"Unleash the Dogs of War!"

Open warfare has broken out between the Margraviate of Carpania and the Duchies of Courland and Sachsen-Wachsenstein. The small border town of Alt Kirchendorf will be the Champs de Mars in a battle tomorrow, Sep. 19th, 1759/2009.

Imperium Assigns Regional Commander

The Imperium's Kriegskammer has assigned a regional commander to assume control over the forces of the Duchies of Courland and Sachsen-Wachsenstein in light of the military preparations of the Electoral alliance's Margraviate of Carpania. Feldmarshal-Leutnant Freiherr Bernard von Alderheim will be assuming his duties within the week.

For more details and a portrait of the Freiherr, please see ColCampbell's Barracks blog.

(After several months of Victorian Colonials, I have returned to the Lace Wars for a while!)

Jim

Courland Marches off to War

After receiving marching orders and the rendezvous from General Chevert, commander of the Gallian Corps of Bohemia, Duke Pavlov puts his forces into motion to join the Gallians and the Reichsarmee in their upcoming battle with the Germanians and their allies.

You can see the departure log at: http://colcampbellbarracks.blogspot.com/

Jim

A Letter from Courland

The following letter has been dispatched by swift courier:

TO: Lt Gen Chevert, somewhere en route across Franconia from Bohemia to Frankfurt.

Messieur,

I am deeply honored to be able to make available for your use in the coming campaign to repulse the heathen Germanians and their syncophantic allies from our fair domains, the contributory forces of the Duchy’s portion of the Kreis Franconian contingent. I have at my disposal, which of course means that they are at your disposal, a battalion of grenadiers composed of drafts from the Grenadier Regiments Pavlovski and Severinski; a battalion of musketeers composed of drafts from the Musketeer Regiments Ducal Liebgarde and Livlandischer Orden; a regiment of dragoons composed of drafts from the Dragoon Regiments Constantine and Mavromichalis; a battalion of Pandurs; and accompanying artillery. I myself will be leading these forces to rendezvous with your army at any place you so designate.

May I ever remain, your humble and obedient servant,

Jakov Alexandrovitch, Duke Pavlov of Courland

(these forces are for the Big Battalions in Texas game in 2 1/2 weeks.)

New Addition to Courland Army

The Courland army has a new addition - the Pandur Battalion Tamnii Narod.

ColCampbell's Barracks

Jim

Royal Families

I've just posted the pictures of the royal families of the Margraviate of Carpania and the Duchy of Courland, my main antagonists in my little portion of Imagi-Europe. I hope you enjoy them.

http://colcampbellbarracks.blogspot.com/

Jim

Confusion at Carmudgeon or a Campbell's Revenge

After a swift passage from the shores of Scots-Land, the following letter was read by Major General Seamus Campbell, currently in the service of the Margrave of Carpania.

My Dear Cousin,

By now you should have heard of the action between the government forces of Brittania and the Jacobite rebels at Carmudgeon. Siegfried and I had a close-up and personal view of the battle - with the Jacobite forces no less! How we ended up there is a long but interesting story.

After our landing on the coast, Siegfried and I began our journey to find the Brittanian forces so that we might offer our services as instructed by the Margrave before we left. Along the way, we encountered Fiona MacGillicuddy, a distant cousin on my mother’s side of the family. We always called her “Frivolous Fiona” as she was such a flitterby. Fiona offered to guide us on our way, but no sooner had we started than we ran across a small group of Tradgardlander jagers. It seems that the Duke of Tradgardland had sent them at Colonel vonn Bergmann’s request to aid the Jacobites. Not wanting to cause a commotion with dear Fiona in our company, I told their leader, in my broken German, that we were also on our way to Prince Charles’ camp. They invited us to accompany them, which we reluctantly accepted. Our journey proceded apace and soon we arrived at the Jacobite encampment. Prince Charles was overjoyed to see the jagers, having been expecting them. In order to hide our real identities Siggy and I both assumed aliases. Since Colonel vonn Bergmann was already assigned to lead a force of Highlanders, the Prince asked that Siegfried and I serve as his liaisons to the Tradgardlanders! Needless to say, Siggy and I were disconcerted by all this attention from the Jacobite leader. Not wanting to risk arrest, we both agreed and joined the expedition to Carmudgeon, hoping to escape to the government troops in the confusion of the coming battle. We were extremely fortunate that the Prince also kept Count Mikhail Pavlov, from our arch-enemy, the Duchy of Courland, is his immediate company during the battle, although Pavlov’s batman was attached to the Tradgardland jagers. Luckily for us, the batman was rather incurious and accepted us as fellow supporters of the Prince!

Dear Fiona made such as impression on the Prince that he invited her to accompany his suite. Fiona demurely accepted, with a malicious grin in our direction. Later that evening she arranged to visit us. We then found out that she was spying for the government and wanted to borrow Hans, Siggy’s batman, to deliver a message to the government troops in Carmudgeon. Well, Siggy, always willing to grant the wish of a beautiful woman, agreed and poor Hans was given detailed directions. He left shortly after dark and returned before dawn, his message delivered.

The next morning the government troops were ready for the Jacobite attack, no doubt warned by Fiona’s message. Siggy and I so thoroughly confused the Tradgardland jagers who were on the far left flank of the Jacobite army that they only got off a few shots at the government defenders. They were able to occupy a recently abandoned block-house, but since it was empty, we didn't discourage them.

With confusion reigning the night after the battle, Fiona, Siggy, Hans, and I were able to slip away and join the government forces. We thoroughly reported our doings to Colonel Nicholson, the government commander. Now we are where we were supposed to be all along. Please pass our felicitations to the Margrave and let him know that with our aid, the government forces should be victorious in the coming campaign to put down the Jacobite rising.

Your affectionate and devoted cousin,

Alistair

[Note: Due to a slight misunderstanding, my three Carpania adventurers were inadvertently attached to the Tradgardland jagers for the battle of Carmudgeon. After the exchange of several e-mails, Jim Purky and I decided upon this “back story” that also includes a little bit of skull duggery by Frivolous Fiona and those stalwarts - Alistair Campbell and Siegfried “Siggy” Hapnich. I’m sure we’ll hear more about both of them in future battles with the Jacobites before they return home to Mississippi.]