Ancestor's Units During Historic Game Play

[CSX4451]

I have 14 Lineal (3rd and 4th Great Grandfathers) who served in the CSA. Luckily, I have all their individual unit information from our family's genealogy work. While their individual regiments aren't named in the game, the brigades they are attached to are identified by their commanders so they are easily followed during the game. 

It's really interesting to fight the historic battles and watch their brigades come onto the field as they would have 150 years ago. During some battles I have up to 4 ancestors on the field at one time in different brigades. In Gettysburg, I have 3 that show up on Day one of the fight. 

I find myself really attached to these brigades and watch their performance throughout the battles. I've also caught myself catering to them or being extremely cautious with them when compared to my other units and had to make sure I used them as I would any other unit during the battles. 

Regardless it's really brings the game home having this connection. Has anyone else done this with ancestors who fought for the CSA or Union? If you haven't and have this connection I recommend getting their unit info and doing it. Really brings the game to life.

As a PSA, Fold 3 has most of the records for the war and with your ancestors full name and state he enlisted , you can actually track down their enlistment paper, medical documents, company muster rolls, pension forms, and disability documents. It's amazing the info you can find with a little deligent effort.

[Hjalfnar_Feuerwolf]

As a German I can't do this in UGCV, but I know what you mean. I did something like that in Commander: The Great War and HoI3 WW1 Mod, as I know of at least one great grandfathers unit during WW1. I know of a load of my ancestors fighting in WW2...but honestly I don't want them "in the game". I know what happened to them and their units, and it is no pleasant story as they were all on the eastern front...additionally so if the WW2 game is well done and displays the war realistical.

[Perkon]

Do you have any items from era? I would like to see, if you have any, and wouldnt mind sharing.

[CSX4451]

2 hours ago, Hjalfnar_Feuerwolf said:

As a German I can't do this in UGCV, but I know what you mean. I did something like that in Commander: The Great War and HoI3 WW1 Mod, as I know of at least one great grandfathers unit during WW1. I know of a load of my ancestors fighting in WW2...but honestly I don't want them "in the game". I know what happened to them and their units, and it is no pleasant story as they were all on the eastern front...additionally so if the WW2 game is well done and displays the war realistical.

Yes....the Eastern Front against the Russians was a brutal battlefield. 

[CSX4451]

1 hour ago, Perkon said:

Do you have any items from era? I would like to see, if you have any, and wouldnt mind sharing.

Here are a few examples. I have a lot of documents on each relative showing their service from start to finish. By some miracle out of the 14, only 2 died and one lost his left hand. Considering the casualties of the CW, that seems to the be good pretty low percentage. 

Edited September 4, 2017 by CSX4451

[pdstanbridge]

Wow! That's fantastic. It does bring you somewhat closer to your pixelmen. I've got an ancestor who fought in all the Peninsular battles and survived to tell the tale. That's quite an achievement too.

 

[CSX4451]

Alexander's father, my 4th great grandfather, J. McNeill fought in the War of 1812 and also enlisted in the CSA with the 50th NC at age 67. He was quickly transferred to the 8th NC Senior Reserves for obvious reasons....tough ol bastard!!!! : )

 

 

I also had 3 grandfathers fight in the Indian/Seminole wars prior to enlisting in the CSA. Here is one of their cards.

 

This is his son, Jesse, my 2nd Great Granfather. He went missing at Gettysburg but survived.

Edited September 5, 2017 by CSX4451

[James Cornelius]

I feel the same way. My 4x great grandfather was in the 15th Massachusetts which was #10 out of sustained casualties out of all federal regiments in the war. They were decimated at Ball's Bluff, Antietam (part of Gorman's Brigade, Sedgewick's Division, II Corps) and Gettysburg (Harrow's Brigade, Gibbon's Division, II Corps). I'm proud to be a member of Sons of Union Veterans because of his service. I salute all other descendants of those who fought in blue or gray for helping to keep the memory of these men alive.

[jekct1212]

On ‎9‎/‎4‎/‎2017 at 4:21 PM, pdstanbridge said:

Wow! That's fantastic. It does bring you somewhat closer to your pixelmen. I've got an ancestor who fought in all the Peninsular battles and survived to tell the tale. That's quite an achievement too.

 

Hopefully well have a Ultimate General: Napoleonic soon so you can see your ancestor's regiment on the field

Also my 3rd Great grandfather was in the 27th Tennessee which was cut up terribly at Perryville

Edited September 6, 2017 by jekct1212

[Andre Bolkonsky]

I think he is referring to the Virginia Penninsula and McClellan's Penninsula Campaign. Not the British Peninsular War waged by Arthur Wellsley and Richard Sharpe. 

However, I will say this game SCREAMS for Napoleon to show up sooner or later. But, Sterner is a hell of a lot closer to Borodino than the Lines of Torres Vedras, after all. 

[CSX4451]

I'm pulling for a American Revolutionary War version !!!! 

[pdstanbridge]

Forgive me, I was talking about the British battles. It's on my wife's side - Scottish chap who I believe was line infantry and fought in all the Peninsular battles up to Waterloo by which time I thnk he had been discharged because he was an 'old man' by then.

[Hjalfnar_Feuerwolf]

Still hoping for a German Unification Wars version...weapon mechanics would be very similar, but most units would have to act like skirmishers, with most of them armed with fast firing breech-loaders. And I would have another reason to dig through my family tree...xD

Edited September 7, 2017 by Hjalfnar_Feuerwolf

[jekct1212]

6 hours ago, Hjalfnar_Feuerwolf said:

Still hoping for a German Unification Wars version...weapon mechanics would be very similar, but most units would have to act like skirmishers, with most of them armed with fast firing breech-loaders. And I would have another reason to dig through my family tree...xD

This would be awesome, I think they could mix German Unification, Franco-Prussian and the British colonial conflicts into like a Ultimate General:Victoria or something

[Captain Jean-Luc Picard]

I know exactly what you mean,

i know parts of my genealogy tree coming back to the middle ages, and thus i feel somewhat involved in many a battle on many a side pretty much all over europe when i play games. Sure makes me micromanage their units all the more when i know them.

Got some family portraits hanging around for a few of them, large paintings for the colonels, generals and the like, small drawings for some of the 1800s, black and white pictures on shelves for ww2... The first virtuti militari is in some branch of my familly and i see it hanging in another home.

I can play a game and ask a portrait "what would you have done great great great great great whatever" or tell the portrait "ooops sorry i think you just got wiped the hell out of the face of the earth"

It brings a different perspective on life to know that you are only here because all your ancestors, and there is a Ton of them, survived some war, some battle, some hunger, some black death or whatever, and any stray arrow or bullet would wipe out all the generations to come.

This being said, if you rather believe on the theory of evolution rather than us being created by god or aliens, we are all family and every war is essentially one giant fratricide party.