All Brave Dogs- Yellow Ribbon

 

By the time of the Rosebud the Plains People were frantic.  No matter what they did, and they did a lot, nothing improved. More land was gone, more people were lost.  They felt, rightly, that their backs were against the wall.  Everlasting treaties barely saw a decade out. If the Government found Indian decision making trying the Indians found the converse utterly baffling.

Black Kettle died at Washita as a direct result of his sustained attempts at diplomacy.  He was emulating Red Cloud.  He lacked the Red Cloud touch.  He also wanted for Red Cloud's massed warriors.  

Custer claimed he had killed 110 Cheyenne warriors at Washita.  In fact he got 11 warriors.  The rest were women and children.  The bulk of the Band's fighters were off on a hunt.

All the same Red Cloud's inspirational military and diplomatic win was not all it seemed. True, Forts were abandoned, True, the Bozeman Trail was closed to American settlers.  Yet, Washington had simply placed its strategic eggs in the railroad basket.  The aim had not changed.  This was a world beyond Indian experience.

Crook's winter attack on a Powder River Cheyenne village was the final straw.  At some point we will look at that action in detail.

The Cheyenne, en masse, joined the Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse lobby. Their policy was admirably direct- if they won't leave us alone we fight. 

Old enmities were perforce forgotten. The Black Foot reported for duty.  Like many another before them the tribes resolved to combine and teach the interlopers a lesson they wouldn't forget.

The concept was sound, the actuality fraught.  The best weapons came from the people they intended to fight.  Sometimes they were freely given, betimes traded and of course, captured the hard way.  

The fact remained the other side had a monopoly on the good stuff.  No doubt many Indians recognised the problem.  It didn't matter.  To fight and die was better than just dying. Also, it might possibly work and the tribes were better armed than they ever had been. Today we are rating the Sioux All Brave Dogs Warrior Band.

All Brave Dogs	Sioux Band	Leader, Little Wolf
Movement Foot	Indian
Movement Mounted	Crack
Exhaustion Foot	11
Exhaustion Mounted	12
Field Craft	Crack
Close Combat	Crack
Marksmanship	Good
Weapon	Well Armed
Medicine	14

 

Man for man the Indian was confident of his superiority in combat. It was not misplaced.  He was acclimatised to killing from an early age.  He killed to eat via hunting. He killed men for social prestige or simply to protect others and to survive himself.  He knew not just when and how to strike but also where to strike for the best result.

We can note he was not especially muscled.  Women did most of the physical work.  He was generally tall or at least of middle height. He was inured to bearing hardship.

His ultimate accolade came from striking an armed foe with an open hand or a stick.  Thus demonstrating combat primacy and no small degree of contempt.  It was an irresistible cultural priority.  Men died attempting it.

You might be interested to know it was colour coded. A green paint spot for touching a Crow, Red for a white man, Yellow for a Shoshone.  You could decorate your gear or pony accordingly.  Then everyone would know. 

Obviously living that way came at a price.  The tribes were never rich in man power.  Each man lost to battle was a local disaster. This shaped the Indian approach to war. The aim was to dish out the maximum punishment for the minimum attrition.

War Chiefs could not command, rather they advised.  Mostly they led by example. All the same every Indian was his own General.  His decisions were his alone and could not be criticised.

Indian camps were often surprised in dawn attacks. Leaders could ask for sentries but nothing could compel those sentries to stay at post or awake.

All of this made it difficult to mount a co-ordinated campaign.  The Rosebud was a trial run at it.  It stopped Crook dead.  Little Bighorn was an ad hoc response to an incursion by the 7th Cavalry.  Once again the Indians were surprised.

All this brings us to the appearance of the Plains Warrior.  Eclectic doesn't do it.  He dressed with great care.  He might wear anything that he considered suitable, highly decorated buckskins, parts of silk dresses, bits of Spanish armour, tail coats, stuffed birds. Buffalo caps with horns. Things he had seen in dreams especially. Feathers. The scalps of previous opponents. Magical charms. The list was endless.  

