My plan was to arrive on Thursday and get a good night's sleep, so I'd be ready for the gaming on Friday morning!
My limited budget meant that I used priceline.com to find the least expensive flight possible - which took me in three hops (Albany, New York, to Newark, New Jersey; then to Memphis, Tennessee; and then Jackson, Mississippi).
TMPer reeves lk
was there to meet me with a "TMP" sign, and we set out on the drive to Vicksburg, Mississippi (where the convention was located). However, being wargamers, we took a somewhat indirect route...
The Battle of Raymond
![Raymond, Mississippi Raymond, Mississippi](profiles/pics/2006/894321a.jpg)
Our first stop was Raymond, Mississippi - site of the Battle of Raymond from the Civil War. In a nutshell, the Confederate commander led a bold attack on what he thought was a feint by Union troops (in reality, he was hopelessly outnumbered); as a consequence of the battle, his forces are strategically cut off.
So here we are - just off the highway (which briefly parallels the Civil War-era road), at the creek along which the battle started. And just behind this fringe of trees is a fragment of an older highway, and an old bridge which reportedly is on the same site as the Civil War-era bridge.
![Old bridge, on site of the original bridge Old bridge, on site of the original bridge](profiles/pics/2006/894321b.jpg)
If you ignore the modern highway and its flanking trees, and the telephone poles, and imagine the old highway as a road of an earlier era - then the battlefield hasn't changed much. A creek, a bridge, trees along the creek, and fields...
![Confederate right flank, with bridge on right Confederate right flank, with bridge on right](profiles/pics/2006/894321c.jpg)
The Confederate right flank (above) and left flank (below)...
![Confederate left flank, bridge to the left (behind the trees) Confederate left flank, bridge to the left (behind the trees)](profiles/pics/2006/894321d.jpg)
The Battle of Raymond was fought around this time of year, so it's tempting to wonder if the creek was about the same as we find it: steep sided, not much water.
![The old highway bridge The old highway bridge](profiles/pics/2006/894321e.jpg)
Another view of the old highway bridge...
![Creek - pretty dry here Creek - pretty dry here](profiles/pics/2006/894321f.jpg)
Not much water on this side of the creek...
![More water here More water here](profiles/pics/2006/894321g.jpg)
...and only a little more here.
There are also a few replica cannon around the battle site - reeves lk
prepares to man the defenses!
![Larry and the cannon Larry and the cannon](profiles/pics/2006/894321h.jpg)
On the other side of the creek, off the modern highway, we find a modern monument (erected this century) dedicated to the Texans who fought (and some died) here.
![Texas monument Texas monument](profiles/pics/2006/894321i.jpg)
I can't help thinking of how I'd run this as a scenario... got to keep both sides guessing... is it a Union attack, or just a feint... are the Confederates here in force... hmmmm...