikh wars and I am very proud of being able to cobble it together from over thirty different sources! Fifth
Neil Carleton, Dennis McKinney and Chris Ferree are either providing updated articles on the political background to the war and the Sikh artillery or new material on the weapons each Royal and HEIC regiment used during the 1st and 2nd Sikh wars. Sixth
Patrick Wilson will begin the editing process and formatting the layout of the book in early December, after I send him the orders of battle and completed articles. That means that he'll be able to "plug in" each new chapter as I complete them, thereby speeding up the process of getting the book ready for the printer accomplished within a very short turnaround period. And finally
[b Renowned 19th Century European military history expert and author, Mike Embree, has volunteered to proof read the book before it goes through Patrick Wilson's final editorial process. Patrick and I are very excited that Mike has volunteered to help us and we're both sure that he will assist us in not only providing a smooth narrative, but will find any holes or questions that may exist in the regards to the information provided in the historical accounts. So
as you can see, a lot has been accomplished, but much more still needs to be done. I will be plugging away this weekend, taking a break midweek next for Thanksgiving cooking and cleaning and then back at the keyboard by next Friday. I'm very proud of this book and the fact that I am presenting information that has not seen the light of day in almost one hundred and thirty years! I hope you will be as pleased with the final effort too! Andrew Preziosi link |
DinOfBattle2 | 18 Nov 2011 10:04 a.m. PST |
Sounds very impressive. I'm sure Patrick will let us know when we can preorder? |
Cheriton | 18 Nov 2011 10:20 a.m. PST |
>>Sounds very impressive. I'm sure Patrick will let us know when we can preorder?<< Yes, indeed, please let us know
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The Virtual Armchair General | 18 Nov 2011 12:41 p.m. PST |
Please, Gentlemen, have no fears! I anticipate that this will be the best selling book yet to come from TVAG, and I'm not going to risk anyone not knowing when it's available. Naturally, as is my practice, there will be a pre-publication Subscription, but I never open one of these until the FINISHED product is in hand and it's at most a matter of weeks--not months--before it is in the subscribers' hands. I really want to offer this book NOW, but Andrew ultimately controls that as he assembles the ediface. When it's in hand, one portion at a time, and put together, ready for the Printers, I'll let everyone know. Layout should not (I hope!) be too big an issue, but part of the plan is to include illustrations rarely if ever seen in print (in English, at least), as well as maps and more that will make this the most complete resource book ever written on the subject in any language. No brag; just fact. TVAG |
DinOfBattle2 | 18 Nov 2011 2:53 p.m. PST |
I can't wait to read this wonderful creation! |
15th Hussar | 19 Mar 2012 7:52 a.m. PST |
I forgot to x-post this when originally posted several days ago: TMP link |
15th Hussar | 19 Jan 2013 9:49 a.m. PST |
To those interested parties
Expect a Sikh War Book Update, no later than early February. (I'll try and post updates at least once a month from here on out, more the closer I get to getting this project completed). Teaser Alert
TVAG is actually smiling! |
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