Added to this he painted himself and his pony with a stylised visual record of his martial accomplishments. More paint was added as suited. No two warriors looked the same.  In combat the effect was terrifying.  Then we have war cries and for the Sioux the screech of eagle whistles.

The Plains People wanted to live as Indians.  For the US Government that was an impossible demand.

We may dip further into the subject further as we see other Warrior Bands. For moment I'll just say Yellow Ribbon delivers on the Plains Indian Way of War.  No mean accomplishment.

Crimean War Russian Cavalry in 15mm

 

 

My research and reading is steadily increasing my knowledge of how the Crimean war was actually fought.  

Captain Godman's letters were illuminating and have yet more to tell us.  At Balaclava the Russian attempted to bold cavalry strokes. Neither bore fruit.  One was stymied by Scarlett and the Heavy Brigade, the other stopped by previously unseen infantry and artillery.

In both cases the Russian cavalry withdrew in good order.  Ready for another chance.

I lack the Russian perspective to say more.  I have found an interesting French source.  The Turks present another lacuna. Of course others have been there before me.

I am reliably informed that Barry Hilton's Crimean War rules (Four Empires) are already written.  If you want thoroughly informed and fun wargame rules Barry is your man in my experience.  However his attention is currently elsewhere on other projects. I'm not complaining, two of them are right up my street.  We must wait for his Crimean War Opus.

Nolan had something to say about Turks and Cossacks.  I'll report back on that at sometime soonish.  I recall that he thought the Turkish Cavalry of his time much inferior to their forebears.

I have been busy painting.  Today, we see my Russian cavalry progress.  The figures are from Irregular and Minifigs.  All 15mm as you might expect. 

Irregular Miniatures Russian Dragoons.  These lads have their carbines at the ready.  Not often seen in the Crimean War but common enough on Russia's eastern borders.  

That said they seem to have been used by Russian Hussars against the British Heavy Brigade at Balaclava.  Godman mentions some carbines littering the ground post action. 

Russian Heavy Cavalry from Minifigs.  The flags are from Adolfo Ramos and very jolly they are too.
 

More of the same below.

Russian Hussars, again from Minifigs.

Two squadrons from Irregular below.

Minifig's Circassian Lancers here.  Nolan had nothing but good things to say about Circassian Cavalry. Adept with lance, sword and gun.  As for riding skills, move over Comanches.

Cossacks!  From Minifig's.  I nearly based these lads as irregular cavalry. I'm going to rate these as "Raw Elite" I think.

For action further East I do have some truly irregular Cossacks.

I have  two more squadrons to do but I'm nearly there.  Here are the 7th Vosnesenski Ulhans.  These, from Irregular, are modelled with open Greatcoats.  It enables us to see the colourful uniform worn beneath. 

Lord Raglan, I have read, was pre occupied with potential sweeping flank attacks by the Russian cavalry.  He made provision for that by reserving the British cavalry.  

Someone, was it Nolan? Complained "He is keeping the cavalry in a Bandbox!" An interesting detail from the period.  A bandbox was a hat box, sturdy enough to prevent damage.  You get the idea.

How to rate the Russian Cavalry?   Pretty much the same as the British for the regulars.  Use of the "Elite" suffix for some could stimulate reckless action. Not that we see that from the Russian cavalry. In fighting quality it will be "Trained" all round.

Where we see the Russian cavalry in Godman's account they are always in good order.  Even when thwarted.  They did not go to pieces under artillery fire or when they disengaged from the Heavy Brigade.  They successfully covered a retreat by their infantry on one occasion.  Trained seems a fair assessment.

It occurs to me that better use could have been made of the scouting abilities of the Cossacks.  Yet, I hesitate.  Without Russian sources I cannot take an informed view. 

The great days of cavalry were near enough over.  The officers and troopers were brave but a new reality loomed over them.  

Witness the Russian artillery strike on the Heavy Brigade that Godman recounts.  I have read subsequent that the total casualties of that strike was 83 dead or wounded.  That is for the whole of the Heavy Brigade.  

Naturally horses would have been killed and wounded too.  I do not know how many.  Replacement horses were not easily obtained.  No horse and your trooper cannot do his work.

