INTO THE TRENCHES AT FALL IN, 7 - 9 NOVEMBER 2008!
 June 1864 - the massive Union army commanded by General Ulysses S Grant arrived outside Petersburg, VA intent on cutting off Richmond and ending the American Civil War. Confederate General Robert E Lee lie in wait, fully determined to defend and hold this vital city. Known as the Siege of Petersburg, it was not a classic siege in which a city is fully surrounded and all supply lines are cut off. Instead the struggle was ten months of trench warfare in which the Union forces assaulted Petersburg unsuccessfully, thus forcing construction of their own trench lines that eventually extended over 30 miles around the eastern and southern outskirts of the city. Few had evidently remembered "Bobby" Lee's old nickname of the "King of Spades."
The siege only ended when Lee abandoned the city as his supply lines were finally threatened. His retreat ended at Appomattox Courthouse and marked the end of the "recent unpleasantness between North and South." The Siege of Petersburg foreshadowed the trench warfare that would be common in World War I.
Caused by a fusion of efficient railroads and a reserve system that could deploy massive legions of troops to cover the small frontage between Switzerland and the English Channel, the "War to End all Wars" became an eternal stalemate where courage faltered in the face of shovel, spade and machinegun. Reinforcements are needed, so pack your kit and shoulder you spade for the march to Gettysburg, PA and Fall In 2008 - Warfare in the Trenches: Petersburg to Cambrai!
BTW, new to the hobby? First, sit back, relax with your favorite libation and let HMGS fill you in on the about the History of Wargaming, both military and hobby varieties. Then check out the HMGS East Newcomers Page for a step-by-step process in getting started in historical miniature wargaming. It'll make Fall In even better! |
KEEPING
HISTORY ALIVE!
Welcome
to the Interenet's best online miniature gaming support, direct from the Eastern Chapter of
the Historical Miniatures Gaming Society, universally known
as HMGS East. Our organization was the founding body of the
Society and as such remains its senior, and largest, Chapter.
HMGS East, now boasting 2000+ members worldwide, promotes the hobby of historical miniature wargaming as a registered non-profit charitable and educational foundation. East accordingly has in the past sponsored seminars by distinguished historians such as Dr David
G. Chandler of RMA Sandhurst and special events such as the American Civil War in Miniature series. We also award
grants to other miniature wargaming
clubs or activities, and fund related causes such as battlefield preservation.
Most importantly,
HMGS East holds three historical miniature gaming conventions
each year. These are COLD WARS in March, FALL IN! in November
and the one and only HISTORICON (called "the mother of
all wargaming conventions" by The
Wall Street Journal )
in July.
 Membership
in HMGS East is $20.00 per year and brings discounts
at many hobby franchises and HMGS
conventions nation wide. Members also receive advance
convention mailings and
a periodic newsletter.
We hope you find this Website both informative and fun, encouraging you to join us in promoting our exciting
hobby. Just click Join
HMGS East for a convenient form that will allow you
to enjoy our growing and exciting Chapter. You may also Email
our WebMeister for any questions or concerns you might have.
Thanks, and all of us at East hope to hear from you soon!
Special thanks to Bob French of
Grandiosity for previously
sponsoring the East Website until we could get our feet on the
ground. Bob's volunteer spirit is a big reason why HMGS East
not only works, but works well.
HMGS logo used with permission of HMGS Midwest.
Unless
otherwise noted, illustrations by WebMeister, COL (Ret) Bill
Gray, HMGS East. Color picture of French troops in the trenches, 1916, in the public domain, and one of the first color photographs of men in war.
HMGS is a registered trademark of the Historical Miniatures Gaming Society, Inc.
Updated
14 August 2008.
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HMGS 08 Board Election Results! Simply click here to see who the unlucky . . . I mean dedicated souls are who won the election. Congrats to all!
Legion of Honor! Bob Giglio and Jean Lochet have just been selected for induction into the HMGS Legion of Honor. Click here for all the details on two of the hobby's finest.
Sad News. Bob Watts, former Cold Wars convention director and Board member recently passed at the age of 48 due to cancer. Click here for the official notification.
Historicon 08 Pictures Online! Just click here for all the memories and to see what you missed if you could not attend. NEW!
Newsletter! Click here for our latest Newsletter, minus the financials. East members may access the entire document via our Yahoo Group.
Legion Webpage Posted! And speaking of the Legion, just click here to see exactly what this HMGS honor society is all about.
Need the Adobe Acrobat pdf file reader? Just click
on the icon below.
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