Of course that need not stop us on the table top where the learning will be painless.  I will essay gallant charges and sweeping flank actions and report back to you.

The Crow-Yellow Ribbon

 

The Crow (Absaroka) were a clever, fierce and tenacious people caught between a rock and a hard place.  Like their neighbours they had originated from a far away place.  They had been pushed West by an expanding United States as had their neighbours.  The Crows and their neighbours didn't get on.  In fact their neighbours were in the process of pushing the Crow out.  Land had already been lost.

The Crow knew that America was coming for them.  They knew how that always ended up.  More immediately, the Sioux, Cheyenne and Arapaho were already exerting relentless and bloody pressure.  Luckily, someone had a dream.  Dreams were major events for all Indians and the Crow were no exceptions.

The important thing about dreams was the correct interpretation of the message.  The message in this case was "Ally with the Americans and We might hang on to a bit of land and live to enjoy it."  It was the best choice from a menu of bad options.  The Crow, no slouches, actioned it.

Here are my Crow drawn from Minifigs, QRF and mainly Peter Pig.  Note that they have an awful lot of US Army gear.  This is not loot.  As allies the Crow received  arms, equipment and betimes wages.  When the Crow rode out they were well prepared.

In Yellow Ribbon they count as Well Armed.  They remained committed to the Indian Way of War and behave like any other Indian Band. 

Yellow Ribbon requires you to rate your Indian Bands.  The various skill levels do impact on the game.  Let us rate our Crow Band.  Do note the Medicine level.  In Yellow Ribbon you throw either 2 or 3 D6 to establish a band's Medicine.  You get 3 dice for a Band defending their territory.  Our Crow aren't doing that, they are making sure the Cavalry can get at the Sioux or Cheyenne.  Two dice then.

Crow	Indian Band	Leader, Old Crow
Movement Foot	Indian
Movement Mounted	Crack
Exhaustion Foot	12
Exhaustion Mounted	11
Field Craft	Crack
Close Combat	Crack
Marksmanship	Good
Weapons	Well Armed
Medicine	10

  

Mostly the Army used them as scouts, they could be trusted to run off pony herds too.  As for fighting they would if they wanted to.  They did at the Rosebud. Then they would fight very hard indeed.  That was the Indian way.  Otherwise, they might go home or just watch as they did at Little Big Horn.  The aim of the game for the Crow was survival.

I'd say Peter Pig have got the Crow style off best. Two front plaits in tubes or wrappings, forelock long and greased high and back.  Sometimes painted white, the rest of the hair worn long.  Of course an Indian might, and did, wear whatever took his fancy.  The tribal hair style tended to be maintained.

We have a description of the Crow from Lt. Edward Maguire of the 7th.

"A very handsome set of men....extremely good natured".  Maguire was of course seeing them on their best behaviour.  All the same he thought they looked "more aggressive than the Ree." and that their language resembled Spanish in its musicality. 

Lt. Bourke noted the Crow were lighter complected than the Sioux.  He put it down to mountain living.

My last Crow pic' with a couple more Peter Pig and a nice Minifig Crow Scout. I'll add that there is at least one figure in the Minifigs Plains Indians pack with the distinctive Crow hair do.  There could be more, mine being bought second hand, I cannot say.

Here's a thing.  You may have read that Custer shot himself at the Little Big Horn.  For certain you didn't want to be captured by Plains Indians if you were a grown white man.  Soldiers did sometimes suicide rather than face protracted agony.  Did Custer do so?  Maybe.  The story seemingly originates with two Crow warriors.

The Crow liked Custer.  Custer was doing just what the Crow wanted in the West.  Hammering the enemies of the Crow.  They had no reason to traduce him.  Then again all Indians found White behaviour puzzling.  Who knew what they would do next?  They were probably just saying what the Crow believed.

Benteen, who didn't like Custer, said the story was wrong. Then again Benteen was a career soldier and even he had to toe the line sometimes.  Custer, post mortem, was by then doing useful service as a culture hero.

In short we don't know.

A word about what is coming up in this series.  I had intended to do a single post showing my 3, maybe 4 Indian Bands.  Mounted and dismounted of course. Instead there will be a post on each Band.  

The reason being I'm reading Paul L Hedren's two books Powder River and Rosebud.  I'm reasonably well read on the Plains Wars yet Hendren is greatly improving my knowledge and understanding of the subject.  I want to share some of that with you.

First up the All Brave Dogs Warrior Society. Then the HQ Company of the 7th. After that the Kit Foxes Warrior Society.  Then another US Cavalry Company.  There is my Indian Village too and another Warrior Society as well.

I also want to try my hand at some scenarios for Yellow Ribbon and to show a couple of games.

K Company for Yellow Ribbon

 

Here is Lieutenant Edward Godfrey and K  Company 7th Cavalry.  They are intended for Yellow Ribbon.  

Above, you see them mounted.  Below they are dismounted.

 

Set tactics required a skirmish line spaced about 5 yards apart to minimise incoming damage.  The troopers would then volley or fire at will.  Mostly it worked.  

Mounted charges were mainly reserved for when the Indians were caught napping.  Fighting with mounted troopers against Indians who were ready rarely paid dividends.

Dismounted troops need horse holders.

Otherwise the Indians will run off with the horses.  Even with horse holders they might do so.  Your first decision personating Godfrey is who your horse holders should be. Use picked men with proven skills and you weaken the skirmish line.  Use ordinary troopers and the Indians might best them and take your horses.  Yellow Ribbon demands lots of decisions.  Constantly.

What can we say about K Company?  Yellow Ribbon requires you to rate your cavalry units.  The various skill levels do impact on the game.  Let us rate K Company.

K Company	US 7th Cavalry	Lieutenant Edward Godfrey
Movement Foot	Dismounted Cavalry
Movement Mounted	Average
Exhaustion Foot	10
Exhaustion Mounted	9
Field Craft	Average
Close Combat	Average
Marksmanship	Average
Weapon	.45, Sharps Carbine
Ammunition	() () () () () () () () () () () ()
Morale	14

 

 Not a bad outfit.  Average was pretty good for the cavalry in those days.  Godfrey is assisted by three non commissioned officers, First Sergeant, Sergeant, and Corporal.  Godfrey was a little deaf.  There must have been a more than average amount of shouting in K Company.

There are also two troopers who count as picked men.  These might be the Bugler and the Guidon-but need not be.

The rest are ordinary troopers.  As was usual in the US Cavalry of the day there were many Germans and Irish and some other newly arrived fellows.  The temptation to do the "Grand Bounce" was high.  Custer exerted an influence on that.  Once he took over desertion sky rocketed.

We have glimpses of Godfrey the man in the accounts that survive. Amidst the massacre at Washita he lamented the fact that he was ordered to destroy a particularly fine example of a decorated buckskin Cheyenne Wedding Dress.  Betimes he mentioned it for the rest of his days. This was noted and so I relay it to you.  It bespeaks of a man not entirely comfortable with what he was doing.

Godfrey and K Company survived the Little Big Horn.  Lt. Godfrey went on to become General Godfrey.

There is also a train of two mules with a Packer.  This is where the extra ammunition is carried.  

Godfrey might need it so the Mules are important.

Should any of K Company be seriously wounded Godfrey needs to detail men to get them to safety.  Failure to do so will cause K Company’s Morale to collapse.  Everyone knows what happens to those left behind.  Those detailed cannot help the fight.

Lieutenant Edward Godfrey has a lot to get right.  He has to find the Indians, fight them, keep hold of his horses and pack train, not exhaust his men, minimise casualties and succour the wounded.

The figures you see, except the Peter Pig wounded, are the original castings of the dedicated range made to support Yellow Ribbon.  They are still available from QRF.  I recall Geoff and Chas re-did the moulds so todays castings may well be sharper.  You can get a pdf of Yellow Ribbon from QRF too. 

Back in the day Geoff and Chas intended to do a reprint illustrated with painted figures from the QRF Range.  That would have been nice.  Doubtless other business priorities precluded it.  A sound idea all the same.